OEM CoverageJapan eyes reform of auto market as trade talks loom 12:04 pm U.S. ET | June 18, 2013  Japan sees an urgency in overhauling policies that favor domestic industries such as automakers as it seeks to revive the economy and join talks on a Pacific-region trade deal, the government's ambassador to the United States said.... Read More »
Chrysler changes course, elects to inspect, modify older Jeep SUVs 2:22 pm U.S. ET | June 18, 2013  Chrysler Group, saying it's settled a dispute with federal safety regulators, will inspect older-model Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Liberty SUVs and install a trailer hitch assembly if necessary to “better manage crash forces in low-speed impacts.”... Read More »
GM: Labor costs must be cut to save Australia plants 3:34 am U.S. ET | June 18, 2013  GM's Holden unit and its labor unions will begin talks to reduce costs enough to keep its Australian plants viable, a month after Ford said it will stop making cars locally.... Read More »
American Axle hopes demolition of Detroit complex will spark interest in property 12:21 pm U.S. ET | June 18, 2013  American Axle & Manufacturing's historic Detroit Manufacturing Complex is set for demolition as the supplier pushes forward with a new plan to unload the shuttered property.... Read More »
Rolls-Royce picks veteran BMW engineer to lead manufacturingJune 18, 2013 06:01 CET  Rolls-Royce has named Frank Ludwig, 42, as its manufacturing director. The German national has been with Rolls' parent, BMW Group, since 2002 and has held manufacturing jobs at the Mini and BMW brands.... Read More »
Volvo said to be poised to begin China output at Chengdu plantJune 18, 2013 14:47 CET  Volvo will start building a stretched variant of the S60 at its first China manufacturing plant in Chengdu in the second half of this year, according to a Chinese media report.... Read More »
Aston Martin shareholder asks lenders for 50% cut on debt, sources sayJune 18, 2013 11:49 CET Aston Martin shareholder Investment Dar is asking its creditors to take a 50 percent write-down on the of Kuwaiti company's debt as it seeks to meet repayments after defaulting on a loan three years ago, three people familiar with the matter said.... Read More »
Output soars to 16M, with high-profit twist 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 17, 2013  Vehicle production in North America is back near record levels, with output forecast to surpass 16 million units this year for the first time in more than a decade. But even though the numbers look similar to the days when Detroit used sky-high incentives to grapple with bloated inventories, the industry is in a much different place this time around.... Read More »
Lincoln targets fastest-growing segments 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 17, 2013  As Lincoln tries to reinvent itself, Ford Motor Co.'s struggling luxury brand will target only the fastest-growing luxury segments in which it can competitively and profitably field entries, the company said.... Read More »
JCI turns to private equity to sell auto electronics unit, report says 6:40 pm U.S. ET | June 17, 2013  Johnson Controls is speaking to private equity firms about selling its roughly $1 billion automotive electronics unit, after buyout interest from several rival auto parts suppliers faltered, according to several people familiar with the matter.... Read More »
GM's new head of N.A. manufacturing takes up busy launch schedule 1:28 pm U.S. ET | June 17, 2013  GM has named a longtime labor relations and manufacturing executive to run its North American factories during one of its busiest-ever vehicle launch periods. Gerald Johnson, now executive director of global program quality and launch, will become GM's new vice president of North America manufacturing, effective July 1. Johnson, 51, will oversee 74,000 employees across 56 plants.... Read More »
Ford adding knobs, buttons to MyFord Touch 12:07 pm U.S. ET | June 17, 2013  Ford plans to revert to more traditional knobs and buttons in its MyFord Touch infotainment and control system. The system has hurt Ford's ratings in several quality surveys. Customers have complained the system is bulky, distracting and overly complicated to use. Ford has issued several software upgrades.... Read More »
GM goes dark on output stats, causes stir 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 17, 2013  General Motors' decision to stop publicly disclosing monthly production numbers has touched off concern among industry analysts and economists, as well as suppliers that rely on the data for their production plans.... Read More »
JESSE SNYDER Why GM can only get hurt keeping data secret 9:52 am U.S. ET | June 17, 2013  GM has decided to stop publicly disclosing monthly production numbers. That’s instantly alarming to economists, analysts and GM’s suppliers. Number crunchers rely on the GM data for their own forecasts, and suppliers for their business and production plans.... Read More »
Porsche-Piech family buys Qatar's 10% stake in VW's majority ownerJune 17, 2013 11:19 CET  The Porsche-Piech family bought Qatar Holding's 10 percent stake in Porsche Automobil Holding SE to regain full control of the majority owner of Volkswagen Group.... Read More »
HANS GREIMEL Honda's little radiation-proof robot does nuke duty 8:58 am U.S. ET | June 17, 2013  In the highly radioactive crucible of Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, there are simply some areas too hot and hazardous for humans to venture for cleanup. Now, Honda is parlaying its expertise in robotics into a helping hand.... Read More »
GM extends summer production shutdown at Russian plant as market coolsJune 17, 2013 14:22 CET  General Motors will extend the summer shutdown at its factory in St. Petersburg, Russia, as the country's car market growth slows down. The Russian market is expected to decline by 5 percent in 2013.... Read More »
AUTOMOTIVE NEWS EUROPE E-MAGAZINE Peugeot, Seat, Ford push LED headlamps into European mass marketJune 17, 2013 06:01 CET  When Peugeot launches its new 308 at the Frankfurt auto show in September it will become the first automaker in Europe to offer full-LED headlamps as standard in the majority of the compact's trim lines. This is a big leap for the technology, which for years was only available on high-end models such as the Audi R8 and Mercedes-Benz CLS because of it costs about three times as much as comparable xenon lights.... Read More »
SiriusXM offers trial to service customers 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 17, 2013 SiriusXM Radio is launching a program this summer that allows dealers to offer a complimentary two-month SiriusXM subscription to qualifying service customers.... Read More »
Opel-Buick link to grow stronger 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 17, 2013  The Buick lineup has taken on a decidedly European flavor in the past three years. The Regal and Verano sedans and the new Encore compact crossover are Opels that migrated to the U.S. market wearing Buick badges.... Read More »
Voice controls: Just another distraction? 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 17, 2013  Car companies are moving full steam ahead on voice controls and are unlikely to be slowed by the note of caution AAA sounded last week, automakers and suppliers say. The influential consumer group, which has more than 53 million members in North America, released research last week that showed voice-to-text systems can cause as much mental distraction as talking on a hand-held cellphone.... Read More »
EDITORIAL Jury's out on hands-free 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 17, 2013 As Apple squares off with Microsoft to determine which will become the dominant operating system for in-vehicle infotainment programs, there is another factor to consider. A study backed by AAA and conducted by the University of Utah found that some hands-free functions can be nearly as distracting to drivers as talking on a hand-held cellphone.... Read More »
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR A special award to Bob Lutz 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 17, 2013 It's so nice that we have Bob Lutz around to psychoanalyze our industry's leaders.... Read More »
Pop the clutch? Not with Bosch system 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 17, 2013  Any parent who has taught a kid to drive a stick knows the problem: When the clutch comes up too slowly, the engine stalls; too fast and there's lurching, angst and potential whiplash. Bosch thinks it has a solution.... Read More »
RICHARD JOHNSON Lutz admires entrepreneurs, couldn't be one 12:01 am U.S. ET | June 17, 2013  Bob Lutz says nice things about Rick Wagoner in his new book, Icons and Idiots, but faults his former boss at General Motors for coddling "useless" executives. Lutz got sideways with a few bosses in his time and never made CEO. Should he have been an entrepreneur instead of a corporate high-flyer?... Read More »
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