Macron to discuss Renault/Nissan with Japan’s Abe next week – Elysee official

PARIS, June 19 (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron will discuss the situation regarding the alliance between carmakers Renault and Nissan with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe next week, said an official at Macron's Elysee office.
“There will certainly be a discussion during the meeting with Prime Minister Abe about questions regarding the relationship between Renault and Nissan,” said the official.
“It will be an opportunity for the President to reaffirm the strong attachment France has regarding the Renault-Nissan alliance, an attachment which was again emphasised during the recent talks that took place with Fiat,” added the official.
The French state has a 15% stake in Renault, and French ministers have consistently highlighted the importance of ensuring that the Renault-Nissan alliance remains strong, before planning any further consolidation with the likes of Fiat-Chrysler.
The official in Macron's office added that Macron was not planning to discuss Fiat with..

Tesla alters Asia biz to put focus on China

Tesla Inc. is revamping its organization in Asia to put more focus on China as the company prepares to start manufacturing in the world’s largest electric-car market.A Tesla representative in China directed Bloomberg to the company’s U.S. headquarters.Zhu didn’t respond to several attempts to reach him by phone, and Ren didn’t respond to a text message.

SAIC Motor to set up Egypt JV

Chinese major automaker SAIC Motor announced on late Monday plans to set up a manufacturing joint venture in Egypt.The move marks the company’s official entrance in the African country, a sign of its accelerated steps in global expansion.In 2018, SAIC had formed a joint venture with Mansour Group to sell and promote MG series cars in the Egyptian market, making the Egyptian firm the exclusive distributor of such products in the country.

General Motors president suggests Hummer could return as an electric 4×4 brand

Hummer may return … and really live up to its name this time.Hummer was idled in 2010 after a dozen years of ownership by GM.Its lineup consisted of three trucks powered by rumbling gasoline and diesel engines that became symbols of excessive consumption, so a switch to the quiet hum of electric motors would be a dramatic departure.

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Madrid to suspend car restrictions in city centre, EU issues warning

MADRID, June 18 (Reuters) – Madrid’s new municipal government plans to suspend some anti-car emissions policies in the city centre, drawing a warning from the European Commission that Spain might be sanctioned if it fails to meet air quality standards.
The municipality, controlled by the conservative People's Party (PP), said on Monday that from July 1 it would suspend fines on cars entering a currently restricted area of around 5 sq km (2 sq miles), while it conducts a review of the policy.
The PP says the current restrictions have been too disruptive.
The policy, known as 'Madrid central', started last November when the city's then far-left government banned most petrol and diesel cars from its centre as a way to tackle high levels of nitrogen dioxide in Madrid, which had been in violation of European regulations since 2010.
Asked about the municipality's roll-back plans, EU Climate chief Miguel Arias Canete said on Tuesday that it would be analysed as part o..

Waymo launches test drive of self-driving Jaguar crossover on public roads

SAN FRANCISCO, June 17 (Xinhua) — Alphabet Inc's Waymo has begun testing of self-driving Jaguar I-Pace electric vehicles on public roads in Silicon Valley, local media reported Monday.
With a safety driver behind the wheel, an autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicle was spotted running on public roads in Mountain View, California, where the headquarters of both Waymo and Google are located, and Waymo later confirmed the test driving to the Bay Area-based TechCrunch media outlet.
Waymo, the Alphabet-owned Google spin-off, signed a deal with Jaguar Land Rover, a manufacturer of high-performance luxury cars and off-road vehicles, in March 2018 to add 20,000 e-vehicles to its driverless fleet over the next two years.
It received the first three Jaguar I-Pace vehicles in July last year, and the cars have been running on the streets of the Bay Area under the control of human drivers.
Waymo's test of the Jaguar I-Pace is one of the latest steps to expand its existing fleet of self-driving..

GM Is Thinking About Building an Electric Hummer

A zero-emission Hummer sounds as paradoxical as non-alcoholic whiskey, but General Motors Co. is mulling over the idea of building an electric vehicle that would bring the defunct gas-guzzling brand back to life.

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