Archives for February 2020

Note: due to travels to areas with patchy connectivity, there may only be spurious news, or news at odd times, or no news at all until order is restored after February 28, 2020. No Morning Auto News tomorrow, Friday. We’ll spend the day in the air.

• Tata Motors, two group finance firms accused of antitrust violations in India: sources – Reuters: Tata Motors, two group finance firms accused of antitrust violations in India: sources Reuters India
• Tesla’s China Registrations Drop as Holiday, Virus Deter Buyers – Bloomberg: Tesla”s China Registrations Drop as Holiday, Virus Deter Buyers
• Asston Martin’s losses deepen, CFO to leave – Reuters: Aston Martin’s losses deepen, CFO to leave
• Hyundai to decide hydrogen fuel-cell factory location this year -exec – Reuters: Hyundai Motor Co and its affiliates are ready to decide the location of a new hydrogen fuel-cell system factory this year, …
• A Bailout Won’t Help China’s Tesla Wannabe, NIO – Bloomberg: A Bailout Won”t Help China”s Tesla Wannabe, NIO

[ There is more … ]

Note: due to travels to areas with patchy connectivity, there may only be spurious news, or news at odd times, or no news at all until order is restored after February 28, 2020.

• Panasonic poised to withdraw from solar cell production at Tesla’s NY plant – Reuters: Japan’s Panasonic Corp is considering pulling out of solar cell production at Tesla Inc’s plant in New York, said people with direct knowledge of the matter, raising uncertainty over the U.S. firm’s struggling solar business.
• Exclusive: Autonomous driving startup Pony.ai raises $500 million in Toyota-led funding – Reuters: Autonomous driving firm Pony.ai has raised around $500 million in its latest funding round, led by an investment by Japan’s largest automaker Toyota Motor Corp, two people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
• Tesla and U.S. regulators strongly criticized over role of Autopilot in crash – Reuters: The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday sharply criticized Tesla Inc ‘s lack of system safeguards in a fatal Autopilot crash in California in 2018 and U.S. regulators’ approach in overseeing the driver assistance systems.
• Toyota says Japan plants may be affected by virus-related supply issues – Reuters: Toyota Motor Corp on Wednesday said that operations at its plants in Japan may be affected by supply chain issues linked to the new coronavirus outbreak in the coming weeks, as the global outbreak gathers pace.
• Audi: seat upholstery made of PET | Automotive Industry News – Just-Auto: Audi: seat upholstery made of PET | Automotive Industry News

• Toyota cancels non-urgent travel for Japan workers due to coronavirus – Reuters: Toyota Motor Corp on Wednesday said it would cancel all non-essential travel for employees in Japan, becoming the latest global company to curb operations as the speed of the new coronavirus outbreak appears to gather pace.
• PSA posts profitability record for 2019 – Just-Auto: Groupe PSA has posted a new profitability record in 2019 despite what CEO Carlos Tavares described as a ‘highly challenging environment’ for the company.
• Hyundai to decide hydrogen fuel-cell system factory location this year: executive – Reuters: Hyundai Motor Co and its affiliates are ready to decide the location of a new hydrogen fuel-cell system factory this year, which could be in South Korea or overseas, an executive said on Wednesday.
• Tesla, Panasonic to End Solar-Roof Partnership at US Plant – Bloomberg: Tesla Inc. and Panasonic Corp. plan to end their partnership in producing solar cells for rooftops at a facility in Buffalo, New York, according to people …
• Peugeot Maker Sees Shrinking Europe Market After Record Year – Bloomberg: Peugeot Maker Sees Shrinking Europe Market After Record Year
• Maruti Suzuki launches the all new powerful and stylish Vitara Brezza – Just-Auto: Maruti Suzuki launches the all new powerful and stylish Vitara Brezza
• Toyota accelerates push into driverless technology – FT: Toyota accelerates push into driverless technology
• Pony.ai to Speed Up Autonomous Vehicle Commercialisation with Toyota Funding – Bloomberg: Pony.ai to Speed Up Autonomous Vehicle Commercialisation with Toyota Funding
• Toyota Invests $400 Million in Pony.ai to Deepen Driverless Pact – Bloomberg: Toyota Motor Corp. invested $400 million in Pony.ai to strengthen its ties with the Chinese provider of driverless-car systems. The investment extends …
• Fiat Chrysler CEO Manley received 13.3 million euros in 2019 compensation – filing – Reuters: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCA) Chief Executive Mike Manley received compensation of 13.28 million euros ($14.45 million) for 2019, in line with a target set by the company, the Italian-American automaker said in a filing on Tuesday.
• Land Rover Defender: UK prices confirmed for 90 and 110 – Autocar: The most capable off-roader Land Rover has ever built will cost from £40,290 and deliveries…
• Fiat Chrysler Flags Coronavirus as New Risk to Global Business – Bloomberg: Fiat Chrysler Flags Coronavirus as New Risk to Global Business
• Jaguar Supplier ‘Paddling Like Hell’ to Support Slow-Selling EVs – Bloomberg: So far, only Tesla Inc. and its Model 3 sedan has proved compelling … Electric trucks, sport utility vehicles and crossovers pose the “biggest threat” to …
• Ford recalls over 217,000 F-150 pickup for headlight problem – Xinhua | English.news.cn – Xinhuanet: Ford recalls over 217,000 F-150 pickup for headlight problem
• SpaceX gets approval to build its Mars spaceship at Port of LA – LATimes: SpaceX’s road map to Mars now includes the Port of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles City Council approved a permit Tuesday that allows the Elon …
• NTSB calls out Tesla and Apple for neglecting driver safety, calls Tesla Autosteer ‘completely inadequate’ – CNBC: At a hearing on Tuesday in Washington D.C., the National Transportation Safety Board called out Tesla, and Apple for neglecting driver safety.

Note: due to travels to areas with patchy connectivity, there may only be spurious news, or news at odd times, or no news at all until order is restored after February 28, 2020.

• Tesla’s Followers Are Trying to Piggyback Off Elon Musk’s Sales Wins – Bloomberg: Tesla”s Followers Are Trying to Piggyback Off Elon Musk”s Sales Wins
• Toyota resumes operations at all plants in China – Just-Auto: Toyota says it has resumed operations at a plant in Chengdu, China – which means all four of its China JV factories have restarted manufacturing operations after an extended new year holidays shutdown due to the coronavirus public health crisis.
• PSA continues China shutdown to 12 March – Just-Auto: PSA is extending its shutdown of manufacturing in China to 12 March as a result of the coronavirus epidemic, but says there is no significant impact on Group results.
• Nio in talks with Hefei govt on 10 bln yuan funding, car plants – Reuters: Nio in talks with Hefei govt on 10 bln yuan funding, car plants
• Renault to seek compensation from fugitive Carlos Ghosn – Nikkei:

[ There is more … ]

Note: due to travels to areas with patchy connectivity, there may only be spurious news, or news at odd times, or no news at all until order is restored after February 28, 2020.

• GM launches first Chevrolet EV in China | Automotive Industry News – Just-Auto: GM launches first Chevrolet EV in China | Automotive Industry News
• Audi Pauses Electric-Car Production as Tesla Zooms Ahead – Bloomberg: Audi Pauses Electric-Car Production as Tesla Zooms Ahead
• Renault launches Twingo EV – Just-Auto: Renault has launched an electric version of the Twingo, a rear engined ICE model which shares its platform with Daimler’s Smart ForFour.
• Your Tesla could explain why it crashed. But good luck getting its Autopilot data – LATimes: Your Tesla could explain why it crashed. But good luck getting its Autopilot data Los Angeles Times
• Fiat Chrysler To Launch Wrangler Rubicon Next Month, To Assemble 2-3 New Jeep Models From 2021 – Bloomberg: Fiat Chrysler To Launch Wrangler Rubicon Next Month, To Assemble 2-3 New Jeep Models From 2021

[ There is more … ]

Note: due to travels to areas with patchy connectivity, there may only be spurious news, or news at odd times, or no news at all until order is restored after February 28, 2020.

• China car sales tumble by 92% as coronavirus takes toll on industry – Guardian: Earlier this week, Ralf Speth, the chief executive of Jaguar Land Rover, said the company had been forced to fly parts in suitcases from China to the …
• Nissan, Honda delay restart of some China plants due to coronavirus – Reuters: Japanese automakers delayed on Friday the restart of plants in China near the epicentre of a coronavirus outbreak, complying with authorities’ directives, but raising the risk of further supply disruptions that could hit global car production.
• RPT-China’s Geely starts online auto sales as virus epidemic keeps buyers at home – Reuters: RPT-China’s Geely starts online auto sales as virus epidemic keeps buyers at home
• VW Owners Look to Disqualify Judge in Diesel-Cheating Suit for ‘Favoritism’ – Bloomberg: VW Owners Look to Disqualify Judge in Diesel-Cheating Suit for ‘Favoritism”
• Tesla gets court approval to clear forest for German Gigafactory – Reuters: Tesla Inc got approval from a German court on Thursday to continue to cut down forest near the capital Berlin to build its first European car and battery factory, in a defeat for local environmental activists.
• Daimler warns of “significant adverse effects” of virus outbreak – Reuters: German luxury carmaker Daimler on Friday warned of risks for the economy and its own business from the outbreak of coronavirus that is spreading in China and around the world.

[ There is more … ]

Note: due to travels to areas with patchy connectivity, there may only be spurious news, or news at odd times, or no news at all until order is restored after February 28, 2020.

• BMW expects to cut average emissions in Europe by 20% this year – Reuters: BMW expects to cut average emissions in Europe by 20% this year
• Volkswagen to resume talks over German class action on emissions – Reuters: Volkswagen to resume talks over German class action on emissions
• Peugeot UK offers six-month free EV charging – Just-Auto: Peugeot will offer new car buyers a free six-month subscription to Polar Plus, the UK’s largest public EV charging solution, when buying a new electric or plug-in hybrid Peugeot
• Daimler slims down Mercedes management in efficiency drive – Reuters: German cars and trucks maker Daimler said it would revamp the management of its finance, production and development portfolios to remove duplicate layers between Mercedes-Benz and Daimler AG.
• VW to Start Search for New CFO – Bloomberg: VW to Start Search for New CFO

[ There is more … ]

Note: due to travels to areas with patchy connectivity, there may only be spurious news, or news at odd times, or no news at all until order is restored after February 28, 2020.

• Tata’s JLR Ships Parts In Suitcases As Coronavirus Disrupts Supply Chain – Bloomberg: Tata”s JLR Ships Parts In Suitcases As Coronavirus Disrupts Supply Chain
• Lotus Evija manufacturing facility near ready – Just-Auto: Geely-owned Lotus says the new manufacturing facility where it will build the Evija electric sportscar is being readied for final prototype production.
• Electrical Tape on Sign Tricked a Tesla Into Speeding in a Test – Bloomberg: Electrical Tape on Sign Tricked a Tesla Into Speeding in a Test
• China carmaker insulates Thailand from blow of GM pullout – Nikkei:
• Uber closing office in downtown Los Angeles – Reuters: Uber Technologies Inc is closing its office in downtown Los Angeles, where the ride-hailing company employs customer support staff, to focus on its bigger locations.
• Nissan trials on demand vehicle leasing in Texas – Just-Auto: Nissan trials on demand vehicle leasing in Texas

[ There is more … ]