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

Porsche has reduced CO2 emissions by 75 percent since 2014

Porsche also reduced the corresponding energy consumption by around 31 percent in the same period. At the same time, the number of vehicles produced in Zuffenhausen and Leipzig increased by 82 percent: from 101,449 (2014) to 184,791 units in 2018. “We at Porsche are aware of our responsibility in terms of environmental and climate protection,”… Continue reading Porsche has reduced CO2 emissions by 75 percent since 2014

Volkswagen Group secures lithium supplies

Volkswagen Group and Chinese manufacturer Ganfeng sign memorandum of understanding for long-term lithium supplies Group Board Member for Procurement, Dr. Sommer: “Crucial strategic significance for implementing Volkswagen’s electric offensive” The Volkswagen Group and Ganfeng Lithium Co., Ltd. registered in Jiangxi (China) have signed a memorandum of understanding on long-term lithium supplies for battery cells. Under… Continue reading Volkswagen Group secures lithium supplies

EU regulators charge BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen with emissions collusion

FILE PHOTO: A logo of German luxury carmaker BMW, is seen ahead of the company’s annual news conference in Munich, Germany, March 20, 2019. REUTERS/Michael Dalder/File Photo BRUSSELS (Reuters) – EU antitrust regulators charged BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen on Friday for hindering competition on emission cleaning technology between 2006 to 2014. The European Commission said… Continue reading EU regulators charge BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen with emissions collusion

Old Opel love does not rust

*/ ]]> Armin Rauschenberger in front of some models from his classic car collection. Armin Rauschenberger’s great-grandfather next to his captain (besides the father of Armin Rauschenberger as a child). Armin Rauschenberger owns about 15 Opel classic cars; predominantly models with six-cylinder engines. His fondness is no coincidence: when – a few days after his… Continue reading Old Opel love does not rust

Thursday Morning Auto News, Apr 04, 2019

This edition of the Morning Auto News brought to you from Hong Kong.

Ford watches from the top as Chevy Silverado, Ram pickups brawl for No. 2 – Freep: A few questions with Kumar Galhotra. Kumar Galhotra, president of Ford North America answers a few questions at Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, MI on …
Tesla”s output slowed to 77,100 vehicles in Q1 – Detroitnews: The Palo Alto company churned out 77,100 vehicles from January to March, well behind the pace it must sustain
Tesla’s junk bond slammed on car deliveries miss; CDS cost surges – Reuters: Tesla Inc’s $1.8 billion junk bond price fell by the most in seven months and the cost to insure its debt against default surged on Thursday after a bigger-than-expected drop in first-quarter deliveries.
The Renault-Nissan Alliance Against Carlos Ghosn – Bloomberg: The Renault-Nissan Alliance Against Carlos Ghosn … The downfall of Carlos Ghosn, once idolized as the globe-trotting genius who turned France’s …
Auto parts maker ZF Friedrichshafen wins biggest order in firm’s history – Reuters: * CEO sees autonomous driving as too expensive for private cars

Citroen C5 Aircross will be PSA ‘flagship’ in India – Automotive News: The C5 Aircross compact SUV will lead Citroen’s entry into the Indian market, followed by three vehicles from a new range developed specifically for …
Model 3 Tracker Misses Tesla’s Production Shortfall – Bloomberg: Bloomberg’s experimental tool overestimated production amid Tesla’s international rollout.
IPWhoa: What to know before joining this year’s IPO wave – Washington Post: The ride-hailing company’s stock surged more than 20% from its IPO price on Friday. But by the first hour of Lyft’s second day of trading, the stock had …
Former Hyundai, Nissan exec Rushforth joins auto data specialist – Automotive News: Rushforth’s automotive career includes stints at Rover Group, BMW Group, Jaguar Land Rover, Audi and UK dealer group Lookers. He was vice …
Tesla shares skid after first-quarter deliveries disappoint – Reuters: Tesla Inc shares fell more than 8 percent on Thursday after a bigger-than-expected drop in first-quarter deliveries, led by waning demand for its luxury Model S …
How Daimler got into a fight with Detroit – Automotive News: Mercedes-Benz USA filed four lawsuits against Detroit mural artists after a dispute over Instagram photos posted in January 2018.
Tesla delivery numbers indicate 2019 will be a rough year – CNBC: Tesla’s first-quarter delivery numbers indicate the company has some tough … questions surrounding demand for its Model 3 sedan and CEO Elon Musk’s legal … Tesla did reiterate its annual delivery guidance of 360,000 to 400,000 …
Skoda’s new components chief is powertrain expert – Automotive News: Volkswagen Group veteran Christian Bleiel will head component production at Skoda. Bleiel succeeds Frank Engel, who moves to …
The Data German Stocks Care Most About Is China’s Data – Bloomberg: Important German car exports show some bottom-building, Ifo Institute business expectations gained last month for the first time since August 2018, …
For Carlos Ghosn, an Early Morning Knock Increases the Pressure, Again – New York Times: The authorities knocked on Carlos Ghosn’s door just before 6 a.m. He and his wife, Carole Ghosn, were still in their pajamas.
Stock futures stall | Tesla shares tanks | Dimon defends capitalism – CNBC: It’s not clear that the stock market’s recent rally will end today, but it’s also unclear that it will continue, with futures trading close to the flat line.
JP Morgan says Tesla just undermined Elon Musk’s defense against the SEC – CNBC: Tesla may have just hurt Elon Musk’s own case in his battle with the SEC, according to J.P. Morgan. “The now clear incongruence of CEO outlook …
Brexit Turns Off UK Car Buyers With Worst March Since 2013 – Bloomberg: Car sales dropped 3.4 percent year-on-year to 458,054 passenger vehicles as consumers stayed away from showrooms during what’s usually a …
Elon Musk’s Plan to Boost Tesla Sales Is Dealt a Setback – Fortune: The shortfall is a setback for Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk’s plan to accelerate sales with lower prices and target more markets worldwide.
Wall Street analysts say Tesla’s first-quarter deliveries were ‘substantially worse’ than expected – CNBC: Wall Street analysts were very disappointed in Tesla’s first-quarter delivery and production figures.
Opinion: Why safety tech and speed limiters can’t save us all – Autocar: The motor industry and global legislators want our roads to be fatality-free in future, but that could present a conundrum that technology can”t solve To recap, then, Volvo recently announced that it”s limiting all of its cars to 112mph from 2021. It…
Ghosn’s lawyer slams Japan’s ‘hostage justice’ after Ghosn rearrested – Automotive News: … escalating the legal jeopardy facing the former chairman of the Renault, Nissan, Mitsubishi alliance and potentially stymying plans to tell his side of …
Elon Musk Tweet to Get Review From Judge as SEC Seeks Sanctions – Bloomberg: A federal judge in Manhattan will spend the afternoon Thursday considering Elon Musk’s February Twitter post that the SEC claims is beyond the pale.
Elon Musk to square off with SEC in court at contempt hearing – Reuters: Lawyers for Tesla Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk will argue on Thursday that he did not violate a fraud settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and should not be held in contempt, the latest twist in a high-profile battle between the…
Self-driving cars could provide £62bn boost to UK economy by 2030 – Guardian: But such potential would be threatened by a no-deal Brexit, says SMMT.
Uber but for Xi Jinping – New York Times: If there’s one thing we know for certain about China in 2019, it’s that people there love their apps. They use WeChat to talk with friends; they spend …
Tesla’s Elon Musk to square off with SEC in court at contempt hearing – Reuters: … could lead to restrictions on his activities or even his removal from Tesla, while distracting him at a pivotal point in the electric car maker’s expansion.
Tesla, Volvo, Audi make gains as German market slips 0.5% in March – Automotive News: Registrations in Germany fell 0.5 percent to 345,523 in March, according to data published by the KBA Motor Transport Authority on …
Ready For a Fast Charge? – Bloomberg: Electric car chargers are evolving at lightning speed– trouble is, batteries are having a tough time keeping up More via @business: …
Uber Beefs Up Lobbying in Pre-IPO Makeover: The Influence Game – Bloomberg: A relative newcomer to Washington, Uber Technologies Inc. has revved up its Washington influence machine as the ride-sharing company expands …
Lyft Is Luring Investors, Just Not the Kind It Wants – New York Times: The percentage of shares on loan at Lyft is roughly equal to the level at Tesla, the electric-car maker, whose chief executive has waged a very public …
Energy group Total’s Saft arm strikes China batteries deal – Reuters: The Saft subsidiary of French energy group Total has struck a new deal to expand its presence in China in the fast growing market for batteries, energy storage and electric vehicles.
Tesla’s dire deliveries – FT: The electric car company reported total deliveries of 63,000, a 31 per cent drop … and far below analyst’s consensus of 71,350, according to Bloomberg data. … This led to 10,600 cars being in transit to customers at quarter end, the …
Aston boss: cost of autonomy will force mass car firm mergers – Autocar: Andy Palmer predicts major industry consolidation due to heavy spending required to develop new technology The investment needed to develop connected and autonomous vehicles will likely lead to mass consolidation of car companies globally, according…
Volkswagen tests self-driving tech in Hamburg – Automotive News: Volkswagen Group has started testing Level 4 self-driving technology on the streets of Hamburg in Germany. The tests involve five e-Golfs …
China flags support for parallel car imports, used car markets – Reuters: China’s commerce ministry said on Thursday that it will roll out measures to support the country’s parallel car imports and used automobile markets to boost car sales.
Total Teams With Chinese Battery Maker in Latest Shift for Big Oil – Bloomberg: Total bought battery maker Saft for 950 million euros ($1.07 billion) in 2016, while Royal Dutch Shell Plc acquired car-charging operator NewMotion a …
Italy sales slump 10% in March as consumer confidence declines – Automotive News: Within the Volkswagen Group, VW brand registrations slipped 3.5 percent and Skoda 1.8 percent, while Seat sales rose 14 percent. The T-Roc small …
Spain sales fall 4% in March as diesel share falls to new low – Automotive News: Within the Volkswagen Group, the VW brand suffered a 14 percent decline in March and Skoda dropped 20 percent. The Spanish brand Seat saw …
Nikkei edges up to 1-month high on trade optimism – Reuters: Japan’s Nikkei edged up to a one-month high on Thursday as investors bought carmakers and other cyclical shares on growing hopes that a trade deal can be reached between Washington and Beijing.
Prosecutors confiscate Ghosn’s wife’s passport, mobile – Ghosn’s lawyer – Reuters: Tokyo prosecutors confiscated the passport and mobile phone of Carlos Ghosn’s wife, Carole, when they arrested the former Nissan boss on Thursday morning, his lawyer said, adding that the defence team would “strongly appeal” the latest arrest.
Ghosn getting French consular protection -finance minister – Reuters: Ousted Renault-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn, who was re-arrested in Japan on Thursday, is getting French consular protection, French finance minister Bruno Le Maire told BFM TV.
Ghosn reiterates innocence, asks French government to defend him – Reuters: Carlos Ghosn called on the French government to defend him and reiterated that he was innocent in an interview aired on Thursday with French TV stations TF1 and LCI.
New Renault Zoe EV to be ..

Ex-Smart boss replaces Cherie Blair as inspector: Annette Winkler docks on Renault’s supervisory board – for a tough job

REUTERS Annette Winkler at the presentation of the new Smart ForTwo in July 2014 Staying away from the car industry for a long time – that’s probably not the business of former Smart boss Annette Winkler. At the end of September 2018 she joined the Leadership of Daimler’s small car brand to her successor Katrin… Continue reading Ex-Smart boss replaces Cherie Blair as inspector: Annette Winkler docks on Renault’s supervisory board – for a tough job

Topping out ceremony for “Porsche Experience Centre” at the Hockenheimring

The seventh customer experience centre in the world of the sports car manufacturer is being built on an area of around 176,000 square metres, and is scheduled to commence operation in October 2019. It includes a modern building complex, a handling track, driving dynamics areas and an off-road course. The project is being realised by… Continue reading Topping out ceremony for “Porsche Experience Centre” at the Hockenheimring

Daimler works council warns before Hauruck change to the electric car

If one were to listen to environmentalists and politicians, then the electric car would already be in masses on the street. But among those responsible in car companies, the discomfort of this change grows with the crowbar. Hydrogen Benz: So far almost in one-off production Thursday, 04.04.2019 08:44 clock The hype around that electric car… Continue reading Daimler works council warns before Hauruck change to the electric car