INSIDER
After decisive loss at Alabama Mercedes plants, powerful auto union vows to return and win
Read full article: After decisive loss at Alabama Mercedes plants, powerful auto union vows to return and winA decisive vote against the United Auto Workers at two Mercedes factories in Alabama sidetracked the union's grand plan to sign up workers at nonunion plants mainly in the South.
United Auto Workers reaches deal with Daimler Truck, averting potential strike in North Carolina
Read full article: United Auto Workers reaches deal with Daimler Truck, averting potential strike in North CarolinaThe United Auto Workers union announced it reached a last-minute tentative agreement with truck and bus manufacturer Daimler Truck on Friday evening, averting a potential strike of more than 7,000 workers.
Autoworkers union celebrates breakthrough win in Tennessee and takes aim at more plants in the South
Read full article: Autoworkers union celebrates breakthrough win in Tennessee and takes aim at more plants in the SouthThe United Auto Workers union is celebrating a huge win at a Volkswagen plant in Tennessee, where workers will now be represented by the union.
Most automated driving systems aren’t good at making sure drivers pay attention, insurance group says
Read full article: Most automated driving systems aren’t good at making sure drivers pay attention, insurance group saysMost electronic systems that take on some driving tasks for humans don’t adequately make sure drivers are paying attention, and they don’t issue strong enough warnings to make drivers behave.
Snowfall, rain and gusty winds hit Northeast as Tennessee recovers from deadly tornadoes
Read full article: Snowfall, rain and gusty winds hit Northeast as Tennessee recovers from deadly tornadoesA combination of heavy rain, snow, and wind is bringing threats of flooding and power outages to the Northeast.
Police tie car used in Young Dolph's killing to 2nd shooting
Read full article: Police tie car used in Young Dolph's killing to 2nd shootingPolice say they have tied a car used in the killing of rapper Young Dolph to a shooting that left a woman dead and wounded another person days before the ambush on the hip-hop artist.
Nightside Report July 15, 2021: Business owner tracks down stolen car, fights to get it back; Michigan Legislature demands answers over error with unemployment benefits
Read full article: Nightside Report July 15, 2021: Business owner tracks down stolen car, fights to get it back; Michigan Legislature demands answers over error with unemployment benefitsHere are tonight's top stories.
Mercedes recalls vehicles for emergency-call location error
Read full article: Mercedes recalls vehicles for emergency-call location errorFILE - In this Thursday, April 30, 2020 file photo, an employee attaches a Mercedes emblem as he works on a Mercedes-Benz S-class car at the Mercedes plant in Sindelfingen, Germany. German automaker Daimler said it will split itself into two independent companies by spinning off its truck and bus division. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, file)NEW YORK – Mercedes-Benz is recalling more than 1.3 million vehicles because the software in their emergency-call systems could send responders to the wrong location after a crash. The recall comes after Mercedes-Benz learned of a crash in Europe where the automatic emergency-call system sent the wrong position of the vehicle. Mercedes-Benz said that it will notify affected owners and update the software systems at no charge, according to filings with the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Cost controls, luxury sales help Daimler weather pandemic
Read full article: Cost controls, luxury sales help Daimler weather pandemicThe bottom line improved on 2.7 billion euros from 2019, even as top-line revenue fell 11% to 154.3 billion euros. AdDaimler AG faced production shutdowns early in the year along with other automakers but benefitted from recovering demand for luxury cars after the first wave of the virus outbreak. The Mercedes-Benz luxury car division saw sales down only 1% in the last three months of the year. Luxury car sales were boosted by the rebound in China, the division's largest market, where sales rose 12% compared with 2019. Net profit in the fourth quarter rebounded to 3.58 billion euros from a loss of 11 million euros in the same quarter of 2019.
Daimler to spin off trucks, change name to Mercedes-Benz
Read full article: Daimler to spin off trucks, change name to Mercedes-BenzGerman automaker Daimler said it will split itself into two independent companies by spinning off its truck and bus division. The division had revenue last year of 40.2 billion euros ($48.1 billion) for trucks and 4.7 billion for buses. One reason for the spinoff is that the auto business and the truck business are pursuing different technologies as they seek to reduce vehicle emissions. The luxury car business is bringing out new battery-powered models, while the truck business is investing in hydrogen fuel cell technology. The market listing is subject to a decision by an extraordinary shareholder meeting of Daimler shareholders to take place in the third quarter of 2021.
New Mercedes screen to stretch nearly full width of car
Read full article: New Mercedes screen to stretch nearly full width of carThe new electric sedan from Mercedes will replace the conventional dashboard with a screen that extends almost the width of the car. (Mercedes-Benz via AP)FRANKFURT – Daimler's Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a key interior component of its upcoming electric luxury sedan: a large, curved screen that sweeps across almost the entire width of the car in the place of a conventional dashboard. The screen also lets the front seat passenger watch television in some markets, while preventing the driver from watching the passenger's screen to avoid distraction. Kallenius said that in developing the screen, the company focused on eliminating information and activities that could preoccupy drivers. It's the first Mercedes car built on its all-electric framework rather than sharing components with an internal combustion model.
Automaker Daimler rebounds after lockdowns, raises outlook
Read full article: Automaker Daimler rebounds after lockdowns, raises outlookDaimler, maker of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, is reporting third-quarter earnings on Friday Oct. 22, 2020. Quarterly net profit rose to 2.16 billion euros ($2.54 billion), up 19% from 1.81 billion euros in the same quarter a year ago — and improving on a net loss of 1.9 billion euros from the second quarter during the worst of the lockdown. Operating profits, which exclude one-time expenses and financial items such as interest and taxes, rose to 2.42 billion euros from 1.87 billion euros in the same quarter the year before. The company saw strong cash flow and has 13.1 billion euros in net liquidity, resources it can use to develop new technologies such as electric cars and digital services. Daimler AG said that its outlook assumed no new widespread lockdowns.
Daimler AG to pay $1.5B to settle emissions cheating probes
Read full article: Daimler AG to pay $1.5B to settle emissions cheating probesWASHINGTON – Automaker Daimler AG and subsidiary Mercedes-Benz USA have agreed to pay $1.5 billion to the U.S. government and California state regulators to resolve emissions cheating allegations, officials said Monday. The settlement, which includes civil penalties, will also require Daimler to fix the vehicles, officials said. Daimler AG said the settlement would bring costs of about $1.5 billion, while the civil settlement will bring a one-off charge of about $700 million. Fiat Chrysler also is being investigated for allegedly cheating on emissions. In April 2016, the Justice Department asked Daimler to conduct an internal probe into its exhaust emissions certification process.
Mercedes gets big electric van order from Amazon
Read full article: Mercedes gets big electric van order from AmazonAmazon says its buying 1,800 electric delivery vans from Mercedes-Benz, the biggest such order for the German automaker to date. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)BERLIN Amazon says it's buying 1,800 electric delivery vans from Mercedes-Benz, the biggest such order for the German automaker to date. In announcing the order Friday, Mercedes said it would also join a climate initiative established by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The transport sector, including the surge in deliveries from online retailers like Amazon, is a major source of carbon emissions. While the e-van order with Mercedes is Amazon's biggest in Europe, it is dwarfed by a contract it signed last year with U.S. start-up Rivian to deliver 100,000 electric delivery vans by 2030.
Judge denies motion to dismiss Mercedes lawsuit against artists whose murals appeared in ads
Read full article: Judge denies motion to dismiss Mercedes lawsuit against artists whose murals appeared in adsDETROIT - A judge denied a motion Tuesday to dismiss a lawsuit Mercedes-Benz filed against artists whose murals appeared in the automaker's ads. When several artists, including Detroit artist James "Dabls" Lewis, complained about the use of the art in the ads, the automaker sued them. Mercedes is suing to show that it is able to use the murals in its ads. While Judge Avern Cohn didn't dismiss the lawsuit, he did say, "These murals have a uniqueness... "What's to stop companies from following around artists and pillaging these works of art at will?"
Mercedes car trackers raise privacy concerns
Read full article: Mercedes car trackers raise privacy concerns(CNN) - Mercedes-Benz is using location censors to track and repossess vehicles in the United Kingdom when drivers fall behind on payments, raising privacy concerns and leading one prominent politician to call for a government investigation. Location sensors are fitted to most new vehicles in Europe, and used in the event of a crash. But the German luxury brand has at times activated trackers to help it find and repossess cars. The use of tracking, which was first reported by UK newspaper The Sun, set off a debate about privacy. "While what Mercedes are doing is technically legal, it belies a deeper problem that motorists are under ever-increasing levels of surveillance," Christopher Weatherhead, technology lead for Privacy International, said.
Mercedes-Benz to build new 200,000-square-foot facility near I-696 in Farmington Hills
Read full article: Mercedes-Benz to build new 200,000-square-foot facility near I-696 in Farmington HillsFARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. - Mercedes-Benz has revealed plans for a new 200,000-square-foot facility next to I-696 in Farmington Hills, a project that's expected to create hundreds of new construction jobs. The new office space is set to become headquarters for Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA and regional headquarters for Daimler Mobility Americas, company officials said. It will be an open environment and include a fitness center, cafe, coffee bar and more, company officials said. Peter Henn, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz, released the following statement:"This project brings together two longstanding, committed community partners to invest in Farmington Hills, which has proudly been our home for more than a decade. We are proud to work on this exciting new project while we continue the current progress in our hometown of Detroit."
Chinese carmakers now own 15% of Germany's Daimler
Read full article: Chinese carmakers now own 15% of Germany's DaimlerAndreas Rentz/Getty ImagesSTUTTGART, Germany - Daimler and China's BAIC are the latest carmakers to take their relationship to the next level. The German owner of Mercedes-Benz confirmed Tuesday that its Chinese partner, BAIC, has acquired 5% of its shares. Daimler already owns 9.6% of the listed subsidiary BAIC Motor. Li Shufu, chairman of another Chinese carmaker Geely, owns 9.7% of Daimler. The BAIC investment reflects two industry priorities: Global carmakers are teaming up with Chinese rivals to improve their standing in the huge market, and they're partnering to share the cost of developing new technologies.