Mitsubishi’s European operations ended a three-year profit drought because of foreign exchange windfalls, demand for its Outlander plug-in hybrid and the closure of its Dutch plant.
Mitsubishi Europe reported an operating profit of 37 billion yen (€261 million) in the fiscal year ended March 31 compared with a 7 billion yen loss in fiscal 2012, making Europe the company’s second most profitable global region after Asia.
Volvo Trucks will showcase a compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered Volvo VNL daycab and a prototype dimethyl ether (DME)-powered VNL daycab at next week’s Alternative Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, North America’s largest alternative fuel and clean vehicle technology conference.
The UAW union still has several options to unionize Volkswagen Group’s Tennessee car plant in the United States, labor law experts said, after it failed to win enough support and last week dropped its challenge to the election results.
BMW Motorrad is launching its battery-electric C evolution maxi scooter. Its two conventionally powered maxi scooter model—C 600 Sport and C 650 GT—combine the ride qualities of a motorcycle with the specific agility and comfort of a scooter; the C evolution adds the dynamism and emissions-free operation of an electric vehicle.
The UK is the only European market that will get a “greener” Porsche Macan SUV with a four-cylinder engine due to demand for the version from China.
Porsche unveiled the Macan with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder gasoline engine at the Beijing auto show on April 20. The variant is expected to outsell V-6 versions in China because the smaller engine attracts a fuel consumption tax of 12 percent compared with 25 percent for the 3.0-liter V6.
