- UK costs to cut greenhouse emissions 40% higher than thought – FT – Reuters: Britain’s government has estimated that the cost of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 could be 40% higher than one given by official climate advisers, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing a finance ministry letter.
- Auto loans hit record high, sending borrowers with the best credit to the used market – CNBC: People buying a new vehicle continue pushing the envelope, borrowing more and, on average, paying more each month for their auto loan.
- Ford to close Wales engine plant in latest blow to UK car sector – Reuters: Ford said it would close its plant in Bridgend, south Wales, next year because of falling demand for some if its engines, putting 1,700 jobs at risk in a further blow to Britain’s once booming car industry.
- Union: Ford to close plant in Wales that employs 1,700 – Freep: Carmaker Ford plans to close next year a plant in Wales that employs 1,700 people, a union said Thursday.
- Breakingviews – Fiat-Renault deadlock is opportunity for Peugeot – Reuters: Peugeot Chief Executive Carlos Tavares … merger talks between rivals Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Renault.
- As Walmart turns to robots, it’s the human workers who feel like machines – Washington Post: To Walmart executives, the Auto-C self-driving floor scrubber is the future of retail automation – a multimillion-dollar bet that advanced robots will …
- Nickel Surges on Electric-Vehicle Hopes – WSJ: Other key ingredients for the lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles and smartphones, such as cobalt and lithium, have also declined.
- Fiat Chrysler and Renault Aren’t Merging, After All. Car M&A Is Hard. – Barrons: It’s on again, off gain, in the auto industry. In an abrupt change of direction, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles shelved its plans to merge with Renault …
- Exclusive: India to order taxi aggregators like Uber, Ola to go electric – Reuters: India plans to order taxi aggregators like Uber and Ola to convert 40% of their fleet of cars to electric by April 2026, according to a source and records of government meetings to discuss new rules for clean mobility.
- Automakers wait and worry as opposition to Mexican, other tariffs mounts – CNBC: Even if the Mexican tariffs are scrubbed, automakers are struggling to figure out how to operate under a president who has described himself as the “tariff man.”
- New 2020 Kia Sorento to get plug-in hybrid variant – Autocar:
- DealBook Briefing: Why Fiat Chrysler Nixed the Renault Merger – New York Times: French demands and a fear of the new company being seen as politically influenced reportedly caused the deal to crash.
- France seeks to fend off blame for FCA-Renault deal collapse – Reuters: France sought to fend off a hail of criticism on Thursday after it was blamed for scuppering a $35 billion-plus (27.57 billion pounds)merger between carmakers Fiat-Chrysler FCA and Renault only 10 days after it was officially announced.
- GM’s Mark Reuss gives Grand Prix track another try. Here’s what happened – Freep: A year ago, GM exec Mark Reuss launched a thousand internet memes when he crashed the Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 pace car at the Detroit Grand Prix.
- Fiat Fiasco Highlight’s Macron’s Need for a Macron-Like Adviser – Bloomberg: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV late Wednesday abruptly withdrew its offer to combine with Renault after the French carmaker’s board postponed a …
- Here”s the secret good news about Cadillac”s new V-series super sedans – Freep: A pair of Cadillac V-series sedans shot around the track during Grand Prix weekend on Belle Isle, showing the brand’s plan for more super-fast cars.
- Too Many Children Die in Sweltering Cars, and a New Push Aims to Find a Fix – New York Times: She was the eighth child to die in a hot car this year. … Both bills were later combined with autonomous vehicle legislation, which failed in the Senate.
- Barra says Lordstown sale talks not a PR stunt, GM plans no more vehicles there – Freep: Barra made the comments during a brief interview Wednesday with Reuters in Washington, D.C., where she said that GM’s plan to sell Lordstown …
- Fiat-Renault’s Failure Exposes Lots of Ugly Truths – Bloomberg: The failure of Renault and Fiat to reach the finish line might set back the cause of car industry consolidation. But in view of everything that can go …
- Cutting UK emissions to net zero would cost £1tn, says Hammond – Guardian: Cutting UK emissions to net zero would cost £1tn, says Hammond … To reach net zero, the country would have to offset all carbon emissions with … cars as well as a massive increase in the number of charging points for electric cars.
- FCA and Renault shares drop after merger talks collapse – Reuters: Shares in Fiat Chrysler (FCA) and Renault fell sharply in early trading on Thursday after their $35 billion-plus merger plan fell apart only 10 days after being made public, with FCA blaming French politicians.
- PSA’s shares rise as Fiat Chrysler withdraws merger offer for Renault – Reuters: Shares in Peugeot-carmaker PSA rose on Thursday, as analysts examined the possibility that Fiat Chrysler (FCA) might turn back to PSA after FCA withdraw a merger offer for Renault.
- China forbids local governments from imposing new curbs on car purchases – Reuters: China said on Thursday it is stopping local governments from imposing new restrictions on car purchases, as it looks to spur consumption amid a slowing economy.
- Fiat Chrysler, Renault Shares Drop After Merger Falls Apart – WSJ: “Perhaps efforts to create global (car makers) that span multiple tribes is just not feasible,” wrote Bernstein analyst Max Warburton in a note to clients.
- Kia touts sporty look of new addition to Ceed compact range – Automotive News: Kia said its XCeed coupe-like crossover aims to offer a “sporty alternative” to traditional larger SUVs and does not compromise on versatility because of its …
- Renault and Fiat shares skid after $35 billion merger deal collapses – Reuters: Shares in carmakers Renault and Fiat Chrysler (FCA) both fell sharply on Thursday after Fiat Chrysler abandoned its $35 billion merger offer.
- France engaged constructively in failed FCA-Renault talks -Le Maire – Reuters: France’s finance minister said on Thursday following the collapse of merger talks between Fiat Chrysler (FCA) and Renault that the government had engaged constructively but failed to win the support of Renault’s Japanese partner, Nissan.
- France hopes ‘door not closed’ on FCA-Renault deal: French budget minister – Reuters: French budget minister Gerald Darmanin said he hoped the door had “not closed” on the possibility of a merger between Fiat Chrysler (FCA) and Renault and added France would be happy to re-examine any new proposal from Fiat.
- Car industry gloom as Ford plant faces closure and Fiat-Renault merger stalls – business live – Guardian: Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news, as workers in Bridgend gather to hear the future of Ford’s engine plant.
- Toyota, Subaru team up to develop electric SUV in battle against costs – Reuters: Toyota Motor Corp and Subaru Corp on Thursday said they plan to jointly develop a battery-electric sport-utility vehicle (SUV) on a platform produced together as they seek to split the cost of producing the lower-emissions car.
- Toyota, Subaru to develop battery electric vehicle platform – Reuters: Toyota Motor Corp and Subaru Corp have agreed to jointly develop a battery-electric-vehicle (BEV) platform and a BEV sport-utility vehicle for sale under each company’s own brand, Toyota said on Thursday.
- Why Europe needs to monitor China’s rare earths threat – CNBC: … at stopping the export of rare earths to the U.S., after Washington increased … As the automotive sector moves from internal combustion engines to …
- How Son Made 62% Return on SoftBank’s $64 Billion in Tech Deals – Bloomberg: Some 44% of the money has gone into transportation and logistics, including ride-hailing giants Uber and Didi Chuxing. The next biggest sectors are …
- Australia’s emissions still rising, says report withheld in defiance of Senate order – Guardian: Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions are still increasing, according to a government … The environment department published its emissions data for the … is ‘on track’ to meet even the Liberals’ weak emission reduction targets.”.
- Why Did Fiat Withdraw Bid for Renault? – Bloomberg: Jochen Siebert, managing director at JSC Automotive Consulting, talks about Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV’s decision to withdraw its offer to combine with …
- China Issues 5G Licenses as Race to Build New Networks Heats Up – Bloomberg: … is expected to boost local companies designing gear for applications in autonomous driving, robotics, remote surveillance and virtual reality.
- Comparing hot hatches from Lexus, VW, Mazda and Kia – Detroitnews: Henry Payne puts to the new Lexus UX 250h F Sport to the test against some iconic hot-hatchback cars: Volkswagen Golf GTI, Mazda 3 and Kia Soul GT.
- Eclipsed by competitors, 2019 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross proves substandard – Detroitnews: The Mitsubishi Eclipse ensures the carmaker”s continued anonymity in the American market
- China’s Didi Chuxing starts ride-hailing services in Chile, Colombia – Reuters: Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing said on Thursday that it had launched services in Chile and Colombia, as part of its push into Latin America.
- Fiat Chrysler withdraws merger offer for Renault, blames French politics – Reuters: Fiat Chrysler said it has abandoned its $35 billion merger offer for Renault , blaming French politics for scuttling what would have been a landmark deal to create the world’s third-biggest automaker.
- FCA withdraws Renault offer according to new report – Autocar: Hiroto Saikawa, Nissan’s CEO, previously told reporters that while the merger is a matter for two brands involved, he would like to see an outcome that …
- Coming Soon: Uber to Offer Helicopter Rides In New York City – Fortune: Uber Technologies Inc. is testing a helicopter service in New York City, according to documents outlining the program obtained by Bloomberg.
- One arrest made in robbery of ride-hailing driver in the District – Washington Post: A driver for a ride-hailing service was sitting in his parked car outside the Clayton condominiums in Northwest Washington just after 3 a.m. last week …
- Ghosn’s wife appeals for Trump’s help in case of ex-Nissan boss – Mainichi: The wife of former Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn called on U.S. President Donald Trump to step in and help her …