Top News:
- How Two Years of Crisis Has Tested Volkswagen’s CEO – WSJ: Volkswagen CEO Matthias Müller speaks about a lingering “atmosphere of suspicion” at VW in the wake of its emissions-test scandal and the difficult work to transform the corporate culture.
- New Audi RS4 Avant unveiled with 125lb ft torque boost – Autocar: Audi’s hot estate gets performance upgrade over previous version; derestricted version can reach 174mph
- Japan trials driverless cars in bid to keep rural elderly on the move – Reuters: As the annual rice harvest begins this month in the Japanese town of Nishikata, the combines that usually putter along the sleepy roads lining its rice fields are giving way to a vehicle residents have never before seen, a driverless shuttle bus.
- Toyota Land Cruiser gets hardware and tech boosts – Autocar: Updated off-roader gains new infotainment and improved cabin ergonomics; on show in Frankfurt
- Chery Tiggo Coupe Concept revealed as Europe-bound Chinese SUV – Autocar: Asian brand’s latest attempt to break into Europe will be in the form of a small SUV concept, it’s on show at the Frankfurt show
- PSA may move production of electric vehicle components back in-house – Reuters: He added PSA would present a restructuring plan for its Opel brand in November, and that it aimed to finalize a car financing deal with bank BNP …
- New Rules Coming for Self-Driving Cars – WSJ: The Trump administration plans to introduce new voluntary guidelines for autonomous vehicles on Tuesday in a bid to increase flexibility for car and tech companies and speed the industry’s development in the U.S.
- IAA car show displays industry in throes of reinvention – Yahoo: Along with Nissan, Peugeot, Volvo and Fiat, Tesla has shunned this year’s IAA, months after the first of its keenly-awaited Model 3 cars rolled off the…
- Toyota C-HR Hy-Power performance hybrid concept unveiled – Autocar: The Toyota C-HR Hy-Power Concept machine unveiled at Frankfurt show set to lead to high-performance production version of C-HR
- Carmakers face electric reality as combustion engine outlook dims – Reuters: Volkswagen (VW), for its part, said it was seeking new global supplier contracts to source 50 billion euros ($60 billion) of electric car content including batteries, which are not yet manufactured competitively in Europe. A company like Volkswagen …
- Mercedes-Benz GLC F-Cell unveiled – Autocar: Mercedes joins the hydrogen car revolution, albeit with a novel powertrain that combines a fuel cell with a plug-in battery in the GLC F-Cell
- Mercedes-Benz unveils electric EQA hatchback concept – Autocar: Mercedes has shown a concept version of the car that will compete with the BMW i3 and Volkswagen ID hatchback
- 2018 Renault Megane RS hot hatch revealed with 276bhp – Autocar: This is the new Renault Megane Renault Sport Renault’s 4Control system will boost new hot hatch’s agility and stability; a front-drive Nurburgring record battle is likely with later Trophy model
- Renault Symbioz concept is designed to integrate with your house – Autocar: Renault has presented its vision for the car of 2030 – it’s autonomous, electric and will literally connect to your home
- ‘Future will be electric’: European carmakers take fight to Tesla – CNBC: Traditional carmakers, such as Jaguar Land Rover, BMW and Ford have all sped up their respective plans to mass produce electric cars in order to…
- Subaru Impreza lands in Frankfurt as all-wheel drive Ford Focus rival – Autocar: New hatchback comes with a choice of two boxer engines; it uses Subaru’s new underpinnings
- TABLE-Vietnam August auto sales down 6 pct y/y – industry body – Reuters: Vietnam’s total vehicle sales fell by 6 percent to 22,099 units in August from a year earlier, the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers’ …
- Comment: the Mercedes-AMG Project One was worth the wait – Autocar: The Mrcedes-AMG Project One Mercedes made onlookers wait to see – and hear – its new hypercar, but the machine made an emphatic statement when it arrived
- Mercedes-Benz to offer electrified versions of full range by 2022 – Autocar: Mercedes will offer an electrified version of its entire range by 2022 Daimler becomes latest manufacturer to announce electrification plans; chairman Dieter Zetsche also confirms major investment in diesel engines
- U.S. agency expected to find Tesla’s Autopilot contributed to crash – Reuters: The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to find on Tuesday that Tesla Inc’s Autopilot system was a contributing factor in a May 2016 Model S crash that killed a man in Florida while using the car’s semi-autonomous driving system, two people briefed on the matter said.
- Alpina D5 S – 322bhp diesel launched in saloon and estate forms – Autocar: British version to get twin- rather than triple-turbo engine; prices to start at around £62,000
- Volkswagen believes Tesla is not a threat and plans to stick with diesel engines – CNBC: The chief executive of German automaker Volkswagen says that the diesel engine has a “great future” ahead. Matthias Mueller says that VW plans to…
- Celebrate Electric Vehicles, Soberly – Bloomberg: Intelligence’s Steve Man reckons the carmaker’s net income could drop as much as 30 percent as…
- Bosch sees driver-assistance sales growing to 2 billion euros by 2019 – Reuters: Bosch [ROBG.UL], the world’s biggest car parts supplier, sees its annual sales of driver-assistance systems at 2 billion euros ($2.39 billion) as early as 2019 as it outpaces market growth of 25 percent a year, it said on Tuesday.
- Opinion: Honda Urban EV Concept is a refreshing change – Autocar: The Japanese firm’s Frankfurt show star is different from anything else it produces – and set for production
- Honda Urban EV concept to make production in 2019 – Autocar: Honda’s first EV for the European market is a retro-styled city car that’s shorter than the Honda Jazz supermini
- VW plans to roll out 80 electric and hybrid models by 2025 – Nikkei: FRANKFURT, Germany — Volkswagen on Monday unveiled an ambitious plan to roll out 80 or so electric car and plug-in hybrid models by 2025. This is a major jump from its previous goal of releasing 30 or so such models across the group, including Audi…
- ASIA MARKETS: Hong Kong Traders Show Caution Over North Korea Sanctions – Nikkei: BYD jumped 7.9% in Hong Kong after rising 4.6% on Monday while Geely Automobile Holdings gained 5.5% toward a record high. India’s JSW Group…
- Kia Sorento SUV upgrades unveiled at Frankfurt – Autocar: Brand’s flagship SUV has been improved with new infotainment and a refreshed look
- First ride: LEVC TX taxi prototype on the streets of London – Autocar: This is the new LEVC TX London taxi The bold new TX black cab is capable of electric-only running and has been designed to offer an improved passenger experience. We took a ride around north London to sample it
- German market version of new LEVC TX taxi shown – Autocar: LEVC, which recently changed its name from The London Taxi Company, has designed the TX to meet 2018 regulations for the UK capital that require…
- Kia Proceed shooting brake concept on show at Frankfurt motor show – Autocar: Kia continues its upward ambition into the premium segment with a striking concept
- Honda Civic diesel introduced to range – Autocar: Tweaked 1.6 i-DTEC diesel engine joins the new Civic range from March 2018
- New Ferrari Portofino shown at 70th anniversary celebration – Autocar: The Ferrari Portofino has been displayed at Maranello during the brand’s 70th anniversary celebration California T replacement features 592bhp V8 engine that can top 199mph; car makes appearance at Fiorano for brand’s annversary event
- Tesla Boosts Car Battery Power During Irma, Raising Questions of Control – New York Times: Tesla drivers in Florida got an unexpected assist this weekend as they scrambled to evade Hurricane Irma. Owners of certain Model S sedans and Model X S.U.V.s noticed that the battery capacity of their electric cars had increased, giving them as much …
- Mercedes-Benz to introduce simplified, voice-operated navigation – Autocar: What3words is Mercedes’ voice-command-oriented sat-nav, which can hone in on three-metre-square areas from three-word voice prompts
- European Carmakers Scramble to Address the Reality of Electric Cars – Fortune: European car bosses gathering for the Frankfurt auto show are beginning to address the realities of mass vehicle electrification, and its consequences…
- Hyundai to cease sponsorship of Chinese golf event – Yonhap: South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co. will not sponsor a Chinese golf event this year, officials in Seoul said…
- U.S. to unveil streamlined autonomous vehicle guidelines Tuesday – Reuters: U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao will unveil on Tuesday streamlined safety guidelines for automakers that want to deploy self-driving vehicles, a person briefed on the matter said Monday, as members of Congress push their own proposals to remove regulatory barriers to the technology.
- This Is What a $2.7 Million Mercedes Looks Like – Fortune: Mercedes-AMG, the German automaker’s high-performance division, finally … The Mercedes-AMG Project ONE. Photo courtesy of Daimler AG.
- First ride: LEVC TX taxi prototype – Autocar: This is the new LEVC TX London taxi The bold new TX black cab is capable of electric-only running and has been designed to offer an improved passenger experience. We took a ride around north London to sample it
- Land Rover Discovery gets hardcore SVX off-roader – Autocar: Modified Discovery will be hand-built by JLR’s Special Vehicle Operations division and features 517bhp V8 engine
- Hyundai’s Chinese Sales Plummet With Missile Crisis – Bloomberg: At a factory in northeast China making Hyundai cars, employees aren’t sure from one day to the next whether their workplace will be open. Chinese…
- Trump Changes Course From Obama on Self-Driving Car Policy – Bloomberg: Several companies objected to the expanded authority, such as the ability to approve or reject a self-driving vehicle system before it could be sold.
- Volkswagen to ‘Electrify’ All 300 of Its Cars and SUVs by 2030 – Fortune: … all Volkswagen Group brands, which include Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen. Even Bentley and Lamborghini will be part of VW’s new “Roadmap E” plan. …. $2.5 million, Bugatti Chiron didn’t impress us already, it has gone and set an…
- How To Make Autonomous Cars See Better – Forbes: 14 and features must-have vehicles and motoring technology from more than 1,000 exhibitors in a space … Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/.
- Google Plots to Conquer Self-Driving Cars-by Making Peace With Detroit – WSJ: John Krafcik can speak two languages, Motor City and Silicon Valley, and if Google makes progress in developing self-driving cars, it might have his…
- Israeli start-up building thermal cameras for self-driving cars – Reuters: An Israeli start-up believes it can solve some of the tricky problems faced by self-driving cars by employing thermal …
- Aicon concept previews Audi’s self-driving plans – Automotive News: Audi has unveiled a luxury autonomous concept at the Frankfurt auto show designed to showcase it’s Level 5 self-driving technology.
- To Make A Truly Autonomous Car, GM Is Making Some Big Changes Under The Bolt’s Hood – Forbes: GM subsidiary Cruise Automation is about to get its third major platform update from its parent company since being acquired in early 2016. In a post…
- Fla. dealerships under fire for storing vehicles in public structures – Automotive News: Tallahassee residents and Florida State University students inundated Napleton Infiniti’s website and social media pages with comments. Photo credit:…
- NTSB Staff to Say Tesla Autopilot Should Share Blame for 2016 Crash – Bloomberg: Federal accident investigators are poised to find that Tesla Inc.’s auto-driving system should share blame for a fatal 2016 crash in which a Model S…
- Mercedes brings F1 tech to road with Project One supercar – Automotive News: The 1,000-hp two-seater brings F1 racing technology to the road for the first time, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche told journalists at an unveiling here on…
- Canada’s Sherritt eyes nickel products for booming battery market – Reuters: The rise of electric cars is spurring Sherritt International Corp (S.TO) to consider branching into producing the types of nickel most sought …
- Mercedes touts ‘breath-taking’ performance for Project One supercar – Automotive News: Mercedes-Benz unveiled its Formula One-inspired Project One … The production Project One will be a halo car for Daimler’s AMG…
- China’s electric car push lures global auto giants, despite risks – CNBC: Chinese officials are also set to impose stringent regulations that would force automakers like Volkswagen and G.M. to sell new-energy cars in the country if they want to continue selling the old-fashioned gasoline-powered types as well. Still, Western …
- 2018 Aston Martin Vantage GTE to mount Le Mans assault – Autocar: Aston Martin has begun on-track testing of its new Vantage GTE racer as it bids to complete the models’ development ahead of the 2018 World…
- VW spends billions more on electric cars in search for mass market – Reuters: Volkswagen is pushing full speed ahead with electric cars and will double investments in zero-emission autos to …
- Volkswagen will spend $24 billion on electric cars by 2030 – CNBC: … Mueller told TV that VW had no need to sell assets to fund the electric car…
- China – Autonewschina: The Lynk & CO 01 was developed on a compact car platform Geely has jointly developed with Volvo Car Corp. The vehicle is expected to be sold in…
- Toyota unlikely to launch another diesel car – FT: Toyota is highly unlikely to launch another diesel car, one of its senior executives has said in a further blow to the scandal-tainted fuel source.
- BMW Says There’s ‘No Dramatic Drop’ for Diesel Cars – Bloomberg: BMW AG will be able to weather a gradual drop in diesel car deliveries, which have only fallen slightly over the last year and are “not collapsing,” Chief…
- To Promote Electric Cars, China Considers Move To Ban Gas Guzzlers – Forbes: In terms of electric vehicle sales, BYD is bigger than Tesla. Tax exemptions, discounts for car purchases and government mandates to buy electric cars…
- VW, Mercedes, BMW scramble to plug diesel gap as stricter emissions goals loom – Automotive News: Volkswagen Group, Mercedes-Benz and BMW Group will unveil a raft of sleek electric-car concepts at the Frankfurt auto show this…
- States suing Trump administration over delayed fuel-economy fines – Reuters: New York, California and three other … to take legal action to block rolling back vehicle emission requirements.
- Velodyne Adds Hyundai, Tesla Veterans To Aid Robot Car LiDAR Production Leap – Forbes: Mircea Gradu, previously responsible for engineering quality at Hyundai Motor’s U.S. unit, is Velodyne’s new senior vice president of validation, while…
- China Big Oil Investors Shrug Off Future Fossil-Fuel Vehicle Ban – Bloomberg: BYD Co., China’s largest electric-vehicle maker, gained as much as 7.2 percent while BAIC Motor Corp. jumped 2.9 percent. Guoxuan High-Tech Co.,…
- China’s vehicle sales rise for third straight month -industry body – Reuters: China’s vehicle sales rose for the third consecutive month in August, as solid demand for passenger cars and a surge in …
- China August vehicle sales up 5.3 pct y/y – industry association – Reuters: China’s overall vehicles sales in August rose 5.3 percent from a year earlier to 2.19 million vehicles, as the world’s …
- India’s auto industry gears up for government’s electric vehicles push – Reuters: India’s aggressive push to electrify all new vehicles by 2030 is compelling auto part manufacturers and carmakers to draw up early plans for electrification, company executives said.