- Daimler open to buying small stake in Volvo cars: Manager Magazin – Reuters: The chairman of Volvo owner Geely, Li Shufu, stealthily built a $9 billion stake in Daimler by the end of February, seeking to forge an alliance with the German carmaker as a way to counter the threat from new competitors such as Tesla (TSLA.O), Google…
- PSA’s fight to cut Opel’s production costs intensifies – Automotive News: PSA’s fight to cut production costs at Opel’s German factories took on a national dimension with Chancellor Angela Merkel intervening to say she expected the French automaker to honor commitments it made when it bought Opel from General Motors last…
- BRIEF-Tesla To Report Q1 Results on May 2 – Reuters: * TESLA WILL POST ITS FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2018 AFTER MARKET CLOSE ON MAY 2ND Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:
- Europe’s automakers invest in sedans despite SUV surge – Automotive News: Even the Peugeot 508 had what PSA described as a fastback shape. For automakers wanting to make a splash with a new concept, these low-slung, elegant cars make an impact. “The SUV now occupies a near mainstream position, so the four-door coupe has an…
- Mercedes will preview Maybach SUV aimed at China’s billionaires – Automotive News: Mercedes parent Daimler revived the Maybach badge for ultraluxury sedans based on its S-class flagship sedan in 2015 after earlier dropping it as a standalone brand because of slow sales. Since the reintroduction more than 25,000 models have been…
- Jack Ma says Alibaba ‘doing a lot of research’ on driverless cars – Yahoo: E-commerce giant Alibaba is steering resources towards driverless car technology, its CEO Jack Ma confirmed on Thursday, joining a global race to shape the future of driving. Despite fresh safety fears after a woman was hit and killed by a self-driving…
- Tesla factory to be investigated over safety concerns – Guardian: Tesla is facing an investigation by Californian safety regulators into reports of serious injuries at its factory in Fremont, California, where it is struggling to scale up production of its Model 3 mass-market electric car. The California Occupational…
- Volkswagen ID R Pikes Peak electric protoype to be launched on Sunday – Autocar: The Volkswagen ID R Pikes Peak will be unveiled on April 22 German firm’s first electric motorsport machine is designed to break record on daunting Colorado hill climb
- LPG car fuel: could the diesel crisis give it an opportunity for a comeback? – Autocar: Autocar ran an LPG-powered Dacia Sandero Stepway for six months The time may have finally come for liquefied petroleum gas to tackle the mainstream
- Hyundai makes Santa Fe more family-friendly – Automotive News: Hyundai says its new Santa Fe will face a tough time in Europe, but the automaker hopes more advanced safety and comfort features, better styling and a more refined interior will attract more families and additional female buyers. “We would like to…
- Opel CEO says German costs twice those of other plants: source – Reuters: Some of Opel’s German plants cost twice as much to run as new French owner PSA Group’s other factories, Opel’s chief executive told employees as the company tries to hammer out an effiency deal with labor leaders in return for investments.
- Can GM Korea avoid bankruptcy? Company says deal deadline is Friday – Freep: The window for an agreement to save General Motors’ money-losing South Korea unit is nearly closed, according to a GM spokesman. The spokesman said the automaker is standing by a Friday deadline as it seeks wage concessions and funding from other…
- Labour Party tells financiers – pay higher taxes if you want influence – Reuters: Britain’s opposition finance chief John McDonnell offered a new pact with the financial services industry on Thursday: higher taxes in return for a seat at the policymaking table if Labour wins the next election.
- Skoda’s China SUV keeps family look – Automotive News: After record sales in China last year, Skoda aims for a further boost in its biggest single market by introducing what it calls a “mainstream urban SUV.” The model will be Skoda’s third SUV in China, and unlike the other two, the Kodiak and Karoq,…
- Jaguar XE 300 Sport arrives with 296bhp and all-wheel drive – Autocar: The XE 300 Sport is powered by Jaguar’s 296bhp 2.0-litre Ingenium petrol engine… Special edition version of Jaguar”s rival to the BMW 3 Series also gets unique design features
- Hyundai, Kia post improved results in Q1 Europe sales – Yonhap: Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. posted improved sales results and market share in Europe in the first quarter, according to data by the European carmakers’ association. In the January-March period, Hyundai Motor sold 141,626…
- As GM mulls options for unit, how does bankruptcy work in South Korea? – Reuters: General Motors has said its loss-making South Korean operation would file for bankruptcy if its union failed to agree to cut labor costs by Friday, heaping pressure on workers and the South Korean government to approve a rescue plan.
- Hyundai Motor to create 3000 jobs in line with gov’t policy – Yonhap: Hyundai Motor Group said Thursday it will help create some 3,000 jobs for young graduates and underprivileged people through 2022. The conglomerate will invest 34 billion won (US$32 million) in the five year period to financially support companies in…
- Suppliers to the new Hyundai i30 – Automotive News: Assembly of the third-generation Hyundai i30 began in December 2016 at Hyundai’s plant in Nosovice, Czech Republic. Output peaked at more than 140,000 units in 2017, according to IHS Markit. Contact Automotive News. Tags: Hyundai Suppliers Hyundai i30…
- Japan’s NTN to supply in-wheel motor tech to Chinese startup – Nikkei: Japanese bearing manufacturer NTN is set to supply in-wheel motor technology to Chinese electric vehicle startup Changchun Fawsn Auto Tech or FSAT, introducing the new drive system to the world’s largest market for electrics. The technology features…
- Corrected: Nissan premium brand Infiniti aims to triple China sales – president – Reuters: Nissan Motor Co’s premium brand Infiniti plans to at least triple sales in China within the next five years by making four additional car models locally and shifting to more of an electrified offering – a fast-emerging market in China.
- Nissan introduces improved e-NV200 with higher-capacity battery – Nissan-global: Nissan began taking orders today for its newly improved Nissan e-NV200 electric commercial vehicle, featuring a higher-capacity battery that offers longer range and battery life. Deliveries of the vehicle will begin in Japan in December.The Nissan…
- Analysis: Ford Focus RS engine problem – Autocar: Several Ford Focus RS owners have suffered engine issues An apparent head gasket sealing issue has many owners worried, and a sluggish official response to the issue from the Blue Oval is leaving some frustrated
- Uber picks VMware’s Zane Rowe as CFO: Bloomberg – Reuters: Uber Technologies Inc has picked VMware Inc’s Zane Rowe as the top candidate for chief financial officer to lead preparations for the ride-hailing company’s initial public offering in 2019, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.
- Asleep near the wheel: Another reason for car ownership – Detroitnews: Sleeping in cars is not new. Henry Ford and his friends used converted Model Ts to camp during their road-tripping.
- Toyota to roll out first plug-in hybrid car in China – Nikkei:
- Government to Support Flying Car Development – Japanautomotivedaily: A council under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) has included self-driving flying taxis as part of its []
- Mitsubishi Fuso Aims to Double Commercial Vehicle Sales in Thailand – Japanautomotivedaily: Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp. is planning drastic changes to its business strategy in the Thai market. By 2019, []
- Hyundai Engineering wins 290 bln won plant order in Thailand – Yonhap: Hyundai Engineering Co. said Thursday it has won a 290 billion won (US$272 million) order to build a petrochemical plant in Thailand. The South Korean company said its President Sung Sang-rok and his counterpart at Bangchak Corporation Public Company…
- Hyundai Mobis to test semi-autonomous vehicle in US this year – Yonhap: Hyundai Mobis Co., South Korea’s biggest auto parts maker, said Thursday it will test a self-driving vehicle in the United States this year, with an aim to mass-produce a semi-autonomous car in 2022. The company said it plans to start test driving a…
- Ghosn says all options are ‘open’ on Nissan-Renault capital structure – Nikkei:
- California investigating Tesla workplace – Detroitnews: Probe follows report about worker protections at the company”s auto plant in Fremont
