Auto News 5

Going all-electric in the US does not appear to have worked too well for Smart, as we noted in this article. "Might the initial results of a strategy which has been Smart US dropping its petrol-powered Fortwo range hold a warning for others? In November, the brand was not only outsold by Lamborghini but Rolls-Royce was the only make which delivered fewer cars." As automakers dive headlong into 'e-mobility', does a cautionary tale lie therein?

BMW will invest $118 million on a test track for self-driving and electric cars in the Czech Republic as it expands its push into alternative driving technologies.

Opel has reached an agreement with unions to trim working hours and offer early retirement packages. The deal is aimed at cutting costs after PSA acquired the money-losing automaker from GM.

Volkswagen Group sold 995,900 vehicles in November, up 11.1% year on year. YTD volume was up 3.9% to 9,743,400.

The Renault Scenic and Grand Scenic will be the first vehicles to use a new 1.3-liter gasoline engine developed jointly by Renault and Daimler. The Mercedes A class is also expected to get the engine.

Paccar has appointed Harrie Schippers as president and chief financial officer, effective 1 January next year.

Global automotive supplier Hanon Systems announced that it had signed an investment agreement with the Dalian municipal government in China to expand its automotive compressor operations to support local business growth.

Renault chairman and CEO, Carlos Ghosn, as well as France's Minister for Economy and Finance, Bruno Le Maire, have inaugurated the new Alpine A110 production line at the automaker's facility in Dieppe, Normandy, the brand's original home.

BASF and Toda Kogyo are strengthening  production capabilities in the US and Japan to work on e-mobility.

Another landmark in Aston Martin's Second Century Plan was achieved with production officially returning to the company's historic Newport Pagnell site.

AGC Asahi Glass has unveiled a new technology enhancing the performance of carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP).

Has the world gone mad? We've all been there - looking at the supernumerated types on the late train back home. Taking a surreptitious glance at the person on the train working away on their laptop/iPad/surface. You see them open a few spreadsheets. They'll spend a cursory few seconds ostentatiously scrolling through a few figures. Another corporate lamp post marked.

News 15 Dec, 2017

One-off Country Pursuits Discovery concept aims to appeal to sporting enthusiasts and estate managers, with production likely

Renault and Brilliance China Automotive Holdings [BMW's car JV partner] have inked a joint venture to manufacture and sell light commercial vehicles (LCV) using Jinbei, Renault and Huasong brands aiming for 150,000 sales annually by 2022 and an acceleration of electrifying powertrains.

VW has said security staff at its Brazilian unit cooperated with the country's former military regime in allowing interrogations inside the factory and providing cars for detainees to be taken away in, according to a study commissioned by the...

Hungary's foreign minister met Tesla executives during a tour of Silicon Valley and explained to them the tax breaks and other incentives offered to automakers in the country, a local news agency reported.

BMW's vehicle sales in China rose 12 percent in November, positioning the automaker to be the market's top-selling luxury brand this year, passing Audi, which is still trying to recoup sales lost when dealers boycotted the brand.

VW believes the T-Roc's high-tech connectivity features, expressive design and fashionable color options will help it appeal to a young customer group that won't be too concerned by the cheaper interior fittings used in the cabin.

If there's any doubt Tesla isn't just a car company anymore, its brand-new Manhattan showroom should put it to bed.