- Why Bother With an Audi, When the Skoda Looks This Good?: Gadfly – Washington Post: I write a lot about cars but have never actually bought one — parking’s a nightmare in Berlin and owning stuff feels a bit twentieth century. As a new father, though, I’ve been wondering whether to take the plunge. Still, it was a surprise to find…
- Unite union pushes for UK car plants to shift to electric – FT: Britain must repurpose car parts factories and train workers to build components for electric vehicles to avoid thousands of job losses, the Unite union has said. In an assessment of the changes facing the UK automotive sector, the union said the…
- BMW: six new front-wheel-drive models to look out for – Autocar: Next 1 Series hatchback FAAR underpinnings will encourage a gradual shift towards front-wheel drive power for BMW’s smaller models
- Top 2019 BMW 1 Series model to be 300bhp M130iX M Performance – Autocar: BMW is developing a front-wheel-drive 1 Series for 2019 New front-driven 1 Series should be lighter and roomier and will handle better thanks to lower running gear
- Ford to lay out product plans for next two years – Detroitnews: The Dearborn-based automaker on Thursday will host a briefing detailing the next two years for the company
- Ford’s F-150 truck franchise alone is worth more than the whole company: Morgan Stanley – CNBC: Ford Motor will thrive from rising construction and infrastructure spending, according to Morgan Stanley. The firm raised its rating for the automaker’s shares two notches to overweight from underweight, a rare “double upgrade.” “Ford’s out-of-favor…
- Ford F-150 Raptor vs the Cotswolds: US truck on UK roads – Autocar: The world”s best-selling vehicle, the Ford F-150, is is too big by far for your average British road. Undaunted, we try one for size in the Cotswolds
- Volvo Venture Seeks Top Self-Driving Role Angling for More Deals – Bloomberg: Volvo Cars and Autoliv Inc.’s self-driving partnership is stepping up plans to dominate autonomous systems with talks to win customers other than the … this year after Li’s Chinese carmaking group ordered driver-assistance software for its Geely auto…
- Korea Development Bank steps in with short-term loans to local GM unit – FT: State-run Korea Development Bank said on Wednesday that it will provide short-term loans to the troubled South Korean unit of General Motors after April, on the condition that the US automaker co-operate with due diligence. KDB, a major shareholder of…
- (2nd LD) Gov’t says GM’s ‘sustainable’ plan for S. Korean unit essential for financial support – Yonhap: The KDB is the second-biggest shareholder in GM Korea, with a stake of 17 percent, while GM and SAIC Motor Corp. control 77 percent and 6 percent, respectively. As part of its self-help program, GM Korea asked its union to accept a wage freeze, forgo…
- Hyundai, Kia to supply vehicles to UN in US$12 mln deal – Yonhap: Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. said Wednesday they won a deal to supply a total of 1,000 vehicles to the United Nations’ organizations over the next five years. Hyundai and Kia, which together form the world’s fifth-biggest…
- McLaren need to deliver after testing times – Reuters: New engine partners and a happy Fernando Alonso fuelled fresh optimism at McLaren over the winter months – and then testing … There’s no hiding, executive director Zak Brown had said before the car took to the track for the first time, recognising…
- Nissan Names New China Head in Push to Fortify Top Growth Market – Bloomberg: Chief Performance Officer Jose Munoz, promoted to his current role more than a year ago, will take on added responsibility as head of Nissan’s China operations, the Japanese automaker said Wednesday. Makoto Uchida, currently head of purchasing, will…
- Renault-Nissan names teams to find more synergies – Automotive News: The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance continued its management reorganization by naming members of new teams designed to find new synergies in purchasing, engineering and other departments. Alliance Chairman Carlos Ghosn said last autumn that the…
- Nissan names ex-US chief to lead China expansion – Reuters: The Japanese automaker and its partner Renault SA (RENA.PA) also named key members of senior management teams that will focus on deepening convergence in areas including engineering and purchasing, as the group seeks to leverage its combined scale to…
- VW brand, Seat appoint new production chiefs – Automotive News: In 2016, Tostmann was an Automotive News Europe Eurostar winner. Vollmer joins Seat from his last position as technical executive vice-president of SAIC Volkswagen, VW’s joint venture with SAIC in China. Vollmer will be responsible for leading the…
- Skoda, Jeep, Hyundai make big gains in Spain as sales rise 13% – Automotive News: Skoda, Jeep, Hyundai and Dacia were among the big winners as Spanish new-car sales rose 13 percent in February, according to data from industry association ANFAC. Seat, the market leader for the month, saw sales increase 18 percent, ahead of No. 2…
- S. Korea to develop reusable space launch vehicle – Yonhap: South Korea will push forward with an ambitious plan to develop a reusable space launch vehicle as the country strives to become a global powerhouse in the aerospace industry, the chief of the country’s aerospace institute said Wednesday. Recently,…
- Toyota agrees to monthly wage hike of more than 1300 yen in coming year – Reuters: Toyota agrees to monthly wage hike of more than 1,300 yen in coming year. Reuters Staff. 1 Min Read. TOKYO (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) has agreed to increase … FILE PHOTO – The Toyota logo is shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show in Los…
- Volkswagen ID hatchback: first prototypes to be built next month – Autocar: ID concept can eke out as many as 373 miles to one charge with its 168bhp electric motor; it”s confirmed for November 2019 production
- Volkswagen brand queries logic of EU import tax on US cars – Reuters: Volkswagen brand queries logic of EU import tax on U.S. cars … WOLFSBURG, Germany (Reuters) – Carmaker Volkswagen’s (VOWG_p.DE) core autos division has queried why Europe levies an import tax on U.S. cars, after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened…
- Volkswagen to sell EV home chargers ahead of ID launch – Autocar: The ID Buzz concept demonstrates a fast charger German brand backs electric line-up with introduction of €300 home chargers
- Volkswagen brand says profitability drive faces cost risks – Reuters: Volkswagen’s core autos division said costs for its electric-car programme, technology and a new emissions testing … the brand will face severe challenges despite its improved competitiveness, VW said, citing costs for electric cars, technology and…