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France wants to gradually phase out the use of diesel fuel for passenger cars and will put in place a system to identify the most polluting vehicles, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said.

France wants to gradually phase out the use of diesel fuel for passenger cars and will put in place a system to identify the most polluting vehicles, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said.

Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Porsche are among carmakers embracing plug-in hybrids as 'the best of both worlds' as they eliminate the range anxiety that has hindered the purchase of full-electric cars and help carmakers cut CO2 emissions.

Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Porsche are among carmakers embracing plug-in hybrids as 'the best of both worlds' as they eliminate the range anxiety that has hindered the purchase of full-electric cars and help carmakers cut CO2 emissions.

The latest issue of the Automotive News Europe monthly e-magazine is ready for you to view. This month's edition looks at why megaplatforms are a must-have for any automaker with global ambitions.

Some U.S. lawmakers want competing airbag suppliers to help Takata produce enough inflators to repair millions of recalled vehicles. But Autoliv America, one of those rivals, warns that such a rescue would take time -- and money.

Shigehisa Takada, the third-generation head of Takata, shows little sense of the crisis engulfing the Japanese airbag maker at the center of one of the auto industry's biggest safety recalls, say people who have met him recently.

Cheap gasoline, Jeep's rise and surging demand for pricey SUVs have some Hummer dealers and loyalists thinking about what might have been, and have rekindled talk about a new Wrangler fighter from GM.

Taking care of legacy employees is critical for closing the acquisition of a dealership, buy-sell advisers say.

The auto industry is putting improved tires onto cars these days, but consumers aren't so sure they like the results.

Despite engineering delays, Mazda still plans to launch a diesel engine in its Mazda6 midsize sedan, the company's top North American executive said.

It has taken four years, but GM Financial is finally offering a full range of products to General Motors dealers, prompting the captive lender's CEO to predict a "tremendous amount of growth" in 2015. says CEO Dan Berce.

Officially, Ford's two fiercest truck competitors had little to say about the fuel economy ratings for the new aluminum-body F-150 that underwhelmed some pundits. But behind the scenes, rivals' wheels are in motion.

This year's buy-sell market is on track to be the most active since 2004, in both number of deals and total dollars, two newly released reports say.

Surprising and treating customers to extras is part of a program Mini USA started in July to boost its image as a premium brand.

Toyota Motor Corp. will step closer to autonomous vehicles when it begins rolling out a range of advanced active safety systems across its mass-market lineup in early 2015.

Under pressure to help automakers hit higher fuel economy targets, tire companies are championing new technologies. Those technologies are taking many different forms.

With two full months of sales data behind it, Acura says the new TLX midsize sedan is beginning to fulfill its promise of reviving the luxury brand, whose U.S. sales and image have sagged in recent years.

Automotive News Europe needs your help to identify the Rising Stars in the European automotive industry. The award honors executives with a pan-European profile who have driven change, fostered innovation and made courageous decisions.

From GMM (story updated, see below)

F1 veteran Mark Webber is in hospital in Sao Paulo following a huge crash during a sports car race in Brazil.

In an echo of his similar crash at the same corner during the 2003 grand prix at Interlagos, the Australian hit the wall at high speed during a 6-hour endurance race.

The impact destroyed his prototype Porsche and he was photographed giving the thumbs-up as he was removed by stretcher.

Mark Webber's Porsche after the crash. (Photo: WRi2)

A teammate, Romain Dumas, was quoted by Fairfax Media: "He was talking on the radio -- he knows his name, he knows where he is, it looks ok."

Race organisers confirmed in a statement: "Mark Webber, who was awake and alert, was taken to the circuit medical centre for further examination."

And a post on Webber's official Facebook page said he is in a "satisfactory condition".

"Mark will stay overnight (in hospital) for precautionary checks."

UPDATE
“I'm quite sore this morning and am pretty bruised and have got a stinking headache. I've got no recollection of the accident or how it happened - the team is looking into the details to find out more,” Mark Webber said on Monday.

UPDATE ON MATTEO CRESSONI'S CONDITION
Following an overnight stay for observation, Matteo Cressoni, 30, is being released from the Hospital Bandeirantes and will be travelling home to Italy later Monday.

The Italian, who was driving the No.90 8Star Motorsports Ferrari 458 Italia yesterday during the closing stages of the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo, was an apparently innocent victim in an accident involving the No.20 Porsche 919 Hybrid of Mark Webber.

Cressoni, who was sharing the Ferrari with Gianluca Roda and Paolo Ruberti, told his team that he was hit by the Porsche only after the Porsche was careering towards him at high speed. The reasons for the accident have not yet been determined.