Archives for May 2019

• Time to Repeal the Rule That Aided Uber’s IPO Flop – Washington Post: It’s clear now that Uber Technologies Inc.’s initial public offering will be left with a less than five-star review. The stock remains below its IPO price, and …
• Essential California: When the Lyft you drive is also your home – Latimes: Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Tuesday, May 21, and I’m writing from Los Angeles. Los Angeles Times …
• Self-driving trucks begin mail delivery test for U.S. Postal Service – Reuters: The U.S. Postal Service on Tuesday started a two-week test transporting mail across three Southwestern states using self-driving trucks, a step forward in the effort to commercialize autonomous vehicle technology for hauling freight.
• Post Office to test autonomous semi trucks for hauling mail across state lines – CNBC:
• Tesla stock worth just $10 in worst case: Morgan Stanley – Reuters: Further falls in Tesla Inc’s share price increase its chances of being sold in the years ahead, Morgan Stanley analysts said on Tuesday, as they slashed their …
• Taxi Industry Leaders Got Rich. Drivers Paid the Price. – New York Times: The internet-based ride-hailing companies may have hastened the crisis, but virtually all of the hundreds of industry veterans interviewed for the …

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• Jaguar Land Rover posts first profit in four quarters amid China woes – Automotive News: Jaguar Land Rover reported its first profit in four quarters to raise optimism that the struggling UK automaker is on the mend. Net income …
• California Inc.: China accelerates plans for self-driving cars – Latimes: The Chinese government set next year as the target date for large-scale adoption of early-stage autonomous vehicles, and it wants 10% of all new …
• Nissan’s credit rating hit by negative outlook – Automotive News: S&P Global Ratings placed the automaker”s rating on negative watch after it issued a weaker earnings outlook and said there is a more than one-in-three chance of a further delay in Nissan”s profit recovery.
• Tesla shares fall after analyst says Elon Musk distracting carmaker with ‘sci-fi projects’ – CNBC: Wedbush cut its price target on Tesla shares to $230 from $275 on Monday.
• Jaguar Posts First Profit in Four Quarters Despite China Woes – Bloomberg: Jaguar Land Rover Automotive Plc reported its first profit in four quarters, overcoming a continued sales slump in China and raising optimism that Britain’s …

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• White House to announce delay on imported auto tariffs decision-sources – Reuters: The White House is set to announce on Friday that President Donald Trump will delay a decision by up to six months on whether to impose tariffs on imported cars and parts to allow for more time for trade talks with the European Union and Japan, people…
• BMW launches limited-run M5 Edition 35 Years – Autocar: BMW M5 Edition 35 Years Anniversary version of 616bhp M5 Competition super saloon gets exclusive trim and design features BMW will celebrate 35 years of its M5 super saloon with a limited-run reworking of the 616bhp M5 Competition. The BMW M5 Edition…
• Ram’s iPad-Size Touch Screen Emerges as Hottest Add-On in Trucks – Bloomberg: Automakers are “really targeting the interior of the vehicle to try to differentiate themselves,” said Kyle Davis, an analyst at IHS Markit. “Ram was early …
• Usain Bolt launches two-seater electric vehicle which starts at $9999 – CNBC: Usain Bolt’s Mobility company has launched a two-seater, all-electric and zero-emission vehicle. Dubbed the Bolt Nano, it was unveiled at the …
• GM shareholders letter to Mary Barra demands stronger stance on fuel economy – Freep: A group of GM shareholders are demanding the automaker

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• Majority of consumers would welcome self-driving cars, study finds – Automotive News: Capgemini’s Markus Winkler said engineers and researchers need to work hand-in-hand with marketers and user-experience experts to create self-driving cars that serve customers’ needs.
• Saudis’ Sand Hill Joy Ride Spells Trouble – WSJ: SoftBank took stakes in WeWork, Uber Technologies and Chinese ride-hailing startup Didi Chuxing Technology. Saudi Arabia made direct …
• Europe’s fast-growing small SUV segment attracts new entrants from Ford, Toyota, Jeep and Skoda – Automotive News: Europe’s mass-market small SUV segment is growing so rapidly that key players such as Ford, Jeep and Opel are doubling their model offerings.
• Nissan spurns lidar tech, siding with Musk – Automotive News: Nissan unveiled updated self-driving technology a month after Tesla CEO Elon Musk called lidar “a fool’s errand,” berating the technology for being expensive …
• How Volvo picked its EV battery suppliers – Automotive News: Volvo chose Asian battery suppliers because they have a global reach to supply its vehicle factories in Europe, the U.S. and China.

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• Volvo Cars Battles Parts Scarcity in Electrification Push – Bloomberg: About 10% of Volvo’s vehicle sales are made up of hybrids, likely the highest in the industry, according to the CEO. In 2017, the Zhejiang Geely …
• New McLaren GT is firm’s most practical, refined model yet – Autocar: McLaren’s new Grand Touring model sits outside of Sports, Super and Ultimate series, with luxury and comfort the focus The new McLaren GT, revealed for the first time and on sale now, will “redefine the rules of Grand Touring”, according to the firm….
• McLaren adds a grand tourer with the GT – Automotive News: The supercar brand is entering a new segment with its latest $210,000 model. The GT is McLaren’s answer to ultraluxury and exotic supercars meant for long distances.
• Volvo picks CATL, LG Chem to supply EV batteries – Automotive News: Volvo has signed agreements with CATL and LG Chem for the supply of lithium ion batteries. The deal is crucial to helping Volvo reach its goal of having EVs account for half of its global sales by 2025.
• French grid operator able to handle sharp electric vehicle rise – CNBC: France’s electricity grid will be able to cope with a sharp increase in demand from electric vehicles by 2035, its operator …

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• Volkswagen ID 3: pre-orders for electric hatch reach 15,000 – Autocar: VW has received orders for more than half of limited-edition launch version of sub-£34,000 EV Volkswagen says it has received pre-orders for more than half of the launch edition versions of its ID 3 electric hatchback. Customers in 29 European…
• China`s Auto Market Will Be Hard to Jumpstart – WSJ: The world’s largest car market keeps skidding. Investors hoping that Beijing will push it back on track may need to wait a bit longer.
• Nissan abandons Ghosn’s US strategy after earnings plunge – Nikkei:
• Chinese EV start-up boss: new premium firms won’t survive – Autocar: WM Motor EX5 Freeman Shen, who runs ambitious Chinese newcomer WM Motor, says his firm won’t follow Tesla by aiming at premium market The boss of new Chinese EV firm WM Motor believes the challenge of establishing a brand means that premium start-up…

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• Shares of Mercedes-maker Daimler fall as rumors fly of a Chinese stake build-up – CNBC: The fall comes amid a wider sell-off in European markets.
• Daimler’s CEO designate will push alliances to cut costs – Reuters: Daimler will cut development costs of new Mercedes-Benz cars by a significant amount by 2025 and will intensify alliances with rivals as a way to improve margins, Ola Kaellenius, the future chief executive, said on Monday.
• Radical Citroen 19_19 concept envisions autonomous long-distance travel – Autocar: Comfort-focused autonomous EV celebrates 100 years of the French brand Citroen has marked its 100th anniversary with the 19_19 concept, a vision for the future of intercity travel with a focus on extreme comfort. Named to mark a century since the…
• Bosch likely to slash platinum in new fuel cells – Automotive News: … to play only a minor role in its new fuel cells, with the supplier only needing a tenth of the metal used in current fuel cell vehicles, Reuters estimates.
• Renault diesel allegations upheld by court study: report – Reuters: A French probe into alleged emissions cheating by Renault is a step closer to possible court action, Le Monde reported on Monday, after a technical report confirmed that some of its diesel engines were configured to emit more pollutants outside…
• Exclusive: Scania signs Northvolt battery deal, in talks on equity – Reuters: Volkswagen truck brand Scania has signed a battery supply deal with Sweden’s Northvolt and is in talks about making an equity investment as part of the …

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