- Volvo primed to replace V40 with SUV-coupe – Autocar:
- Musk tweets Tesla to end customer referral plan because of costs – Reuters: Tesla Inc’s customer referral incentive plan will end on Feb. 1, the electric carmaker’s Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk tweeted on Thursday, citing costs.
- Lotus models to be built in new China factory – Autocar: The upcoming Lotus SUV, as imagined by Autocar New $1.3 billion facility in Wuhan will aid introduction of more diverse line-up; sports car production to remain in the UK Future Lotus models are set to be produced in China, as owner Geely is…
- VW plans Tesla-style deposits for I.D. electric car – Automotive News: VW says it may offer European customers the chance to place a deposit on a new I.D. full-electric car in the first half, ahead of the model”s market launch in early 2020.
- GM’s Barra signals no new vehicles for Detroit Hamtramck, Lordstown – Freep: General Motors CEO said the carmaker will bring new vehicles to market and build them in the United States, but not at the two plants set to be idled.
- Renault executives, French government officials to meet Nissan CEO: Nikkei – Reuters: Renault executives and French government officials were planning to meet Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa in Japan on Thursday, Japanese media said, as the automakers consider their partnership in the wake of alliance Chairman Carlos Ghosn’s arrest.
- Mary Barra says GM board is closely involved in day-to-day decisions – Freep: Mary Barra says GM board is closely involved in day-to-day decisions Detroit Free PressGM’s CEO talks about running GM with her board of directors, electric pickups and more partnerships to fund robot cars.
- Volkswagen says cars compliant with India emission norms but will deposit penalty – Reuters: German carmaker Volkswagen AG said on Thursday that its cars are compliant with India’s emission norms but it will still deposit a penalty of 1 billion rupees ($14.08 million) as directed by the country’s green court.
- Nissan CEO to meet with Renault directors on Ghosn scandal – Nikkei:
- The Car’s Death Is Exaggerated, Say the People With Cars to Sell – Bloomberg: The glass-half-full people would like you to know that no matter how many Americans decide to purchase sport utility vehicles, millions of other consumers will …
- Audi Plans Compact Electric Crossover to Broaden Tesla Assault – Bloomberg: Audi plans to introduce an electric crossover about the size of its compact Q3 sport utility vehicle as the Volkswagen AG premium brand fills out its …
- Ford set to cut 1,150 factory jobs in Britain – Yahoo: More than a thousand jobs are to be cut at its factory in Wales.
- Fiat Chrysler production to fall in Italy in 2019, union says – Automotive News: Fiat Chrysler unions at the automaker’s Italian factories expect domestic production to continue to decline this year after double-digit drop last year, largely …
- India pollution court asks Volkswagen to deposit $14 million by Friday: TV – Reuters: India’s pollution court on Thursday asked car maker Volkswagen to deposit 1 billion rupees ($14.02 million) in a case involving emissions violations, local …
- New Hyundai i10 hits the road before 2020 release – Autocar: Hyundai’s smallest model moves to third generation next year, with platform and spec enhancements expected Hyundai is set to launch a new, third generation i10 next year, and heavily disguised prototypes have been spotted during their winter testing…
- Donald Trump is leaning towards car tariffs, key ally says – FT: Chuck Grassley, the top US senator on trade policy and a close ally of Donald Trump, said the president was leaning towards slapping tariffs on automotive …
- Exclusive: British Lotus cars to be ‘Made in China’ at new Geely plant: documents – Reuters: The Chinese owner of Lotus plans to start producing the British sports car brand in China for the first time with the opening of a new 9 billion yuan ($1.3 billion) factory in Wuhan city, company job advertisements and government documents showed.
- Chinese Maker of $20000 Mini Electric Cars Plans to Crack the US – Bloomberg: The Nasdaq-listed company, which started making electric cars in 2013, plans to ship two of its models to the U.S. this year, Chairman and Chief …
- Barra ‘understands’ uproar over job cuts – Automotive News: The GM CEO said what wasn’t well communicated with plans to end output at five plants were the opportunities the company had for displaced workers, particularly in the U.S.
- Opinion: Year of reckoning for autos in 2019 – Detroitnews: The authors write: “Automakers and suppliers are displaying a mix of optimism and pragmatism at the 2019 North American International Auto Show.”
- Lawyers for Ghosn appeal Tokyo court’s denial of bail request – Nikkei: Lawyers for former Nissan Motor Co. boss Carlos Ghosn appealed Thursday a Tokyo court decision earlier this week to deny his …
- Trump ‘inclined’ to impose new U.S. auto tariffs, key Senator says – Automotive News: President Trump is likely to move ahead with tariffs on imported vehicles, a move that could prompt the European Union to agree to a new trade deal, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley said Wednesday.
- Chevy pulls ‘Real People’ TV ads challenging Toyota, Honda, Ford – Freep: Chevrolet pulls ad targeting Honda, Toyota, Ford on quality claims. An investigation shows ‘Real People’ in TV spot not told truth.
- Speed will make or break future consumer relationships, innovation expert says – Automotive News: Robots will soon replace truckers, oil field workers and cashiers. Amazon can ship packages before customers actually buy a product. Uber can respond to calls for help faster than an ambulance.Yesterday’s innovations are as fresh as day-old bagels and,…
- GM pulls disputed ‘Real People, Not Actors’ TV ad – Automotive News: Chevrolet will stop airing its most recent “Real People, Not Actors” TV ad that claims the brand has better reliability than Toyota, Ford and Honda, among other brands.
