Ford Motor Co on Thursday named Steven Armstrong president of the Changan Ford joint venture in China to deepen the alliance and push for more models, as the U.S. carmaker tries to stem a decline in sales in the world's second largest economy. Sales of the joint venture with Chongqing-based Changan Automobile continued to decline in July. In the first seven months of this year, the venture's sales dropped more than 60 per cent compared to the same period a year earlier.
BMWs new chief executive urged employees to embrace change and to find innovative ways to help the Bavarian carmaker overtake rival Mercedes at a time when demand for luxury cars is waning. Oliver Zipse addressed staff in an internal email a day after his predecessor Harald Krueger stepped down. BMW has lost ground to Mercedes-Benz producer Daimler in the past five years and seen rivals such as Tesla jump ahead in electric car sales.
Italian premium sports car maker Ferrari NV will expand sales of easier-driving grand touring cars, but will not try to chase rival Porsche's annual sales volume, Ferrari Chairman John Elkann told an audience of classic car enthusiasts gathered at this storied golf resort on the Pacific coast. Elkann also reiterated that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, of which he is chairman, remains open to opportunities to combine with other automakers, but is positioned to remain independent. Fiat Chrysler in May proposed a merger with French automaker Renault SA, but the deal fell apart after the French government intervened and Elkann withdrew the proposed merger.
The conference provides a rare opportunity for enthusiasts to learn about car hacking, a resource-intense research field that requires specialized knowledge and lots of preparation.
Tesla Inc has stood by safety claims for its Model 3 in the face of regulatory scrutiny, while documents showed the top U.S. automotive safety watchdog issued at least five subpoenas since last year seeking information about crashes involving the company's vehicles.
General Motors Co persuaded the U.S. federal judge who oversees nationwide litigation over defective ignition switches to narrow claims by owners who said their vehicles lost value because of the defect, which has been linked to 124 deaths. In a decision late on Tuesday afternoon, U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman said owners in three "bellwether" states - California, Missouri and Texas - could not seek damages based on the difference in value between what they paid for their defective vehicles and what the vehicles were really worth.
Honda Motor Co Ltd's venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group Co Ltd will recall 222,674 Accord sedans in China, market regulators said on Thursday, after recent complaints on social media about the car engine's quality. The recall is linked to a problem caused by the intercooler of the car's 1.5T turbocharged engine. In certain situations, the engine lost speed to protect the vehicle, according to a document on China's State Administration for Market Regulation.
in China and drop two of their four shared assembly plants, according to a document seen by Reuters, in a last-ditch bid to curb mounting losses as the world's largest auto market loses steam. Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen Automobiles (DPCA), the carmakers' joint venture based in Wuhan, central China, will halve its workforce to 4,000 as it closes one plant and sells another under plans agreed last month between PSA boss Carlos Tavares and Dongfeng Chairman Zhu Yanfeng, the document showed.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Thursday he signed a decree that lays out government support to build an electric vehicle (EV) industry in Southeast Asia's largest economy, the Cabinet Secretariat said in a statement. Widodo did not elaborate, but a draft of the decree reviewed by Reuters ahead of the signing showed it contained a series of incentives to boost production and purchase of EVs. Widodo said in the statement that the key to the EV industry is in the construction of the batteries they run on and the "raw materials to make a battery: cobalt, manganese and others, we have in this country."
Indian automaker Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd said on Thursday it plans to open a plant in Flint, Michigan, to make vehicles including mail delivery trucks for the U.S. market, a move that could create up to 2,000 jobs. Mahindra already produces its off-road Roxor vehicle at its manufacturing facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan, which is at full capacity. "A significant facility expansion is envisioned to support manufacturing and assembly of new products for the U.S. market," Mahindra said in a statement.
Carmakers Nissan Motor Co and Renault SA are trying to reach a deal to reshape their global alliance, in hopes of reviving Renault's merger talks with Italy's Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing emails and people briefed on the talks.
Volkswagen Group shares rose 2% after the carmaker posted a 30% rise in second-quarter operating profit despite a drop in vehicle sales as rising demand for sports utility vehicles and premium brands boosted margins. Volkswagen bucked a trend of falling demand for passenger cars by launching a range of higher-margin sports utility vehicles at a time when demand for sedans is falling. Daimler, Aston Martin and supplier Continental warned on profits this week. "Very solid and clean set of numbers, marginally ahead of consensus," Jefferies analyst Philippe Houchois said about Volkswagen's earnings in a note on Thursday.
Ford Motor Co will lay off about approximately 200 employees in September at a Canadian manufacturing plant in Oakville, Ontario, with the possibility of more layoffs in January, the company said on Friday. Ford employs approximately 4,600 workers at the Oakville plant. "We have been arguing as a local for the past several weeks trying to persuade the company from somehow avoiding this scenario, but to no avail," Dave Thomas, president of Unifor Local 707, in Oakville, Ontario, said in a note to members that was posted on the union's website on Wednesday.
arlos Ghosn has launched a court case in the Netherlands against Japanese carmakers Nissan Motor and Mitsubishi Motors, who ousted him as chairman of their alliance last year on charges of embezzlement, Dutch newspaper NRC reported on Saturday. Ghosn is seeking 15 million euros ($16.8 million) in damages from the carmakers, as grave mistakes were made when he was sacked, NRC reported, citing his lawyer.
The Alfa Romeo Formula One team have appointed Jan Monchaux as technical director, replacing Ferrari-bound Simone Resta who leaves at the end of July.
The Trump administration said late on Friday it was issuing final rules to suspend a 2016 Obama administration regulation that more than doubled penalties for automakers failing to meet fuel efficiency requirements. Congress in 2015 ordered federal agencies to adjust a wide range of civil penalties to account for inflation and, in response, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) under President Barack Obama issued rules to eventually raise fines to $14 from $5.50 for every 0.1 mile per gallon of fuel that new cars and trucks consume in excess of the required standards.
Plans to merge carmakers Renault and Fiat Chrysler could re-emerge despite the breakdown of negotiations last week, France's transport minister said on Tuesday, joining a chorus of French officials hoping the deal could be revived. Asked if talks between the two companies were over, Elisabeth Borne told BFM TV: "I think it is not closed."
Toyota Motor Corp aims to have half of its global sales from electrified vehicles by 2025, five years ahead of schedule, and said it will tie up with Chinese battery makers to accommodate an accelerated shift to electric power. The change illustrates both the breakneck growth in the electric vehicle (EV) market - which is transforming the global auto industry - and an acknowledgment by Japan's top automaker that it may not be able to meet demand for batteries on its own.
Fiat Chrysler is in advanced discussions to forge extensive ties with Frances's Renault, the Financial Times reported on Saturday, citing multiple people informed on the talks. The paper said the carmakers were seeking to join forces to tackle structural challenges facing the global auto industry.
Ferrari are considering engaging with Netflix on a second Formula One documentary as well as joining the rest of the 10 teams in the esports world championship, team boss Mattia Binotto said on Friday. Ferrari and champions Mercedes did not cooperate on the successful 'Drive to Survive' 10-part fly-on-the-wall series filmed by Netflix last season, arguing that they needed to focus on the title battle. When their cars or drivers did feature, it was from the official world feed television footage.
