- Ex-Tesla Executive Decamps to Brazil and Bets Big on Batteries – Bloomberg: Marco Krapels left Tesla Inc. and started a battery company in a place that’s a hemisphere away from California’s rarefied clean-energy scene: Brazil.
- Ford in talks with VW to develop second EV in Europe, paper says – Automotive News: Ford of Europe President Stuart Rowley told the German newspaper Handelsblatt that a decision about whether to build a second model with VW could happen soon.
- BMW plans to phase out i3 electric hatchback, report says – Automotive News: The model will be phased out slowly as BMW focuses on battery and plug-in technology on its other models, while also launching new full EVs.
- Mazda plans to unveil full EV at Tokyo show – Automotive News: Mazda’s upcoming EV will target markets such as Japan, Europe and China, where a battery-powered can get by with a shorter range.
- Video: Return of the Ford Escape hybrid! – Freep: New compact SUV has surprising handling, more room and a fuel-efficient hybrid model.
- VW’S vision for EVs gets clearer – Automotive News: VW is basing its electric makeover on a simple mantra: bring what it calls carbon-neutral mobility to the global mass market at an affordable – yet still profitable …
- Buyers will love this about the 2020 Ford Escape – Freep: saints be praised! – the return of a hybrid model, the 2020 Ford Escape looks like a winner
- Mercedes-Maybach luxury SUV to be revealed in November – Autocar: Mercedes-Benz will crown its SUV line-up in November with the reveal of a plush new Maybach-badged GLS model conceived to act as an upmarket rival to the Bentley Bentayga, Range Rover SV and Rolls-Royce Cullinan.
- Audi gets ultimatum to remove illegal diesel software, report says – Automotive News: Germany’s motor vehicle authority has told Audi that it could be fined 25000 euros for each car with software that can manipulate emissions levels.
- Marelli Corp to close four plants in Japan in 2020 – Just-Auto: Japanese automotive components manufacturer Marelli Corporation announced a reorganisation of its production bases in Japan, including the closure of four manufacturing facilities, mainly in response to weak demand from its key vehicle manufacturing affiliate Nissan Motor.
- Hyundai’s hydrogen boss predicts sales growth will continue – Autocar: Nexo sales are being held back by limited production capacity, but still growing exponentially according to the firm”s hydrogen fuel cell business head Dr Sae-Hoon Kim. The Nexo, the firm”s second-generation production fuel cell passenger car, was launched last year, with plans to sell around 1500 cars in 2019.
- Dubai’s Careem rides high after $3bn Uber buyout – FT: Given the Middle East’s longtime focus on the oil industry, it may be unsurprising that it was not until 2016 that the region produced its first “unicorn” …
- GM strike lasting more than a week could send Mich. into recession – The Detroit News: United Auto Workers are picketing 14 manufacturing sites in Michigan
- EVs, batteries could draw bulk of $7B GM pledge to UAW – Automotive News: A new family of electric vehicles, an all-electric pickup truck and an advanced battery system could draw much of the $7 billion that GM has pledged to invest in the United States as parts of contract talks with the UAW.