Check out the ANE monthly magazine for June

The latest issue of the Automotive News Europe monthly magazine is ready to view. The new edition looks at why small cars are at high risk in Europe.

Automakers competing in Europe are starting to question their small-car strategy in response to costly new legislation covering safety and tailpipe emissions, in particular the output of CO2. Experts says that new CO2 rules will require automakers to fit thousands of euros of technology to each new car. This means some companies may have to abandon these segments. The cars are at risk because tougher EU rules for CO2 start to take effect next year. Our cover story looks at the future of Europe’s entry-car segments.

Mazda CEO Akira Marumoto is leading an electrification push that should help the Japanese automaker slash its CO2 footprint and avoid paying big fines in Europe. A recently announced emissions-pooling deal with Toyota will also help. In addition, Mazda is working with Toyota on electrification technologies, but Marumoto says “unique” engines will remain part of his brand’s identity. He shared more details in an interview.

Going from a market high of 2.9 million vehicle sales in 2012 to a low of 1.4 million in 2016 has taught Volkswagen Group Russia boss Marcus Osegowitsch the value of staying calm and remaining flexible. This has paid off because VW Group’s Russian market share has risen to nearly 12 percent from less than 7 percent since the former management consultant arrived in Moscow in 2010. He explained how he did this.

Plug-in hybrids have faced criticism because even though they are designed to be driven electrically, most are not. To address this problem BMW launched the Electric City Drive plan in Rotterdam, Netherlands, to encourages plug-in hybrid drivers to switch off their combustion engines and use emissions-free battery power when downtown. We look at whether BMW’s effort in Rotterdam will pay dividends.

Hundreds of high-level executives gathered last month in Gothenburg, Sweden, for the annual Automotive News Europe Congress. One of the highlights was the candid comments provided by Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson. Find out what Samuelsson said.

Europe’s best and brightest young executives were recognized as Automotive News Europe Rising Stars. Check out the issue for more on the awards ceremony for 2019 Rising Stars.

Daimler is positioning its Mercedes-Benz EQC as an affordable alternative to the larger Tesla Model X and Audi e-tron. By eliminating expensive features engineers were able to reduce the EQC’s pre-tax starting price to less than 60,000 euros. It is one of the ways Mercedes hopes the EQC will lure first-time EV buyers.

Some of the biggest European auto suppliers have seen their profits slump over the past year, but Robert Bosch -- the largest of them all -- has been a notable exception. That improvement was against a backdrop of falling automotive production, worries about escalating trade wars, a slump in Chinese vehicle sales, uncertainty in Europe around Brexit and tightening emissions standards. “Although the economy slowed down in 2018, Bosch sales and results are once again at a record level,” CEO Volkmar Denner said. He expects that trend to continue.

BorgWarner Chief Technology Officer Hakan Yilmaz says the propulsion specialist is poised to gain from Europe’s rapid shift to electrified powertrains, a move that is being driven by tougher EU emissions standards that start to take effect next year. Yilmaz, who joined BorgWarner in 2018 after more than 15 years with Robert Bosch, explained why in an interview.

Will Hyundai’s premium brand, Genesis, finally make its European debut? That question has been hanging in the air for a while. Hyundai says the debut could happen within a couple of years. Based on Infiniti’s failure in Europe and Lexus’ struggles to become a major player in a region, Hyundai will need to do something special with Genesis for the brand to have a chance. We look at what that move could be in our Final Word.

Enjoy the issue!

Luca Ciferri, Associate Publisher and Editor