Top News:
- Volkswagen’s long road to a US Dieselgate settlement – Reuters: Supervisors then designed a software device to recognize whether the vehicle was undergoing standard U.S. emissions testing on a dynamometer.
- RPT-VW shareholders call for reforms in wake of $4.3 bln U.S. deal – Reuters: Volkswagen investors demanded greater transparency and reforms at the carmaker after it admitted to criminal offences in rigging U.S. emissions tests and U.S. prosecutors indicted six current and former managers over the scandal.
- Polish car production up 12.7 pct y/y in December – Reuters: The industry produced 51,425 cars and trucks in December, Samar said. Output for the whole year was up 2.8 percent at 660,642, with cars …
- BRIEF-Anhui Ankai Automobile’s shares to halt trade pending announcement – Reuters: BRIEF-Anhui Ankai Automobile’s shares to halt trade pending …
- Why Mercedes’ Performance Brand AMG Is Launching Its First Dedicated Showroom In Tokyo – Forbes: Mercedes’ high performance brand AMG is on fire, posting record global sales of nearly 100,000 units in 2016, up 44% from 2015. And to elevate the…
- BRIEF-Great Wall Motor Co updates on FY16 guidance – Reuters: BEIJING, Jan 12 China’s vehicle sales jumped 13.7 percent in 2016, the fastest pace in three years, thanks to a tax cut on small-engine cars but …
- Litchfield LM20 Nissan GT-R launched with 666bhp – Autocar: Uprated 2017 GT-R Black Edition can accelerate from 0-60mph in 2.5sec and reach more than 200mph
- Jeep’s China Made Compass SUV Has A Downgraded Engine But An Upmarket Price – Forbes: The new Jeep is made locally at Guangzhou-FCA, a joint venture between Fiat Chrysler Automobile and the Guangzhou Automobile Corporation…
- China vehicle sales to grow 5 percent in 2017 as tax cut reduced – Reuters: China Daily/via REUTERS … China’s auto market, the world’s largest, grew to 28 million vehicles in 2016 and will likely climb 5 percent in 2017 to 29.4 …
- Toyota CEO Met With Vice President-Elect in U.S. – WSJ: Akio Toyoda met with Mike Pence, following criticism from Donald Trump about the company’s Mexican production facilities.
- China 2016 vehicle sales climb 13.7 pct yr/yr -industry association – Reuters: … cut on small-engine cars, accelerating from 4.7 percent growth the previous year, …
- General Motors’ Ignition Switch Crisis Changed Company’s Culture, Mark Reuss Tells Automotive … – Yahoo: … switches in 2014 changed General Motors’ culture more than its bankruptcy five years earlier did, GM product development chief Mark Reuss said.
- Dodge resurrects Demon as ‘next Hellcat’ – Detroitnews: The Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV brand on Thursday announced it is “raising the bar again” with the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon. The car is…
- Donald Trump, Volkswagen, Israel: Your Thursday Briefing – New York Times: U.S. prosecutors filed criminal charges against six Volkswagen executives for their role in the company’s emissions scandal. One was arrested in…
- Mercedes-Benz celebrates 50th anniversary with 2018 GT C coupe – Freep: Mercedes-Benz celebrates the 50th anniversary of its acclaimed AMG high-performance brand with the GT C coupe, a 550-hp super coupe that blasts…
- VW faces reforms, oversight for three years under U.S. settlement – Reuters: Volkswagen AG, as part of a $4.3 billion settlement with U.S. regulators, on Wednesday agreed to sweeping reforms, new audits and oversight by an independent monitor for three years to resolve diesel emissions cheating investigations.
- BRIEF-Mianyang Fulin Precision Machining’s auto parts unit launches branch – Reuters: … is the news and media division of Thomson .
- American companies were world’s most innovative in 2016: BCG – CNBC: Nearly 70 percent of the world’s most innovative companies in 2016 were American, according to a new survey of global executives released on Thursday. Apple, Google, Tesla, Microsoft, Amazon and Netflix took the top six spots in the annual poll of 50…
- China’s anti-Teslas: cheap models drive electric car boom – Reuters: * China Nissan Leaf model too expensive by comparison – CEO Subsidies reduced 20 pct this year, phased out by 2020
- Reuss: Ignition crisis was GM’s change agent – Automotive News: The crisis that erupted over faulty ignition switches in 2014 changed GM’s culture more than its bankruptcy five years earlier did, GM’s product development chief said.
- Toyota president met Pence in Washington, company says – Reuters: Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Corporation, speaks during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., January 9, …
- Suzuki: Get Your Motor Running with 15% Upside – Barrons: Vehicles sit on display at a Suzuki Motor Corp. dealership in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Photographer: Akio Kon/.
- Ford Says Beams Were Up on Aborted Mexico Plant Trump Jeered – Bloomberg: Ford told Mexico’s government of its intent to scrap the $1.6 billion small-car factory on the morning of Jan. 3, just before making the decision public.
- 2017 NAIAS: The 2018 Lexus LS takes on a more dramatic design – Egmcartech: Believe it or not, the current generation Lexus LS flagship luxury sedan has been with us for over 10 years. So it’s way overdue for a replacement.
- Fiat Chrysler has good chance of hitting 2018 targets, Marchionne tells analysts – Automotive News: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne told Wall Street analysts on Wednesday that the company’s chances of hitting 2018 financial targets are “significantly greater than 50 percent,” reported, citing a person present at the meeting.
- Fiat Chrysler CEO says good chance hitting 2018 targets: source – Reuters: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne told Wall Street analysts on Wednesday that the company’s chances of hitting 2018 financial targets are “significantly greater than 50 percent,” according to a person present at the meeting.
- Trump recommits to ‘major border tax’ on foreign-produced U.S. products – Reuters: President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday promised a “major border tax” on companies that shift jobs outside the United States, further pressuring American businesses days after Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV said heavy tariffs could force the company to shutter Mexican plants.
- In Canada, automakers seek to offset carbon emissions costs – Automotive News: Canadian auto industry executives are asking government ministers to mitigate the costs of reducing carbon emissions under a new program designed to help fight climate change, two sources familiar with the matter said.
- Why Americans Won’t Buy Chinese Cars – Bloomberg: What would it take to convince American drivers to buy a Chinese-branded car? China’s automakers have tried and failed to answer that question for…
- Six Volkswagen executives indicted in emissions-cheating scandal – Washington Post: Federal prosecutors indicted six executives at German automaker Volkswagen on Wednesday in connection with the company’s diesel emissions…
- U.S. indicts six as Volkswagen agrees to $4.3 bln diesel settlement – Reuters: Volkswagen AG has agreed to pay the largest ever U.S. criminal fine levied on an automaker to settle charges that it conspired for nearly 10 years to cheat on diesel emission tests, while prosecutors on Wednesday charged six current and former senior VW executives for their roles in the scheme.
- FCA chief: Chances much better than 50 pct of hitting 2018 targets -source – Reuters: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne told Wall Street analysts on Wednesday that the company’s chances of hitting 2018 financial targets are “significantly greater than 50 percent.”
- Fiat Chrysler to reveal Dodge Challenger Demon SRT in New York – Freep: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said today it plans to bring back the Dodge Demon, a muscle car from the 1970s, with an engine that kicks out even more…
- Volkswagen will plead guilty to cheating on emissions tests – CBS News: Volkswagen has agreed to pay a total of $4.3 billion in criminal and civil penalties stemming from the German automaker’s efforts to cheat on federal…
- Six former VW execs indicted for dieselgate – Reuters: … >> Richard Durincomp, Bern Gutwise, Yeun Toddler.>> US law enforcement going after those allegedly involved in the Volkswagen dieselgate …
- Suppliers compelled to think simpler – Automotive News: While it may seem counterintuitive, connected, self-driving vehicles are forcing suppliers to simplify their components. During a supplier…
- Honda Pans U.S. Auto Industry Reliance on Fleet, Long-Term Loans – Bloomberg: Carmakers would’ve sold about 1.5 million fewer vehicles last year if they hadn’t turned increasingly to long-term loans and unprofitable fleet sales…
- Uber to build autonomous vehicle center in Wixom – Freep: Uber will open an autonomous vehicle research center in Wixom by the end of March, … Uber has decided it does not want to make cars, hardware or parts. … between July and the end of September, according to News.
- Big Is Beautiful on China’s Roads, Where SUVs are Edging Out Sedans – Bloomberg: SUVs now make up a greater percentage of auto sales in China than … Automakers also are boosting production of larger vehicles in anticipation of a…
- Analyst says Chinese company could buy FCA – Detroitnews: Tim Kuniskis, left, Fiat/Chrysler North America Head of Passenger Car Brands, receives the award for Utility Vehicle of the Year from Matt Delorenzo,…
- Why 2017 Has Become a Crucial Year for Tesla – Barrons: The Model 3 is Telsa’s most important effort yet, as it attempts to become a mass-market car company. The new electric model starts at $35,000 before…
- Fiat Chrysler shakes up Asia, China leadership – Detroitnews: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV is reorganizing its executive leadership in Asia, as the automaker attempts a rapid expansion into China. (Photo: Detroit…
- Fact-checking President-elect Donald Trump’s news conference – Chicago Tribune: Sergio Marchionne, the Fiat Chrysler chief executive, said the plan had been in the works for more than a year and had nothing to do with Trump;…
- Fiat Chrysler names new Asia leaders, refocuses Mike Manley’s role – Freep: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said today that Mike Manley, one of the automaker’s highest-ranking executives, will no longer oversee the company’s Asia…
- Fiat Chrysler names operating chiefs for China, Asia Pacific – Reuters: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCHA.MI) (FCAU.N) on Wednesday named Daphne Zheng as chief operating officer of China and Paul Alcala as the …
- Tesla’s big hire may mean more competition for Apple and Google – Yahoo: If Tesla is indeed pursuing such a strategy, it may come to resemble Apple, Lattner’s former employer. Bringing in top-end talent, controlling both the…
- Would you pay $1500 a month to drive an Escalade whenever you want? – Washington Post: These same cars would cost between $60,000 and $100,00 if purchased outright, according to a report. The car is home delivered and the fee…
- Trump’s Border Tax Threat May Weaponize the Dollar – Bloomberg: His pronouncement on Wednesday followed a Jan 3. tweet in which the Republican castigated General Motors Co. for its Mexico car plant, channeling…
- Cadillac May Be Cooler Now, but It Still Really Needs a Crossover SUV – Bloomberg: 1, it means you cannot afford to polarize, and [thus] the cars from our three … the Book by Cadillac app translated into at least one new-car purchase,…
- Trump’s Twitter Bully Pulpit Has Automakers on Edge – Bloomberg: The car business is an enormous and deeply influential entity whose daily …. Would a potential border tax just be on finished vehicles or would the…
- Donald Trump Urges GM to Invest More in US Production – WSJ: President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday ratcheted up pressure on General Motors Co. to invest more in U.S. production, encouraging the…