Friday Morning Auto News, Apr 05, 2019

Today’s issue of the Morning Auto News brought to you from Hong Kong ….

Fiat Chrysler settles 2016 suit over claims of phony US sales – Automotive News: Fiat Chrysler’s U.S. unit settled an antitrust lawsuit claiming the company pushed dealers to submit fraudulent sales numbers to prop up its share price.
Tokyo court rejects Ghosn appeal against 10-day detention – Reuters: The Tokyo District Court on Friday said it had rejected an appeal by Carlos Ghosn’s lawyers against the detention of the ousted Nissan Motor Co chairman for 10 days to question him regarding their latest accusations of financial misconduct.
Tilson: ‘This is the beginning of the end for Tesla’ – Yahoo: Tesla on Wednesday morning announced that it had only delivered 63000 vehicles to customers that quarter – a 31% drop from the previous quarter.
Here’s how Lyft is doing one week after its IPO – CNBC: Lyft’s first week as a publicly traded company had some twists and turns after positives sessions the last few days. The stock is now trading right at its …

Arrested, again: Why Ghosn has been detained, what is different now? – Reuters: Ousted Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn is back in the Tokyo detention center where he previously spent 108 days, after being released just last month on a $9 million …
What to expect after Elon Musk’s day in court – CNBC: Former SEC prosecutor Elliot Lutzker believes the agency won’t remove Musk as CEO, but he’ll face a fine significantly larger than $20 million.
London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone: what you need to know – Autocar: The first ULEZ is coming, and more cities will follow. If you drive in London, you need to know whether your car is affected London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will come into force on Monday 8 April, affecting hundreds of thousands of vehicles…
Ghosn’s Fate May Hang on Complex Financial Web in Middle East – Bloomberg: He built one of the industry’s biggest car alliances, which includes Renault and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. Until last year, he was a Davos Man business …
EU charges German carmakers with blocking emissions cleaning technology – Reuters: European Union antitrust regulators on Friday charged BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen with colluding to block the rollout of emissions cleaning technology in a move that could lead to hefty fines.
Volkswagen is testing level 4 autonomous driving in city center traffic – Yahoo: This is the first time that Volkswagen has conducted tests of such magnitude, using cars equipped with level 4 self-driving technology in urban areas.
2020 Karma Revero plug-in hybrid to use BMW engine – Autocar: Preview image shows the hybrid saloon will bear a close resemblance to the current model Re-engineered hybrid saloon will be fully unveiled in Shanghai and arrive in Europe next year The 2020 Karma Revero plug-in hybrid saloon will make use of a…
Ghosn faces 10 days in detention; lawyer to appeal – Automotive News: A Tokyo court approved a request by prosecutors to detain Carlos Ghosn for 10 days for further questioning, a move the ousted Nissan chief’s lawyer said he would appeal.
Uber adds one pound on journeys in London’s congestion charge zone – Reuters: Uber will add an additional pound to the cost of journeys in central London from next week after the city’s transport authority said private hire taxi operators will no longer be exempt from the congestion charge.
Fiat Chrysler’s retooling of Mack Engine would mean 700 temporary layoffs – Freep: If city and state officials greenlight Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ plan to convert its Mack Avenue Engine factory in Detroit to an assembly plant, about 700 …
BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen charged by EU regulators with emissions collusion – Automotive News: EU antitrust regulators charged BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen Group on Friday for hindering competition on emissions-cleaning technology between 2006 and …
EU regulators charge BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen with emissions collusion – Reuters: EU antitrust regulators charged BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen on Friday for hindering competition on emission cleaning technology between 2006 to 2014.
Supercar brands using female advisory boards to tap the potential of women buyers – Yahoo: From Aston Martin to Lamborghini, top luxury car makers are investing in getting more women to buy their cars.
Russia sales rise nearly 2% in March on by gov’t subsidies – Automotive News: Russia car sales rose 1.8 percent last month to 160180, helped by the introduction of government subsidies in March for lower-priced vehicles, the Association …
Trump to Cap Week of Border Threats by Visiting Calexico Wall – Bloomberg: Supply chains are closely integrated between the two countries, particularly in the auto industry. Car makers and farmers, who have already been hit …
Brexit depresses car demand in UK as sales drop 3% in March – Automotive News: 3 Vauxhall saw volume rise 2.1 percent, ahead of sister brand Peugeot, which rose 1 percent, but behind sibling Citroen, which jumped 22 percent.
Western European car registrations down 3.7% in March – Automotive News: Western European car sales fell 3.7 percent in March as a recovery from emissions-test bottlenecks proved short-lived, LMC Automotive data showed.
Tokyo court approves 10-day detention of Ghosn that his lawyer will appeal – Reuters: A Tokyo court approved on Friday a request by prosecutors to detain Carlos Ghosn for 10 days for further questioning, a move the ousted Nissan boss’ lawyer said he would appeal.
Coalition modelling not far off Labor’s electric vehicle target – despite criticising it – Guardian: Government modelling for climate policy cuts assumes an electric vehicle uptake of 25-50% of new car sales by 2030. Lisa Cox. Fri 5 Apr 2019 01.43 …
Carlos Ghosn to Stay Behind Bars for at Least 10 Days – WSJ: TOKYO-Carlos Ghosn will be held in jail until at least April 14 without possibility of bail, a Tokyo court said Friday. The former chairman of Nissan …
Court Approves Request to Keep Ghosn Detained Until April 14 – Bloomberg: Carlos Ghosn will remain in jail until at least April 14 after a Japanese court granted prosecutors’ request to keep the former chairman of Nissan Motor Co. longer …
Canadian AI company shapes supply chain – Automotive News: As automakers race to develop self-driving vehicles, they look to companies such as … are spending a lot of their AI resources on autonomous driving.
Austria’s AI Brain Has a Plan to Take Down Waymo and Tesla – Bloomberg: Silicon Valley has an early lead in driverless cars, but a collaborative effort across Europe wants to close the gap.
Detroit partners with Maven in first step to support car-sharing – Detroitnews: Patty Fedewa hasn’t owned her own car since January 2009, but she typically needs one to pick up her 11-year-old daughter from a private …
Morgan Stanley Wins Stabilization Role for Uber IPO – Bloomberg: Morgan Stanley will take on the profitable job of overseeing Uber Technologies Inc.’s stock in the early hours of trading after the global ride-hailing …
Elon Musk says he’s ‘very happy’ after judge orders settlement negotiations with SEC – Yahoo: Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk emerged from a Manhattan federal district courtroom Thursday afternoon with a renewed opportunity to resolve a …
Google to pull plug on AI ethics council – Reuters: Alphabet Inc’s Google said on Thursday it was dissolving a council it had formed a week earlier to consider ethical issues around artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
Google Scraps New AI Ethics Council After Outcry – Bloomberg: The Alphabet Inc. company introduced the group, called the Advanced Technology External Advisory Council (ATEAC), on March 26. Google asked …

Related

DENSO to Invest $1.6 Billion to Strengthen Development and Production of Automotive Electrification Products and Systems

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., April 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — DENSO, the world’s second largest mobility supplier, today announced it will invest approximately 180 billion yen (US$1.6 billion) over the next three years – from FY2018 to late FY2020 – to support its aggressive development and production of electrified automotive products, systems and technologies. To achieve its long-term business goal to create… Continue reading DENSO to Invest $1.6 Billion to Strengthen Development and Production of Automotive Electrification Products and Systems

Press Releases – Car CO2 emissions up: auto makers urge investment in charging infrastructure to boost electric cars

Brussels, 5 April 2019 – Average CO2 emissions from new cars were 118.5 grams of CO2 per kilometre in 2017, or up 0.4% compared to 2016, according to data published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) yesterday. This final data largely confirms the provisional 2017 figures, already published by the EEA in April last year.… Continue reading Press Releases – Car CO2 emissions up: auto makers urge investment in charging infrastructure to boost electric cars

Manufacturers face fines of up to € 11.2 billion if they do not meet emissions targets

Posted 04/04/2019 13:53:17CET Volkswagen, the most exposed, with a possible impact of up to 3,869 million euros, according to Moody’s LONDON, 4 Apr (EUROPA PRESS) – Automakers face fines of between 2,403 and 11,198 million euros if they do not meet the new requirements on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions that will take effect in 2021… Continue reading Manufacturers face fines of up to € 11.2 billion if they do not meet emissions targets

Aston boss: cost of autonomy will force mass car firm mergers

The investment needed to develop connected and autonomous vehicles will likely lead to mass consolidation of car companies globally, according to Aston Martin boss Andy Palmer. Speaking at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) Connected Car Conference, Palmer said he believes many existing brands will have to form alliances, merge with or sell to… Continue reading Aston boss: cost of autonomy will force mass car firm mergers

Wednesday Morning Auto News, Apr 03, 2019

PSA chief says not focussed on partnership with Fiat Chrysler – Reuters: French carmaker PSA Group is not focussed on negotiating a new partnership with Fiat Chrysler, Chief Executive Officer Carlos Tavares said on Wednesday.
Blackstone raises $22 billion fund, its largest ev – Reuters: Asset manager Blackstone Group LP has raised more than $22 billion for its flagship buyout fund, which would be the company’s biggest ever, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
New McLaren Grand Tourer: latest pics of ‘rule-breaking’ model – Autocar: New McLaren Grand Tourer New GT, inspired by Speedtail hypercar, has been shown with reduced camouflage as test programme ramps up McLaren has released the clearest pictures yet of its new “rule-breaking” Grand Tourer ahead of its launch in May. The…
Jaguar Land Rover US sales fall, adding to parent Tata Motor’s woes – Nikkei:
Ford Brings Out the Jumper Cables in ChinaAgain – WSJ: Ford relaunched its China business, promising a bevy of new products, less than a year and a half after its last reboot failed to arrest a sharp decline in the …
Tesla preview: Musk in court, Q1 Model 3 delivery numbers – CNBC: CNBC’s Phil LeBeau joins “Squawk Box” to discuss what investors can expect from Tesla’s first quarter delivery numbers as well as Elon Musk’s legal battle with …

Toyota offers to share electrified tech with rival firms – Autocar: Japanese company will offer royalty-free licences to almost 24,000 electrified vehicle parts and systems Toyota will offer other car firms royalty-free use of nearly 24,000 patents it holds for electrified vehicle technology, in a bid to accelerate…
Ford, GM, Toyota unite to identify AV best practices – Automotive News: A trio of automakers and SAE International plan to identify safety principles and advance the testing, development and, ultimately, the deployment of Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous vehicles.
Ford teases sporty Puma small SUV – Automotive News: … Puma will compete against the Toyota C-HR, the Hyundai Kona, Kia Stonic and the upcoming replacements for the Renault Captur and Opel Mokka.
Ghosn’s sudden Twitter appearance is latest surprise move by ousted businessman – Reuters: Ousted Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn’s sudden appearance on Twitter on Wednesday was a surprise move by the businessman that perplexed people and sent journalists scrambling, and not for the first time.
Audi to showcase self-driving city car – Automotive News: Audi said its AI:ME design study demonstrates is vision for a self-driving city car for megacities. The concept will have its public debut at the Shanghai …
GM, Ford and Toyota join to advance self-driving testing, standards – Reuters: Three major automakers said on Wednesday they were forming a consortium to help draw up safety standards for self-driving cars that could eventually help …
Volkswagen begins testing automated cars in Hamburg – CNBC: The tests are being carried out by Volkswagen Group Research.
Foxconn shrinks Android arm and plots shift to automotive electronics – Nikkei: Foxconn’s Android smartphone arm is scaling back its mobile business and moving into next generation automotive electronics in a bid to …
Elon Musk reveals his favourite cryptocurrency – FT: We all know by now that Elon Musk is a fan of crypto. He told Tesla uber-shill Cathy Wood a few weeks ago that: Paper money is going away, and …
French carmaker PSA launches Citroen C5 Aircross SUV in India – Reuters: PSA Group on Wednesday launched its Citroen C5 Aircross SUV in India and said it would be available before the end of 2020, as the French carmaker re-enters the Indian market to expand beyond Europe.
VW to preview Tesla Model X fighter at Shanghai show – Automotive News: Volkswagen Group plans to launch 70 full-electric vehicles by 2028 and build 22 million cars off various EV architectures including the VW brand’s …
Asia tech companies fuel $23bn convertible bonds boom – FT: Shanghai-based electric-car maker Nio, for example, priced its IPO towards the low end of its range last year. The company raised $650m in a …
More Bad News for Lyft Stock: Congestion Pricing – Barrons: Ride-hailing company Lyft got some potentially bad news just days after it went public, as New York state passed a budget that includes new …
VW to preview Tesla Model X fighter at Shanghai auto show – Automotive News: Volkswagen’s I.D. Roomzz concept previews a flagship full-electric SUV that will rival the Tesla Model X. VW will debut the concept at the Shanghai auto show.
Ford gives Kuga ‘friendlier’ look – Automotive News: The Kuga was Europe’s was the fourth best-selling compact SUV in 2018 after the Nissan Qashqai, VW Tiguan and Peugeot 3008, data from JATO …
Ford to launch more than 30 new models in China over next 3 years – Reuters: Ford Motor plans to launch more than 30 new models in China over the next three years of which over a third will be electric vehicles, the U.S. automaker said on Wednesday, as it seeks to reverse slumping sales in the world’s top auto market.
Carlos Ghosn, Embattled Former Nissan Chief, Is on Twitter – New York Times: The auto executive, who faces criminal charges in Japan, said he would hold a news conference next week “to tell the truth about what’s happening.”
Daimler, BMW to limit cooperation to affordable electric car in China: paper – Reuters: Daimler and BMW are looking to limit their planned cooperation to jointly produce an affordable electric car in China, German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung …
Ford Puma: what’s in a name? – Autocar: The original Ford Puma The Puma nameplate makes a comeback. But this time the thinking is more inside than outside of the box One in three car buyers in Europe is choosing an SUV. Unless it”s a Ford, in which case it”s more like one SUV in every five…
VW Joins BMW in Testing Self-Driving Cars on German City Streets – Bloomberg: Volkswagen AG has started testing five electric and highly-automated versions of its Golf compact cars on the streets of Hamburg.
Carlos Ghosn opens Twitter account and vows to ‘tell truth’ – Nikkei:
Toyota to make thousands of hybrid patents royalty-free – FT: Toyota plans to make thousands of patents relating to its hybrid technology royalty-free, in a move analysts say will help keep the technology relevant …
Brussels Edition: French Disconnection – Bloomberg: With the threat of punitive U.S. tariffs on European cars and auto parts … No Exemption | The EU ordered the U.K. to claw back illegal tax breaks … fight with China nearly a year after the initial salvos of the trade war were fired. … contingency…
Carlos Ghosn on Twitter: Ready to ‘tell the truth’ about events – Reuters: Ousted Nissan Motor Co boss Carlos Ghosn on Wednesday said on Twitter that he was getting ready to tell the truth about recent events and that he would hold a news conference on April 11.
Toyota to give royalty-free access to hybrid-vehicle patents -Nikkei – Reuters: Toyota Motor Corp plans to offer royalty-free access to its hybrid-vehicle technology patents as early as this year, the Nikkei Asian Review reported on Wednesday.
Uber spent $2m lobbying for NY congestion charge – FT: Uber has spent $2m lobbying for congestion pricing in New York City since 2015, culminating in a first-in-the-nation plan to address problems …
Uber’s Main Rival in India Plans to Join London Race – Bloomberg: Ola, Uber Technologies Inc.’s biggest rival in India, said it will take on the ride-hailing giant in London before the end of the year after launching in five …
The mystery of Carlos Ghosn’s downfall – FT: Almost five months after his arrest at Tokyo’s Haneda airport, there is a still a lot we don’t know for certain about the downfall of Carlos Ghosn. We don’t …
Tokyo prosecutors readying new case against Ghosn over Oman payments: report – Reuters: Tokyo prosecutors are preparing to build a *fresh* case against ousted Nissan Motor Co Ltd chairman Carlos Ghosn over suspect payments the automaker made …
Infiniti concept hints at Q50-based sports car – Automotive News: The Infiniti sports car concept previews a future production model and is said to be based on the Q50 sedan.
Trump’s Embattled Fed Pick Has No Plans to Step Aside – New York Times: Stephen Moore, President Trump’s presumptive nominee for a seat on the Federal Reserve board, said on Tuesday that he had no …

Related

Tavares says PSA is not focused on partnership with Fiat Chrysler – Automotive News Europe

PSA Group is not focused on negotiating a new partnership with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, PSA CEO Carlos Tavares said. When asked if an alliance with FCA was something PSA is actively exploring or in talks about, Tavares said: “No, we are not targeting a specific company. We are working with all of our partners.” “If… Continue reading Tavares says PSA is not focused on partnership with Fiat Chrysler – Automotive News Europe