Mexican Media Brands
Report: Toyota Close to Buying Google Robotics Companies
Toyota Motor Corp. is in “final talks” with Google Inc. about buying two of the tech firm’s robotics units, The Nikkei reports.
VW Ponders Huge Battery Plant Project in Germany
Volkswagen AG tells analysts it is studying a plan to erect a giant factory in Germany to make battery cells, presumably for electric vehicles.
Honda to Open Artificial Intelligence Lab in Tokyo
Honda Motor Co. is opening a center in Tokyo to develop artificial intelligence technologies in such areas as speech recognition and software control that can be applied to everything from robotics to self-driving cars.
VW Has Fixed only 50,000 Cheater Diesels in Europe
Volkswagen AG says it has repaired only 50,000 of 8.5 million diesel-powered cars in Europe it illegally equipped with software to evade emission tests, Reuters reports.
Suzuki Chairman: “Cheating is Cheating”
Suzuki Motor Corp. Chairman Osamu Suzuki vows to remedy faulty test procedures on 26 minicar models it makes for the Japanese market, declaring “Cheating is cheating.”
Special Items Boost VW Group’s Quarterly Operating Profit
Volkswagen Group reports that special items—mostly related to exchange rates for €16 billion set aside to pay for its diesel cheating scandal—increased the company’s operating profit 3% to €3.4 billion ($2.7 billion) in the first quarter of 2016.
Apple Charging Ahead with EV Program?
Apple Inc. is talking with makers of electric vehicle charging stations and continues to hire battery experts to better understand the technology, Reuters reports.
Smoke and Mirrors
When you think of complex, highly technical devices that you use every day in your car—in fact, possibly as much as three to 10 times per minute—you probably don’t think of your rearview mirror.
Porsche Launches Digital Business Unit
Porsche AG has formed Porsche Digital GmbH, a business unit that will track trends in connectivity and “smart” mobility and look for new digital product and services.
China Moves to Further Control Global Cobalt Supply for Batteries
China appears close to hiking its share of the global market for refined cobalt—a key ingredient in batteries for electric cars—above 60%, The Financial Times reports.