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RICHMOND, Virginia – CarMax, Inc . (NYSE: KMX), the nation’s largest retailer of used cars , is celebrating the grand opening of the company’s third store in Seattle. The store is located at 3751 E. Valley Rd. in Renton and has the capacity to stock approximately 300 used vehicles of nearly every make and model. Customers can also request transfers to the Renton CarMax of almost any vehicle from other CarMax locations throughout the country.

In celebration of the Renton store grand opening, CarMax and The CarMax Foundation awarded $15,000 in donations and grants to the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County. Support for this organization came at the recommendation of the Renton CarMax associates.

CarMax will also be donating an Imagination Playground valued at more than $15,000 to the South Park Community Center, through its partnership with KaBOOM! to make play more accessible to children and families. Imagination Playgrounds are innovative, loose-parts playgrounds that engage kids in creative play that is physically challenging and collaborative.

“Our team is excited to be able to contribute to the betterment of children in the Renton community,” said Sheldon Orme, location general manager of the Renton CarMax. “CarMax’s commitment to honesty and integrity makes this gift even more meaningful as we see the values of our company making a positive impact on both our customers and the community as a whole.”

The Renton CarMax store still has open job positions available for sales consultants. These positions do not require experience in the automotive industry and many CarMax associates have worked for other major retailers, such as Target, Lowe’s, Wal-Mart and Macy’s. Applications are now being accepted on the retailer’s website at jobs.carmax.com .

CarMax disrupted the industry more than 20 years ago by offering a high integrity car-buying experience customers want that’s transparent and stress-free. Since that time, CarMax has continued to revolutionize the experience through customer-focused technology innovations. Approximately 90% of CarMax purchasers start on CarMax.com or the CarMax mobile app . Customers can browse CarMax’s nationwide inventory of nearly 50,000 vehicles, hold a vehicle for a test drive, schedule an appraisal , and even get pre-qualified for financing before visiting the store. CarMax stands behind their vehicles with a 5-Day Money-Back Guarantee and a 30-Day Limited Warranty (60-Day in CT, MN & RI, 90-Day in MA, NY and NJ).

About CarMax
CarMax is the nation’s largest retailer of used cars and operates more than 180 stores in 39 states nationwide. CarMax revolutionized the auto industry by delivering the honest, transparent and high-integrity car buying experience customers want and deserve. For more than 20 years, CarMax has made car buying more ethical, fair and stress-free by offering a no-haggle, no-hassle experience and an incredible selection of vehicles. CarMax makes selling your car easy too, by offering no-obligation appraisals good for seven days. At CarMax, we’ll buy your car even if you don’t buy ours®. CarMax has more than 24,000 associates nationwide and for 13 consecutive years has been named as one of the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For®. During the 12 months ending February 28, 2017, the company retailed 671,294 used cars and sold 391,686 wholesale vehicles at its in-store auctions. For more information, access the CarMax website at www.carmax.com .

DETROIT — GM and Chevrolet are teaming up with the George W. Bush Presidential Center to honor and support those who have served and sacrificed to protect the security and freedom of all Americans.

At 4:30 p.m. PST on Jan. 20, 2018, Chevrolet will offer the first retail production Corvette Carbon 65 Edition coupe, signed by President George W. Bush, for auction at Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The money raised will benefit the Bush Center’s Military Service Initiative. The Military Service Initiative’s primary goal is ensuring that post-9/11 veterans and their families make successful transitions to civilian life, with a focus on gaining meaningful employment and overcoming the invisible wounds of war.

With more than 6,000 veterans employed at GM and more than 50,000 GM retirees who are veterans, GM and Chevrolet are proud to help those who have given so much for their country.

For details about the Barrett-Jackson auction and how to bid on this special Corvette, please visit:

https://www.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Home/Scottsdale-2018/93f04d0d-614b-4e1c-b4ca-c87d88b709c4

2018 Corvette Carbon 65

The first Corvette rolled out of the factory on June 30, 1953. Chevrolet is commemorating the 65th anniversary of that auspicious debut with a new track-inspired Corvette Carbon Edition 65 package offered on 2018 Grand Sport and Z06 models.

Limited to only 650 vehicles, each with a unique vehicle identification number, the distinctive package blends visible carbon-fiber exterior elements similar to the Corvette Racing C7.R with a new Ceramic Matrix Gray exterior color and unique interior appointments that include a new carbon-fiber-rimmed steering wheel.

Vehicle Content:
Available on Grand Sport 3LT and Z06 3LZ trims (order code Z30)
Ceramic Matrix Gray exterior (blue top on Convertibles)
Unique fender stripes and door graphics
Black wheels with machined grooves (Cup-style wheels for Grand Sport and Blade-style wheels for Z06)
Blue brake calipers
Visible carbon-fiber ground effects, hood section and roof (Coupe models) or tonneau inserts (Convertible models)
New visible carbon-fiber spoiler (all models) and quarter intake ducts (Coupe)
Center caps with Carbon logo
Carbon Flash badges and outside mirrors
Jet Black suede-wrapped interior with blue stitching
Carbon-fiber steering wheel rim and gloss carbon-fiber interior trim
Competition Sport seats
Carbon Edition sill plates
About Chevrolet:
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

NEW YORK — Cadillac Racing had an incredible 2017 season, and now Cadillac House is becoming a destination for all racing enthusiasts with its latest installation, “Visionaire Racing,” which opens to the public Nov. 16, 2017.

“Visionaire Racing” is the new, action-packed interactive exhibition at The Gallery at Cadillac House. The exhibit is based on 1980s Japanese cult miniature 4WD model-making and racing competitions, and Visionaire brings its own artistic and curatorial twist to the construction and the sport of miniature car racing. In keeping with traditional Mini Yonku racing, both novice and professional racers as well as visitors to Cadillac House are invited to CONSTRUCT (car kits are available for purchase), CREATE (with an array of colorful embellishments) and COMPETE on the East Coast’s largest Mini4wd racing track.

Traditionally, this international phenomenon is about speed, along with personal expression and style. Visionaire Racing and Cadillac’s approach is focused on individuals’ creativity in both racing and artistic expression. Participants can decorate their own Mini4WD race cars, taking inspiration from Artist Cars on display by Tom Sachs, Marilyn Minter, Virgil Abloh, Laurie Simmons, Nicola Formichetti, Will Cotton, Kristin Baker, Heron Preston, Liz Cohen, Ryan McNamara, Korakrit Arunanondchai, Justin Adian, Bill Powers, Modem, Toland Grinnell, Jon Kessler, Van Neistat, Bob Rubin, Giacomo Di Mura and more.

Earlier this week, Cadillac held a private event to celebrate Cadillac Racing’s accomplishments, including the 2017 IMSA Weathertech Sportscar racing championship and 2017 Pirelli World Challenge SprintX Championship. Jordan Taylor of Cadillac Racing, winner of the 2017 IMSA Weather-Tech DPi driver championship, and other members of the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar racing championship teams were recognized by Cadillac executives, including Johan de Nysschen (global president, Cadillac), Andrew Smith (director of design, Cadillac) and Brandon Vivien (executive chief engineer, Cadillac). Members of Cadillac’s Racing teams, including Wayne Taylor Racing and Action Express, along with event guests were the first to build miniature race cars and compete against each other on the brand-new Visionaire Racing mini racetrack.

Championship vehicles were on display, including the Cadillac DPi-V.R No. 10, the Cadillac DPi-V.R No. 31, the ATS-VR Racing Sportscar and a CTS-V in Vector Blue. The ATS-VR Racing Sportscar, which was driven in the 2017 Pirelli World Challenge SprintX Championship, will remain on display from Nov. 15 through early December at Cadillac House, along with the Vector Blue CTS-V and the Glacier Metallic CTS-V, two new colors for the V-Series.

Visionaire Racing is open to the public for racing every day from Nov. 16, 2017, to Jan. 15, 2018, from 12 p.m. until 7 p.m. on weekdays and 5 p.m. on weekends. (Call 212-418-3477 for holiday hours.) Visitors can bring their own Tamiya Mini4WD cars, buy cars on-site to race and keep, or race and return one of the available cars.

There will be qualifying competitions on select Sundays (12/3, 12/10, 12/17) with a Grand Finale Race on 1/7.

SUNDAY QUALIFYING RACES: 12/3, 12/10, 12/17
GRAND FINALE SHOWDOWN: 1/7 The race track opens at noon and the first race will begin at 1 p.m.
@VISIONAIREWORLD #CADILLACHOUSE @CADILLAC

#VISRACING #MINI4WD

ABOUT VISIONAIRE
VISIONAIRE, founded by Cecilia Dean and James Kaliardos in 1991, conceptualizes and produces public art installations, films, experiences, branded content, art multiples, and products — all curated through the lens of art, fashion and contemporary culture. With its unparalleled roster of contributing artists, photographers, filmmakers, fashion creatives, and cultural icons, VISIONAIRE remains at the forefront of groundbreaking creativity in all different media.

ABOUT CADILLAC HOUSE
CADILLAC HOUSE is Cadillac’s first-ever brand experience center—a public space that brings Cadillac’s design sensibility and passion points to life through a range of dynamic, curated programming and events across the arts, fashion, entertainment, and hospitality. Located in downtown New York City, Cadillac House represents the brand’s commitment to its new home and as a result, offers diverse experiences including a gallery, retail space, and café and exhibition area for the brand’s vehicles— resulting in a venue with an ever-evolving point of view on subjects beyond the automotive industry.

DETROIT — Torque is power. More specifically, it’s the twisting force an engine generates, and for 100 years Chevy Trucks have offered the torque that customers of 85 million trucks have relied on for hauling cargo and pulling trailers, on and off the clock.

“Chevrolet Trucks have pulled their weight for a century,” said Dan Nicholson, vice president, Global Propulsion Systems. “Nobody does torque like Chevrolet and generations have counted on our trucks to get the job done confidently.”

Chevy Trucks have come a long way from the original 1918 One-Ton model, which featured a 2.8L four-cylinder engine with an estimated 45 lb-ft of torque. Its closest contemporary engine is the standard 2.5L four-cylinder engine in the Colorado, which is rated at 191 lb-ft of torque, or 76 lb-ft per liter — a 480 percent increase over the 1918 engine.

At the far end of the spectrum is the contemporary Silverado 3500HD one-ton truck, with the available Duramax 6.6L turbo-diesel V-8. Its 910 lb-ft of torque equates to an incredible 138 lb-ft per liter, for great trailering confidence even on tough grades.

“Technological advances such as direct injection and turbocharging help contemporary Chevy Truck engines deliver more torque per liter of displacement than ever,” says Nicholson. “That means customers can do more and haul more than ever.”

The increase in Chevy Truck capability has been driven over the decades by the enduring performance of several landmark engine families sharing an elegant, overhead-valve architecture that contributes to signature low-rpm torque production, reduced complexity and compact packaging.

As the brand celebrate 100 years of trucks, here’s an overview of the most significant milestones in Chevrolet torque.

1929: The First “Stovebolt” Six
Introduced in 1929, Chevrolet’s first overhead-valve inline-six engine brought big torque to the masses. Displacing 194 cubic inches (3.2L), its all-new design helped generate strong torque at low rpm: approximately 120 lb-ft at only 800 rpm. That allowed Chevrolet to increase its work-truck load rating from 1 ton to 1.5 tons. The Stovebolt nickname was based on external fasteners that resembled the bolts on wood-burning stoves, but it quickly became synonymous with the engine’s durability. Several generations of Chevrolet’s overhead-valve straight-six engine were developed from the original design and served in Chevy Trucks through the late 1980s.

1955: The First Small Block V-8
Chevrolet introduced its revolutionary overhead-valve V-8 engine, later to be dubbed the Small Block, in the 1955 “second series” truck lineup. That original 265-cubic-inch (4.3L) engine produced 238 lb-ft of torque at only 2,000 rpm and evolved into one of the industry’s most enduring engine architectures. About a decade after the Small Block was introduced, Chevy’s Big Block engine family — also an overhead-valve design —debuted, elevating capability to an unprecedented level for gas-powered trucks. The Small Block is currently in its fifth generation in 2018 Chevy Trucks, while the original Small Block and Big Block families live on as performance crate engines.

1987: Technology Helps Build Torque and Increase Efficiency
Until the early ’70s, increased displacement and higher compression were easy ways to build more horsepower and torque. That changed with industry mandates that dramatically affected traditional power-building techniques. Chevrolet traded high compression for high technology, developing electronic fuel injection that helped restore the torque of previous years with greater efficiency. Torque in the Small Block engine returned to 300 lb-ft in 1987 and got another 10 percent increase a few years later, with the 5.7L Vortec Small Block. Today the available 6.2L Small Block in the 2018 Silverado 1500 is rated at 460 lb-ft of torque, thanks to technologies including variable valve timing and direct injection, giving it the highest torque rating of any light-duty pickup V-8 engine.

2001: The Modern Diesel Era Begins With Duramax
Introduced in 2001 for Chevy’s HD trucks, the Duramax 6.6L turbo-diesel, with overhead valves and 520 lb-ft of torque, was an all-new design that established a new era of capability. Technological advances pushed its output higher, and today the second-generation iteration available in the 2018 Silverado HD lineup offers 910 lb-ft of torque — a stunning 75 percent leap in torque from the same 6.6L displacement as the original, which re-set the performance bar for HD trucks. Car and Driver recorded 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds in a Duramax-powered Silverado, the quickest time it’s tested for a HD truck, while TFLTruck recorded a climb up the Eisenhower grade in Colorado in 10:16.99 minutes. That was about 12 seconds faster than the nearest one-ton competitor, with each pulling 22,800 pounds.

ABOUT CHEVROLET
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

LAS VEGAS — New performance suspension calibrations offered by Chevrolet Performance enhance ride quality and handling on C7 Corvette models equipped with Magnetic Ride Control.

Announced today at the SEMA Show, the calibrations include new Track modes that enable faster lap times on Z06 FE6 and FE7 models. The roster of new calibrations includes:

2014-16 Stingray with Z51 features new calibrations in Tour and Sport modes.
2016 Stingray (non-Z51) features new calibrations in Tour, Sport and Track modes.
2015-16 Z06 (non-Z07) features new calibrations in Tour, Sport and Track modes.
2015-16 Z06 with Z07 Performance Package features new calibrations in Tour, Sport and Track modes.
Calibrations for additional applications will be announced later.

“These new calibrations leverage the latest tuning strategies of the Corvette development team to offer increased performance, while improving ride quality,” said Jim Campbell, GM U.S. vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “The result is a greater feeling of balance and more linear responses to driver inputs — changes you’ll feel and appreciate immediately.”

During testing with a 2016 Z06, the new calibrations enabled more than a 1-second improvement in lap times around General Motors’ 2.9-mile Milford Road Course.

The new Magnetic Ride calibrations are available through Chevrolet dealers for $350 and require no hardware changes. The new calibration is simply uploaded to the vehicle and the factory warranty is not affected.

Approximately 20 Chevrolet models are on display this week at the SEMA Show, Oct. 31-Nov. 3. Follow the action at ChevySEMA.com, #CHEVYSEMA, @ChevroletPerformance on Instagram and Chevrolet Performance on Facebook.

ABOUT CHEVROLET
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

DETROIT – General Motors Co (NYSE: GM) announced today it acquired LIDAR technology company Strobe, Inc. As part of the deal, Strobe’s engineering talent joins GM’s Cruise Automation team to define and develop next-generation LIDAR solutions for self-driving vehicles.

“Strobe’s LIDAR technology will significantly improve the cost and capabilities of our vehicles so that we can more quickly accomplish our mission to deploy driverless vehicles at scale,” said Kyle Vogt, Founder and CEO, Cruise Automation.

LIDAR uses light to create high-resolution images that provide a more accurate view of the world than cameras or radar alone. As self-driving technology continues to evolve, LIDAR’s accuracy will play a critical role in its deployment.

“The successful deployment of self-driving vehicles will be highly dependent on the availability of LIDAR sensors,” said Julie Schoenfeld, Founder and CEO, Strobe, Inc. “Strobe’s deep engineering talent and technology backed by numerous patents will play a significant role in helping GM and Cruise bring these vehicles to market sooner than many think.”

Last month, Cruise Automation revealed the world’s first mass-producible car designed with the redundancy and safety requirements necessary to operate without a driver. The vehicle will join Cruise’s testing fleets in San Francisco, metropolitan Phoenix and Detroit.

General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM, TSX: GMM), its subsidiaries and joint venture entities produce and sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang and Wuling brands. GM has leadership positions in several of the world’s most significant automotive markets and is committed to lead the future of personal mobility. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

Ford Motor Company today is providing a strategic update to investors, detailing plans to leverage its unique product strengths, trusted brand and global scale to refocus and thrive in an evolving and disruptive period for the auto industry.

The investor presentation follows a four-month deep dive into Ford’s strategy and business operations led by President and CEO Jim Hackett and Ford’s senior leadership team. Hackett said Ford will improve its operational fitness, refocus capital allocation and accelerate the introduction of smart vehicles and services.

“Ford was built on the belief that freedom of movement drives human progress,” said Hackett, who became Ford president and CEO on May 22. “It’s a belief that has always fueled our
passion to create great cars and trucks. And today, it drives our commitment to become the world’s most trusted mobility company, designing smart vehicles for a smart world that help
people move more safely, confidently and freely.”

The full slide deck of the presentation can be found here. Ford is reaffirming its 2017 full-year financial guidance and said its 2018 outlook will be provided in January. Reiterating its long-term goal of an 8 percent automotive operating margin, Ford says it will embrace the profound technological changes and new competition buffeting the industry. To deliver, the company is expanding its scope to include vehicles and services – all designed around human-centered experiences. The company will tap its strengths integrating hardware and software in complex devices, its proven ability to deliver scale and the trust tied to the Ford brand.

Specifically, Ford is:
 Accelerating the introduction of connected, smart vehicles and services customers want and value. By 2019, 100 percent of Ford’s new U.S. vehicles will be built with connectivity. The company has similarly aggressive plans for China and other markets, as 90 percent of Ford’s new global vehicles will feature connectivity by 2020.
 Rapidly improving fitness to lower costs, release capital and finance growth. Ford is attacking costs, reducing automotive cost growth by 50 percent through 2022. Of this, the company is targeting $10 billion in incremental material cost reductions. The team also is reducing engineering costs by $4 billion from planned levels over the next five years by increasing use of common parts across its full line of vehicles, reducing order complexity and building fewer prototypes.
 Allocating capital where Ford can win the future. This starts with the company reallocating $7 billion of capital from cars to SUVs and trucks, including the Ranger and EcoSport in North America and the all-new Bronco globally. Ford also has plans to build the next-generation Focus for North America in China, saving capital investment and ongoing costs. Further, Ford is reducing internal combustion engine capital expenditures by one-third and redeploying that capital into electrification – on top of the previously announced $4.5 billion investment.
 Embracing partnerships. Ford will continue to leverage partnerships, remain active in M&A and collaborate to accelerate R&D. The company recently announced it was exploring a strategic alliance with Mahindra Group as it transforms its business in India, and Zoyte with the intention of developing a new line of low-cost all-electric passenger vehicles in China. When it comes to autonomous vehicle development, the company recently announced a relationship with Lyft to work toward commercialization and a collaboration with Domino’s Pizza to research the customer experience of delivery services.
 Expanding electric vehicle revenue opportunities. The company recently announced a dedicated electrification team within Ford, focused exclusively on creating an ecosystem of products and services for electric vehicles and the unique opportunities they provide. This builds on Ford’s earlier commitment to deliver 13 new electric vehicles in the next five years, including F-150 Hybrid, Mustang Hybrid, Transit Custom plug-in hybrid, an autonomous vehicle hybrid, Ford Police Responder Hybrid Sedan, and a fully electric small SUV.

“When you’re a long-lived company that has had success over multiple decades the decision to change is not easy – culturally or operationally,” Hackett said. “Ultimately, though, we must
accept the virtues that brought us success over the past century are really no guarantee of future success.”

Revamping product development, modernizing factories
At the same time, Ford is redesigning its operations to better compete in this disruptive era. Hackett cites as a template the example of how the company reimagined the all-new 2015 F-150. Since then, the F-Series has gained market share and the average transaction price has increased 16 percent. It has improved fuel economy and increased capability for customers, thanks in part to a 700-pound weight reduction that helped make the F-150 the company’s most positive contributor to CAFE standards for model year 2018. Additionally, 90 percent of the manufacturing equipment can be reused for the next-generation F-150, reducing future capital requirements. Finally, the innovation on aluminum and light weighting will pay off across a range of Ford trucks and SUVs.

Other priorities include:
 Reducing orderable combinations of many nameplates, focusing on what customers value most. Already the team has identified a ten-fold reduction of orderable combinations in the next-generation Escape and is moving from approximately 35,000 combinations in the current generation of Fusion to 96 in the next generation.
 Rethinking product development processes and incorporating new technology. In the next five years, Ford is aiming to reduce new vehicle development time by 20 percent, with new tools and fewer orderable combinations. Through the use of virtual assembly lines, the company has been able to reduce new model changeover time by 25 percent.
 Redesigning the company’s factories of the future. Accelerating and scaling 3D printing, robotics, virtual reality tools and big data will improve logistics and enable a more efficient manufacturing footprint.

“We believe Ford will achieve its competitive advantage by focusing deeply on our customers – whether they’re drivers, riders or cities – and that’s where we are playing to win,” Hackett said.

# # #

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 203,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com

The Jaguar FUTURE-TYPE is a premium compact on-demand vehicle concept, designed to meet the mobility needs of future generations.

The Jaguar FUTURE-TYPE is a fully autonomous concept that imagines mobility in a world where Jaguar customers can summon a fully-charged FUTURE-TYPE on-demand. Offering a glimpse into the future, it is a car for a world of autonomous, connected, electric and shared mobility (ACES).

At the heart of the concept is the world’s first intelligent and connected steering wheel. This steering wheel lives in your home and becomes your trusted companion. Sayer – named after the designer of the E-type – is the first voice-activated Artificial Intelligence (AI) steering wheel that will be able to carry out hundreds of tasks. It can summon your car, play music, book you a table and even knows what’s in your fridge. Sayer signals your membership of our on-demand service club. A club which offers either sole ownership or the option of sharing the car with others in your community, meaning that you need only fully own the steering wheel, not the car itself.

Need to be at a meeting two hours away from home by 8am tomorrow? Simply ask Sayer from the comfort of your living room and it will work out when you get up, when a car needs to autonomously arrive at your door and even advise which parts of the journey you might enjoy driving yourself.

Sayer is the heart of an advanced HMI system that will keep you connected to your world throughout your journey – or not, if you want to be alone and concentrate on the thrill of driving. Occupants can summon information from different orbits of their world and bring them to life through the system. Pull up your home, family, friends or work orbits to check what’s happening and stay connected with all parts of your life. Select different orbits one by one, all at the same time or nothing at all, allowing you to dial up the information you do want to see and dial down what you don’t.

FUTURE-TYPE offers an insight into the potential for driving and car ownership in the future. It’s part of our vision for how a luxury car brand could continue to be desirable, in a more digital and autonomous age. Our FUTURE-TYPE Concept is an advanced research project looking at how we can ensure an on-demand Jaguar will appeal to customers in 2040 and beyond. Whether it’s commuting to work, autonomously collecting children from school or enjoying driving yourself on the weekend in the countryside, if there’s a choice of on-demand cars driving around city streets, we need to ensure customers desire our 24/7 service over our competitors.
IAN CALLUM
DIRECTOR OF DESIGN, JAGUAR

In the connected world of tomorrow, a fleet of fully-charged FUTURE-TYPEs could be available for customers on-demand. If you are taking your child to school, and only need two seats, you can summon a FUTURE-TYPE with 2+1 social seating, so you can chat face-to-face as the car autonomously drives you to your destination using the most time and energy efficient route.

The FUTURE-TYPE will communicate with other cars and use co-operative driving technologies. This collaboration will enable shorter distances between vehicles and make lane changing and exiting from junctions safer and more efficient. This will also increase road capacity and prevent accidents, while the narrow width of FUTURE-TYPE will mean it takes up less space on the road and in car parks.

The driver could ask the FUTURE-TYPE to drive autonomously during the stressful and tedious parts of the journey, such as in heavy traffic or roadworks, or if they prefer to do some work or choose to watch a film. But for the occasions when a driver wants to enjoy the thrill of the open road, the concept retains a steering wheel.

This dual approach will allow drivers to choose either autonomous or assisted driving, with the assisted driver benefiting from the same advanced technologies that allow the FUTURE-TYPE to drive itself. These technologies will work in the background to make driving in the future safer and more enjoyable than ever, with the car always alert and aware of situations developing over the horizon.

Today, Jaguar offers customers a dynamic, emotional experience. Whether it’s the exhilarating way they drive, the way they sound, the iconic design or the connection drivers feel with the road, customers tell us that their Jaguar makes them feel special. With the FUTURE-TYPE we’ve been investigating how we can keep this emotional connection in a future world where people may choose not to own a car, or when a Jaguar is an autonomous, on-demand vehicle, In a future age of on-demand services and car sharing, our research shows there will still be a place for luxury and premium experiences – and enjoying the drive. People will still want to travel in style and comfort, while the growth of car sharing actually increases the opportunity for people to experience what a Jaguar has to offer, even if they chose not to own one.
IAN CALLUM

DIRECTOR OF DESIGN, JAGUAR

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., — Lear Corporation (NYSE: LEA), a leading global supplier of automotive seating and electrical systems, today confirmed plans to construct a new world-class automotive seat manufacturing facility in Flint, Michigan at the former site of the Buick City administration building.
Lear’s new facility will provide seats on a just-in-time basis for future vehicle production at GM’s Flint Assembly plant and will add manufacturing jobs and economic growth to the State of Michigan.
“We appreciate the support of the State of Michigan and the City of Flint which is allowing Lear to increase manufacturing jobs in America,” said Ray Scott, Lear executive vice president and president of Seating Operations. “This expansion of capacity reflects the positive outlook we have for our business as well as the favorable economic climate in Michigan, and will contribute to the revitalization of Flint.”
“Since 2009, GM has invested more than $2.8 billion in Flint and we’re proud to see suppliers like Lear also commit to business in Flint,” said Tom McMillen, executive director of Interior and Safety, General Motors Global Purchasing and Supply Chain. “Lear has been a trusted partner of GM throughout its 100-years of business and earned GM’s coveted Supplier of the Year designation 16 times. We look forward to continuing this relationship in our next generation vehicles produced in Flint.”
GM has found that suppliers of large components locating near assembly plants results in significant savings from reduced transportation costs, higher quality, better communications and continuous improvement activities.
“This is great news for the City of Flint,” said Flint Mayor Karen Weaver. “We appreciate leaders of Lear Corporation choosing to invest in Flint. This city has a long history of automotive manufacturing and plenty of hard-working residents. We look forward to this project having a positive impact in our community, and providing the economic boost we’ve been working toward.”
Lear will begin construction of a state-of-the-art 160,000 square foot seat manufacturing facility this fall, with completion scheduled for early 2018. This new facility will provide jobs for about 600 workers once the plant reaches full employment. Workers will be represented by the United Automobile Workers (UAW) union.
UAW Region 1D Director Gerald Kariem said, “We look forward to partnering with Lear Corporation in another endeavor in Region 1D. Lear Corporation is known for its quality products and timely production, and I’m sure the Flint site will be another winning facility.”
About Lear
Lear Corporation was founded in Detroit in 1917 as American Metal Products. In 2017, the Company is celebrating its 100th year anniversary. Lear is one of the world’s leading suppliers of automotive seating systems and electrical distribution systems (E-Systems). Lear serves every major automaker in the world, and Lear content can be found on more than 400 vehicle nameplates. Lear’s world-class products are designed, engineered and manufactured by a diverse team of approximately 156,000 employees located in 38 countries. Lear currently ranks #151 on the Fortune 500. Lear’s headquarters are in Southfield, Michigan. Further information about Lear is available at lear.com or follow us on Twitter @LearCorporation.

Auburn Hills, Mich. – Automotive research group AutoPacific has named Jeep® Grand Cherokee and Chrysler Pacifica “Best in Class Ideal Mid-Size SUV” and “Best in Class Ideal Minivan” in their respective segments.
Owners of the 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chrysler Pacifica indicated they are driving a vehicle that meets or exceeds their expectations. This is the seventh consecutive year the Jeep Grand Cherokee has won AutoPacific’s Ideal Vehicle Award for the Mid-Size SUV segment and the first year the Chrysler Pacifica has won the award in the Minivan segment.
Surveyed owners placed the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica at the top of the Minivan segment for its best-in-class vehicle. As the original creator of the minivan more than 30 years ago, FCA US has transformed the segment with firsts – notching 78 innovations through the first five minivan generations. With the introduction of the all-new Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid, FCA US adds 37 minivan firsts to its portfolio for an unprecedented total of 115 innovations in the segment, including the industry’s first minivan available as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.
“Chrysler’s new Pacifica minivan checks all the boxes a minivan owner desires. Pacifica is the minivan that most closely meets the expectations of its buyers,” said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific. “As the inventors of the minivan 35 years ago, the Chrysler Pacifica shows Chrysler designers, planners and engineers understand minivans best.”
The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica reinvents the minivan segment with an unprecedented level of functionality, versatility, technology and bold styling. Re-engineered from the ground up on an all-new platform, the Pacifica delivers class-leading gasoline and hybrid powertrains to the minivan segment. With more than 100 available safety and security features, the all-new Uconnect Theater rear seat entertainment system, and a full array of comfort and convenience technologies, the Chrysler Pacifica is a no-compromises minivan ideally suited for today’s families and has earned its spot as the most awarded minivan of 2016 and 2017.
Jeep Grand Cherokee is the most awarded SUV ever and the vehicle that has long defined what a premium SUV should be. A refined exterior design — complete with available bi-xenon headlamps with signature LED daytime running lamps (DRL) — provides a premium appearance.
“The Grand Cherokee is a perennial best-in-class winner in AutoPacific’s Ideal Vehicle Awards,” said Peterson. “Its excellent design, capability and breadth of the product offering contribute to Grand Cherokee’s award-winning ways.”
The 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee legendary capability, world-class craftsmanship, benchmark on-road refinement and advanced safety and technology features. Legendary Jeep capability comes courtesy of four available 4×4 systems, Jeep’s Quadra-Lift air suspension system and class-leading Selec-Terrain traction management system. Grand Cherokee boasts best-in-class towing of 7,400 pounds and a crawl ratio of 44.1:1.
The 2017 awards are based on responses from over 65,000 owners of new model-year 2016 and 2017 vehicles across all major manufacturers. Surveyed after 90 days of ownership, respondents were asked what changes they would make to their car or truck in 15 key categories, including ride and handling, interior storage, safety features, power and acceleration and technology.
About AutoPacific
AutoPacific is a future-oriented automotive marketing research and product-consulting firm. Every year AutoPacific publishes a wide variety of syndicated studies on the automotive industry. The firm, founded in 1986, also conducts extensive proprietary research, forecasting, and consulting for auto manufacturers, distributors, marketers and suppliers worldwide. Company headquarters and its state-of-the-art automotive research facility are in Tustin, California, with an affiliate office in the Detroit area. Additional information can be found on AutoPacific’s websites: http://www.autopacific.com and http://vehiclevoice.com/

ETROIT — Chevrolet announced pricing for the all-new 2018 Traverse starts at $30,875. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price includes the destination charge, but excludes tax, title and additional dealer fees.

Customers can visit Chevy.com/Traverse to build, configure and price the 2018 Traverse.

Redesigned from the ground up, the new Traverse offers best-in-class maximum cargo space and more passenger space than Explorer, Pilot or Highlander. Traverse also offers seating for up to eight with an enhanced roster of standard convenience, storage and comfort features — with built-in connectivity working to put an end to the eternal question: Are we there yet?

“The all-new Chevrolet Traverse has a bold, new look that complements the full functionality our SUV customers demand. It’s designed to help make life on the road easier, and to look good while doing it,” said Steve Majoros, director of marketing, Chevrolet Cars and Crossovers. “With creature comforts, convenience features and technologies to entertain passengers, Traverse is the total package.”

The 2018 Traverse lineup offers customers even more trim choices, featuring L, LS, LT, and Premier, along with the all-new sporty RS and top-of-the line High Country trim levels. A Redline package will also be available on Premier, featuring a blacked-out appearance with red accents.

The 2018 Traverse comes loaded with standard content:

Convenience

Enhanced Smart Slide® seat to provide easy access to the third row, even with an empty forward-facing child seat in place using the LATCH system
USB charging in all three rows
Teen Driver technology
Rear Seat Reminder4
Rear Vision Camera
Keyless Open and Start
12-volt power outlet
Heated, power-adjustable outside mirrors
Capless fuel fill
Storage

Best-in-class max cargo volume of 98.2 cubic feet
Hidden underfloor cargo storage totaling 3.2 cubic feet
“Truck-sized” center console
Twenty-three storage spots throughout for passengers in all three rows
Dedicated storage for mobile phones
Comfort

Active noise cancellation
Automatic tri-zone climate control
Humidity sensor that detects moisture and diverts air to the windshield to help prevent fogging
Connectivity

Built-in OnStar 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot1 allows customers to connect up to seven devices, and customers in the U.S. are offered access to an unlimited prepaid Wifi data plan for $20 per month2 plus tax, enabled by AT&T
Standard support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Compatibility subject to terms, privacy statements and data plan rates, as well as a compatible smart phone
Steering wheel-mounted phone and audio controls
Chevrolet MyLink infotainment systems help keep passengers connected
Owners can manage their vehicle remotely and check diagnostics with the myChevrolet mobile app3 via their smartphone
Additional available features include:

Rear camera mirror provides a video view, displaying a wider, less obstructed field of view compared to a traditional rearview mirror
Surround Vision cameras provide a bird’s eye view of the vehicle to help make reversing, parking or trailering easier
A new, hands-free power liftgate that projects a Chevrolet bowtie emblem on the ground is standard on Premier and High Country
Power-folding third-row seat is standard on High Country
Heated and ventilated leather-trimmed front seats standard on Premier and High Country
Heated second-row outboard seats are standard on Premier and High Country
Heated steering wheel is standard on Premier and High Country
Wireless device charging is standard on Premier and High Country
Available hidden storage behind the articulating radio screen
Power liftgate.
1 Requires a compatible mobile device, active OnStar service and data plan. 4G LTE service available in select markets. Visit onstar.com for coverage map, details and system limitations. Data plan provided by AT&T.
2 Plus applicable taxes and fees. Plan provides access to AT&T wireless data services for your equipped vehicle for 30 days. Eligible vehicle and data plan required. Auto-renewal: Plans automatically renew every 30 days unless cancelled. To cancel at any time, call 1-888-466-7827 or press the blue OnStar button in your vehicle or the advisor link in your mobile app. Monthly charges will automatically be billed by AT&T to credit cards on file on day 30 unless cancelled. Payments are non-refundable (subject to applicable law).
3 Requires active OnStar, compatible device, factory installed remote start and power locks. Visit onstar.com for details and system limitations.
4 Does not detect people or items. Always check rear seats before exiting.

ABOUT CHEVROLET
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

New clutch facing material offers minimizes wear on the counter-friction surfaces
Significantly improved starting and grab behavior
Clutch kits offer fast replacement minimizing vehicle downtime
ZF Aftermarket offers a broad product portfolio of clutches under the Sachs brand also for heavy commercial vehicles (HCV). Utilizing the latest innovations in material development, the clutch disk(s now have new facings. This means that even under the harsh conditions faced by this class of vehicle, they are less susceptible to wear; making them a more cost effective and efficient market choice.

Sachs clutches stand for reliability and quality. They ensure that the engine power is evenly transferred to the road, but in doing so are subject to a number of highly dynamic impacts. The system-related wear of the clutch facing results in a change to the power/travel ratio and needs to be taken into consideration when designing the clutch.

As such, the use of the highest quality materials together with effective interaction of all components is decisive in terms of the clutch system economy. Characterized by its excellent thermal stability and high-quality, the new HCV clutch facing offers significant protection to the flywheel friction surface, resulting in noticeable minimized wear. Initially, this facing is available for the following clutch discs: 362 mm; 395 mm; 400 mm and 430 mm.

Environmentally-friendly production
The material used in the manufacture of the recently developed facing is free of asbestos, lead, cadmium, mercury or chromium-VI. In addition, no solvents are used in the production process. As is the case with all OE quality products from ZF Aftermarket, the new clutch facing complies with all facing test specifications (BPS97).

Professional tips for experts
HCV repairs should be performed swiftly, by professionals using the highest standard components to minimize vehicle downtime which is inefficient and can be expensive. Using cheaper inferior quality parts is a false economy as the parts may have to be replaced sooner, resulting in the vehicle being off the road twice.

Clutch malfunctions such as poor separating behavior may also indicate a faulty release system. For the safest and fastest replacement, ZF Aftermarket Sachs offers workshops practical Sachs clutch kits. Containing all the parts necessary, these kits guarantee swift and faultless replacement. They consist of the pressure plate, the clutch disk and release bearing as well as a matching greasing pad for the lubrication of the hub splines.

For fast and easy identification of parts, the ZF Part Finder app allows customers to search by reference number or vehicle manufacturer. Compatible with iOS and Android PCs, tablets and smartphones, this is available in xx languages and can be downloaded free of charge in app stores worldwide.

Munich. Electrification is one of the central pillars of the BMW Group’s corporate strategy NUMBER ONE > NEXT and the company has announced that all brands and model series can be electrified, with a full-electric or plug-in hybrid drivetrain being offered in addition to the combustion engine option. Additional electrified models will be brought to market in the coming years and beyond 2020, the company’s next generation vehicle architecture will enable further fully-electric vehicles.

Today, the BMW Group announced that the new battery-electric MINI will be a variant of the brand’s core 3 door model. This fully electric car will go into production in 2019, increasing the choice of MINI powertrains to include petrol and diesel internal combustion engines, a plug-in hybrid and a battery electric vehicle. The electric MINI’s electric drivetrain will be built at the BMW Group’s e-mobility centre at Plants Dingolfing and Landshut in Bavaria before being integrated into the car at Plant Oxford, which is the main production location for the MINI 3 door model.

Oliver Zipse, BMW AG Management Board member for Production said, “BMW Group Plants Dingolfing and Landshut play a leading role within our global production network as the company’s global competence centre for electric mobility. Our adaptable production system is innovative and able to react rapidly to changing customer demand. If required, we can increase production of electric drivetrain motor components quickly and efficiently, in line with market developments.”

By 2025, the BMW Group expects electrified vehicles to account for between 15-25% of sales. However, factors such as regulation, incentives and charging infrastructure will play a major role in determining the scale of electrification from market to market. In order to react quickly and appropriately to customer demand, the BMW Group has developed a uniquely flexible system across its global production network. In the future, the BMW Group production system will create structures that enable our production facilities to build models with a combustion engine, plug-in hybrid or fully electric drive train at the same time.

The BMW Group currently produces electrified models at ten plants worldwide; since 2013, all the significant elements of the electric drivetrain for these vehicles come from the company’s plants in Dingolfing and Landshut. Dingolfing additionally builds the plug-in hybrid versions of the BMW 5 Series and the BMW 7 Series and from 2021, it will build the BMW i NEXT. The BMW Group has invested a total of more than 100 million euros in electro-mobility at the Dingolfing site to date, with investment continuing as the BMW Group’s range of electrified vehicles further expands.

Electrification of all brands and model series continues

The new, fully-electric MINI is one of a series of electrified models to be launched by the BMW and MINI brands in the coming years. In 2018, the BMW i8 Roadster will become the newest member of the BMW i family. The all-electric BMW X3 has been announced for 2020, and the BMW iNEXT is due in 2021.

Today, the BMW Group offers the widest range of electrified vehicles of any car manufacturer in the world, with nine models already on the market. These range from the full-electric BMW i3 to the company’s newest electrified model, the MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4*, a plug-in hybrid version of the MINI Countryman, which is produced by VDL Nedcar in the Netherlands. The company has committed to selling 100,000 electrified vehicles in 2017 and will have a total of 200,000 electrified vehicles on the roads by the end of the year.

The BMW Group has benefited from its early start on the road to electrification. Indeed, the company’s pioneering, large scale electric vehicle trial began world-wide in 2008 with the MINI E. Learnings from this project played a crucial role in the subsequent development of the BMW i3 and BMW i8, technology pioneers which themselves informed the company’s current range of plug-in hybrid vehicles.

The BMW Group production network
Strong customer demand and the launch of new models resulted in very high capacity utilisation for the BMW Group’s production network in 2016. With 2,359,756 vehicles produced for the BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands, production volumes reached a new all-time high. This figure included 2,002,997 BMW, 352,580 MINI and 4,179 Rolls-Royce units. The company’s German plants, which produced more than one million vehicles, are responsible for roughly half of production volumes.

With its unparalleled flexibility, the leading-edge production system is in excellent shape for the future. Based on Strategy NUMBER ONE > NEXT, it is characterised by a high level of efficiency and robust processes. The BMW Group’s production expertise represents a decisive competitive advantage and contributes to the profitability of the company and its sustainable success.

Quality and speed of reaction are key factors in the BMW production system, as well as flexibility. Digitalisation, standardised modular concepts and intelligent composite construction testify to the high level of expertise within the production network. At the same time, the production system offers a very high level of customisation and allows customer specifications to be modified up until six days before delivery.

The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 31 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2016, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.367 million cars and 145,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax was approximately € 9.67 billion on revenues amounting to € 94.16 billion. As of 31 December 2016, the BMW Group had a workforce of 124,729 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

Friedrichshafen, – ZF Friedrichshafen AG and WABCO Holdings Inc. (NYSE: WBC) were recently recognized by CLEPA with its prestigious Innovation Award 2017 for their joint development of Evasive Maneuver Assist (EMA), a breakthrough collision avoidance system for commercial vehicles. The EMA prototype combines WABCO’s world-class braking, stability and vehicle dynamics control systems on trucks and trailers with ZF’s top active steering technology. CLEPA is the European Association of Automotive Suppliers and has more than 100 member companies and over 20 national as well as European trade associations.

The CLEPA Innovation Award 2017 celebrates excellence of innovative technologies and solutions developed by leading automotive suppliers and vehicle manufacturers in the categories Environment, Safety, Connectivity and Automation, as well as Cooperation. CLEPA’s international jury of industry experts recognized Evasive Maneuver Assist in the classifications Safety and Cooperation. Assessing 56 applications from 31 companies across Europe, the panel of judges ranked all technology innovations based on the following criteria: ambition, market relevance, impact, and quality.

“When speaking about mobility, road safety is rightly at the top of the political and technological agendas,” said Roberto Vavassori, President, CLEPA. “The innovation presented by WABCO and ZF proves that road safety goes way beyond cars and motorcycles to include commercial vehicles. It also demonstrates that cooperation between automotive suppliers can pave the way to success and better mobility for all.”

“A win for the Evasive Maneuver Assist technology jointly developed by ZF an WABCO shows how safety could be increased for all road users, “ said Dr. Harald Naunheimer, Head of Research and Development at ZF. “It also emphasizes the commitment ZF has made to its Vision Zero of an accident-free future of mobility.”

“We are deeply honored to receive the Innovation Award 2017 from CLEPA, a globally recognized and prestigious industry organization, for Evasive Maneuver Assist,” added Dr. Christian Brenneke, Vice President Engineering, WABCO. “The Evasive Maneuver Assist prototype demonstrates WABCO’s and ZF’s leadership in developing advanced safety technologies for commercial vehicles. EMA connects WABCO’s braking and stability control systems with ZF’s active steering solution for the first time, realizing another critical step toward autonomous driving in the commercial vehicle industry.”

Demonstrated for the first time in June 2016, Evasive Maneuver Assist leverages the capabilities of WABCO’s industry-leading OnGuardACTIVE™, its most advanced, radar-only collision mitigation system. A radar sensor identifies moving or stationary vehicles ahead and alerts the driver via visual, audio and haptic signals of impending rear-end collisions. Should the driver determine that the system cannot avoid a rear-end collision by driver-initiated or autonomous braking alone, Evasive Maneuver Assist engages to help the driver to safely steer around an obstructing vehicle and to bring truck and trailer to a complete and safe stop. In such situations, EMA’s collision avoidance function is connecting WABCO’s proven electronic braking system (EBS), advanced emergency braking system (AEBS), electronic stability control (ESC) and vehicle dynamics control systems to ZF’s electrohydraulic ReAX power steering system.

DEARBORN, Mich., June 20, 2017 – Ford today announced manufacturing actions centered on improving the company’s operational fitness and building vehicles that excite customers around the world.

Ford is investing $900 million in Kentucky Truck Plant for plant upgrades to build the all-new Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, which begin arriving in dealerships this fall. Both full-size SUVs will be exported to more than 55 markets globally – including Navigator to China. Ford is a top auto exporter in the U.S.

The $900 million investment secures 1,000 jobs for hourly workers at the Louisville plant. This is in addition to the $1.3 billion investment and 2,000 jobs created at that plant in late 2015 to build the all-new Ford Super Duty. Kentucky Truck employs nearly 7,600 full-time hourly workers – and Ford has more U.S. hourly workers and builds more vehicles in the U.S. than any other automaker.

“Large SUVs are attracting a new generation around the world – and we’re finding new ways to deliver the capability, versatility and technology that customers around the world really want with our all-new Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford executive vice president and president, Global Operations. “At the same time, we also have looked at how we can be more successful in the small car segment and deliver even more choices for customers in a way that makes business sense.”

Ford’s next-generation Ford Focus will be more spacious and packed with technology that customers want.

Production begins in the second half of 2019, with models coming from the company’s existing Focus plants globally. Most new North American Focus models initially will come from China, with additional variants coming from Europe later.

No U.S. hourly employees will be out of a job tied to the new manufacturing plan for Focus. Production of the current North American Focus at the Michigan Assembly Plant continues through mid-2018. Following that, the plant will be converted to produce the Ranger midsize pickup truck in late 2018 and the Bronco midsize SUV in 2020.

The new North America Focus production plan saves $1 billion in investment costs versus the original plan – $500 million on top of the $500 million savings announced earlier this year by cancelling plans for an all-new manufacturing facility in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and moving Focus production to Ford’s Hermosillo, Mexico, plant.

“Finding a more cost-effective way to deliver the next Focus program in North America is a better plan, allowing us to redeploy the money we save into areas of growth for the company – especially sport utilities, commercial vehicles, performance vehicles as well as mobility, autonomous vehicles and electrified vehicles,” Hinrichs said.

ABOUT FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 202,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.​​

DETROIT — In response to the growing customer demand for more data, Chevrolet and AT&T are making it easier for Chevrolet owners to add an AT&T unlimited data plan to their vehicle. Starting May 12, a Chevrolet owner with an in-vehicle OnStar 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot1 and AT&T wireless account can add unlimited data to their vehicle at any of the nearly 5,000 AT&T retail stores in the U.S., by visiting att.com/connectedcar or by logging into their MyATT account2.

“With Chevrolet 4G LTE data plan sales jumping nearly 275 percent in March year-over-year, providing customers with additional choices as to where and how they buy data was important to us,” said Paul Edwards, Chevrolet U.S. vice president of Marketing. “Whether you are at a job site in your Silverado or letting your family stream videos on a road trip in your Traverse, Chevrolet owners will never be far from being able to sign up for an unlimited 4G LTE data plan.”

“More and more car owners are seeing the benefits of unlimited data on the go,” said Joe Mosele, vice president, Internet of Things Solutions, AT&T. “We are pleased to make this feature widely available for Chevrolet owners in our retail stores across the country. It’s now as easy as ever to sign up for in-vehicle unlimited data.”

For $20 a month, the unlimited data plan allows Chevrolet owners to utilize the full potential of their OnStar 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot and access all of their content and enjoy endless entertainment on the go without worrying about paying overages (After 22GB of data usage, AT&T may slow speeds.).

Chevrolet became the first mass-market automaker to offer a 4G LTE unlimited data plan for all customers in early March. Since then, Chevrolet data usage has increased exponentially as owners have come to appreciate the ability to stream video on a tablet, send email on a laptop or play online using a gaming console in their vehicles3. Last month, Chevrolet owners used 415 percent more data than in April 2016.

As the first automaker to offer 4G LTE connectivity across its entire retail portfolio, Chevrolet has sold 3.5 million OnStar 4G LTE-connected vehicles since June 2014.

OnStar 4G LTE, which is enabled by AT&T, was introduced across the Chevrolet portfolio for the 2015 model year in the U.S. and Canada. Today, a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot is standard equipment on all new Chevrolet retail models along with the OnStar Basic Plan4, which also features remote vehicle access and the AtYourService marketplace via the myChevrolet mobile app5 among other features.

For more information on how to find an AT&T store, please visit www.att.com.

ABOUT CHEVROLET
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Detroit — At WCX 17: SAE World Congress Experience, SAE International and General Motors announced the eight North American universities who will compete in the upcoming AutoDrive Challenge™.

This new autonomous vehicle design competition is a three-year challenge to develop and demonstrate a fully autonomous passenger vehicle. The competition’s technical goal is navigating an urban driving course in an automated driving mode as described by SAE Standard (J3016) level 4 definition by Year 3.

The universities are:

Kettering University
Michigan State University
Michigan Tech
North Carolina A&T University
Texas A&M University
University of Toronto
University of Waterloo
Virginia Tech
“SAE International is excited to expand our partnership with GM to build the future STEM workforce through the AutoDrive Challenge™,” said Chris Ciuca, director of Pre-Professional Programs at SAE International. “Building on our success through programs like Formula SAE, the AutoDrive Challenge™ launches a new platform to engage industry and academia in working towards a common goal of preparing the brightest young minds for the future of autonomous technologies.”

Throughout the three-year competition, students will focus on autonomous technologies and allow for modification and testing. They will work with real-world applications of sensing technologies, computing platforms, software design implementation and advanced computation methods such as computer vision, pattern recognition, machine learning, artificial intelligence, sensor fusion and autonomous vehicle controls.

“GM is very excited to work closely with these eight universities over the next three years,” said Ken Kelzer, GM vice president of Global Vehicle Components and Subsystems. “The students and faculty at these schools bring deep knowledge and technical skills to the competition. We are proud to help offer these students the hands-on experience necessary for them to make an immediate impact on the automotive world when they graduate.”

GM will provide each team with a Chevrolet Bolt EV as the vehicle platform. Strategic partners and suppliers will aid the students in their technology development by providing vehicle parts and software. Throughout the AutoDrive Challenge™ competition cycle, students and faculty will be invited to attend technology-specific workshops to help them in their concept refinement and overall autonomous technical understanding.

Beginning in fall 2017, Year 1 will focus on concept selection for university teams by having them become familiar with sensing and computation software. They will be tasked with completion of a concept design written paper as well as simple missions for on-site evaluation. These simple missions can include straight roadway driving and object avoidance/detection. The Year 1 final competition will be hosted at GM’s Desert Proving Ground in Yuma, Arizona.

In Year 2 the teams will refine their concept selections into solid system developments and will have more challenging dynamic events for testing on-site, including dynamic object detection and multiple lane changing.

Year 3 will culminate with final validation of design and concept refinement. They will navigate complex objectives of on-site testing, including higher speeds, turnabouts and moving object detection.

General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world’s largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM, its subsidiaries and joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

SAE International is a global association committed to being the ultimate knowledge source for the engineering profession. By uniting over 127,000 engineers and technical experts, we drive knowledge and expertise across a broad spectrum of industries. We act on two priorities: encouraging a lifetime of learning for mobility engineering professionals and setting the standards for industry engineering. We strive for a better world through the work of our philanthropic SAE Foundation, including programs like A World in Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series™. www.sae.org

Tesla recently discovered a potential manufacturing issue with the electric parking brakes installed on certain Model S and Model X vehicles that could prevent the parking brake from releasing. We do not believe this issue could ever lead to a safety concern for our customers, and we have not seen a single accident or injury relating to it. However, in order to be overly cautious, we are going to be proactively replacing these parts to ensure that no issues arise.

Specifically, we have determined that the electric parking brakes installed on Model S and Model X vehicles built between February and October 2016 may contain a small gear that could have been manufactured improperly by our third-party supplier. If this gear were to break, the parking brake would continue to keep the car from moving, but the parking brake would then be stuck in place. There have been no reports of the parking brake system failing to hold a parked vehicle or failing to stop a vehicle in an emergency as a result of this condition, and this part has no impact on the car’s regular braking systems. We have also determined that only a very small percentage of gears in vehicles built during this period were manufactured improperly.

If you own a Tesla vehicle that was built during this period, we will soon be sending you an official recall notice by mail, which will include information on how to have your parking brakes replaced. In the meantime, it is safe to continue regular use of your vehicle.

Thank you for being a Tesla customer. If you have any questions, please contact us by email at: ServiceHelpNA@tesla.com. We apologize for this inconvenience.

What would happen if the gear on the brake were to crack? Would a broken gear impact the electric parking brake’s ability to keep the car stationary?
There have been no reports of the parking brake system failing to hold a parked vehicle. A broken gear may prevent the car’s parking brake from releasing once parked.

How do customers/drivers know if their car has been affected?
Customers who have been affected by this issue have received warnings that their parking brake needs service.

How is Tesla alerting customers?
We will be emailing affected customers to inform them of this issue and provide instruction on how to get their electric parking brake replaced.

How many vehicles does Tesla estimate to be affected?
While less than 5% of the vehicles being recalled may be affected by this issue, we are recalling 53,000 vehicles total out of an abundance of caution. Because of the design of the gear, it is difficult to tell exactly which vehicles are affected.

Is this a global recall?
Yes.

How long will it take to service and replace the part?
It takes less than 45 minutes to replace both brakes.

When does Tesla expect all replacements to be complete?
We are working closely with our supplier to obtain replacement parts. We are able to begin replacing parts immediately and will have sufficient parts for all affected vehicles by October 2017.

BEIJING, CHINA – Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU), Baidu has today announced a new project named “Apollo” which will provide an open, complete and reliable software platform for its partners in the automotive and autonomous driving industry to develop their own autonomous driving systems with reference vehicles and hardware platform.

By opening up its robust, mature, and secure autonomous driving technology to the industry, Baidu aims to build a collaborative ecosystem, utilizing its strengths in artificial intelligence (AI) technology to work together with other companies to promote the development and popularization of autonomous driving technology.

“AI has great potential to drive social development, and one of AI’s biggest opportunities is intelligent vehicles,” said Qi Lu, Group President and Chief Operating Officer at Baidu.

The name “Apollo” was borrowed from the Apollo lunar landing program — a ground-breaking project that brought together multiple forces for the benefit of society. Baidu believes autonomous driving is similar in terms of its potential to transform the world.

The “Apollo” project provides a complete hardware and software service solution that includes a vehicle platform, hardware platform, software platform and cloud data services. Baidu will open source code and capabilities in obstacle perception, trajectory planning, vehicle control, vehicle operating systems and other functions, as well as a complete set of testing tools.

The company will also initiate a partnership alliance, working with partners who will provide the best and most compatible vehicles, sensors, and other components, to achieve broad participation and collaboration and to provide references and recommendations to participants of a rapidly expanding ecosystem enabled by Project Apollo. This will lower the barriers to entry for research and development of autonomous driving technologies, making it more accessible to the general public, and accelerate the overall pace of innovation.

Baidu will first open its autonomous driving technology for restricted environment in July; it will then share its technology for cars running autonomously in simple urban road conditions towards the end of the year; and, finally, it will gradually introduce fully autonomous driving capabilities on highways and open city roads over time by 2020.

Baidu has invested heavily in the research and development of autonomous driving technology since 2015. In December 2015, Baidu conducted successful road tests for its fully autonomous cars on the highways and roads of Beijing. Baidu received an Autonomous Vehicle Testing Permit for California in September 2016, and conducted open trial operations of its autonomous car fleet in November 2016 at the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, Zhejiang Province, where over 200 guest passengers were able to take the cars for a ride.

Today, a number of technology giants are active in the autonomous driving field and leading automotive manufacturers have begun to incorporate driverless technology into their own vehicles. However, until today most players have been working independently or maintained complete control over their technology. Baidu is the first among the major players to open its technology and platform to the industry.

Qi Lu added, “China is the world’s largest market for automotive sales and production. It has many car brands and an open environment that is ripe for collaboration. Baidu took the initiative to open our autonomous driving technology to the industry in order to encourage greater innovation and opportunities, making better use of our technology to drive the evolution of the entire industry. An open, innovative industry ecosystem initiated by Baidu will accelerate the development of autonomous driving in the US and other developed automotive markets. In addition, through open technology our technological achievements can be quickly applied to a wide range of fields — and accelerate even more achievements. This is a great opportunity for those talent dedicated in autonomous driving.”

Anning Chen, General Manager of Chery, a leading Chinese automobile manufacturer, said, autonomous driving technology research and development has a very high threshold. Baidu’s opening of its platform is of great significance to the automotive industry and Chery welcomes this move. He said cooperation between car brands and internet technology companies in autonomous driving would gradually generate greater innovations and benefit both sides with more data and technology sharing, and such collaborations also enable automakers to establish their own competitive advantage in intelligent driving. Our partnership with Baidu in areas of autonomous driving has entered a stage of in-depth customization, Chen said.

William Li, Founder and Chairman of NextEV, said that Baidu is very strong in autonomous driving and its expertise in artificial intelligence, data, maps and other software is very important for the industry. This coupled with an open platform and reduced hardware costs means autonomous driving may become popular faster than we can imagine. In the future, the value chain of the automotive industry will be changed and personalized experiences will be the basis for car brands and the future direction of their development.

Detroit and Paris, 6 March 2017 – General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM) and PSA Group (Paris:UG) today announced an agreement under which GM’s Opel/Vauxhall subsidiary and GM Financial’s European operations will join the PSA Group in a transaction valuing these activities at €1.3 Bn and €0.9 Bn, respectively.

With the addition of Opel/Vauxhall, which generated revenue of €17.7 Bn in 2016 , PSA will become the second-largest automotive company in Europe, with a 17% market share .

Creates sound European foundation for PSA to support its worldwide profitable growth

“We are proud to join forces with Opel/Vauxhall and are deeply committed to continuing to develop this great company and accelerating its turnaround,” said Carlos Tavares, chairman of the Managing Board of PSA. “We respect all that Opel/Vauxhall’s talented people have achieved as well as the company’s fine brands and strong heritage. We intend to manage PSA and Opel/Vauxhall capitalizing on their respective brand identities. Having already created together winning products for the European market, we know that Opel/Vauxhall is the right partner. We see this as a natural extension of our relationship and are eager to take it to the next level.”

“We are confident that the Opel/Vauxhall turnaround will significantly accelerate with our support, while respecting the commitments made by GM to the Opel/Vauxhall employees,” continued Mr. Tavares.

Advances GM’s Transformation and Unlocks Value

“We are very pleased that together, GM, our valued colleagues at Opel/Vauxhall and PSA have created a new opportunity to enhance the long-term performance of our respective companies by building on the success of our prior alliance”, said Mary T. Barra, GM chairman and chief executive officer.

“For GM, this represents another major step in the ongoing work that is driving our improved performance and accelerating our momentum. We are reshaping our company and delivering consistent, record results for our owners through disciplined capital allocation to our higher-return investments in our core automotive business and in new technologies that are enabling us to lead the future of personal mobility.

“We believe this new chapter puts Opel and Vauxhall in an even stronger position for the long term and we look forward to our participation in the future success and strong value-creation potential of PSA through our economic interest and continued collaboration on current and exciting new projects,” Ms. Barra concluded.

Strengthens Each Company for the Long Term

The transaction will allow substantial economies of scale and synergies in purchasing, manufacturing and R&D. Annual synergies of €1.7 Bn are expected by 2026 – of which a significant part is expected to be delivered by 2020, accelerating Opel/Vauxhall’s turnaround. Leveraging the successful partnership with GM, PSA expects Opel/Vauxhall to reach a recurring operating margin of 2% by 2020 and 6% by 2026, and to generate a positive operational free cash flow by 2020.

PSA, together with BNP Paribas, will also acquire all of GM Financial’s European operations through a newly formed 50%/50% joint venture that will retain GM Financial’s current European platform and team. This joint venture will be fully consolidated by BNP Paribas and accounted under the equity method by PSA.

The transaction is another step in GM’s ongoing work to transform the company, which has delivered three years of record performance and a strong 2017 outlook, and returned significant capital to shareholders. It will strengthen GM’s core business, support its continued deployment of resources to higher-return opportunities including in advanced technologies driving the future, and unlock significant value for shareholders.

By immediately improving EBIT-adjusted margins and adjusted automotive free cash flow and de-risking the balance sheet, the transaction will enable GM to lower the cash balance requirement under its capital allocation framework by $2 Bn, which it intends to use to accelerate share repurchases, subject to market conditions.

GM will also participate in the future success of the combined entity through its ownership of warrants to purchase shares of PSA. GM and PSA also expect to collaborate in the further deployment of electrification technologies and existing supply agreements for Holden and certain Buick models will continue, and PSA may potentially source long-term supply of fuel cell systems from the GM/Honda joint venture.