Europe

COVENTRY, England — Developing fully autonomous vehicles that can go everywhere has proven harder and more expensive than expected, but investors are continuing to fund startups that target simpler self-driving vehicle solutions far removed from pedestrians and other vehicles operated by unpredictable humans. British AV software company Oxbotica, Sweden’s Einride, America’s Outrider and British supplier

Ford is not reducing the prices of its Mustang Mach E electric crossover in Europe to compete with Tesla, which slashed prices for its Model Y and Model 3 cars by up to 20 percent. Ford’s European business is following a different path than in the U.S. where the automaker has cut prices of the

Audi acquired a minority stake in the Formula 1 team Sauber Group this month as part of the Volkswagen Group premium brand’s bid to join the racing circuit in 2026. Audi, which announced the plan in October, declined to comment on the size or price paid for the stake. As part of the transaction, Audi’s

PARIS —   Renault and Nissan are rebalancing their troubled alliance in what could be a major step in reviving their alliance. But for the French automaker the benefits of the revamp are for now unclear and potentially quite limited, three industry sources said. The automakers on Monday announced a deal that will see Renault

China’s BYD, the world’s biggest seller of full-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, expects its 2022 net profit to be more than five times the amount it booked a year earlier, the company said. With sales of 1.86 million cars, it expects a net profit of 16-17 billion yuan ($2.37-$2.52 billion) versus 3 billion yuan in

The world’s No. 1 automaker has a new CEO, and the transition of power could not have come at a more pivotal time. Toyota on Thursday surprised the market when it announced that Lexus President Koji Sato will take over from Akio Toyoda, the grandson of the venerable Japanese automaker’s founder, effective April 1. While

TOKYO — Toyota chief Akio Toyoda is set to remain a dominant force inside the world’s largest automaker for years to come and will continue to influence the agenda after stepping down in April, experts and people familiar with the automaker said. The 66-year-old Toyoda on Thursday announced he would step aside as leader of

PARIS — Renault will increase its budget for salaries to offer workers a rise of 7.5 percent in 2023 to help cope with the rising cost of living, three sources familiar with the company’s proposal said. The budget increase would equate to a net salary increase of 110 euros per month for about two thirds

LONDON — British finance minister Jeremy Hunt said that London had some concerns about the United States’ Inflation Reduction Act, which promises hundreds of billions of dollars of subsidies to green industries. The European Union has previously expressed serious concerns about the $369 billion of investment to tackle climate change in the U.S. IRA, which

Autoliv reported fourth-quarter core earnings above analyst forecasts after the supplier restored profitability by passing higher costs on to its customers, sending its shares up almost 8 percent. Rising raw material prices have squeezed car suppliers for some time now. Autoliv CEO Mikael Bratt said the cost inflation seen by Autoliv in 2022 was the

TOKYO – The man replacing Akio Toyoda as the new CEO of Toyota is a cosmopolitan car-guy engineer with an eye for luxury and a thirst for speed. In fact, in many ways Koji Sato is a mini-me version of his long-time mentor. As the head of the Lexus premium brand and Gazoo Racing motorsports

The latest ‘sphere’ concept from Audi may be the most advanced and utilitarian of the bunch. The fourth in the series of battery-electric vehicle concepts — a self-driving sportback crossover — can transform into a small pickup capable of carrying bicycles or other gear. And it features an augmented reality interface. The Audi Activesphere concept

Volkswagen, Tesla and Fiat gained from a big push by automakers and dealers in Germany to get full-electric cars registered ahead of a change in the incentives given to battery-driven models. All three brands claimed places on the country’s list of top 10-sellers (see chart below) in December, which was the final month for a

Jaguar Land Rover returned to profit after improved availability of semiconductors boosted output of high-end models such as the new Range Rover. The British luxury automaker reported profit before tax of 265 million pounds ($326 million) for the three months ending in December, compared with a 9 million pound shortfall a year earlier, JLR said

Fabrice Cambolive has been promoted to CEO of the Renault brand, taking over from Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo, who had held both titles since July 2020. Cambolive will start in his new post on Feb. 1, moving up from his role as Renault brand’s chief operating officer. He will report to de Meo.

Ferrari’s electric supercars will feature distinctive engine noise created through a new amplification system, according to a patent filed by the automaker and cited by analysts at Oddo BHF. The patent covers a “reproduction device for the realization of a sound that can be associated with an electric motor,” Oddo BHF wrote in a note.

The updated Polestar 2 gains power, increases range, adds a new drive configuration and gets a new-look front end that adopts the design language premiered by its SUV sibling, the Polestar 3. Polestar has started taking orders for the revised versions of its five-door fastback in Europe and the U.S. Orders in China will begin

Auto retail giant Lithia Motors, which Sky News in August named as the unidentified bidder in a failed deal to buy Pendragon, one of the largest auto retailers in the UK, is in talks to buy a different dealership group, according to a Sky News report on Monday. Sky News, citing sources, said Lithia is