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European car sales rise high on Peugeot, Renault SUVs

European car sales reached a 10-year high in 2017 as widening economic growth boosted consumer confidence, with SUVs from French manufacturers Peugeot and Renault, Italian competitor Alfa Romeo and Japanese rival Toyota propelling demand. Registrations last year increased by 3.3 percent to 15.6 million vehicles, the Brussels-based European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, said Wednesday in a statement. The figure was the highest since a record 16 million autos were delivered in 2007. SUVs that gained customers in 2017 included Renault SA's Captur and the Logan MCV Stepway from the company's Dacia division, and the Peugeot 5008 and Citroen C3 Aircross from PSA Group and Alfa Romeo's Stelvio.

France's PSA Group to offer 40 electric models by 2025

The CEO of France-based automaker PSA Group says it will offer 40 electric models across its lineup by 2025, and it plans to sell vehicles in the US within 10 years. Carlos Tavares said on Wednesday that PSA already offers mobility services in the US and soon will start car-sharing in some major cities. It will use its experience to learn the market and return to US sales. Such an approach "will minimize the risk of not understanding what the US consumer is expecting from us," he said. The company plans to start meeting with auto dealers in the US this year as it considers how it will distribute its vehicles.

Uber nearing autonomous cars without human backup

Uber plans to carry passengers in autonomous vehicles without human backup drivers in about the same timeframe as competitors, which expect to be on the road at the latest sometime next year, the service's autonomous vehicle chief said Wednesday. Advanced Technology Group leader Eric Meyhofer wouldn't give a specific start date but he said Uber won't deploy the driverless cars without human backups unless they are proved safe. "Once we can check that box, which we call passing the robot driver's license test, that's when we can remove the vehicle operator," Meyhofer said.

Big portion of future GM electric vehicles for China

General Motors Co's China unit will sell a "substantial portion" of the automaker's future electric vehicles, GM China President Matt Tsien said on Wednesday. Tsien said: "China is at the heart of our electrification strategy." He did not say which GM brands would sell electric vehicles in China. But Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen said the luxury brand "will play a central role" in GM's electrification strategy, including China. Cadillac will be "the technology spearhead for General Motors," de Nysschen said, adding the brand will be "at the forefront" of rolling out new electric vehicles in the United States and China.

Volkswagen sells record 10m vehicles in 2017

German automaker Volkswagen had record sales of 10.74 million vehicles last year, but its bid to remain the world's largest carmaker was disputed by rival Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi. Volkswagen's sales rose 4.3 percent from 10.30 million in 2016, when the company passed Japan's Toyota to become the globe's largest auto producer for that year. The figures show the Wolfsburg-based company continuing its effort to move past a scandal that broke in September 2015 over cars it had rigged to cheat on diesel emissions tests. Sales last year were boosted by a strong December, when sales rose 8.5 percent.

Mercedes plots more SUVs after compacts expand lead

Mercedes-Benz will respond to burgeoning demand for sport utility vehicles by expanding its lineup with more models, most likely in the fast-growing compact segment. SUVs recorded an almost 10 percent jump in total sales last year, expanding the Daimler AG unit's lead over BMW AG. Voracious appetite for the compact GLA and GLC crossovers made Mercedes the world's biggest luxury carmaker for a second consecutive year. "We see strong demand across our SUV range," said Britta Seeger, who heads Mercedes sales and marketing. "We have more ideas to add new products to our portfolio, though maybe not so much at the upper end of the SUV range for now."

Motoring - Agencies

(China Daily 01/22/2018 page19)