Geely hires VW's North American CEO to head Volvo
Shanghai, June 28 (Gasgoo.com) China's automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., who is buying Ford Motor's Volvo car unit, has hired Volkswagen's North American chief executive officer Stefan Jacoby to lead its up-coming Volvo brand, according to German media.
Jacoby will replace Briton Stephen Odell, who will leave Volvo to become the head of Ford's European operations, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported. Volkswagen had replaced Jacoby as head of its U.S. operations on an interim basis "until (his) contractual situation has been clarified."
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Daimler may produce GLK crossover at Beijing venture
Shanghai, June 28 (Gasgoo.com) German carmaker Daimler is considering Chinese production of its GLK four-wheel-drive or another mid-range car in its joint venture plant in Beijing as part of its plans to boost local output in China, a company executive told a German newspaper Thursday.
'We are thinking about producing further models below the E-Class, in addition to the C-Class,' said chief financial officer Bodo Uebber to the Stuttgarter Zeitung. He said he would not rule out the GLK being chosen. The GLK is a so-called crossover between a regular compact car and a sport utility vehicle (SUV).
Mercedes to lift China JV sales to 300,000
Shanghai, June 29 (Gasgoo.com) The partnership between Mercedes-Benz and Beijing Auto has proven to be a successful venture so far, and with the stretched version of E-Class being launched in China, Mercedes-Benz is now bubbling for its second golden age.
Recently, Beijing Benz said it plans to raise its annual sales to 300,000 vehicles by the end of 2015, with half vehicles to be manufactured locally, media reported today.
Subaru may form Chinese venture with FAW Toyota
Shanghai, June 29 (Gasgoo.com) Subaru has contacted Jiangling Motors Company (JMC) in Nanchang, and both sides may cooperate to produce main components in China. In terms of setting up a joint venture to produce cars in China, Subaru may cooperate with FAW Toyota, media reported.
An industry expert said that there is basis for Subaru and JMC to cooperate with each other. In addition to the fact that both sides have products in the SUV market , such as Subaru's SUV products Outback (Aohu), Tribeca (Chipeng), Forester (Senlinren) and JMC's SUV products Landwind X6 (Lufeng), Landwind X9 and Fashion (Fengshang), JMC also has the technical background from Isuzu Motors.
Bentley makes new five-year plan for China business
Shanghai, June 30 (Gasgoo.com) British carmaker Bentley, owned by Volkswagen, has recently made a new five-year plan aiming to expand its business in China, Bentley's third-largest market in the world, following the U.S. and Britain.
Bentley China plans to add four more dealerships in Kunming, Tianjin, Xiamen and Shenyang this year and then to expand its sales networks at other twenty-four Chinese cities in five years, with a total investment of over 300 million yuan ($44 million). Besides, it intends to deliver 700 vehicles in 2010, said Zheng Biao, general manager of Bentley China.
Changan-PSA JV deal to sign in July, to make MPV
Shanghai, June 30 (Gasgoo.com) The Changan-PSA venture finally gets some results. According to people familiar with the matter, executives of Changan Auto will fly soon to France to sign the final cooperation agreement with PSA Peugeot Citroen in July, and one of China's state leaders will also attend the signing ceremony, media reported today.
Early last month, Changan Auto entered into a preliminary cooperation agreement with PSA on establishment of a 50/50 joint venture based in Shenzhen, China. Under the agreement, the joint venture will produce small cars and commercial vehicles under the Peugeot and Citroen brand names.
China approves 16 automakers for green-car subsidy
Shanghai, June 30 (Gasgoo.com) China has approved 16 automakers in the country, including local companies and joint ventures, to receive the government's clean-energy subsidy of 3,000 yuan ($441) for each green vehicle, China's top economic planning agency said today.
Energy-saving cars made by BYD, Jianghuai Auto, Changan Ford Mazda and Beijing Hyundai are listed among the 71 models approved for the green-car subsidies, the National Development and Reform Commission said in a statement on its website, without identifying the other carmakers or any of the endorsed models.
BYD-Benz to launch new-brand EV model in 2013
Shanghai, July 1 (Gasgoo.com) BYD-Benz's new electric vehicle project is settled in Shenzhen to produce a new model positioned between the BYD and Benz brands. This new brand is to be launched in 2013, media reported recently.
Du Guozhong, manager of the public relations department of BYD, revealed to the reporter that the project in Shenzhen is a technology R&D centre of the two carmakers. It will combine Daimler's proprietary technology in the field of electric vehicle's structure and safety with BYD's excellent car battery and drive technology to produce a new generation of electric vehicles.
Geely set to launch 2.0L Emgrand EC 8 sedan in H2
Shanghai, July 1 (Gasgoo.com) With the success of its EC 7 model in the market, Geely is to launch the new medium-size Emgrand EC 8 (Dihao) sedan, with an engine of 2.0L in the second half of this year, media reported.
The Emgrand EC 8 is pitched at middle or high-end market. Its body size is 4905/1829/1495 mm and the wheel base is 2805 mm, which makes it close to the product level of Toyota’s Camry (Kaimeirui) and Accord (Yage).
Changan Auto to develop 3G car with China Mobile
Shanghai, July 2 (Gasgoo.com) On 1st July, Chang'an Automobile Co. Ltd signed a strategic cooperation agreement with China Mobile to jointly develop 3G cars, media reported.
The two sides committed to each other in the agreement that they will cooperate in the fields of R&D of the intelligent car (including but not limited to wireless remote control and testing technology) and its OEM market on the aspects of vehicle remote diagnosis, positioning, navigation and the like.
GM China H1 sales up 48.5% to 1.21 mln vehicles
Shanghai, July 2 (Gasgoo.com) General Motors's China sales in the first half of the year grew 48.5% from a year earlier to 1.21 million vehicles, surpassing those in the U.S. for the first time in the carmaker's 102-year-old history, media reported today, citing the carmaker's latest figures.
In the first six months, China sales by GM and its local joint ventures totaled 1.21 million vehicles, topping U.S. deliveries of 1.08 million, according to figures reported separately by the Detroit-based company. GM's June sales in China rose 23% from a year earlier to 176,486 units, the company said today.
