PARIS — Plastic Omnium has appointed a new management team and revised its corporate governance, with co-CEO Laurent Burelle, the scion of his family’s company, becoming chairman of the board, and Laurent Favre, a veteran automotive industry executive, stepping in as the sole CEO. Jean-Michel Szczerba, who shared CEO duties with Burelle, will take on an
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SAN FRANCISCO – Former Uber Technologies Inc. engineer Anthony Levandowski broke his long silence about allegations that he stole driverless-vehicle technology from Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo unit to say that he didn’t do it. For the better part of a year, Levandowski was the fulcrum of Waymo’s lawsuit against Uber. Lawyers, colleagues and executives called as witnesses
Entry-level vehicles are tough to do. You don’t have a big budget or reams of rich materials at your disposal if you want to sell the final product for $20,000 or less. You can’t skimp on design; consumers are too smart and demanding today. Nor can you cut corners on safety and convenience features; consumers
FRANKFURT — Ford is recalling about 322,000 cars in Europe because the batteries could potentially catch fire due to acid leakage. The recall affects Mondeo, S-Max and Galaxy vehicles built between February 2014 and February 2019, a Ford spokesman told Automotive News Europe. Ford said leaking battery acid around the battery’s negative terminal could cause
The popular Subaru Outback has been a longtime favorite among MotorTrend staffers. The wagon comes with standard off-road chops, a spacious interior, and a great ride. It’s also a tremendous value and earns top safety scores. And the 2020 Subaru Outback improves in every way. An all-new platform makes the ride better, it comes with
Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk urged investors to approve the 2016 purchase of SolarCity at a big premium to its market value despite knowing the solar installer faced a cash crunch and publicly stating he had recused himself from involvement in the deal, according to court documents unsealed on Monday. The filing was part of
SEOUL — South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group and auto technology supplier Aptiv said on Monday they are creating a 50-50 autonomous driving joint venture valued at $4 billion. This marks the biggest bet made by Hyundai Motor Group, which is widely seen as a latecomer to the field of future mobility technology. Hyundai Motor Group
In the grand scheme of automotive history, Koenigsegg hasn’t been around for very long. Founded in 1994 by Christian von Koenigsegg, its mission has been simple: make some of the fastest, most ferocious cars the world has ever seen. The company first gained mass attention when Jeremy Clarkson called the CCX the “scariest car in
DETROIT/KANSAS CITY – Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren joined striking UAW members on a picket line on Sunday as they compete for the support of a critical voting bloc in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Warren, D-Mass., was mobbed as soon as she arrived at General Motors’ Detroit-Hamtramck plant in Michigan, where a strike
Plug-in hybrid SUVs are trickling into the market, and they provide unique advantages over their gas-only counterparts. With these vehicles, drivers have the flexibility to run solely on electric power for short jaunts around town, and rely on the gas engine for longer trips. If you’re looking for a PHEV SUV, you have more than
American Honda’s sales blowout last month featured the usual suspects and a few surprise guests. Honda brand’s 20 percent sales gain, which put it back in the black after months of heavy sledding, was led by the CR-V compact crossover and its 28 percent growth vs. last year for a record 44,235 units. The bigger
What’s not to love about the Toyota Land Cruiser? As Toyota‘s longest-running nameplate, the Land Cruiser has a richer heritage than any vehicle in the lineup, and the virtually unstoppable off-roader is certainly one of the brand’s most evocative vehicles. Toyota recently sold its 10 millionth Land Cruiser worldwide, am impressive accomplishment to put under
As the UAW strike against General Motors Co. nears a second week, the issues in dispute are similar to those that sparked strikes in the past: health care, wages and the company’s commitment to invest in U.S. facilities. The conflicts stretch all the way back to Dec. 30, 1936, when GM employees — led by
According to the two leading American organizations that evaluate vehicle safety, the 2019 Honda Insight is one of the safest hybrids on the road. In fact, Insight is one of the safest small cars you can buy: It received a 5-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) as well as
A new debate is raging among the world’s automotive companies, and it will likely take years to sort out. Its simple question: Should electric cars be constructed differently from combustion-engine cars? Ulf Sudowe says yes. The r&d director for chassis at Spanish supplier Gestamp Automoción gives the example of the time it tested an electric
If you’re a luddite who insists a pony car must have eight atmospheric cylinders, stop reading now. Otherwise, if you enjoy front-engine, rear-drive fun regardless of what’s under the hood, let me tell you about the Ford Mustang EcoBoost Turbo High Performance Package. What started as a weekend project among some of Ford Performance’s biggest
Federal prosecutors on Friday charged Jeffery Pietrzyk, who was an assistant to former UAW-GM Department Vice President Joe Ashton, in a federal corruption probe that has widened amid contract negotiations between the union and General Motors. Pietrzyk is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors contend he conspired with other union
Typically, when a vehicle comes to the end of its five- to seven-year production cycle, folks are relieved to see it go. With dated styling and obsolete technology, it is almost archaic in its form and function. There’s rarely celebration for the last car off the line. That counts double for most sports cars, whose
WASHINGTON — Two U.S. Democratic lawmakers on Thursday asked the White House to turn over documents that would show if President Donald Trump interfered or directed a Justice Department antitrust probe of four automakers that struck voluntary agreements with California to reduce tailpipe emissions, according to a letter seen by Reuters. Jerrold Nadler, chairman of
The Honda Accord is the hands-down benchmark in its segment, besting rivals with its unique combination of a smooth ride, satisfying handling, and sophisticated and spacious interior. So we’ll forgive Honda for increasing the starting price by $150 as the midsizer moves into a new model year. The 2020 Honda Accord goes on sale today
General Motors and the UAW have made progress on labor contract negotiations, but some issues remain unresolved, Terry Dittes, vice president who oversees the union’s GM department, told members Thursday. He cautioned that negotiations could extend through the weekend and beyond. Talks were ongoing as of Thursday afternoon. More than 46,000 union members remained off
On the morning of the 2019 Las Vegas Super Show, a line had already formed in front of South Hall, and upon entry they were greeted to over 700 show rides and aisle after aisle of vendor booths. Among the usual suspects, were sponsors such as Hoppos, DGA, Logos Two and Krazy Kutting and located
NEW DELHI — We need to talk about Jaguar Land Rover. That’s the message from Sanford C. Bernstein analysts, who say BMW Group should buy the British luxury brand from India’s Tata Motors. “BMW is overcapitalized and awash with cash. It has run into the limits of growth for its product range and brand,” analysts
In this grand season-15 opener, the Top Gear team teed off once again on the lowly fiberglass-bodied, three-wheeled Reliant Robin—which still lays claim to the title of second-most popular fiberglass car in history, dating from the days when Reliant was the second largest UK-owned automaker. The challenge involved Jeremy driving a 1994 model Robin from
Eight projects in seven states received funding to advance research and testing of autonomous vehicle technology as part of a U.S. Department of Transportation grant program, the department said Wednesday. The Automated Driving System Demonstration Grants were established with about $60 million available to test integration of automated driving systems, according to the DOT. Over
Oh look, another RAV4 or CR-V. Ford hopes your quest to escape automotive sameness will end with the new Escape. Finally redesigned, the 2020 Ford Escape crossover is ambitious and charming, but this isn’t a picture-perfect story. We tested the 2020 Escape’s two non-hybrid engines to determine where it fits into an enormous field and
WASHINGTON — Democratic senators grilled a senior Justice Department official about an antitrust probe of automakers over efficiency standards, with one saying the inquiry looked like an effort by the Trump administration to intimidate the companies. Ford Motor Co., Honda Motor Co., BMW Group and Volkswagen Group agreed in July to voluntarily meet compromise emissions targets offered
Toyota is pushing ahead with its plan to boost efficiencies in the production of its midsize Tacoma and full-size Tundra pickups, which are moving onto a common platform, with a $391 million investment in its pickup plant near San Antonio. The Japanese automaker said Tuesday it will “introduce advanced manufacturing technologies” to its production line