By Richard Cowan
The head of Delphi Automotive Plc, maker of ignition switches linked to at least 16 fatal car crashes, is expected to face intensive questioning next week from a U.S. Senate panel investigating General Motors Co’ handling of the issue.
Sales in the once-strong volume mid-sized sector are poised to fall this year to their lowest level this decade as pressure from premium alternatives mounts. Volume automakers are forecast to sell less than 500,000 mid-sized vehicles in western Europe this year, down from more than 800,000 in 2011, according to analysts at IHS Automotive.
By Robert Wright in New York and Henry Foy in London
Shares in TRW Automotive, one of the world’s largest auto component suppliers, surged on Thursday after it said it had received a “preliminary, non-binding” takeover approach, later confirmed as coming from ZF Friedrichshafen of Germany.
China will exempt electric cars and other types of “new energy” vehicles from purchase tax, the government said, as it seeks to reduce pollution and conserve resources.
Jaguar Land Rover has unveiled a self-learning intelligent car system that will offer a personalized driving experience for each individual owner, allowing the driver to concentrate on driving.
