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European market revs up in summer

The European car market booked its best-ever August in 10 years this year, with new registrations jumping by 5.6 percent to 865,000 vehicles in August. The region's major markets of Italy and Spain booked the strongest increases - 15.8 percent and 13 percent, respectively. France and Germany came next, clocking up growth in new registrations of 8.4 percent and 3.5 percent, respectively. But demand for cars in Britain, which is negotiating to leave the bloc, skidded 6.4 percent lower. Taking the first eight months as a whole, demand for passenger cars maintained momentum throughout Europe.

Nissan, Renault, Mitsubishi team up

Nissan Motor, Renault, and Mitsubishi Motors plan to introduce 12 new pure electric vehicles by 2022, while extending the range and slashing battery costs. The member companies will launch 40 models by the same year, with various levels of self-driving capabilities, including at least one that will not require any human intervention at all. The six-year plan, called Alliance 2022 and announced by group Chairman Carlos Ghosn in Paris on Friday, aims to establish the companies as leaders in the electrification, autonomous and connected-car technologies that are upending the world's auto markets.

Tesla Semi set for October reveal

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the electric carmaker is tentatively scheduled to unveil its planned semitruck in late October, about a month later than the billionaire had earlier estimated. "Tesla semitruck unveil & test ride tentatively scheduled for Oct 26 in Hawthorne," Musk said in a tweet on Wednesday. The entrepreneur has tantalized the trucking industry with the prospect of a battery-powered heavy-duty vehicle that can compete with conventional diesels, which can travel up to 1,000 miles on a single tank of fuel.

BMW raises Brexit scenario concerns

BMW became the latest carmaker to weigh in on the Brexit debate, as an executive warned the introduction of any tariff would have repercussions for the German carmaker's business. BMW's head of purchasing, Markus Duesmann, expressed his concern that Britain's divorce from the European Union will result in tariffs and other trade barriers being imposed on its cars and parts. WTO duties on autos currently average about 10 percent. BMW builds Mini-brand and Rolls-Royce models and components for the group at plants in England, and its exports from the United Kingdom total about 2.4 billion pounds ($3.2 billion).

Self-driving trucks could come first

Alphabet Inc's driverless vehicle technology could come to market first in trucks, rather than as an autonomous ride-sharing service. John Krafcik, CEO of Alphabet's Waymo division, said he's exploring at least two paths for its self-driving systems and software. "Ride-sharing makes a lot of sense for the world," he said in New York City. "For goods transportation, which could travel primarily on highways, there's a good and compelling use-case there, too. Either of those two might be the first ones you see."

GM recalls 2.5M faulty airbags

United States car giant General Motors and its Chinese partners will recall 2.5 million cars in China over faulty airbags from Japanese supplier Takata Corp. GM China will recall 13,492 vehicles, and SAIC GM will recall 2.5 million vehicles because the airbags may explode with flying metal shards under certain conditions, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said in a statement on Friday. The cars, which involve those from the Buick, Chevrolet, Opel and Saab brands, will be recalled starting from Oct 29.

Motoring - Agencies

(China Daily 09/18/2017 page19)