Archives for November 2017

• VW shakes up German production as it bids to become EV leader – Automotive News: Volkswagen Group is reorganizing production at its German factories to further the automaker’s goal of transforming itself into a leading force in electric cars. VW will spend more than 34 billion euros ($40 billion) on EVs, autonomous driving and new…
• UK plans regulatory boost for driverless cars – Automotive News: Oxford University spin-out Oxbotica began trials of a Renault-based autonomous vehicle on UK public roads last year. Send us a Letter. Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print. LONDON…
• 2018 Aston Martin Vantage GTE to be shown tomorrow evening – Autocar: First official footage of AMG-powered British racer released; it will compete in next year”s 24 Hour race
• A French Uber Rival Wants to Become a Car Insurance Broker – Bloomberg: For insurers, Blablacar’s move is part of a broader debate on whether people will keep buying their own cars or shift instead to alternatives like ride-sharing, car-pooling and ” robotaxis”. To adapt, Axa SA has forged links with companies from Uber…

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• Putting a Bugatti on Your Wrist – New York Times: To hear the maker of the new Parmigiani Fleurier Bugatti Type 390 tell it, that was his goal in partnering with the car company to create a watch …
• Daimler Tries to Steal Tesla’s Thunder – WSJ: We were here first! As Tesla got set to unveil its electric semitrailer design on Thursday night, a far more experienced truck maker tried to steal some of …
• Ford to invest over 750 million euros in Valencia plant – Reuters: U.S. car manufacturer Ford (F.N) announced on Friday it would invest more than 750 million euros ($885 million) in its Spanish …
• China Gives Flying Cars a Real Boost – Bloomberg: This week, China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. acquired Terrafugia Inc., a Boston-based company that plans to start selling flying cars by 2019.

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• Volkswagen Plans to Invest $12 Billion on China New Energy Cars – Bloomberg: In May, VW received green light from the government to set up a joint venture with the state owned Chinese automaker to make electric cars.
• Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro track car revealed – Autocar: The Valkyrie AMR Pro has been developed with Red Bull and AP Racing The track version of the Valkyrie will have even more power and torque than the standard, 900bhp-plus hypercar
• Elon Musk said Tesla short sellers are ‘jerks who want us to die’ – CNBC: Tesla short sellers are creating and amplifying negative rumors about the company, said CEO Elon Musk. Tesla has tapped markets for capital several times since its initial public offering in 2010, but Musk said the company might be better off if it …

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• Ford offers free repairs as Explorer exhaust complaints grow – CBS News: In a major update about our ongoing CBS News investigation into reports of carbon monoxide seeping into Ford Explorers, the automaker is now…
• Opel puts dealer network under scrutiny – Automotive News: Opel wants to change the incentive system used by its European dealers as part of its new turnaround plan that foresees a…
• Aston Martin: no Brexit deal could be ‘semi-catastrophic’ for firm – Autocar: Aston Martin builds all its cars in the UK, and says uncertainty over type approval post-Brexit could force it to suspend production Aston’s chief financial officer says failure to reach agreement with EU could force company to…
• China’s Geely buys US flying car start-up – FT: Geely, one of China’s largest private automakers, announced this week it would buy all of US flying car start-up Terrafugia for an undisclosed amount,…

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• Global vehicle sales will decline as ride-hailing services boom, IHS Markit study says – Automotive News: According to IHS Markit, all-electric vehicles will account for about 19 … ‘automotive paradox’ — where more travel via car than ever, but fewer cars will…
• Mercedes pickup aims to mimic success of brand’s SUVs – Automotive News: As part of Daimler’s industrial cooperation with Renault-Nissan, the X class uses the same platform as the Nissan Navara and Renault Alaskan with a…
• Trucking Groups Decry London Emissions Penalties – Wardsauto: London Mayor Sadiq Khan has decided to move up by 17 months the effective date of a regulation imposing daily fines of £100 on owners of commercial diesel vehicles that fail to meet the latest Euro VI emissions standards. read more
• Collusion Case Could Cost German Automakers Billions – Wardsauto: Sara Lewis On Oct. 16 the commission and the Bundeskartellamt, Germany”s antitrust body, swooped in on BMW”s premises to look for evidence of anticompetitive behavior, both on paper and electronically. Oct. 23 was Audi, Daimler and…

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• CO2 reduction targets ‘overly aggressive’, says European car industry – Autocar: A fall of 30% in CO2 output for cars and vans is planned for between 2021 and 2030; the 2021 target is 95g/km across manufacturers’ line-ups
• 2018 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 revealed – Autocar: With 755bhp and 715lb ft, this is the more focused version the most powerful Corvette yet
• 2018 Mercedes-Benz G-Class: all-new interior design leaked online – Autocar: New Merc G-Class will go on sale in the UK next spring Mercedes 4×4 will mix luxury, advanced technology and rugged off-road prowess as it enters its second generation
• Why Vauxhall is likely survive despite a steep sales slump – Automotive News: Warburton believes Opel should dump the Vauxhall brand and replace it with Opel. “Even the most jingoistic Brexiteers would rather buy a German car…

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