Archives for June 2018

• ‘They’ll get money if they need it’: Tesla bull explains why he’s still optimistic – CNBC: Ross Gerber, the president and CEO of Gerber Kawasaki wealth and investment management, remains bullish on Tesla”s potential, claiming that Ford and GM are “companies from a generation ago,” and that he is “investing in the future, not the past.”
• 2019 BMW 7 Series: new pictures of high-tech saloon shows X7 influence – Autocar: Latest sighting of facelifted luxury four-door shows it”ll also wear taller kidney grilles BMW’s facelifted 7 Series will gain a pair of large front kidney grilles that take influence from its SUV sibling, the X7, in order to closely align the two top…
• 2019 Porsche 911: new video shows 992 Carrera 4S at the Nurburgring – Autocar: Our render of the 992 911 Eighth-generation Porsche 911 will arrive next year with 390bhp in entry-level Carrera form Porsche is just five months away from the launch of its fastest and most technologically advanced 911 yet, so its engineers are out…

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• Alfa Romeo 4C coupe to be axed – Autocar: Facelifted 4C is coming next year, but will continue only as a convertible The Alfa Romeo 4C coupe will be discontinued, although the convertible will live on into 2019. According to Jalopnik, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has confirmed the axing of the…
• As Tesla ramps up production of its Model 3s, Panasonic warns of battery cell shortages – CNBC: A pickup in production of Tesla’s Model 3 cars, after earlier delays, has resulted in occasional battery cell shortages, a Panasonic official said on Thursday in a sign Tesla is in overdrive to meet its end-June forecast. Silicon Valley tech …
• Audi A4 facelift brings sharper look and sat-nav for all versions – Autocar: Design changes and more standard equipment refresh Audi”s 3 Series rival for 2018 Audi has updated the A4 with a mildly tweaked design and enhanced standard equipment list, refreshing the fifth-generation BMW 3 Series rival in its third year on sale….
• Audi Q9 set for development as future Range Rover rival – Autocar: The Audi Q8 (pictured) launches in the UK this summer, costing from £65k Ingolstadt will follow Q8 with a range-topping Q9 that will gun for the market’s most premium SUVs Audi”s growing SUV ranks are set to swell further with the addition of a new Q9…

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• 300bhp Mercedes-AMG A35 tests hard on the Nurburgring – on video – Autocar: Mercedes-AMG will launch a new entry-level model called the A35 in early 2019… Entry-level AMG hot hatch will use a reworked version of the new A-Class’s 2.0-litre powerplant; it”ll arrive in early 2019, ahead of the new A45 Mercedes-AMG will launch…
• Audi said to appoint former Rolls-Royce exec as Europe sales chief – Automotive News: Audi’s new European sales chief is former Rolls-Royce executive Fintan Knight, a source familiar with the matter said. Knight will be responsible for …
• BYD Builds Massive Car-Battery Plant to Boost Capacity Fourfold – Bloomberg: BYD Co. is building what would be the world’s largest vehicle-battery factory in an effort by the Chinese electric-car maker to increase capacity and …
• Faraday Future receives £1.5 billion investment ahead of FF 91 production – Autocar: US company headed by Chinese investor Jia Yueting also used equity funding last year Electric car company Faraday Future (FF) looks on course to launch its first model later this year after it received £1.5 billion worth of investment from a Hong Kong…

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• As investment stalls, auto industry warns PM May: Avert a Brexit car crash – Reuters: * BMW ramps up staffing levels at Dutch assembly plant for Mini
• Self-driving shuttles begin running in downtown Detroit – Detroitnews: Five robotic shuttles from Ann Arbor-based May Mobility will transport employees of Dan Gilbert’s companies from parking sites to their offices.
• Former Audi executive Hatz to be released from custody: prosecutor – Reuters: Former Audi executive Wolfgang Hatz will be released from custody on bail of 3 million euros ($3.5 million), a spokesman for the Munich public prosecutors office said.
• Audi delays E-tron SUV launch – Autocar: ‘Organisational issues’ blamed for postponement of brand”s first mass-market EV The Audi Summit, which was due to be the launch event of the Audi E-tron electric SUV, has been postponed indefinitely. The brand”s first electric SUV was due to be…

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• Mercedes pulls PHEVs from production to make way for third-gen tech – Autocar: The E-Class (top) and C-Class are among models set to receive new PHEV variants Hybrid versions of C-Class, E-Class, GLE and S-Class to be replaced in coming months Mercedes-Benz has pulled plug-in hybrid versions of the C-Class, E-Class and S-Class…
• Elon Musk uses seventh-grader language on earnings calls, according to algorithm – CNBC: The language employed by Tesla’s Elon Musk when speaking on earnings calls is at the level of a 12-year-old, according to a report from CB Insights. Stretching back to 2011, the research firm has carried out an algorithmic analysis of text harvested …
• New agreement could see smartphones replace car keys – Yahoo: A group of car manufacturers and technology giants have formed a consortium which aims to create a standard system allowing cars to be operated via a smartphone rather than a key. Manufacturers including Volkswagen, General Motors, Honda, Toyota and …

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• Elon Musk’s Tunnel Vision for Los Angeles – Bloomberg: Elon Musk’s promise to whisk travelers by tunnel from Dodger Stadium to Los Angeles International Airport in 10 minutes seems like the Holy Grail for …
• German auto stocks suffer as Trump’s tariff plan hits Daimler forecast – CNBC: The Mercedes maker is expected to move more production to China.
• Thyssenkrupp workers still see open issues in Tata Steel talks – Reuters: Thyssenkrupp workers on Thursday urged management to solve outstanding issues in talks with Tata Steel to create a European joint venture, cautioning that a good deal was better than a rushed job.
• Aston Martin to open Silverstone test center – Reuters: Aston Martin will open a test and development center at Silverstone, the home of British Formula One racing, as the luxury carmaker continues to expand ahead of a possible stock market flotation.

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