White House backs industry effort to standardize Tesla's EV charging plugs
The White House is lending its support to an auto industry effort to standardize Tesla’s electric vehicle charging plugs for all EVs in the United States, part of a broad effort to stimulate their sales to help combat climate change.
Electrify America to double EV charging stations by 2025
Electrify America, an electric vehicle charging network funded with money paid by Volkswagen as punishment for its emissions cheating scandal, says it plans to more than double its number of charging stations throughout the United States and Canada.
Ford to go all electric in Europe by 2030
Ford says it will spend $1 billion to modernize its Cologne, Germany, manufacturing center, converting it into a European electric vehicle factory. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)DETROIT – Ford is vowing to convert its entire passenger vehicle lineup in Europe to electric power by 2030 in just the latest sign of the seismic technological changes sweeping the auto industry. Ford expects two-thirds of its European commercial vehicle sales will be electric or plug-in hybrids by 2030. “We are going all in on electric vehicles,” Rowley said. The investment is part of Ford's goal of spending at least $15 billion on electric vehicles from now through 2025.
Semiconductor shortage forces automobile production cuts
A widening global shortage of semiconductors for auto parts is forcing major auto companies to halt or slow vehicle production just as they were recovering from pandemic-related factory shutdowns. Ford had scheduled down time next week at its Louisville, Kentucky, assembly plant, but moved it ahead to this week. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)DETROIT – A widening global shortage of semiconductors for auto parts is forcing major auto companies to halt or slow vehicle production just as they were recovering from pandemic-related factory shutdowns. Ford had scheduled down time next week at its Louisville, Kentucky, assembly plant, but moved it ahead to this week. "This will minimize the impact of the current semiconductor shortage while ensuring we maintain production at our other North American plants,” Fiat Chrysler said in a statement.
Volkswagen recalls Beetles to replace Takata air bag inflators
DETROIT – Volkswagen is recalling over 105,000 Beetles with faulty Takata front driver’s air bags that can explode and hurl shrapnel. Dealers will replace the front driver’s air bags at no cost to owners starting on Feb. 12. But it’s recalling them at the behest of the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is concerned that the air bags could explode over time. Exploding Takata inflators caused the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history, with at least 63 million inflators recalled. About 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide.
European Central Bank: Just wait until December
FRANKFURT – The European Central Bank held off from strengthening its current economic stimulus but its President Christine Lagarde said there was “little doubt” that more action would be coming at its December meeting as surging coronavirus infections and new restrictions on activity threaten Europe’s economy. “We have little doubt... that the circumstances will warrant the recalibration and the implementation of this recalibrated package," Lagarde said. Analysts believe that is one reason the bank could take no action Thursday, since there already more stimulus still in the pipeline. Massive ECB stimulus and new spending by governments has helped ward off turmoil on financial markets and cushion the downturn. Airlines, hotels, restaurants and other businesses big and small have suffered a devastating drop in activity.
Former VW boss Winterkorn faces trial on 2nd set of charges
BERLIN – A German court has ruled that former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn must face trial on a second set of charges in the company's diesel emissions scandal, this time accused of market manipulation. Thursday's announcement by the Braunschweig state court followed a decision earlier this month that he must stand trial on fraud charges. No date has been set for either set of proceedings. Winterkorn resigned from Volkswagen days after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a notice of violation on Sept. 18, 2015. The court said it sent the charges to trial unchanged.
37-year-old woman fatally struck by vehicle, Cocoa Beach police say
COCOA BEACH, Fla. – A vehicle exiting Health First’s Cape Canaveral Hospital struck and killed a pedestrian Sunday night, according to the Cocoa Beach Police Department. Police said the victim was a 37-year-old woman. Her name has not been released. The blue 2011 Volkswagen is believed to have exited the parking lot of Cape Canaveral Hospital and pulled onto State Road 520 around 10 p.m. when the crash occurred, records show. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call the Cocoa Beach Police Department at 321-868-3251.
Daimler AG to pay $1.5B to settle emissions cheating probes
WASHINGTON – Automaker Daimler AG and subsidiary Mercedes-Benz USA have agreed to pay $1.5 billion to the U.S. government and California state regulators to resolve emissions cheating allegations, officials said Monday. The settlement, which includes civil penalties, will also require Daimler to fix the vehicles, officials said. Daimler AG said the settlement would bring costs of about $1.5 billion, while the civil settlement will bring a one-off charge of about $700 million. Fiat Chrysler also is being investigated for allegedly cheating on emissions. In April 2016, the Justice Department asked Daimler to conduct an internal probe into its exhaust emissions certification process.
Former VW boss Winterkorn must stand trial in diesel scandal
FRANKFURT A German court has ruled former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn must stand trial on fraud charges in connection with the company's diesel emission scandal in which it sold cars with software that let them cheat on emissions tests. It said four other defendants would face trial on charges of fraud in connection with aggravated tax evasion and illegal advertising. Winterkorn resigned from Volkswagen days after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a notice of violation on Sept. 18, 2015. The company had for years been using software that recognized when vehicles were on test stands and turned emission controls on, then turned the emission controls off during normal driving. Volkswagen paid more than 30 billion euros ($33 billion) in fines and settlements over the scandal.
China auto sales up 14.5% in May, recovering after pandemic
Chinas auto sales surged 14.5% in May, a second straight month of growth as the global industrys biggest market gradually recovers from the coronavirus pandemic, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said Thursday. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)HONG KONG Chinas auto sales surged 14.5% in May, a second straight month of growth as the global industrys biggest market gradually recovers from the coronavirus pandemic. Sales fell 9.6% last year, their second straight annual decline. The downturn is squeezing brands that are investing billions of dollars to develop electric vehicles under pressure to meet government sales targets. Demand for electric vehicles weakened last year after Beijing reduced subsidies that helped to make China their biggest market, accounting for half of global sales.
German court ruling clears the way to settle VW diesel cases
According to the ruling, Volkswagen is basically obliged to pay damages to car owners affected by the diesel scandal. Volkswagen said the decision announced Monday would clear the way for settlement of remaining consumer claims in Germany. The decision affects some 60,000 individual claims brought by car owners there; around 262,000 others have already been covered by an 830 million-euro ($904 million) class-action settlement. “For the majority of the 60,000 pending cases, this ruling provides clarity,” the company said in a statement. He had sought the full purchase price but the court ruled he must accept less due to depreciation related to the distance he drove.
VW agrees to $912 million payments for Germans who sued
BERLIN – German auto giant Volkswagen agreed Friday to pay 830 million euros ($912 million) in damages to hundreds of thousands of customers whose diesel cars were outfitted with software to manipulate emissions readings. The settlement offer was negotiated with Germany’s consumer protection group VZBV, and Volkswagen called it “fair compensation.” The offer amounts to about 15% of the purchase price of the car, and payments range from between 1,350 euros to 6,257 euros ($1,485-$6,882). It will now be up to some 260,000 customers who had sued Volkswagen in Germany, arguing their cars had lost value due to the emission cheating scandal, to accept the offer or to proceed on their own to try and sue for more. In 2015, U.S. regulators caught Volkswagen using software that turned emissions controls off once the car had passed emissions tests. The company has paid out more than 30 billion euros ($33 billion) in fines, settlements and recalls.
Volkswagen offers 830 mln-euro diesel settlement in Germany
Automaker Volkswagen has offered 830 million euros as a settlement for owners of diesel vehicles that used software to mask excessive emissions. The company said Friday it was making the offer after talks broke down with a German consumer association that had been negotiating for a deal over fees for the plaintiffs' attorneys. The VZBZ consumer association said that the settlement talks failed because Volkswagen was unwilling to set up what it called a “transparent, trustworthy and secure” way of resolving the claims. In 2015, U.S. regulators caught Volkswagen using software that turned emissions controls off once the car had passed emissions tests. The company has paid out more than 30 billion euros ($33 billion) in fines, settlements and recalls.
German prosecutors charge 6 more in VW emissions scandal
FRANKFURT – Prosecutors in Germany have filed charges against six more individuals in connection with Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal, bringing the total to 11. The prosecutors' statement did not name the individuals charged. Three of the accused were charged with direct offenses and the other three as accessories to the offenses, meaning they assisted or facilitated them. The prosecutors said 32 more individuals were under investigation. The company has paid more than 30 billion euros ($33 billion) in fines, settlements and recall costs.
Volkswagen, German consumer group in diesel settlement talks
BERLIN – Volkswagen and a German consumer group said Thursday they will conduct talks on a possible settlement in a landmark case in which hundreds of thousands of people aim to establish a right of compensation for cars affected by the automaker’s diesel emissions scandal. At the time, the presiding judge suggested that the two sides could consider a settlement, which he said would be possible though very difficult. The case was brought by the Federation of German Consumer Organizations on behalf of more than 400,000 diesel owners. In a statement Thursday, the two sides said that they have agreed to open talks on a possible settlement and that their common aim is “a pragmatic solution” in the interests of customers. It stressed that it is uncertain whether they will reach a settlement and said both sides have agreed to confidentiality.
German court issues split rulings over VW diesel cheating
BERLIN – A German appeals court has ruled in several lawsuits against automaker Volkswagen, saying consumers who unknowingly bought cars with software installed to cheat diesel emissions tests deserve compensation but those who purchased them later don’t. The Stuttgart appeals court ruled Thursday plaintiffs could demand repayment of the purchase price, minus a portion for usage, for cars bought between 2013-2015. The scandal came to light when U.S. authorities announced the violation in September 2015. It has cost Volkswagen some 30 billion euros ($33 billion) in fines, recalls and settlements, and several former executives have faced legal repercussions. The court rejected damage claims from plaintiffs who purchased vehices in 2016, saying Volkswagen’s announcements after the scandal broke were “sufficient in content and scope to inform the public.”The rulings can be appealed.