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DETROIT — The 2017 Cruze Diesel Sedan offers up to an EPA-estimated highway mileage of 52 mpg — the highest highway fuel economy of any non-hybrid/non-EV in America. Based upon the EPA highway estimate, Cruze Diesel with the six-speed manual transmission has an estimated range of up to 702 highway miles on one tank of diesel fuel.

“Chevrolet is dedicated to offering customers a wide range of propulsion options. We know there are customers looking for the right combination of fuel efficiency, driving dynamics, fuel type and more. With the EPA-estimated 52-mpg highway Cruze Diesel Sedan, they can get it all,” said Steven Majoros, director of Chevrolet Marketing.

The 2017 Cruze Diesel Sedan features a new Ecotec 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine offering an SAE-certified 137 horsepower (102 kW) and 240 lb-ft of torque (325 Nm). Cruze Diesel passed all stringent U.S. environmental standards and validation, including Tier 3 Bin 125 emissions standards.

Buyers will be able to option their Cruze Diesel Sedans with either a standard six-speed manual or a new, optional Hydra-Matic nine-speed automatic transmission that includes fuel-saving stop/start technology.

In addition to its segment-leading EPA-estimated 52 mpg highway fuel economy, Cruze Diesel with the six-speed manual returns an EPA-estimated city mileage of 30 mpg, resulting in 37 mpg combined. Cruze Diesel with the nine-speed automatic achieves an EPA-estimated highway economy of up to 47 mpg and 31 city mpg, which results in 37 mpg combined.

A suite of connectivity features complements the Cruze Diesel Sedan’s inherent efficiency. These include available OnStar with 4G LTE connectivity and built-in Wi-Fi hotspot and available Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility through Chevrolet MyLink.*

Pricing for 2017 Cruze Diesel Sedan starts at $24,670 including $875 destination charge. Cruze Diesel Hatch will follow Cruze Diesel Sedan later this year for the 2018 model year.

*Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are products of Apple and Google and their terms and privacy statements apply. 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 plans provided by AT&T.

ABOUT CHEVROLET
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 115 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.

Mumbai: The Board of Directors of Tata Sons, at its meeting today, appointed Mr. N. Chandrasekaran as Executive Chairman. This is as per the unanimous recommendation of the Selection Committee. Mr. Chandrasekaran shall take charge from February 21, 2017.

The Board of Tata Sons said: “Mr. Chandrasekaran has demonstrated exemplary leadership as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata Consultancy Services. We believe he will now inspire the entire Tata group to realise its potential acting as leaders in their respective businesses, always in keeping with our value system and ethics and adhering with the practices of the Tata group which have stood it in good stead.”

Mr. Chandrasekaran was the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata Consultancy Services since 2009. A Tata lifer, he had joined the company in 1987. He was appointed as a Director on the board of Tata Sons on October 25, 2016.

On his appointment as the Chairman of Tata Sons, N Chandrasekaran has said: “I am humbled and honoured to be chosen to lead a truly great institution that occupies a unique position in hearts of the people in India and the world. I am proud to have been part of the Tata family for over 30 years and assuming this position is a great privilege.

“I want to thank the Tata Sons board and Mr Ratan N Tata for their confidence in me to lead this trusted institution that has a rich heritage.

“At the Tata group, we are at an inflection point. I am aware that this role comes with huge responsibilities. It will be my endeavour to help progress the group with the ethos, ethics and values that the Tata group has been built on.”

Traditional automakers, many of whom ushered in an era of incredible disruption nearly a century ago, now face disruption themselves from four modern forces — connected, autonomous, shared and electric cars. The infrastructure and scale required to build a connected car is incredibly complicated, expensive and resource intensive. At its core, it’s a software challenge, and a chief obstacle for these brands is integrating the complex cloud technology required to deliver next-generation driving experiences.

Today at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, we announced the Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform, a set of services built on the Microsoft Azure cloud and designed to empower auto manufacturers to create custom connected driving experiences. This is not an in-car operating system or a “finished product;” it’s a living, agile platform that starts with the cloud as the foundation and aims to address five core scenarios that our partners have told us are key priorities: predictive maintenance, improved in-car productivity, advanced navigation, customer insights and help building autonomous driving capabilities.

Microsoft’s cloud will do the heavy lifting by ingesting huge volumes of sensor and usage data from connected vehicles, and then helping automakers apply that data in powerful ways.

Available as a public preview later this year, it brings Microsoft’s intelligent services from across the company right into the car, including virtual assistants, business applications, office services and productivity tools like Cortana, Dynamics, Office 365, Power BI and Skype for Business.

Today, the car is more than just a ride between two places — it is a hub of activity for daily life. People are looking to have truly connected experiences in their cars so that they can get more done, save time and make life easier. While safety and security are baseline requirements, our services can help make a person’s work day more efficient. For instance, imagine that Cortana seamlessly connects you whether you’re at home or in your car. Let’s say you’re on your phone at home and tell Cortana to set up a meeting for you and your colleague the next morning at a coffee shop. The next time you get in your car, Cortana reminds you of the morning meeting and starts navigation to get you to that coffee shop.

Check out our video below to hear more about how the platform works and the benefits it offers to automakers and drivers.

Auto manufacturers embrace Microsoft’s technology

Our strength in building a global cloud at scale is the primary reason the Renault-Nissan Alliance chose to work with Microsoft, becoming the first auto manufacturer to commit to the Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform. Today in Nissan’s CES keynote, the company announced that through our partnership with the Renault-Nissan Alliance, our platform will power next-generation, connected vehicles with advanced navigation, predictive maintenance, remote monitoring of car features and more. Nissan also demonstrated on stage how Cortana can enhance a driver’s experience. In addition, Azure offers the flexibility and choice to build a common platform for Renault-Nissan to deploy services to both Alliance brands by supporting devices and vehicles that run on multiple operating systems, programming languages and tools.

This partnership builds on our recent momentum with other automotive companies, such as our announcement this past week with Volvo to integrate Skype for Business in Volvo’s 90 Series cars, which will enhance productivity and make joining conference calls from the car a cinch. And we’ve partnered with BMW on BMW Connected, the automaker’s personal mobility companion service, to develop a scalable platform based on Microsoft Azure technologies to deliver in-car productivity services through Office 365, as well as intelligent personal assistance for drivers.

Microsoft a partner instead of a competitor

As you may have gathered, Microsoft is not building its own connected car. Instead, we want to help automakers create connected car solutions that fit seamlessly with their brands, address their customers’ unique needs, competitively differentiate their products and generate new and sustainable revenue streams. Our customers have shared that they want to work with a partner that not only offers the right tools, but also allows them to keep their data, has a secure and compliant cloud platform, and operates at a truly global scale (given that most automotive brands operate in more than one country). In fact, 85 percent of Fortune 500 companies already rely on Microsoft’s cloud for these reasons.

Using our platform, automakers and suppliers can benefit from the billions of dollars we’ve already invested in the cloud. Azure offers more than 200 services available in 38 worldwide datacenter regions, with robust measures for security and the global compliance and privacy regulations that are required to support connected cars, letting automakers focus on innovation rather than building out their own cloud-based infrastructure.

Ultimately, Microsoft aspires to empower automakers in their goals for fully autonomous driving, with sophisticated machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities, as well as advanced mapping services. In fact, just last month we announced that through new and existing relationships with TomTom, HERE and Esri, together we will create more intelligent location-based services across Microsoft.

As a company, it’s our mission to empower all industries and businesses not only to survive disruption, but to seize it as an opportunity. The investments we’re making in the automotive space extend to countless other industries, such as financial services, manufacturing and smart cities. Wherever there’s a “connected signal,” Microsoft wants to be the partner that can help its customers improve people’s lives — on the road, in the cloud and everywhere in between.

Happy New Year and happy driving!

Read more at http://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2017/01/05/microsoft-connected-vehicle-platform-helps-automakers-transform-cars/#gM9MP5IDOKOKuX8Z.99

DETROIT — General Motors (NYSE: GM) sold 249,983 vehicles in December to individual or “retail” customers in the U.S., up more than 3 percent from last year. Based on initial estimates, GM was the fastest growing full-line automaker in December and in 2016, led by strong retail sales gains at Chevrolet. GM turned in its best U.S. December retail sales performance since 2007.
Chevrolet’s December retail sales jumped by 8 percent, keeping Chevrolet the industry’s fastest-growing brand. Chevrolet posted its best December retail sales performance since 2005 and its best calendar year retail performance since 2006. 

Based on initial estimates, GM’s December U.S. retail market share rose 0.3 points to 17.6 percent. GM has gained retail market share in 18 of the past 21 months. For the year, GM gained 0.5 points of retail market share, pushing retail market share to 16.8 percent. For 2016, GM was the U.S. retail industry’s fastest-growing manufacturer.

Chevrolet gained an estimated 0.7 points of U.S. retail market share in December to 11.5 percent.

GM’s total U.S. sales in December were 319,108, up 10 percent from last year. In December, GM’s total U.S. market share was up 1.5 points to 18.8 percent. GM’s December U.S. Commercial sales were up more than 1 percent to the highest levels since 2007, reflecting a growing U.S. economy.

“We finished 2016 with a strong December, reflecting the continued strength of GM’s U.S. retail and commercial businesses,” said Kurt McNeil, GM’s vice president of U.S. Sales Operations. “We begin 2017 well positioned to continue growing our U.S. retail business, driven by all-new products like the Chevrolet Equinox and Traverse being launched into key, growing U.S. market segments.” 

For 2016, GM’s U.S. retail sales were up nearly 2 percent, compared to last year. GM gained 0.5 points of U.S. retail market share, the largest retail share gain of any automaker. For the year, Chevrolet U.S. retail sales were up more than 3 percent and the brand’s retail share has grown 0.5 points to 11.2 percent. Chevrolet continues to be the U.S. automotive industry’s fastest-growing brand, gaining nearly 1 point of retail market share in the past two years.

Buick’s U.S. retail sales grew by nearly 5 percent in 2016, led by the brand’s crossovers, the Encore and Envision. In 2016, Buick gained 0.1 points of U.S. retail share.
GM continues to benefit from the ongoing strength of the U.S. economy and growing U.S. retail demand for its products.

“Key economic indicators, especially consumer confidence, continue to reflect optimism about the U.S. economy and strong customer demand continues to drive a very healthy U.S. auto industry,” said Mustafa Mohatarem, GM’s chief economist. “We believe the U.S. auto industry remains well-positioned for sales to continue at or near record levels in 2017.”
December 2016 Retail Sales and Business Highlights vs. December 2015 (except as noted)

Chevrolet
Colorado was up 20 percent.
Trax, Equinox and Traverse were up 43 percent, 38 percent and 22 percent, respectively.
Spark, Impala, Volt, Sonic, Corvette and Malibu were up 210 percent, 95 percent, 76 percent, 50 percent, 10 percent and 6 percent, respectively.
Volt had its best month and year ever.
Malibu had its best calendar year sales since 1980.
Impala had its best December since 2008
Equinox had its best month ever.
Traverse had its best December and year ever.
Colorado had it best December since 2004.

GMC
GMC’s December ATPs reached a December record of $45,209 and a calendar year record of $43,088.
Acadia, Yukon and Yukon XL were up 31 percent, 2 percent and 2 percent, respectively.
Canyon was up 25 percent and had its best December and year ever.
Denali penetration in December was nearly 30 percent, led by Yukon and Yukon XL at 61 percent and 62 percent, respectively.

Buick
Buick had its best year since 2005.
Encore was up 16 percent.
Buick dealers sold 3,074 Envisions.
Cadillac
Escalade was up 8 percent.
Escalade had its best month since December 2007.
XT5 had its best month since launch with significantly higher ATPs than its predecessor.
December ATPs were $56,949, the highest monthly ATP ever.
Average Transaction Prices (ATP)/Incentives (based on JD Power PIN estimates through 12/25/16)

GM’s ATPs, which reflect retail transaction prices after sales incentives, were $36,386 in December, more than $4,000 above the industry average and up $740 from last month. 
For the year, GM ATPs were $35,371, more than $4,260 above the industry average and up $720 over the 2015 average.
In December, GM’s incentive spending as a percent of ATP was 13.0 percent, down compared to last month.
For the year, GM’s incentive spending as a percent of ATP was 11.9 percent, well below the incentive spending of its domestic competitors and many of its global competitors.

Fleet and Commercial
December daily rental sales were up, but finished 2016 down nearly 74,000 vehicles or 18 percent compared to 2015.
GM’s daily rental sales in 2016 were 10.7 percent of total GM sales.
Malibu Commercial deliveries were up 35 percent for the month, large van Commercial deliveries were up 7 percent and large pick-up Commercial deliveries were up 4 percent.
Federal government sales were up 3 percent for the calendar year.

Industry Sales
GM estimates that the seasonally adjusted annual selling rate (SAAR) for light vehicles in December was approximately 18.2 million units. On a calendar year-to-date basis, GM estimates the light-vehicle industry was 17.5 million units, a new U.S. calendar year record.
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

DETROIT — On the heels of the signing of the SAVE Act legislation to support autonomous vehicle testing and deployment in Michigan, General Motors will immediately begin testing autonomous vehicles on public roads. GM also announced it will produce the next generation of its autonomous test vehicles at its Orion Township assembly plant beginning in early 2017. 

“Revolutionizing transportation for our customers while improving safety on roads is the goal of our autonomous vehicle technology, and today’s announcement gets us one step closer to making this vision a reality,” said General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra. “Our autonomous technology will be reliable and safe, as customers have come to expect from any of our vehicles.”

Testing is already underway on GM’s Technical Center campus in Warren, Michigan, and with the passage of the SAVE Act legislation will now expand to public roads on the facility’s outskirts. Within the next few months, testing will expand to metro Detroit, which will become GM’s main location for development of autonomous technology in winter climates. 

Workers at the Orion Township assembly plant will build test fleet Bolt EVs equipped with fully autonomous technology. The plant currently manufactures the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Sonic. The new equipment will include LIDAR, cameras, sensors and other hardware designed to ensure system safety, leveraging GM’s proven manufacturing quality standards. 

The test fleet vehicles will be used by GM engineers for continued testing and validation of GM’s autonomous technology already underway on public roads in San Francisco and Scottsdale, Arizona, as well as part of the Michigan testing fleet.

Since the beginning of 2016, GM has taken significant steps in its development of autonomous vehicle technology.
In January, the company announced the formation of a dedicated autonomous vehicle engineering team and a $500 million investment in Lyft to develop an integrated network of on-demand autonomous vehicles in the U.S. In March, the company announced the acquisition of Cruise Automation to provide deep software talent and rapid development expertise to help speed development. 
In June, GM began testing autonomous Chevrolet Bolt EVs on the public roads in San Francisco and Scottsdale. The company has more than 40 autonomous vehicles testing in the two cities.

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.

NEW YORK — Cadillac and The Andy Warhol Museum today announced a multi-year partnership and new global traveling exhibition titled Letters to Andy Warhol. The collaborative project between the brand and the cultural institution celebrates Warhol’s legacy through imaginative, co-created content and experiences. The exhibition features rarely seen material from the museum’s archive, including artwork and Warhol’s personal correspondence, plus artistic contributions from several modern-day cultural creators. Together, the works explore recurring themes from the Warhol’s body of work such as the blurring of art and commerce and the trials of fame. The result is an examination of not only Warhol, the American icon, but also Warhol the multi-faceted, sensitive and ambitious artist who reached for inspiration across the colliding worlds of fashion, music, media, art and celebrity.  

Letters to Andy Warhol focuses on five letters to or from Yves Saint Laurent, Mick Jagger, the Museum of Modern Art, the New York State Department of Public Works and a mutual friend of his and Truman Capote that offer a glimpse into Warhol’s most personal experiences and relationships. Each letter has also inspired artistic contributions and experiences from a roster of talent including Aimee Mullins, Brian Atwood, Chiara Clemente, Derek Blasberg, David LaChapelle, Francesco Clemente, J.J. Martin, Nick Rhodes, Sean Lennon, Sienna Miller and Zac Posen.

The exhibition also includes five artworks across varying mediums and techniques, and from different periods of Warhol’s career, that all share Cadillac as the subject.
“Andy Warhol’s mastery of popular culture as high art made him one of the most influential American artists of the last century,” said Melody Lee, director of Brand Marketing for Cadillac. Letters to Andy Warhol celebrates Warhol’s unique individualism, and Cadillac as a cultural inspiration for his important work.”

“Andy Warhol painted a portrait of American life. The Warhol’s partnership with Cadillac, an iconic American brand that appears in Warhol’s work, feels completely right to us,” says Patrick Moore, The Warhol’s interim director. “We’re excited to be part of an exhibition that examines the continuing influence of Warhol on contemporary culture through the lens of some of today’s most influential tastemakers.”

The Cadillac artworks on display in Letters to Andy Warhol include:
Four Male Costumed Full Figures, 1950s and Car, 1950s, were both works created as a commission for Harper’s Bazaar, which requested that he “make a visual comment on the phenomenon of the American motorcar.” The works illustrate a 1958 Cadillac Coupe de Ville.

Cadillac, 1962 in graphite on sketchbook paper.
Seven Cadillacs, 1962 depicts what is likely a 1963 Fleetwood (Special) four-door hardtop in black silkscreen ink on linen.
Sign (Keep Out) 1976-1986, 1986 consists of four gelatin silver photographs, machine-stitched in a grid with thread, picturing what is likely a 1983 Cadillac Coupe de Ville d’Elegance.
During the initial few weeks of the exhibition, Cadillac House will have a Cadillac Park Avenue DeVille featured in the Seven Cadillacs, 1962 work on display. This is a limited production model from 1962 and 1963 designed specifically for Cadillac owners who lived in New York City high rise apartments with underground garages, with a shorter deck for easier parking. Other heritage vehicles that will be on display include a black 1958 Sedan DeVille and a red 1959 Eldorado Biarritz. 

The exhibition will be free and open to the public at Cadillac House, located at 330 Hudson Street in Manhattan, from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. weekends from Nov. 15-Dec. 26.
Letters to Andy Warhol will then travel to Los Angeles in mid-January for display at the 101/EXHIBIT Gallery and to Miami in early February for display at Palm Court before going on a global tour through early 2018.

ABOUT Cadillac
Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. Today Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio featuring distinctive design and technology. More information on Cadillac appears at www.cadillac.com. Cadillac’s media website with information, images and video can be found at media.cadillac.com.

ABOUT the andy warhol museum
Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the place of Andy Warhol’s birth, The Andy Warhol Museum holds the largest collection of Warhol’s artworks and archival materials and is one of the most comprehensive single-artist museums in the world. The Andy Warhol Museum is one of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh.  Additional information about The Warhol is available at www.warhol.org.

ABOUT CADILLAC HOUSE
Cadillac House is a meeting place where innovators, creators and the curious can find inspiration–and one another. Located in downtown New York City, Cadillac House represents the brand’s commitment to its new home, one of the most dynamic locales in the world. Open to the public, Cadillac House functions simultaneously as a gallery, retail space, café and exhibition area for the brand’s new vehicles – a venue with an ever-evolving Cadillac point of view on subjects beyond automotive design. Cadillac House has several partnerships including: New York-based coffeehouse Joe Coffee serving coffee and light fare, The Council of Fashion Designers of America maintaining a retail space dedicated to innovative design, and art and culture magazine Visionaire curating non-traditional, immersive and experiential works in the gallery area.

Volkswagen AG, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. and certain affiliates (together, Volkswagen) announced today that Judge Charles R. Breyer of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California has granted final approval to the settlement agreement between Volkswagen and private plaintiffs represented by a Court-appointed Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee (PSC) to resolve civil claims regarding eligible Volkswagen and Audi 2.0L TDI vehicles in the United States. Concurrently, Judge Breyer also approved a Consent Decree between Volkswagen and the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of California by and through the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Attorney General; and a Consent Order between Volkswagen and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. All three agreements were previously announced.

“Final approval of the 2.0L TDI settlement is an important milestone in our journey to making things right in the United States, and we appreciate the efforts of all parties involved in this process. Volkswagen is committed to ensuring that the program is now carried out as seamlessly as possible for our affected customers and has devoted significant resources and personnel to making their experience a positive one,” said Hinrich J. Woebcken, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Volkswagen remains focused on resolving other outstanding issues in the United States and continues to work towards an agreed resolution for customers with affected 3.0L TDI V6 diesel engines.

The implementation of the 2.0L TDI settlement program will begin immediately. Customers with eligible vehicles may submit claims using a paper claim form (available at www.VWCourtSettlement.com or by calling +1-844-98-CLAIM) or via an online portal at www.VWCourtSettlement.com. Once a customer’s claim is approved, a customer can schedule appointments with dedicated settlement specialists who have been assigned to dealership locations.

Under the terms of the 2.0L TDI settlement agreements, affected owners and lessees will be able to choose whether to accept a buyback or lease termination, or receive an approved emissions modification for their vehicle (if and when it becomes available). Volkswagen will also make cash payments to affected current and certain former owners and lessees.

Volkswagen has also agreed to pay $2.7 billion over three years into an environmental trust, managed by a trustee appointed by the Court, to remediate excess nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from 2.0L TDI vehicles in the United States and invest $2.0 billion over 10 years in zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) infrastructure, access and awareness initiatives.

The following 2.0L TDI engine vehicles are included in the 2.0L TDI settlement program:
VW Beetle     VW Golf        VW Jetta       VW Passat      Audi A3
2013-2015      2010-2015     2009-2015      2012-2015       2010-2013; 2015

By their terms, these agreements are not intended to apply to or affect Volkswagen’s obligations under the laws or regulations of any jurisdiction outside the United States. Regulations governing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions limits for vehicles in the United States are much stricter than those in other parts of the world and the engine variants also differ significantly. This makes the development of technical solutions in the United States more challenging than in Europe and other parts of the world, where implementation of an approved program to modify TDI vehicles to comply fully with UN/ECE and European emissions standards has already begun by agreement with the relevant authorities.

PALO ALTO, Calif., – Ford announces its intent to have a high-volume, fully autonomous SAE level 4-capable vehicle in commercial operation in 2021 in a ride-hailing or ride-sharing service.
To get there, the company is investing in or collaborating with four startups to enhance its autonomous vehicle development, doubling its Silicon Valley team and more than doubling its Palo Alto campus.

“The next decade will be defined by automation of the automobile, and we see autonomous vehicles as having as significant an impact on society as Ford’s moving assembly line did 100 years ago,” said Mark Fields, Ford president and CEO. “We’re dedicated to putting on the road an autonomous vehicle that can improve safety and solve social and environmental challenges for millions of people – not just those who can afford luxury vehicles.”

Autonomous vehicles in 2021 are part of Ford Smart Mobility, the company’s plan to be a leader in autonomous vehicles, as well as in connectivity, mobility, the customer experience, and data and analytics.

Driving autonomous vehicle leadership
Building on more than a decade of autonomous vehicle research and development, Ford’s first fully autonomous vehicle will be a Society of Automotive Engineers-defined level 4-capable vehicle. Plans are to design it to operate without a steering wheel, gas or brake pedal, for use in commercial mobility services such as ride sharing and ride hailing within geo-fenced areas and be available in high volumes.  

“Ford has been developing and testing autonomous vehicles for more than 10 years,” said Raj Nair, Ford executive vice president, Global Product Development, and chief technical officer. “We have a strategic advantage because of our ability to combine the software and sensing technology with the sophisticated engineering necessary to manufacture high-quality vehicles. That is what it takes to make autonomous vehicles a reality for millions of people around the world.”

This year, Ford will triple its autonomous vehicle test fleet to be the largest test fleet of any automaker – bringing the number to about 30 self-driving Fusion Hybrid sedans on the roads in California, Arizona and Michigan, with plans to triple it again next year.

Ford was the first automaker to begin testing its vehicles at Mcity, University of Michigan’s simulated urban environment, the first automaker to publicly demonstrate autonomous vehicle operation in the snow and the first automaker to test its autonomous research vehicles at night, in complete darkness, as part of LiDAR sensor development.

To deliver an autonomous vehicle in 2021, Ford is announcing four key investments and collaborations that are expanding its strong research in advanced algorithms, 3D mapping, LiDAR, and radar and camera sensors:

Velodyne: Ford has invested in Velodyne, the Silicon Valley-based leader in light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors. The aim is to quickly mass-produce a more affordable automotive LiDAR sensor. Ford has a longstanding relationship with Velodyne, and was among the first to use LiDAR for both high-resolution mapping and autonomous driving beginning more than 10 years ago
SAIPS: Ford has acquired the Israel-based computer vision and machine learning company to further strengthen its expertise in artificial intelligence and enhance computer vision. SAIPS has developed algorithmic solutions in image and video processing, deep learning, signal processing and classification. This expertise will help Ford autonomous vehicles learn and adapt to the surroundings of their environment
Nirenberg Neuroscience LLC: Ford has an exclusive licensing agreement with Nirenberg Neuroscience, a machine vision company founded by neuroscientist Dr. Sheila Nirenberg, who cracked the neural code the eye uses to transmit visual information to the brain. This has led to a powerful machine vision platform for performing navigation, object recognition, facial recognition and other functions, with many potential applications. For example, it is already being applied by Dr. Nirenberg to develop a device for restoring sight to patients with degenerative diseases of the retina. Ford’s partnership with Nirenberg Neuroscience will help bring humanlike intelligence to the machine learning modules of its autonomous vehicle virtual driver system
Civil Maps: Ford has invested in Berkeley, California-based Civil Maps to further develop high-resolution 3D mapping capabilities. Civil Maps has pioneered an innovative 3D mapping technique that is scalable and more efficient than existing processes. This provides Ford another way to develop high-resolution 3D maps of autonomous vehicle environments

Silicon Valley expansion
Ford also is expanding its Silicon Valley operations, creating a dedicated campus in Palo Alto.
Adding two new buildings and 150,000 square feet of work and lab space adjacent to the current Research and Innovation Center, the expanded campus grows the company’s local footprint and supports plans to double the size of the Palo Alto team by the end of 2017.

“Our presence in Silicon Valley has been integral to accelerating our learning and deliverables driving Ford Smart Mobility,” said Ken Washington, Ford vice president, Research and Advanced Engineering. “Our goal was to become a member of the community. Today, we are actively working with more than 40 startups, and have developed a strong collaboration with many incubators, allowing us to accelerate development of technologies and services.”

Since the new Ford Research and Innovation Center Palo Alto opened in January 2015, the facility has rapidly grown to be one of the largest automotive manufacturer research centers in the region. Today, it is home to more than 130 researchers, engineers and scientists, who are increasing Ford’s collaboration with the Silicon Valley ecosystem.

Research and Innovation Center Palo Alto’s multi-disciplinary research and innovation facility is the newest of nearly a dozen of Ford’s global research, innovation, IT and engineering centers. The expanded Palo Alto campus opens in mid-2017.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global automotive and mobility company based in Dearborn, Michigan. With about 203,000 employees and 67 plants worldwide, the company’s core business includes designing, manufacturing, marketing and servicing a full line of Ford cars, trucks and SUVs, as well as Lincoln luxury vehicles. To expand its business model, Ford is aggressively pursuing emerging opportunities with investments in electrification, autonomy and mobility. Ford provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company.  For more information regarding Ford and its products and services, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

Herndon, VA; Woodcliff Lake, NJ; Campbell, CA, – Electric vehicle (EV) drivers can now travel the most heavily-trafficked corridors on the East and West Coasts of the United States with the installation of 95 new DC Fast charging stations as part of the Express Charging Corridors Initiative – a collaboration of two of the world’s top automakers, BMW of North America and Volkswagen of America, Inc. and ChargePoint, the world’s largest EV charging network. The recently completed express charging corridors are designed to meet the increasing demand for convenient, publicly-available EV fast chargers and act as a catalyst for the growing adoption of electric vehicles in the United States.

Drivers can access the DC Fast chargers along the most heavily populated and highly-trafficked regions primarily along Interstate 95 on the East Coast, enabling EV travel from Boston, through the New York City and Philadelphia areas to Washington, D.C., and along Interstate 5 and Highway 101 on the West Coast, connecting metropolitan areas from Portland, Ore., through the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles to San Diego. Branches from the main Corridors extend to popular destinations such as Cape Cod, the Hamptons, the Jersey Shore, Lake Tahoe, Napa, and Sonoma. The chargers are strategically positioned both within and between relevant metropolitan areas, spaced approximately 50 miles apart, in convenient locations with access to restaurants, shopping centers, rest stops, and more. These DC Fast charging stations, connecting cities along the corridors, have been installed within a few miles of major highways, prioritizing both safety and convenience.

The corridors are designed to make longer distance EV travel easier, with faster charging time than standard Level 2 public charging. Drivers can locate stations through the ChargePoint mobile app or website; in BMW i3 vehicles via BMW ConnectedDrive, either in-vehicle or via the app; or in Volkswagen e-Golf vehicles by accessing the Volkswagen CarNet® app via smartphone or smartwatch or in-vehicle.

“BMW’s vision for an innovative, more convenient future of electric mobility encompasses the continued rollout of a robust public infrastructure throughout the U.S. to benefit our customers and all EV drivers,” noted Robert Healey, Head of EV Infrastructure for BMW of North America. “The partnership with VW and ChargePoint demonstrates the efficiencies of industry cooperation for building robust public DC Fast charging while encouraging consumer interest in electric vehicles such as the BMW i3.”

“Volkswagen’s investment in this expansive public EV charging project sets the blueprint for future EV charging infrastructure in the United States,” said Dr. Hendrik Muth, Senior Vice President, Product Marketing and Strategy, Volkswagen of America. “These charging corridors will add greater flexibility and convenience for current e-Golf and other EV drivers, and reduces one more barrier to increased EV ownership.”

Each charging location along the Express Charging Corridors offers either 50kW or 24kW DC Fast charging with the SAE Combo connectors used in the BMW i3 and Volkswagen e-Golf electric vehicles (and in many other EVs with DC Fast charging capability). Many locations also offer CHAdeMO connectors, for vehicles equipped with these ports. All stations are publicly available and can be easily accessed with the ChargePoint mobile app or a ChargePoint card, or for BMW drivers, a ChargeNow card.

“At ChargePoint, we make driving electric an easy choice for anyone,” said Pasquale Romano, CEO of ChargePoint. “The Express Charging Corridors extend the power of the existing ChargePoint network to simplify long-distance travel for EV drivers and enable more people to make an EV their primary vehicle.”

With the completion of the Express Charging Corridors, BMW, Volkswagen and ChargePoint are providing drivers with the ability and confidence to enjoy longer distance driving and recharge their electric vehicles quickly, ultimately leading to greater electric vehicle adoption.

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BMW Group In America
BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; Designworks, a strategic design consultancy based in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group’s global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all X5 and X3 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 and X4 Sports Activity Coupes. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 341 BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 153 BMW motorcycle retailers, 126 MINI passenger car dealers, and 36 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

About Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc., an operating unit of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VWoA) is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. VWoA’s operations in the United States include research and development, parts and vehicle processing, parts distribution centers, sales, marketing and service offices, financial service centers, and its state -of-the- art manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The Volkswagen Group is one of the world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. VWoA sells the Beetle, Beetle Convertible, CC, Eos, e-Golf, Golf, Golf GTI, Golf R, Golf SportWagen, Jetta, Passat, Tiguan and Touareg vehicles through approximately 652 independent U.S. dealers. Visit Volkswagen of America online at www.vw.com or media.vw.com to learn more.

About ChargePoint
ChargePoint is the largest and most open electric vehicle (EV) charging network in the world, with more than 30,000 independently owned charging spots that are easy for EV drivers to find and use at home, at work, around town and out of town. Leading EV hardware makers and other partners rely on the ChargePoint network to make charging station details available in mobile apps, online and in navigation systems for popular EVs. ChargePoint drivers have completed more than 18 million charging sessions, saving upwards of 17.3 million gallons of gasoline and driving over 430 million gas-free miles.

Volvo Cars, the Swedish premium car maker, and Uber, the world’s leading ride-sharing company, are to join forces to develop next generation autonomous driving cars.

The two companies have signed an agreement to establish a joint project that will develop new base vehicles that will be able to incorporate the latest developments in AD technologies, up to and including fully autonomous driverless cars. The base vehicles will be manufactured by Volvo Cars and then purchased from Volvo by Uber. Volvo Cars and Uber are contributing a combined USD 300M to the project.

Both Uber and Volvo will use the same base vehicle for the next stage of their own autonomous car strategies. This will involve Uber adding its own self-developed autonomous driving systems to the Volvo base vehicle. Volvo will use the same base vehicle for the next stage of its own autonomous car strategy, which will involve fully autonomous driving.

The Volvo-Uber project marks a significant step in the automotive business with a car manufacturer joining forces with a new Silicon Valley-based entrant to the car industry, underlining the way in which the global automotive industry is evolving in response to the advent of new technologies. The alliance marks the beginning of what both companies view as a longer term industrial partnership.

Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars, said: “Volvo is a world leader in the development of active safety and autonomous drive technology and possesses an unrivaled safety credibility. We are very proud to be the partner of choice for Uber, one of the world’s leading technology companies. This alliance places Volvo at the heart of the current technological revolution in the automotive industry.”

The new base vehicle will be developed on Volvo Cars’ fully modular Scalable Product Architecture (SPA). SPA is one of the most advanced car architectures in the world and is currently used on Volvo Cars’ top-of-the-line multiple award winning XC90 SUV, as well as the S90 premium sedan and V90 premium estate.

SPA has been developed as part of Volvo Cars’ USD11bn global industrial transformation programme, which started in 2010, and has been prepared from the outset for the latest autonomous drive technologies as well as next generation electrification and connectivity developments. It is these capabilities that attracted Uber to Volvo.

The development work will be conducted by Volvo Cars engineers and Uber engineers in close collaboration. This project will further add to the scalability of the SPA platform to include all needed safety, redundancy and new features required to have autonomous vehicles on the road.

Travis Kalanick, Uber’s chief executive, said: “Over one million people die in car accidents every year. These are tragedies that self-driving technology can help solve, but we can’t do this alone. That’s why our partnership with a great manufacturer like Volvo is so important. Volvo is a leader in vehicle development and best-in-class when it comes to safety. By combining the capabilities of Uber and Volvo we will get to the future faster, together.”

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Volvo Car Group in 2015
For the 2015 financial year, Volvo Car Group recorded an operating profit of 6,620 MSEK (2,128 MSEK in 2014). Revenue over the period amounted to 164,043 MSEK (137,590 MSEK). For the full year 2015, global sales reached a record 503,127 cars, an increase of 8 per cent versus 2014. The record sales and operating profit cleared the way for Volvo Car Group to continue investing in its global transformation plan.

About Volvo Car Group
Volvo has been in operation since 1927. Today, Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world with sales of 503,127 in 2015 in about 100 countries. Volvo Cars has been under the ownership of the Zhejiang Geely Holding (Geely Holding) of China since 2010. It formed part of the Swedish Volvo Group until 1999, when the company was bought by Ford Motor Company of the US. In 2010, Volvo Cars was acquired by Geely Holding.

As of December 2015, Volvo Cars had almost 29,000 employees worldwide. Volvo Cars head office, product development, marketing and administration functions are mainly located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars head office for China is located in Shanghai. The company’s main car production plants are located in Gothenburg (Sweden), Ghent (Belgium), Chengdu and Daqing (China), while engines are manufactured in Skövde (Sweden) and Zhangjiakou (China) and body components in Olofström (Sweden).

ŠKODA is preparing intensively for the forth industrial revolution. With the smart ProGlove industrial glove, the Czech car manufacturer is focusing on innovative future technology. Use of the glove facilitates and improves the work of ŠKODA Logistics.

“Nowadays, logistics is an important economic and competitive factor which contributes considerably to a car manufacturer’s success,” said Jiří Cee, Head of ŠKODA Brand Logistics. “At ŠKODA, we therefore continuously test cutting-edge technology in order to improve the day-to-day work of our employees. The intelligent ProGlove helps our team to work more quickly, more efficiently and with virtually no errors,” added Cee.

ŠKODA intends to bring the digital age onto their factory floors. The ProGlove is an electronic glove with a built-in scanner designed to improve work in logistics. This smart glove underwent an endurance test which convinced ŠKODA Logistics. “ProGlove proved itself to be the ideal solution for series production and has been used in our logistics ever since,” said Cee.
Most importantly, the smart glove is designed to make day-to-day work easier and quicker for the wearer. The device shows, for example, whether the right part is being used and whether production steps are being correctly followed.

Like a traditional scanner, the glove can also capture data – but in one simple action and without any additional device. This allows goods to be registered quickly and easily. In addition, workflow becomes more ergonomic for the user: data collection or material testing are incorporated into natural hand movements.

Using the intelligent glove, codes can be read both vertically and horizontally. The code is then confirmed using the activation button on the index finger. The code is confirmed either by a sound or a vibration therefore preventing an incorrect code from being scanned.

ŠKODA Logistics currently employs over 3,000 members of staff who plan and ensure successful delivery of worldwide brand logistics.

Production at several Volkswagen plants has been interrupted as a result of a halt in component deliveries by external suppliers.

Although Braunschweig District Court has issued injunctions obliging the suppliers to resume deliveries, the suppliers have not as yet met their obligations. Volkswagen continues its efforts to reach agreement with the suppliers. Given that further developments are not foreseeable, Volkswagen is making arrangements for various flexibilization measures extending as far as short-time work.

The measures affect the following plants:

Emden: Passat production, August 18 – 24, number of employees affected: approx. 7,500.

Wolfsburg: some segments of Golf production, August 22 – 27, number of employees affected: approx. 10,000.

Zwickau: Golf and Passat production, August 22 – 26, number of employees affected: approx. 6,000.

Kassel: some segments of transmission and exhaust systems production, August 25 – 29, number of employees affected: approx. 1,500.

Salzgitter: some segments of engine production, August 24 – 30, number of employees affected: approx. 1,400.

Braunschweig: some segments of chassis components and plastic parts production, August 22 – 29, number of employees affected: approx. 1,300.

PALO ALTO, Calif., – Ford today announces its intent to have a high-volume, fully autonomous SAE level 4-capable vehicle in commercial operation in 2021 in a ride-hailing or ride-sharing service.

To get there, the company is investing in or collaborating with four startups to enhance its autonomous vehicle development, doubling its Silicon Valley team and more than doubling its Palo Alto campus.

“The next decade will be defined by automation of the automobile, and we see autonomous vehicles as having as significant an impact on society as Ford’s moving assembly line did 100 years ago,” said Mark Fields, Ford president and CEO. “We’re dedicated to putting on the road an autonomous vehicle that can improve safety and solve social and environmental challenges for millions of people – not just those who can afford luxury vehicles.”

Autonomous vehicles in 2021 are part of Ford Smart Mobility, the company’s plan to be a leader in autonomous vehicles, as well as in connectivity, mobility, the customer experience, and data and analytics.

Driving autonomous vehicle leadership
Building on more than a decade of autonomous vehicle research and development, Ford’s first fully autonomous vehicle will be a Society of Automotive Engineers-rated level 4-capable vehicle without a steering wheel or gas and brake pedals. It is being specifically designed for commercial mobility services, such as ride sharing and ride hailing, and will be available in high volumes.

“Ford has been developing and testing autonomous vehicles for more than 10 years,” said Raj Nair, Ford executive vice president, Global Product Development, and chief technical officer. “We have a strategic advantage because of our ability to combine the software and sensing technology with the sophisticated engineering necessary to manufacture high-quality vehicles. That is what it takes to make autonomous vehicles a reality for millions of people around the world.”

This year, Ford will triple its autonomous vehicle test fleet to be the largest test fleet of any automaker – bringing the number to about 30 self-driving Fusion Hybrid sedans on the roads in California, Arizona and Michigan, with plans to triple it again next year.

Ford was the first automaker to begin testing its vehicles at Mcity, University of Michigan’s simulated urban environment, the first automaker to publicly demonstrate autonomous vehicle operation in the snow and the first automaker to test its autonomous research vehicles at night, in complete darkness, as part of LiDAR sensor development.

To deliver an autonomous vehicle in 2021, Ford is announcing four key investments and collaborations that are expanding its strong research in advanced algorithms, 3D mapping, LiDAR, and radar and camera sensors:

Velodyne: Ford has invested in Velodyne, the Silicon Valley-based leader in light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors. The aim is to quickly mass-produce a more affordable automotive LiDAR sensor. Ford has a longstanding relationship with Velodyne, and was among the first to use LiDAR for both high-resolution mapping and autonomous driving beginning more than 10 years ago
SAIPS: Ford has acquired the Israel-based computer vision and machine learning company to further strengthen its expertise in artificial intelligence and enhance computer vision. SAIPS has developed algorithmic solutions in image and video processing, deep learning, signal processing and classification. This expertise will help Ford autonomous vehicles learn and adapt to the surroundings of their environment
Nirenberg Neuroscience LLC: Ford has an exclusive licensing agreement with Nirenberg Neuroscience, a machine vision company founded by neuroscientist Dr. Sheila Nirenberg, who cracked the neural code the eye uses to transmit visual information to the brain. This has led to a powerful machine vision platform for performing navigation, object recognition, facial recognition and other functions, with many potential applications. For example, it is already being applied by Dr. Nirenberg to develop a device for restoring sight to patients with degenerative diseases of the retina. Ford’s partnership with Nirenberg Neuroscience will help bring humanlike intelligence to the machine learning modules of its autonomous vehicle virtual driver system
Civil Maps: Ford has invested in Berkeley, California-based Civil Maps to further develop high-resolution 3D mapping capabilities. Civil Maps has pioneered an innovative 3D mapping technique that is scalable and more efficient than existing processes. This provides Ford another way to develop high-resolution 3D maps of autonomous vehicle environments
Silicon Valley expansion
Ford also is expanding its Silicon Valley operations, creating a dedicated campus in Palo Alto.

Adding two new buildings and 150,000 square feet of work and lab space adjacent to the current Research and Innovation Center, the expanded campus grows the company’s local footprint and supports plans to double the size of the Palo Alto team by the end of 2017.

“Our presence in Silicon Valley has been integral to accelerating our learning and deliverables driving Ford Smart Mobility,” said Ken Washington, Ford vice president, Research and Advanced Engineering. “Our goal was to become a member of the community. Today, we are actively working with more than 40 startups, and have developed a strong collaboration with many incubators, allowing us to accelerate development of technologies and services.”

Since the new Ford Research and Innovation Center Palo Alto opened in January 2015, the facility has rapidly grown to be one of the largest automotive manufacturer research centers in the region. Today, it is home to more than 130 researchers, engineers and scientists, who are increasing Ford’s collaboration with the Silicon Valley ecosystem.

Research and Innovation Center Palo Alto’s multi-disciplinary research and innovation facility is the newest of nearly a dozen of Ford’s global research, innovation, IT and engineering centers. The expanded Palo Alto campus opens in mid-2017.

ABOUT FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Ford Motor Company is a global automotive and mobility company based in Dearborn, Michigan. With about 203,000 employees and 67 plants worldwide, the company’s core business includes designing, manufacturing, marketing, financing and servicing a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs and electrified vehicles, as well as Lincoln luxury vehicles. At the same time, Ford aggressively is pursuing emerging opportunities through Ford Smart Mobility, the company’s plan to be a leader in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, the customer experience, and data and analytics. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford, its products worldwide or Ford Motor Credit Company, visit www.corporate.ford.com.

SEAT and Conector join forces to launch a specialised startup accelerator in the automotive industry and mobility. SEAT Accelerator by Conector will promote five startups in its initial acceleration programme, with offices in the SEAT facilities in Martorell. Entrepreneurs will receive support and assistance from the automotive brand and will follow Conector’s methodology.

In the company’s ongoing commitment to innovation in the automotive sector, through this partnership SEAT aims clearly at supporting entrepreneurs who find new solutions for the car industry and mobility. Furthermore, startup accelerator Conector consolidates its commitment to partnering with major businesses and promoting corporate accelerators.

According to SEAT President Luca de Meo, “partnerships like the one we have reached with Conector are aligned with our vision for the future of the company to promote a mobility ecosystem. The new economy can only be understood by collaborating with partners and integrating platforms. Accelerating startups is going to enable us to exchange knowledge and access the best talent. We are boosting SEAT’s digital transformation”.
For Conector founding partner Carlos Blanco, “this agreement between SEAT and Conector consolidates our commitment to corporate accelerators and shows that businesses are steadily approaching the digital world. Corporate accelerators are an excellent tool for major companies to accelerate their digital transformation, participate in the startup ecosystem and gain first-hand insight into the new technological solutions for their sector”.

SEAT Accelerator by Conector will accelerate projects that have a business model involving the automotive industry, mobility and logistics. All the projects must be proposed by an established company, be scalable and able to internationalise, feature a product or service already on the market and present their initial performance metrics. They must also have a full-time team and a clear leader.
Applications to the acceleration programme will be accepted from today, 19 July, until 19 September. All entrepreneurs who wish to apply must use this webpage: www.conector.com/seat

A committee made up of SEAT managers and Conector partners will shortlist the projects to be presented on Startup Day, the event where Conector members and mentors and SEAT will select the five startups to be accelerated.

The selected entrepreneurs will spend five months in the SEAT offices in Martorell working on their growth and sales strategy and will make progress in aspects requiring improvement with their board of mentors, made up of representatives from Conector and SEAT. In addition, they will receive assistance from partner companies, continuous training and will join one of the best entrepreneurial ecosystems in the country.
The Demo Day will be held at the end of the acceleration programme, an event where the entrepreneurs will present their project to the country’s leading venture capital firms, investors and business angels to secure investment. It will also be an opportunity to identify possible synergies between the startups and SEAT.

SEAT Accelerator by Conector is the first corporate acceleration resulting from the partnership between Talent Republic and Conector to accelerate the digital transformation of large corporations.

Conector is a startup accelerator promoted by some of the most high-profile entrepreneurs in the field of technology in Spain. Its members are Carlos Blanco, founder of Nuclio VB and Akamon and named Spain’s best entrepreneur and best business angel in 2014; Gerard Olivé, founder of Antai and BeRepublic; Marc Ros, founder of AftershareTV and 60dB; Marc Vidal, founder of Idodi VC; Miguel Vicente, founder of Antai, LetsBonus and Wallapop; Risto Mejide, founder of AftershareTV; Xavier Verdaguer, founder of Imagine; and Elisabeth Martínez, CEO of the accelerator. Conector was established for the purpose of promoting and assisting Spain’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by supporting projects and entrepreneurs in the digital sector (Internet, mobile and new technologies). Conector has more than 150 mentors from all over Spain who are experts in the various fields of the digital sector and has accelerated over 70 startups.

Wolfsburg, – The Volkswagen Group is laying the foundations for lasting success in tomorrow’s world of mobility and its evolution into a world-leading provider of sustainable mobility. In order to achieve these goals, the Board of Management – with the approval of the Supervisory Board – has adopted a future program, “TOGETHER – Strategy 2025”. By doing so, it has also launched the biggest change process in the Volkswagen Group’s history. The new Group strategy comprises a raft of far-reaching strategic decisions and specific initiatives essentially aimed at safeguarding its long-term future and generating profitable growth. This is to be achieved by comprehensively transforming the core automotive business, rapidly
establishing a new mobility solutions business, significantly increasing efficiency as well as strengthening innovation power and entrepreneurial mindset and approach in the Company.

“Volkswagen has always enriched the lives of millions of people all over the world with its brands and products. Our aspiration is to continue that success story and play a leading role in shaping auto-mobility for future generations, too. This will require us – following the serious setback as a result of the diesel issue – to learn from mistakes made, rectify shortcomings and establish a corporate culture that is open, valuedriven
and rooted in integrity,” explained CEO Matthias Müller during the presentation of the new strategic direction in Wolfsburg.

“Our future program ‘TOGETHER – Strategy 2025’ will make the Volkswagen Group more focused, efficient, innovative, customer-driven and sustainable – and systematically geared to generating profitable growth. We aim to create lasting value for all our stakeholders. This can only be achieved together – with our employees, with and for our customers, shareholders and business partners – while being fully aware of our responsibility toward society and the environment,” Müller continued.

“TOGETHER – Strategy 2025” provides the framework and compass for the Volkswagen Group’s envisioned evolution from car manufacturer into a world-leading provider of sustainable mobility. It will be fleshed out with corresponding strategies for the Group brands to be gradually elaborated over the coming months. Volkswagen will present the detailed strategic program, broken down into brands and functions and backed up with specific
measures and financial targets, before the end of the year.

This also includes the Volkswagen brand’s “pact for the future”, which the Brand Board of Management and the Works Council have been working on since early June. It involves significantly increasing efficiency, productivity and profitability with the aim of safeguarding competitiveness and jobs, and financing the necessary future investments in products and locations. In light of the brand’s importance within the Volkswagen Group, it will also play a key role in achieving the Group targets.

Transformation of the core business
Today saw the presentation of the key building blocks in the new Group strategy which centers on transforming Volkswagen’s core automotive business or, to put it another way, making a fundamental realignment in readiness for the new age of mobility. For this, Volkswagen will sharpen the positioning of the Group brands and optimize the vehicle and drivetrain portfolio to focus on the most attractive and fastest-growing market segments.

Furthermore, the Group’s current product portfolio of around 340 different model variants will be systematically geared to profitable growth, taking regional market and customer needs into account.

With regard to vehicles, and drivetrains, special emphasis will be place on e-mobility. The Group is planning a broad-based initiative in this area: it intends to launch more than 30 purely battery-powered electric vehicles (BEVs) over the next ten years. The Company estimates that such vehicles could then account for around a quarter of the global passenger car market. The Volkswagen Group forecasts that its own BEV sales will be between two and three million units in 2025, equivalent to some 20 to 25 percent of the total unit sales expected at that time.

Volkswagen is also to review and streamline its modular architectures in the context of generating profitable growth so as to reduce complexity in development and production, increase efficiency and thus make better use of the system’s economic merits.

The regional growth strategy already initiated in particularly attractive automotive markets is being continued. The Volkswagen Group is affirming its expansion and investment plans already announced for North America and its continued expansion program in China. In this context, the Volkswagen Group intends to tap the economy segment – i.e. the segment comprising attractively-priced entry-level products that is, for instance, especially relevant for Asia – by partnering with regional players. Talks in this regard are at an advanced stage.

New competencies
A further lever for transforming the core automotive business is to develop new competencies. The Group therefore intends to independently provide the resources necessary to address the future topic of autonomous driving and artificial intelligence. The aim is to license a competitive self-driving system (SDS) developed in-house by the end of the decade.

In light of the rapid gains in market volume and unit sales of electric vehicles over the coming years, the Volkswagen Group is also to develop battery technology as a new competency.

The strategic options for participating in the potential revenue stream associated with this and developing battery technology into a new Group competency will be carefully examined.

Entrepreneurial mindset and approach
Transforming the core business also encompasses systematically promoting an entrepreneurial mindset and approach in the Group. Alongside gradually implementing the model line organization at the Group brands, this primarily involves realigning the components business, which currently accounts for around 67,000 employees at 26 locations worldwide. The relevant activities are to be systematically combined across all brands and
strategically realigned. The Volkswagen Group hopes that realigning the components business will strengthen competitiveness, increase efficiency and make significant contributions to future topics such as the e-mobility initiative.

The Volkswagen Group will resolutely pursue the future topics in both the passenger cars and commercial vehicles segments. For its commercial vehicles business, which currently comprises the Scania, MAN and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brands, the Group is reaffirming its strategic goal of creating a global champion. The plan is for Volkswagen Truck & Bus, as a multi-brand provider across the cycle, to become the most profitable company in the sector, with a significant presence in all key regions of the globe. These targets are to be achieved firstly through much closer cooperation between the commercial vehicles brands and, secondly, by enhancing the group’s overall performance as well as expanding its global
footprint. New business models will also play a decisive role in this. In the medium term, the business unit will increasingly evolve from a purely commercial vehicles manufacturer into a provider of intelligent transportation solutions.

Under the strategic realignment of Volkswagen, the Financial Services Division will also be a significant source of earnings for the Group and a mainstay of its brands’ success.

“Developing, building and selling vehicles, including the related financial services, will remain essential for the Volkswagen Group going forward. However, the transformation we have initiated today will permanently change the face of our core business, ensuring that we remain a leading player over both the medium and the long term.

As is traditional in the Volkswagen Group, we will take a responsible, collaborative approach. Such far-reaching change as we have set out to achieve is only possible together,” said CEO Matthias Müller.

Mobility services as additional growth driver
The second key building block of “TOGETHER – Strategy 2025” alongside the transformation of the core business involves the establishment of a cross-brand mobility solutions business.

The new unit will develop and acquire offerings tailored to customer requirements – centering on and starting with ride hailing, i.e. on-demand mobility services. Other services such as robotaxis, carsharing and transport on-demand will then be grouped around this nucleus. The
Volkswagen Group already secured its first foothold in the ride hailing segment at the end of May, when it invested in a strategic partnership with on-demand mobility company Gett.

In a rapidly expanding market, Volkswagen’s aim is for the new mobility solutions business unit to generate sales revenue in the billions by 2025.
Both the transformation of the core business and the new Group mobility solutions unit require Volkswagen to strengthen its traditionally excellent innovation power and place it on an even broader footing. The Group is driving forward with digitalization across all areas and brands. At the same time, the Company will rely to a greater extent than before on partnerships, acquisitions and venture capital investments. In the future, investment selection will be managed centrally so as to generate maximum added value for the Group and its brands.

Significant efficiency improvements
In total, Group-wide investments in future topics under Strategy 2025 are expected to be in the double-digit billion range. To ensure they can be financed, operational excellence above all is to be increased significantly across all divisions and functions. At the Volkswagen brand in particular, the Group will thus strive to unlock the efficiency potential, which by industry standards is considerable. This goes for the entire value chain in the automotive business, from product development through sourcing and production to distribution.

More specifically, the Volkswagen Group is aiming for a ratio of capex to sales revenue in the automotive business of 6.0 percent by 2025. The efficiency of research and development expenditures is also to be significantly improved; the ratio of R&D costs to sales revenue is likewise to be reduced to 6.0 percent. In addition, selling, general and administrative expenses, which as a percentage of sales revenue have increased significantly in recent years, are to be reduced to under 12 percent. Overall, based on the figures for fiscal year 2015, the Volkswagen Group expects more efficient use of resources to generate the potential for a significant annual improvement in earnings. The individual measures at Group, brand and divisional level will be set out in greater detail in the coming months. Additional funds for future investments can also be generated by optimizing the existing portfolio of brands and equity investments.

Financial targets amended
“Strategy 2025” is backed up with amended financial targets. “In line with being systematically geared to generating profitable growth, the focus is clearly on earnings power.

Over the coming years, we will do all we can to continuously create value for our shareholders based on a solid financial position,” explained Chief Financial Officer Frank Witter. For the Group’s operating return on sales, which in 2015 stood at 6.0 percent before special items, the aim is an increase to between 7 and 8 percent by 2025. The return on capital employed in the Automotive Division is then intended to be more than 15 percent. The payout ratio to shareholders is to be sustained at around 30 percent of net profit.

“The Volkswagen of the future will inspire its customers with fascinating vehicles, financial services tailored to demand, and smart mobility solutions. We will be a technology leader and role model when it comes to environment, safety and integrity. The Group will achieve competitive profitability, and so remain both an attractive investment and an excellent, reliable and secure employer. In short, Volkswagen will be an enterprise we can all be proud of,” said CEO Matthias Müller in summary

WASHINGTON – New test data on a particular subset of defective Takata air bag inflators in certain model-year 2001-2003 Honda and Acura vehicles show a far higher risk of ruptures during air bag deployment, prompting an urgent call from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to ensure that unrepaired vehicles in this population are found and fixed before they cause further injuries or fatalities.

“With as high as a 50 percent chance of a dangerous air bag inflator rupture in a crash, these vehicles are unsafe and need to be repaired immediately,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Folks should not drive these vehicles unless they are going straight to a dealer to have them repaired immediately, free of charge.”

The higher-risk inflators are in certain 2001-2003 Honda and Acura vehicles:

2001-2002 Honda Civic
2001-2002 Honda Accord
2002-2003 Acura TL
2002 Honda CR-V
2002 Honda Odyssey
2003 Acura CL
2003 Honda Pilot
The air bag inflators in these particular vehicles contain a manufacturing defect which greatly increases the potential for dangerous rupture when a crash causes the air bag to deploy. Ruptures are far more likely in inflators in vehicles that have spent significant periods of time in areas of high absolute humidity—particularly Florida, Texas, other parts of the Gulf Coast, and Southern California. Testing of the inflators from these vehicles show rupture rates as high as 50 percent in a laboratory setting.

The vehicles in question were recalled between 2008 and 2011. Honda has reported that more than 70 percent of this higher-risk population of vehicles has already been repaired, but approximately 313,000 vehicles with this very dangerous defect remain unrepaired. The risk posed by the airbag inflators in these vehicles is grave, and it is critical they be repaired now to avoid more deaths and serious injuries.

NHTSA and Honda are asking for the news media and public’s assistance to find the remaining unrepaired vehicles. Drivers of these vehicles should immediately visit SaferCar.gov to check whether their vehicle has any outstanding safety recalls. Those that do should contact their nearest dealer to schedule a no-cost immediate repair. Replacement parts for these vehicles are available immediately.

“The air bag inflators in this particular group of vehicles pose a grave danger to drivers and passengers that must be fixed right away,” said NHTSA Administrator Dr. Mark Rosekind. “Drivers should visit SaferCar.gov or contact their local dealer to check whether their vehicle is affected. If it is, they should have the vehicle repaired immediately for free at an authorized dealer. We commend Honda for taking additional actions to get these vehicles repaired.”

Though the vehicles are already under recall, NHTSA ordered Takata to perform additional ballistic testing following recent reports of ruptures. Eight of the 10 confirmed U.S. fatalities due to Takata ruptures — including the most recent in Fort Bend County, Texas — were in this population of vehicles.

Honda has committed to immediately taking additional actions to enhance their efforts to find and fix recalled vehicles. Honda will provide additional information about their efforts. NHTSA has also directed Honda to report weekly on the progress of vehicle repairs.

NHTSA is also expanding its own direct consumer outreach, including a paid media campaign and a series of outreach events in high-risk areas this summer. NHTSA has also engaged the vehicle insurance industry to help locate the unremedied vehicles.

Background on the Takata recalls: Nearly 70 million Takata air bag inflators are or will be under recall by 2019, in the largest and most complex auto safety recall in U.S. history. A combination of time, environmental moisture and fluctuating high temperatures contributes to the degradation of the ammonium nitrate propellant in the inflators. Such degradation can cause the propellant to burn too quickly, rupturing the inflator module and sending shrapnel through the air bag and into the vehicle occupants.

ATLANTA, June 13, 2016 – As the auto industry prepares for the increase in off-lease vehicle inventory, BMW Financial Services (BMWFS) is making it easy for all dealers to source high-quality BMW and MINI vehicles before they cross the auction block. Powered by RMS Automotive’s web-based vehicle portfolio management solution, BMWGroupDirect.com is now accessible to independent and non-BMW franchise dealers. Previously open to BMW franchise dealers only, the site now gives any buyer with a valid AuctionACCESS account 24/7 online access to BMW Group’s national inventory of off-lease vehicles.

“BMWGroupDirect.com was created out of the necessity for our franchise partners to gain exclusive access to our inventory before it was offered to the wholesale buying community,” said Nina Englert, vice president of sales and marketing for BMW Financial Services. “But, given the changing dynamics facing the grounding dealer and with more off-lease inventory entering the market, we needed to take our upstream remarketing program to the next level.”

With its national reach and new inventory postings each day, BMWGroupDirect allows any registered dealer to find and purchase vehicles anytime, anywhere. It’s the only remarketing site with factory VIN decoding, meaning dealers can search packages and options based on original build information from the plant. With its responsive design and easy-to-use search functions, dealers can also set up saved searches and alerts to advise them when specific inventory becomes available. Additionally, the open platform means dealers no longer have to reserve time to attend simulcast online auctions at set times or attend on-site live auctions, saving them both time and money.

“Dealers can see our off-lease inventory across multiple auction locations, making it an efficient way to source our vehicles,” added Englert. “And as the shift from traditional auction to online sales channels continues to grow, this will become an increasingly important value-add to dealers.”

More than 450 BMW and MINI franchise dealers as well as 50 VIP independent dealers and wholesale buyers have sourced, bid on and purchased vehicles through the site since it launched in June 2015. The program will continue to offer only franchise dealers exclusive access to BMW Group company vehicles via closed sales.

“BMW Group Financial Services and Cox Automotive enjoy a strong partnership and are committed to finding innovative solutions that drive more informed decision-making and further growth,” said Nick Peluso, RMS president. “With anticipated growth over the next several years in off-lease volumes, this solution will help BMW Group Financial Services generate greater business efficiencies that will fuel better remarketing decisions.”

About BMW Group Financial Services
BMW Group Financial Services was established in the U.S. in 1992 to support the sales and marketing of BMW products. Since then, the Group has expanded to provide service to markets in multiple countries and continues to evolve beyond its role as a captive finance unit. BMW Group Financial Services offers a wide range of leasing, retail and commercial financing and banking products tailored to meet the needs of the BMW customer. The Group also provides financing to BMW dealers for expanding dealership capabilities and enhancing overall operations. With more than $47 billion in serviced assets and 1,300,000 automotive lending customers across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, BMW Group Financial Services finances almost three-quarters of the BMWs sold or leased in North America. BMW Group Financial Services employs more than 800 people, including consultants and temporary workers, most of whom are located in the Hilliard, Ohio, Regional Service Center, which serves the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

In 2001, the MINI Financial Services division was established to provide support for the brand’s dealers and its customers by offering financing and leasing options and branded financial services products. Alphera Financial Services was established in 2006 to provide financial services to multi-brand dealers.

BMW Group Financial Services also offers credit card products through its subsidiary, the BMW Bank of North America. up2drive.com is a division of BMW Bank of North America, a wholly owned subsidiary of BMW Financial Services NA, LLC. BMW Insurance Agency, Inc., a property and casualty producer is also part of BMW Group Financial Services. Information about BMW

Group products is available to consumers via the Internet at:
www.bmwgroupna.com
www.bmwusa.com
www.bmwmotorradusa.com
www.miniusa.com
www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com

About RMS Automotive
RMS Automotive was first established in the U.K. and is being marketed to clients such as BMW who want more enhanced visibility into their vehicle portfolio for faster decision-making. The company creates digital platforms that enable users to proactively manage vehicle assets and investments through real-time visibility, predictive models and powerful analytics, combined with third-party data integration. For more information about RMS Automotive, visit www.rmsautomotive.com.

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive, Inc. is transforming the way the world buys, sells and owns cars with industry-leading digital marketing, software, financial, wholesale and e-commerce solutions for consumers, dealers, manufacturers and the overall automotive ecosystem worldwide. Committed to open choice and dedicated to strong partnerships, the Cox Automotive family includes Manheim®, Autotrader®, Kelley Blue Book®, Dealertrack®, vAuto®, Xtime®, NextGear Capital® and a host of other brands. The global company has nearly 30,000 team members in more than 200 locations and is partner to more than 40,000 auto dealers, as well as most major automobile manufacturers, while engaging U.S. consumer car buyers with the most recognized media brands in the industry. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, Inc., an Atlanta-based company with revenues of more than $17 billion and approximately 55,000 employees. Cox Enterprises’ other major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications and Cox Media Group. For more information about Cox Automotive, visit www.coxautoinc.com.

NEW YORK – BMW i Ventures has announced a strategic investment in Scoop Technologies, Inc., creators of the carpooling mobile application “Scoop”. Since launching in August 2015, Scoop commuters have taken more than 40,000 trips, offsetting nearly 500,000 in commute mileage for riders. Originally launched in Pleasanton, CA, Scoop now also operates commute trips into San Francisco, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale and North San Jose.

Scoop partners with major employers, office parks, and local governments to offer employees an affordable and effective transportation solution. The list of employers in the Scoop network includes some of the Bay Area’s largest companies like Cisco, Microsoft, Salesforce, Workday, Airbnb, Tesla, Sandisk and more. Scoop’s partners employ more than 200,000 commuters in the Bay Area.

The Scoop app automatically connects co-workers and neighbors who live in the same neighborhood and travel to the same work area. Commuters select each trip one way at a time and choose whether to ride or drive. Scoop’s algorithm matches them to a carpool with neighbors and co-workers for the most efficient commute.

“Scoop’s carpooling offer is a great help for urban traffic and parking problems in cities, but it also enables employers in finding and supporting sustainable transportation solutions for their employees. Through this investment, BMW Mobility Services and Scoop together could offer a practical carpooling solution to a problem facing cities, starting here in the US.” said Ulrich Quay, Head of BMW i Ventures.”

“Scoop’s mission is to reduce the impact that traffic has on our lives,” said Rob Sadow, CEO of Scoop. “For most employees, driving to and from work is the most frustrating time of the day — it’s expensive, unproductive, and stressful. We’ve built an app that allows commuters to enjoy all the benefits of carpooling without the hassle. This financing will enable our team to bring Scoop to more commuters in our area and beyond.”

About BMW i Ventures
New York-based BMW i Ventures, a corporate venture capital team founded by BMW Group in 2011, provides equity financing to high-potential start-ups and high-growth companies dedicated to shape the future of global mobility. As a strategic investor, i Ventures aims to build strong partnerships with young start-ups with a high potential of making urban mobility smarter, more efficient and more flexible. Collaboration projects intend to create sustainable business value on both sides. Portfolio companies benefit from BMW i Ventures’ long-term experience, strong reach and the broad network of a well-established brand. Through its previous investments in the fields of e-mobility, navigation, parking, car sharing and intermodality, BMW i Ventures has already entered into strategic partnerships with innovative providers such as Zirx, Chargepoint, Life360, Moovit, JustPark, Chargemaster and Zendrive.

About Scoop Technologies Inc.
Scoop Technologies Inc. is a software company based in San Francisco, CA. Scoop brings the best in mobile technology to the lives of commuters and their employers. Scoop helps commuters save time and money, reduce impact on the environment, and create new social connections through easy carpooling.

MEMPHIS, Tenn., – AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO), the leading retailer and a leading distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories, is hiring more than 10,000 new full and part-time employees nationwide through April to ensure its more than 5,100 U.S. stores are staffed and ready to provide WOW! Customer Service during the busiest selling season. Markets with the largest hiring needs include Northern California; New York City; Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio; Delaware; Louisville; New Orleans, La.; Sioux Falls, SD; and Ft. Worth and Midland, Texas.

Opportunities include Sales Representatives, Delivery Drivers, Parts Sales Managers, Commercial Sales Managers, Store Managers, and Hub Specialists. Applications must be submitted online at the AutoZone careers site, www.autozone.com/careers.

AutoZone has hired over 4,600 current and/or prior U. S. Military Service Members since 2015 and has a goal of hiring more than 20,000 transitioning service members and military veterans by 2020. High school graduates, vocational/ college students, retirees and veterans are encouraged to apply. AutoZone provides ongoing training and tools to help DRIVE your career in many exciting directions.

This spring offers a terrific time to DRIVE your career forward and be part of AutoZone’s growth and team-oriented culture. AutoZone is an equal opportunity employer. Embracing diversity is a core AutoZone Value, and our stores reflect the communities we serve.

About AutoZone:

As of February 13, 2016, AutoZone sells auto and light truck parts, chemicals and accessories through 5,193 AutoZone stores in 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico in the U.S., and 451 stores in Mexico, 24 IMC branches and eight stores in Brazil for a total count of 5,676.

PRETORIA, South Africa, – Ford Motor Company is investing R2.5-billion ($170 million U.S. dollars) to expand operations in South Africa at its Silverton Assembly Plant in Pretoria, South Africa, to produce the all-new Ford Everest, along with the new Ford Ranger that was launched at the end of last year.

This investment will create approximately 1,200 new jobs at Ford South Africa and within the South African supplier network.

“Our customers love the capability and utility offered by the all-new Ford Everest,” said Jim Farley, Ford executive vice president and president of Europe, Middle East and Africa. “By producing the Everest in South Africa, we will be able to make it more readily available, and in a greater variety of models, for customers throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

“The R2.5-billion investment reaffirms the importance of these markets as part of our growth strategy across the Middle East and Africa,” Farley added. “It further reinforces South Africa’s position as a strategic export base for Ford Motor Company.”

The Silverton facility joins AutoAlliance Thailand in Rayong; Ford’s Chennai plant in India (where it is sold as the Endeavor) and the JMC Xiaolan Plant in Nanchang, China, as production hubs for the Everest. Initial production at Silverton of the Everest will commence in the third quarter of 2016, with the first units expected to come to market in the fourth quarter. South African-produced models will be sold locally and exported to markets across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Part of this investment has been directed towards the production of the new Ranger, which is already running at maximum capacity at the Silverton Assembly Plant – with domestic sales and export demand at an all-time high.

The Silverton Assembly Plant features state-of-the-art automation utilising Ford’s global manufacturing processes, and will be equipped to produce 10,000 Everests annually.

“The all-new Everest has been extremely well received since it was launched in September last year, with demand far outstripping supply,” said Jeff Nemeth, president and CEO of Ford Motor Company Sub-Saharan Africa Region.

“This crucial investment will enable us to increase volumes and expand the Everest range to eight derivatives across a broader price range. It will allow customers across Sub-Saharan Africa to choose from two powerful engines mated to robust six-speed automatic or manual transmissions for exceptional capability.”

Currently, the all-new Everest is imported from Thailand, using the locally produced 3.2-liter five-cylinder Duratorq TDCi engine. It is only available in South Africa in 3.2 Automatic guise in two specification levels – XLT and the range-topping Limited. With the commencement of local production, a 2.2-litre Duratorq TDCi four-cylinder diesel engine will be added to the range, along with a wider spread of specification levels.

Built at Ford’s Struandale Engine Plant in Port Elizabeth, the latest-generation Duratorq TDCi diesel engines – which are also used in the new Ranger – offer maximum fuel economy along with exceptional performance.

The all-new Ford Everest is a rugged seven-seat SUV featuring body-on-frame construction, intelligent four-wheel drive and an Advanced Terrain Management System to help navigate challenging terrain with ease.

In recent years, Africa has emerged as an increasingly important region for Ford, with continued investment and growth.

In 2008, Ford announced plans to build the Ford Ranger at its Silverton Assembly Plant with an investment of R3.4 billion. The investment allowed Ford to transform both of its South African plants into world class facilities to produce the Ford Ranger and Duratorq TDCi engines for local consumption and export.

The Ford Ranger is exported to 148 countries in Africa, Middle East and Europe, while engines and machined components are supplied to Argentina, Thailand, North America, India and China.

In 2014, Ford formed its newest business unit, Middle East and Africa comprising 67 markets to support the region with a dedicated focus and clear understanding of the unique conditions and customer needs.

The African growth story continued in 2015, when Ford confirmed that it would assemble the Ford Ranger in Nigeria, using semi knock-down (SKD) kits and components imported from South Africa.

Ford Motor Company’s growth story goes beyond its manufacturing expansion in South Africa. In 2015, Ford sold 78,471 passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in South Africa, the highest number on record. The South African-built Ranger pickup performed particularly well, with an 18.1 percent year-on-year increase in sales and a total of 33,920 Rangers sold in 2015.

“As we continue to grow our business here in South Africa we are committed to improving the skills of our employees and creating new opportunities within the company and the broader supply chain. It is only through the dedication and commitment of our work force, suppliers, dealers, union and government partners that we have been able to secure this investment and expand our operations, broadening our footprint in Africa even further,” Nemeth concluded.

ABOUT FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Ford Motor Company is a global automotive and mobility company based in Dearborn, Michigan. With about 199,000 employees and 67 plants worldwide, the company’s core business includes designing, manufacturing, marketing, financing and servicing a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs and electrified vehicles, as well as Lincoln luxury vehicles. At the same time, Ford is aggressively pursuing emerging opportunities through Ford Smart Mobility, the company’s plan to be a leader in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, the customer experience, and data and analytics. For more information regarding Ford, its products worldwide or Ford Motor Credit Company, visit www.corporate.ford.com.