Archives for September 2019

• Hyundai joins ‘flying car’ race with new urban aviation unit – Nikkei: Hyundai Motor Group on Monday announced its first foray into aviation with the launch of a division dedicated to “urban air mobility,” an …
• Volocopter eyes launch of its electric helicopter taxis in Singapore – Reuters: The firm has raised 85 million euros ($93 million) to date, the latest in a 50 million euro tranche led by Chinese car maker Geely earlier this year.
• Inside the new Uber: Weak coffee, vanishing perks and fast-deflating morale – Washington Post: Tech IPOs have long been viewed as a boon for Silicon Valley workers, ushering in a new era of corporate stability and …
• Tata’s Jaguar Land Rover develops 3D printed glove for assembly line workers – Just-Auto: Multiple automakers, including Hyundai Motor Group, BMW, General Motors and Ford, have all announced trials or introduction of exoskeletons and other plant worker aids and now it’s Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover’s turn to announce its own, unique innovation: a 3D-printed glove intended to prevent musculoskeletal disorders.
• VW rejects judge’s call to settle German class action on emissions – Reuters: Volkswagen on Monday … When the diesel scandal broke 2.4 million cars with defeat devices were on …
• GM’s Strike and the Battle for Batteries – Wall Street Journal: GM”s Strike and the Battle for Batteries Wall Street Journal

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• With bigger stake in Subaru, Toyota expands reach over Japan automakers – Reuters: Toyota Motor Corp on Friday announced plans to raise its stake in Subaru Corp to more than 20% as Japan’s biggest automaker cements ties with its smaller rival to better compete with overseas automakers to develop new technologies.
• Suntory’s Niinami: not interested in Nissan CEO job now – Reuters: The head of Suntory Holdings, Takeshi Niinami, said he was not interested in replacing the CEO at Nissan Motor Co, which has been struggling with scandal and plunging profits, saying there was more work to do at the Japanese drinks maker.
• China car startup dodges Trump tariffs with AI and 3D printing – Nikkei:
• Tesla progress update in Shanghai’s hi-tech industrial zone – Just-Auto: US electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla this week updated the progress of its new car plant currently under construction in Shanghai which will be the company’s first overseas full production plant [the Netherlands factory which completes cars for Europe is only a final assembly operation].
• UAW: ‘Pay hasn’t caught up with inflation’ after ‘bankruptcy sacrifices’ – Freep: Is $19 an hour fair? UAW and GM negotiators debate worker amid criticism of high executive compensation after workers made cuts.

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• Renault’s Dacia in Europe’s top five in August – Just-Auto: As expected, new car registrations in Europe fell in August 2019 in comparison to the same month last year, according to analysts at JATO Dynamics.
• Jaguar Land Rover to stop output at UK factories for a week due to Brexit – Reuters: Britain’s biggest carmaker, Jaguar Land Rover, will halt production at its British factories for a week in November, its boss said on Thursday, joining BMW and Toyota in plans to help mitigate any immediate disruption from a no-deal Brexit.
• Aston Martin says DBX will use V-8 powerplant – Automotive News: The DBX, Aston Martin’s first utility vehicle, will be powered by a Mercedes AMG-supplied V-8 engine used in the Vantage and DB11 sports cars, but tuned to give it more power.
• Jaguar Land Rover to close UK factories for a week over Brexit – Reuters: Britain’s biggest carmaker, Jaguar Land Rover, will close its British factories for a week in November to cope with Brexit, its boss said on Thursday, a plan automakers are adopting to help prepare for any disruption resulting from a no-deal.
• Uber unveils new safety features amid scathing report – CBS News: The report comes as the ride-hailing company unveils new safety features it hopes could prevent the kind of fatal error police believe South Carolina …
• UK car output rises for the first time in 15 months on Brexit effect – Automotive News: BMW, PSA Group, Honda and Jaguar Land Rover all closed factories ranging from a few days to four weeks in April over concerns that Britain’s …

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• Ford close to JV deal with Mahindra in India – Reuters: Ford Motor Co and Mahindra & Mahindra are likely to sign a deal next week to form a joint venture in India, two sources told Reuters, in a move that will see the U.S. carmaker end most of its independent operations in the country.
• Toyota prepares next Mirai fuel cell car for 2020 launch – Automotive News: Toyota expects the price of fuel cell cars to match those of hybrids within 10 years.
• NIO Is More China’s WeWork Than Its Tesla Killer – Bloomberg: NIO Inc., a Chinese electric-vehicle maker that was talked up as a potential Tesla Inc.-killer before its $1.15 billion initial public offering last year, …
• The 2020 presidential race gives UAW powerful bargaining chip in GM strike – CNBC: The 2020 presidential race is becoming an unexpected tool for the United Auto Workers in its strike against General Motors.
• Rheinmetall, Voith vie for Volkswagen’s transmissions maker Renk – Reuters: German auto and defence supplier Rheinmetall and engineering group Voith are vying for transmissions maker Renk, which Volkswagen has put up for sale to free up funds for investment in electric vehicles, people close to the matter said.
• Aston Martin rating cut deeper into junk amid Brexit, tariff worries – S&P – Reuters: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s has cut its credit rating on storied carmaker Aston Martin Lagonda Holdings deeper into junk territory on Wednesday amid concerns over the UK’s exit from the European Union and threat of U.S. tariffs.

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• GM strike: Have questions? Join the Free Press for a Reddit AMA! – Freep: Jamie LaReau and Randy Essex will be on Reddit at 2 p.m. Tuesday to answer any questions you may have about the UAW’s nationwide strike against GM.
• Top Volkswagen executives charged in Germany over automaker’s diesel scandal – Chicago Tribune: German prosecutors said Tuesday they have charged Volkswagen’s current chief executive and chairman as well as its former CEO with market manipulation in …
• Fiat Chrysler loses appeal over EU back taxes order – Automotive News: FCA’s case is part of a wider crackdown on tax breaks offered by some EU countries to multinational companies.
• Volkswagen CEO Diess accused of market manipulation – Autocar: German prosecutor’s office has filed charges against a number of current and former Volkswagen executives
• Nissan recalls 1.3M vehicles to fix backup camera display – Washington Post: Nissan is recalling 1.3 million vehicles mainly in the U.S. and Canada to fix a problem with the backup camera displays.
• Starbucks wins, Fiat loses in EU tax fights – Reuters: Starbucks won its fight on Tuesday against an EU demand to pay up to 30 million euros ($33 million) in Dutch back taxes, while Fiat Chrysler Automobiles lost its challenge against an order to stump up a similar amount to Luxembourg.
• Hankook selected for OE tyres on Audi Q8 – Just-Auto: Tyre maker Hankook Tire has announced that the company will be an original equipment supplier for tyres on the new Audi Q8.
• Fiat Chrysler Loses Appeal Against $33 Million E.U. Tax Fine – New York Times: The automaker was ordered to repay taxes saved in a deal with Luxembourg. The decision offers clues about a similar case against Apple.
• Volkswagen bosses charged in Germany over diesel scandal – The Detroit News: German prosecutors said Tuesday they have charged Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess, Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch and former CEO …
• VW Chairman, CEO Charged With Market Manipulation in Germany – Bloomberg: Volkswagen AG’s two top leaders, Chief Executive Officer Herbert Diess and Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch, were charged with market manipulation in …
• German prosecutors indict top VW bosses over emissions scandal – Reuters: German prosecutors have brought criminal charges of stock market manipulation against Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess, former CEO Martin Winterkorn and Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch in connection with the carmaker’s emissions cheating scandal.
• BYD wins Germany eBus orders from public transport companies – Just-Auto: With more than 50,000 fully electric buses and coaches delivered in the US, the UK, the Netherlands, Norway, and Spain, German public transport …
• VW’s Diess will continue as CEO after German prosecutors pressed charges – Reuters: Volkswagen’s Herbert Diess will keep his role as the carmaker’s chief executive and continue to defend himself with all legal means after prosecutors indicted him in connection to an emissions cheating scandal, his lawyers said on Tuesday.
• Volkswagen board members to discuss indictment of CEO: spokesman – Reuters: Volkswagen’s supervisory board said on Tuesday its executive committee would convene immediately to discuss the indictment of CEO Herbert Diess in relation to the carmaker’s diesel emissions scandal.
• EU will assess court rulings on Starbucks, Fiat tax cases: Vestager – Reuters: The European Commission will study the rulings of the European Union’s second-highest court on tax disputes with Starbucks and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles , the competition chief Margrethe Vestager said on Tuesday.
• BYD delivers 50 T3 electric vans to Bahamas | Automotive Industry News – Just-Auto: BYD has delivered 50 T3 pure electric vans to Nassau, capital of the Bahamas, partnering with car dealership, Easy Car Sales. related to Electric drive, …
• Germany: Volkswagen bosses charged with market manipulation – Washington Post: German prosecutors say they have charged Volkswagen chief executive Herbert Diess and chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch, along with former CEO Martin …
• German prosecutors press charges against current and former VW CEOs – Reuters: German prosecutors brought criminal charges of stock market manipulation against Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess, former CEO Martin Winterkorn and Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch in relation to an emissions cheating scandal.
• Jaguar SVO boss: I-Pace SVR ‘will happen’ – Autocar: Hot version of Jaguar”s electric SUV is a certainty, according to the man in charge The boss of Jaguar”s Special Vehicle Operations arm has said it”s a question of “when, not if” the firm builds an SVR version of the I-Pace battery-electric SUV. Michael van der Sande made the admission to Autocar, despite also acknowledging that a timeline and official development plan for the car is not yet in place. SVO is prioritising the roll-out of more volume-focused models. SVO already develops and builds
• Faraday Future announces new business plan – Just-Auto: California-based EV start-up Faraday Future has announced its latest equity financing, IPO, and FF 91 delivery strategy at its annual ‘919 Futurist Day’.
• Honda to ditch diesel in Europe by 2021 – Autocar: Move to hybrid and electric powertrains will kill diesels sooner rather than later for Honda’s EU operation Reports claim that Honda has confirmed it will phase out diesel models in Europe by 2021. According to Reuters, the Japanese company announced yesterday that diesel production will cease during next year in favour of electrified models. This is part of Honda’s commitment to electrify 100% of its European line-up by 2025. The decision is thought to be linked to February’s announcement that
• Ford recalls 322000 cars in Europe over battery fire risk – Automotive News: Ford is recalling about 322,000 cars in Europe whose batteries could potentially catch fire due to acid leakage. The recall affects …
• Audi targets 30% reduction to lifecycle CO2 by 2025 – Just-Auto: Audi is aiming to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% over the vehicle lifecycle by 2025 as part of what it says its commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement.
• Uber receives just a two-month London licence with new safety conditions – Reuters: Uber on Tuesday received only a two-month London operating licence, failing to secure a maximum five-year term in a battle with the regulator which has previously stripped the app of its right to take rides.
• Audi targets 30% reduction to lifecycle CO2 by 2025 | Automotive Industry News – Just-Auto: Audi is aiming to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% over the vehicle lifecycle by 2025 as part of what it says its commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement. related …
• Uber granted two-month extension to London licence – Guardian: Transport for London has instead given the ride-hailing firm only a two-month extension to its licence, which is due to expire on Wednesday night.
• Hyundai to test hydrogen trucks in Israel in 2020 – Xinhuanet: South Korea’s biggest automaker Hyundai Motor will perform a large-scale experiment on hydrogen-powered …
• China’s Tesla Rival Will Cut Global Staff by 20% – Bloomberg: The loss was worse than the average estimate of two analysts, who expected the company known as China’s Tesla to post a loss of 2.6 billion yuan.
• Fiat Chrysler’s EU order to pay Luxembourg back taxes upheld by bloc court – Automotive News: The European Commission in its 2015 decisions said FCA and the U.S. coffee company Starbucks, set prices for goods and services sold between …
• Honda to phase out diesels in Europe by 2021, cut variants – Just-Auto: Honda Motor announced it will phase out diesel cars from its European line-up by 2021, as the popularity of the fuel across the region continues to decline due to emissions concerns.
• FAW launches own ride hailing app in China – Just-Auto: China’s FAW Group joined the highly competition local ride-hailing sector this week with the launch of its own ride-hailing app, called Qimiao Chuxing.
• EU court rules on Starbucks and Fiat tax breaks – CNBC: Fiat will have to repay up to 30 million euros back in taxes, Europe’s second highest court ruled Tuesday. In a separate case, the European general court …
• EU court upholds EU order to Fiat to pay Luxembourg back taxes – Reuters: Europe’s second-highest court on Tuesday backed an EU order to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to pay up to 30 million euros ($32.9 million) in back taxes to Luxembourg, as part of a crackdown against illegal tax breaks given to multinationals.
• Tech Moguls Get Approval for Israel’s First New Bank in Decades – Bloomberg: … Nacht of cyber security company Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. and Amnon Shashua of autonomous driving developer Mobileye NV.
• Chery to build EVs with Deutsche Post’s StreetScooter – Automotive News: A joint venture between Chery and Deutsche Post will be able to produce up to 100000 electric vans a year for the Chinese logistics industry.
• China’s Tesla Under Mounting Pressure – Bloomberg: It took Tesla Inc. about 15 years to rack up $5 billion in losses. The company some regarded as China’s Tesla did it in four. And the bleeding continues.
• The Driverless Car Is Dead. Long Live the Driverless Car – Bloomberg: A $4 billion joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv Plc to develop autonomous cars might look like evidence that the promised land of …
• Mercedes to follow Toyota NZ’s lead and end discounts? – Autocar: Mercedes-Benz is investigating whether to establish a new sales process that emphasises one set price as well as pushing online sales. It sounds like …
• Tuesday, September 24 – FT: … Peter Campbell explains what a recent settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission means for Carlos Ghosn and Nissan.
• Elmwood Park, River Grove police: Lexus, lotto tickets stolen – Chicago Tribune: Police reports from Elmwood Park and River Grove include burglary and criminal damage.
• How Carlos Ghosn Hid $140 Million in Compensation From Nissan – Bloomberg: The settlement between the Securities and Exchange Commission, and Nissan Motor Co. and Carlos Ghosn offers a rare glimpse into the steps that …
• Finley: Union, not GM, is exploiting UAW strikers – The Detroit News: If Elizabeth Warren is looking to champion downtrodden workers, she’s not going to find them marching outside an auto plant.
• Haiti legislator fires handgun at protest, photojournalist injured – Reuters: Associated Press photographer Dieu-Nalio Chery was injured in the jaw and would undergo treatment to remove what appeared to be a bullet …
• Honda to cease diesel vehicle sales in Europe by 2021 – Reuters: Honda Motor Co Ltd said on Monday it would phase out all diesel cars by 2021 in favour of models with electric propulsion systems, as the Japanese automaker moves to electrify all of its European cars by 2025.
• Elon Musk knew SolarCity was going broke before merger with Tesla, lawsuit alleges – LATimes: When Tesla bought SolarCity in November 2016, Elon Musk billed the deal as a match made in green energy heaven: combine a hot electric car …
• Nintendo’s Mario takes driving seat in race for mobile hit – Reuters: Nintendo Co Ltd is set to bring one of its most successful franchises to mobile for the first time on Wednesday with the global launch of Mario Kart Tour, in a test of the gaming firm’s strategy to drive growth beyond consoles.

• Volkswagen starts battery cell development and production in Salzgitter – Just-Auto: The Volkswagen Group has begun development, testing and production of battery cells technology in Salzgitter, Germany, where it plans to create 1,000 jobs by 2023/2024.
• Hyundai Motor Group, Aptiv to set up $4 billion self-driving JV – Reuters: South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group and Dublin-headquartered auto technology firm Aptiv (APTV.N) said on Monday they are …
• California Courts Could Set Speed Limit on Uber’s Valuation – Wall Street Journal: Uber ‘s valuation might now be in the hands of California’s courts. Earlier this month, the state’s Assembly and Senate passed a bill that might affect …
• As UAW strike enters second week, losses growing for workers, GM and the nation – Freep: Besides the lost investment and production, a longer strike will worsen fears of a recession already being stoked by trade tensions with China.
• Hyundai to Set Up $4 Billion Joint Venture to Develop Driverless Cars – Bloomberg: Hyundai to Set Up $4 Billion Joint Venture to Develop Driverless Cars … up a $4 billion joint venture with Aptiv Plc to develop autonomous vehicles.
• Wuhan Steps Up China’s Robocar Push With License for Baidu – Bloomberg: Internet giant Baidu Inc. got a license for five of its self-drive cars, while … The city gave licenses to SAIC Motor Corp., BMW AG and ride-hailing …
• SoftBank’s Eyes Wide Shut Just Won’t Work Anymore – Washington Post: So SoftBank kept pouring in more money, just as it did with other great startups like Uber Technologies Inc., Didi Chuxing and Slack Technologies Inc.

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• Once hacked, twice shy: How auto supplier Harman learned to fight cyber carjackers – Reuters: When researchers remotely hacked a Jeep Cherokee in 2015, slowing it to a crawl in the middle of a U.S. highway, the portal the hackers used was an …
• Why some UAW workers think electric truck will save GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck plant – Freep: That extension, numerous informed rumors and talk of an electric pickup … in downtown Detroit could have a second act as an electric truck plant.
• GM strike rumbles on; talks continue – Just-Auto: Reports in the US point to some progress in talks between General Motors and the UAW, as GM’s first strike in twelve years continued this week.
• Uber’s London License is Running Out Next Week. Investors Shouldn’t Worry. – Barrons: Uber Technologies has no lack of headaches. It laid off 8% of its staff last week, and a recent California law is pushing the gig company to treat its …
• Skoda expects 15,000 annual sales for Superb plug-in hybrid – Automotive News: Skoda says the production start of the Superb plug-in hybrid, its first electrified car, is a milestone as important to the automaker as its founding or its purchase by …
• GM and Ford Trucks Are a Great Business. Why Their Stocks Don’t Reflect It. – Barrons: No one wants to buy auto stocks these days. That reluctance could cause investors to overlook one of the most-profitable niches in the global car market: U.S. …

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