Executives

Behind the scenes, Straubel keeps Tesla running at pivotal time

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 18, 2013
Elon Musk was fresh off the sale of PayPal and starting another business, commercial rocket service Space Exploration Technologies, when he met kindred spirit JB Straubel. Their shared belief that consumer electronics advances could be applied to more earthly modes of transport is a cornerstone of Tesla Motors.... Read More »

 

Tesla expands share, debt offering to repay U.S. loan, hike cash

10:34 am U.S. ET | May 17, 2013
Tesla Motors increased the size of its equity and debt offerings by 30 percent to as much as $1.08 billion to repay its U.S. loan and build up cash reserves.... Read More »

 

ANALYSIS

New S class key to boosting Mercedes profit margins, China sales

May 17, 2013 06:01 CET
Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche was leaning back in the rear seat of a prototype Mercedes-Benz S-class sedan in 2010 when he realized it didn't recline far enough.... Read More »

 

Fiat says headquarters shift to U.S. is not on agenda

May 17, 2013 06:01 CET
Fiat said the idea of moving the group's legal headquarters to the United States following a planned merger with Chrysler Group is not on the company's agenda.... Read More »

 

VW Group sales increase 7% in April

May 17, 2013 12:06 CET
Volkswagen Group's global monthly sales picked up pace again in April after growing at their slowest rate in more than three years a month earlier. VW Group said on Friday that deliveries to customers rose 7 percent to 784,600 vehicles last month.... Read More »

 

Tariff played a role in Mexico winning Audi plant

May 17, 2013 06:01 CET
At the groundbreaking for the Q5 plant in San Jose Chiapa, Mexico, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler offered another explanation for deciding not to locate in the United States: The European Union slaps a 10 percent tariff on U.S.-built vehicles.... Read More »

 

At Fiat-Chrysler 'it's all about differentiating the brands'

May 17, 2013 06:01 CET
Olivier Francois, chief marketing officer for Fiat and Chrysler, has helped rehabilitate Chrysler Group's image since its 2009 bankruptcy. Chrysler has racked up 37 consecutive months of year-over-year U.S. sales increases, thanks in part to memorable commercials, such as rapper Eminem's coup during the 2011 Super Bowl.... Read More »

 

Fiat: Shift of headquarters to U.S. not on agenda

8:04 pm U.S. ET | May 16, 2013
Fiat said the idea of moving the group's legal headquarters to the United States following a planned merger with Chrysler Group is not on the company's agenda.... Read More »

 

ANALYSIS

New S class key to boosting Mercedes profit margins, China sales

9:00 am U.S. ET | May 16, 2013
Daimler AG CEO Dieter Zetsche was leaning back in the rear seat of a prototype Mercedes-Benz S-class sedan in 2010 when he realized it didn't recline far enough.... Read More »

 

DOUGLAS A. BOLDUC

How a pope inspired Zetsche to become a Mercedes man

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 16, 2013
A religious experience set Dieter Zetsche on his path to becoming CEO of Mercedes-Benz.... Read More »

 

AMY WILSON

For AutoNation's Jackson, Penske sets pace for retirement

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 16, 2013
AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson's employment contract with the country's largest dealership group is up in September. Jackson will turn 65 next February, but he has no intention of walking out the door any time soon.... Read More »

 

Skoda's global April sales hit by switch to new Octavia

May 16, 2013 16:10 CET
Skoda said today that its global sales fell 4.6 percent to 77,600 in April due to a switch to a new Octavia compact model and continued weak demand in some European markets.... Read More »

 

Volkswagen starts construction of 300,000-vehicle plant in China

May 16, 2013 09:04 CET
Volkswagen has begun construction of a new factory in Changsha, China, with an annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles, the company said in a statement today. The plant is one of seven factories being built by the company as it seeks to expand annual capacity in China to 4 million vehicles by 2018 in order to meet growing demand.... Read More »

 

Renault expects 5% dip for European car market

May 16, 2013 09:34 CET
Renault expects the European car market to shrink 5 percent this year over last year, Chief Operating Officer Carlos Tavares said. The French carmaker foresees the European market being "slightly better" in the remaining three quarters of this year than the first three months, when European market sales fell 10 percent after a "very poor performance," Tavares said.... Read More »

 

DOUGLAS A. BOLDUC

How a pope inspired Zetsche to become a Mercedes man

12:01 am U.S. ET | May 16, 2013
A religious experience set Dieter Zetsche on his path to becoming CEO of Mercedes-Benz.... Read More »

 

Tesla issuing stock, debt to accelerate repayment of U.S. loan

5:34 pm U.S. ET | May 15, 2013
Tesla Motors plans to issue 2.7 million new shares and debt to repay its U.S. Energy Department loan faster than a five-year plan.... Read More »

 

Mercedes makes new S class leaner, greener

May 15, 2013 23:50 CET
The new Mercedes-Benz S class is 100kg lighter than the model it will replace and its greenest variant will emit less CO2 than a Smart ForTwo. The brand's flagship sedan also has six eyes and six ears that allow it to see and hear enough to drive itself at speeds up to 60kph.... Read More »

 

Fiat mulls U.S. headquarters after Chrysler merger, report says

May 15, 2013 16:04 CET
Fiat is considering moving its corporate headquarters to the United States following a planned merger with Chrysler Group, three people familiar with the matter said.... Read More »

 

Revamped Mercedes S class strives to set new luxury mark

2:00 pm U.S. ET | May 15, 2013
Mercedes-Benz is heralding the redesigned 2014 S class as a flagship that will set new benchmarks for luxury sedans with its packaging of technology, safety gear and opulence.... Read More »

 

Continental kept in the dark over Schaeffler's decision to end investment agreement

May 15, 2013 14:35 CET
Continental said it was kept in the dark about the decision of Schaeffler to quit a five-year-old investment accord. Analysts suspect the accord's scrapping may be a prelude to Schaeffler restructuring Continental or reducing its stake.... Read More »

 

NHTSA confirms new deputy, considers push for automatic braking

3:51 pm U.S. ET | May 15, 2013
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has confirmed David Friedman, previously a transportation analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists, as its new deputy administrator.... Read More »

 

BMW's Reithofer tells Germans to embrace EVs

May 15, 2013 06:01 CET
BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer told his fellow Germans to set aside their worries and embrace EV technology as the carmaker gears up to launch the i3 electric city car.... Read More »

 

AMY WILSON

Rebranding effort aids AutoNation's community giving

11:57 am U.S. ET | May 15, 2013
AutoNation has rebranded nearly 40 percent of its dealerships with its coast-to-coast AutoNation name. And, contrary to early fears within the nation's largest auto dealership group, AutoNation says it is maintaining or increasing share in those converted markets.... Read More »

 

Fiat mulls U.S. headquarters after Chrysler merger, report says

10:04 am U.S. ET | May 15, 2013
Fiat is considering moving its corporate headquarters to the United States following a planned merger with Chrysler Group, three people familiar with the matter said. CEO Sergio Marchionne is evaluating the switch from Turin, where Fiat was founded in 1899, to the United States as the carmaker's revenue and profit center shifts to North America, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing the internal deliberations.... Read More »

 

Ford will build EcoSport in Russia for local market

May 15, 2013 08:57 CET
Ford's Russian joint venture will begin building the EcoSport compact SUV in Russia next year for the local market, at a time when the demand for small SUVs is gaining traction in the country..... Read More »