David Jolley Web Correspondent for Automotive News Europe [email protected] +49 89 5795 9137 See All Staff Page Recent Stories Russia sales rose 29% in June but COVID surge causes concern Russia's top-selling brands all reported strong results last month, with sales at market leader Lada rising 43 percent and No. 2 Hyundai up 44 percent. EVs demand surges as German sales rise 25% in June Tesla had the biggest monthly gain, followed by Smart and Suzuki. Among the losers were Honda, Ford, Mitsubishi and Volvo. Ford will not sell its Maverick pickup in Europe Ford is one of only a few automakers still offering pickups in Europe and its only model, the midsize Ford Ranger, is currently the best-selling pickup in the region. Kia will give Sportage a specific European version The fifth-generation Sportage will be unveiled in July in Korea, with the European variant arriving in September. Ford's VW-based EV will be an SUV, report says Ford has confirmed that it will build a VW MEB-based electric car in Cologne but has not said what type of vehicle it will be. VW mulls electric convertible based on ID3 VW released sketches of a possible design for the open top EV that brand CEO Ralf Brandstätter called "a very tempting idea." Russia sales fall 4% in January as rebound stalls Demand fell to 95,213 last month after a drop in December that ended a three-month bounce back from the fallout of coronavirus measures. Tesla, BMW among August winners in German market down 20% Sales plunged again last month in Europe's biggest market as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic continue to subdue demand. VW prepares Hanover plant for ID Buzz minivan The automaker has used the summer break to make changes to the factory ahead of the electric van’s launch in 2022. Why Nio is right to revisit EV battery swapping Chinese EV maker Nio hopes to enter the European market next year, bringing with it not only its SUVs, but also its battery swapping technology. VW brand gets veteran exec as production boss Christian Vollmer, former production and logistics boss at Seat, will take the same role at the VW brand. Battery startup plans UK's first Gigafactory near Aston Martin's SUV plant Britishvolt aims to start building the 30 gigawatt-hours factory in the second quarter of 2021 and begin production in 2023. BMW extends production break in Europe, N. America BMW will idle production until the end of April because it expects a further decline in demand while dealerships remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ford cuts Fiesta production on falling UK demand Ford's factory in Cologne, Germany, will build fewer Fiestas this year because of weaker demand for the small hatchback in the UK. VW concept points to future electric wagon The production version of the VW ID Space Vizzion concept will launch in 2021. The wagon will come in different versions for North America, Europe and China. Load More
David Jolley Web Correspondent for Automotive News Europe [email protected] +49 89 5795 9137 See All Staff Page