Category: Automotive

Exclusive: Tesla says it received battery quotes from China’s Lishen but no deal agreed

BEIJING (Reuters) – Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) said on Tuesday it had received quotes from Tianjin Lishen to supply batteries for its new Shanghai electric car factory but had not signed any agreement with the Chinese firm. FILE PHOTO: Visitors are seen at the booth of Lishen Battery at a new energy expo in Beijing, China… Continue reading Exclusive: Tesla says it received battery quotes from China’s Lishen but no deal agreed

Tesla says it has no agreement with Chinese battery maker Lishen

FILE PHOTO: A Tesla logo is painted on a wall inside of a Tesla dealership in New York, U.S., April 29, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) denied on Tuesday that it had signed a preliminary agreement with Tianjin Lishen to supply batteries for its new Shanghai car factory, saying it had… Continue reading Tesla says it has no agreement with Chinese battery maker Lishen

Ghosn’s bail is again denied as he faces a long stretch in jail

Marlene Awaad | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Nissan's former chairman Carlos Ghosn was denied bail by a Tokyo court on Jan. 22, 2019.

For the second time in a week, Carlos Ghosn lost a court fight to be granted bail. The latest defeat came Tuesday in Tokyo when a judge denied an appeal from the former Nissan CEO.

The decision means Ghosn will likely remain in detention until early March.

In his latest petition for bail, the 64 year old offered to pay a higher amount, put up his Nissan stock as collateral and surrender his passports.

“I want to emphasize that I will reside in Japan and respect any and all bail conditions the Court concludes are warranted,” Ghosn wrote in a statement. “I will attend my trial not only because I am legally obligated to do so, but because I am eager to finally have the opportunity to defend myself. I am not guilty of the charges against me and I look forward to defending my reputation in the courtroom; nothing is more important to me or to my family.”

Ghosn has been in jail in Japan since November as Japanese authorities have investigated allegations he and another Nissan executive, Greg Kelly, did not disclose the full amount of Ghosn's compensation over several years. While in detention in a Japanese jail, Ghosn has not been allowed to have direct contact with his family. He remains incarcerated while awaiting trial on charges he committed financial crimes while serving heading Nissan.

At a bail hearing earlier this month, Ghosn spoke publicly for the first time about his detention and denied the charges against him.

“I have been wrongly accused and unfairly detained based on meritless and unsubstantiated accusations,” Ghosn told the judge at his hearing.

Last week, Ghosn's wife released a letter she sent to Human Rights Watch decrying the treatment her husband has faced while detained and investigated.

“For hours each day, the prosecutors interrogate him, browbeat him, lecture him, and berate him, outside the presence of his attorneys, in an effort to extract a confession. No human being should be detained under conditions so harsh that their only plausible purpose is to coerce a confession,” Carole Ghosn wrote.

Understanding the fine art of calculating risk and mobility on the roadways

When choosing a mapping solution to power a landmark process for assessing risk on the road, Motion-S selected HERE maps to get the job done. The value of understanding how people drive, the factors that affect how people drive, and the context of a multitude of driving situations can’t be understated. This area of data… Continue reading Understanding the fine art of calculating risk and mobility on the roadways

Toyota brings back the Supra sports car after almost two decades

Toyota reveals the first new Supra in the US in 21 years
9:48 AM ET Mon, 14 Jan 2019 | 01:22

With the new Supra sports car, Toyota is bringing back a car that is probably one of the Japanese automaker's most beloved names.

But don't expect it to be a huge seller, say analysts.

That is not because the car is a dud. It is expected to be a higher-end product and has been reported to have engines sourced from German manufacturer BMW.

But production is expected to be lower volume, and the car is likely to cater to enthusiasts and serve as a halo vehicle to create buzz for the rest of Toyota's lineup.

Source: Toyota
2020 Toyota Supra

The Supra is a resurrection of a car Toyota has not made since 2002. It began as a variant of Toyota's now also defunct Celica in 1978, but was spun off as its own model in 1986. It became known as one of the most famous Japanese tuner cars of the '80s and '90s.

Apart from the reputation it earned on its own, the Supra also was famous for being featured in “The Fast and the Furious” movie franchise, in which it was driven by the late actor Paul Walker.

The car will go on sale this summer. It will have a 3.0-liter turbo six-cylinder 335-horsepower engine and an automatic transmission with paddle shifters. Toyota says the car should be able to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 4.1 seconds. It will have an electronically limited speed of 155 mph.

Buyers will have their choice of two trim levels, the base 3.0 model and a 3.0 Premium.

Toyota's President Akio Toyoda tested the car himself on the famed Nurburgring track in Germany, as well as elsewhere around the world.

The car will likely not come cheap, and it is not meant to be a high-volume car, said LMC Automotive President of Global Forecasting Jeff Schuster.

“It's absolutely for enthusiasts,” he said. “The name is one of those names that has some history to it. Obviously, not as much as a Mustang or a Challenger, but in its space of more of the super-tuner type of vehicle it carries a lot of weight. There is no question it will get a lot of buzz around it. But for all intents and purposes it is meant to be a small volume vehicle, at least from our expectation.”

Disclosure: “The Fast and the Furious” movies were produced by Universal Studios, which like CNBC is owned by Comcast.

CORRECTION: This article was updated to correct the car's history. It was last produced 17 years ago.

Uber is working on autonomous electric bicycles and scooters, opens robotics division

Uber has been working on autonomous vehicles for years. However, they’ve always been of the four-wheeled variety. Now it appears that the ridesharing giant is focusing on autonomous electric bicycles and scooters as well. Uber wants autonomous electric bicycles and scooters Uber is apparently working to integrate autonomous driving and sensing technology into their electric… Continue reading Uber is working on autonomous electric bicycles and scooters, opens robotics division

Aston Barclay launches digital tools to help dealers process used cars

Aston Barclay has launched Cascade, a suite of digital tools to help dealers process used cars. Cascade includes a vehicle appraisal App, which helps dealers to more accurately appraise incoming vehicles using cap used car data or customers’ own pricing data. All data captured, including inspection reports and images, is saved in a back-office platform,… Continue reading Aston Barclay launches digital tools to help dealers process used cars