Top News:
- Lyft IPO puts investors in self-driving cars as well as ride services – Reuters: An initial public offering by Lyft Inc will give investors a way to jump into self-driving cars, although the ride services company and rival Uber Technologies Inc may have to wait years before sending a driverless robotaxi to a customer.
- New Uber CEO to meet London transport boss in licence battle – Reuters: The new chief executive of Uber Technologies will meet the head of London’s transport system next week to try to retain the licence for its ride hailing service in the British capital.
- VW’s dieselgate bill hits $30 bln after another charge – Reuters: Volkswagen is taking another $3 billion (2.24 billion pounds) charge to fix diesel engines in the United States, lifting the total bill for its emissions test cheating scandal to around $30 billion.
- European sales of gasoline-powered cars overtake diesel – ACEA – Reuters: Sales of gasoline-powered cars have overtaken diesel in the first half of this year, the first time since 2009, the European …
- Volkswagen Arteon – Autocar: Volkswagen hopes its new five-seater fastback will make a splash in the executive pool. Will the Arteon sink or swim? Flagship: it’s a term that confers prestige and, as such, it doesn’t always sit comfortably with the likes of Volkswagen.Think Mercedes-Benz, think S-Class; yet consider the marque whose name translates as ‘people’s car’ and it’s the Golf that comes to mind.The utilitarian if increasingly plush hatchback defines the brand and serves as its economic bedrock, but it is resolutely
- Tesla’s big battery races to keep South Australia’s lights on – Reuters: state energy minister (Adds Musk comment in paragraph 5.)
- As Diesel Goes From ‘Darling to Devil,’ European Refiners Try Not to Drown in It – WSJ: Europe’s big oil refiners are searching for other uses for roughly $10 billion of investments in diesel as they anticipate falling demand for what was once drivers’ favorite fuel.
- Elon Musk Projects First Private Trips to Mars by 2024 – WSJ: Billionaire entrepreneur sees super-powerful rockets and giant capsules being used for commercial contracts and deep space missions-and later, passengers.
- Ferrari sold after feds targeted FCA-UAW scandal figure – Detroitnews:
- Let the countdown begin: Elon Musk has 100 days to build a battery system or could lose $50 million – CNBC: An agreement between the state of South Australia, Tesla and Neoen, a French wind farm developer, has been signed as of today, meaning, Tesla now has 100 working days to install and get the battery systems up and running. The system would store and…
- Dyson: industry experts cast doubts on electric car project – Guardian: We are launching a new electric car next year. That process started five or six years ago – and we have everything in place (manufacturing facilities,…
- Volkswagen says European diesel fixes running smoothly – Reuters: Volkswagen’s fixes for diesel vehicles in Europe are running smoothly, a spokesman said after the company said its fixes in North America may cost 2.5 billion euros ($3 billion) more than expected.
- Moody’s Ups Geely Automobile To Ba1 On Profitability Improvement, Outlook Stable – Nikkei: Moody’s Investors Service said Friday it has upgraded Geely Automobile Holdings’ corporate family and senior unsecured…
- VW takes new $3 billion hit over diesel emissions scandal – Reuters: Volkswagen added provisions of around 2.5 billion euros (£2.23 billion) on Friday to the mounting total from its diesel emissions scandal, which has already cost the company around 20 billion euros.
- Volkswagen to Take New $2.9 Billion Charge From Diesel Scandal – WSJ: Volkswagen AG warned Friday its third-quarter operating result would take a hit of around €2.5 billion ($2.94 billion), as the company continues to…
- Honda will debut sporty EV – Automotive News: The square tail lights get the same graphic treatment as the hatch-styled Urban EV Concept that debuted Honda’s future electric vehicle direction at…
- Uber, Grab to tighten up on deliveries in Philippines amid drug concerns – Reuters: Ride-hailing platforms Uber and Grab have agreed to stop their drivers from delivering unchecked packages on behalf of customers, in response to government concerns they could unwittingly become couriers of illegal drugs.
- Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi to meet with London regulators ‘to make things right’ after ban – CNBC: Uber said it wants to “work with London to make things right.”
- VW’s Diesel Woes Reach $30 Billion After Surprise US Hit – Bloomberg: Hoses connect laboratory emission testing equipment to a Volkswagen AG Golf TDI emissions certification vehicle waiting to be tested in California.
- Addison Lee seeks more London drivers after Uber license loss – Reuters: Premium car service Addison Lee plans to increase driver numbers in London by up to a quarter, it said on Friday, just as rival Uber [UBER.UL] is set to lose its license in Britain’s capital.
- Volkswagen to take €2.5bn third-quarter hit from diesel scandal – FT: Volkswagen said it will take a €2.5bn hit to its third quarter results, as a result of … Shares of Porsche SE, VW’s parent company, also fell 2 per cent.
- Geely, DRB-Hicom say Li Chun Rong to lead Proton’s global operations – Reuters: China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group and Malaysia’s DRB-Hicom Bhd said on Friday Li Chun Rong has been …
- VW takes new 2.5 billion euro hit for modifying diesel vehicles in U.S. – Reuters: Volkswagen will take a hit of around 2.5 billion euros ($3 billion) to its third-quarter results because a program to buy back or retrofit diesel engine cars in North America is proving more complex and time-consuming than expected, it said on Friday.
- Tesla chief Elon Musk sets a hard deadline to install a massive battery backup for South Australia’s grid – CNBC: One year after the state of South Australia suffered a major blackout, construction has started on building the world’s biggest battery to help keep the lights on in Australia’s most wind-dependent state. Tesla won a bid in July to build a 129 megawatt …
- China sets 2019 deadline for automakers to meet green-car sales targets – Reuters: China has set a deadline of 2019 to impose tough new sales targets for electric plug-in and hybrids vehicles, slightly relaxing an earlier plan to launch the rules from next year that had left global automakers worried about being able to comply.
- Tesla guarantees South Australia it will install a massive battery backup in 100 days, or it’s free – CNBC: Tesla promises 100-day delivery for battery backup to ahead of summer for South Australia’s power grid.
- Opel will switch to PSA engines, putting German jobs at risk – Automotive News: A large portion of Opel’s engine development and production could come to an end in the course of the automaker’s restructuring…
- Musk shrinks SpaceX Mars rocket to cut costs – Reuters: To cut costs, Elon Musk’s SpaceX company has shrunk the size of the rocket ship it is developing to go to Mars, aiming to start construction on the first spaceship in the first half of next year, Musk said on Friday.
- Elon Musk’s New Vision: Anywhere on Earth in Under One Hour – Bloomberg: Musk, who’s also CEO of electric-car maker Tesla Inc., founded SpaceX in 2002 with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets.
- China’s Great Wall secures lithium supply with Pilbara deal – Reuters: China automaker Great Wall Motor Co Ltd (601633.SS)(2333.HK) will take a 3.5 percent stake in Australian lithium miner …
- How to Play the Electric Car Hysteria – Bloomberg: Early movers BYD Co. and Tesla Inc., along with traditional automakers such as Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. (plus hundreds of Chinese startups), had already entered the arms race ahead of a new set of emission rules unveiled by Beijing this…
- Increased hybridisation expected with 2018 BMW 7 Series facelift – Autocar: Minor updates and technology boosts will likely be crowned by a growing hybrid line-up; new Chinese legislature a big factor
- ‘I Can’t Think of Anything More Exciting.’ Elon Musk Wants to Colonize Mars in 2022 – Fortune: But Musk, who also co-founded and serves as CEO of Tesla Motors (tsla, -0.40%), remains grounded in his ambitions. SpaceX could potentially…
- Elon Musk details how SpaceX is going to take people to Mars – CNBC: Musk provided on Friday an update to his vision of creating a permanent, self-sustaining human presence on Mars.
- Panasonic to launch new auto battery line at ex-TV screen plant in Japan – Reuters: Japan’s Panasonic Corp said on Friday it will start producing automotive batteries at its former television screen plant in …
- Malaysia’s DRB-Hicom Names Li Chunrong As CEO Of Carmaker Proton’s Manufacturig Arm – Nikkei: The announcement comes days after DRB-Hicom sold a 49.9% stake in financially strained Proton to China’s Zhejiang Geely Holdings.
- US Demands Risk Scuttling Nafta Talks – Bloomberg: Officials expect the U.S. will present contentious proposals on automotive rules of origin — the share of a car that must be made in the three countries…
- Unifor awaits response from GM following latest proposal to end strike – Automotive News: Unifor leadership described a Thursday meeting with General Motors in Detroit as “constructive” following the latest efforts to end an 11-day strike at…
- Great Wall Invests in Australian Miner Amid Electric Push – Bloomberg: China’s biggest maker of sport utility vehicles will invest A$28 million ($22 million) for as much as a 3.5 percent stake in Pilbara Minerals, which owns…
- China Gives Carmakers an Extra Year to Hit Green Sales Targets – Fortune: China has set a deadline of 2019 to impose tough new sales targets for electric plug-in and hybrid vehicles, slightly relaxing an earlier plan to launch…
- Comment: The problem with limited-run production cars – Autocar: Audi will only build 999 examples of the new R8 V10 RWS Having welcomed more limited-run cars to the world this month, we wonder whether this controversial sales tactic is fair
- High court to take second look at FLSA exemptions for auto dealership workers – Reuters: The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday gave a Southern California car dealership a second chance to convince the justices that its customer service …
- FCA-UAW scandal figure unloaded Ferrari amid FBI probe – Detroitnews: Detroit – The $365,000 sports car former Fiat Chrysler Automobiles executive Alphons Iacobelli is accused of buying with cash siphoned from a UAW…
- Vingroup Is Investing $3.5 Billion to Make Cars – Bloomberg: Vietnam’s rising income convinced the nation’s largest real estate company Vingroup to make cars. Dunne Automotive President Michael Dunne…
- Vingroup Vice Chairwoman on Getting Into Car Industry – Bloomberg: Vietnam’s largest real estate company Vingroup is expanding into the car industry. The company is investing as much as $3.5 billion to create a line of…
- Munich prosecutors arrest ex-Porsche executive in Audi emissions probe: source – Reuters: Audi cars are parked in front of the company’s headquarters in Ingolstadt, … MUNICH () – Munich prosecutors have arrested a former board …
- Suzuki Swift nabs top ANCAP rating – Autocar:
- Elon Musk Set to Update His Plans for Colonizing Mars – New York Times: Elon Musk, chief executive of SpaceX, unveiled his plans for colonizing Mars at the International Astronautical Congress in Mexico last year. He plans to present an updated design on Friday. Credit . Elon Musk is revising his ambitions for …
- Toyota, Mazda and Denso to team up on EVs – Autocar:
- Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio breaks Nürburgring SUV lap record – Autocar: Fast SUV lapped the circuit in 7:51.7 – less than one minute off the pace of the Lamborghini Huracán Performante
- Former VW Engine Chief Arrested, Signaling Widening Emissions Case – New York Times: FRANKFURT – An investigation into Volkswagen’s diesel emissions … role as chief of research and development at Porsche, is the second person to be … former chief of thermodynamics in Audi’s engine development department.
- Aston Martin Has Unveiled a $4 Million Submarine – Bloomberg: Aston Martin expects the sub will be available in about a year and will be priced around $4 million, the company’s chief creative officer Marek…
- Tesla Is ‘Structurally Unprofitable,’ Chanos Says – Bloomberg: s failure, said the electric-car maker run by Elon Musk is behind on autonomous driving technology and rushed the Model 3 to market to appease…
- Trucking group disappointed self-driving bill leaves out big vehicles – Reuters: General Motors Co (GM.N), Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O), Ford Motor Co (F.N) and others have lobbied for the legislation to speed deployment of …
- Tesla Is Helping Puerto Rico Get Power After Hurricane Maria – Fortune: Eight days ago, Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm causing widespread damage and knocking out electrical power to the entire…
- Live out your Bond fantasies with Aston Martin’s submarine – Yahoo: Aston Martin, the company behind James Bond’s whip, has partnered with Triton Submarines on a submersible concept called “Project Neptune” for…
- Musk Heads to Australia to Unveil Progress on Giant Battery, Mars Mission – Bloomberg: The boss of Tesla Inc. will descend on South Australia on Friday to unveil progress on a giant battery seen critical to averting crippling power…
- UK’s Theresa May Defends Uber on Same Day She Threatens Boeing – Bloomberg: … London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who runs Transport for London, the regulator that this month said it wouldn’t renew the car-sharing company’s license.
- For Uber in London, a New Route: Diplomacy – New York Times: Dara Khosrowshahi, the chief executive of Uber, in 2013 when he held the same title at Expedia. He was apologetic when a regulator declined to renew the company’s license to operate in London. Credit Matthew Lloyd/. As a global disrupter, Uber…
- The New Ford F-450 Is the Pickup Truck for the 1% – Fortune: Ford Motor has added a new truck to its 2018 lineup that is pushing the boundaries on luxury and price. The F-450 Limited 4×4 is heftier and more…
- Renault-Nissan’s Ghosn Raises Caution Flag for US Auto Market – Detroit Bureau: Mitsubishi has helped turn the Renault-Nissan Alliance into the world’s biggest automaker. The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross concept is shown here.
- Aston Martin’s New Submarine Is James Bond-Worthy – Fortune: When you think of a submarine, the first thing that probably comes to mind is a cylinder with a tube at the top. Nothing too fancy. Aston Martin is…
- Hyundai scratches the hatch in redesigned 2018 Accent – Automotive News: Inside there’s a standard 5-inch touchscreen with backup camera (a 7-inch screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is optional) and options like…
- China Sends a Jolt Through Auto Industry With Plans for Electric Future – WSJ: China will force auto makers to accelerate production of electric vehicles by 2019, a move that will ripple around the globe as the industry bends to the…
