Top News:
- U.S. pickup truck sales lift Ford’s margins, profits – Reuters: Ford Motor Co reported a better-than-expected quarterly net profit on Thursday, driven largely by U.S. sales of its high-margin pickup trucks, and raised the low end of its full-year earnings forecast.
- Waymo to test self-driving vehicles on Novi roads – Detroitnews: Google’s self-driving vehicle spinoff, Waymo, is bringing its autonomous vehicle testing to Michigan, starting next week. The cold weather tests will be…
- Tesla’s seat strategy goes against the grain…for now – Reuters: The seats on Tesla Inc’s new Model X SUV were a mess. An outside contractor was having trouble executing the complicated design, spurring frustration and finger-pointing between Tesla and its supplier.
- 2018 Citroen C4 Cactus overhauled with hydraulic suspension tech – Autocar: With Progressive Hydraulic Cushion suspension, this mid-life overhaul is one of the biggest Citroën has ever undertaken
- Alphabet looks to snowy Michigan to test self-driving cars – Reuters: Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) self-driving car unit Waymo is expanding winter testing as it works to address a potential blind …
- Ford third-quarter profit lifted by U.S. sales, cost cutting – Reuters: Ford Motor Co on Thursday reported a better-than-expected quarterly net profit, driven by sales of high-margin pickup trucks and SUVs in the U.S. market and cost cutting.
- Apple, Volkswagen, BMW warn EU over patent fees guidelines – Reuters: Apple , Volkswagen , BMW and Daimler have warned EU regulators that adopting patent fee guidelines which favor Qualcomm and Ericsson could hurt consumers and hinder innovation.
- 454bhp BMW M3 CS due for 2018 launch – Autocar: Run-out F80 super-saloon will be lighter and get sharper chassis set-up
- Ford Q3 profit jumps 63% as truck sales rise – Automotive News: Ford Motor Co. on Thursday said its third-quarter net income rose 63 percent to $1.6 billion, helped by foreign tax credits and strong…
- F-150 Pickups drive 3rd quarter earnings: Ford beats expectations – Freep: Ford announced Thursday a third quarter profit of $1.6 billion, which reflects a 63% increase from one year ago. On a per share basis, the Dearborn…
- Ford posts $1.6B third quarter profit, up 63% – Detroitnews: Dearborn – A favorable tax adjustment and strong-selling F-Series trucks helped Ford Motor Co. to make $1.6 billion in the third quarter.
- Ford earnings: 43 cents per share, vs expected EPS of 32 cents – CNBC: Since hiring new CEO Jim Hackett, Ford is cutting costs and shaking up the senior leadership team. Shares of the No. 2 U.S. automaker have barely…
- Strong sales in emerging markets help Hyundai Motor earnings – Nikkei: Rising sales in domestic and emerging markets pushed up Hyundai Motor’s earnings in the third quarter, although the largest automaker in…
- A robot threw shade at Elon Musk so the billionaire hit back – CNBC: Elon Musk has warned on several occasions about the dangers of artificial intelligence.
- Balance of Power: A Saudi Prince Wants to Reinvent His Kingdom – Bloomberg: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman , center, attends the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, on Oct. 24. Photographer: FAYEZ…
- Chipmaker Nvidia’s CEO sees fully autonomous cars within 4 years – Reuters: Nvidia Corp chief executive Jensen Huang said on Thursday artificial intelligence would enable fully automated cars within 4 years, …
- VW’s finance arm launches new platform to push used-car sales – Reuters: Volkswagen’s finance division has launched an online platform to grab a share of used car sales in Germany, as it pursues a goal to almost double its portfolio of credit, leasing and insurance contracts to 30 million units by 2025.
- Uber’s problems won’t affect its valuation, board member Arianna Huffington says – CNBC: SoftBank is seeking a $10 billion investment in Uber.
- This Self-Driving Bus Will Take You to the Spa – Fortune: Known mainly for its curative thermal baths, the town-not far from the Austrian border-will from next year have a self-driving bus carrying…
- BMW Releases First Pictures Of New Small SUV, The X2 – Forbes: BMW has released pictures of its new X2 range, which goes on sale around the world next year. The X2 was first mooted with a concept design at the…
- Pioneer Leaps Into Driverless Car Fray With Microscopic Mirrors – Bloomberg: When it comes to helping driverless cars see, automakers have a choice between bulky top-mounted contraptions or cheaper but unproven…
- Saudis Are Talking to Amazon, Alibaba Over New City, Prince Says – Bloomberg: “Your medical file will be connected with your home supply, with your car, linked to your family, linked to your other files,” he said. “And the system…
- Japan’s automakers tuning up to rekindle youthful passion for cars – Reuters: By day, the Daikoku Parking Area hums with transport trucks en route to and from the Port of Yokohama. On weekend …
- Hyundai Motor sales dented by China and US woes – FT: Hyundai Motor’s struggles in two of its biggest markets have continued to weigh on sales, with the South Korean automaker blaming falling demand in…
- 1000mph Bloodhound SSC: live stream of first 200mph test here – Autocar: is hosting a live stream of Bloodhound’s first 200mph run, which will take place from 1pm today
- Hyundai Motor posts smaller profit drop, but sees tough US market – Reuters: Hyundai Motor (005380. … Altitude Area Defence, that has resulted in lower demand for Korean cars in the world’s top auto market.
- South Korea economy posts fastest growth in seven years, brushes off geopolitical tensions – Reuters: South Korea’s economy clocked its fastest growth in seven years last quarter, as global demand for the country’s electronics more …
- Hydrogen fuel-cell car push ‘dumb’? Toyota makes a case for the Mirai – Reuters: Having invested heavily in hydrogen, a technology derided by Tesla chief Elon Musk as “incredibly dumb”, Toyota Motor Corp is making a renewed push for fuel cell cars to fill a role in a future dominated by electric battery vehicles.
- Nissan Leaf is off to a hot start in Europe, globally – Automotive News: Nissan Europe’s electric vehicle boss says the second-generation Leaf is selling much better than expected. After roughly a month of…
- Toyota keeps ‘game-changing’ EV battery tech inhouse – Automotive News: TOKYO – Toyota will keep inhouse what it calls its “game-changing” solid state battery technology despite working with Mazda and Denso on a new…
- China to spur global surge in sales of electric vehicles by 2025 – Nikkei: In April, China released a plan for its auto industry to increase sales of new energy vehicles — mainly electric cars and hybrids — from 500,000 last year…
- China says it is in talks with Tesla to build factory in Shanghai – FT: China’s Ministry of Commerce confirmed it was in talks with Tesla to build a factory in the Shanghai area. The US electric vehicle maker has previously…
- Brexit Bulletin: Screwed? – Bloomberg: Driving Down | Car production in the U.K. fell 4.1 percent in September, the fifth monthly drop this year. “Brexit is the greatest challenge of our times,…
- BRIEF-Hyundai Motor says to consider green car tie-up with China’s local firms – Reuters: * To step up monitoring of possible revisions of South Korea’s free-trade deal with the United States
- Hyundai Motor Third-Quarter Profit Down 20 Percent on Weak China Sales, Kia Losses – New York Times: SEOUL – South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co posted a 20 percent drop in net profit for the third quarter, hit by a diplomatic row with China that dragged…
- Hyundai to help SMEs get most advanced production facilities – Yonhap: Hyundai Motor Group said Thursday it will continue helping South Korea’s auto parts manufacturers acquire…
- Hyundai Motor third-quarter profit down 20 percent, but beats consensus; shares rise – Reuters: Hyundai Motor Co’s (005380. … Area Defence, that has resulted in lower demand for Korean cars in the world’s top auto market.
- Hyundai Q3 net profit falls 16% as China, US sales slip – FT: Hyundai Motor reported a 16 per cent drop in third-quarter net profit amid falling sales in two of its biggest markets, China and the US. Hyundai, which…
- Three women sue Uber in San Francisco claiming unequal pay, benefits – Reuters: Three women engineers have sued Uber Technologies Inc for discrimination based of their gender and race, the latest blow to the ride-services company that is straining to overcome a year of controversies over its workplace culture.
- Kobe Steel loses industrial standards certification for copper products – Reuters: Embattled Kobe Steel Ltd (5406. … the specifications of its products have sent a chill through global supply chains for cars, trains, …
- American Expedition Vehicles opens new Wixom plant – Detroitnews: Jeep Wranglers and Ram pickups get full off-road treatment at American Expedition Vehicles
- Hydrogen cars to cost the same as hybrids by 2025, says Toyota – Autocar: Toyota is predicting it will be able to sell hydrogen-powered cars for the same price as an equivalent hybrid by 2025. Today, a top-end Toyota Prius…
- Mitsubishi Electric stakes future on self-driving cars – Nikkei: Mitsubishi Electric’s concept car simulator, unveiled on Oct. 16 in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, offers a virtual reality experience of driving a…
- Indonesia’s car sales down 5.3 pct y/y in Sept – association – Reuters: Indonesia’s car sales in September fell 5.3 from a year earlier, data released by automotive industry association Gaikindo …
- Toyota’s New Century Is Japan’s Challenge to Rolls-Royce, Bentley – Bloomberg: The first update on the executive saloon in two decades brings a hybrid engine and new interior technology-but to collectors’ dismay, it won’t be…
- Japan industry min Seko: Kobe Steel, Nissan “unique problems” – Reuters: Japanese Trade and Industry Minister Hiroshige Seko said on Thursday the recent scandals at Kobe Steel and Nissan Motor were “unique problems” and did not represent manufacturers’ stance on corporate governance in his country.
- UK Carmakers Warn of Brexit ‘Worst’ Case as Production Shrinks – Bloomberg: Car production in the U.K. fell 4.1 percent in September, the fifth monthly drop this year, burdened by increasing concerns over Brexit’s impact on…
- Tokyo 2017: Mazda Previews Next-Gen Mazda 3, Mazda 6 – Yahoo: The Mazda Kai Concept is a compact hatchback, and at first glance, you know it will be the basis of the next-generation Mazda 3. According to the…
- Uber Is Said to Take Bids for Its Subprime Lending Unit’s Assets – Bloomberg: Fair, which leases vehicles for flexible periods through a mobile app, is looking to take over contracts that Uber’s Xchange Leasing unit has with…
- Toyota launches new Corolla in Venezuela during recession – Reuters: Toyota Motor Corp on Wednesday unveiled a new model of its Corolla vehicle that will be assembled in Venezuela, marking a bright note for a local auto industry struggling to survive amid the country’s deep economic recession.
- Tesla running behind Musk’s driverless promises – Detroitnews: A year ago, Tesla Inc. set up a hastily organized conference call between Elon Musk and reporters. Tesla had something big to announce big enough…
- Strange Bedfellows? GM Joins Rival In Becoming Pillar Of Support For The Henry Ford Museum – Forbes: Add one more GM investment in innovation to the list: its $5-million donation to The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. The company has…
- No new Toyota diesels, says boss – Autocar: Toyota is unlikely to ever launch another diesel-powered car in Europe, the firm’s executive vice president has said at the Tokyo motor show. Although…
- Apple Co-Founder Is Skeptical of Tesla’s Promises on Autopilot – Fortune: Steve Wozniak’s relationship with Tesla is complicated. The Apple co-founder is both a fan and critic, an early adopter, and a deserter. More recently…
- Lexus Keeps an Eye Toward Future with LS+Concept – Detroit Bureau: When Lexus unveiled the fifth-generation of its LS flagship sedan, the company said it would continue to refine and update it and it’s made good on…
- Tesla cites performance reviews as it fires SolarCity employees, workers say reviews never … – Yahoo: Employee dismissals at Tesla are continuing at its SolarCity subsidiary, according to six former and current employees, and are affecting SolarCity…
- GE’s CEO sees more partnerships ahead for digital business – Reuters: General Electric Co (GE. … reducing staff, grounding corporate jets and axing the Maserati benefit of corporate cars for …
- Japanese carmakers warm to EVs, but still see role for hydrogen – Yahoo: By Naomi Tajitsu and Norihiko Shirouzu. TOKYO () – Japanese automakers are finally embracing electric cars, showcasing concepts ranging…
- AUTOSHOW-Toyota: Committed to hydrogen cars despite potential “game changer” EV battery – Reuters: * Toyota introducing 2 fuel-cell concept vehicles at motor show
- Will the future Mitsubishi Evo be an SUV? – Autocar: Mitsubishi’s revival plan is well under way, but it isn’t likely to include this SUV-shaped Evo – for now
- Honda’s performance mojo is back – Autocar: The new Sports EV concept is the latest in a line of successful performance models
- Nissan Unveils Electric Car That Beats Sportscar GT-R in Power – Bloomberg: Nissan Motor Co. unveiled a concept electric car that’s more powerful than its iconic GT-R sportscar, aiming to put it into production…
- Why Subaru faces a powertrain dilemma with the WRX – Autocar: The Subaru Viziv Performance Concept The WRX’s popularity is firmly linked to its boxer engine, so how will it adapt to the rise of electrified powertrains?
- Are cars no longer elegant? – Autocar: The Mazda Vision Coupe concept We speak to Mazda’s head of design ahead of the reveal of the curvacious Vision Coupe