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India's electric rickshaw revolution tops China's EV pu - 31 Dec 2018 02:56

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<span>India's electric rickshaw revolution tops China's EV push</span>
<p> India is home to about 1.5 million electric rickshaws, a fleet bigger than the total number of electric passenger cars sold in China since 2011, and one that has grown without China's significant subsidies. </p>

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Source: http://europe.autonews.com/article/20181027/ANE/181029787/indias-electric-rickshaw-revolution-tops-chinas-ev-push - Comments: 0

Fiat Chrysler's new CEO will announce new management te - 28 Dec 2018 03:47

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<span>Fiat Chrysler's new CEO will announce new management team by the end of Sept.</span>
<p> Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley will announce his management team by the end of September, the company's chairman said at a shareholder meeting called to approve his appointment following Sergio Marchionne's death. </p>

Source: http://europe.autonews.com/article/20180907/ANE/180909846/fiat-chryslers-new-ceo-will-announce-new-management-team-by-the-end

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XS Car Night Berlin 2018 Photo Coverage // Part 2. - 22 Dec 2018 03:26

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<p>We’ll wrap XS Berlin up with another epic set of photos, this time shot by Sebastian Voll! Germany (heck, most of Europe!) in our opinion doesn’t get the respect they deserve. The quality of cars they are putting out (especially as of late) is mind blowing. Whether you are into simple builds or completely over the top stuff, there is something for everyone. Just look at the variety of the cars that were in attendance at this event and you’ll realize that they can hold their own against any other continent/country. We are extremely thankful to our awesome photo crew for capturing these shots. Most of us would never even know how Europeans do it if it wasn’t for these hard working photo &amp; video guys &amp; girls! Enjoy and drop a comment with your thoughts!</p>
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Source: https://www.stancenation.com/2018/07/17/xs-car-night-berlin-2018-photo-coverage-part-2/ - Comments: 0

Ethics and compliance in FandI go hand in hand - 19 Dec 2018 03:00

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<div class="article-main-content" data-swiftype-index="true" readability="62.116409537167 &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Editor’s note: This story will be part of a special section on ethics in dealerships’ F&amp;I departments, to be published in the Dec. 10 print edition of&lt;/em&gt; Automotive News.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;When a dealer learned his lucrative finance and insurance department was making some of its cash charging customers $3,000 for a year of free car washes — a cost exorbitantly higher than the $199 retail price — he asked F&amp;I trainer Ron Reahard if that was a problem.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;It was.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;" text-content1"="" it's="" just="" not="" ethical,"="" said="" reahard,="" president="" of="" f&amp;i="" training="" company="" reahard="" &amp;="" associates="" in="" soddy="" daisy,="" tenn.="" "that's="" where="" dealers="" get="" themselves="" trouble,="" pressuring="" too="" much="" on="" 'how="" do="" i="" make="" more="" money?,'="" and="" focusing="" the="" dollars="" without="" paying="" attention="" to="" how="" those="" are="" being="" made."<="">
<p>F&amp;I personnel are trained about compliance, but what about ethics? While compliance is tied to a hard set of regulations that are enforced, ethics are typically related to values that are declared or at least implied by dealership management to employees, with varying degrees of success.</p>
<p>The relationship between compliance and ethics is especially acute in the F&amp;I department, where regulatory hurdles are abundant but the possibility of making more money is often a focal point.</p>
<p>Reahard said dealers should pay attention to where the money is coming from and limit how much profit is made on F&amp;I product sales and dealer reserve.</p>
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<p>'A pretty big spectrum'</p>
<p>Too often, dealers don't stay within a healthy limit. &quot;Unfortunately, a crook is going to be a crook,&quot; he said. &quot;Some of the finest people I've ever met are in the car business, and some of the worst people I've ever met are in the car business. We have a pretty big spectrum, unfortunately.&quot;</p>
<p>Rebecca Chernek, an F&amp;I trainer with Chernek Consulting in Cumming, Ga., said that when it comes to compliance and ethics, dealers are often more reactive than proactive.</p>
<p>&quot;I see that dealers are almost evolving back to where we used to be,&quot; she said. &quot;When we talk about digital menu, I see dealers using step-selling methods that don't disclose base payments.&quot;</p>
<p>The Association of Finance &amp; Insurance Professionals has a list of &quot;Seven Deadly Sins of F&amp;I&quot; that cite some of the bad practices that can land dealers in hot water with regulatory officials, litigation or the media.</p>
<p>The association advises dealers, for example, to never use the word &quot;best&quot; when quoting finance charges because there's typically a markup over the buy rate.</p>
<p>It instead instructs dealers to say that the rate is &quot;competitive.&quot;</p>
<p>The markup should be within acceptable margins, the group says, and recommends implementing the NADA Fair Credit Compliance Policy &amp; Program.</p>
<p>It also warns against more obvious bad practices, such as forging signatures, overstating customers' incomes and packing payments.</p>
<p>Culture-driven</p>
<p>Rob Warmack, CEO of Compli in Portland, Ore., said a dealer's ethics or lack thereof typically start with how its culture is established. Compli, which has been in the dealership sector for about 12 years, works with about 400 U.S. dealerships, providing work force program management across all of the stores' departments.</p>
<p>Ethical training, while not broken out specifically, can be found in the training for various departments, such as human resources, as well as in dealers' codes of conduct.</p>
<p>&quot;Compliance is a big part of what we do, obviously, but it really is establishing the culture,&quot; Warmack said.</p>
<p>Compli starts with sample content on which dealers can build. The content is rooted in regulatory compliance. Its F&amp;I content is authored with an up-to-date legal framework by Hudson Cook, a law firm that focuses on consumer financial services.</p>
<p>Dealerships also can modify the nonregulatory sample content, such as the code of conduct, to customize it for their operations, &quot;and we encourage that,&quot; Warmack said.</p>
<p>Reahard has a code of conduct, too, which most dealers use and some customize. &quot;It sets a clear line in the sand that we want to do things the right way at this dealership.&quot;</p>
<p>Warmack said compliance with regulations can often get rolled together with ethics. As an example, he points to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which prohibits dealers from discriminating against customers based on their race, religion, national origin, sex, marital status or age.</p>
<p>&quot;So the ethic behind that is you treat everybody fairly,&quot; Warmack said. And the dealer's set of rules or code of conduct should reflect that. &quot;There's ethical behavior and there are regulations to ensure ethical behavior,&quot; he said.</p>
<p>They go hand in hand, Warmack said. &quot;If you're operating ethically, you don't have to worry about the regulations.&quot;</p>

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Source: http://www.autonews.com/article/20181208/FINANCE_AND_INSURANCE/181219982/ethics-dealerships-compliance-finance-insurance?AID=%2F20181208%2FFINANCE_AND_INSURANCE%2F181219982 - Comments: 0

Co-operation between parties and state essential for sa - 16 Dec 2018 03:09

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<div class="entry-content entry clearfix" readability="33.668693009119 &lt;p&gt;The National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) investigation into the the March 2018 self-driving Uber crash continues. A team was dispatched to Tempe, Arizona, the day after the crash. The group investigates crashes where findings and conclusions can advance the knowledge of road safety issues in general. Given that the crash was the first recorded fatality of a pedestrian struck by a car in self-driving mode, its conclusions are likely to make for essential reading for all players involved in self-driving vehicle development….&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class=" subscribe-box="" <h3="">
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Source: https://www.automotiveworld.com/articles/co-operation-between-parties-and-state-essential-for-safer-autonomous-driving/

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2019 Nissan Murano facelift – updated looks and tech - 13 Dec 2018 02:06

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<p>rel=&quot;attachment wp-att-896113 [[image https://s2.paultan.org/image/2018/11/NIssan-Murano-2019-10-e1543466777591-630x355.jpg&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; width=&quot;630&quot; height=&quot;355&quot; class=&quot;alignnone size-medium wp-image-896113&quot; srcset=&quot;https://s2.paultan.org/image/2018/11/NIssan-Murano-2019-10-e1543466777591-630x354.jpg 630w, https://s2.paultan.org/image/2018/11/NIssan-Murano-2019-10-e1543466777591-1200x676.jpg 1200w, https://s3.paultan.org/image/2018/11/NIssan-Murano-2019-10-e1543466777591-850x479.jpg 850w&quot; sizes=&quot;(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px&quot;/&gt;</p>
<p>Nissan has unveiled the 2019 Murano facelift at the Los Angeles Motor Show, refreshing the third-generation model with mild revisions to its exterior as well as updated technology inside and out.</p>
<p>The Murano’s front end has been revised to wear a set of triangular air intakes and a more pronounced V-motion grille, bookended by a set of updated LED headlights. Meanwhile, there are updated tail lights feature at the rear end, new LED fog lights, and rolling stock comprises 18-inch or 20-inch wheels. </p>
<p>Colour-wise, the Murano palette is joined by three new additions – Sunset Drift Chromaflair, Mocha Almond Pearl and Deep Blue Pearl for its exterior. The aesthetic changes continue inside the Murano, where the range-topping Platinum trim gets semi-aniline leather seats with diamond-quilted inserts. This trim level also gains dark wood trim and contrast piping on the seats, centre console and armrests.</p>
<p>Further along the range, the Murano’s S, SV and SL trim variants come specified with either metallic or light wood trim. Trim levels SL and above gain the NissanConnect infotainment setup with Door-to-Door navigation, which now offers three-dimensional building graphics and satellite imagery, along with premium traffic information and points-of-interest online search abilities. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is standard across all trim levels. </p>
<p>Safety equipment on the 2019 Murano now includes Rear Door Alert and Intelligent Driver Alertness systems, plus standard 2nd row supplemental side air bags and front passenger supplemental knee air bag. The Safety Shield 360 Suite of driver assistance can be added, and comprises autonomous emergency braking, pedestrian detection, blind spot warning rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, high beam assist and rear automatic braking. </p>
<p>Additionally, two trim options are available for the 2019 Murano; the SV Premium Package, which comes with a powered panoramic moonroof, intelligent Around View monitor, a Bose premium 11-speaker sound system and more, as well as the SL Technology package with the aforementioned Safety Shield 360 pack, traffic sign recognition and powered panoramic moonroof.</p>
<p>The facelifted SUV continues to be powered the firm’s 3.5 litre naturally-aspirated V6 petrol engine, producing 263 PS and 325 Nm of torque here in the 2019 Murano, channeled to an Xtronic continuously variable transmission and an optional all-wheel drive system. The 2019 Nissan Murano is slated to reach American showrooms in December 2019.</p>
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Toyota, plowing millions into Uber, eyes the future of - 10 Dec 2018 02:21

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<p>Toyota Motor Corp. is preparing for a potential future where people don't buy cars.</p>
<p>That's behind the hefty investments that the company has made in ride-hailing providers, most prominently the $1 billion that it poured into Southeast Asian leader Grab. Toyota sees the partnership as an opportunity to get Grab to buy more of its cars and to push services like insurance and maintenance, Shigeki Tomoyama, the global head of Toyota's connected car division, said in an interview this month in Nagoya, Japan.</p>
<p>The pact with Singapore-based Grab forms the Asia prong of Toyota's strategy to tie up with the strongest ride-hailing companies in each region, and then integrate its hardware and software into their services. Toyota is seeking an edge over rivals as carmakers are positioning for an uncertain future in which automated driving and the sharing economy threaten to displace the traditional model of vehicle ownership.</p>
<p>&quot;We recognize that the mobility-as-a-service players control vast numbers of drivers and users, and are gaining supremacy over their local transportation systems,&quot; said Tomoyama, who now sits on Grab's board. &quot;It's not realistic for us to try and set up a car-rental or ride-hailing service from scratch in a market like the U.S. or Asia.&quot;</p>
<p>Tomoyama wants Grab to rent almost exclusively Toyota vehicles to its drivers, from an estimate of about three in five of its cars currently, Tomoyama said.</p>
<p>Toyota also plans to install data recorders in all 7,000 or so cars in GrabRentals' Singapore fleet by the end of March, and then expand that initiative to the rest of the region. That will help Toyota offer services like insurance and maintenance to the drivers through its connected-vehicle system, he said.</p>
<p>With Uber Technologies Inc. — into which Toyota poured half a billion dollars last month — the automaker is designing a specialized minivan for their robotaxi project. In China, Tomoyama says he's in discussions with Didi Chuxing Inc. about what kind of car would suit a possible collaboration, but it's not yet at the stage for considering an investment.</p>
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Source: http://www.autonews.com/article/20180928/MOBILITY/309269899/toyota-plowing-millions-into-uber-eyes-the-future-of-cars

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Das Heinie: Porsche 935 Revs Our Heart With Retro Cues, - 07 Dec 2018 02:00

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<p>Porsche has unveiled the new 935 on the occasion of the historic “Rennsport Reunion” motorsport event at Laguna Seca Raceway in California. The 515 kW (700 hp) racer featuring a body reminiscent of the legendary Porsche 935/78 will be produced in a limited number of 77 units. “This spectacular car is a birthday present from Porsche Motorsport to fans all over the world,” says Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice President Motorsport and GT Cars. “Because the car isn’t homologated, engineers and designers didn’t have to follow the usual rules and thus had freedom in the development.”&nbsp;</p>
<p>The race car’s technology for clubsport events and private training on racetracks is based on the 911 GT2 RS high-performance sports car. Like its historic predecessor, most of the body has been replaced or supplemented by carbon-fibre composite parts (CFRP). With its streamlined extended rear, the 935 reaches a length of 4.87 metres. The width of the exclusive clubsport racer measures 2.03 metres.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The spectacular aerodynamics is a completely new development and pays tribute to the Porsche 935/78 Le Mans race car, which fans dubbed “Moby Dick” due to its elongated shape, massive fairings and white base colour. The distinctive wheel arch air vents on the front fairings, which also feature on the GT3 Porsche 911 GT3 R customer vehicle, increase downforce at the front axle. Measuring 1,909 millimetres in width by 400 millimetres in depth, the rear wing lends aerodynamic balance.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Many details of the exterior are a salute to winning vehicles from the company’s motor racing history: The aerodynamically capped rims echo those of the 935/78, with the LED rear lights on the rear wing endplates adopted from the 919 Hybrid LMP1 race car. The side mirrors hail from the current Le Mans-winning 911 RSR, with the exposed titanium tailpipes modelled on the Porsche 908 from 1968.&nbsp;</p>
<p>These references are carried through to the cockpit. The knob on the gearshift lever has a laminated wood design and is reminiscent of racers such as the 917, the 909 Bergspyder and the Carrera GT super sports car. The carbon steering wheel and the colour display behind it have been taken from the 911 GT3 R from the 2019 model year. A massive safety cage combined with a racing bucket seat and a six-point safety harness ensure maximum safety. A second seat for the passenger is available as an optional extra. Air conditioning provides optimal cooling of the interior.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The new 935 is powered by a state-of-the-art 3.8-litre six-cylinder twin-turbo engine, which is largely identical to the high-performance standard unit mounted in the road-legal 911 GT2 RS. Power is transferred to the rear engine via a seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) with rigid gearbox suspension at the 310-millimetre-wide rear axle. Like in the GT road models of the 911, the driver changes gears via conveniently positioned shift paddles on the steering wheel. Typical of the 911, the weight distribution ensures excellent traction and braking performances. Six-piston aluminium monobloc racing callipers on the front axle in combination with internally ventilated and grooved steel brake discs with a 380-millimeter diameter provide excellent deceleration values at the front axle. The rear axle is fitted with four-piston callipers and 355-millimeter discs.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Like the road-legal 911 GT2 RS, the 1,380-kilogram 935 is equipped with PSM (Porsche Stability Management) including traction control as well as an anti-lock braking system (ABS). Thanks to a so-called map switch, these assistance systems can be adjusted separately or switched off completely, depending on the driving situation.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The new Porsche 935 can be ordered now from 701,948 Euro plus country-specific VAT. Customers will receive their vehicles from June 2019 at exclusive delivery events.&nbsp;</p>

Source: https://www.motor1.com/news/267684/porsche-935-retro-race-car/

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Porsche Aims at Tesla Again with an Electric SUV, Tayca - 04 Dec 2018 01:51

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<p>He told <i>Autocar</i> that an additional all-electric model, aside from next year’s Taycan, will launch by 2022 - a “big SUV” which could be an EV version of the Cayenne or maybe a Porsche version of the recently revealed Audi e-Tron SUV; it could also be an all-new model designed and engineered by and for Porsche.</p>
<p>Porsche will also expand the class=&quot;_in Taycan lineup after its 2019 launch, with a high-riding, plastic-clad crossover-style model (think class=&quot;_in Mission E Cross Turismo concept), as well as a Targa version which, according to the source, will “feature a large glazed opening that slides down to the rear hatch area.” It is expected to debut in 2020 or 2021.</p>
<p>Regarding the creation of an all-electric sports car, believe it or not, Porsche actually built a fully working all-electric version of the class=&quot;_in Boxster some seven years ago. It was a fully functional one-off but only came with the 121 horsepower motor out of a then-new VW Golf Blue-e Motion.</p>
<p>It seems Porsche is reluctant to do an actual electric sports car because of battery weight which would negatively affect performance.</p> - Comments: 0

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