Ford Motor has announced on Monday that they would be exiting the Japanese and Indonesian markets by the end of this year as the governments are running a very "closed" market, protecting domestic sales over the international ones. The automaker has been unable to increase their sales or sustain profits under such circumstances. They said that the employees have already been informed and they would be providing detailed explanations regarding post-sale services like servicing and providing new car parts to its customers very soon.
Automotive
KIA Rio GT Will Debut in 2018 to Take On Ford Fiesta ST
Korean automaker KIA will launch its sporty hatchback KIA Rio GT in 2018. The car will compete against Ford Fiesta ST in sportscar segment.
UK Insurance Industry Discuss the Issue of Autonomous Car on Public Road
Association of British Insurance (ABI) will lead the newly created Automated Driving Insurance Group. The group is established to discuss issues regarding driverless car.
Toyota Motor contemplates a complete buyout of Daihatsu
Toyota Motor is seriously contemplating a buyout of Daihatsu Motor Co., which would give the company direct access to Daihatsu’s 660 cc mini vehicles. This investment would fetch Toyota great returns in the emerging markets and also enable leveraging of the low-cost production model that has long been Daihatsu’s competitive advantage.
New Mexico sues Volkswagen over violation of clean-air state laws and trade malpractices
New Mexico has become the first US state to sue the German automaker, Volkswagen, for breaching the Clean Air Act with huge levels of emissions as well as for trade malpractices. The allegation is the company sold as many as 4000-10000 faulty models whose nitrogen-oxide emissions exceeded the limits by 40%, which could cost VW almost $20 billion in fines.
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The statement came from Baidu's senior vice president Wang Jing. He believes that Baidu has some advantage over other car makers, especially local knowledge. The company has already invested a lot in the development of AI, that could help the development of autonomous cars.
Tesla cars sale fell below analyst expectation and its inability to roll out the Model X as promised lead J.P. Morgan analyst to reduce its profit projection for the fourth-quarter.
The Miata hasn’t witnessed the best presentation through the years. Mazda has represented MX-5 generation Miata in the Tokyo Auto Salon 2016. The uproar from the audience indicates that the Miata generation now claims due status in the sports car segment. The new widened Miata has absorbed inspirations from a lot of tuning cultures and thus proclaimed as the largest road racers in the US.
Hinrich J. Woebcken, a former BMW executive, has been appointed by emission scandal-hit Volkswagen to oversee business operations in the US, Canada and Mexico. Woebcken will assume charge from 1 April 2016. Audi and Porsche brand don't come under Woebcken's area of operations. However, Volkswagen has retained Michael Horn as CEO of Volkswagen Group America Inc. The emission-scandal hit Volkswagen has been facing regulatory investigations in the US.
Two of Fiat 500L used by Pope Francis during his visit in U.S. will be auctioned next week in Philadelphia Auto Show. Pope used the car during his historic visit to U.S. last September.
GM with its main Chinese partner have opened a Cadillac plant in Shanghai on Thursday, 21 Jan 2016 to take advantage of the potential growth in the overcrowded luxury market of China. Cadillac plant has capacity to produce 160,000 vehicles annually. Cadillac believe the luxury car market offer a lot margin opportunity notwithstanding pressure in pricing. Shares of GM have been reported trading on NYSE higher by more than 1 percent on Thursday.
Tesla Motors Inc. sued German parts supplier Hoerbiger Automotive Comfort Systems for failing to deliver the promised falcon door for the Model X based on the carmaker’s standard.
The extraordinary high price was due to its extensive race history, which includes a world championship title. The supercar is expected to sell for more than $34 million in Retromobile Classic Car show in Paris, one of the most prestigious salons for car enthusiasts.
GM's Maven is set to revolutionize the car-sharing and ride-sharing services with an hourly rate of $6. This has been quite an aggressive move from the conventional car-maker. However, the company is pretty confident that car-sharing section is now ready for a highly personalized, easy-to-use mobility service, which it plans to provide through its fleet of Chevrolet Spark and Tahoe.
