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☆ Alex Marquez battles fire and damp track to take pole at Argentina GP
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 1 (Reuters) - Alex Marquez overcame a crash and fire on his Gresini Ducati machine in the first qualifying session to take his maiden pole position in MotoGP at the Argentina Grand Prix on Saturday, on a damp track where his tyre gamble paid off. "I did my best with the wet tyres. Later on I go in I thought there was no time to change the tyres. But we changed the tyres... and it was working, so really happy for that and looking forward to the sprint and the race." Maverick Vinales of Aprilia, who dominated Friday practice, was fifth fastest while Johann Zarco of Pramac Racing completes the second row.

☆ Marquez apologises for Oliveira crash at Portuguese GP, accepts penalty
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PORTIMAO, Portugal, March 26 (Reuters) - Honda's Marc Marquez apologised for his mistake and accepted a penalty after a collision with local favourite Miguel Oliveira saw both riders crash out of season-opening Portuguese Grand Prix on Sunday. loading"First of all I'm very sorry to Oli, his team, to his fans at the Portuguese GP. I did a big mistake," Marquez told MotoGP. Sometimes these kind of things happen in races and I understand I made a big mistake," he added. Honda team manager Alberto Puig said it was 'impossible' for Marquez to avoid the crash.

☆ Bagnaia wins first ever MotoGP sprint at Portuguese Grand Prix
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

March 25 (Reuters) - Reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia won the first ever MotoGP sprint with a last-lap overtake at the season-opening Portuguese Grand Prix on Saturday to earn 12 points and move to the top of the rider's standings ahead of the race on Sunday. On the final lap, Martin looked set to take the chequered flag but the Spaniard went wide on a turn, opening the door for Bagnaia to storm ahead and win the sprint. "It was fun, but it was difficult for the win," said Bagnaia, who had dropped to third midway through the sprint. Sunday's race will have the same grid order after the qualifying session with Marquez on pole. Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru Editing by Toby Davis and Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Volkswagen joins China price war as new emissions rule looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Guangzhou Automobile Group, the Chinese partner of both Honda Motor Co Ltd and Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T), has also offered subsidies running from March 15 to March 31. Chinese passenger vehicle sales fell 20% in January-February, industry data showed, even as some manufacturers offered reduced prices to stimulate demand. Sales of new energy vehicles, which include all-battery and plug-in battery-petrol hybrid vehicles, grew faster than the overall market, accounting for over 30% in February. In the same month, Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD Co Ltd (002594.SZ) outsold Volkswagen-branded cars for the second month in four. ($1 = 6.8923 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Zhang Yan and Brenda Goh; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ SAIC-Volkswagen offers $537 mln in subsidies through April 30
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Guangzhou Automobile Group, the Chinese partner of both Honda Motor Co Ltd and Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T), has also offered subsidies running from March 15 to March 31. Chinese passenger vehicle sales fell 20% in January-February, industry data showed, even as some manufacturers offered reduced prices to stimulate demand. Sales of new energy vehicles, which include all-battery and plug-in battery-petrol hybrid vehicles, grew faster than the overall market, accounting for over 30% in February. In the same month, Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD Co Ltd (002594.SZ) outsold Volkswagen-branded cars for the second month in four. ($1 = 6.8923 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Zoey Zhang and Brenda Goh; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ GM CEO meets with senators on self-driving cars
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The Cruise Origin autonomous vehicle, a Honda and General Motors self-driving car partnership, is seen during its unveiling in San Francisco, California, U.S. January 21, 2020. REUTERS/Stephen Lam/File PhotoWASHINGTON, March 16 (Reuters) - General Motors (GM.N) CEO Mary Barra met with two key senators on Thursday as the Detroit automaker pushes for legislation to speed deployment of self-driving vehicles on U.S. roads. He added that Barra discussed with the lawmakers "the future of mobility -- including autonomous vehicles." GM wants to deploy its Origin vehicle, which has subway-like doors and no steering wheels. NHTSA said it received notices of incidents in which self-driving Cruise vehicles "may engage in inappropriately hard braking or become immobilized."

☆ Japan's big firms offer largest pay rises in decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Rengo umbrella labour group has called for a 5% pay increase. The JERC survey showed that excluding seniority-based pay, base compensation that boosts fixed labour costs accounts for just 1.08%. "We need to focus on base pay. Workers from Japan's largest group of trade unions last week struck early agreements for hefty wage hikes. Unions have historically tended to settle for relatively meagre pay hikes around 2% in recent years, as unions are inclined to cooperate with management in keeping job security rather than aggressively demanding pay rises.

☆ Japan's big firms set to offer biggest pay rises in decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Given that consumer inflation, at 4.1%, outpace wage hikes, pay rises of 3% or more need to continue in the coming years to sustain price stability at 2%, said Hisashi Yamada, senior economist at Japan Research Institute. "Average wage hikes that are consistent with the central bank's 2% price target are 3% which can be met this year albeit temporarily," Yamada said. Kishida's government will likely hold a joint three-party meeting with labour and management for the first time in eight years on Wednesday to ensure structural wage hikes. Workers from Japan's largest group of trade unions last week struck early agreements for hefty wage hikes. 1 automaker, and Honda, have also secured their biggest pay rises in decades.

☆ Honda to move Accord production to Indiana as part of EV shift
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, March 14 (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co's U.S. unit said on Tuesday it would move production of its Accord sedan to Indiana in 2025 after assembling the model in Marysville, Ohio for more than 40 years, as part of its shift to electric vehicle (EV) production. Honda said last year it was separately investing $700 million to retool three Ohio plants for electric vehicle production by 2026, including Marysville. Marysville will begin preparing for EV production as early as January by consolidating its two production lines to one to enable it to begin building the EV infrastructure, the company said. Honda began assembling the Accord at its Marysville in November 1982, making it the first Japanese automaker to produce cars in the United States. Honda said Accord production will be transferred to its Indiana auto plant, which builds the Civic Hatchback and CR-V.Honda's transmission plant in Georgia will dedicate one production line to e-axle production - a key EV component - and its Anna, Ohio engine plant will shift production of some engine components to a Honda engine plant in Alabama to prepare for production of battery cases for EV models, the company said.

☆ The 9 best cars for families
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

US News & World Report released its ranking of the best cars for families in 2023. US News & World Report on Tuesday issued its annual ranking of the best new cars for families. Best 2-Row SUV: Hyundai Santa FeThe Hyundai Santa Fe. HyundaiBest Hybrid Car: Toyota Camry HybridThe Toyota Camry Hybrid. Tim Levin/InsiderBest Hybrid SUV: Toyota Highlander HybridThe 2023 Toyota Highlander.

Apple, Google, Cisco, Intel Corp (INTC.O) and Edwards Lifesciences Corp (EW.N) sued the PTO in the California federal court in 2020 over the rule. They argued it undermined the role inter partes review plays in "protecting a strong patent system" and violated federal law. Companies including Tesla, Honda, Comcast and Dell filed briefs at the Federal Circuit in support of the plaintiffs. The California court dismissed the case in 2021, citing U.S. Supreme Court rulings that Patent Trial and Appeal Board decisions on whether to review inter partes review petitions cannot be appealed. The case is Apple Inc v. Vidal, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, No.

☆ Pakistan's Honda Atlas shuts production to end-March on import difficulties
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Ariba Shahid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KARACHI, Pakistan, March 8 (Reuters) - Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan Ltd has announced the longest plant shutdown to date in the current economic crisis amongst the country's automakers, which are struggling to obtain raw materials due to import difficulties. The company, a unit of Japanese car giant Honda Motor Co Ltd (7267.T), said its plant would shut from March 9, 2023, to March 31, 2023. Other listed-automakers, such as Indus Motor Company Limited (INDU) and Pak Suzuki Motor Company (PSMC), have also been forced to halt production during the past three quarters due to Pakistan's economic difficulties, which have seen central bank foreign exchange reserves drop to a level barely able to cover four weeks of imports. “Pakistan has limited dollars and until reserves improve to at least two months’ worth of import cover, import restrictions would likely continue.”Other manufacturing halts in the sector have been between two and 16 days. Reporting by Ariba Shahid in Karachi; Editing by Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File PhotoMarch 6 (Reuters) - American carmakers will lean on technology to keep the horsepower wars going among their electric muscle cars, a tectonic shift from the big, rumbling motors of the past. GM and Dodge have both issued timelines to stop selling gas-powered muscle cars and replace them with electric variants that will wear the same badges. Dodge's Charger and Challenger muscle cars will not be made next year, while Chevrolet has laid out plans for an electric Corvette. Brands such as Polestar and Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) have announced optional power upgrades to their sedans that improve acceleration and total horsepower via paid OTA (over-the-air) software updates. Dodge has said it will transition its muscle cars to an electric platform, and is working to differentiate those models.

[1/2] Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe speaks in this handout picture taken in Marysville, Ohio, U.S., March 1, 2023. HONDA/Handout via REUTERSMARYSVILLE, Ohio, March 3 (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co (7267.T) is moving rapidly to catch up with electric-vehicle competitors in global markets, but the company's top executive said combustion engines could last through 2040 and beyond. Regarding the Japanese automaker's accelerating transition to EVs, Chief Executive Toshihiro Mibe said, “I’ve been in the engine development business for more than 30 years, so personally it’s a little threatening. Before then, Honda in 2024 will get two new electric SUVs, the Honda Prologue and the Acura ZDX, from GM’s Spring Hills factory in Tennessee. Reporting by Paul Lienert in Marysville, Ohio Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ McLaren a potential customer for Red Bull, says Horner
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MANAMA, March 3 (Reuters) - McLaren boss Zak Brown visited Red Bull's factory to discuss a potential Formula One power unit supply when the engine rules change in 2026, Red Bull Racing principal Christian Horner said on Friday. They have also been linked to a return to their former suppliers Honda, who have a partnership deal with Red Bull until 2026. Horner told reporters at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix that Brown had been a visitor to Red Bull Powertrains in Milton Keynes. News of Brown's visit raised some eyebrows given apparently strained relations between the American and Horner last year when Red Bull were found to have breached a budget cap. Without naming Red Bull directly, Brown spoke at the time of excessive spending being effectively cheating.

☆ Factbox: Tesla investor day gives a rare look at executive bench
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Hyunjoo Jin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LARS MORAVY, VICE PRESIDENT, VEHICLE ENGINEERINGThe former Honda (7267.T) engineer joined Tesla in 2010. PETE BANNON, VICE PRESIDENT, HARDWARE ENGINEERINGThe former Apple engineer leads a team that creates the Full Self-Driving hardware. He has served as senior vice president for powertrain and energy engineering since October 2019. FRANZ VON HOLZHAUSEN, SENIOR DESIGN EXECUTIVEThe former director of design for Mazda North America joined Tesla in 2008. LAURIE SHELBY, VICE PRESIDENT, EHS&S (Environmental, Health, Safety, and Security)Shelby joined Tesla in 2017.

☆ Car buyers rejoice: Discounts are making a comeback — but you might have to ask for them
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Car buyers didn't see the end-of-year blowout sales in November and December that they had been used to in holiday seasons' past. Instead, shoppers had to settle for new and used vehicles with markups above sticker price and no wiggle room. That puts discounts now at around $1,297, about 1% higher than the same time in 2022, Deutsche Bank analysts estimated this week. Where buyers might find the best incentivesLuxury vehicles saw the highest incentives at 6.2% in January, KBB said. "There's also some loyalty cash, and there's a pretty decent amount of rebates on some of the higher end vehicles.

☆ Factbox: As Tesla prepares a Mexico plant, a look at auto plants in Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A general view shows the General Motors assembly plant in Ramos Arizpe, in Coahuila state, Mexico February 11, 2021. REUTERS/Daniel BecerrilFeb 28 (Reuters) - Mexico has long been a manufacturing hub in North America for multiple automakers, and the country is trying to position itself for the wave of electric vehicles (EVs) to come. The auto sector is a driver of Mexico's major manufacturing industry, which is heavily integrated into U.S. and Canadian supply chains. Mexican officials on Tuesday said Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) is the latest automaker with plans to build a plant in Mexico. Here are major automakers with plants in Mexico -General Motors Co (GM.N)Silao Plant in the central city in Guanajuato state, produces Chevrolet and GMC full-size pickup trucksRamos Arizpe Plant in the northern city in Coahuila state, builds the Chevrolet Equinox and Blazer SUVs now and will build the 2024 Blazer EV and Equinox EVSan Luis Potosi Plant in the state capital of the central state of San Luis Potosi, produces the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC TerrainFord Motor Co (F.N)Cuautitlan Assembly plant in the central city of Cuautitlan Izcalli, produces Ford Mustang Mach-EHermosillo Assembly Plant in the state capital of the northern state of Sonora, produces Ford Bronco Sport and Ford MaverickToyota Motor Corp (7203.T)Toyota Motor Manufacturing de Baja California in the northern border city of Tijuana, Baja California, produces the Toyota Tacoma pickupToyota Motor Manufacturing de Guanajuato in Apaseo el Grande, Guanajuato, produces the Toyota TacomaStellantis (STLAM.MI)Saltillo Truck Assembly Plant in the state capital of Coahuila, produces Ram light and heavy-duty pickupsSaltillo Van Assembly Plant, makes the Ram ProMaster vanToluca Assembly Plant, produces the Jeep CompassNissan Motor Co (7201.T)Nissan Mexicana (Cuernavaca) in the central city of Jiutepec, produces NP300 pickup truckNissan Mexicana (Aguascalientes 1 Plant) in the central city of Aguascalientes, produces March, Versa, KicksNissan Mexicana (Aguascalientes 2 Plant), produces SentraNissan also has a joint venture plant with Mercedes (MBGn.DE) in Aguascalientes, making the Infinti QX 50 and 55 SUVs, and Mercedes GLB SUVHonda Motor Co (7267.T)Honda de Mexico (HDM) in Celaya, Guanajuato, produces HR-VVolkswagen (VOWG_p.DE)Volkswagen de México in Sanctorum, Puebla, produces Jetta, Tiguan, TaosVW's Audi unit in San José Chiapa, Puebla, produces Audi Q5 premium SUV and plans to start manufacturing EVs by 2027Mazda Motor Corp (7261.T)Mazda de Mexico Vehicle Operation (MMVO) in Salamanca, Guanajuato, produces Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda CX-30Kia AmericaHyundai Motor Co's (005380.KS) Kia has a plant in Pesqueria, Nuevo Leon, produces Kia Forte, RioBMW AGBMW Plant in San Luis Potosi, produces BMW 3 Series, 2 Series and will produce fully electric "Neue Klasse" modelsSOURCES: Carmakers and Auto Forecast SolutionsCompiled by Kannaki Deka in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ LIV ratings trail rival PGA Tour in first CW Network broadcasts
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LIV Golf did not immediately respond to a request for comment. LIV Golf is the first sport to broadcast on the CW Network, after the two parties agreed a multi-year deal in January. Perry Sook, the chairman and CEO of CW Network parent company Nexstar, said on Tuesday's earnings call that the three-day tournament was viewed by more than 1.4 million across the network and its digital platform. "We're very pleased with our first weekend of LIV Golf," said Sook. Bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, LIV Golf attracted some of the sport's biggest names with the promise of supersize paydays and a truncated schedule.

☆ Cars leased in 2020 are worth an average $4,000 more than expected. These models have fared the best
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Sarah O'Brien | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Newsday Llc | Newsday | Getty Images3.3 million cars were leased in 2020An estimated 3.3 million leases were originated in 2020, according to Edmunds. "February 2023 trade-in equity is still more than double the pre-pandemic level," said Thomas King, president of the data and analytics division at J.D. Leased models that have the most extra valueAmong cars leased in 2020, the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class has the highest dollar difference between current trade-in value ($62,257) and its originally estimated residual value ($50,942). The Toyota Sienna has a trade-in value ($30,207) that's $8,741 (or 41%) higher than the $21,465 residual value. If you want to try capitalizing on the positive equity as a trade-in or for cash, start by finding what your vehicle is worth.

☆ How to have fewer regrets about your career
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Rebecca Knight | Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Experts say it's important to grieve career regret, but in reality, there are chances for do-overs. Career regret is linked to anxiety as well as employee dissatisfaction, disengagement, and turnover. 'You need to forgive yourself'The difference between career regret and run-of-the-mill career disappointment is that the root of regret stems from a decision you made, as opposed to one that was made for you. A career disappointment is the job you didn't get; a career regret is the job you walked away from and can't get off your mind. 'In reality, there are plenty of do-overs'It's important to grieve career regret, experts say.

☆ Toyota accepts union demands for biggest wage hike in two decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

As one of Japan’s biggest employers, Toyota (TM) has long served as a bellwether of the spring labor talks, which are in full swing at major companies. Toyota and the union federation representing 357,000 Toyota group workers said the base pay rise was the biggest in two decades, though they both declined to provide the percentage increase. Successful talksToyota said its wage increase would also apply to part-time workers and senior contract workers. Takaaki Sakagami, deputy secretary-general of the Federation of All Toyota Workers’ Union, said the union was pleased it had been able to reach a deal with the company quickly. Video game maker Nintendo (NTDOF) said earlier this month that it planned to lift workers’ base pay by 10%, despite trimming its full-year profit forecast.

TOKYO, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T), the world's biggest automaker, said on Wednesday it would accept a union demand for the biggest base salary increase in 20 years and a rise in bonus payments, as Japan steps up calls for businesses to hike pay. As one of Japan's biggest employers, Toyota has long served as a bellwether of the spring labour talks, which are in full swing at major companies. The All Toyota Workers' Union is set to hold a media briefing later on Wednesday. "We will boost consumption and expand domestic demand by promoting efforts toward structural wage increases," Kishida said at a lower house budget committee session on Wednesday. Video game maker Nintendo Co Ltd (7974.T) said earlier this month that it planned to lift workers' base pay by 10%, despite trimming its full-year profit forecast.

☆ Multiple F1 teams contact Honda for 2026 partnership
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Feb 20 (Reuters) - Several teams have approached Honda about a partnership when Formula One's new engine era starts in 2026 but no decision has been taken about future involvement, the Japanese manufacturer said on Monday. Honda have an agreement to build engines in Japan for world champions Red Bull and sister team AlphaTauri but that will end in 2025. "That is why we have decided to register as manufacturer of a power unit," he explained. "Last year I believe all the power unit manufacturers prioritised performance in their development, and so did we," said Kakuda. He said Honda had further optimised control and energy management and worked with suppliers to improve the precision of parts and power unit assembly.

☆ Get paid up to $10,000 to move? That's great for remote workers, but economists say it's not a good investment for the cities footing the bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

The more than 2,000 people who received Tulsa Remote grants have a median income of more than $85,000. For starters, he found the income generated by recipients of the Tulsa Remote program was just a sliver of the $80 billion the 468,000-plus workers in the Tulsa metro area generated in 2021. A Brookings Institution analysis of the Tulsa Remote program published in September found that the program was generally effective at bringing high-skilled labor to the area. He compared the impact of the incentive program to the opening of a Honda manufacturing plant in Greensburg in 2007. A previous audit from Hoffer's office in 2019 identified two major flaws in the Think Vermont program.

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