Top News:
- Auto supplier Magna to manufacture BMW 5-series plug-in hybrids – Reuters: Canadian auto supplier Magna International Inc will produce BMW’s new 5-series plug-in hybrid at its Austrian factory, the company said on Monday, part of a strategy to produce electric cars on a contract basis for global automakers.
- Bosch to Build $1.1 Billion Chip Plant for Self-Driving Cars – Bloomberg: Auto supplier Robert Bosch GmbH will build a 1 billion-euro ($1.1 billion) semiconductor plant, the biggest single investment in its history, as the…
- Airshow: Lockheed signs pact with Tata to make F-16 planes in India – Reuters: Lockheed Martin signed an agreement with India’s Tata Advanced Systems on Monday to produce F-16 fighter planes in India, pressing ahead with a plan to shift its Fort Worth, Texas plant to win billions of dollars worth of order from the Indian military.
- Elon Musk had ‘promising conversations’ with LA mayor about plans to build tunnels under the city – CNBC: Musk tweeted that the tunneling technology is easier to develop than getting permits.
- Behind the scenes at a car launch – the bits you don’t usually see – Autocar: Volkswagen has officially revealed the Polo, at an event in Berlin, but what actually happens at these events? Scroll through and find out… What really goes on at the launch of a new car? Here’s what happens before and after the covers are pulled off a shiny new motor
- Mercedes-Benz breaks ground on Poland engine plant – FT: … said Markus Schäfer, a boardmember of Mercedes parent Daimler, overseeing production.
- In Brexit boost, Jaguar Land Rover to hire 5,000 staff – Reuters: Britain’s biggest carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) will hire 5,000 staff as it boosts its skills in autonomous and electric technology, a welcome business endorsement as Prime Minister Theresa May starts Brexit talks after a botched election.
- The Tricky Economics of Buying Classic Cars – Bloomberg: Six of the quirkiest vehicles to ever roll off an assembly line will be available this coming Saturday at RM Sotheby’s auction in Santa Monica, California.
- 2019 BMW 3 Series tests at the Nürburgring – on video – Autocar: Next-generation BMW 3 Series saloon has been spotted testing with a new front design that copies the look of the 2017 5 Series
- 2019 Ford Focus spotted with production body and interior – Autocar: Overall dimensions looks unchanged but a longer wheelbase should provide passengers with more leg room; it’ll come with three- and four-cylinder engines
- Subaru takes slow lane for self-driving cars, says costly for buyers – Reuters: A Subaru test driver demonstrates the automaker’s latest version of its EyeSight safety system at a testing ground in Shirosato, Ibaraki Prefecture, …
- Goodwood’s central sculpture to celebrate F1 tsar Ecclestone – Autocar: The Goodwood central sculpture will celebrate the career of long-time F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone Formula 1’s long-time boss will be the first individual honoured by the Festival of Speed’s Central Feature
- Why Now’s the Time to Invest in a Vintage Ford Pickup Truck – Bloomberg: Most industry followers know the Ford F-150 has dominated sales of all vehicles in the U.S. for decades; since 1984, it has surpassed even things as…
- Fiat Chrysler denies report it has decided to pull Chrysler brand from Japan – Reuters: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles denied it had decided to pull the plug on the Chrysler brand in Japan, after local media reported it was planning to stop selling the U.S. cars in the country as early as next year following years of poor sales.
- Hyundai to unveil GV80 concept version in S. Korea – Yonhap: Hyundai Motor Co. said Monday it will hold a three-week-long showcase event to unveil its luxury fuel cell concept sport…
- Takeaway firm Delivery Hero says IPO could raise more than $1 billion in battle with Uber, Amazon – CNBC: Delivery Hero has priced its initial public offering (IPO) at a range between 22 euros to 25.50 euros per share.
- Europe’s Vedecom, Israel’s Karamba developing self-driving car – Reuters: European self-driving car company Vedecom Tech and Israel’s Karamba Security said on Monday they are partnering in developing fully autonomous cars that will be deployed for limited use in certain European cities within the coming year.
- Delivery Hero sets IPO for June 30 as it fends off Uber, Amazon – Reuters: Online food takeaway firm Delivery Hero announced on Monday details of its planned initial public offering (IPO), saying that it expected shares to begin trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange on June 30 in a flotation that could raise 927 million euros ($1.04 billion).
- Service technicians retire after working together for 30 years – Automotive News: Service techs Des Gibbs and Clem Hall retire from the body shop at JM Lexus June 30. So what? So they’ve worked together as a team for 44 years.
- Is It Possible To Test Drive BMW’s X-Series Inside A Police Escort? – Forbes: Never before have I attended such an extreme test drive as the event in Indonesia last month. From the sublime sunrise overlooking four volcanoes to…
- Legendary Lexus exec tells how he evaluates a service department – Automotive News: Dick Chitty retired in 2003 from Toyota, where he put his signature on an approach to parts and service that helped make the Lexus luxury brand an…
- BMW 6-series GT bows this fall – Automotive News: BMW’s 6-series Gran Turismo will be offered in the U.S. as a 640i xDrive model starting at $70,695, including shipping. The car will have a 3.0-liter,…
- Investing principles for a new automobile era – Automotive News: Take cobalt – key to the lithium ion batteries in electric vehicles. Cobalt could face a supply crunch, so some mining companies are planning to boost…
- Chinese grow lineup of global design talent – Automotive News: The latest big hire: General Motors veteran Steve Eum, who left the SAIC-GM-Wuling Auto joint venture in China last year as design director, will join…
- Why Ford’s new structure might make sense – Automotive News: DETROIT – Ford Motor Co.’s C-suite shake-up last month went much further than simply switching the nameplate outside the CEO’s office.
- Nissan’s monster truck for Latin America – Automotive News: Nissan’s Frontier Attack concept, based on the Frontier, is inspired by extreme monster trucks. It’s the work of Nissan Design Center in Rio de Janeiro,…
- Subaru sharpens EyeSight with self-drive functions – Automotive News: MITO, Japan – Subaru Corp. will roll out an updated version of its EyeSight safety system this summer in Japan to provide limited self-driving…
- A VW homecoming for Neumann? – Automotive News: The resignation of Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann touched off speculation about where he might land, and most of it centered on Audi, where chief…
- Automakers ‘destroying themselves’ with stair-steps – Automotive News: Last year, he sold a profitable Nissan dealership he had owned for 36 years, citing among other problems “the complexity of doing business with them.
- Honda, FCA race to help supplier rebuild after fire – Automotive News: The fact that production did not crash this spring at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Honda of America Manufacturing is largely because of a group that…
- FCA to dealers: Stock up on Grand Caravans – Automotive News: Fiat Chrysler told its dealers this month to stock up on the Dodge Grand Caravan because production of the minivan will go on a hiatus in mid-August and won’t resume until December, when it will return as a 2018 model.
- N.J. dealer Steve Kalafer says automakers are ‘destroying themselves’ with stair-steps – Automotive News: In this QandA, dealer Steve Kalafer addresses strains in dealer-factory relations at Nissan, Volkswagen and other automakers.
- Ford’s new structure aligns with industry trend – Automotive News: Management consultants say the structure isn’t unique in the auto industry and is part of a growing wave of car companies looking to break down hierarchies.
- Chevy Trax crossover eclipses Sonic subcompact car – Automotive News: Chevrolet’s Sonic and Trax embody the speed at which consumer tastes have shifted from cars to crossovers.
- Automakers raise pressure on Congress to set autonomous-vehicle policies – Automotive News: Automakers and technology companies are increasingly anxious for Congress to get moving on policies for the development and testing of self-driving technology
- Mercedes bringing A-class to United States – Automotive News: Mercedes has confirmed to dealers that it will introduce the A-class sedan in the U.S. in 2018. It will become the brand’s new entry-level model slotting below the CLA.
- GM lets its Cruise Automation self-driving unit work autonomously – Automotive News: The automaker and the autonomous-driving company it acquired operate in separate spheres, but are still collaborating.
- Smart dealers face decision amid shift to EVs – Automotive News: Why didn’t the microcar brand work out as expected in the U.S., and can it succeed with just EVs?
- Subaru steps up self-driving capability with EyeSight update – Automotive News: Subaru is upgrading its camera-based system to get limited self-driving capabilities on the highway and during low-speed traffic jams.
- Renesas takes on global giants in growing autonomous vehicle marke – Automotive News: TOKYO – Japanese automotive microchip maker Renesas Electronics Corp. will start delivering a new line of products for self-driving cars in…
- 2017 Honda Civic Type R – Automotive News: With no true sports car in the Honda lineup – and the NSX being sold under the Acura banner – Honda and its U.S. customers have been craving a…
- 3 automakers add to mobility ventures – Automotive News: German luxury rivals BMW and Daimler have each made new investments in transportation companies, and Ford Motor Co. has opened a smart…
- GM lets its autonomous unit be autonomous – Automotive News: DETROIT – Despite spending more than $1 billion to acquire and expand Cruise Automation, General Motors is keeping its distance – both…
- Honda’s UK plant gets a boost from US – Automotive News: Unexpectedly high sales of the Honda Civic five-door in the U.S. – 31,669 through May – have put a new buzz into the company’s once-ailing U.K….
- Mercedes brings its ‘A’ game – Automotive News: After years of back and forth over whether American luxury consumers were ready for the A-class small car, Mercedes- Benz will finally bring an…
- Chevy’s Trax stomps on the Sonic – Automotive News: … the Chevrolet Sonic was a pint-sized showpiece for General Motors, proof … The Trax has been an outsize success story for GM, which presciently…
- BRIEF-BYD issues 2017 1st tranche corporate bonds worth 1.5 bln yuan – Reuters: LE MANS, France, June 18 Porsche won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the third year in a row on Sunday after a race of retirements that scuppered …
- SAIC Maxus cultivates competitive power in self-driving area to achieve leapfrog developments in … – Automotive News: D90 SUV, the first product in SAIC Maxus C2B strategy, made debut on Shanghai Auto Show this year in self-driving mode and attracted great…