Auto News 5

Valmet Automotive is investing around EUR7m (US$7.8m) in the construction of its new Germany Battery Test Centre (BTC) at Bad Friedrichshall, with full test capacity available from February next year.

Sales of new passenger vehicles in China fell by 5.3% to 1.5m units in July 2019, based on dealer retail data released by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

Toyo Tire is to establish a new R&D centre, the first European technology development site, in Willich, North Rhine-Westphalia.

Aston Martin Lagonda's recent announcement that it no longer expects a GBP20m payment for IP from Detroit Electric sent the share price into a steep decline. Speculators continue to short the company, with many seeing GBP850m of net debt and lease liabilities as a major concern. AML is determined to ride out the current financial storm though, trusting in a business plan which includes several high priced future models.

New car sales in Western Europe grew by just 0.1% year-on-year (YoY) in July according to data released by LMC Automotive. The annualised selling rate (SAAR) climbed to 14.3m units a year in July, from 14.2m units a year in June.

Ride-hail firm Uber has posted a larger than expected second quarter loss of USD5.5bn. The scale of the loss in the three month period to the end of June follows the company's IPO in May and sent its share price sliding. In the same quarter last year, Uber's loss was USD0.7bn.

We had some advice for Ford of Europe this week - don't kill the Fusion and Mondeo. Is there a future for the Mondeo, we asked? At the moment, Ford of Europe isn't saying either way as speculation suggests there are plans to replace this model, the S-Max and Galaxy with a new global crossover. Considering the age of the design, sales are holding up well, with 20,800 delivered during the first half of 2019.

Malaysia will collaborate with Japan's Daihatsu Motor to develop a third national car with the first model expected to be ready by 2021, according to Malaysian international trade and industry minister Darell Leiking.

Daimler with its subsidiary Mercedes-Benz Energy and Beijing Electric Vehicle Co., Ltd. (BJEV) a subsidiary of the BAIC Group, say they are to intensify their cooperation in the field of energy storage systems.

Three senior British Ministers have travelled to the Port of Dover to meet representatives from the haulage and freight industries to discuss plans for the UK's planned Brexit date of 31 October, by which new Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has pledged the country will leave the European Union (EU).

Growing prices and demand for used electric vehicles (EVs) suggests the UK market has reached a tipping point of acceptance, according to Shoreham Vehicle Auctions (SVA). 

BMW Group UK has rolled out a pay monthly service plan for sales and services customers, with a view of improving customer retention and satisfaction rates.

Gaz is to supply two electric buses and a charging station to Vladivostok.

BMW's Mini said it had built the 10 millionth unit since BMC built the first in 1959.

Carwow, a UK-based online new car sales platform, has closed a GBP25m funding round, led by Daimler.

The former Buick City site in Flint, Michigan could be revived, this time building vehicles for India's Mahindra and Mahindra.

News 9 Aug, 2019

A three-door MINI 60 Years Edition is the brand's 10 millionth model, and it's set to join BMW's heritage fleet

Hydrogen Mobility Europe (H2ME) says it has now deployed close to 500 fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) and 30 refuelling stations (HRS) across Germany, France, Scandinavia, the UK and other European countries.