Europe

Renault detailed the new software architecture of its future vehicles which it said will be on par by 2026 with that of electric-vehicle industry leader Tesla. The French company, like most automakers, has been living for months under the threat of regular and drastic price cuts from its U.S.-based competitor. In France, the list price

Tesla has entered a new era: one in which Elon Musk keeps a different set of car executives up at night, while others rest a little easier. In the decade since the Model S launched, Tesla has been taking customers largely from luxury players led by BMW and Mercedes-Benz. While Musk had ambitions to take

DETROIT — Tesla’s decision to cut prices to drive up sales volume reflects the pressure it faces from competition and an aging product lineup, Ford CEO Jim Farley said. Farley said Tesla‘s price cuts underscore intense competition in the two-row crossover or SUV segment of the auto market, where Tesla’s best-selling Model Y faces a

Mercedes-Benz posted better-than-expected preliminary earnings in the first quarter as the automaker’s push further upmarket helped it overcome higher raw-material costs. Mercedes delivered an adjusted return on sales of 14.8 percent on healthy net pricing and robust demand for its vans and luxury cars, the automaker said in a statement on Thursday. First-quarter group earnings

SHANGHAI — The Shanghai auto show was eye-opening for the sheer number of Chinese brands seeking to satisfy local buyers’ cravings for new high-tech models. Keen pricing, driven by cut-throat competition and a maturing local battery supply chain, means the consumer is currently king, which is giving brands a financial headache. Not every new model

TOKYO – For Toyota, raking in big profits from electric vehicles is as easy as 1, 2, 3. That’s the vision from new CEO Koji Sato, who outlined a three-step strategy to “significantly enhanced” productivity and profitability by 2030 through Toyota’s coming line of electric vehicles. “It will be a different concept from what we’ve

Polestar will take over part of Saab’s former car plant in Sweden to extend its R&D operations in Europe. The EV maker will conduct powertrain development for the Polestar 5, a Tesla Model S rival, and the Polestar 6 roadster at a 15,000-square-meter building in Trollhattan, Automotive News Europe sister publication Automobilwoche reported. Polestar will

Lexus will take on Mercedes’ V-Class luxury vans in Europe with the LM minivan, which is aimed at high-end chauffeurs. The second-generation LM was revealed at the Shanghai auto show this week. The European version – the first time the LM will be sold in the region — will go on sale in autumn with

Russia’s government has approved the sale of Volkswagen’s factory in the city of Kaluga, the Vedomosti daily reported on Thursday, citing two unnamed sources. The sale will be a step toward VW finalizing its exit from Russia. Dealer group Avilon is the buyer, Vedomosti said, backing up previous Russian media reports. Its sources did not

SHANGHAI — Chinese Internet users berated BMW on Thursday, accusing it of discrimination at the Shanghai auto show amid claims workers at its Mini booth favored foreign over domestic visitors during an ice cream giveaway promotion. Mini apologized for the incident in question, saying in a statement on its official Weibo account that it was

Stellantis has appointed Natalie Knight, an executive at a Dutch food retailer, as chief financial officer, replacing Richard Palmer, who helped lead the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group that created the French-Italian-American automotive group. Palmer, a 20-year veteran of Fiat Chrysler, where he was CFO before the merger, will leave Stellantis on

Audi’s preparations to enter Formula One in 2026 are picking up speed and a prototype power unit will run on the test bench before the end of the year, the German manufacturer said. The Volkswagen-owned brand announced last October that it was taking a stake in the Sauber Group, whose Swiss-based team are competing this

Premium EV brand Zeekr, from Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, is another Chinese car brand expanding into Europe. Its 001 sedan and Zeekr X SUV will arrive in Sweden and the Netherlands from the fourth-quarter, with more countries to follow, according to a company statement Tuesday. Zeekr has recruited 24-year Lexus veteran Spiros Fotinos to spearhead

The U.S. Treasury has said that Volkswagen, BMW, Nissan, Rivian, Hyundai and Volvo electric vehicles will lose access to a $7,500 tax credit under new battery sourcing rules. On Monday, the Treasury said the new requirements effective Tuesday will also cut by half credits for the Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Rear Wheel Drive to

Smart will launch the #3, a coupe-style compact full-electric crossover, in Europe early next year, joining the #1 as part of the brand’s revamped lineup under joint Mercedes-Geely control. Like the #1, a small crossover SUV, the #3 uses Geely’s SEA architecture. It was revealed on Monday during the Shanghai auto show, and will be

Stellantis is leaning toward expanding production of its popular Peugeot e-208 full-electric small hatchback in Spain despite pressure from the French government to add output in France, according to people familiar with the situation. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire wants Stellantis to make the compact model locally and has been discussing the matter with

BERLIN — Tesla’s latest price reductions in Europe were made possible because of a scaling up and improvement in its production capacity, the company said. Tesla cut prices in European markets including Germany and France on Friday, with all versions of the Model 3, Model S, and Model X selling for lower prices as well

Nissan is developing growth plans in areas such as software and electric vehicles independent of Renault as the automakers work to finalize terms of a sharply limited alliance, said seven people with knowledge of the matter. Nissan is seeking a partner outside the auto industry to develop software that connects vehicles to cloud-based services, two