Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) stated on Thursday it has accepted a new credit facility with two banks, at a time when significant automakers are having to close plants, losing revenue as demand declines mainly because of the spread of coronavirus. Majority of FCA’s plants across the world are presently closed in response to the virus […]
European
Mitsubishi could take Renault stake in alliance reorganization
Mitsubishi Corp could possibly invest in Renault as part of scenarios being thought to reinforce an alliance between Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors, two sources knowledgeable with the issue said. French newspaper Les Echos reported previously on Thursday, mentioning an unnamed executive knowledgeable with the discussions and other unnamed sources, that Mitsubishi, a conglomerate with […]
Volkswagen expects German auto market to recover in summer
Volkswagen expects the German auto market to make a recovery in the summer after the automaker was forced to stop output due to the coronavirus pandemic, an executive said. The company has initially stopped production until April 3, but Juergen Stackmann, management board member for the VW passenger cars brand, provided an upbeat assessment to […]
Renault workers use 3D printers for making medical visors
Renault workers in Spain have started using 3D printers to manufacture visors for health workers from home, the French automaker, in a scheme that could be expanded to create other medical equipment elsewhere. The move, which echoes experiments under way at other automakers to discover ways to increase production of medical equipment up to and […]
Aston Martin to temporarily shut UK plants
British luxury automaker Aston Martin stated on Tuesday it would suspend production at its UK manufacturing facilities from Wednesday to April 20 to cope with the coronavirus crisis, which has damaged demand for its cars. The company, popular for being fictional agent James Bond’s favorite car, stated that the outbreak has boosted the risks to […]
Peugeot restarts car production in Wuhan
French automaker Peugeot’s joint venture in China with Dongfeng Motor Group stated on Wednesday it had resumed car production at its plant in Wuhan city. Wuhan was the epicenter of China’s coronavirus outbreak. The joint venture is also making vehicles from two other manufacturing bases in Chengdu and Xiangyang. A total of 81,218 cases of […]
Fiat Chrysler will make face masks for North America
Fiat Chrysler has confirmed that they will produce a million face masks a month and stated it will distribute them to emergency services in North America to help the region in the existing coronavirus crisis. FCA, which is also attempting to help produce urgently needed respirators for patients in intensive care in Italy, is one […]
Volkswagen to suspend production in Russia after supply shortage from Europe
Volkswagen will suspend its car production in Russia because of a supply shortage caused by the coronavirus outbreak in Europe, Volkswagen Group Rus said on Tuesday. Production is going to be stopped from March 30 to April 10 at is car plant located in Kaluga and assembly line in Nizhny Novgorod, the company stated. Volkswagen […]
Fiat Chrysler to produce face masks in Asia
Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley told workers that the automaker would help with the production of masks during the coronavirus crisis, a union representative stated on Monday. Mask production would add to the continued effort by Fiat Chrysler (FCA) and rival automaker Ferrari to find ways to help Italy increase production of healthcare equipment such […]
Next BMW 7 Series lineup to include an all-electric car
BMW’s next-generation Series 7 luxury sedan models will be including an all-electric version. The German automaker has announced at a press conference that the next 7 Series vehicles will come in four versions, 1) a gasoline-burning engine, 2) a diesel version, 3) a plug-in hybrid, 4) a fully electric car. Oliver Zipse, BMW’s Chairman of […]
Volkswagen to close factories in Mexico due to spread of coronavirus
German automaker Volkswagen will temporarily shut down its factories in Mexico’s Puebla and Guanajuato states in order to preserve public health, the company’s Mexican unit stated, amid increasing worries over the spread of the coronavirus. The shutdowns will take effect on March 30 and will be in effect through April 12, the statement noted. The […]
Renault suspends production at joint facility of Renault-Nissan in Chennai, India
Renault India on Monday announced that they are temporarily suspending production at its alliance manufacturing facility in Chennai because of the spread of coronavirus. The French automaker did not mention the time period of suspension. “The health, safety and well-being of all Renault workers, dealers and other partners, their families and community at large is of […]
Volkswagen CEO warns factory closures may stand for weeks
Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess on Saturday cautioned that the coronavirus crisis may force the automaker to keep its factories close for longer than initially planned. “Majority of our factories are closing for two weeks, in some regions for three. It is likely that these measures will last,” Diess said on LinkedIn. The company’s brands consists […]
Volvo recalls 121,000 cars due to auto emergency braking failure
Volvo has issued a recall concerning 121,605 of its vehicles for possible automatic emergency failure. The automaker filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) last week. Automatic emergency braking has brought the maximum convenience for a lot of drivers and passengers. It’s a function that makes people safe, but if the system is […]
Volkswagen tests ventilator output to combat coronavirus crisis
German automaker Volkswagen stated on Friday it was joining other automakers across the world to find out use of 3D printing to make hospital ventilators in order to combat the coronavirus crisis. Governments are enlisting automakers such as Ford, General Motors, Ferrari and Nissan to increase production of ventilators and other equipment they are short […]
