- Global Auto Makers Lean On China Partners to Meet Electric-Vehicle Targets – WSJ: BEIJING-Some of the world’s biggest auto makers say they will rely on their Chinese partners to help them meet Beijing’s mandates for electric vehicles, using the joint venture arrangements that China has now agreed to phase out. Beijing recently…
- No One Is Sure How Good, or Bad, AI Will Get – Bloomberg: Even as the use of artificial intelligence has grown over the past decade, outsized predictions about it destroying humanity or creating utopia haven’t come to pass, at least not yet. Bloomberg QuickTake explains what AI does for us now and why people…
- Ford names China leadership amid slumping sales and ‘bumpy ride’ – Freep: The new structure replaces the Changan Ford sales company as part of the Changan Ford joint venture. Henry Li, 50, was named vice president, marketing and sales for Ford Greater China. Li, who will be responsible for leading Ford’s transition to the…
- Polestar 1 hybrid coupe to be priced from €155,000 in Europe – Autocar: The first Polestar 1 prototype has completed a shakedown test in the Arctic Circle Company boss says electrified machine is true ‘driver’s car’
- The Ram 1500 Is the Pickup For Drivers Who Think They Want an SUV – Bloomberg: Fiat-Chrysler stretched its full-size pickup by four inches during its first overhaul in nine years. What it did with that extra space says a lot about how the company plans to compete in the $90 billion U.S. truck market. The 2019 Ram 1500 features an…
- Dream Machines Dazzle at the Beijing Auto Show – Bloomberg: From ultra-luxury to sleek and speedy, the Beijing Auto Show is again showcasing carmakers’ creations to the world’s biggest auto market. A plethora of electric SUVs, some startlingly striking grills and a particularly interesting paint-job are among…
- Focus: GM banks on low-cost vehicles in Brazil as auto sales rise – Reuters: General Motors Co is planning for long-term profitability in South America built on the back of draconian cost cutting during Brazil’s recession and the same low-cost vehicles it is developing for Chinese consumers, which are due to hit dealerships in…
- Daimler joins China’s Responsible Cobalt Initiative – Reuters: Daimler, owner of the Mercedes Brand, joined the RCI at the start of April, RCI Chairman Sun Lihui told Reuters. With the Responsible Cobalt Initiative (RCI), Mercedes-Benz Cars is taking steps to combat the social and environmental risks in the cobalt…
- German minister: Want Opel plants here to be safe in long-term – Reuters: German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said on Wednesday that the German government wanted Opel plants in Germany to be shored up for the future as France’s PSA Group, which last year bought Opel, seeks to make savings.
- Porsche appeals against seizure of files in emissions raid – Reuters: Porsche has appealed against the seizure of files by prosecutors during a raid last week on the sports car brand’s premises related to inquiries into emissions manipulations, prosecutors said. Prosecutors seized an unknown number of files at Porsche…
- Tesla Teardown Uncovers Tech Prowess, Production Shortcomings – Bloomberg: The Model 3 has great battery design and industry-leading electronics, according to Munro, who will elaborate on his findings to the Automotive Press Association on Wednesday. Its packs are better in terms of power and efficiency than those built by …
- VW’s Skoda open to revisiting Tata partnership for India budget car – Automotive News: Volkswagen Group’s Skoda division has not ruled out a partnership with Tata Motors in India to produce budget cars, just months after calling off a planned tie-up with the Indian company. VW, which is working on a strategy to bring budget cars to…
- Audi A8 L arrives as 5.3m luxury saloon – Autocar: Longer version of flagship car is on show in Beijing
- Hong Kong shares retreat amid US bond yield jitters – Nikkei: BAIC Motor slumped 12% to HK$7.55 in Hong Kong after the Chinese automaker said it is placing 420 million new H-shares with at least six parties at HK$7.89 apiece, raising a net HK$3.27 billion. Great Wall Motor rose 2.9% after reporting a 6.5%…
- GM may raise investment plan for South Korean unit: source – Reuters: General Motors Co and the South Korean government are considering raising the size of their investment in the U.S. automaker’s South Korean subsidiary from a previously proposed $2.8 billion, a senior government official with direct knowledge of the…
- India ride-hailing firm Jugnoo eyes Singapore as Uber drives off – Reuters: Indian ride-hailing firm Jugnoo plans to enter the Singapore market next month, its chief executive said on Wednesday, joining other companies eyeing the city state as Uber Technologies [UBER.UL] prepares to leave.
- US Congress to Seek VW Chief’s Testimony in New Cheating Probe – Bloomberg: … emissions and repairs in other countries.” Diess was named the company’s CEO earlier this month, taking over for former chief Matthias Mueller, the Porsche executive tapped to run the automaker after VW boss Martin Winterkorn resigned in 2015 in…
- Mapbox Hires Former Tesla Autopilot Designer to Rethink Driverless-Car Maps – WSJ: Brennan Boblett, who helped pioneer the look of touch screen interfaces in increasingly autonomous vehicles, is joining well-funded startup Mapbox Inc. to help create digital maps for passengers in driverless cars. Mapbox provides mapping and…
- Honda’s Everus brand arrives with new EV concept – Autocar: Japanese firm will introduce compact SUV to Chinese market later this year
- Cars Are Ruining Our Cities – New York Times: Shortly before that, Germany’s highest court ruled that diesel cars could be banned from city centers to clean up the air. Mind you, Germany is the land where diesel technology was invented – and Volkswagen, the world’s largest automobile maker,…
- Volkswagen launches new electric car brand SOLwith E20X SUV – Autocar: Credit: XCAR SOL brand has been created for China and its first model is an electric SUV
- This Entry-Level Swedish Motorcycle Aims to Be Your First Love – Bloomberg: It weighs just 330 pounds-compared to the 414-pound Ducati Scrambler Cafe Race-and sits 33 inches off the ground at the seat, with nearly seven inches of ground clearance. It’s light enough to whip around corners and tap-dance over bumps. For a…
- Aston Martin Says China Spurring Another Horse-to-Cars Moment – Bloomberg: The British brand plans to add some hybridization to every car by the mid-2020s, with as many as half of all car sales to be fully hybrid by that time, Palmer said. The rest will be powered by “efficient” gasoline engines. Aston Martin unveiled the…
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class L gets extension for China – Autocar: Premium saloon grows 80mm in length to provide more passenger legroom
- Kobe Steel Faces Japan Government Inquiry Over Data Scandal – New York Times: They also came a year after Japan’s vaunted auto industry disclosed its own data falsification issues. Mitsubishi Motors and Suzuki Motor both said in 2016 that managers there cheated on fuel economy tests. And last year, Nissan and Subaru said they…
- Volkswagen Open to Revisiting Tata Tie-Up for India Mass Market – Bloomberg: Cooperation with the owner of Jaguar Land Rover Plc is possible “in principle” in the future, said Bernhard Maier, chief executive officer of S koda Auto AS, part of the VW group. Volkswagen, which has been long considering making affordable models for…
- Aston Martin CEO: ‘We’ve seen this explosion of growth in China’ – CNBC: Luxury British carmaker Aston Martin is expanding in China, the world’s biggest car market, on the back of positive growth figures, the company’s CEO said Wednesday.
- Maker of Chairman Mao’s Limousine Shows Green Sports Car Concept – Bloomberg: Maker of Chairman Mao’s Limousine Shows Green Sports Car Concept … China FAW Group Corp., the carmaker that developed the Hongqi, or Red Flag, limousine for Chairman Mao Zedong six decades ago, unveiled the E-Jing GT electric sports car concept at…
- BMW sees slower growth in China this year; local JV talks ongoing – Reuters: German luxury carmaker BMW (BMWG. … The firm is targeting growth of 7-8 percent, versus 15 percent in 2017, BMW CEO Harald Krueger told reporters at China’s main annual auto show being held in … China’s overall auto market grew just 2.8 percent in…
- AUTOSHOW-BMW sees slower growth in China this year; local JV talks ongoing – Reuters: German luxury carmaker BMW expects the pace of growth of its China sales to almost halve this year, the firm’s chief executive said on Wednesday, amid a broader slowdown in the world’s largest auto market. The firm is targeting growth of 7-8 percent,…
- Hostile takeover? Daimler CEO says no fears about Chinese magnate Li Shufu – Reuters: Li and his firm Zhejiang Geely Holding control Sweden’s Volvo Cars, London black-cab maker LEVC as well as its own Hong Kong-listed unit Geely Automobile Holdings (0175.HK). It has also agreed to buy a $3.3 billion stake in Volvo Trucks. Several major…
- Hybrid Kinetic Group K350 arrives in China – Autocar: Hybrid Kinetic Group has revealed its K350 SUV Pininfarina penned new hybrid model, which uses micro-turbine technology
- Audi Q5L launches with 110mm more rear legroom – Autocar: Long-wheelbase version of Q5 is Audi”s first stretched SUV
- Lexus Faces Tough Sledding in Chinese Market – Bloomberg: Toyota Motor Corp.’s premium Lexus brand is launching the seventh generation of its mid-sized ES saloon at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition on Wednesday, even as the company’s resistance to make cars in China has left it with a…
- New China-only Ford Escort to be sold alongside Focus – Autocar: The new China-only Ford Escort Revamped model to feature as part of Ford’s three-car attack on mid-size market – including two varieties of Focus
- Lexus Betting Big on All-New ES – Detroit Bureau: For those who haven’t been watching, the 2019 Lexus line-up won’t have much in common with the model mix of just five years ago. Where sedans once dominated the brand’s product portfolio, crossovers like the new UX and NX, as well as the long-popular…
- TAKE A LOOK-Beijing auto show 2018 – Reuters: Car industry executives are gathering at the Beijing auto show this week amid trade tensions between China and the United States, as well as major shifts in the global automotive market towards self-driving and autonomous vehicles that are shaking up…
- Volvo electric cars to make up 50% of brand’s sales by 2025 – Autocar: Volvo will launch an electric hatchback next year Swedish brand said its shift to fully electric power will align it with Chinese demand
- BMW CEO: still seeking partnership with China’s Brilliance – Reuters: BMW (BMWG.DE) is still seeking a partnership with local carmaker Brilliance China Automotive Holdings (1114.HK) and is open to discussing the ownership levels for the potential joint venture, the German carmaker’s chief executive said on Wednesday….
- AUTOSHOW-Ford hopes China easing will speed up Zotye venture approval – Reuters: Ford Motor Co’s Asia head said on Wednesday he hoped recent Chinese moves to relax ownership rules in the country’s auto market would speed up regulatory approval for its electric vehicle joint venture with local firm Zotye Automobile Co Ltd. Asia…
- BMW will export iX3 electric SUV to Europe, US from China – Automotive News: BMW’s only fully battery-powered model is the i3 city car, introduced in 2013. An electric model from the Mini small-car brand will enter showrooms next year. The iX3, which will be based on the existing X3 SUV to save costs, is part of BMW’s strategy…
- Plan to Develop Aichi Low-carbon Hydrogen Supply Chain Moves Forward – Toyota: The Aichi Low-carbon Hydrogen Supply Chain Promotion Association, a body which includes the Aichi prefectural government, companies operating within the prefecture, municipal authorities, and experts, has developed the Aichi Low-carbon Hydrogen Supply…
- New Geely Concept Icon uses Volvo XC40 platform – Autocar: Although the concept isn’t confirmed for production, if it were to go ahead it’s likely that it could be sold beyond its home market of China
- Lynk & Co confirms it will sell only hybrid and electric models in Europe – Autocar: New SUV will spearhead a range of electrified cars
- SoftBank to move ride-hailing stakes worth $20 billion to Vision Fund: FT – Reuters: Japan’s SoftBank Group (9984.T) plans to shift more than $20 billion of its investments in top ride-hailing companies including Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL], Ola, Grab and Didi Chuxing into its Saudi-backed Vision technology fund, the Financial…
- Skoda Kamiq makes public debut in China – Autocar: Budget SUV is important addition for Czech brand, which has ambitions to double sales in China by 2020
- Jaguar XJ50 launched to celebrate 50 years of model – Autocar: Limited run variant gets higher specification finish; it’s powered by the 296bhp 3.0-litre diesel engine
- China carmaker GAC says trade war could hurt plans to enter U.S. market – Reuters: Guangzhou Automobile Group Co Ltd (GAC) on Wednesday said a brewing trade war between China and the United States could hurt the Chinese automaker’s plans to break into the U.S. market if tariff barriers were raised.
- BMW’s iX3 concept heralds electric expansion – Automotive News: BMW previewed the expansion of full-electric cars into its core product lineup with the iX3 concept at the auto show here. The Concept iX3 heralds the first model from the BMW brand to be driven purely by electric power, the automaker said. The…
- Daimler CEO: no sign of hostile takeover by top shareholder Li Shufu – Reuters: Zetsche, speaking at a round table event at the auto show in Beijing, added the firm was not currently considering cooperation with Li or his company Geely. Daimler already has a Chinese joint venture partner BAIC (1958.HK). Li and his firm Zhejiang…
- Volvo Cars Open to Partners; Dismisses Daimler Stake Reports – Bloomberg: Chinese billionaire Li’s other recent automotive purchases include control of British sports-car maker Lotus Cars Ltd. and the biggest stake in truck producer Volvo AB, the former owner of the Swedish car brand. He has transformed Geely Group from a…
- Infiniti touts its throne – Automotive News: Infiniti touts the quality of its seats in the newest viral video to make our list. “For centuries,” the 15-second ad begins, “the best seats were built for one.” Ominous music scores slow, pull-in shots of royal thrones until it reaches a crescendo on…
- BMW Unveils Electric SUV as Its First Planned Export From China – Bloomberg: The iX3 project makes BMW the first major luxury-car maker to ship high-tech vehicles from China, in a sign consumers no longer equate the country with cheap products. It positions the Shenyang site to supply SUVs to the U.S., the second-biggest market…
- Audi aims to double China production with partner FAW in five years – CEO – Reuters: German luxury carmaker Audi AG (NSUG.DE) aims to … Speaking at the Beijing auto show, Audi head Rupert Stadler said the firm would look to offer 10 new SUVs in the market by 2022, and that it expected 30 percent of its sales in the market would be…
- GM, S.Korea weigh raising investment plan in unit from $2.8 bln -source – Reuters: * GM originally proposed $2.8 bln investment in unit over 10 yrs
- GM, South Korea weigh raising investment plan in unit from $2.8 billion: source – Reuters: GM had said it would fund its portion of the $2.8 billion investment, paving the way for two new sport utility vehicles to be built in South Korea. The investment was to be over a 10-year period and was conditional to the company winning union…
- Peugeot Aims to Drive Asian Growth – Bloomberg: PSA Group Executive Vice President China and ASEAN discusses the company’s performance, electrification, and talks about doing business in China. He speaks from the Beijing Auto Show 2018 on “Bloomberg Markets.” (Source: Bloomberg). Terms of Service…
- Japan Carmakers Start China Electric Push With Tried and Trusted – Bloomberg: Instead of betting on new models to lure Chinese customers, Nissan Motor Co., Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. are slapping electric motors on cars that are already doing well as gasoline versions. Those include the Sylphy sedan, a variant of…
- Thai March car sales rise 12.1 pct y/y – federation – Reuters: Thailand’s domestic car sales rose 12.1 percent to 95,082 cars in March from a year earlier, boosted by Bangkok Motor Show and improving public and private investment, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) said on Wednesday. The FTI has forecast…
- Jaguar CEO Says Nobody Can Go It Alone in Autonomous Driving – Bloomberg: Autonomous driving has come under fire recently after a test car from Uber Technologies Inc. hit and killed a pedestrian last month, sparking a debate on the safety of the technology on open roads. Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo, which has racked up the most…
- Lexus ES revealed as driver-focused GS replacement – Autocar: Seventh-generation ES is first to enter Europe, with design and handling tailored for that market
- Japanese-Australian Consortium to Launch Commercial Hydrogen Energy Venture – Japanautomotivedaily: A five-company consortium is gearing up to trial a project in Australia that would see hydrogen produced from coal in []
- Marubeni to Supply Ultrafast EV Chargers for Volkswagen Project in US – Japanautomotivedaily: Marubeni Corp. (TYO:8002) announced on April 20 that it will begin supplying more than 340 ultrafast electric vehicle (EV) chargers []
- Lexus ES redesign goes sportier with F Sport edition – Automotive News: Engineers also enhanced nighttime detection of pedestrians. Inside, the ES is the first Lexus product to offer Apple CarPlay connectivity. It is also Amazon Alexa-enabled, letting drivers use natural language commands to control some functions, even…
- 2019 Lexus ES Sedan Breaks Cover in Beijing – Detroit Bureau: After a series of fan dance teases, Lexus has finally pulled the wraps off its seventh-generation in a dual presentation at the Beijing Motor Show and near its old U.S. corporate headquarters in Los Angeles. One of the first models ever introduced by…
- A New Level of Performance and Sophistication The Next Generation of Lexus ES – Toyota: After six generations of unprecedented success in the midsize sedan category, the next-generation Lexus ES is forging a new, more ambitious path. Long known for its unparalleled comfort, refinement and luxury appointments, the seventh-generation ES…
- Tesla Steals the Limelight at Beijing Car Show – Bloomberg: Local media and attendees swarmed around a blue Model X, a red Model 3 and a white Model S, with the Tesla stand gathering the largest crowds early on at the Beijing auto show even as Toyota Motor Corp. and Daimler AG were holding their media events…
- Hyundai Motor Group to unveil two new models at 2018 Beijing Motor Show – Yonhap: South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor Group said Wednesday it will unveil two new vehicles at this year’s Beijing Motor Show to attract more local customers. Hyundai Motor Co. will introduce the ‘Lafesta,’ a localized sporty sedan that will only be sold…
- Jaguar Land Rover Preparing for Next Level of Growth, CEO Says – Yahoo: Jaguar Land Rover Preparing for Next Level of Growth, CEO Says. Bloomberg UK 24 April 2018. Apr.24 — Jaguar Land Rover CEO Ralf Speth discusses the impact of Brexit on the company, growth plans and electrification. He speaks from the Beijing Auto Show…
- Chinese carmaker BAIC tumbles on latest capital raise – FT: Shares in one of China’s biggest carmakers tumbled on Wednesday after the company announced a fresh capital raise. BAIC Motor shares dropped as much as 9.1 per cent in Hong Kong and were on track for their lowest close since October 2017 after the…
- BRIEF-Aisin Seiki unit to set up automatic transmission production JVs with GAC Motor and Geely … – Reuters: Aisin Seiki Co Ltd. * Says its unit Aisin AW Co., Ltd., will establish two automatic transmission production JVs with the Chinese automobile manufacturers Guangzhou Automobile Group Motor Co., Ltd.(GAC Motor) and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. Ltd….
- Venucia debuts The X concept and new-generation T90 in Beijing – Nissan-global: Venucia X concept car debuts at Auto China 2018BEIJING – Dongfeng Venucia introduced “The X” at Auto China 2018. The forward-looking model illustrates a new Venucia design, demonstrating the company’s vision for the future of mobility. Equipped with…
- Chinese electric car start-up Nio: We welcome competition from Tesla and others – CNBC: With the Chinese government recently announcing plans to allow full foreign ownership in its car industry starting with “new energy vehicles” at the end of 2018, one Chinese electric automaker is welcoming the increased competition. Speaking with…
- Toyota to Introduce 10 New Electrified Vehicles in China by 2020 – Toyota: Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) announced today that it plans to introduce to the Chinese market plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) versions of its “Corolla” and “Levin” passenger cars in 2019 and a battery electric vehicle (BEV) model based on…
- GM, South Korea in talks to raise investment plan from $2.8 billion: source – Reuters: GM has expressed its intention to increase the size of new money injection from its previous plan to normalize management, and asked the KDB to expand its funding proportional to its stake, the source told Reuters, requesting anonymity as the matter…
- Volvo Cars CEO on US-China trade tariffs: ‘We are very worried’ – CNBC: Without open trade, prices for consumers could rise, Volvo Cars CEO Hakan Samuelsson said.
- Nissan Sylphy Zero Emission electric car debuts at Auto China 2018 – Nissan-global: Nissan today unveiled the Nissan Sylphy Zero Emission, Nissan’s first electric car made in China for Chinese consumers, at Auto China 2018.The new model offers the exciting performance of a 100% electric powertrain. Its advanced technologies and…
- Nissan unleashes new electric-vehicle era at Auto China 2018 – Nissan-global: Nissan is bringing three zero-emission vehicles to Auto China 2018 that embody its Nissan Intelligent Mobility vision – including the company’s first electric vehicle made in China for Chinese customers.”As part of our effort to ensure sustainable…
- Geely-Aisin Seiki JV to produce automatic transmissions in China – Reuters: Geely-Aisin Seiki JV to produce automatic transmissions in China. Reuters Staff. 1 Min Read. HONG KONG (Reuters) – Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd (0175.HK) said on … The joint venture, with registered capital of $117 million, will be 40 percent owned…
- BAIC Motor plans $422 mln share sale to replenish working capital – Reuters: BAIC Motor Corporation Ltd said on Wednesday it planned to sell new shares for HK$3.3 billion ($422 million) to replenish funds for working capital. The automaker said it would sell 420 million shares or 5.2 percent of its enlarged share capital to…
- Renault Clio supermini car to be launched in S. Korea next month – Yonhap: Renault Samsung Motors Corp. said Wednesday it will launch the Renault Clio supermini car in South Korea next month to boost sales. The hatchback’s prices and specifications will be released in mid-May, a company spokesman said. In the January-March…
- Volvo CEO Says Chinese Domestic Carmakers Will Become Competitive – Bloomberg: … Carmakers Will Become Competitive. Volvo CEO Says Chinese Domestic Carmakers Will Become Competitive …. Volvo Cars CEO Hakan Samuelsson discusses the company’s future for electric and hybrid cars, growth in China, and weighs in on ride sharing….