Top News:
- Merkel constantly being updated on progress of Opel talks – spokesman – Reuters: Chancellor Angela Merkel is constantly being updated about the progress in talks between the German government and management of Peugeot and General Motors about the planned sale of Opel, a government spokesman said on Monday.
- London Mayor could ban cars from capital to cut pollution – Autocar: Sadiq Khan said “nothing’s off the table” when questioned about a car ban on certain days; comments follow confirmation of a diesel T-charge
- Pension deficit at GM’s British operations stands at up to 1 billion pounds: source – Reuters: FILE PHOTO: The logo of Opel and the bank of French car maker Peugeot are seen at a Opel and Peugeot dealership in Leverkusen, Germany, …
- Aston Martin DB11 with AMG engine to face V8 Continental GT – Autocar: Twin-turbocharged V8 option will be added to Aston Martin DB11 range; second sighting of development car shows new bodywork
- Opel jobs have not been guaranteed, says German deputy economy minister – Reuters: Peugeot and General Motors have not given binding guarantees to preserve German jobs and factories at Opel, Germany’s Deputy Economy Minister Matthias Machnig said on Monday.
- PSA’s takeover plan has analysts puzzled – Automotive News: … as PSA discusses the takeover of General Motors’ Opel and Vauxhall units. … GM Europe has lost money for many years despite several attempts to…
- Uber CEO orders ‘urgent investigation’ on sexual harassment claims – Reuters: The chief executive of Uber Technologies Inc has ordered an “urgent investigation” into claims of sexual harassment at the ride-hailing service made by a former employee.
- Are We Witnessing The Rise Of China’s GM, Ford? – Barrons: Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s tough talk on auto makers and trade, we have seen a spectacular rise in China’s car manufacturers this year.
- Uber to Investigate Sexism, Harassment Claims – WSJ: Uber Technologies plans to investigate claims by a former engineer that the company failed to discipline a manager who mistreated female employees and ignored complaints of sexual harassment.
- PSA already got its hands on a classic – Automotive News: While PSA Group is talking to General Motors about acquiring Opel, it already has bought one stately brand this year — in India. Last month, the…
- Distracted driving defies global enforcement efforts – Automotive News: Distracted driving, responsible for thousands of deaths annually worldwide, might not disappear unless every vehicle on the road is fully autonomous.
- Feds don’t need new powers over self-driving cars – Automotive News: Highly automated vehicles will relieve drivers of many driving tasks, get passengers to their destinations and do so while staying clear of other…
- CEO: Aston doesn’t need merger to survive – Automotive News: Some say a low-volume automaker such as Aston Martin cannot survive without being bought out by a large company, but Aston Martin…
- Ford aims to disrupt its aftermarket competitors – Automotive News: Ford Motor’s new fixed-ops strategy includes getting more of its dealers to build Quick Lane fast-service centers. Ford also is introducing the Omnicraft…
- Audi revamps styling of next-gen A6 – Automotive News: A spy photo shows Audi’s next-gen A6, expected to debut this fall in Frankfurt and go on sale in the U.S. early next year.
- The really new GM: Ready to quit Europe – Automotive News: GM’s proposed departure from Europe would be a radical pivot for a company that historically tried to dominate every global market it could, as well as a sign of how dramatically the industry is being upended by shifting attitudes about…
- Self-driving vehicles: Why the rush? – Automotive News: But I don’t know why it’s so important to develop self-driving vehicles. There may well be a market for them but no one knows yet how big it is.
- High-end G class first off-roader for Mercedes-Maybach – Automotive News: Production of the Mercedes-Maybach G650 Landaulet will be limited to 99 vehicles, none slated for the U.S., according to a Mercedes spokesman.
- Longer, wider Ford Focus may be on the way – Automotive News: Spy photos taken in Europe indicate the next-generation Ford Focus hatchback will have a larger footprint than the current version. Photo credit:…
- 3-point belts protect middle seat riders, study finds – Automotive News: Three-point seat belts were invented by Nils Bohlin, a Volvo engineer in the late 1950s. By mid-1959, Bohlin’s invention was used in Volvos sold…
- Aston unveils F1-derived hypercar due in 2019 – Automotive News: Aston Martin revealed its AM-RB 001 hypercar to the world last week on the doorstep of its Canadian partner Multimatic, which is…
- Toyota gets serious about plug-in hybrids – Automotive News: For years, Toyota Motor Corp. has shortchanged plug-in hybrids by offering just one nameplate in the category, and a slow selling one at…
- Accent takes on Hyundai styling – Automotive News: The 2018 redesign of the Hyundai Accent brings the … to other recently redesigned models in the Hyundai lineup such as the Elantra GT,…
- Buick relying less on Opel, more on China – Automotive News: If talks between GM and PSA Group lead to the sale of Opel, Buick’s lineup would likely be affected. But GM has already gotten more out of Opel for…
- GM’s European slog – Automotive News: Since General Motors’ decision to keep the Opel division following its 2009 bankruptcy, the company has had a revolving door of executives and a…
- Waymo cries foul over self-drive legislation – Automotive News: Several states are considering legislation that could exclude technology companies from operating self-driving vehicles within their borders.
- How Chevy coaxed Cruze diesel to 52 mpg – Automotive News: To earn the EPA’s rare 50-plus highway fuel economy rating for the 2018 Cruze diesel sedan, Chevrolet engineers didn’t just drop in a fuel-efficient engine and transmission and call it done.
- Will FCA become more attractive to GM? – Automotive News: Now that General Motors is potentially selling off its European brand Opel to PSA, there is one way the automaker could stay in Europe and remain…
- Smart brand to focus on EVs in US, Canada – Automotive News: Daimler AG will stop selling gasoline-powered Smart cars in the U.S. and Canada later this year and will convert the microcar brand to an electric…
- Can tiny Key Safety digest Takata? – Automotive News: Key Safety Systems is starting to look like the Mouse that Roared. The Michigan airbag maker is engaged in an uphill battle to acquire Takata Corp.
- How Ford made it work in Europe – Automotive News: General Motors hasn’t made money in Europe since Bill Clinton was president. If the world’s third-largest auto-maker fails to unload its Opel European division on PSA Group, it could look to its crosstown rival in Dearborn, Mich.
- Canada likes where it stands in NAFTA talks – Automotive News: Ontario Minister of Economic Development Brad Duguid said Canada is ‘fortunate’ to begin a NAFTA dialogue with the Trump administration ‘from a position of absolute strength.’
- Uber Investigating Sexual Harassment Claims by Ex-Employee – New York Times: Travis Kalanick, Uber’s chief, said the company would investigate an employee’s claims of sexual harassment. An engineer said that the human resources department ignored those claims even after she had reported them. Credit Marlene Awaad/.
- GM shares could climb 35 percent if it sells Opel – Barron’s – Reuters: General Motors Co shares could climb by as much as 35 percent if it succeeds in selling its European Opel brand and focuses on its healthier markets, Barron’s said on Sunday.
- General Motors and Ford See January Sales Decline in US – Yahoo: General Motors (GM) said that its sales dropped 3.8% to 195,909 vehicles in January. … Ford Motor January sales in the last five years. Source.
- Uber CEO orders ‘urgent investigation’ after allegation of harassment, gender bias at company – CNBC: Uber’s CEO said he was ordering an investigation after a former employee published an account alleging sexual harassment and gender bias at the company.
- Volkswagen prefers Sierra Wireless to enable next-generation connected vehicles with 4G LTE … – Yahoo: Sierra Wireless automotive solutions will deliver high-speed cellular connectivity for the Volkswagen Car-Net platform, which provides a variety of…
- Japan’s Trade Deficit Widens on Drop in Car Exports, Oil Imports – Bloomberg: Japan posted a bigger-than-forecast trade deficit in January as auto exports declined and energy import costs increased. Economists cautioned…
- PSA may vow to maintain Opel sites; deal likely by March 9 – Automotive News: To win support for the takeover, PSA will pledge to maintain Opel’s independence, honor existing collective labor agreements and continue to invest in…
- Prime Minister Theresa May to meet PSA boss to discuss Vauxhall deal – Autocar: The future of Vauxhall’s two plants in the UK are unclear as takeover talks continue; a deal could be completed before the Geneva motor show in early March