Top News:
- Trump threatens German carmakers with 35 percent U.S. import tariff – Reuters: United States President-elect Donald Trump warned German car companies he would impose a border tax of 35 percent on vehicles imported to the U.S. market, a plan that drew sharp rebukes from Berlin and hit automakers’ shares .
- Italy Calls German Fiat Recall Push Unacceptable as Spat Widens – Bloomberg: Italian Transport Minister Graziano Delrio dismissed Germany’s demands to recall Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV cars for alleged pollution violations as…
- Germany looking for close cooperation with Trump – Reuters: Chancellor Angela Merkel “read with interest” U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s interview with German newspaper Bild, in which he threatened German carmaker BMW with a border tax on cars built in Mexico, her spokesman said on Monday.
- UK to test Fiat Chrysler Jeep model after US emission accusations – Reuters: The Jeep logo is seen on the wheel of a Jeep Grand Cherokee on the showroom at the Massey-Yardley Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram automobile …
- BRIEF-Elon Musk tweet – “HW2 autopilot now downloading to all HW2 cars, but in non-actuating mode to assess reliability. If looks good, actuation by end of week” – Reuters: “HW2 autopilot now downloading to all HW2 cars, but in non-actuating mode to assess reliability. If looks good, actuation by end of week”
- Leaked Docs Show Volkswagen To Launch 8 New Energy Vehicles In China – Forbes: According to the classification set up by the Chinese government NEVs include electric vehicles (EV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and…
- Trump protectionism could endanger German car production in US-German official – Reuters: Trump protectionism could endanger German car production in … the German government’s transatlantic coordinator, Juergen Hardt, told on Monday. “With respect to the German auto industry, one will have to explain to him …
- Stake in UK Jetpack Maker Sold to Chinese Tech Investor – Bloomberg: … ‘Disney of Engineering’ on its website, Gilo develops rotary engines for a range of vehicles, including para-gliders and a flying car called SkyQuad.
- China’s troubled tech firm LeEco wins $2.2 bn lifeline – Yahoo: China’s cash-strapped LeEco group’s interests include self-driving cars, smartphones, film making, and TV-set manufacturing (AFP Photo/Frederic J.
- Sergio: Trump ‘should like’ a GM-FCA merger – Automotive News: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne says President-elect Donald Trump might support the idea of General Motors merging with his…
- The man who assembled Tesla’s supply base – Automotive News: Carlsson, 46, assembled the supply chains to launch Tesla’s Model S and Model X, taking the San Francisco Bay automaker into robust production…
- Lexus execs see holes in the lineup – Automotive News: Lexus sees possibilities for expanding its lineup. Among them, a subcompact crossover, a three-row crossover, a broader range of F-badged performance cars and even possibly a Tesla-fighting all-electric entry.
- Bentley thinks best bet for its buyers is plug-in hybrid EV – Automotive News: Bentley uses the scenario to explain its preference for plug-in hybrids as an alternative-fuel strategy — even for the long term — over electric vehicles.
- Ghosn pushes commonization at measured pace – Automotive News: Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn would like Nissan and its alliance partner Renault to pick up the pace on commonizing their platforms and technologies. But not too fast.
- Continental-Nexteer JV targets self-driving cars – Automotive News: Last week, Continental AG and Nexteer announced a joint venture to produce control systems for self-driving cars by integrating Nexteer’s steering…
- Suppliers’ pitch: We’re one-stop shops – Automotive News: The complexity of self-driving vehicles has created a golden opportunity for key suppliers to market themselves as one-stop shops for…
- Uber tech effort aims to ease ‘surge pricing’ – Automotive News: To help speed up development of self-driving vehicles, Uber plans to open an advanced technologies center in suburban Detroit, so it can be closer to…
- ‘Tinkering’ gets results at Waymo – Automotive News: John Krafcik, CEO of Waymo, formerly known as Google’s self-driving car project, said the company’s vertically integrated self-driving…
- Aisin Seiki reboots for electric age – Automotive News: But it is also a response to universal trends toward electrified vehicles and self-driving cars. Aisin aims to build new revenue streams in those areas to…
- BMW, Mercedes execs plead for more crossovers – Automotive News: Even as they launch two key cars #8211; the BMW 5 series and Mercedes E-class coupe — the traditional arch-rivals have a common challenge: Satisfy U.S. dealers’ hunger for more crossovers.
- De Nysschen meets his Infiniti baby – Automotive News: Spotted at Infiniti’s Detroit auto show stand last week was the brand’s former global president Johan de Nysschen. Now president of Cadillac,…
- VW’s plot to fool the feds: How high up did it go? – Automotive News: Even as VW pleaded guilty to felony charges and agreed to a record settlement of its emissions scandal, the noose of law enforcement has tightened around the automaker’s highest executives.
- EPA move could set up new fight over CO2 – Automotive News: The auto industry’s relationship with the Obama administration is ending just as awkwardly as it began.
- Facial-recognition technology comes to the car – Automotive News: In a car-sharing economy, how does a vehicle recognize which motorist is in the driver’s seat? Judging by Chrysler’s Portal electric minivan concept, the answer may be facial recognition.
- Dealer’s post-Katrina relief effort keeps growing – Automotive News: When Hurricane Katrina tore through New Orleans in 2005 and left three of Troy Duhon’s car dealerships completely under water, it changed the way he did business.
- FCA’s sedan plans stall amid trade tumult – Automotive News: After Fiat Chrysler dealers sell down their current stocks of remaining Dodge Darts and Chrysler 200 sedans, those segments may stay vacant for a while on their lots.
- As Pacifica ramps up, Grand Caravan lives on – Automotive News: Fiat Chrysler will keep the Dodge Grand Caravan around a little longer than planned as it continues to ramp up sales of the old minivan’s more expensive new line mate, the Chrysler Pacifica.
- FCA at odds with EPA on emissions – Automotive News: The 3.0-liter EcoDiesel engine available in the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 has been operating under a dark cloud since at least last fall.
- Cruze diesel may get 50 on highway – Automotive News: The upcoming diesel version of the Chevrolet Cruze may be General Motors’ first non-hybrid vehicle since the 1990s to get an EPA-certified fuel economy rating of at least 50 mpg on the highway.
- Yanfeng envisions a lounge on wheels – Automotive News: Yanfeng Automotive Interiors is preparing for the day when people need more to do in a car than drive.
- Toyota’s Lentz: Tariff would depress industry – Automotive News: President-elect Donald Trump’s threatened border tax on autos and auto parts coming into the U.S. would depress the entire industry, said Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota Motor North America.
- Trump’s UK trade pledge: hurdles to a quick deal – FT: … deal is far from complete and the joke in trade circles is that they ran out of gas long ago – unless, of course, negotiators switched to an electric car.
- With Guilty Plea, Takata Clears Way for a Likely Global Rescue – New York Times: The list of potential buyers includes the Swedish car parts company Autoliv, the world’s biggest airbag manufacturer; Key Safety Systems, an American…
- Toyota marks break from past with fund for tech investments – FT: In the past, Toyota has invested in a range of start-ups on its own including a $50m investment in US electric vehicle maker Tesla, but analysts say the…
- Driverless cars heading for a jam, says transit group – FT: Growing adoption of self-driving vehicles risks aggravating urban congestion if it promotes the use of cars over buses and trains, a public transport…
- Six-Hour Meeting of Chinese Tycoons Eases LeEco Cash Crunch – Bloomberg: Jia’s LeEco, the sprawling conglomerate with interests ranging from electric cars and TVs to entertainment, announced Friday its cash crunch was…
- Trump, embracing Twitter again, presses automakers to build in U.S. – Automotive News: “Car companies and others, if they want to do business in our country, have to start making things here again. WIN!” President-elect Donald Trump…
- Emission probes could widen beyond Renault in France – Minister – Reuters: Volkswagen’s admission that some of its diesel vehicles were fitted with software designed to hide the true level of emissions they produced has …