Tag: FCA

Interview: former Mercedes boss Dieter Zetsche – Top Gear

Few people have had as much influence on the cars we drive as Dieter Zetsche. He was chief engineer at Mercedes from the early-1990s, responsible for a rapid expansion in the model range. He was made boss of the merged DaimlerChrysler organisation, and boss of the Daimler Group since the two split. A quarter century. We… Continue reading Interview: former Mercedes boss Dieter Zetsche – Top Gear

Jaguar Land Rover looks to forge “strategic, tactical partnerships” to be future-ready

Luxury car and SUV manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover, which has weighed heavy on owner Tata Motors’ Q1 FY2020 numbers, is making moves to better its performance. As it advances on a major cost-cutting drive, it also recognises the need to be future-ready. Towards that objective, the Tata Motors-owned company is looking at striking new partnerships even as it faces some major headwinds.

Speaking at Tata Motors’ annual general meeting in Mumbai today, chairman N Chandrasekaran said: “The only way to handle this need for capex is additional investment through partnerships, because we want to spread the investment. There are many discussions underway from tactical to strategic.”
This could mean the company could forge new connections with established automotive players globally or even with start-ups. Something similar to what global automakers like Daimler and the BMW Group are doing.

Addressing shareholders, Chandrasekaran also said that Jaguar Land Rover witnessed growth in China during July 2019, for the first time in a year. The market slowdown in China meant a sizeable drop in JLR’s volumes, between 40-50 percent. “But I'm hopeful because for the first time in 12 months, we are seeing a positive volume growth in China in July. Last month it recovered and this month it looks good. But we need to wait for a couple of more months to see whether there's a trend,” said Chandrasekharan.

Brexit impacting JLR's supply chain
Another issue impacting the luxury carmaker's future growth is Brexit. The danger and impact felt by automakers in Britain in leaving the European Union without a trade deal in place will be much more of Jaguar Land Rover than any other company.

“The real concern is if Brexit were to happen with a deal or no deal, what will be the impact on our supply chain? Jaguar imports millions of components from other parts of the world, particularly Europe into UK. In the situation of Brexit, there's a possibility of a supply chain breakdown which essentially means production cannot happen, inventories are to be maintained and some of the losses that we are seeing is also because we have to calibrate the supply chain,” said Chandrasekaran.

“Like any other auto company, JLR has to invest in future technologies to address the move away from ICE to hybrid and electric. It also has to invest in future models, make necessary investments in areas like shared mobility, and also beyond that. That's very important to stay alive in this ecosystem. All this means is there is a need for capital investment if you want to be future-ready.”

“During the past 12-18 months, we have cut down capex from around £4.5 billion (Rs 34,483 crore) to £3.98 billion (Rs 30,499 crore) last year. We are working towards cutting down further but we can't take a very drastic cut. These opportunities keep coming and we keep evaluating every one of these opportunities and as long as it is in the interest of Tata Motors, we will forge such partnerships so that we are able to address the capex,” said Chandrasekaran.

It may be recollected that Jaguar Land Rover’s CEO, Ralf Speth, has repeatedly warned of the damage a No-Deal Brexit could cause if cars made in the UK but exported to Europe carry a tariff, or if parts required to build cars in the UK are required to undergo border checks. He has estimated the potential cost to the firm to be up to £60m (Rs 510 crore) per day.

Also read: Toyota commits $600m in new JV with China's DiDi

Daimler sees investment by long-term ally BAIC Group

Daimler and BMW join forces to develop SAE Level 4 automated driving vehicles

Hyundai and Rimac upbeat on electric sports car and high-performance FCEV plan

Proposed FCA, Renault merger will create world's third largest OEM

Mahindra and Ford to jointly develop midsize SUV for India and emerging markets

Friday Morning Auto News, Jul 26, 2019

No-deal Brexit threatens UK car production, industry warns PM Johnson – Reuters: A no-deal Brexit is an existential threat to the British car industry and would risk output, a British car industry body warned new Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday.
After Nissan, a profit plunge at Renault too – Reuters: French automaker Renault cuts revenue goal after a weaker first half, a day after alliance partner Nissan announced big job cuts and earnings woes. Francis …
SpaceX successfully flies Mars prototype rocket for the first time – CNBC: SpaceX took a noticeable step forward in its development of a massive, next-generation means of space transportation.
Real-world benefits of car safety technology – Reuters: .comAutomakers are accelerating the rollout of technology designed to avoid crashes and improve road safety. Here’s a look at selected crash avoidance features, …
Renault CEO Bollore on Nissan Alliance, Collapsed Fiat Talks, Sales – Bloomberg: Renault SA Chief Executive Officer Thierry Bollore discusses the French automaker’s sales, its alliance with Nissan Motor Co., the collapsed talks with Fiat …

ABB Stock Dropped Because Auto Makers Aren’t Buying Enough Robots – Barrons: The stock dropped anyway, by about 2% in overseas trading, because the global automotive industry is weak. That isn’t a surprise. Automotive is the …
New auto safety technology leaves insurers in the dark – Reuters: Automakers are accelerating the rollout of technology designed to avoid crashes, but insurance companies are …
Editorial: Even car companies aren’t going along with Trump’s rollback of mileage and emissions standards – Latimes: President Trump is hellbent on rolling back the nation’s fight against climate change. But he’s increasingly going it alone. Even some of the companies whose …
Tesla Loses a Founder, and a Piece of Its Soul – Bloomberg: J.B. Straubel, the outgoing technology chief, says he’s taking a break before getting back to “building things.”
Wildcat Discovery, InoBat to build electric car battery line in Slovakia – Reuters: Slovak group InoBat and U.S. energy tech firm Wildcat Discovery Technologies will build a 100 million euro ($111 million) automotive battery production line in …
Woes at Maruti Suzuki underscore troubles in India’s car industry – FT: India’s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki, has recorded a 27.3 per cent drop in net profits in the April to June quarter, compared to the same period last …
Ford will ax Ka+ minicar in Europe – Automotive News: PSA Group’s Opel-Vauxhall unit has said it will drop its Karl and Adam minicars. PSA has also hinted that the Peugeot 108 and Citroen C1 might be …
Renault cuts revenue goal as car industry misery spreads – Reuters: Renault warned revenue may decline this year, scrapping a previous goal, after first-half profit was hit by weakening car demand and an earnings collapse at alliance partner Nissan in the wake of the Carlos Ghosn scandal.
Maruti Suzuki India June-quarter profit dives, but tops estimates – Reuters: IndiaMaruti Suzuki India Ltd on Friday posted a 27.3% plunge in its first-quarter net profit amid an industry-wide slowdown in demand, but beat market expectations.
Ford, BMW, VW, Honda reach compromise with California on emissions – Automotive News: The automakers reached an agreement on fuel efficiency rules with California, which accounts for 12 percent of U.S. vehicle sales.
China’s CATL to start battery storage business in Japan with Next Energy – Reuters: China’s electric vehicle battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) said it will start offering products to homes and plants in …
Renault cuts revenue goal after weaker first half – Reuters: Renault warned that revenue may decline this year, scrapping a previous goal, after first-half profit was hit by weakening car demand and an earnings collapse at alliance partner Nissan in the wake of the Carlos Ghosn scandal.
French carmaker Renault cuts 2019 revenue outlook – Reuters: French carmaker Renault on Friday cut its 2019 revenue outlook, on the back of falling demand and tough conditions within the automotive industry.
China will not set blanket winter output cuts for heavy industry – Reuters: China’s central government will not set overall output restrictions on heavy industry for the coming winter, but will direct local governments to set limits based on manufacturers’ emissions, the environment ministry said on Friday.
Renault Lowers Sales Outlook as Europe Auto Downturn Takes Hold – Bloomberg: Renault SA lowered its outlook for full-year sales as the French carmaker grapples with a downturn in the European car market and dismal results from partner …
As electric vehicle production ramps up worldwide, a supply crunch for battery materials is looming – CNBC: As car manufacturers ramp up production of electric cars, metals used to make the vehicles’ batteries may face a supply crunch, according to a new report.
China’s Pony.ai gallops up behind Google in driverless cars – Nikkei: China’s Pony.ai gallops up behind Google in driverless cars … China also maintains tighter restrictions on self-driving cars than the U.S., and there … a one-hour drive from the city center, and plans to expand the fleet to 100 this year.
Japan, US eyeing ministerial trade talks in Washington, DC on August 1 – Reuters: Japanese Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi is … and instead wants to prod the United States into cutting tariffs on auto parts.
SoftBank Forms $108 Billion Vision Fund 2 With Apple, Microsoft – Bloomberg: … two or three years to take advantage of opportunities to invest in cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and autonomous driving.

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Thursday Morning Auto News, Jul 25, 2019

‘Not a lot to like’ – Analysts pan Tesla as the shares are slammed on poor results – CNBC: “We continue to believe Tesla is fundamentally overvalued but strategically undervalued,” Morgan Stanley said. “Overall, we doubt this quarter will …
Tesla Tech Chief’s Exit Is Latest High-Profile Departure – Wall Street Journal: In January, Tesla surprised investors when it announced during another earnings … Mr. Straubel outlasted Martin Eberhard, another founder of Tesla.
Tata Motors posts wider quarterly loss on weak JLR sales – Nikkei:
Diesel Chevy Silverado 1500 pickup blows past Ford F-150, Ram in mpg – Freep: “Any consumer looking for a fuel-efficient, powerful option can find one in the diesel option of America’s favorite vehicle, the pickup truck,” Diesel …
Eight Months After Ghosn’s Exit, Nissan Remains Stuck in a Rut – Bloomberg: A weaker Nissan means less clout for the carmaker in its alliance with … Saddled by aging car models such as the Juke and Murano, Nissan sold 6% …

Four automakers, California strike compromise on vehicle emissions – Reuters: Ford Motor Co, BMW AG, Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) and Honda Motor Co said on Thursday they have reached a …
Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: 3M, Comcast, Raytheon, Southwest, Tesla & more – CNBC: Names on the move ahead of the open.
Jaguar Land Rover posts £395 million loss due to falling sales – Autocar: Jaguar Land Rover recorded a £395 million loss in the last three months, due to declining sales and the impact of a planned Brexit shutdown – but …
VW Q2 operating profit rises 30% as utility vehicle push pays off – Automotive News: VW expects vehicle deliveries in 2019 to exceed last year’s figure and for revenues in the passenger cars and commercial vehicles divisions to grow at least 5 percent.
ABB cautions on China as robotics sales flag – Reuters: ABB Ltd (ABBN. … Demand for cars in Europe is 3.1% down in the year to date while Mercedes maker Daimler this week also …
DiDi, Toyota to set up JV for smart fleet management – Xinhuanet: The two parties announced collaboration on the e-Palette, a self-driving modular store in January 2018, and have piloted vehicle-related services for …
Tata Motors first-quarter loss nearly doubles – Reuters: Tata Motors Ltd reported a bigger quarterly loss on Thursday, as a slump in demand for cars continued at home, while plant shutdowns and delays resulting from issues arising due to Britain’s planned exit from the European Union also hurt earnings.
Earnings tumble at automakers, but VW defies the gloom – Reuters: More evidence has emerged of tough times for the auto sector following weak numbers at Ford, Nissan and Tesla. But Volkswagen is defying the …
Alphabet’s Sales Under Microscope After Last Quarter’s Debacle – Bloomberg: … year and updates on progress in hardware and Other Bets, which includes its self-driving car unit Waymo, according to UBS analyst Eric Sheridan.
The Little Hybrid That Could, and Still Can – New York Times: When Honda introduced the first hybrid vehicle in America, the 2000 Insight, there was technological wonder, but few would call …
Aston Martin Bear Says It Needs to Raise a Billion Pounds to Catch Up With Ferrari – Bloomberg: The only analyst with a sell rating on Aston Martin Lagonda shares says the luxury carmaker will need to raise at least a billion pounds ($1.25 billion) in *fresh* …
Aston Martin fails to sell Vanquish’s tooling, design drawings – Automotive News: Aston Martin has written off 19 million pounds ($24 million) after the sale of the tooling and design drawings of the automaker’s Vanquish …
China exports gasoline to Mexico, Nigeria amid overflowing output – Reuters: … confidence as the trade war continues, reflected also in slumping car sales, said … Gasoline demand growth is also sliding as Chinese automobile sales, … (GRAPHIC: China’s auto sales in 12 months decline – tmsnrt.rs/2MlLS4b).
India’s auto parts makers warn of 1 million job cuts if slowdown continues – Reuters: India’s auto parts industry could be forced to slash a fifth of its 5 million or so workforce if the slowdown in vehicle sales …
Nissan will cut 12500 jobs as Q1 profit nearly wiped out – Automotive News: Nissan said it is axing 12,500 jobs after reporting its quarterly profit was nearly wiped out, hurt by an aging product lineup and a slide in …
Volkswagen to boost SUV sales to 40% of total by 2020 – Reuters: Volkswagen expects the proportion of sports utility vehicle sales to rise to 40% by 2020, from 25% last year, Chief Financial Officer Frank Witter said on …
Nissan to cut 12,500 jobs, more than double initial plan – Nikkei:
Nissan Earnings Sees 99% Profit Plunge – Bloomberg: Nissan reports a 99% plunge in first-fiscal quarter operating profit. Bloomberg’s Dani Burger reports on “Bloomberg Markets: European Open.” (Source: …
Nissan to Cut 12500 Jobs as It Struggles After Ghosn’s Arrest – Wall Street Journal: Nissan Chief Executive Hiroto Saikawa is cutting costs as he seeks to … On Thursday, Nissan said it planned to cut global production capacity by 10% …
Nissan to cut 12,500 jobs as first-quarter profit nearly wiped out – Reuters: Nissan Motor Co said on Thursday it would slash 12,500 jobs globally by 2022 and cut output to rein in costs as it suffers from sluggish sales and rising costs and tries to recover from a scandal surrounding ousted Chairman Carlos Ghosn.
Volkswagen Has ‘Strong Foundation,’ CFO Says – Bloomberg: Volkswagen AG Chief Financial Officer Frank Witter talks about the automaker’s financial results and business outlook. Volkswagen’s second-quarter operating …
Toyota Invests $600 Million in Chinese Ride-Hailing Giant Didi – Bloomberg: Their partnership builds on an alliance Didi started last year with a coterie of carmakers including China FAW Group, Dongfeng Motor Group and …
Nissan’s Ignoring the Rot at Home – Washington Post: If you’re looking for a metaphor for how politics has swamped decision-making at Nissan Motor Co., look no further than reported plans to restructure …
Volkswagen first-half operating profit up 10% on higher Volkswagen, Porsche sales – Reuters: Volkswagen Group (VOWG_p.DE) on Thursday said its first half operating profit rose 10.3% to 9 billion euros ($10.02 billion), …
Toyota says to invest $600 million in China’s Didi, new joint venture – Reuters: Toyota Motor Corp said on Thursday it will invest $600 million ( £481 million ) in Didi Chuxing and a new joint venture, as part of an agreement to expand …
As Tesla losses continue, Musk points to global growth – Automotive News: Tesla CEO Elon Musk, after reporting a surprisingly large loss in the second quarter, pointed toward an eventual, if delayed, return to profitability and …
Tesla Breaks Records But Doesn’t Break Even – Bloomberg: Just before the Q&A portion of Wednesday evening’s second-quarter call, CEO Elon Musk announced that JB Straubel, the company’s veteran chief …
SpaceX stops test of Starship prototype rocket during surprise livestream – CNBC: SpaceX was attempting to fly its “Starship” prototype rocket in its first short flight of more than a few feet off the ground on Wednesday.
Space jam? Companies risk clutter, conflict in race for the skies – Reuters: Aerospace companies such as Musk’s SpaceX and Bezos’ Blue Origin are aiming to become the first private firm to launch a human into space.

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Subscribed 505 incentives for the exodus for Fca workers, Uilm: “Now we need investments and active policies for the Turin sites”

Today, Wednesday 24 July, the voluntary exodus agreement was signed by the trade unions by the end of 2019 for 505 workers of the Fca group. Aniello Montella and the general secretary of Uilm Dario Basso explained: “This agreement covered the whole Mirafiori front, Agap, central structures, Mirafiori Power Train Plant, presses, mold construction and… Continue reading Subscribed 505 incentives for the exodus for Fca workers, Uilm: “Now we need investments and active policies for the Turin sites”

Farewell to the V12: celebrating the endangered engine

You start to really hear the engine and, here’s the thing, feel it, too. It’s not a howl like that made by the best six-cylinder motors, nor the rumble and thunder of a crossplane-crank V8. In fact, it’s almost impossible to define without resorting to the kind of terms that have become clichés because they… Continue reading Farewell to the V12: celebrating the endangered engine