ManufacturingLARRY P. VELLEQUETTE 2 million extra doors was the best call Daimler made during 'marriage of equals' 12:35 pm U.S. ET | May 17, 2013  It's easy to criticize the way Daimler AG ran and ultimately left Chrysler during the disastrous "marriage of equals" era. I know because I've done it on a regular basis. But even the worst marriages can produce spectacular kids -- or in this case, products.... 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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Ford to shift Fiesta output to Thailand from Mexico, report says 4:07 pm U.S. ET | May 16, 2013  Ford, moving to ease production constraints in North America, plans to shift output of the Fiesta subcompact from Mexico to Thailand in 2016, The Detroit News reported today.... Read More »
Volkswagen starts construction of 300,000-vehicle plant in ChinaMay 16, 2013 09:04 CET  Volkswagen has begun construction of a new factory in Changsha, China, with an annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles, the company said in a statement today. The plant is one of seven factories being built by the company as it seeks to expand annual capacity in China to 4 million vehicles by 2018 in order to meet growing demand.... Read More »
BorgWarner to expand UK production to supply Jaguar Land RoverMay 16, 2013 06:01 CET  U.S. supplier BorgWarner Inc. said it would build a new production line and engineering center in the United Kingdom to supply turbocharging systems to customer Jaguar Land Rover. The turbochargers would be used in JLR's family of four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines, due to launch in 2015.... Read More »
Continental kept in the dark over Schaeffler's decision to end investment agreementMay 15, 2013 14:35 CET  Continental said it was kept in the dark about the decision of Schaeffler to quit a five-year-old investment accord. Analysts suspect the accord's scrapping may be a prelude to Schaeffler restructuring Continental or reducing its stake.... Read More »
Survey: Consumers are ready for new tech ideas in cars 10:29 am U.S. ET | May 15, 2013 A new survey about what vehicle consumers want and don't want suggests that the auto industry is lagging consumers when it comes to technology ideas.... Read More »
Ford aid from Spain probed by EU antitrust regulatorsMay 15, 2013 12:19 CET  European Union antitrust regulators will investigate whether a 25.2 million euro ($32.71 million) grant given by Spanish authorities to Ford's factory in Valencia breached EU state aid rules.... Read More »
LINDSAY CHAPPELL How GM and Nissan avoided a UAW thorn 3:15 pm U.S. ET | May 15, 2013  A labor taboo still exists in the North American auto industry, and Nissan and GM sidestepped it this week. GM revealed that it will buy Nissan's compact commercial vans to provide Chevrolet with a competitor to Ford's Transit Connect compact van.... Read More »
GM will move Opel Zafira production to German plantMay 15, 2013 11:58 CET  General Motors will move production of the Opel/Vauxhall Zafira minivan to Ruesselsheim in Germany from its Bochum factory. Ruesselsheim and Vauxhall's plant in Ellesmere Port, England, had been in the running to gain Zafira production after Bochum closes.... Read More »
Ford will build EcoSport in Russia for local marketMay 15, 2013 08:57 CET  Ford's Russian joint venture will begin building the EcoSport compact SUV in Russia next year for the local market, at a time when the demand for small SUVs is gaining traction in the country..... Read More »
Fiat 500, Maserati production hit by supplier disputeMay 14, 2013 16:04 CET  Fiat faces delays producing vehicles after a supplier stopped delivering parts for the Fiat 500 and Maseratis.... Read More »
Autoliv targets revenue gains of 5% on China, U.S. demandMay 14, 2013 10:19 CET  Swedish supplier Autoliv is targeting annual revenue growth of 5 percent or more in the next five years based on an increase in Chinese and U.S. car sales.... Read More »
Ford's Russian joint venture will build engine plantMay 14, 2013 14:13 CET  Ford's Russian joint venture will invest $274 million to build a new powertrain plant in Tatarstan. The plant will manufacture three different versions of 1.6-liter Duratec engines starting in December 2015.... Read More »
Cost to be big factor in 'talking' cars acceptance, LaHood says 3:51 pm U.S. ET | May 14, 2013  Cars that "talk" to each other to avoid crashes or traffic jams, like those being tested here, will save lives but the cost of the systems will determine consumers' acceptance of such technology, the transportation secretary said today.... Read More »
Honda to convert Ohio seat plant for Acura NSX output 11:00 am U.S. ET | May 14, 2013  Honda said today it will invest $70 million to convert a former seat plant here to assemble the next-generation Acura NSX. The plant will be staffed with about 100 specially trained production workers and equipped with robots to build the gasoline-electric hybrid sports car, Honda said.... Read More »
LINDSAY CHAPPELL The auto boom -- without new jobs 2:49 pm U.S. ET | May 14, 2013  Bill Strauss has some very good news for the American auto industry. Or he has some very bad news. You can take your pick.... Read More »
Nissan kicks off drive to cut costs 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013  Nissan North America is stepping up manufacturing cost reduction efforts as it expands its footprint in the hemisphere. The cornerstone of the drive will be to bring down costs at Nissan's Canton, Miss., assembly plant.... Read More »
BEST PRACTICES Dealer pairs test driver's phone to car 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013  A Chrysler Group dealer in Michigan has turned a 30-second routine into a better way to demonstrate his technology-laden vehicles.Before the start of each test drive at Extreme Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram, the salesperson showing the vehicle asks the customer in the driver's seat for his or her smartphone and -- with permission -- connects the phone to the vehicle's infotainment system.... Read More »
Chrysler's crash course cuts waste 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 13, 2013  Dakkota Systems' instrument panel factory is joined at the hip to Chrysler's Windsor minivan assembly plant. So as Chrysler works to wring costs out of its entire manufacturing operations, it's only natural for the company to examine its key suppliers. And the Dakkota plant here is the first guinea pig in a major experiment.... Read More »
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