This edition of the Morning Auto News is coming to you from a beach in Thailand
- Lyft’s stock continues to dive after its dismal week – CNBC: Lyft hit a new 52-week low on Monday after dropping nearly 20% over the previous week.
- German bosses urge government to stop EU proposal on connected cars – Reuters: The bosses of BMW and Deutsche Telekom have urged the German government to take action to block a European Commission proposal that would set a …
- No job cuts seen at Italy’s Magneti Marelli after Calsonic takeover -unions – Reuters: Italian car parts maker Magneti Marelli, a unit of Fiat Chrysler, confirmed industrial plans for its Italian operations and no job cuts are expected after a pending takeover by Japan’s Calsonic Kansei, labour unions said on Monday.
- Buick focuses on utility and electrification in Shanghai – Automotive News: Buick’s new vehicles, unveiled on the eve of the first Shanghai auto show press day, underscore GM’s efforts to find traction in China’s flagging market.
- Volkswagen hints it could re-enter steaming hot US pickup market – CNBC: Among an assortment of new cars, crossovers and concepts that will fill up the Volkswagen stand at this week’s New York International Auto Show, plenty of …
- German prosecutors charge former VW CEO Winterkorn with fraud – Reuters: German prosecutors charged former Volkswagen boss Martin Winterkorn with fraud on Monday over his role in the carmaker’s manipulation of diesel emissions testing, more than three years after the scandal came to light.
- Musk tweets Tesla forecast in midst of SEC talks – Detroitnews: Elon Musk, already in hot water over his Twitter use, posted another Tesla production forecast.
- Volkswagen Ex-CEO Faces Fresh Fraud Charges Over Emissions Scandal – WSJ: German prosecutors indicted Martin Winterkorn, the former chief executive of Volkswagen, and four other people on charges of serious fraud and a list of other …
- Martin Winterkorn, Ex-VW Chief, Charged by Germany in Diesel Emissions Scheme – New York Times: Martin Winterkorn in 2017. He stepped down as Volkswagen’s chief executive in 2015, as the diesel emissions scandal came to light.
- Volkswagen hints at upcoming rugged electric 4×4 – Autocar: Roomzz and Crozz electric SUVs could be followed by MEB platform-based off-roader Volkswagen is considering an all-electric off-roader as part of its new ID family of vehicles, design boss Klaus Bischoff has confirmed. The firm will launch the…
- VW CEO says he is not being probed for fraud by German prosecutors – Reuters: Volkswagen’s Chief Executive Herbert Diess said he was not among the Volkswagen executives being probed for fraud and breach of fiduciary trust after German prosecutors on Monday sought to press criminal charges against his predecessor.
- Toyota leads Japanese charge into tie-ups with Chinese startups – Nikkei:
- American Luxury Is Finding New Life in Lincoln’s Brash Behemoths – Bloomberg: Now that heft is hip again, at least one upscale brand in Detroit is starting to show signs of life heading into this week’s New York International Auto …
- Volkswagen launches Jetta as standalone brand for China – Autocar: VS5’s close resemblance to the Seat Ateca is a clue to its roots Budget brand will target younger buyers, offering a rebadged Volkswagen Jetta saloon and a pair of Seat-derived SUVs Volkswagen has launched a new standalone brand for the Chinese…
- Generate – Axios: Jalopnik’s Aaron Gordon noticed something important in Uber’s big IPO filing that underscores how ride-hailing can cannibalize mass-transit.
- Mercedes Goes for Offroad Looks on Compact SUV in China – Bloomberg: China has been one of the few bright spots for the Mercedes-maker Daimler AG so far … China’s importance for Daimler extends beyond selling cars.
- Daimler to add new compact SUV to lineup this year: CEO – Reuters: Daimler to add new compact SUV to lineup this year: CEO … (Reuters) – Daimler AG Chief Executive Officer Dieter Zetsche said the German … a concept for a compact Mercedes GLB with seating for seven and rugged off-road tires.
- VW says China to become global software development hub to autonomous tech – Reuters: Volkswagen will use Chinese software developers to help design a global autonomous vehicle architecture thanks to the prevalence of qualified programmers …
- Mercedes-Benz targets Audi Q3 with rugged GLB concept – Autocar: The GLB is the eighth model to be built on the MFA platform G-Class inspired compact SUV to offer five- and seven-seat options in production form Mercedes-Benz has previewed a new G-Class-inspired rugged compact SUV at the Shanghai motor show with its…
- Former Volkswagen CEO Winterkorn charged with fraud in Germany – Automotive News: U.S. prosecutors have already filed criminal charges against Winterkorn, accusing him of conspiring to cover up the automaker’s diesel emissions …
- California Inc.: After a milestone, all eyes are on the S&P 500 – Latimes: The document indicates that the ride-hailing giant is haunted by its past missteps as it tries to convince investors that the company is positioned for …
- Mercedes goes boxy with ‘Baby G-Wagen’ GLB concept – Automotive News: Mercedes-Benz is carving out yet another niche in the crossover market with a new small people mover – this one dubbed the Baby G-Wagen.
- Sweden’s Veoneer bets driverless car delay will be its gain – Reuters: Sweden’s Veoneer expects to gain from a commercial delay in self-driving cars, betting that rising demand for its radar and …
- Consumers, luxury market keep New York auto show relevant – Detroitnews: The show floor at New York International Auto Show should be packed despite the global trend that has automakers skipping traditional shows.
- Honda, Hero MotoCorp cut India two-wheeler production amid slowing demand – Nikkei: Hero MotoCorp and Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India are slashing production as the nation’s top two-wheeler makers …
- Selling Cars From Vending Machines Makes Dad, Son Billionaires – Bloomberg: “I find it difficult to see why anybody in 10 years would buy a car in a different way,” said Clifford Sosin, founder of CAS Investment Partners, which …
- Ford Muscles Up its Entry-Level Mustang – Detroit Bureau: Gone are the days when Ford would offer a version of the Mustang derisively known as a “secretary’s car,” a coupe that was all show and no go.
- Former VW CEO Winterkorn charged with fraud in Germany – Automotive News: He is one of five people charged with fraud and violation of competition law by German prosecutors in connection with the automaker’s diesel emissions scandal.
- Fiat Chrysler merger speculation heats up – but what’s new? – Freep: Sergio Marchionne advocated for automotive industry consolidation years ago, but now his words appear more prophetic than ever.
- Ex-VW CEO, 4 others charged with fraud in Germany – Detroitnews: German prosecutors say Winterkorn failed to prevent manipulation of engine software that let cars cheat emission tests.
- Musk blames Panasonic battery lines for Model 3 output – Automotive News: He said Panasonic’s cell lines at Tesla’s Nevada battery factory have been holding up production of its electric sedans.
- VW’s Former CEO Charged in Germany Over Diesel Rigging – Bloomberg: Former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn is among five managers charged by Braunschweig prosecutors for their role in the diesel-rigging scandal.
- RPT-German prosecutors press charges against former VW CEO Winterkorn – Reuters: (Repeats with no changes to the text). FRANKFURT, April 15 (Reuters) – Prosecutors in the German city of Braunschweig said on Monday they were pressing …
- Audi’s EV for the big city that drives itself – Automotive News: Audi’s new AI:ME showcases a future full-electric compact car designed for autonomous sharing in areas of big cities geofenced for self-driving cars.
- Musk tweets another Tesla forecast in midst of Talks With SEC – Automotive News:
- Volkswagen China chief says in talks with five potential battery cell suppliers – Reuters: Volkswagen wants to broaden its base of battery cell suppliers in China beyond CATL and is reviewing five companies to see whether they can meet quality and …
- 2019 Shanghai motor show: all the new cars revealed – Autocar: Volkswagen previewed a Tesla Model X rival in the form of its new Roomzz concept Your one-stop shop for up-to-date information on the event in China At the Shanghai motor show, some of the biggest manufacturers you”ve never heard of are displaying…
- VW China chief says in talks with 5 potential battery cell suppliers – Reuters: Volkswagen wants to broaden its base of battery cell suppliers in China beyond CATL and is reviewing five …
- Bundesbank Sees Moderate Pickup in German First-Quarter Growth – Bloomberg: Car sales have also been buoyant after consumers put off their purchases late last year when a switch to new emission testing curbed production at …
- Audi to shed stakes in development service providers: Automobilwoche – Reuters: Audi wants to sell its stakes in two development *service* providers, a German trade magazine reported on Monday, citing unnamed corporate sources.
- The $18 Billion Electric-Car Bubble at Risk of Bursting in China – Yahoo: An iPhone assembler, e-commerce emporium and real-estate developer typically don’t compete in the same business — except when it comes to …
- Ford Mustang gets Focus RS-inspired performance package – Automotive News: To help mark the pony car’s 55th anniversary, the specially tuned 2.3-liter engine gets 330 hp and 350 pound-feet of torque, a 20 hp increase over the base EcoBoost.
- See Photos of the 2020 Ford Mustang EcoBoost Performance Package – Yahoo: With the development of the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 in the bag and its official on-sale date on the horizon, Ford has turned its attention to the …
- This Software Can Uncover the Questions CEOs Don’t Want to Answer – Bloomberg: When I tested the software on the transcript of the infamous Tesla quarterly earnings call from May 2018 in which Elon Musk berated an analyst for …
- EU to Begin Trade Talks With US as Tariff Threats Escalate – Bloomberg: Trump’s car-tariff warning, which would be based on the same national-security grounds used for controversial duties last year on foreign steel and …
- Exclusive: Toyota sells electric vehicle technology to Chinese startup Singulato – Reuters: Toyota Motor Corp has agreed to sell electric car technology to Singulato, its first deal with a Chinese electric vehicle startup, …
- ‘Experiential’ Tesla and iPhone Stores Aren’t Really Helping Battered Malls – Bloomberg: Mall owners have sung the praises of “experiential retail,” touting it as the savior of a sector battered by store closures and the shift to online shopping. It turns out …
- In Search for Leverage, Trump May Be Undercutting His Own Trade Deals – New York Times: He has repeatedly agreed to new trade terms with foreign partners, then … global trade uncertainty, including Mr. Trump’s trade wars, as it slashed its … The president is required to decide whether to impose auto tariffs by May 18, but …
- Tesla Can’t Stop Dreaming Big – WSJ: Constant upheaval at Tesla Inc. reflects a company trapped by its own ambition. The electric auto maker halted online sales of its $35,000 version of …
- Grab faces local challengers in fast-growing Vietnam market – FT: Grab’s green and white logo is everywhere across Vietnam’s big cities, a market of 96m people in which the ride-hailing company was a pioneer and …
- Renault Chairman Says Alliance Needs a Rebalance in ‘Spirit’ – Bloomberg: Renault SA Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard said the alliance with Nissan Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. needs to be re-balanced “in spirit” to counter …
- 2019 Vauxhall Corsa: new supermini is 10% lighter than current model – Autocar: The design of the next-gen Corsa was overhauled when PSA acquired Vauxhall/Opel Aluminium powertrains shared with the Peugeot 208 contribute to a weight saving of up to 108kg The sixth-generation Vauxhall Corsa, due in dealerships this Summer, weighs…
- German motor authority probes more Mercedes emissions software – Bild – Reuters: Germany’s motor vehicle authority KBA is investigating Daimler on suspicion that 60,000 Mercedes cars were fitted with software aimed at tricking …
- Mercedes, Porsche and VW plan New York debuts – Automotive News: Porsche will debut the 911 Speedster after showing a concept version at the Rennsport Reunion event in September. The open-top car is powered by …
- Citi Bike Pulls New Electric Bikes Off Streets, Citing Safety Concerns – New York Times: The pedal-assist bikes operated by Lyft-owned companies in New York City, San Francisco and Washington were removed based on concerns over the brakes.
- RPT-Hunt tells Japan’s PM Britain determined to avoid no-deal Brexit – Reuters: British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt reassured … Hunt is also visiting Toyota Motor Corp, which plans to build a new car …
- In quest for electric supercars, engineers head to start-ups – Reuters: Rene-Christopher Wollmann, head of Mercedes-AMG’s 2.75 million euros Project One supercar program, has moved to a job at Automobili Pininfarina in a sign that innovation in high end electric sportscars is shifting toward small start-ups.
- FOCUS-In quest for electric supercars, engineers head to start-ups – Reuters: * Head of Mercedes-AMG’s Project One moves to Munich-based firm
- Nissan Leaf’s Battery Supplier Builds First China Factory – Bloomberg: The battery maker for Nissan Motor Co.’s Leaf vehicles is adding a factory in China to more than triple its global capacity and lure more customers in the world’s …
- Bursting China’s Electric Vehicle Bubble – Bloomberg: It’s not often you have an iPhone assembler, an e-commerce emporium and a real estate developer in competition, except when it comes to electric …
- Is Ford exiting India? All answered here – Yahoo: Ford is not exiting India and currently has no plans to do so. … SUV and Mahindra would work on and provide BS6-ready petrol engines to Ford.
- Volkswagen expects core brand’s global 2019 sales to be in line with last year – senior exec – Reuters: Volkswagen expects global sales of its core brand this year to be in line with the 6.24 million level that it achieved in 2018 even though China sales…
- Alibaba founder Jack Ma says working overtime is a ‘huge blessing’ – CNBC: In November, fellow billionaire entrepreneur and Tesla founder Elon Musk, a fervent advocate of long working hours, tweeted that “nobody ever …
- Mazda touts vehicle-handling tech on 2019s – Automotive News: Mazda will count on a newly developed vehicle-handling technology to help … According to Mazda, when the vehicle is cornering, GVC Plus “lightly …
- Why China’s EV makers will let subsidies die – Automotive News: BYD, China’s largest electrified vehicle maker based on sales of EVs and plug-in hybrids, won’t let BAIC steal the limelight. BYD, partly owned by …
- High-riding pickups getting out of reach – Automotive News: Trucks are for work. Lifting a sack of concrete into a pickup is almost impossible, as they have all gotten too high. Also, reaching over the side of the …
- Putin talks up Mercedes cars while ordinary Russians feel the pinch – FT: Almost half the population cannot afford a week’s holiday each year, report reveals.
- Ford overhaul takes root as execs’ roles are shuffled – Automotive News: Ford has entered a new phase of its global reorganization under CEO Jim Hackett, placing its experiments in emerging technologies on equal footing with the automotive business.
- In search of … Akio Toyoda’s successor – Automotive News: Akio Toyoda plans to stay on longer as Toyota president because he is only just beginning to start a “full model change” of the company his grandfather founded 82 years ago.
- Versa Note ditched – just for Kicks – Automotive News: Nissan will discontinue its once-popular Versa Note hatchback to make way for more Kicks crossover sales.
- Pooling resources to make autonomous vehicles safer – Automotive News: Our industry must address the full spectrum of safety considerations for AVs, including crash-test protocols tailored to unique AV designs.
- Spreading the blame at Nissan – Automotive News: Japan Opposed Renault-Nissan Merger in Spring 2018, JDD Reports BloombergQuintJapan Supreme Court rejects ex-Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn appeal Big News NetworkJapan Supreme Court rejects former Nissan boss…
- Made in America? Let’s check the VIN – Automotive News: And so Mercedes-Benz has agreed to modify an advertising campaign for its 2019 Sprinter van, following a complaint from the nonprofit watchdog …
- Volkswagen pushes battery partners to build Gigafactories – Reuters: Volkswagen is pushing its joint venture partners including SK Innovation (SKI) to build electric car battery plants which have at least one Gigawatt manufacturing …
- UK’s Hunt to offer Brexit reassurance to carmaker Toyota – Reuters: British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt will on Monday seek to reassure Japanese carmaker Toyota that the government is focused on avoiding a no-deal exit from the European Union and ensuring tariff-tree trade between Britain and the EU.
- Futuristic Audi AI:ME concept hints at Volkswagen ID rival – Autocar: The AI:ME concept is designed for Level Four autonomous driving Shared-mobility concept could make production as an electric crossover The new Audi AI:ME concept, which has made its public debut at the Shanghai motor show, previews the firm”s vision…
- Opinion: Is the car world finally ready for the Audi A2? – Autocar: Audi’s electric hatch concept previews the company’s long-term design plans The A2 was too radical for Audi in 1999, but 20 years on the AI:ME concept shows how a high-tech, compact city car could be a big hit The Audi AI:ME concept is intended to…
- Narasimhan Formally Hands Over Nissan PH Presidency to Najima – Yahoo: The Nissan Philippines presidency has been formally handed over from outgoing chief Ramesh Narasimhan to incoming Managing Director Atsushi …
- ALP electric car plan costs more: Minister – Yahoo: Australia’s energy minister says people should be able to buy electric cars on their own whim instead of being forced to fork out more for fuel-efficient …
- Musk again tweets projection of half-million Teslas in 12 months – Detroitnews: Musk wrote Sunday that Tesla will make more than 500,000 cars in the next 12 months.
- BRIEF-Hyundai Motor Signs Contract To Set Up Joint Venture With H2 Energy – Reuters: SEOUL, April 15 (Reuters) – Hyundai Motor Co Says In a Statement: * HYUNDAI MOTOR SAYS SIGNS CONTRACT TO SET UP JOINT VENTURE WITH …
- Audi reveals next-gen S6 and S7 – Autocar: Audi has taken the wraps off the new S6 Sedan and Avant, and S7 Sportback, a year after the cooking A6 and A7 were launched. Both petrol and …
- Lyft pulls electric bikes in three U.S. cities after complaints about braking – Reuters: Lyft Inc is removing several thousand electric bikes from service in its bike-share program in New York, Washington and San Francisco because of a braking problem, the ride-hailing company said on Sunday.
- Suzuki Motor shares slide 7 pct on $714 mln recall-related loss – Reuters: Shares of Suzuki Motor Corp slumped 7 percent in early Tokyo trade on Monday after the company flagged an extraordinary loss of 80 billion yen ($714 million) …
- UK car insurance premiums fall 1 pct in Q1, 2019 – survey – Reuters: UK car insurance premiums fall 1 pct in Q1, 2019 – survey … site Confused.com compiled by insurance advisory company Willis Towers Watson.
