- China Auto Sales Bounce Back After Slow Winter – WSJ: Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. said March sales soared 39%, boosted by electric and other new-energy vehicles. “This year is going to be a year of exponential growth for Geely’s new-energy cars,” said Song Zhaohuan, Geely’s public-relationship…
- Japan Hopes Rare-Earth Find Will Give It An Edge Against China – WSJ: Japan has hundreds of years” worth of rare-earth metal deposits in its waters, according to new research that reflects Tokyo”s concern about China”s hegemony over minerals used in batteries and electric vehicles.
- EU plans more powers for consumers to sue companies – Reuters: The European Union plans more powers for consumers to sue firms like Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) after the Dieselgate scandal … Reacquired Volkswagen and Audi diesel cars sit in a desert graveyard near Victorville, California, U.S. March 28, 2018….
- Tesla CEO Elon Musk says social media, artificial intelligence should be regulated – CBS News: Amid the firestorm surrounding Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s Senate hearing, we asked another Silicon Valley titan, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, about the Facebook controversy during an interview Tuesday in California. “Do you think now is the time for…
- Image of new Lexus ES released ahead of reveal – Yahoo: Sometimes images of a new car are leaked online and you have to wonder if it’s the manufacturer itself that’s actually the source of the supposed “leak.” But when a leaked image appears online and the manufacturer concerned quickly releases its own…
- Volkswagen to hand unions management board seat in reshuffle: sources – Reuters: Volkswagen will give labour leaders a management board seat as part of a broad agreement to win approval for Herbert Diess as the German carmaker’s new chief executive, sources said on Wednesday.
- World’s first flat-pack truck: Shell commissions prototype for India trip – Autocar: Gordon Murray, the Global Vehicle Trust and Sir Torquil Norman have created a truck that can be built and driven in remote areas
- Germany wants to avoid restrictions or bans for diesel cars – Merkel – Reuters: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday that the federal government wanted to avoid driving restrictions or even bans for highly polluting diesel cars.
- Lyft Looks at Entering Japan Market to Ramp Up Cost Competition – Bloomberg: Lyft Inc. President John Zimmer said the U.S. ride-hailing startup is considering entering Japan, one of the few large markets in the world where such services have … Uber and other ride-hailing services have gained little traction in the $16 billion…
- Zagato creates new Lamborghini L595 roadster – Autocar: Drop-top version of renowned Italian coachbuilding company”s Gallardo-based supercar has been previewed
- VW’s Diess to retain brand duties as group CEO: source – Reuters: Volkswagen brand chief Herbert Diess looks set to retain his responsibilities as head of the core autos division if he becomes the group’s next chief executive, a source said.
- VW needs to change more than just its chief executive – FT: While other parts of the group such as Porsche, Skoda and Audi deliver healthy profit margins, VW lags well behind rivals such as Peugeot. Mr Diess, a former BMW executive, has made some progress but much more remains to be done. VW still has too much…
- China red-tape cuts prompt surge in business registrations – FT: The fastest growing sectors for new companies have been in science and technology, culture, entertainment and sport as well as services such as finance, according to China’s State Administration for Industry & Commerce (SAIC), while the number of…
- VW’s Diess Goes From Lame Duck to Top Dog in Two Years – Bloomberg: “Diess has the advantage that he knows other companies,” said Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive Management at the University of Applied Sciences in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany. After more than two years of crisis management, “the…
- When Marketing Luxury Vehicles, ‘Electric’ Is No Longer a Bad Word – Bloomberg: Top luxury automakers have been producing hybrid and electric vehicles for years, such as Bayerische Motoren Werke AG’s i8, Porsche AG’s 918 Spyder Hybrid, and Mercedes-Benz AG’s sold-out Project 1. We take it for granted that a fair number of wealthy…
- Lyft president: It’s ‘incredibly important’ for companies to do privacy right – CNBC: Lyft President John Zimmer discusses the importance of user privacy and the company’s subscription plans.
- VW board to decide on new HR chief at Friday meeting: sources – Reuters: Volkswagen’s supervisory board will on Friday decide on a replacement for personnel chief Karlheinz Blessing as part of a broader management overhaul, two sources said.
- Kakao invests 3.4 bln won in US ride-hailing firm Lyft – Yonhap: Kakao Investment, an investment firm under South Korea’s top mobile messenger operator Kakao Corp., said Wednesday it bought shares worth 3.4 billion won (US$3.18 million) in U.S. ride-hailing service provider Lyft. Following the move, Kakao holds…
- VW CEO Mueller’s removal has been planned for months: Bild – Reuters: The replacement of Volkswagen Chief Executive Matthias Mueller has been planned for months and board members Francisco Garcia Sanz and Karlheinz Blessing are also due to be ousted, Germany’s Bild newspaper reported on Wednesday.
- Samsung and Hyundai take different path on investor relations – Nikkei:
- (LEAD) Hyundai launches Encino subcompact SUV in China – Yonhap: Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea’s biggest carmaker by sales, has launched the Encino subcompact SUV in China to bolster its market presence, the company said Wednesday. The Encino is the localized model of the popular Kona subcompact crossover that aims…
