BMW said it is freshening its top management with younger talent with the appointments of Milan Nedeljkovic as production chief and Ilka Horstmeier as head of human resources.

Automakers are discussing a new concept for the Frankfurt auto show that would place more emphasis on mobility concepts rather than new cars, a German business paper reported.

In total, Automotive News Europe's E-Car and Component Map identifies 84 sites producing electrified vehicles, batteries and components in the region, up from 61 last year. This is a clear indication that the industry is moving rapidly toward electrification as it seeks to meet tough EU emissions goals.

The appointment of the former GM and BMW veteran is expected to be announced at the company’s annual general meeting next month.

The T-Roc Cabriolet will be the first convertible in Europe’s fast-growing small SUV segment.

The journey will take two U5 SUVs through the Gobi Desert, Kazakhstan and Russia. Engineers will test everything from the 'E-Drive' powertrain through to the chassis settings and steering characteristics.

Volkswagen won a copyright case brought by the daughter of designer Erwin Komenda, who helped to style the original VW Beetle.

Mercedes has named Jan Madeja, formerly the brand's head of Russia, as its new sales boss in China as part of a wider management shuffle. Madeja succeed Nicholas Speeks, who will become CEO of Mercedes' U.S. operations, and Holger Suffel succeeds Madeja in Russia.

Carl-Peter Forster, a former Opel CEO and a BMW veteran, has joined the advisory board of Vayavision, an Israeli developer of autonomous vehicle technology that plans to expand in Europe.

German startup Sono is teaming up with National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) to build the first series production solar -powered electric car at Saab's former plant in Sweden.

BMW executive Bernd Koerber, an expert in brand management, is the new head of Mini.

Mercedes-Benz kept the global luxury sales crown for the third consecutive year in 2018, outpacing nearest rival BMW by nearly 200,000 vehicles.

New-car sales fell 6.7 percent in Germany in December with Peugeot, Nissan, Renault, Ford and VW Group brands among the losers.

BMW named former Daimler executive Jens Thiemer as its new head of brand management. Thiemer replaces Sven Schuwirth, who left BMW in May.

German sales fell 10 percent in November as automakers, including VW Group's Porsche and Audi brands, continue to adapt to the new WLTP emissions testing regime.