TOP NEWS
* In an unprecedented move expected to draw a swift legal challenge, the Trump administration officially revoked California's authority to set its own greenhouse gas standards for vehicles, a key pillar of the state's strategy to curb its largest source of planet-warming emissions. The rule asserted that only the federal government can set vehicle fuel economy standards. That claim, which has already failed twice in federal district courts, could eventually be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.
* An official from the United Automobile Workers union told members that "some progress has been made" in its talks with General Motors Co., but noted that many issues remain unsolved, as strike enters the fifth day on Sept. 20. Terry Dittes, vice president and director of UAW General Motors Department, said in a letter to union members that the negotiation process could continue "this weekend and beyond," in case both parties fail to reach a tentative agreement.
CARMAKERS
* General Motors will temporarily stop vehicle production at its Oshawa, Ontario, assembly plant starting Sept. 20, according to Automotive News, citing union officials. Nearly all the plant's 2,600 workers will be temporarily laid off, said Colin James, president of labor union Unifor Local 222.
* Bayerische Motoren Werke AG CFO Nicolas Peter is looking to ax between 5,000 and 6,000 jobs by 2022, Reuters reported, citing Germany's Manager Magazin. Majority of the potential job cuts will be at the carmaker's Munich headquarters, the newswire said.
* Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen Automobile Co. Ltd. Chairman An Tiecheng resigned amid declining sales, Automotive News reported. The news comes as the joint venture's owners Peugeot SA and Dongfeng Motor Group Co. Ltd. plan to restructure its operations to cut costs and increase vehicle sales.
* German carmaker Volkswagen AG narrowed down its search for the location of its new European multibrand plant to two sites in Turkey and another in the European Union, Automotive News reported, citing Michael Oeljeklaus, a board member at the carmaker's Skoda Auto AS unit. The group will finalize the site by the end of October.
* Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. stopped producing its vehicles at its two Indonesia plants and closed one of them nearly six months ago, the Bangkok Post reported, citing a source. A representative for its local unit, PT Nissan Motor Indonesia, reportedly said that the automaker has implemented "production optimization and restructuring of operations."
ELECTRIC AND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
* Amazon.com Inc. is ordering 100,000 electric delivery vehicles from startup Rivian Automotive LLC as part of its new Climate Pledge. CEO Jeff Bezos announced that the retailer plans to become carbon neutral by 2040 and meet the goals of the 2016 Paris Agreement on climate change a decade early.
* Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV partnered with Italy's national power grid operator Terna to test vehicle-to-grid, or V2G, technology, which allows power grids to tap stored energy from electric vehicles to augment demand during peak hours. The grid operator said an e-mobility lab will be constructed at Fiat Chrysler's Mirafiori facility to allow tests to be conducted.
* AUDI AG, the luxury car unit of Volkswagen AG, aims to cut CO2 emissions by 30% by 2025 and be CO2-neutral by 2050. Additionally, the luxury-car maker intends to offer 30 electrified models by 2025, 20 of which will be purely electric.
* India's Tata Motors Ltd. launched an electric vehicle powertrain brand, Ziptron, to support its e-mobility push in the country. The automaker added that it plans to launch an electric car by the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020 using its new powertrain technology.
* Renault SA launched its first China-built electric vehicle, Renault K-ZE, at the Chengdu Auto Show, Automotive News reported. Priced at under $9,000, the EV has a range of 168 miles.
MOBILITY SERVICES
* The CEO of a joint mobility venture between Daimler AG and BMW AG, Daniela Gerd tom Markotten, has resigned. Gerd tom Markotten was CEO of moovel Group, which is changing its name to REACH NOW, according to its website.
* Ride-hailing company GrabTaxi Holdings Pte Ltd. has partnered with Dutch brewer Heineken NV, enabling the latter to open a digital store on the Grab app and boost its sales and distribution channels across Southeast Asia.
POLICY, REGULATIONS AND SAFETY
* Volkswagen Group is recalling around 227,000 vehicles of the Volkswagen and Porsche brands due to airbag and seatbelt problems, Reuters reported, citing a report from German-language newspaper Stuttgarter Zeitung.
* Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is recalling 10,789 Ram and Jeep models to fix defective steering rack gears and front brakes, according to documents from the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
* Renault and Peugeot may face a standoff with French workers during the approaching labor contract renewals as carmakers plan heavy investments to meet new EU emission norms, Reuters reported. The workers are reportedly concerned that the companies may demand concessions in the upcoming labor negotiations to meet the new fuel standards.
AUTOMOTIVE RETAIL
* Sales of premium cars in China grew in August despite an overall downturn in the country's passenger vehicle market, Gasgoo reported. Mercedes-Benz saw sales rose 12.8% year over year to 60,134, while BMW reported a 10.1% growth to 58,911 vehicles. Sales at Audi and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. Ltd.-owned Volvo Cars rose 2% and 24.8%, respectively. Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus brand posted a 4.3% decline to 16,921 in August.
COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
* Truck maker Navistar International Corp. said it will invest more than $250 million to establish a new manufacturing facility in Texas. The investment, subject to finalization of incentive packages, is expected to add 600 jobs to the San Antonio area.
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Dispatches from the Frankfurt Motor Show
The day ahead
In Asia, the Hang Seng declined 0.13% to 26,435.67, while the Nikkei 225 rose 0.16% to 22,079.09.
In Europe, around midday, the FTSE 100 was up 0.20% to 7,371.36, and the Euronext 100 was up 0.47% to 1,099.32.
On the macro front
The Baker-Hughes Rig Count report is due out today.
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