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VW Import launches new philosophy for brand

Volkswagen Import unveiled its latest brand philosophy, entitled "Plus", which aims to meet the higher demands of modern customers, at the Shenzhen auto show last week. The automaker's latest philosophy is featured in the reality television show Plus Life Institute, in which celebrities, designers and famous chefs compete against each other in a series of challenges. Produced by Volkswagen Import and Tencent, the show was first broadcast online on Wednesday.

PSA Group suspends all its activities in Iran

Manufacturing group PSA has suspended its activities in Iran amid risks of US sanctions after Washington pulled out from a nuclear deal with Teheran, it said in a recent statement. "The group has begun to suspend its joint ventures' activities, in order to comply with US law by Aug 6," PSA said. With the support of the French government, PSA is engaging with the US authorities to consider a waiver. PSA had signed joint venture agreements with Iranian automakers Khodro and Saipa two years ago following the lifting of international sanctions against Iran in early 2016.

Tencent, Geely team up to provide train Wi-Fi

Tencent and Geely won a joint bid on Wednesday to obtain a 49 percent stake in a subsidiary of China Railway providing Wi-Fi on high-speed trains across China. Tencent Holdings and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group will collaborate with High Speed Network Technology, set up in late 2017 by state-owned China Railway, to provide Wi-Fi solutions and online services on high-speed trains. The companies will increase the number of Wi-Fi hot spots throughout the high-speed rail network and develop an online platform that offers ticketing, shopping, tourism and catering services.

Volvo Cars sets ambitious target for robo-taxis

Volvo Cars is betting driverless vehicles will make up one-third of its deliveries by the middle of the next decade, setting the auto industry's most ambitious target yet for the new technology. Half of the cars the company offers will be available through its subscription service, creating links to more than 5 million consumers and generating new sources of revenue, Volvo said on Thursday. It reiterated a target to match other luxury automakers' profit margins, saying sales growth will be propelled in part by demand from robo-taxi operators.

GM expands Honda venture via battery tie-up

General Motors agreed to collaborate with Honda Motor on electric-vehicle batteries, expanding cooperation between the automakers on next-generation powertrains for cleaner cars. Honda intends to use cells and modules from the largest US automaker in electric vehicles built mostly for the North American market. The two already have a joint venture to produce hydrogen fuel cell systems by around 2020. The deal enables Honda to get battery-powered models to market faster. GM will be able to spread development costs over Honda's sales volume once the two companies are both selling cars.

Tesla didn't brake ahead of fatal crash in US

A Tesla SUV using the semiautonomous Autopilot driving system accelerated just before crashing into a California freeway barrier, killing its driver. The National Transportation Safety Board, in a preliminary report on the March 23 crash, also said that data shows the Model X SUV did not brake or try to steer around the barrier in the three seconds before the crash in Silicon Valley. The NTSB says it now will examine the cause of the crash. Tesla wouldn't say if the system performed as designed.

Motoring - Agencies

(China Daily 06/11/2018 page18)