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VW to furlough workers in Brazil

Volkswagen AG will furlough about 1,000 workers at its largest factory in Brazil, union representatives said on Thursday, due to weaker economic growth and slumping exports to Argentina. The month-long furlough will start on Aug 21 at the VW plant in Sao Bernardo do Campo, on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, according to the local metal workers union. The factory produces the Jetta, Saveiro and Polo models, along with its Virtus sedan variant, and employs about 8,000 workers.

Cuban cobalt in Tesla batteries

Panasonic Corp said it was unable to determine how much of the cobalt used in batteries it makes for Tesla cars comes from Cuba, a country subject to United States sanctions, and that it had suspended relations with a Canadian supplier as a result of its concerns. Two sources said that some of the cobalt that the Japanese electronics maker uses to make Tesla's batteries is mined in Cuba by Canadian supplier Sherritt International Corp.

Executive appeals for custody release

Audi AG's suspended chief executive Rupert Stadler has appealed to a court to be released from custody after spending the past month in jail, the Munich prosecutor's office said on Thursday. Stadler was arrested in mid-June as part of a broader probe into emissions cheating at the premium brand, which is part of Volkswagen Group. Munich prosecutors are probing Stadler and another member of Audi's top management for suspected fraud and false advertising tied to illegal pollution levels in its cars and manipulated vehicle tests.

Ford recalls models over gearshift issue

Ford is recalling about 550,000 cars and SUVs in North America to fix a gearshift problem that could cause the vehicles to roll away unexpectedly. The recall covers certain Fusion sedans from 2013 and 2016 and some 2013 and 2014 Escape small SUVs. Ford said a bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission can fall off.

China-made ROV goes into production

China's new underwater remotely operated vehicle, one of the world's most powerful ROVs, rolled off the production line in Shanghai on Wednesday, Science and Technology Daily reported. The subsea equipment, produced by Zhuzhou CRRC Times Electric Co Ltd, is a work-class ROV that can be used in emergency rescue, marine salvage, and undersea engineering projects.

Latest Odyssey launched in Dalian

GAC Honda has launched its latest Odyssey multipurpose vehicle in city of Dalian, Liaoning province. The new seven-seat MPV has been upgraded on the outside and inside, and has suggested prices ranging from 229,800 yuan to 299,800 yuan ($34,349 to $44,813). The carmaker said the new Odyssey comes with electric seats, a large sunroof and enhanced soundproofing, allowing it to meet the needs of the modern families.

Motoring - Agencies

(China Daily 07/23/2018 page19)