Geely to take stake in flying taxi JV

Zhejiang Geely Holding Group will invest in German flying taxi company Volocopter, and set up a joint venture with the startup to launch air taxis in China, the company said on Monday.Since its foundation in 2011, Volocopter has built three generations of Volocopter aircraft, two of which received licenses for manned and unmanned flight with a total funding of 35 million euros.After the Series C funding round, Geely will become a minority investor in Volocopter, next to existing strategic investors like Daimler AG. More sourcesGeely to take stake in flying taxi JV (China Daily (Europe): Sep 10, 2019 at 12:00 AM)

New Russian limousine harks back to Soviet era 09.09.2019

Dubbed the Putin limo, the Aurus Senat is a Russian-built limousine in the shape of the famous ZIL sedan that once carried Soviet leaders.The global luxury car market is expected to rise from its initial estimated value of $101 billion in 2018 to $246 billion by 2026, due rising levels of disposable incomes.Sales of premium cars probably have peaked globally, threatening the business model of Germany’s luxury automakers, according to analyst Philippe Houchois, managing director of Jefferies Group.

Nissan ‘Mulls Pulling out of Korea’

Deteriorating Seoul-Tokyo relations have led to sales of Japanese automobiles here declining by half, prompting Nissan to consider pulling out of the Korean market altogether.Toyota, Honda and Nissan all have sales subsidiaries in Korea, but Nissan is suffering the brunt of a boycott of Japanese products.Some businesses are being hit hard, and the pullout would also affect Nissan’s Korean staff and dealers.

Chengdu motor show features abundance of new launches

The ongoing annual Chengdu Motor Show running from Sep 5 to 14 attracts more than 130 automakers from China and overseas to showcase their latest models and products.With a Tce 270 four-cylinder turbocharged engine, the model has a maximum output of 115 kW and a top torque of 270 Nm.The car features Ford’s latest Co-Pilot 360 intelligent driving assistance system to provide an advanced intelligent driving experience.

MG Hector bookings might start again in October

There is a piece of good news for those of you who have been waiting for the MG Hector bookings to reopen.The SUV comes in with two engine options — 1.5-litre turbocharged intercooled petrol and 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel.MG Hector boasts of an impressive design having features like bold front grille with surrounding chrome accent, split LED headlamps, LED DRLs, LED fog lamps, LED tail lamps, LED fog lamps, dual-tone machined alloys, shark fin antenna, floating light turn indicators and heated ORVM.

Mazda Sollers to boost engine production to 20,000 in 2020, says Russian industry minister

VLADIVOSTOK, September 6. /TASS/. Mazda Sollers plans an increase in engine manufacturing to 20,000 units in 2020, Russia's Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov told TASS on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum on Friday.
“In 2020, Mazda Sollers plans to increase production to 20,000 engines per year,” he said.
Mass production of SkyActiv-G engines at Mazda Sollers plant in Vladivostok was launched in June 2019. All engines produced there will be exported to Japan to Mazda automobile plants. The first batch of engines was produced in August.
“Meanwhile, Mazda cars with engines produced in Vladivostok will be supplied to all international markets where the brand is present. That means we can speak about direct export to third countries,” the minister noted.
All of the pilot batch engines successfully completed specialized tests and were declared to fully correspond to all of Mazda's international quality standards, he added.

German electric delivery van StreetScooter to enter Chinese market

BERLIN, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) — German producer for electric light commercial vehicles (eLCV) StreetScooter and Chinese automobile manufacturer Chery Holding Group on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to begin production in China.
Mass production of the electric delivery vans by StreetScooter, a subsidiary of Germany's Deutsche Post, is scheduled to begin in 2021 with production capacities of up to 100,000 electric vehicles per year.
“This production and sales agreement is a major milestone in our company's, as yet, short history,” said Joerg Sommer, CEO of the German StreetScooter GmbH that was only founded in 2010.
According to Deutsche Post, the cooperation also includes establishing a joint venture.
Yin Tongyue, chairman of Chery Holding Group, stressed the strategic importance for both companies. “The strong cooperation between Chery and StreetScooter will create opportunities for both parties to explore the global market, especially in the EU and China.”
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