BMW has been hyping its futuristic i lineup for years now, but the long lead time doesn't mean that the highly efficient, carbon-fiber-based vehicles are vaporware.
We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars.
Ningbo Huaxiang Electronic Co., a major Chinese interior-trim supplier, has acquired German counterpart HIB Trim Part Solutions Group. HIB supplies wood, metal and carbon fiber interior trim to BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen Group.
German supplier Continental has developed a multimedia navigation system for PSA vehicles in China.
Johnson Controls has acquired full ownership of Tata Johnson Controls (TJC), its former 50/50 joint venture with Tata Automotive Components (TACO).
PSA Peugeot Citroen is to meet its unions tomorrow (29 May) in the first of several negotiations to discuss how the automaker can remain a manufacturer, "rooted" in France.
Renault will use a 400 million euro ($517 million) loan from the European Investment Bank to help develop its Twingo minicar.
The number of electric vehicle charging stations in Europe is forecast to grow from 7,250 today to more than 3.1m by 2019 with France, Germany, Norway and the UK leading the way.
Joint venture Guangqi Honda Automobile (GHAC) has started construction of a third production line and an engine plant within the existing ZengCheng plant site.
Rearview mirror supplier, Samvardhana Motherson Reflectec (SMR), says it is expanding its Marysville, Michigan, SMR Automotive Systems USA plant.
Aluminium rolling and recycling company, Novelis, says it will expand its production capacity for automotive sheet effective immediately as it looks to meet growing demand for light, recyclable aluminium sheet for car manufacturing.
Electronic braking systems are rapidly gaining share in the automotive industry as automakers seek benefits of improved performance at low cost. These braking technologies are also being driven by regulatory bodies such as Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme). To find out how, Matthew Beecham talked with Vince Austin, Director, Product Planning, Global Braking Systems, TRW Automotive.
Better Place, the Tel Aviv-based company launched in 2007 to develop a global network of recharging stations for electric vehicles, has filed for bankruptcy. The company said in its court filing on Sunday that it has cumulative losses of US$812m, assets of US$10m and that it owes US$40m to suppliers.
Australian new vehicle sales rose 7.6% year on year to 85,117 units in April, according to official VFACTS data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI).
News
28 May, 2013
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Toyota Australia's decision to launch the redesigned RAV4 with a diesel engine option has resulted in 30% of orders being for models with the 2.2-litre turbodiesel compared with the long term forecast of 20%.
The gap has widened between the fuel efficiency that carmakers declare for their models and the reality for drivers, with luxury German vehicles showing the biggest divergence, a study found.
Audi dealer China Yongda Automobiles Services Holdings said it aims to boost sales by 14-fold in five to six years after signing an agreement with VW Group giving it priority to sell new models and take control of certain dealerships in China.
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