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Motor show set to roar into action

The 21th Chengdu Motor Show, which runs from Aug 31 to Sept 9, will attract 119 automakers to showcase their latest models, according to the event's organizers. Domestic brands, including Geely and Great Wall, will exhibit new models and their latest technological innovations in the 150,000-square-meter exhibition space. Emerging carmakers such as Qiantu, Weltmeister and Sitech Dev will also put their latest electric offerings and prototypes on show.

Trump's tariffs reflect 'misunderstanding'

US President Donald Trump's tariff policies reflect a serious misunderstanding of the importance of free trade and Japanese companies' contributions to the United States economy, Japan's trade minister said. Hiroshige Seko, minister of economy, trade and industry, warned in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press that Tokyo might take action if the US fulfills threats to levy a 25 percent tariff on Japanese auto imports. He gave no details but didn't rule out retaliatory tariffs.

Classic E-type Jaguars given electric facelift

Britain's biggest carmaker Jaguar Land Rover has given the go-ahead to the production of an electric version of its classic E-type sports car with first deliveries planned for the summer of 2020, the company said on Thursday. Jaguar Classic, a unit of the United Kingdom-based automaker which restores vintage Jaguar cars, will convert the vehicles to electric power at its Classic Works facility in Coventry. The company gave no details on prices for the cars.

VW to invest more in digital services

Juergen Stackmann, head of sales at the Volkswagen flagship brand, told press in Berlin that Volkswagen Group planned to spend 3.5 billion euros ($4 billion) in a range of new digital services involving its vehicles until 2025. Volkswagen hopes that the resulting products will boost earnings even further at the German automotive giant. Amongst others, Volkswagen is planning to launch a "We Share" car sharing platform in Berlin with a purely electric fleet of vehicles at the start of next year.

Changan, Baidu move on mass production

Chongqing Changan Automobile Co and Baidu signed a strategic cooperation agreement to foster the mass production of automatic driving models and car networking on Thursday. The two parties will deepen cooperation in terms of technology security and information security. Meanwhile, Changan and Baidu vowed to maintain their close collaboration in high-precision mapping and self-positioning services. The partnership between the two companies dates back to 2016, when Changan became the first domestic automaker that joins hands with the internet giant.

Ford recalls charging cords in North America

Ford is recalling the charging cords for more than 50,000 plug-in hybrid and electric cars in North America because they could cause fires in electrical outlets. The company says the 120-volt cords came with certain 2012 through 2015 Focus electrics and some 2013 through 2015 Fusion Energi and C-Max Energi plug-in hybrids. Ford says plugging the cords into outlets that aren't on a dedicated circuit or are on damaged, worn or corroded circuits could cause wall outlets to overheat. Dealers will replace the cords with ones that can sense high temperatures and shut off charging if necessary. Owners will be notified by letters starting next week.

Motoring - Agencies

(China Daily 08/27/2018 page19)