Plants, jobs, sales figures, regulation and the executives behind them. The business of building cars.
Page 8 of 14
BMW has named J. Chris Koenders and Petter Witt to senior positions in its US operations, as the company seeks to strengthen its position in the American luxury market.
With retirement set for June 2014, Bob King’s efforts to unionise foreign-owned Southern US auto plants will define his leadership of the UAW.
General Motors shares closed at $39.11, their highest since the company’s 2010 IPO, following news that the US government will sell its remaining stake by year end.
Karl-Thomas Neumann says Opel and Chevrolet must be clearly separated in Europe, as General Motors seeks to end years of overlap between its two mainstream brands.
Volkswagen is under pressure from IG Metall to establish a works council at its Chattanooga plant, but faces legal and political obstacles to union representation in the US.
BMW commits £750 million to UK MINI production, increasing local supplier content and introducing new engines at Oxford, Swindon and Hams Hall sites.
Bosch is working to avoid redundancies at its European plants as stagnant demand and excess capacity weigh on the supplier’s 2013 outlook.
Tata Motors reported a 71% jump in quarterly profit after strong demand for Jaguar and Land Rover models, offsetting weak performance in its domestic business.
VW de Mexico will invest $118 million to expand its Guanajuato engine factory, enabling production of advanced EA888 engines and creating 150 new jobs by 2016.
Cheaper petrol and improved fuel economy have sent American buyers back to large SUVs and pickups, boosting Detroit automakers’ profits to levels not seen since before the recession.
The Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor has secured $1.5 million in federal funding to advance the use of agricultural materials in automotive manufacturing, with benefits expected across 22 Michigan counties.
Ford plans to boost exports of North American vehicles to China, including the Lincoln range, aiming for 40,000 units a year as Chinese demand for performance and SUV models rises.
Volkswagen’s global works council chairman Bernd Osterloh has publicly supported the UAW’s efforts to represent workers at the company’s Chattanooga, Tennessee factory, intensifying debate over unionisation at foreign-owned US plants.
The US government will auction Fisker Automotive’s assets this week in an effort to recover $168 million in federal loans, with interest from Wanxiang, Bob Lutz and others.
A new vehicle warranty law in China, effective from 1 October 2013, increases consumer protection and is expected to raise costs for smaller domestic manufacturers.
Hundreds of NHTSA staff risk furlough as the agency warns it will halt defect probes, recall notifications and safety research if Congress fails to approve funding.
Ferrari will increase its technology investment to €2 billion through 2017, focusing on high-performance, fuel-efficient engines to meet emissions targets and support new models.
German supercar firm Gumpert has officially closed after a failed investment left the company unable to recover from insolvency, ending nearly a decade of Apollo production.
Elon Musk says Tesla is planning factories in Europe and Asia to support future mass-market electric car production as Model S demand outpaces current capacity.
Volkswagen is preparing to invest in a new assembly facility in Indonesia, with plans potentially tied to the country’s green car incentives and eco-friendly vehicle production.
BMW has confirmed early discussions with Mexican authorities about building a manufacturing plant, but any decision is tied to progress on a US–EU free trade agreement.
A consortium led by Hamburg lawyer Ingo Voigt has tabled a $25 million bid to acquire the insolvent US plug-in car maker Fisker, aiming to restart Karma production in America.
More than 2,150 workers walked out at BMW’s Rosslyn plant near Pretoria, stopping 3 Series output and disrupting export schedules to key global markets.
Tesla’s plans to enter the world’s largest car market hit a snag as a Chinese businessman demands $32.6 million for the rights to the ‘Tesla’ name.