Archives for October 2018

• Breakingviews – KKR throws autos shareholders into a spin – Reuters: A slowdown in China and worries that new fuel-economy standards will hurt demand in Europe have led to a number of profit warnings in recent months from suppliers like Continental and Michelin, paints specialist PPG Industries, and carmakers Daimler …
• BASF and Nornickel join forces in European EV battery push – Reuters: Germany’s BASF and Russian miner Norilsk Nickel (Nornickel) have struck a nickel and cobalt supply deal to meet growing demand for electric vehicle (EV) batteries.
• 2019 Volkswagen T-Cross details teased ahead of official reveal – Autocar: Volkswagen has begun to tease the final design of its upcoming T-Cross compact SUV, ahead of an official unveiling later this month. The company showed off a close-up of the supermini-SUV’s headlights and daytime running lamps on Twitter, while also …
• How government policies and taxpayer money have helped Elon Musk and Tesla – CNBC: From subsidies at the national and state level, to federal tax credits for consumers buying electric cars and solar panels, to fuel efficiency standards that help bring millions in revenue for Tesla and vital government contracts for SpaceX …..

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• Geely Chief Denies Family Ties to China’s President – Detroit Bureau: Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd has moved to end speculation that its entrepreneurial chairman, Li Shufu, has benefited from political ties to China’s President for life, Xi Jinping. Li Shufu, who is increasingly active in the global automotive industry …
• Tesla Drops Self-Driving Option Buyers Have Been Unable to Use – Bloomberg: The electric-car maker has dropped from its online design studios the option to pay thousands of dollars more for what it called full self-driving, a higher-level feature for its Autopilot system. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk tweeted late Thursday …
• Tesla slips after Elon Musk announced lower-cost Model 3 (TSLA) – Yahoo: Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced on Twitter on Thursday that a lower-cost Model 3 was immediately available for order on the company’s website. The electric car will have a base price of $45,000 and is eligible for federal and state tax rebates. Tesla …
• US-China trade feud dents American automakers – CBS News:
• Daimler Issues Fresh Profit Warning; Shares Fall Most in 2 Years – Bloomberg: The shares fell the most intraday in more than two years after the German maker of Mercedes-Benz cars said group earnings before interest and taxes will be significantly below market expectations. Daimler agreed in June to the recall of some 774,000 …

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• Peugeot to withdraw from World RX after 2018 – Yahoo: Peugeot will withdraw from the World Rallycross Championship after the final round of the 2018 season in South Africa next month. The French marque announced its departure on Thursday morning, along with news about the development of a new range of …
• How electric car batteries are improving despite drawbacks, risks – Automotive News: In the race for the next generation battery, lithium-ion technology has made huge leaps in recent years. But the power packs continue to have drawbacks.
• S.Africa poised to adopt plan to boost local car industry suppliers – Reuters: South Africa is likely to adopt new plans for the country’s car industry in December which aim to increase the local content of assembled cars to 60 percent by 2035 from around 38 percent now, a cabinet minister said on Thursday.
• Elon Musk’s big China play for Tesla comes as world’s top car market slows – Automotive News: Tesla’s breakthrough deal to secure land for a Shanghai factory commits the electric-car maker to a multibillion-dollar investment just as the Chinese vehicle market falters.

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• Tearing down a Model 3: Profit potential huge, but ‘this body is their single biggest problem’ – Automotive News: DETROIT – The manufacturing analysts who spent 6,600 hours inside a warehouse north of Detroit picking apart a Model 3 have good news and bad news for Tesla Inc. The company now boasts the best technology of any electric car, with potential profit …
• Facelifted Lexus RC: prices and specs announced – Autocar: Lexus’ updated Audi A5 rival will go on sale on 1 November, priced from £38,800 After its public reveal at the Paris motor show, Lexus has released UK pricing and spec details for the updated RC coupe. Due to go on sale on 1 November, the BMW 4 Series…
• Volkswagen to overhaul dealer sales model in 2020 – Autocar: VW will refresh its sales network with new online sales channel ahead of ID brand launch Volkswagen has announced sweeping organisational changes to its dealership and sales network throughout Europe as it prepares for the launch of its ID electric…
• Tesla Advances in China, Buying Land Purchase for a Factory – WSJ: Elon Musk”s electric-vehicle maker is speeding up construction of a plant in Shanghai in response to the U.S.-China trade dispute.

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• The dirt on ‘clean’ electric cars is just under the hood – Automotive News: Every major carmaker has plans for electric vehicles to cut greenhouse gas emissions, yet their manufacturers are, by and large, making lithium ion batteries in places with some of the most polluting grids in the world.
• Elon Musk says Tesla owners who ordered full self-driving EVs to get chip upgrade – Automotive News: A new chip that improves Autopilot features will be available six months in advance to people who ordered the full self-driving version of the electric cars.
• Uber proposals value the company at $120 billion in a possible IPO: WSJ – CNBC: Uber Technologies recently received proposals from Wall Street banks valuing the company at as much as $120 billion in an initial public offering that …
• Ford’s new Territory crossover part of plan to regain lost ground in China – Automotive News: Ford, while unveiling its new Territory crossover, said its plan to release a spate of new models will help turn around tumbling sales in the world’s top auto market from the start of next year.

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• The 2019 Hyundai Kona Electric Is a Bolt of Inspiration – Yahoo: And you should probably pencil in the Hyundai Kona Electric on the first line. The gasoline-burning Kona is among the best subcompact crossovers on the market, with adventurous styling, a powerful available turbocharged engine, and excellent driving …
• Brazil auto group sees slower 2019 output, sales growth – Reuters: Growth of vehicle sales and output in Brazil is likely to slow down in 2019, the head of the nation’s automakers’ …
• Skoda Scala: name of new Ford Focus rival confirmed – Autocar: Skoda Scala Czech firm picks a Latin-based name for its Rapid replacement, which will be revealed later this year Skoda”s new Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus rival, due to be revealed later this year, will be called the Scala. The new car will…
• BMW teams up with Sweden’s Northvolt, Umicore for electric car batteries – Reuters: German carmaker BMW has created a vehicle battery recycling venture with Belgian materials and recycling firm Umicore and Northvolt, which is building a battery factory in Sweden.

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• Axios Autonomous Vehicles – Axios: That’s why Ford is partnering with others to create demand for its vehicles rather than pouring money into building its own ride-hailing business like Waymo or GM Cruise. Hackett says automated goods delivery has as much promise as driverless taxis …
• Why China auto sales are falling, and what happens next – Automotive News: China’s car market has been one of the most reliable engines of global growth for decades. Now that all might be coming to an end.
• World’s largest car market risks historic drop as Chinese buyers waver – Automotive News:
• Google’s Larry Page has backed two flying-car start-ups – here’s a look inside one of them, Opener – CNBC: Opener hopes to bring vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicles to the masses. The company invited CNBC inside its headquarters to chat with Alan Eustace, a former Google exec who is the company’s technical advisor.

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• Self-driving cars could change the way you get around in retirement – CNBC: And by the end of this year, those streets are slated to have a new service to help its residents – ages 55 and up – get around: a ride-sharing service using self-driving cars. “Retirement villages are just the perfect first place we see for …
• Toyota and SoftBank are teaming up to target self-driving car services – CNBC: Toyota Motor and SoftBank are teaming up to develop self-driving car services, signaling deepening alliances between top automakers and tech firms as the global race to develop autonomous cars intensifies. Japan’s biggest automaker and its most …
• China car dealers push for tax cut as auto growth stalls, report says – Automotive News: China car dealers push for tax cut as auto growth stalls, report says
• BMW Is Plowing $4.1 Billion Into Its Chinese Joint Venture as Trump’s Trade War Heats Up – Fortune: The policy change also gives carmakers such as Daimler AG, Volkswagen AG and General Motors Co. a chance to obtain a bigger control over their businesses in China. The world’s biggest car market is fast becoming a major development and production …

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