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We recently reported that Daimler could possibly kill off the SMART brand after years of losing money. One of our own suggestions was that SMART expand into a regular car brand instead of staying in just the micro-car segment. Well, things change quickly in this industry. Yesterday, Daimler paired with Chinese manufacturer Geely in a 50-50 joint venture to bring the next generation of SMART vehicles to China. Part of that expansion will be a move up into the sub-compact market, a fast-growing market in China. SMART will remain an electric car brand and will be a joint development between the two companies. Though not disclosed at this time, it is possible that SMART will use the platform being jointly developed with BMW for its forthcoming i2 car. The current SMART cars are on a joint-venture platform shared with the Renault Twingo. Renault has not expressed an interest in renewing that partnership with Daimler for the next generation of cars. Currently, the ForTwo is built in Hambach Germany. After 2022, that factory is slated to build Mercedes EQ cars. View full article

A new report from the German publication Handelsblatt says that Ford and Volkswagen are considering expanding their partnership "that stands to change the German industry.” The two are reportedly looking into working together on autonomous tech and electric vehicle development. There are a number of ideas under consideration between two. One example is for Volkswagem's Moia self-driving subsidiary to take a 50 percent stake into Ford’s Autonomous Vehicles LLC. In return, Volkswagen could share their MEB toolkit with Ford on electric vehicles. The expansion in the partnership could also see Volkswagen buying combustion engines from Ford in an effort to reduce investments into diesel engines. Why are the two considering this expansion? For one, it would allow the two companies to pool their efforts to catch up with various competitors such as Tesla and Waymo, while saving cash. It is also being seen as a survival tactic in certain markets. Ford is struggling in Europe and South America, while Volkswagen is having issues in North America. Volkswagen's supervisory board will be holding a meeting later this month to consider whether or not it will expand this partnership. Source: Handelsblatt Global View full article

It was in late January when Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' CEO Sergio Marchionne announced that the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Dart would "run their course”. A diplomatic way of saying we wouldn't see a second-generation of either model. But Marchionne mentioned that both models could continue on if a partner was found. Motor Trend has learned that FCA is currently with potential partners, although who isn't mentioned. “There are discussions going on now. I think we will find a solution. We continue to talk. It’s both a technical solution and an economic one. We need to find a solution that works economically,” Marchionne said to Motor Trend on the floor of the Geneva Motor Show. The key thing FCA is looking for in a partner to build their small cars is someone “who is better at it than we are and who has got capacity available.” This comes on the heels of FCA announcing an extension of the temporary shutdown at Sterling Heights Assembly Plant in Michigan - home of Chrysler 200 production. The plant was shut down on February 1st and workers were expected to return on March 14th. This was to help cut down on the massive supplies of 200s sitting on dealer lots. FCA has decided to extend it by three weeks to April 4th. A FCA spokeswoman tells Reuters the reason for the extension is to match supply with demand. At the start of this March, FCA had a 147 day supply of 200s. This is an improvement from February where there was a 217 day supply. Source: Motor Trend, Reuters View full article

Autonomous vehicles could be getting a large boost thanks to a new alliance between Ford and Google to build self-driving vehicles. Yahoo Autos has learned from three sources that the two companies will be announcing a partnership at the Consumer Electronics Show next month. Details of this new partnership are scarce, but it is understood that the partnership would be legally separate from Ford to shield it from concerns about liability. The deal is also non-exclusive as Google has been talking to other automakers about using its self-driving technology. Automotive News adds that both companies have been working on a contract manufacturing deal “for a long time” according to a source. It should be noted that two former Ford executives are in leadership roles at Google. Former CEO Alan Mulally joined Google's board last July. John Krafcik, whose resume includes being the chief engineer during the development of the Ford Expedition and CEO of Hyundai was brought into Google this September to become the CEO of the company’s Self-Driving Car Project. Gartner's lead automotive analyst, Thilo Koslowski tells Automotive News that this deal is a win for both parties. Automakers like Ford would like to work with Google as a way to catch up to rivals that ar working on autonomous driving tech as a way to differentiate their products. For Google, Koslowski says that “the focus has shifted to looking for OEM partners to deploy the technology, rather than considering building their own vehicles. That makes sense. If Google is interested in bringing the benefit of the technology to consumers, then they need as many partners as possible.” Google declined to comment. Ford spokesman Alan Hall neither confirmed or denied a deal. “We work with a lot of tech companies all over the world. We keep these discussions private for obvious competitive reasons and we do not comment on speculation,” said Hall. Source: Yahoo Autos, Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

Two years ago, Fiat and Mazda made the announcement that the two would jointly develop a new roadster for Alfa Romeo. The new Alfa Romeo would use the underpinnings of the next-generation of the MX-5 Miata, but would use its own powertrains. However a new report says the joint development could go up in smoke. Automotive News Europe has learned from sources that product planners for both companies are planning to meet to discuss the change of Mazda as the partner for the roadster. Hints of this began to swirl around back in September when Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne told the Financial Times that there won't be any Alfa Romeo vehicles built outside of Italy as long as he is in control. Marchionne reiterated this at the Detroit. When asked about the Roadster's future, Marchionne declined. Sources say that Fiat wants to find other ways of fulfilling the agreement made with Mazda as walking away would be very expensive for the brand. So who could Fiat turn to with the Alfa roadster? One source says that it could be Abarth. "Abarth really makes sense for a lightweight, small displacement, high-output two-seat roadster, which perfectly fits the brand's DNA," said a source. We'll keep you updated on this story. Source: Automotive News Europe (Subscription Required) William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at william.maley@cheersandgears.com or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 3, 2013 Hydrogen, the fuel that automakers say will be available within ten years and doesn't, got some big press yesterday. General Motors and Honda announced a new partnership that will see the co-development of a next-generation fuel cell system and hydrogen storage technologies by 2020. The partnership will also look at reducing the cost of shared components that come from this and contribute to building an infrastructure for Hydrogen. The two automakers have fuel-cell development programs, but at a limited scale. General Motors launched a fleet of hydrogen-powered Chevrolet Equinoxes back in 2007. The company says the fleet has done close to three million miles. Honda has leased a small number of their FCX and FCX Clarity vehicles. Neither automaker said that a car (or cars) would be coming at this time. Source: General Motors, Honda William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at william.maley@cheersandgears.comor you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. Press Release is on Page 2 GM, Honda to Collaborate on Next-Generation Fuel Cell Technologies Goal is commercially feasible fuel cell and hydrogen storage in 2020 time frame 2013-07-02 NEW YORK – General Motors (NYSE: GM) and Honda (NYSE: HMC) announced today a long-term, definitive master agreement to co-develop next-generation fuel cell system and hydrogen storage technologies, aiming for the 2020 time frame. The collaboration expects to succeed by sharing expertise, economies of scale and common sourcing strategies. GM and Honda plan to work together with stakeholders to further advance refueling infrastructure, which is critical for the long-term viability and consumer acceptance of fuel cell vehicles. GM and Honda are acknowledged leaders in fuel cell technology. According to the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index, GM and Honda rank No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in total fuel cell patents filed between 2002 and 2012, with more than 1,200 between them. "This collaboration builds upon Honda and GM's strengths as leaders in hydrogen fuel cell technology," said Dan Akerson, GM chairman and CEO. "We are convinced this is the best way to develop this important technology, which has the potential to help reduce the dependence on petroleum and establish sustainable mobility." Takanobu Ito, president & CEO of Honda Motor Co. Ltd. said: "Among all zero CO2 emission technologies, fuel cell electric vehicles have a definitive advantage with range and refueling time that is as good as conventional gasoline cars. Honda and GM are eager to accelerate the market penetration of this ultimate clean mobility technology, and I am excited to form this collaboration to fuse our leading fuel cell technologies and create an advanced system that will be both more capable and more affordable." GM's Project Driveway program, launched in 2007, has accumulated nearly 3 million miles of real-world driving in a fleet of 119 hydrogen-powered vehicles, more than any other automaker. Honda began leasing of the Honda FCX in 2002 and has deployed 85 units in the U.S. and Japan, including its successor, the FCX Clarity, which was named the 2009 World Green Car. Honda has delivered these vehicles to the hands of customers in the U.S. and collected valuable data concerning real-world use of fuel cell electric vehicles. As already announced, Honda plans to launch the successor of FCX Clarity in Japan and the United States in 2015, and then in Europe. GM will announce its fuel cell production plans at a later date. Fuel cell technology addresses many of the major challenges facing automobiles today – petroleum dependency, emissions, efficiency, range and refueling times. Fuel cell vehicles can operate on renewable hydrogen made from sources like wind and biomass. The only emission from fuel cell vehicles is water vapor. Additionally, fuel cell vehicles can have up to 400 miles driving range, can be refueled in as little as three minutes, and the propulsion technology can be used on small, medium, and large vehicles. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com December 3, 2012 Fisker would like to forget 2012 if possible. The year hasn't been good to the company with recalls, production delays, fires, delays on the new Atlantic, U.S. Department of Energy freezing a loan, and their sole supplier of batteries filling for bankruptcy. In a interview with TheDetroitBureau.com, founder and Chairman Henrik Fisker said that his company is "actively engaged in conversations with potential strategic partners." Fisker went onto to say, "“We’d like to see if we can get something done next year.” Fisker said the company is looking for "a close partnership where we could develop new platforms together and share purchasing.” Asked who they are talking to, Fisker declined to. Possible partners are General Motors and BMW, two companies who supply Gas engines for Fisker. Source: TheDetroitBureau.com William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at william.maley@cheersandgears.com or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article