2016 is heading towards a record year for Infiniti Motor Company, with sales well above last year.

• 20,000 vehicles sold around the world in November, up 5%
• 6% growth leading to record sales of 204,000 year-to-date
• All-time record sales month in Mexico of 222 vehicles, up 25%

INFINITI achieved its best November sales month and is on track for 2016 to be the best sales year in its history.  From January – November, INFINITI set a new global record for sales in the first 11 months, with almost 204,000 vehicles sold, an increase of 6% compared to the same time last year. INFINITI sold 215,000 vehicles in 2015.

Total November sales of more than 20,000 were up 5% versus November last year. November sales in Mexico were an all-time record of more than 222 vehicles, a 25% increase from last year.

Roland Krueger, President of INFINITI Motor Company said, “INFINITI is on track to have a record sales year this year, thanks to the strength of our expanding product portfolio and the hard work of everyone at INFINITI.

The QX30 compact vehicle recently went on sale in China, where we also showed the new Q60 coupe for the first time. INFINITI had its best sales month ever in Mexico in November. Sales of the Q60 are strong in the US which is INFINITI’s largest market around the world. Customers around the world appreciate the combination of attributes our vehicles offer – from dynamic design and superior performance, to driver-assist technologies and great fuel efficiency.”

In China, INFINITI set a new November sales record with more than 4,000 vehicles sold, a 6% increase from November 2015. Year to date, INFINITI sold almost 37,000 vehicles in China, an increase of 3% over the same period last year. The QX30 compact crossover went on sale at the Guangzhou Motor Show in mid-November, and was featured in an Air+Style Snowboard event in November at the iconic Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing.

From January to November, INFINITI sold more than 15,200 vehicles in Western Europe, up 143% from the same period last year. In the UK registrations have increased by 170% compared to 2015 and is 149% ahead for the calendar year. This is largely driven by excellent reception of INFINITI’s all-new Q30 and QX30 compact entries by the company’s customers.

In the United States, INFINITI sold 12,112 vehicles, a 4% increase from November 2015, and more than 120,000 vehicles from January – November, a 1% increase.

In Asia and Oceania, INFINITI has sold more than 6,100 vehicles between January and November, a record for the region and an increase of 24% over the same period the previous year. 

Nissan continues to grow it's EV portfolio with yet another year of record sales in Europe.

• Record year for Nissan Europe electric vehicle (EV) fleet sales, up 45 percent in FY15
• High-volume fleet deals across Europe demonstrate Nissan’s position as one of the most popular EV providers for businesses
• More than 20,000 Nissan EVs sold to fleet customers across Europe since launch
• Nissan LEAF continues to lead the EV segment globally, with almost 220,000 units sold

Nissan’s electric vehicle (EV) offering remains the popular choice for fleet operators across Europe, with sales of the Nissan LEAF and e-NV200 in the fleet market climbing for a fourth consecutive year in fiscal year 2015.

Up 45 percent on the previous fiscal year, Nissan sold more than 7,500 LEAFs and e-NV200s to fleet operators and municipalities in Europe, commanding a 28 percent share of the pure electric fleet market. With over 20,000 Nissan EVs sold to fleet customers across Europe since launch, it’s clear that business owners are switching on to the benefits of zero emission mobility.

Offering optimum practicality and driving comfort combined with low running costs, the Nissan LEAF and e-NV200 are truly viable options for fleet operators across the region. Costing approximately €0.03 per kilometre to run, owners also benefit from low maintenance costs that make for unrivalled total cost of ownership. With fewer moving parts, Nissan EVs provide estimated maintenance costs up to 40 percent lower than petrol or diesel alternatives. Furthermore, many European fleet owners can also benefit from varied incentives offered by governments across the continent, all whilst saving on energy consumption; providing a cost-effective, simple solution to reduce their carbon footprint.

Gareth Dunsmore, Director of Electric Vehicles for Nissan Europe: “It’s great to see Nissan EV fleet demand going from strength-to-strength as businesses catch on to the many marked advantages electric vehicles have to offer. Nissan not only offers a great pure electric range for businesses, but we have also employed EV fleet specialists in most European countries, trained to provide advice and support to customers, offering analysis of total ownership costs and charging infrastructure. This strategy has proved incredibly effective at assisting businesses who are interested in zero emission technology, but need some guidance on making the switch to zero emission motoring.

“Now with the introduction of the new-to-sector Nissan LEAF 30 kWh, fleet customers will be able to travel even further, helping to meet businesses demands with an extended 250 km range.”

Postal services are among the many service providers that have been particularly quick to take advantage of the clear benefits associated with switching to electric. Österreichische Post AG, the Austrian state postal authority, already utilises 160 e-NV200s and has recently confirmed an order for 100 additional units.

Many public bodies and government organisations across Europe have also decided to lead by example and convert their fleets to zero emission vehicles. In the UK, Nissan has sold over 350 EVs to public entities and the City of Bari in Italy has just launched a car sharing service in cooperation with ACI Global using 30 Nissan LEAFs.

In the UK, Nissan’s total EV fleet sales for FY15 were up 43% compared with FY14, with 2,573 combined LEAF and e-NV200 sales versus 1,806 for the previous financial year. Electric vehicles now make up around 3% of all fleet sales with an increasing number of major contracts including West Midlands Police renewing its fleet of 30 Nissan LEAFs and upgrading to the new 30kWh model.

Karl Anders, National EV Manager at Nissan Motor (GB), said: “More and more local authorities and public sector organisations across the UK are turning to Nissan’s market-leading electric vehicles to meet their fleet needs.

“Both the LEAF and e-NV200 can have a significant impact on reducing running and whole-life costs as well as well as helping organisations significantly cut their carbon emissions.”

Nissan celebrates this all-important milestone some five years after the launch of the Nissan LEAF, the world's first mass-market, zero emission vehicle and just one year since the launch of its 100 percent electric e-NV200 light commercial vehicle. The Nissan LEAF remains the best-selling electric vehicle of all time, with almost 220,000 units sold worldwide. In FY15, 16,916 Nissan LEAFs were sold in Europe, securing a new annual record.

Mercedes readies all new Brazilian plant for C-Class and GLA-Class production.

• Start of production with the C-Class in the first quarter of 2016
• Markus Schäfer, Member of the Divisional Board Mercedes-Benz Cars, Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management: “Local production will even better allow us to tap the potentials of the emerging Brazilian market and to respond more flexibly to the wishes of our customers.”
• Philipp Schiemer, President of Mercedes-Benz do Brasil and CEO Latin America: “With the new Mercedes-Benz plant in Iracemápolis, we will be the only company producing the full vehicle range in Latin America – from passenger cars and vans to trucks and buses.”

Mercedes-Benz has celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for a new passenger cars plant in Brazil and thereby continues to further expand its global production network. The new Mercedes-Benz plant in Iracemápolis near São Paulo will start production of the C-Class in the first quarter of 2016, and production of the GLA compact SUV will follow in the middle of the year.

“Local production will even better allow us to tap the potentials of the emerging Brazilian market and to respond more flexibly to the wishes of our customers. In the first stage, we are aiming for an annual capacity of 20,000 vehicles. If the market will develop as hoped for, the plant has the potential for a further significant expansion in the future,” said Markus Schäfer, Member of the Divisional Board Mercedes-Benz Cars, Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management, on the occasion of the groundbreaking ceremony. 

The event was attended by numerous guests of honor from the areas of politics, administration, and economy as well as Philipp Schiemer, President of Mercedes-Benz do Brasil and CEO Latin America, and Dimitris Psillakis, Head of Passenger Cars Sales, Mercedes-Benz do Brasil.

Mercedes-Benz is investing a total of BRL 500 million in the Iracemápolis plant with an annual capacity of 20,000 vehicles. Until the start of production, about 600 new jobs will be created at the plant. In addition, some 3,000 jobs are expected to be generated in the region predominantly with suppliers and service providers.

“With the new Mercedes-Benz plant in Iracemápolis, we will be the only company producing the full vehicle range in Latin America – from passenger cars and vans to trucks and buses. The new plant in Iracemápolis is further proof to our commitment to Brazil. It also demonstrates we keep on investing to fulfil the wishes of our customers in the best possible manner. We are positive about the potentials of the Brazilian passenger cars market,” said Philipp Schiemer.

In terms of selection and recruitment of its employees, Mercedes-Benz is cooperating with SENAI, the Brazilian national service for industrial training, which has more than 800 training centers nationwide. SENAI has set up a new training center in Iracemápolis that will start training in the first half of 2015 already. The recruitment process with a focus on the Iracemápolis region will start in the second quarter of 2015.

“Together with SENAI, we want to recruit the best people for our plant. Additionally, we will send selected employees to our existing plants in Juiz de Fora, Germany, Hungary, and India, for targeted trainings. With this, we are ensuring the high Mercedes-Benz quality standards,” explained Markus Schäfer.

The Iracemápolis plant’s level of automation will be significantly lower than in traditional Mercedes-Benz plants. “Machines don’t develop, build, or sell cars –people do. That’s why our focus is on our employees. With this approach, Iracemápolis will be one of the most flexible plants in our global production network, indicating our future trend,” said Schäfer.

VW to build next gen Phaeton, even though it losses money & VW is slashings overall costs.

With Volkswagen having embarked on a big cost-cutting drive, industry experts are baffled why the "people's car" maker plans to spend millions of euros upgrading a money-losing luxury sedan.

The 76,000 euro ($86,000) Phaeton, a pet project of Chairman Ferdinand Piech, has never met VW's original sales target of 20,000 cars annually. Analysts say the upper-premium car, which cost more than 1 billion euros to develop and came out in 2002, should be axed.

But sources at VW told Reuters that the company is now planning a more advanced version of the Phaeton -- even though the first-generation car was ranked by Bernstein analyst Max Warburton as one of the three "most loss-making European cars of modern times."

The plans appear all the more perplexing to analysts as VW has pledged to make annual cost savings of 5 billion euros at its passenger-car brand by 2017, as the world's second-biggest carmaker by sales seeks to narrow the gap with global leader Toyota.

'Painful action'

Announcing the "efficiency program" last July, CEO Martin Winterkorn promised "painful action" to revive the core brand where profit margins have been languishing due to a proliferation of models and parts.

"It's no longer all about bigger, higher, further," the CEO told managers at a Dresden strategy conference in December. "Now it's about being leaner, faster, more efficient."

His comments echoed VW's plans to reduce the number of costly parts and drop some non-profitable variants from the German group's 310-model lineup as Europe's largest automaker shoulders costs of future growth and investments in lower-emissions technology.

Revamping the Phaeton will seems to contradict the CEO's cost-cutting drive, said Evercore ISI analyst Arndt Ellinghorst, adding that switching production of the model to VW's MLB modular platform could cost as much as 650 million euros.

"Economically speaking, it's the most irrational project," London-based Ellinghorst said. "Piech and Winterkorn simply cannot let go of their fondness for luxury products."

A new glass-walled factory, R&D outlays and low sales volume led VW to lose 28,000 euros on each Phaeton sold between 2002 and 2012, Warburton wrote in a September 2013 note.

Unfazed by the losses, VW aims to pit the next-generation model against the Mercedes' 80,920 euro S-class flagship, sources said, adding the car may hit dealerships in 2017-2018. A plug-in hybrid version is also planned.

VW confirmed it was planning a successor to the Phaeton but declined to comment on the details or costs. It also declined to comment on analysts' loss, cost and sales estimates for the existing version, but said the sedan helped to show off its technical prowess.

The company does not disclose sales data for individual brands, only production numbers, which show it produced 5,812 Phaetons in 2013 -- the most recent annual figures published.

High-end battle

Stefan Bratzel, head of the Center of Automotive Management think tank near Cologne, said another high-end luxury sedan may overstretch the VW brand, traditionally a mass-market division which in November released a more upmarket Passat.

A new Phaeton could also affect sales of VW's other premium offerings, especially the Audi's flagship A8 sedan, which may share MLB underpinnings with the VW-badged model, he said.

"It doesn't make much sense strategically," Bratzel said. "The business case is equally questionable."

A new Phaeton would struggle against its premium rivals, analysts say. Sales of the model will average no more than 11,900 cars a year in 2017-2020, up from 6,300 this year, according to estimates from research firm IHS Automotive.

That compares with annual averages of 85,000 units for the Mercedes S class, 64,000 for BMW's 7 series and 41,000 for Audi's A8 in the four-year period, according to IHS data.

Buyers will never warm up to the notion of an upper-premium sedan made by the "people's car" brand unless they get a huge discount, a former VW Group executive told Reuters.

"This is the inherent problem, which puts the car's price positioning and profitability at risk," he said.

The Phaeton is the brainchild of Piech, the mastermind of VW's global expansion and its former CEO, who is well known for outmaneuvering both rivals and allies.

Sacred project

A former Audi North American chief, Axel Mees, was forced to leave the company in 2004 after criticizing the Phaeton project and Piech in public, a source at Audi said.

Meanwhile, Michael Horn, VW's new U.S. boss is chasing a lofty sales target of 800,000 VW brand cars by 2018, more than double last year's tally.

Horn will be tasked with relaunching the next Phaeton in the U.S. after VW pulled the model from the world's biggest premium-car market in 2006 because of poor sales.

Horn struggled with the answer when asked by Reuters at the Detroit auto show what potential he sees for the model in the country.

"That's a dangerous question," he said. "It's an image bearer with no relevance for volume."

USA RECALL #2 - Incorrect Tire Placard Information/FMVSS 110, on Toyota FJ and Tacoma.

Report Receipt Date: AUG 04, 2014 

NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V475000 

Component(s): 

Potential Number of Units Affected: 20,000 

Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

SUMMARY:

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2014 FJ Cruiser and Tacoma vehicles equipped with accessory wheels and tires installed by Toyota or dealers prior to the vehicle's first sale. The affected vehicles may list incorrect spare tire size and/or cold tire inflation information on the tire placard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."

CONSEQUENCE:

If the spare tire is inflated to the incorrect pressure provided on the placard, tire failure may occur while it is being driven on, increasing the risk of a crash.

REMEDY:

For the involved vehicles, overlay stickers to correct the tire placard will either be mailed to owners or provided to dealers for placement over the incorrect information on the placard. The recall is expected to begin in September 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

NOTES:

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.