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Tokyo Motor Show: Volkswagen unveils XL1-based plug-in hybrid up!
Hinting at the next step in group chief executive Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn’s ambitions to become the market leader in electromobility, the twin up! uses

Tokyo Motor Show: MINI debuts prior to Japanese launch
The new model was unveiled earlier this week at the brand’s plant in Oxford, England, with the Japanese version to be offered with three and

Edge Concept showcases new Ford SUV for Europe
Unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the Edge Concept marks the launch of Ford’s third SUV model in Europe – the current generation is

European new car market gets closest yet to 2012 performance
The latest rise means that sales of new cars in Europe have increased for the second month running, by 4.7% in October, reducing the year-to-date

Daimler completes purchase of 12% stake in BAIC
Announced in February this year, the deal will see Daimler’s investment take place through the issuance of new shares corresponding to a 12% stake in

TomTom adds truck toll reporting to WEBFLEET
WEBFLEET truck toll reporting provides a real-time breakdown of the toll costs incurred for each trip, allowing transport companies to better manage expenses and provide

Nissan to roll out e-NV200 in Japan & then worldwide
The model will be produced at Nissan's plant in Barcelona, Spain from mid-2014 and will be available in both passenger car and commercial vehicle bodystyles.

UK new car market may overheat, Italy still full of risk & Spain has some way to go
Authored by Dean Bowkett, technical director and chief editor, the report shows that 2013 looks set to end the year with new car sales down

FedEx starts rolling out EVs for Brazilian fleet
The vehicles will go into commission on the streets of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in January 2014, making daily journeys and final-kilometer deliveries.

European new car demand rises for second month running
However, total registrations last month of 1,004,935 units were still the second lowest level to date for a month of October. Year-to-date figures also continued

SEAT’s Fleet Challenge
Giuseppe Tommaso joined SEAT in 2012 to take up the role of fleet and remarketing director, a job that carries a global responsibility for the

DAF LF
SECTOR: Light truck GVW: 7.5 – 21.0-tonnes Engines: 4.5 and 6.7-litres Power range: 140 – 300hp I know my place… A world away from the

Mercedes marks move to Chinese car engine production with plant
The €400m engine facility builds on Daimler’s partnership with BAIC, with the two firms having run their production joint venture Beijing Benz Automotive Corporation (BBAC)

US: Ford launches fleet-specific app with full vehicle catalogue
Currently available for the iPad, with other formats to follow if there’s enough demand, the app offers exclusive information about all Ford retail and commercial

Volvo shows commitment to Japanese market at Tokyo Motor Show
The carmaker’s appearance at the show marks its first attendance there in seven years, which it says shows the growing importance of the Japanese market

Subaru to show future design direction of Legacy at LA Motor Show
Highlights of the concept include the hexagonal grille first seen on the Subaru Viziv Concept vehicle at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show as well as

Allianz E becomes one of first BMW i3 fleet customers
The keys were formally presented by Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, sales and marketing BMW and Roland Krüger, senior

Dalian Wanda Group orders 85 Mercedes-Benz Viano vans
The Chinese conglomerate has already taken over 70 of the ordered vehicles and has sent some of them on an exclusive shuttle assignment for international

ASEAN markets see strong growth but Thailand falters, LMCA reports
Regional sales totalled around 277k, slightly decreasing year‐on‐year. Excluding Thailand, however, the region posted strong growth of 17% from the previous year and 30% from

China leads global light vehicle market to strongest rate yet
The firm’s data shows that US October Light Vehicle sales were up over 10% compared with the same month last year. The corresponding SAAR of

Aeroflot customers to receive special offers for Europcar under strategic partnership
From 2014, Aeroflot customers will be able to book car rental as part of their flight reservation process with only one payment. In addition, Europcar

Hyundai to gain clearer design identity under new design chief
Peter Schreyer, president and chief design officer of Hyundai Motor Group, said to news agency Headlineauto: ‘Hyundai already has a kind of distinctive design direction,

European used car market still under pressure
The latest European used car data, published in the 2013 BCA Used Car Market Report, prepared by Professor Peter Cooke at the University of Buckingham

Volvo looks to ramp up police car sales using bespoke new chassis
The carmaker says its currently sells between 500-600 police cars every year. Most of them are sold in Sweden, where Volvo Cars has close to

Ford reveals new Ka Concept
Revealed at the carmaker’s Northeast Industrial Complex in Camaçari, the new concept shows a more grown-up look for the Ka, which will also offer fuel

VW announces global Amarok & Tiguan recalls
The Amarok recall affects 239,000 Amarok models globally (12,359 in Germany) built between its launch and June of this year. VW Commercial Vehicles said that

The car value "Holy Grail"
Throughout the period when I was setting-up and running Contract Hire companies, both in the UK and Europe, the Holy Grail I was always searching

Trained drivers = fewer accidents
Road fatalities are comparatively rare in the Republic of Ireland yet some of the country's drivers appear to be determined to make the situation worse,

Brazilian EV market set to soar
The firm’s research shows the immense potential for growth in the country's EV and supporting infrastructure market if automakers decide to invest in it and

US: GE Capital Fleet Services adds real-time benchmarking under new analytical tools
Introduced as part of the firm’s strategic consulting services (SCS) capabilities, the suite consists of the following tools: Real-Time Benchmarking – Allows fleet managers to

E-Training World offers tailored driver profiling system for the Republic of Ireland
Based on the company’s UK system, the system assesses risk by evaluating a driver’s attitude, knowledge, concentration and observation, and hazard perception skills. ‘We’re delighted

US asset finance flies in the face of economic headwinds
First, there was the fiscal cliff (which hasn’t gone away). But recently it’s overshadowed by the trauma of the government stand-off over the debt ceiling.

Keith Lomason named as new president of Greater China operations at JATO
Mr Lomason started his career in the US and moved to Shanghai 17 years ago. He brings with him 28 years of experience within the

Lexus CT 200h breaks cover
The main exterior design changes take the form of the addition of the brand’s trademark “spindle” grille as well as revisions to the front and

ACEA secretary general & Philippe De Backer MEP debate issue of trucks & road safety
The debate is being run to open up a discussion on how we can ensure that the trucks of tomorrow will continue to serve our society

Honda to show FCEV Concept at Los Angeles Auto Show
The carmaker says the model hints at futuristic and aerodynamic design of next-generation fuel-cell electric vehicle launching in 2015. Honda started leasing its fuel-cell electric

Kia to launch hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in 2015
The carmaker is developing a portfolio of electrically powered vehicles, including hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery-electric models, but sees hydrogen fuel cells as its eventual

Ford Transit Connect
SECTOR: Small van PRICE: From €15,390 (approx) FUEL: 5.6 – 4.0l/100km CO2: 105 – 129g/km It’s 11 years since Ford introduced the first Transit

LeasePlan to expand into Canada under Foss National Leasing tie-up
The new company will be operated by Canadian fleet management firm Foss National Leasing Ltd under a new licensing agreement, with Jeff Hartley to become

JLR’s eastern promise
There were raised eyebrows across the auto industry when Tata bought Jaguar Land Rover from the Ford Prestige Auto Group fire sale in 2008. What

Nissan’s Carlos Ghosn sounds warning over UK EU referendum
The warning from the carmaker’s chief executive Carlos Ghosn follows a promise by British prime minister David Cameron that a referendum will be held on

Saudi Arabia’s Mobily launches fleet telematics service
Dubbed Mobily FMS (Fleet Management Service), the service is intended to help fleets significantly reduce operating costs by managing their vehicle assets more efficiently, which

OEMs stock up for India but demand to fall over festival season
The firm’s data shows that year on year, light vehicle sales in September declined 8% to 248k. Passenger vehicle volumes came down by 3% YoY

Annual ARI Energy Fleet Forum finds reducing maintenance costs & managing fuel spend are key fleet challenges
The day-long session featured a keynote presentation offered by Colin Dover, senior director of SAP’s Platform and Analytics Center for Excellence, who discussed the latest

Nissan unveils new Qashqai with 99g/km CO2 plus advanced engines & safety tech
On sale from 1st February 2014, the new model has big shoes to fill. The original Qashqai has been credited with founding the crossover segment

Australia: AfMA announces earlybird rates for annual conference & exhibition
The event is intended to represent the association’s and the industry’s most valuable educational and networking forum in the calendar year. The program is designed

Vehicle leasing puts in positive performance for first half, says Leaseurope
That’s the finding of the Biannual European Leasing Survey published by Leaseurope, the trade association representing the European leasing and automotive rental industries. The survey

Volvo XC90 scoops top safety award from IIHS
Winners of the 2013 award must earn good ratings for occupant protection in 4 of 5 evaluations and no less than acceptable in the fifth

LMC Automotive lifts 2014 forecast as West European car market puts in strong performance in October
Latest data from the firm shows that the selling rate of 11.9 million units/year for October is at a level not seen since the middle

New cross-border legislation to drive road safety, says TISPOL
Welcoming the new legislation, TISPOL said it believes this information exchange will ensure that foreign offenders can be identified and punished across borders. It further

KPN & Masternaut team up for fleet and insurance telematics services
Under the deal, KPN’s M2M (Machine-to-Machine) teams will distribute Masternaut products under the KPN brand. Masternaut will provide software services, applications, platforms and technical support,
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