Short Torque

Daimler to road test smart models

Daimler received a license on Friday to test highly automated vehicles on Beijing roads, becoming the first international automaker to obtain such a permit in the Chinese capital. The permit came after its Mercedes-Benz vehicles equipped with technical applications from Baidu's Apollo autonomous driving system undertook extensive testing at the National Pilot Zone (Beijing and Hebei province) for Intelligent Mobility, with test drivers receiving rigorous training.

GM posts strong Q2 performance

General Motors and its joint ventures delivered 858,344 vehicles in China in the second quarter of 2018, up 0.7 percent on the same period last year. Despite the slowing of the passenger vehicle market, its Cadillac and Baojun brands achieved record deliveries for the second quarter, while Chevrolet continued to post double-digit growth. In the first half of 2018, GM deliveries in China grew 4.4 percent on an annual basis to 1,844,396 units. In the second half of the year, the company is adding 10 new and refreshed models, two-thirds of the total for the year.

Volkswagen invests big in Indian market

Volkswagen AG is investing 1 billion euros ($1.17 billion) to develop its A0-class models for India to expand its market presence in the Asian country, with the first model to appear in 2020. Skoda, which became part of Volkswagen in 1991, is responsible for leading the group's planned model campaign in India. Skoda CEO Bernhard Maier said India is expected to become the third-largest automotive market worldwide, and with this project, the company is creating the right conditions for sustainable growth.

Ucar and Volvo to strengthen ties

Chinese ride-hailing company Ucar Inc announced on Wednesday it had taken delivery of over 700 Volvo S90 sedans after purchasing 500 of the model in May last year. Zang Zhongtang, vice-president of Ucar, said that the Volvo S90 premium sedan not only enriches the upscale models for its auto rental platform Car Inc, but also provides a safe and comfortable choice for business and family use. The two companies also plan to strengthen cooperation in the automobile finance sector to better serve their customers in the future.

EU plans to lower tariffs on US cars

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday she would back lowering European Union tariffs on US car imports, responding to an of er from Washington to abandon threatened levies on European cars in return for concessions. However, she added EU tariff negotiations required a "common European position and we are still working on it". US President Donald Trump threatened last month to impose a tariff of 20 percent on imports of all EU-assembled vehicles, part of a tough line on trade that has raised tensions across the world.

Motoring - Agencies

(China Daily 07/09/2018 page19)