Short torque

Volvo seeks trade tariff exemption

Volvo Cars has asked the Trump administration to exempt the company's Chinese-made mid-size XC60 SUV from new 25 percent tariffs, the latest automaker to seek relief from levies on imports from China. Earlier this week, Volvo Cars and its Chinese owner Geely postponed plans to float shares in the Swedish carmaker, blaming trade tensions and a downturn in automotive stocks.

VW axes iconic Beetle models

Volkswagen announced on Thursday it would end production of its iconic Beetle cars in 2019 after adding a pair of final editions of the bug-shaped vehicles. The curvy-topped sedans, which shook off Nazi origins to become a global auto phenomenon, are being sidelined as Volkswagen emphasizes electric cars and larger family-oriented vehicles.

Geely launches Jingzhou project

Geely Automobile launched an 8-billion-yuan ($1.16 billion) project in Jingzhou, Hubei province to build production line, R&D center and logistics and distribution warehouse for batteries. The project is part of Geely's Blue Action strategy. It aims for the production and sale of 2 million vehicles in 2020, 90 percent of which will be electric. Geely is also aiming to make its fleet more fuel efficient with the goal of achieving a range on 100 kilometers for five liters of fuel by 2020.

BelGee to boost its production

Belarusian-Chinese carmaker BelGee said on Thursday that it is considering increasing its capacity and expanding into new markets in Eastern Europe and the Eurasian Economic Union. The company's Acting Director General Gennady Svidersky said that the joint venture expects to export one-third of its output to the markets of neighboring countries such as Ukraine, Lithuania and Latvia by 2020. Negotiations have been held with Moldova and Kazakhstan, too.

GM recalls 1M vehicles in US

General Motors recalled more than 1 million larger vehicles in the United States because of a power steering system defect that increases the chances of a crash, the company said on Thursday. The recall affects 2015 versions of several pickup and sport utility models, including the Chevrolet Silverado, the GMC Yukon and the Cadillac Escalade, the company said in a notice to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Carmakers discuss self-driving rules

Germany's Volkswagen is in talks with other carmakers to set common standards for self-driving vehicle technology, Automotive News reported on Friday. The Volkswagen Group is discussing the initiative with more than 15 potential partners, according to the report, which cited an anonymous company executive. Manufacturers including BMW have indicated they would welcome common standards on aspects of self-driving cars including the configuration of their sensors.

Motoring - Agencies

(China Daily 09/17/2018 page19)