Archives for March 2019

• Even with IPO billions, can Uber and Lyft survive long to enough to replace their drivers with machines? – Washington Post: To deliver for investors, Lyft will have to make its cars driverless. In the meantime tensions with drivers will only increase.
• In market debut, Lyft counters Uber with ‘nice guy’ image – Reuters: Lyft Inc has been challenging larger ride-hailing rival Uber Technologies Inc for years by cultivating an image of caring more for its drivers, riders and the environment. As the company debuts in the stock market on Friday, it hopes to convince…
• The tiny Smart car refuses to die. Now it’s headed to China – Latimes: Daimler is teaming up with Zhejiang Geely Holding Group to form a joint venture to transform the Smart car into an all-electric brand based in China, the world’s …
• Renault, Peugeot intensify battle for small-car supremacy – Automotive News: Renault and Peugeot hope to give Europe’s small segment a needed lift with the introduction of the latest versions of the Clio and 208, the companies’ …
• GM and Chrysler were bailed out 10 years ago: How they’ve changed – Freep: In March 2009, the Obama auto task force found that GM and Chrysler weren’t financially viable and needed to go through unprecedented bankruptcies.

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• Smart: the tiny Daimler that refuses to die – Automotive News: From its inception, the Smart was a bold bet for Daimler that pushed the automaker out of its comfort zone of big, reliable sedans with no-nonsense styling.
• Jaguar Land Rover global executive Joe Eberhardt has a plan to make profits – CNBC: Best known for sleek sports cars, Jaguar has been struggling with changing market conditions, resulting in a loss of $372 million for Jaguar Land Rover in the …
• UK greenhouse gas emissions down 2.5 pct as renewables hit record – Reuters: Britain’s greenhouse gas emissions fell 2.5 percent in 2018, dropping for a sixth straight year but more slowly than before, as record output of renewable power ate away at coal-fired generation, government data showed on Thursday.
• Auto giants Daimler and Geely Holding team up to develop electric cars – CNBC: The joint venture will see cars assembled at a purpose built electric vehicle factory in China.

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• Breakingviews – Fiat Chrysler might gain from M&A waiting game – Reuters:  Already the subject of interest from Peugeot of France, the …
• China to Reduce the Juice for Electric-Car Sales – WSJ: China is slashing subsidies for electric vehicles, which will test the resilience of a fast-growing EV market that government support helped create.
• Ford Joint Venture to Exit Russia Passenger Car Market – WSJ: Ford Motor said that its Russian joint venture with Sollers PJSC will stop selling passenger vehicles in the country as part of a broader restructuring.
• Former Nissan chairman Ghosn was too powerful, report finds – FT: … to improve its much-criticised governance standards has concluded that too much power was concentrated on its former chairman, Carlos Ghosn.
• The Car Giants Are Getting Pretty Desperate – Bloomberg: Ghosn was head of the giant Renault-Nissan carmaking alliance and one theory … In fairness, the alliance now has a new boss, the understated Renault … does the Renault-Nissan alliance (which includes Mitsubishi Motors Corp.) …

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• MIDEAST STOCKS-Uber-Careem deal boosts Saudi, real estate hurts Dubai – Reuters: Saudi shares rose on Tuesday boosted by a 10 percent surge in travel operator Al Tayyar Group, a shareholder in ride hailing app Careem which Uber has agreed to buy. Tayyar said it was expecting to make a gross profit of 1.78 bi
• LME waives listing fees for cobalt brands for six months – Reuters: The London Metal Exchange (LME) on Tuesday … on expected rising demand for cobalt, given its uses in electric cars.
• Brazil’s Petrobras modifies diesel pricing, developing payment system for truckers – Reuters: Brazilian state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA has approved a new pricing policy in which diesel prices at its refineries will not be readjusted more than once every 15 days, the company said on Tuesday.
• Login – Axios: Apple’s reputation for launching products that transform entire markets …. Vehicle service centers: Lyft is revamping its driver hubs, adding car repair …
• Nissan reportedly paid to send Carlos Ghosn’s four children to Stanford University – CNBC: The perk was part of Ghosn’s original employment contract when he signed on as chief executive officer in 1999, Bloomberg said, citing anonymous people familiar with the matter.

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• Schaeffler Automotive chief foresees big gains from electrified drivetrains – Automotive News: Until the middle of last year, it looked as if we would see a very quick progression from combustion cars straight to battery-electric vehicles, but we are …
• Skoda Octavia extends Europewide appeal, increasing pressure on VW Golf – Automotive News: Look down the best-sellers lists by European country for 2018 and after the Volkswagen Golf, one model stands out: the Skoda Octavia. Skoda’s …
• Tesla to raise prices on cars in inventory 3% next month – Automotive News:
• Uber said to prepare $3B offer for Dubai rival – Automotive News:
• Tesla analyst cuts Model 3 forecast, now sees bear market in stock ahead – CNBC: Lackluster demand and overseas Model 3 delivery problems will weigh on Tesla’s first-quarter earnings results when the company reports in April, RBC Capital …

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• Jaguar Land Rover wins case against Jiangling Motors in China – Reuters: Luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover, part of Tata Motors Ltd, said it won a case in China against local rival Jiangling Motors Corp for making cars that copy …
• Elon Musk’s Fate Is in the Hands of This Federal Judge – Bloomberg: The question of whether Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk is in contempt of court for recent tweets falls to Alison Nathan, a federal judge in Manhattan …
• Trump Wants European Autos BMW, Mercedes to Be Made in America – Bloomberg: President Trump has given European auto manufacturers a way to avoid an escalation of the trade war, saying they can avoid tariffs on cars if they build more …
• Geely promises more models to support sales in uncertain China market – Automotive News: China’s Geely said it will invest more in new-energy vehicles and higher-end models after forecasting flat sales in 2019 due to uncertainty …
• Prototype carbonfibre cell completed at McLaren Composites Centre – Autocar: McLaren is pursuing weight-saving technology as a means of making its upcoming hybrid range more competitive and efficient £50m Sheffield-based facility delivers the first MonoCell lightweight tub to McLaren’s Woking factory The first prototype of…

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• Ford names former Snap, Amazon exec Tim Stone as financial chief – CNBC: Current CFO Bob Shanks is retiring at the end of the year, as had been widely expected.
• Opel union accepts PSA plan to transfer employees to French engineering company – Automotive News: The works council at Opel’s engineering center in Ruesselsheim, Germany, has approved a plan to transfer 2,000 employees at the site to the French …
• Fiat is struggling in the US. Is the Italian brand ready to pull the plug on America, again? – CNBC: After pulling out of the American market in the early 1990s due to poor sales, Fiat staged a comeback in 2011. Despite grand expectations, a number of analysts are questioning the flagship brand’s long-term viability in the U.S.
• China’s Geely Auto promises more models to support sales in uncertain domestic market – Reuters: China’s Geely Automobile Holdings said on Thursday that it will invest more in new energy vehicles and higher-end models after forecasting flat sales in 2019 due to uncertainty about domestic demand.
• Ex-Swedish ambassador to China denies breaching national security – FT: Chinese business has a number of ties with Sweden after Zhejiang Geely successfully revived Volvo Cars earlier this decade. But there have been …

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