Archives for July 2018

• Fiat Chrysler loses another executive after Marchionne illness – Reuters: Fiat Chrysler’s European boss has quit, adding to the problems facing new CEO Mike Manley who must deliver on promises to boost production of SUVs and catch up with rivals in electric cars.
• Report: Tesla seeking cash from suppliers – CBS News: Tesla has asked some of its suppliers to refund a portion of what the auto maker has already spent to help it become profitable, the Wall Street Journal reports. The plea raises questions about the company’s cash position, which has dwindled following …
• UK electric car drivers face paying more to charge at peak times – Guardian:

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• JP Morgan predicts Tesla shares will plunge more than 40% before the end of the year – CNBC: Tesla shares will fall dramatically the rest of this year due to its high valuation and rising competition, according to J.P. Morgan. The firm reaffirmed its underweight rating for Tesla shares, saying other automakers may price their electric cars …
• 2019 Aston Martin Vantage will be first to mate manual gearbox to AMG V8 – Autocar: British brand”s next Vantage will ignore industry trends to strive for a more engaging experience Aston Martin”s engineers have been challenged to be the first to mate a manual gearbox to the AMG-sourced V8 engine of the Vantage, producing a more…
• Tesla to unveil new model in St. Louis – CNBC: Tesla will have its first public showing of its $35,000 “more affordable” family sedan in at the company’s University City showroom Friday, the St. Louis Business Journal reports.
• US probes complaints that some Ford Escapes overheat – Detroitnews: Investigators say it has 40 complaints from consumers about stalling, including two alleging that engines caught fire

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• Tesla shares fall after Needham downgrades to sell, citing possible increase in Model 3 cancellations – CNBC: Tesla shares fell on Thursday after Needham & Co downgraded the stock to sell from hold, citing a possible pick-up in Model 3 cancellations. “Based on our checks, refunds are outpacing deposits as cancellations accelerate,” wrote analyst Rajvindra Gill …
• Audi CEO Stadler presses for release from German custody – Reuters: Audi’s suspended Chief Executive Rupert Stadler has appealed to a court to be released from custody after spending the past month in jail, the Munich prosecutor’s office said on Thursday.
• New Hyundai i30 N Line launched as brand’s first lukewarm variant – Autocar: N Line model receives new bumpers, larger wheels and firmer suspension to bridge gap between regular car and i30N Hyundai has launched its first N Line model for the i30 hatchback, with a more aggressive exterior design and firmer chassis set-up to…
• The Many Ways Tariffs Affect Car Makers – WSJ: Auto-industry representatives are expected to argue during a Commerce Department hearing that President Donald Trump”s proposed tariffs on auto imports would costs jobs and increase car prices.

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• Uber hires former adviser to David Cameron to lead lobbying in northern Europe – Reuters: Uber Technologies has hired an ex-adviser to former British prime minister David Cameron to lead the ride-hailing firm’s lobbying efforts in northern Europe, less than a month after the company won a reprieve to operate in London.
• 2018 Audi TT now exclusively 2.0-litre petrol-powered – Autocar: Audi’s facelifted TT in TTS guise Updated two-door gets streamlined engine line-up and more standard kit, as well as a sportier appearance Audi will drop the lowest-powered petrol and diesel versions of its TT from the line-up when an updated version…
• Elon Musk Apologizes for Calling Cave Rescuer a Pedophile – WSJ: Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk has apologized for lashing out at the British cave explorer who dismissed his efforts to help rescue the youth soccer team trapped in a Thai cave.
• German Tesla Drivers Told to Return $4650 Electric Subsidy – Bloomberg: Hundreds of German Tesla Model S drivers have been ordered to pay back a 4,000 euro ($4,650) electric-vehicle subsidy after a government agency …

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• Tesla sinks after Musk tweets, again – CNBC: Tesla hares took a nosedive after CEO Elon Musk came under fire, and some see bigger losses yet, citing a corporate leader lately mired in controversy and lingering concerns about vehicle production. Investors have been here before.
• UK joins project for autonomous vehicle platform that can find potholes – Autocar: Autonomous cars could one day inform authorities of potholes Jaguar Land Rover and road authorities in West Midlands and Scotland contribute to research that will digitise roads Two UK road authorities and Jaguar Land Rover are contributing to a…
• Honda Civic Type R to be refreshed next year in hot hatch title defence – Autocar: Class-leading hot hatch will get minor exterior changes and updated infotainment to fend off new rivals Honda will respond to increasingly tough competition against the Civic Type R by refreshing the 316bhp model for 2019. Seen here testing in…
• Factbox – Likely winners and losers from a Japan-EU trade deal – Reuters: Japan and the European Union are set to sign a free-trade deal on Tuesday to remove nearly all customs duties and boost market access for Japanese car makers and European food exporters.

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• Thai rescue mission diver mulls legal action after Elon Musk calls him ‘pedo guy’ – CNBC: A British diver involved in the mission to save 12 Thai boys and their soccer coach is considering legal action against Elon Musk after the Tesla boss labeled him “pedo guy.” Spelunker Vernon Unsworth had called a submarine crafted by a team of Musk’s …
• RPT-Rebates protect Canada’s auto industry from retaliatory tariffs – Reuters: Canadian government customs provisions are expected to soften the blow on the country’s powerful automotive industry from retaliatory tariffs on U.S. steel, according to trade lawyers and industry leaders bracing for higher costs.
• Transport experts call for tougher rules to slow petrol and diesel sales – Autocar: The government must introduce stricter regulations on sales of petrol and diesel cars to meet its 2040 pollution pledge, say industry figures Stricter action to slow the sale of new combustion-engined cars will be needed if the government is to hit…
• Tesla Is Getting a Sales Bump in Russia – Bloomberg: Svyaznoy, co-owned by Usmanov’s wireless carrier MegaFon PJSC, said it received orders for 236 vehicles in June, the first month it started sales jointly with importer Moscow Tesla Club. This compares with about 300 Teslas registered in the country …

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• ‘The Last Bet-the-Company Situation’: Q&A With Elon Musk – Bloomberg: Elon Musk has been tweeting a lot over the past few months. As Tesla Inc. lurched toward a Musk-imposed deadline to build 5,000 Model 3 electric …
• 2018 BMW 8 Series lands at Goodwood ahead of November sales launch – Autocar: Production of all-new two-door coupe?, which is designed to serve up 911 performance with S-Class luxury, has begun in Germany BMW has begun production of the new 8 Series Coupe at its Dingolfing plant in Germany, meaning the first customer cars are…
• 2018 Ford Mustang Bullitt tackles Goodwood with original film car – Autocar: Special edition Mustang pays homage to film”s most famous Pony Car. It’s limited-run, boosted in power, and now over here at Goodwood with its dad Ford has confirmed that the 475bhp Mustang Bullitt will go on sale in the UK, with deliveries expected…
• 630bhp Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door Coupe makes UK debut – Autocar: AMG”s latest model can cover 0-62mph in 3.2sec and hit 196mph; it’s at Goodwood ahead of its September sales launch Mercedes-AMG’s new GT 4-door Coupe? has made its UK debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it has demonstrated its 630bhp…

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• Tesla Buyers Hear Clock Ticking as $7500 Tax Credit Phases Out – Yahoo: The clock is ticking for Tesla Inc. customers looking for incentives on their purchase. The $7,500 federal tax credit for electric vehicles is set to start phasing out for the Model S, Model X, and Model 3 after Dec. 31, according to the company’s …
• McLaren confirms P1 successor will arrive by 2025 – Autocar: McLaren P1 Famous hypercar will be reborn as brand”s flagship McLaren will launch a P1 successor before 2025, the company has confirmed today at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Boss Mike Flewitt said the car will be “as shocking or surprising as the…
• McLaren to launch 18 models and move to hybrid powertrains by 2025 – Autocar: The McLaren P1 successor could use an electrified powertrain The Woking-based car company has announced its updated strategy, codenamed Track25, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed McLaren will launch 18 new cars by 2025, by which time all of its…
• 789bhp W Motors Fenyr Supersport takes to Goodwood hillclimb – Autocar: Ruf-built turbocharged flat six powers this £1.1m Emirati supercar from 0-62mph in 2.7sec and on to a top speed of 249mph Emirati supercar company W Motors has sent its Fenyr Supersport up the Goodwood Festival of Speed hillclimb to mark the start of…

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