For days, rumors were swirling in Europe’s capitals that the EU would take member states to court for looking the other way while carmakers flouted EU emissions regulations. Today, it happened. The EU Commission “is taking action against 7 Member States for failing to set up penalties systems to deter car manufacturers from violating car emissions legislation, or not applying such sanctions where a breach of law has occurred,” the Commission said today in a statement.
Archives for December 2016
Thursday morning car news roundup, December 8, 2016
December 8, 2016 By
Top News:
- Volvo appoints Henrik Green as new R&D vice president – Autocar: Green replaces the void left by Peter Mertens, who moved to Audi in November in a Dieselgate shake-up
- VW’s Porsche focus of widened German car emissions probe – Automotive News: German regulators are investigating whether Porsche illegally manipulated fuel economy data on its vehicles, potentially opening a new front in parent Volkswagen’s emissions-cheating scandal.
- Germany, U.K., Risk EU Court Fight in Wake of Volkswagen Scandal – Bloomberg: Volkswagen AG’s dieselgate scandal took another turn as the European Union threatened to sue Germany, the U.K. and five other nations for failing to…
- German Car Emissions Probe Widens to Volkswagen’s Porsche – Bloomberg: German regulators are investigating whether Porsche illegally manipulated fuel … a new front in parent Volkswagen AG’s emissions-cheating scandal.
Wednesday morning car news roundup, December 7, 2016
December 7, 2016 By
Top News:
- Renault-Nissan to replace powertrain chief as problems mount, report says – Automotive News: The Renault-Nissan alliance is replacing its top executive in charge of combining the carmakers’ engines and gearboxes, sources told…
- Exclusive: Emissions crackdown exposes Renault-Nissan engine trouble – Reuters: Carlos Ghosn (L), Chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Mitsubishi Motors Corp’s Chairman and CEO Osamu Masuko attend their …
- Vauxhall denies claims of Corsa fire risk – Autocar: Reports suggest 1.1 million Corsa D and E models could feature a dangerous wiring fault, but car maker says they’re untrue
Tuesday morning car news roundup, December 6, 2016
December 6, 2016 By
Top News:
- Factbox – Why the shift to electric cars may surprise oil groups – Reuters: The Oil View: BP, Exxon’s oil market outlooks published this year do not mention driverless vehicles. The International Energy Agency said it had not …
- Why Jaguar Land Rover CEO Ralf Speth changed his view on EVs – Automotive News: When we spoke a little more than a year ago you had a very negative opinion of electric vehicles. Now Jaguar plans to debut an EV. What changed?
- Contact lens tech could revolutionize electric vehicles – Automotive News: A plastic based on soft contact-lens technology may solve some of the biggest challenges facing electric vehicles by letting them recharge in seconds and travel from London to Edinburgh without stopping, scientists say.
At Nissan, Cars Are Delivered By Driverless LEAFs
December 5, 2016 By
Driverless vehicles are not allowed on public roads in Japan, but Nissan has found a way to put them to work nonetheless. At Nissan’s Oppama plant near Yokohama, autonomous LEAF cars shuttle new cars from the factory to the transport ship docked at the company’s wharf.
Monday morning car news roundup, December 5, 2016
December 5, 2016 By
Top News:
- 500th LaFerrari fetches record-breaking final price – Autocar: LaFerrari gets one car added to its original 499-unit production run, with the 500th example auctioned to aid those affected by the Italian earthquake
- BMW accelerates EV, self-driving strategy – Automotive News: BMW Group will accelerate its shift toward autonomous and electrified vehicles by opening a self-driving test center in Germany and…
- VW’s Moia brand will challenge Uber – Automotive News: Establishing Moia, the group’s 13th brand, is part of VW Group’s aggressive push into electric vehicles and new technology services as it emerges…
Friday morning car news roundup, December 2, 2016
December 2, 2016 By
Top News:
- Diesel vehicles to be banned from Paris, Madrid, Athens and Mexico City by 2025 – Autocar: Worsening road congestion is increasing pollution in cities
- Danish prosecutor indicts Uber over driver violations – Reuters: Ride-hailing group Uber Technologies’ [UBER.UL] European business has been indicted in Denmark on charges of assisting two drivers in violating taxi laws, the Copenhagen police’s head of public prosecutions said on Friday.
- German car sales headed for highest growth in six years -VDA – Reuters: The Berlin-based lobby, whose members include major groups Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW, expects no weakening in 2017 registrations. “For the coming year we expect a similarly high market volume,” VDA president Matthias Wissmann said in written …
Thursday morning car news roundup, December 1, 2016
December 1, 2016 By
Top News:
- BRIEF-TrueCar projects U.S. revenue from new vehicle sales reached $45 bln for November – Reuters: projects U.S. revenue from new vehicle sales reached $45 billion for month of November, up 1.6 percent from a year ago
- Aston Martin appoints former Ferrari innovation boss – Autocar: Maximilian Szwaj joins Aston Martin from Ferrari and Maserati as the brand’s new chief technical officer
- Sweden proposes ban on ride-sharing services that make profits – Reuters: Sweden proposed rule changes for its taxis on Wednesday that may help ride-hailing services like Uber Technologies in the long term, but also recommended that profit-making ride-sharing should be illegal.