Short Torque

GM growth steady in the United States

General Motors sold 746,659 vehicles in the second quarter of 2019 in the United States, a drop of 1.5 percent from the same period last year. Crossover sales set a new second quarter record growing 17 percent year-on-year. Sales of the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 crew cab and GMC Sierra 1500 crew cab were both up 12 percent on the same period. The Detroit-based automaker said Buick deliveries were up 5 percent and GMC deliveries were up 10 percent in the second quarter. "The US economy continues to grow at a healthy pace. Jobs are plentiful and inflation remains low," said GM chief economist Elaine Buckberg.

Daimler, BMW team up on automated driving

Two German carmakers, Daimler AG and BMW Group, launched a long-term strategic cooperation in the field of automated driving, according to a joint press release published by the premium carmakers on Thursday. The main aims of the partnership are to develop "driver assistance systems and automated driving on motorways as well as automated parking functions" to Society of Automotive Engineers Level 4, according to the German carmakers. According to the levels of automation standard developed by the SAE, Level 4 is one step below full vehicle autonomy.

JLR to make electric vehicles in the UK

British car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover will make electric cars at its Midlands factory, securing thousands of jobs in a major boost to post-Brexit Britain. The facility in Birmingham, the second biggest city in the United Kingdom, will be converted to produce a range of electric vehicles, said the carmaker on Friday. The first car to roll off the production line will be the next-generation all-electric Jaguar XJ luxury saloon model, the company added. The news is a welcome boost for the nation's largely foreign-owned car sector, which has long warned over the impact of Britain's exit from the European Union.

Connected car forum coming in October

The 2019 World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference, one of the largest events of the intelligent connected vehicle industry, is set to open this autumn..To be held from Oct 22 to 25 in Shunyi district of Beijing, the 2019 WICV will invite government officials, industry experts and enterprise representatives from across the globe to exchange opinions and ideas on intelligent transportation, smart cities, building new infrastructure and information security. The conference will feature 10 professional exhibition areas, showcasing cutting-edge technologies and the latest achievements in the auto industry, transportation, internet and communication.

EU opens door for competing tech

The European Union cleared the way to competing technologies for internet connected cars on Thursday, rejecting a European Commission push for a Wi-Fi-based standard backed by Volkswagen. The result represents a win for BMW and Qualcomm which support a rival 5G telecoms system. Germany, France and Italy, with powerful car industries, were among 21 countries to vote against the EC proposal at a Brussels meeting of EU representatives, an EU official said. This contrasted with EU lawmakers in April who endorsed the Wi-Fi plan over 5G technology.

Tesla bucks industry trend in deliveries

Tesla reported a surge in second-quarter deliveries on Tuesday, while other United States automakers suffered drops in sales in the first half of 2019, with higher vehicle costs weighing on consumers. Shares in Tesla rose in after-hours trading after it reported delivering 95,200 vehicles during the quarter ending June 30, a record and an increase of more than 50 percent over Q1. The company, which has faced worries about weakening demand for its electric vehicles, said in a securities filing, "we believe we are well positioned to continue growing total production and deliveries in Q3".

Motoring - Agencies

(China Daily 07/08/2019 page19)