- Nissan Leaf gets big tech, range upgrades – Automotive News: Nissan is counting on its sleeker, more technologically advanced, longer-range Leaf electric car to lure new buyers in key European markets. The second-generation Leaf has a bullet-like profile, a more powerful battery that boosts the hatchback’s range…
- Elon Musk in talks with Israeli AI vision firm Cortica – report – Reuters: Silicon Valley billionaire Elon Musk was in Israel to discuss a collaboration between electric car company Tesla Inc and Tel Aviv-based artificial intelligence firm Cortica, the Globes financial news website said on Tuesday.
- BRIEF-Wabco Appoints New Chief Technology Officer – Reuters: * WABCO ADVANCES COMMERCIAL VEHICLE INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COMMITMENT; APPOINTS NEW CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER
- BMW, suppliers develop weight-saving foam structure – Automotive News: BMW Group sought help from two suppliers to reduce the weight of one of the Mini Countryman’s biggest structural parts. The result: an instrument panel carrier made of lightweight foam instead of plastic, shaving 15 percent from its weight. Now the…
- Local CEO wins international peace award – Detroitnews: Last year, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk was one of four honorees. In 2016, Blaker launched an Automotive Service Center and Training Center in Kabul. The center created “much-needed job opportunities in a challenging environment,” according to a…
- Uber CEO’s Commitment to Self-Driving Cars Is Tested by Fatality – Bloomberg: But recently Khosrowshahi has expressed public support for the driverless-car project. “The choir has spoken, and I’m listening. It’s a pretty exciting technology,” he said in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. During that…
- GM Canada executive to take leadership role in Africa, Middle East operations – Freep: General Motors is announcing executive changes for its Africa and Middle East operations. John Roth, vice president of GM Canada Marketing, Sales and Service, is being tapped as president and managing director of GM Africa and Middle East operations…
- Drone Company Hangs On to Win Clean-Energy Bet – Bloomberg: Aerovironment Inc., a California-based maker of solar-powered unmanned aircraft and fast-charging systems for electric vehicles, provides a useful case study. Once an obscure and minuscule firm that struggled to monetize its clean-energy ambitions, it…
- Porsche SE targets higher 2018 net profit – Automotive News: Porsche SE, the majority shareholder in Volkswagen Group, is targeting higher net profit this year as the automaker keeps pushing operational changes following its diesel-emissions scandal. Net profit will increase to between 3.4 billion euros and 4.4…
- Hyundai Calls for Caution in Autonomous-Vehicle Development – Bloomberg: “We don’t know other carmakers’ standards on autonomous cars, but ours are not lax,” Yoon Sung-hoon, head of Hyundai’s mid-large vehicle project, said at the sidelines of a Seoul event Tuesday. Hyundai doesn’t look into tech companies’ standards…
- Volkswagen says headquarters searched again by prosecutors in emissions case – Reuters: Volkswagen said on Tuesday that its global headquarters were searched again by German prosecutors in early March as part of an investigation into its diesel emissions scandal, confirming a magazine report.
- German prosecutors launch new enquiry into Volkswagen over market manipulation – magazine – Reuters: State prosecutors in Germany have started fresh enquiries into suspicions of market manipulation at Volkswagen as part of the diesel emission scandal, German magazine WirtschaftsWoche cited a spokesman for the investigators as saying on Tuesday.
- China electric car execs call for policy support, end to protectionism – Reuters: Delegates to China’s annual meeting of parliament have urged the state to provide more policy clarity for the electric car industry and overhaul a local government subsidy program they say has distorted the market.
- Autocar confidential: BMW design chief on Lagonda Vision Concept, Ferrari on Italian rivalry and more – Autocar: Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro Our reporters empty their notebooks to round up this week’s gossip from across the automotive industry
- Fatal Uber collision turns spotlight on Arizona regulatory regime – FT: Waymo’s fleet reduction in California means it now has fewer vehicles testing in its home state than rivals Tesla, Uber and Apple. Uber has permits to test 29 cars there – though it has now suspended testing everywhere following Sunday’s crash – while…
- Self-driving cars under scrutiny after pedestrian death – FT: Car accidents kill more than 1m people every year around the world. In the US, one person dies for about every 100m miles driven and on any given day, an average of 16 pedestrians die on American roads. Proponents of self-driving cars point to these…
- Self-Driving Cars Need to Slow Down After Uber Crash – Bloomberg: Believe it or not, that might be a slightly rose-tinged view of the near future of autonomous vehicles: A situation where self-driving cars make up 10 percent of the U.S. vehicle fleet and cause 90 percent fewer fatal accidents. If the autonomous fleet…
- Jeep to launch four new models for Europe in 2018 – Autocar: Jeep Compass FCA boss Sergio Marchionne said that, despite a refreshed line-up, Jeep’s 2017 European sales were “lousy”
- MEDIA-Uber not at fault in self-driving car fatality, says Tempe police chief -media – Reuters: — Source link:
- Kumho Tire expands tire supplies to BMW – Yonhap: Kumho Tire Co., South Korea’s second-biggest tiremaker by sales, said Tuesday it has expanded its tire supplies to BMW, which it believes will help promote global demand for its products. Kumho Tire began to supply ‘Crugen HP91’ high-performance…
- Arizona Became Self-Driving Proving Ground Before Uber’s Deadly Crash – Bloomberg: The greater Phoenix area, which includes Tempe, plays host to autonomous test programs from Uber, Intel Corp., General Motors Co. and Waymo, the startup that sprung from Google’s self-driving car project. It’s chosen the suburb of Chandler as the…
- China is not after ‘trophy-type’ investments, economist says – CNBC: China is pursuing a redirection of capital investments “away from non-jobs to jobs,” and some acquisitions have fit that mold, Napier said, pointing to Geely’s purchase of Volvo in 2010, which created employment opportunities in local factories. Geely…
- Nissan-powered ESM team wins the 12 Hours of Sebring in the U.S. – Nissan-global: With its convincing win at Saturday’s 12 Hours of Sebring, the No. 22 ESM machine of Pipo Derani, Johannes Van Overbeek and Nicolas Lapierre gave Nissan its fifth victory in this historically challenging Florida sports car race.Starting the IMSA…
- Lotus SUV to use Volvo underpinnings and have class-leading handling – Autocar: Lotus SUV, as imagined by Autocar Patent images show what the first Lotus SUV could look like; on-road bias is apparent
- Hyundai, Kia to focus on selling SUVs, minivans in US – Yonhap: Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. said Tuesday they will further focus on selling crossovers and minivans in the United States this year to boost their overall performance. In the January-February period, Hyundai and Kia sold a…