Automakers begin to mull the Trump effect

As UK Prime Minister, Teresa May, become the first foreign leader to meet new US President Donald Trump, focus will be on trade. And trade with Trump will be the one notion that senior executives in the global automotive industry this weekend will be the mulling the implication of Trump’s inauguration.

Hydrogen fuel cells: yes or no?

Whose voice should we listen to: the lone voice in the wilderness or vehicle makers preparing to peddle their wares in years to come?

Calsonic Kansei to open new UK R&D centre

Calsonic Kansei, a supplier of heat exchange, air conditioning, exhaust, interior and electronic automotive components, has created a new R&D centre at Millbrook’s Bedfordshire-based Technology Park in the UK.

Ford set to build more cars in Mexico

By 2018 Ford will have shifted production of its next-generation compact cars from its Wayne sited assembly plant in Michigan to Mexico in the next couple of years.

Peterbilt to offer CGI truck diesel

According to US sources, Paccar’s Peterbilt brand will soon offer the MX-11 diesel engine, which debuted in Europe in 2013.

Cummins V8 wins plaudits in Texas

Cummins Inc. executives will be pleased that their first production application of the ISV5.0 has won plaudits on the back of 2016 Nissan Titan.

Eye in the car that keep drivers awake

A British company is working on a sensor device which can detect if a driver is falling asleep at the wheel.

CGI engines top 18% growth

According to SinterCast there has been a growth of engines using compacted graphite iron (CGI) cylinder blocks that, compared to the first quarter of 2014, provides an average compounded annual growth rate of 18 per cent since 2007.

How many Titans will Nissan sell?

Is the new Nisan Titan XD going to set the world alight? More to the point, is it going to shake up the North American light-duty pick-up truck market? And if it does, where are those sales going to come from?

Nissan makes most UK vehicles

Nissan’s Sunderland plant made the most cars in the UK last year.

Ford F-150: A cost analysis of moving to aluminium

Ford has surely started a trend in a shift from steel to aluminium for its F-150 pick-up truck. But how does the cost-benefit stack up for Ford?

Is JLR paving the way for a US plant?

Is JaguarLandRover (JLR) mulling an ambitious plan to build a 200,000 cars-a-year assembly plant in the US? According to the London, UK-based Sunday Times it is.

The news comes as the company officially opens a new 130,000 vehicles-a-year plant in China and later this month is set to open its much-heralded i54 engine manufacturing facility in Wolverhampton, UK.

FCA: now the real journey begins

Trading has begun in the shares of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles which are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the stock ticker symbol “FCAU”.

The shares opened on 14 October at a price of $9. The price rose briefly before ending the day at $8.92. Considering the Dow Jones industrial average dropped 222 points late in the day, this was no mean achievement. The stock also trades on an exchange in Milan, Italy.

Jaguar's XE diesel: its most efficient yet

Jaguar claims the USP of its new Ingenium diesel engine makes the rear-wheel drive XE the most fuel-efficient Jaguar yet, with CO₂ emissions from just 99g/km.

The Ingenium range is produced at the new £500 million, 100,000 square metres UK Engine Manufacturing Centre in the West Midlands.

Ricardo to aid Tenneco with DPF support

Ricardo has been selected by Tenneco (Suzhou) Emission Systems Co. Ltd.  to provide diesel particulate filter (DPF) control software and development support.

Ricardo is a leading developer of next-generation fuel-efficient and clean technologies, and is no stranger to working within the Chinese market and has a well-equipped engineering facility and team in Shanghai.

Renault to supply light CV to Fiat from 2016

Renault and Fiat have signed an agreement whereby Renault will supply Fiat with a light commercial vehicle based on a Renault platform.

The styling of the Fiat vehicle will be developed by Fiat and will feature unique and distinctive elements on the model, branded Fiat Professional.

Aston to share Daimler V8 powertrains

Aston Martin, which has achieved a 13 per cent increase in revenue for 2013 to £519 million, is to share development of “world-class bespoke V8 powertrains” with Mercedes AMG.

Aston Martin Holdings (UK) Limited, in announcing its full year results for the 12 months ended 31 December 2013, also revealed full-year EBITDA up 22 per cent to £84.8 million.

LEAF more popular in UK than Japan

THE Sunderland-built Nissan LEAF is more popular with owners than the version built in Japan, the car maker's electric vehicle boss has told The Northern Echo in the UK on the anniversary of the hatchbacks debut.  

More than 13,000 LEAFs have been built at Nissan's North-East factory in the 12 months since the UK Prime Minister formally set the production line rolling.

Dongfeng Peugeot: three into one?

China’s Dongfeng Motor Corporation Ltd, the Peugeot family and the French government are poised to control France’s largest vehicle business, and the second largest in European car sales.

But how well will China's Dongfeng Motor Corporation be able to drive a company, that if past history is anything to go by, has been difficult to steer in the right direction – the right direction being the ability to make profits and grow the business on a world-wide scale?

Torotrak pioneers traction fluid R&D rig

A company developing traction drive infinitely variable transmissions (IVT) has developed what it claims is the world’s only traction fluid testing rig.

Even the most innovative traction drive transmission for passenger car and commercial road vehicle application is effectively useless – a laboratory toy – without a “perfect” traction fluid to ensure top-class performance and long-term durability.