BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — Daimler has approved settlements worth $2.2 billion over emissions cheating software in its diesel vehicles in the US, the German carmaker said Thursday. The company has “reached an agreement in principle with various US authorities to settle civil and environmental claims regarding emission control systems of approximately 250,000 diesel passenger cars and vans in the United States,” it said in a statement. The agreement includes $1.5 billion to be paid to US […]
Motoring
Daimler targets 20% cut in European CO2 output for 2020
FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany (AFP) — Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler said Tuesday it aims to slash average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from new cars sold in Europe by 20 percent in 2020, as EU-wide limits bite. “This is a very big year for us and a year where we are taking electrification to the next level,” chief executive Ola Kallenius said in a telephone conference. “This year alone we are looking at cutting up to 20 […]
VW ditches natural gas to focus on e-cars
FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany (AFP) — Volkswagen on Monday said it will stop developing natural gas-fuelled cars as the German auto giant bets on electric engines in the battle to woo climate-conscious drivers. The VW group sold just 110,000 cars powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) worldwide last year, not enough to justify further investment, VW’s head of development Frank Welsch told the Handelsblatt financial daily. Although production of existing models powered by the alternative energy […]
BMW aims to slash CO2 output by 20% in 2020
FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany (AFP) — German high-end carmaker BMW aims to slash the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by its cars sold in Europe this year by 20 percent, its chief executive said Wednesday. The pledge comes as new European Union regulations bite this year, requiring carmakers to sharply reduce fleet-wide emissions on pain of massive fines. “We will achieve an improvement of 20 percent in Europe this year alone” compared with 2019, CEO […]
Faced with high smog levels, Milan to ban cars on Sunday
MILAN, Italy (AFP) – Milan will ban cars from driving within the city on Sunday, a measure aimed at tackling high pollution levels, even as authorities consider new measures, such as prohibiting smoking at bus stops. The measure – which is not the first time that Italy’s economic capital has banned driving within city limits – has been met with skepticism by some, with the regional counsellor for the environment, Raffaele Cattaneo, calling it “demagogy […]
Bugatti touts green ambitions while storming full speed ahead
MOLSHEIM, France (AFP) – Marc Antoine BAUDOUX Supercar manufacturer Bugatti, fresh off one of its best years, wants the world to know it has taken environmental concerns to heart even as it prepares a next generation of heart-pounding — and gas-guzzling — speed machines. The French automaker has implemented a series of measures to offset the carbon emitted by the 81 racers it produced last year, including a shift to biogas and other green energy […]
Volkswagen in Canada ordered to pay CAN$196.5 million over emissions scandal
TORONTO, Canada (AFP) – A court in Toronto on Wednesday ordered Volkswagen to pay a fine of Can$196.5 million (US$150 million) after the automaker pleaded guilty to violating environmental laws in the emissions cheating scandal. The court accepted an agreement that the German automaker reached with the Canadian government, which in December filed a 60-count indictment against the company. This fine is in addition to nearly Can$2.4 billion that Volkswagen had agreed to pay in […]
Hyundai and Kia bet on London startup for electric cars
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — South Korea’s Hyundai and its Kia affiliate announced plans Thursday for a major investment in London-based startup Arrival to produce next-generation electric vehicles that cost less than standard-engine models. The 100-million-euro ($110 million) bet on the five-year-old technology firm comes as some manufacturers abandon Britain because of uncertainties about how it will trade with EU nations once it leaves the bloc this month. Arrival is focused on designing and producing […]
Koenigsegg, a supercar challenging Swedish stereotypes
by Helene DAUSCHY Agence France-Presse ÄNGELHOLM, Sweden (AFP) — For a quarter century, Koenigsegg has been making supercar’s for a niche market typically reserved for Italian luxury brands, while challenging perceptions of Swedish modesty. With brands like Volvo — which introduced the three-point seat belt — and Saab, Sweden distinguished itself in the 20th century as a maker of reasonable priced family-friendly cars that put safety first. But in a workshop in the southern town of […]
Ferrari plans electric car debut only ‘after 2025’
MILAN, Italy (AFP) — Italian sports car maker Ferrari is likely to launch its first fully electric model only after 2025, its boss said on Thursday, blaming insufficient battery technology for the wait. “We certainly are studying fully electric,” Louis Camilleri told reporters, but added that “for the current foreseeable future” hybrids were the preferred option. “My sense is the electric (car) will come out after 2025. The battery technology is not where it should […]
Honda recalls another 1.6 mn vehicles in US over air bags
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Honda said Friday it will recall 1.6 million vehicles in the US as it moves toward wrapping up the process of replacing defective Takata air bags in cars sold in America. Honda said the plan involves Honda and Acura vehicles with air bag inflators used in earlier recall repairs. The company said this recall is being done six months ahead of a deadline set by the US National Highway […]
Tesla to stop selling $35,000 Model 3 online
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Tesla has pulled the plug on Internet sales of its cheapest Model 3 sedan in the latest shift to the company’s retail strategy. The electric car maker plans to keep taking online orders for the Standard Plus Model 3, which starts at $39,500 and is now the lowest-price option available to digital consumers, along with higher-end models. But online customers will no longer be able to order the Model […]