Short Torque

Strong economy raises Europe sales

European car sales jumped 5.8 percent last month, as new SUVs from French automakers Peugeot and Citroen as well as Asian rivals attracted buyers amid accelerating economic growth. Registrations increased to 1.26 million vehicles from 1.19 million a year earlier, the Brussels-based European Automobile Manufacturers' Association said. Eleven-month sales rose 4 percent to 14.5 million autos. The region is set for the highest annual delivery volume in a decade, cementing a comeback from the global recession and sovereign debt crises in some EU countries that plagued the car market for years.

Toyota's Panasonic ties set to deepen

Toyota Motor deepened a partnership with battery producer Panasonic, as Asia's biggest carmaker accelerated efforts to make its presence felt in electric cars. The agreement builds on a joint venture Toyota and Panasonic have had for over two decades. Toyota has picked up the pace with the development of electric cars amid a boom this year, after initially betting on hydrogen to power its zero-emission vehicles. The company launched a venture with Mazda Motor and affiliate-supplier Denso in September for electric vehicle parts across a spectrum of models.

Renault gears up for driverless future

French carmaker Renault has bought a stake in a glossy magazine publishing group, its first foray into the media, as it prepares to keep travelers occupied in the era of driverless cars. Renault billed its move into the media as the first among the world's automobile manufacturers, who are carrying out advanced testing of self-driving cars in France and other countries. Renault, which is conducting trials of semi-autonomous cars and plans to put totally self-driving vehicles on the road as soon as 2021, says entertainment will become a bigger chunk of the business as drivers switch from speedometers and steering wheels to pastimes such as in-car entertainment and dining.

Hyundai, Kia recall Elantra, Forte models

Hyundai and Kia are recalling more than 500,000 compact cars in the United States because the brake lights may not go out when the pedal is released. The recall covers more than 390,000 Hyundai Elantra vehicles from 2013 and 2014. Also included are over 134,000 Kia Forte cars from 2012 through 2014. The companies say in documents filed with the government that a polymer stopper pad between the pedal arm and the light switch can deteriorate, allowing the switch to stay on. That can keep the brake lights illuminated and also let a driver shift out of park without putting a foot on the brake. Neither company has reported any crashes or injuries.

Truckmaker Scania appeals EU fine

Swedish truckmaker Scania said Tuesday it had appealed against an 880 million euro ($1.03 billion) fine imposed by the European Commission for alleged price-fixing and attempts to dodge costs for stricter pollution rules. Scania, owned by German auto giant Volkswagen, was the only holdout in the EU's massive cartel case in which five other truck builders admitted to wrongdoing and jointly received a record fine of 3 billion euros. Daimler, DAF, Iveco, MAN and Volvo/Renault were hit with fines in July 2016. Along with Scania, they account for nine out of every 10 trucks sold in Europe.

Motoring - Agencies

(China Daily 12/18/2017 page19)