- VW, Daimler, BMW sponsored diesel-fume tests on humans, report says – Automotive News: Volkswagen Group, Daimler and BMW took another blow amid revelations that they sponsored tests that exposed humans as well as monkeys to diesel exhaust fumes, which can cause respiratory illness and cancer. The study, supported by a little-known group…
- Tesla Model S Shooting Brake: world’s quickest estate is now completed – Autocar: The shooting brake has been commissioned by a businessman who wants more space in the Model S for his dogs
- German car makers backed studies exposing people and monkeys to toxic car exhaust – Washington Post: We condemn the experiments in the strongest terms,” car maker Daimler wrote. The statement, released at a time when only experiments with monkeys but not humans were publicly known, accused the researchers of having violated ethics rules and company…
- Sixt to sell its DriveNow stake to BMW – Reuters: German car rental company Sixt (SIXG.DE) said it had agreed to sell its stake in car-sharing service DriveNow to joint venture partner BMW Group (BMWG.DE) for 209 million euros ($259.1 million). The BMW booth displays the company logo at the North…
- VW Customers Don’t Give a Monkeys About Diesel Cheating – Bloomberg: When Volkswagen admitted rigging about 11 million vehicle engines in 2015, I assumed the German carmaker would pay dearly, not only in terms of fines, repair costs and compensation, but also in terms of damage to its brand and thus lost sales. I was wrong.
- Germany says emissions tests on monkeys, people are unjustifiable – Reuters: The German government on Monday dismissed as unjustifiable any auto emissions testing on monkeys or people. Exhaust emissions are measured in a diesel-engined car in Eichenau, Germany July 28, 2017. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle. German daily Stuttgarter…
- Ford’s China chief steps down after five months in the job – FT: “Jason made valuable contributions in accelerating our electric vehicle strategy, exploring opportunities to provide future smart mobility solutions for customers in China, and identifying ways to become more operationally fit,” said Mr Fleet. “We are…
- China’s Big Car Makers Are Driving at Different Speeds – WSJ: That was a stark contrast to a more welcome announcement from rival Geely Automobile Holdings GELYY -0.45% earlier this month: It expects its profit to have more-than doubled last year thanks largely to higher sales volume and a varied and…
- SpaceX’s New Beast of a Rocket Is Go for Launch – Bloomberg: It’s to be expected that Elon Musk and his colleagues will want to toast the first launch of SpaceX’s new rocket, the Falcon Heavy, after more than five years of delays. But excitement for the long-awaited launch has gone far beyond space nerds and…
- Elon Musk’s Boring Company sold $3.5 million worth of flamethrowers – CNBC: After a successful run selling hats, billionaire Elon Musk’s The Boring Company has expanded its offering to include flamethrowers. Musk announced that his infrastructure firm had started selling flamethrowers Sunday. People were able to pre-order them…
- 2017’s most popular cars in Europe – by country – Autocar: In case you hadn”t heard, the Ford Fiesta has been best-seller in the UK for a number of years. Here”s what other European Union countries are buying
- Opel will export cars to Tunisia, Morocco – Automotive News: Opel will export cars to Tunisia and Morocco from its European plants, CEO Michael Lohscheller told German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in an interview. “We see good opportunities for us overall,” Lohscheller was quoted by the paper as saying…
- Germany Scores Another Own Goal With Diesel – Bloomberg: The study was supported by a little-known group founded by Volkswagen AG, Daimler AG and BMW AG, and carried out by Aachen University in Germany. Reports of the tests, following a New York Times account of similar experiments on monkeys in the U.S.,…
- French Message to Japan Inc.: UK Presence in EU Is Finished – Bloomberg: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was a vocal opponent of the U.K.’s exit from the bloc and has repeatedly sought reassurance about its effects on Japanese companies operating in Britain, who include giant car makers Nissan and Honda. “The message is clear:…
- Alibaba, Foxconn lead $350 million funding in electric car startup – Reuters: It follows an earlier round in December in which Alibaba also participated. Xiaopeng, which debuted its electric car at CES in Las Vegas this month, is one of several Chinese start-ups looking to speed up development of battery-powered technology and…
- Alibaba, Foxconn Invest $350 Million in Chinese Car Startup – Bloomberg: Alibaba, Foxconn Invest $350 Million in Chinese Car Startup … Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Foxconn Technology Group led a new fundraising round by electric carmaker Xiaopeng Motors, investing 2.2 billion yuan ($350 million) in the startup as a push…
- China accelerates push to develop motors for electric cars – Nikkei: For early versions of hybrid and electric vehicles, carmakers developed and mass-produced motors themselves. They are now shifting to diversify sources for procurement, including from outside suppliers, to stay competitive. Another idea is to develop a…
- Mercedes A-class launch will follow CLA model – Automotive News: Even if the A class is priced that low, it will still stand out as a luxury vehicle, Daimler AG design chief Gorden Wagener said in an interview. While Mercedes won’t publicly show the production A-class sedan until after it reveals the A-class…
- Daimler’s Wagener just says no to consumer input – Automotive News: Wagener avoided asking customers what they wanted in a redesign of the iconic Mercedes-Benz G-class SUV, which was shown this month at the Detroit auto show. Though Mercedes ended up sticking with the G’s iconic boxy shape, the decision was made…
- EVs fall short of government goals – Automotive News: … 64 percent of annual vehicles sold, and with lower fuel economy and more miles driven, account for the lion’s share of fuel consumption and pollution. Moreover, they lack a commercially viable EV solution. Plug-in hybrids, which replace a mere…
- ZF’S KONSTANTIN SAUER: Self-driving strategy on track – Automotive News: Germany’s ZF Friedrichshafen is a clear example of the transformation that global suppliers seek as they prepare for a world of autonomous driving and electrification. Only a few years ago, ZF was closely identified with transmissions, axles, steering…
- BMW cleaning up its design – Automotive News: After criticism that the look of its vehicles hasn’t changed enough, BMW aims to usher in a new chapter of design with six vehicles set to debut in 2018. The new direction debuts with the X2 coupe-styled crossover shown this month at the Detroit auto…
- Ford China chief in abrupt departure, a blow to recovery hopes – Reuters: The departure, effective immediately, is a blow to Ford, which has been falling behind rivals in the market. Its China sales slid 6 percent in 2017 compared with a 3 percent rise for the industry overall. Luo was meant to help the firm improve ties…
- Market changes pummel Ford – Automotive News: That is what’s happening right now to Ford Motor Co., where CEO Jim Hackett says the company is not financially “fit.” That means market fluctuations of the moment – surging steel and aluminum prices, negative currency rates and recall costs – are…
- FCA says it will be debt-free by midyear – Automotive News: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is on track to be debt-free by midyear and will hit aggressive financial targets that could allow it to “outperform Ford in 2018,” FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne said last week as the company reported its fourth-quarter and 2017…
- Ford’s China boss steps down after 5 months – FT: The head of Ford’s China business has stepped down after five months in the role with the company citing “personal reasons that predate his time at Ford”. Jason Luo took over as Ford’s China chief executive on September 1 after leading…
- First electric Volvo to be an all-new hatchback due in 2019 – Autocar: Volvo will launch an all-electric hatchback in 2019… Battery-electric Volvo will be based on 40.2 concept and arrive as a standalone model
- Ford says its China chief Jason Luo resigns, effective immediately – Reuters: Ford Motor Co said on Monday that its China chief Jason Luo has resigned after leading the U.S. automaker’s China operations for roughly five months. Luo’s resignation was effective immediately, the company said in a statement. In his role, Luo was…
- Not a record, but still a strong showing: Detroit auto show attracts more than 800000 – Freep: Other standouts Phelan noted included Infiniti Q Inspiration concept, the new Mercedes G-Class luxury SUV, the new 2019 Ram 1500 and return of the Ford Ranger for the American market. Other notables were the 2019 Honda Insight hybrid compact sedan,…
- Volkswagen Has Apologized for Testing Diesel Fumes on Monkeys – Fortune: The company said the study, conducted by a research and lobby group set up by VW (vlkay, +0.88%), Daimler AG (ddaif, +0.66%), BMW AG (bmwyy, +0.80%)and Robert Bosch GmbH (robert-bosch), was a mistake. The New York Times reported earlier about a 2014…
- Hyundai adds G80 diesel model to Genesis lineup – Yonhap: Hyundai Motor Co. on Monday added the diesel-powered G80 sedan to the independent Genesis lineup as part of its efforts to compete with luxury import brands. The G80 diesel sedan, which satisfies the latest European emissions standard, Euro 6, is on…
