Category: Automotive

Isolation and distrust brought down Nissan CEO Saikawa

TOKYO — Nissan Motor CEO Hiroto Saikawa’s upcoming resignation on Monday may have been triggered by allegations that he inflated his compensation, but the root of the problem lies in his failure to earn the trust of fellow executives. Nissan management was rattled by a Wall Street Journal article in early August that reported on… Continue reading Isolation and distrust brought down Nissan CEO Saikawa

General Motors’ New In-Vehicle Technology Strengthens Connectivity Leadership and Enhances Customer Experience

General Motors’ New In-Vehicle Technology Strengthens Connectivity Leadership and Enhances Customer Experience Integration of Google’s Voice Assistant, Navigation and App Ecosystem to Launch in GM Infotainment Systems in 2021 2019-09-05 DETROIT – Building on nearly 25 years of connectivity leadership, General Motors today announced plans to introduce new in-vehicle technology that will enhance the overall… Continue reading General Motors’ New In-Vehicle Technology Strengthens Connectivity Leadership and Enhances Customer Experience

FTC investigates BMW Japan for alleged pressure on car dealers

Fair Trade Commission investigators searched the Tokyo offices of BMW Japan on Sept. 11 over suspicions it set impossible sales targets for dealers and unfairly punished them when they failed to reach the goals.When dealers failed to achieve the targets, BMW Japan allegedly forced them to buy any unsold vehicles themselves.BMW Japan’s sales amounted to 285 billion yen ($2.6 billion) in 2018.

AV startup Voyage on how low speeds and older customers will help it win the self-driving race

Voyage CEO Oliver Cameron isn’t in any hurry to conquer self-driving cars. The former Udacity vice president for engineering oversees a fleet of low-speed autonomous vehicles providing trips to residents of two retirement communities. His vehicles aren’t fully driverless; they include safety drivers. He’ll remove them when he’s ready. And Cameron’s not interested in tackling… Continue reading AV startup Voyage on how low speeds and older customers will help it win the self-driving race

India’s ride-hailing giant Ola makes serious bet on two-wheeler

Ola, the largest ride-hailing service in India, said today its two-wheeler service — Ola Bike — is now operational in 150 Indian cities and towns and it intends to grow this business by three times in the next one year. The eight-year-old SoftBank-backed firm said Ola Bike is enabling it to reach the “hinterlands of… Continue reading India’s ride-hailing giant Ola makes serious bet on two-wheeler

BMW Japan raided over improper sales quotas

The Fair Trade Commission raided BMW Japan Corp. on Wednesday for allegedly imposing unreasonable sales quotas on its distributors and making them buy vehicles when they missed the targets.The alleged unfair practice was apparently induced by fierce competition from Mercedes-Benz and other rivals in the imported vehicle market.Distributors registered BMW vehicles they purchased under their names and sold them in the used car market afterward.