Urban Mobility
Ford Motor Co’s dealers in Indonesia are demanding around $75 million in compensation after the U.S. carmaker announced in January it would close all operations in Southeast Asia’s biggest economy. Six businesses which oversee 31 Ford dealerships in Indonesia say they have sent a second letter about possible legal action to Ford, Ford International Services and PT Ford Motor Indonesia.
Read moreDealership inventories across China averaged 41 days in May, down from 46 days in April, as consumers flocked to dealerships stocked with new products, according to the China Automobile Dealers Association. The dealer group attributed the decline in stockpiles to strong sales generated by new models launched at the Beijing auto show in April. Dealership stockpiles of domestic Chinese brands
Read moreWhen the German luxury automakers BMW, Audi and Daimler acquired HERE from Nokia last year for $3.1 billion, the motivation behind the purchase was largely viewed as having access to the company’s digital mapping resources, which are crucial to self-driving technology. The new owners have larger plans for its proprietary maps and services that extend well beyond the car. And
Read moreGuangzhou Automobile Co. and its insurance subsidiary established a joint venture with Chinese Internet company LeShi Holdings to sell cars, parts and services, auto finance and insurance online. The 1.4 billion ($212 million) new company, Dasheng Technology Co., is incorporated in the south China city of Guangzhou where GAC is headquartered. It is registered as a 45-40-15 partnership between GAC,
Read moreRide-hailing startup Lyft Inc. hired Qatalyst Partners LP, the boutique investment bank best known for helping tech companies find a buyer, according to people familiar with the matter. Lyft, the largest U.S. rival to Uber Technologies Inc., has tried to keep up with its larger competitor as both companies burn through capital to expand their ride-hailing services. Lyft has raised
Read moreUber New Zealand has partnered up with music streaming service Pandora to bring ad-free music to its drivers. New Zealand is one of the first countries to sign the deal with Pandora, which will allow drivers to access and play personalised music from Pandora stations for free and without advertisements. The deal will feature in Uber’s Partner app – allowing
Read moreElectric cars are gaining momentum, and they could lead to even more drastic changes in the car industry than just the abandonment of fossil fuels. Electric powertrains will enable other technologies that could spell the end for individually-owned cars, argues Navigant Research senior research director John Gartner in a recent article for EV World. Many analysts have argued that the
Read moreChina may be the first country where Volkswagen Group could invest billions in one or more plants to manufacture electric-vehicle batteries, a source close to senior management said, citing the Chinese government’s determined support for EVs. The German automaker anticipates it will sell 2 million to 3 million battery-electric cars and plug-in hybrids a year at that point, after previously
Read moreToyota is entering the electric vehicle market in New Zealand – but with used cars, not new. Toyota NZ has begun purchasing low-mileage three-year old third-generation plug-in Prius vehicles in Japan, putting them through its Signature Class used vehicle refurbishment process at Thames, then offering them on the Kiwi market with prices between $35,000 and $40,000. The company it is
Read moreAutomotive Grade Linux (AGL) will be creating open source software solutions for automotive applications. Their initial focus is on In-Vehicle-Infotainment (IVI) and their long-term goals include the addition of instrument clusters and telematics systems. Already AGL already has the likes of Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mazda, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Subaru, and Toyota on board and that list will only continue
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