Category: Future Cars

(Reuters) – Formula One came back with a bang on Sunday as Finland’s Valtteri Bottas won a dramatic Austrian season-opener for champions Mercedes in a race with only 11 finishers and no spectators.

Charles Leclerc finished a surprise second for struggling Ferrari with McLaren’s Lando Norris celebrating his first F1 podium after a time penalty dropped Mercedes’ six-times World champion Lewis Hamilton to fourth.

“I managed to keep it together and control the race from my side and it’s a good start to the season,” said Bottas, who started on pole position and had to keep his cool through three safety car periods.

Norris, at 20 the youngest driver in the race and now the youngest Briton to stand on an F1 podium, also claimed a bonus point for fastest lap.

The race, on a sunny afternoon at the scenic Red Bull Ring was behind closed doors — a Formula One first — due to the COVID-19 pandemic that had put the season on hold since March.

The drivers gathered on the grid before the start in a show of unity against racism, with Hamilton and 13 others taking a knee in solidarity.

Spaniard Carlos Sainz made it a double points haul for McLaren in fifth, with Sergio Perez sixth for Racing Point and Pierre Gasly seventh for AlphaTauri.

Esteban Ocon, who last raced in 2018, took eighth for Renault on his return while Antonio Giovinazzi bagged ninth for Alfa Romeo and Sebastian Vettel, who had another nightmare, completed the top 10 for Ferrari.

Canadian Nicholas Latifi was the last car running with 11th for Williams.

There was drama even before the race when stewards performed a U-turn after a Red Bull challenge and dropped Hamilton from the front row to fifth on the grid for a qualifying error.

That also promoted Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to the front row alongside Bottas.

Any hopes the Dutchman had of completing a hat-trick of Austrian wins disappeared when he suffered an early technical problem and became the season’s first retirement.

“I think it would have been an easy podium and third would have been a decent start to the season but what can you do?,” he said.

SAFETY CAR

The first safety car was deployed when Haas’s Kevin Magnussen spun off on lap 26 and it then came out again when George Russell parked up his stricken Williams.

The third was after Kimi Raikkonen’s Alfa Romeo turned into a three-wheeler, a loose wheel bouncing off and across the track.

Bottas had Hamilton in his mirrors soon enough but the Briton was handed a five-second time penalty for causing a collision with Red Bull’s Alex Albon while defending second place.

The Thai spun off into the gravel, his podium hopes gone.

“It’s not been a great weekend for me, yesterday was entirely my fault and to get a penalty today… it is what it is,” said Hamilton.

Leclerc, whose team had struggled in qualifying with Vettel failing even to make the top 10, moved up to third against all expectations — which became second after the chequered flag.

“It feels like a victory today,” said the Monegasque.

Perez, who ran as high as third, lost out to Norris two laps from the end but the Mexican was already carrying a time penalty for speeding in the pit lane.

Anyone who had feared Mercedes enjoying a race of their own, after dominating practice and qualifying, need not have worried. They fretted over gearbox sensors and possible kerb damage as he race wore on.

The second race is at the same circuit next weekend, another Formula One first.

MOSCOW, July 7 (Reuters) – Sales of new cars in Russia fell by 14.6% in June year on year to 122,622 vehicles after a 51.8% decline in the previous month, the Association of European Businesses (AEB) said on Tuesday.

The AEB forecast a year-on-year drop of 23.9% in new car sales this year. (Reporting by Gleb Stolyarov; writing by Tom Balmforth; editing by John Stonestreet)

SEOUL, July 8 (Reuters) – From an eponymous cocktail to eager buyers following the shipping routes of long-awaited cars, Tesla Inc is having a moment in South Korea, particularly among tech-savvy professionals.

Kang Sung-mo, who runs an advertising production agency in Seoul, is a convert.

“I am not interested in cars, but I am interested in the Tesla brand and its technology,” the 39-year-old told Reuters.

Kang bought a Tesla Model 3 in December, ditching the Hyundai crossover he bought only last summer. Being associated with Tesla’s reputation for innovation was good for his image, he said.

The U.S. electric car maker had its best month for South Korea in June, selling 2,827 vehicles and bouncing back from weak sales in April and May which were hit by U.S. production disruptions due to the coronavirus. The Model 3 is now the country’s No.2 imported vehicle, ahead of the BMW 5 series and the Audi A6, and just behind the Mercedes E-Class.

By contrast, Hyundai Motor Co, the dominant automaker in South Korea, saw sales of its Kona EV slump 31% in June to 2,513 vehicles.

Another 4,000 to 5,000 South Korean customers have the Model 3 on order, although most of them may have to wait until at least September for delivery, said a source familiar with the matter. The source was not authorised to speak to the media and declined to be identified.

Tesla’s rising popularity among affluent professionals in South Korea, who have been relatively unscathed by the pandemic, is one of many feathers in its cap.

Highlighting the threat it poses to established brands, Tesla last week surpassed Toyota Motor Corp as the World’s most valuable automaker while its second-quarter deliveries smashed expectations at a time when sales at rivals have been laid low by the pandemic.

South Korea’s generous subsidies of 12.43 million won ($10,380) for the Model 3 have definitely helped sales, bringing the car’s price down to less than $40,000, but the Silicon Valley automaker has also generated a genuine buzz.

In social media posts, South Korean Tesla fans avidly track the routes of ships bringing its cars to Asia, while at the country’s bars, the latest trendy cocktail is a mix of HiteJinro’s Terra-brand beer and the Korean traditional liquor ‘soju’. Smashed together, their names are pronounced “Tesla” in Korean.

The automaker has additionally benefited from free advertising after popular Korean actor Yoo Ah-in, known for his sense of style, drove his Tesla Model X SUV to go grocery shopping on a reality show aired last month. That has led to a spike in orders for the vehicle, a second person familiar with the matter said without elaborating.

Some new Korean owners noted they bought a Tesla for practical reasons.

Kim Dong-hwan, who works in IT in Seoul, wanted to avoid public transportation during the pandemic and driving fatigue on his long commute.

Not everything is perfect – his Model 3 has a panel gap and he has to wait several months before it will be fixed – but Kim says the benefits and emotional appeal of a technologically advanced brand were worth it.

“I am very satisfied given that Tesla’s self-driving feature has reduced fatigue while driving,” he said.

SEOUL (Reuters) – From an eponymous cocktail to eager buyers following the shipping routes of long-awaited cars, Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) is having a moment in South Korea, particularly among tech-savvy professionals.

Kang Sung-mo, who runs an advertising production agency in Seoul, is a convert.

“I am not interested in cars, but I am interested in the Tesla brand and its technology,” the 39-year-old told Reuters.

Kang bought a Tesla Model 3 in December, ditching the Hyundai crossover he bought only last summer. Being associated with Tesla’s reputation for innovation was good for his image, he said.

The U.S. electric car maker had its best month for South Korea in June, selling 2,827 vehicles and bouncing back from weak sales in April and May which were hit by U.S. production disruptions due to the coronavirus. The Model 3 is now the country’s No.2 imported vehicle, ahead of the BMW 5 series and the Audi A6, and just behind the Mercedes E-Class.

By contrast, Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS), the dominant automaker in South Korea, saw sales of its Kona EV slump 31% in June to 2,513 vehicles.

Another 4,000 to 5,000 South Korean customers have the Model 3 on order, although most of them may have to wait until at least September for delivery, said a source familiar with the matter. The source was not authorised to speak to the media and declined to be identified.

Tesla’s rising popularity among affluent professionals in South Korea, who have been relatively unscathed by the pandemic, is one of many feathers in its cap.

Highlighting the threat it poses to established brands, Tesla last week surpassed Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) as the World’s most valuable automaker while its second-quarter deliveries smashed expectations at a time when sales at rivals have been laid low by the pandemic.

South Korea’s generous subsidies of 12.43 million won ($10,380) for the Model 3 have definitely helped sales, bringing the car’s price down to less than $40,000, but the Silicon Valley automaker has also generated a genuine buzz.

In social media posts, South Korean Tesla fans avidly track the routes of ships bringing its cars to Asia, while at the country’s bars, the latest trendy cocktail is a mix of HiteJinro’s (000080.KS) Terra-brand beer and the Korean traditional liquor ‘soju’. Smashed together, their names are pronounced “Tesla” in Korean.

The automaker has additionally benefited from free advertising after popular Korean actor Yoo Ah-in, known for his sense of style, drove his Tesla Model X SUV to go grocery shopping on a reality show aired last month. That has led to a spike in orders for the vehicle, a second person familiar with the matter said without elaborating.

Some new Korean owners noted they bought a Tesla for practical reasons.

Kim Dong-hwan, who works in IT in Seoul, wanted to avoid public transportation during the pandemic and driving fatigue on his long commute.

Not everything is perfect – his Model 3 has a panel gap and he has to wait several months before it will be fixed – but Kim says the benefits and emotional appeal of a technologically advanced brand were worth it.

“I am very satisfied given that Tesla’s self-driving feature has reduced fatigue while driving,” he said.

SEOUL (Reuters) – From an eponymous cocktail to eager buyers following the shipping routes of long-awaited cars, Tesla Inc is having a moment in South Korea, particularly among tech-savvy professionals.

Kang Sung-mo, who runs an advertising production agency in Seoul, is a convert.

“I am not interested in cars, but I am interested in the Tesla brand and its technology,” the 39-year-old told Reuters.

Kang bought a Tesla Model 3 in December, ditching the Hyundai crossover he bought only last summer. Being associated with Tesla’s reputation for innovation was good for his image, he said.

The U.S. electric car maker had its best month for South Korea in June, selling 2,827 vehicles and bouncing back from weak sales in April and May which were hit by U.S. production disruptions due to the coronavirus. The Model 3 is now the country’s No.2 imported vehicle, ahead of the BMW 5 series and the Audi A6, and just behind the Mercedes E-Class.

By contrast, Hyundai Motor Co, the dominant automaker in South Korea, saw sales of its Kona EV slump 31% in June to 2,513 vehicles.

Another 4,000 to 5,000 South Korean customers have the Model 3 on order, although most of them may have to wait until at least September for delivery, said a source familiar with the matter. The source was not authorised to speak to the media and declined to be identified.

Tesla’s rising popularity among affluent professionals in South Korea, who have been relatively unscathed by the pandemic, is one of many feathers in its cap.

Highlighting the threat it poses to established brands, Tesla last week surpassed Toyota Motor Corp as the World’s most valuable automaker while its second-quarter deliveries smashed expectations at a time when sales at rivals have been laid low by the pandemic.

South Korea’s generous subsidies of 12.43 million won ($10,380) for the Model 3 have definitely helped sales, bringing the car’s price down to less than $40,000, but the Silicon Valley automaker has also generated a genuine buzz.

In social media posts, South Korean Tesla fans avidly track the routes of ships bringing its cars to Asia, while at the country’s bars, the latest trendy cocktail is a mix of HiteJinro’s Terra-brand beer and the Korean traditional liquor ‘soju’. Smashed together, their names are pronounced “Tesla” in Korean.

The automaker has additionally benefited from free advertising after popular Korean actor Yoo Ah-in, known for his sense of style, drove his Tesla Model X SUV to go grocery shopping on a reality show aired last month. That has led to a spike in orders for the vehicle, a second person familiar with the matter said without elaborating.

Some new Korean owners noted they bought a Tesla for practical reasons.

Kim Dong-hwan, who works in IT in Seoul, wanted to avoid public transportation during the pandemic and driving fatigue on his long commute.

Not everything is perfect – his Model 3 has a panel gap and he has to wait several months before it will be fixed – but Kim says the benefits and emotional appeal of a technologically advanced brand were worth it.

“I am very satisfied given that Tesla’s self-driving feature has reduced fatigue while driving,” he said.

(Reuters) – U.S. auto safety regulator on Tuesday disclosed it has opened an investigation into complaints of fuel leaks in older Chevrolet Cobalt compact cars and HHR wagons, manufactured by General Motors Co (GM.N).

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said the investigation, which was opened on Sunday, covers more than 614,000 vehicles from 2008 to 2010 model years.

“The fuel leaks are the result of corrosion of the metal fuel lines underneath the vehicle towards the rear and in the vicinity of the left rear wheel well,” the regulator said after it received 208 complaints of fuel leaks from vehicle owners.

The NHTSA said there were no reports of fires or injuries from such leaks, and it was probing the scope and severity of the potential problem to assess any possible safety issues with the vehicles.

GM said it will continue to cooperate with the NHTSA in the investigation.

PARIS (Reuters) – There’s nothing Jean-Remi Galinon enjoys more than bouncing along cobbled streets and showing off Paris to foreign tourists, usually Americans, in his most iconic of French vintage cars.

But the coronavirus has kept them away, and since mid-March he’s only given one tour in his 39-year-old cherry red Citroen 2CV boneshaker.

France is from Wednesday tentatively opening up its borders to a select group of non-EU countries, but the United States, where COVID-19 cases are still soaring, is not on the list.

“The Americans are our No. 1 tourists, for sure,” Galinon said, the very image of Gallic sangfroid as he cruised along a cafe-lined boulevard with his sunglasses on and the 2CV’s canvas roof rolled back.

“They are in love with Paris … (and) we’re suffering the consequences (of the travel ban).”

Tourism is part of the lifeblood of the city, one of the World’s most visited, so for Galinon, Paris’s springtime lockdown could hardly have been worse.

“It was just surreal,” Galinon said. “March, April, May are an important period for us. And even more so as the weather was beautiful. So it was a double punishment.. (and) Paris without tourists is not really Paris.”

Border restrictions within the EU have been removed, and the “safe list” of 14 other countries from which the bloc will allow non-essential travel is now coming into force.

But it could be a while before the U.S. visitors who Galinon’s boss Marc Vernhet is banking on are able to return.

Vernhet has relied on state aid to stay afloat during the lockdown and says another six months of slow business may force him to quit.

(This story has been corrected to rectify name in paragraphs 9 and 10 to Vernhet)