Automakers and SuppliersHyundai, Kia losing ground to luxury imports at home as tariffs fall 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 19, 2013 Foreign brands have seen their share of South Korea's market for premium vehicles surge to 41 percent from 28 percent in the past two years, according to Korean industry groups, as lower tariffs make their cars cheaper and local buyers abandon a decades-long preference for domestic brands.... Read More »
Behind the scenes, Straubel keeps Tesla running at pivotal time 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 18, 2013 Elon Musk was fresh off the sale of PayPal and starting another business, commercial rocket service Space Exploration Technologies, when he met kindred spirit JB Straubel. Their shared belief that consumer electronics advances could be applied to more earthly modes of transport is a cornerstone of Tesla Motors.... Read More »
Audi overtakes BMW as India's top-selling premium brandMay 18, 2013 06:01 CET Audi has overtaken BMW as India's top seller of luxury vehicles, and Audi executives say the success is due to the automaker's rapid expansion outside large urban centers, as well as the Q3 SUV introduced last year.... Read More »
GM shares return to $33 IPO price on optimism for truck sales 10:19 am U.S. ET | May 17, 2013 Shares in GM topped its $33 initial public offering price for the first time in more than two years as the automaker prepares to introduce redesigned full-sized pickups.... Read More »
ANDREW THURLOW Nissan lures feathered pickup customers with fish, no rebates 10:57 am U.S. ET | May 17, 2013 If Nissan wants to portray its made-in-the-U.S.A. Frontier compact pickup as more, well, American, the company's marketing team should take a gander at YouTube.... Read More »
UAW study chides Nissan for tax breaks at Miss. plant 3:37 pm U.S. ET | May 17, 2013 A research study commissioned by UAW labor organizers claims that Nissan could receive four times the previously reported level of state and local incentives and tax breaks to operate its assembly plant in Canton, Miss.... Read More »
European car sales post 1st gain in 19 months 5:19 am U.S. ET | May 17, 2013 European car sales rose for the first time in 19 months as a gain in consumer sentiment in countries using the euro led to rebounds in Germany and Spain. Still, the European auto market is at a two-decade low, and industry executives are forecasting a drop of about 5 percent for 2013 amid a recession in the 17-nation euro zone.... Read More »
Tesla expands share, debt offering to repay U.S. loan, hike cash 10:34 am U.S. ET | May 17, 2013 Tesla Motors increased the size of its equity and debt offerings by 30 percent to as much as $1.08 billion to repay its U.S. loan and build up cash reserves.... Read More »
Cadillac to offer new twin-turbo V-6 on XTS for 2014 8:11 am U.S. ET | May 17, 2013 Cadillac is adding a new 410-hp, twin-turbo 3.6-liter V-6 engine as an option on the XTS sedan for 2014.... Read More »
Dow Chemical ordered to pay $1.2 billion in urethane price-fixing probe 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 17, 2013 A federal judge in Kansas City, Kansas, ordered Dow Chemical to pay $1.2 billion in a price-fixing case involving chemicals used to make foam products in cars, furniture and packaging, according to court documents.... Read More »
PSA workers end four-month strike over car plant closureMay 17, 2013 15:05 CET Workers at a PSA/Peugeot-Citroen factory near Paris have agreed to end a four-month strike in protest at its planned closure.... Read More »
Europe car sales rise for first time in 19 monthsMay 17, 2013 08:34 CET European car sales rose for the first time in 19 months on strong demand in the UK and a rebound in Germany. Registrations in April increased 2 percent to 1.08 million vehicles from 1.06 million cars a year earlier, industry association ACEA said.... Read More »
In boost to GM and VW, China resumes incentives for foreign auto investment 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 17, 2013 A surprise policy shift in China is expected to give a boost to GM, Volkswagen Group and other foreign automakers planning to expand in the world's largest car market.... Read More »
ANALYSIS New S class key to boosting Mercedes profit margins, China salesMay 17, 2013 06:01 CET Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche was leaning back in the rear seat of a prototype Mercedes-Benz S-class sedan in 2010 when he realized it didn't recline far enough.... Read More »
Fiat says headquarters shift to U.S. is not on agendaMay 17, 2013 06:01 CET Fiat said the idea of moving the group's legal headquarters to the United States following a planned merger with Chrysler Group is not on the company's agenda.... Read More »
VW Group sales increase 7% in AprilMay 17, 2013 12:06 CET Volkswagen Group's global monthly sales picked up pace again in April after growing at their slowest rate in more than three years a month earlier. VW Group said on Friday that deliveries to customers rose 7 percent to 784,600 vehicles last month.... Read More »
Russian car sales down 8% in AprilMay 17, 2013 06:01 CET Russia's year-on-year car sales fell 8 percent in April after a decline of 4 percent in the previous month, the Association of European Businesses (AEB) said.... Read More »
VW, GM, others get unexpected boost in ChinaMay 17, 2013 06:01 CET A surprise policy shift in China is expected to give a boost to VW Group, GM and other foreign automakers planning to expand in the world's largest car market.... Read More »
Jaguar launches plan to spruce up U.S. storesMay 17, 2013 06:01 CET Jaguar is rolling out a plan to refurbish its U.S. dealerships in preparation for a wave of new products. Regional Jaguar teams are going "door-to-door" to discuss the new corporate identity standards, starting with about 50 older stores.... Read More »
CARS & CONCEPTS Jaguar ponders XQ nameMay 17, 2013 06:01 CET Based on documents submitted to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Jaguar may name the all-wheel-drive compact crossover it has in the works the XQ, and call a new compact sedan the Q-Type, according to news reports.... Read More »
Tariff played a role in Mexico winning Audi plantMay 17, 2013 06:01 CET At the groundbreaking for the Q5 plant in San Jose Chiapa, Mexico, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler offered another explanation for deciding not to locate in the United States: The European Union slaps a 10 percent tariff on U.S.-built vehicles.... Read More »
Audi Q7 will shed weightMay 17, 2013 06:01 CET The redesigned Audi Q7 that debuts next summer in Europe will weigh about 363kg less than the current model, company insiders said, adding that Audi is also planning a hybrid version of the next-generation large SUV.... Read More »
At Fiat-Chrysler 'it's all about differentiating the brands'May 17, 2013 06:01 CET Olivier Francois, chief marketing officer for Fiat and Chrysler, has helped rehabilitate Chrysler Group's image since its 2009 bankruptcy. Chrysler has racked up 37 consecutive months of year-over-year U.S. sales increases, thanks in part to memorable commercials, such as rapper Eminem's coup during the 2011 Super Bowl.... Read More »
Audi shifting to high-performance models to propel salesMay 16, 2013 10:34 CET Audi is counting on bigger sales of high-performance cars like the RS5, as well as the new version of the A3 compact, to propel volume this year amid intensifying economic headwinds.... Read More »
Fiat: Shift of headquarters to U.S. not on agenda 8:04 pm U.S. ET | May 16, 2013 Fiat said the idea of moving the group's legal headquarters to the United States following a planned merger with Chrysler Group is not on the company's agenda.... Read More »
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