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☆ Mercedes to release a 'little' G-Class in a 'few years,' CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMercedes to release a 'little' G-Class in a 'few years,' CEO saysSpeaking at the IAA motor show, Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius talks to CNBC's Annette Weisbach about plans for a "little" G-Class, as well as the path to zero emissions and the future of the brand.

Persons: Mercedes, Ola Källenius, CNBC's Annette Weisbach Organizations: IAA

☆ Mercedes to release a smaller version of its G Class luxury SUV
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Mercedes-Benz G Class is a luxury SUV that has become popular in the U.S.Mercedes plans to launch a smaller version of its high-end G Class sports utility vehicle, the German carmaker's CEO told CNBC in an interview Sunday. The G Class, a rugged off-road car which starts at just under $140,000, is popular with buyers in the U.S. Now Ola Kallenius, CEO of Mercedes, confirmed a "little G" is on the horizon, a smaller version of the G Class. The G Class is known for being difficult to get your hands on, with Mercedes controlling the supply of the luxury off-road car. "The G Class is an icon, it is difficult to get one.

Persons: Mercedes, Ola Kallenius, Kallenius, CNBC's Annette Weisbach, Bentley Organizations: Mercedes, Benz, CNBC, Rover Locations: U.S

Mercedes will also offer a lithium-iron-phosphate, or LFP, battery in the new CLA model lineup due to hit showrooms in early 2025, a first for any Mercedes EV, the CEO said in an interview. Mercedes will preview the future electric CLA with a prototype to be unveiled at the IAA auto show in Munich, Germany on Sunday. Getting more driving range using less energy from the battery is the key target for the German automaker's future EV development, Kaellenius said. Driving range remains a critical competitive benchmark in the EV market. Mercedes engineers have been testing ways to improve EV efficiency using long road trips in a prototype vehicle called the Vision EQXX.

Persons: Ola Kaellenius, Mercedes, Tesla, Kaellenius, Joe White, Susan Fenton Organizations: DETROIT, Benz, Reuters, EV, Tesla, Sunday, VW, Consumers, Thomson Locations: China, Munich, Germany, Europe, United States

Delivering affordable electric vehicles (EVs) has become a priority for car makers worldwide as the shift to cleaner driving has come with high prices, due largely to battery costs. In 2022, Chinese car makers had a 9% share of Europe's EV market, nearly double the previous year's figure, according to forecasts by consultancy Inovev. Tavares said Western car makers needed to use "the same weapons" as their Chinese rivals, sourcing parts in lower cost countries and striking partnerships with battery suppliers that offer the best combination of energy, cost and weight. Once-dominant Western automakers are also striving to regain ground in China itself, the world's largest car market, after losing share to local manufacturers. Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) said on Thursday it was sticking to its strategy and would not engage in a price war to "buy" market share in China.

Persons: France's, Thierry Pieton, Luca de Meo, Tesla, Carlos Tavares, Tavares, Mercedes, Ola Kaellenius, Kaellenius, Victoria Waldersee, Silvia Aloisi, Mark Potter Organizations: Western, France's Renault, Finance, Renault, SAIC, Inovev, Jato, Tesla, Peugeot, Fiat, Benz, Mercedes, Thomson Locations: Europe, U.S, Western, China, Berlin

All eyes are onJudge Aileen Cannon, who is presiding over the first pretrial hearing Tuesday in the DOJ's prosecution of Donald Trump. Since the confirmation, a least one other Cannon case made national headlines. Judge Aileen Cannon gave her confirmation testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee over Zoom on July 29, 2020. There, she prosecuted cases involving narcotics, fraud, firearms, and immigration cases, according to her Senate confirmation document. Cannon during her confirmation hearing thanked Rubio as well as fellow Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida for their "continued support."

Persons: Aileen Cannon, Donald Trump, Cannon, Nancy Pelosi, Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Department's, Trump, Jack Smith's, Bill Barr, behead, Mercedes Cubas, Federalist Society —, Steven Colloton, Gibson, Dunn, Crutcher, Josh Lorence, Ron DeSantis, Lynne Sladky, Lorence, Bobby Flay, DeSantis, Republican Sen, Marco Rubio, Rubio, Rick Scott of, " Rubio, Democratic Sen, Dianne Feinstein, they'd, Pelosi, Paul Hoeffer, Hoeffer, Cannon's, Fort, Paul G Organizations: Trump, Lago, Service, US, Justice Department, Department, FBI, Fox News, Senate, Democratic Rep, Zoom, Committee, Duke University, El, El Nuevo Herald, Miami Herald, University of Michigan Law School, Federalist Society, Crutcher LLP, Southern, Southern District of, GOP, White, Republican, Democratic, Rogers, CNN Locations: Mar, Wall, Silicon, Trump's, Lago, Florida, Alexandria, Cortez of New York, Cali , Colombia, Miami , Florida, Cuba, Spain, El Nuevo, Iowa, Washington ,, Southern District, Southern District of Florida, Athens, Greece, Vero Beach , Florida, Marco Rubio of Florida, Rick Scott of Florida, Cortez, Fort Pierce , Florida, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach

☆ Mercedes drivers can soon turn to ChatGPT for voice control
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) on Thursday said U.S. drivers could power some of their luxury vehicles with ChatGPT in a test program starting June 16. Compatible with some 900,000 vehicles that have the automaker's "MBUX" systems, ChatGPT will download over the air after drivers opt in via a Mercedes app or by voice command, the company said. Mercedes said ChatGPT would make its car system's answers sound more natural and would let drivers ask for destination information or address other queries, like what to cook for dinner. The automaker had previously let drivers and passengers issue a range of requests by voice, such as turning on seat heaters. Findings from the test program will inform Mercedes' plans for adding such artificial intelligence to other countries and in other languages, the company said.

Persons: Yves Herman, ChatGPT, Mercedes, Alexa, Jeffrey Dastin, Jamie Freed Organizations: Mercedes, Benz, REUTERS, Microsoft, General, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Palo Alto , California, Bengaluru

☆ Hamilton expects wins mark to fall to Verstappen
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MONTREAL, June 15 (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton holds the record for Grand Prix wins but the seven-times Formula One world champion recognised on Thursday that Max Verstappen could smash that mark. "He's got a very long career ahead of him so absolutely," Hamilton said referring to Verstappen's chances of eclipsing his record. Verstappen can deliver Red Bull's 100th Formula One victory this weekend and step up alongside the late Brazilian great Ayrton Senna with a career haul of 41 wins. He will start his 318th grand prix on Sunday on the circuit where he claimed his first win in 2007. During an 18-month funk, Mercedes has managed a single win that from George Russell at the Brazil Grand Prix last November.

Persons: Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Hamilton, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, He's, We've, Ayrton Senna, Sergio Perez, Red Bull, Verstappen, Hamilton's, Mercedes, George Russell, we've, Steve Keating, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: Grand Prix, Mercedes, Circuit, Briton, One's, Prix, Spanish, Star, Thomson Locations: MONTREAL, Montreal, Dutch, Saudi Arabia, Brazil

☆ Luck of the draw: Trump's judge will likely be his appointee Aileen Cannon, who has already handed him victories that had legal experts scratching their heads
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | Insider Staff | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Judge Aileen Cannon is likely to preside over the first-ever federal trial of a former president. Cannon, 42, has been assigned to oversee Trump's trial, according to a summons cited by numerous news outlets. At that time, a magistrate judge on duty — and not Cannon — is expected to oversee the proceedings. The judge will likely decide whether to set bail, and read the charges against Trump before he enters a plea. "Judge Cannon is a great judge who I am very proud to have enthusiastically supported," Rubio told Insider through his office when asked about the connection.

Persons: Aileen Cannon, Trump, —, Aileen Cannon —, Donald Trump —, Cannon, Jon Sale, Sale, Cannon recuses, It's, Cannon's, Nelson Mullins Riley, Fort, Paul G, Donald Trump, ANDY BUCHANAN, Mercedes Cubas, Federalist Society —, Steven Colloton, Gibson, Dunn, Crutcher, Josh Lorence, Lorence, Bobby Flay, Ron DeSantis, Republican Sen, Marco Rubio, Rubio, Rick Scott of, " Rubio, Democratic Sen, Dianne Feinstein, they'd, Nancy Pelosi, Cortez, Paul Hoeffer, Hoeffer Organizations: Service, Department of, Trump, Southern District of, Appeals, Scarborough LLP, Miami Herald, Rogers, Getty, Committee, Duke University, El, El Nuevo Herald, University of Michigan Law School, Federalist Society, Crutcher LLP, Southern, Republican, Senate, Democratic Locations: Department of Justice's, Miami, Mar, Palm Beach , Florida, Southern District, Southern District of Florida, West Palm Beach County, Fort Pierce , Florida, West Palm Beach, AFP, Cali , Colombia, Miami , Florida, Cuba, Spain, El Nuevo, Iowa, Washington ,, Florida, Athens, Greece, Vero Beach , Florida, DeSantis, Marco Rubio of Florida, Rick Scott of Florida, Cortez of New York

☆ Mercedes won't join Renault's new electric van project-sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, June 2 (Reuters) - Mercedes Benz Group (MBGn.DE), a longtime partner of Renault (RENA.PA) in vans, won't take part in the French company's FlexEvan electric project and will focus instead on its own premium electric vehicle VAN.EA, two sources with knowledge of the matter said. A spokeswoman of Mercedes confirmed that the group had no plan to launch a mid-sized van or a large one on a different platform than VAN.EA. Renault has long sought to expand its cooperation in vans with Mercedes, but in vain. "It is true that for light commercial vehicles, the bulk (of the cooperation with Mercedes) has been done", one of the sources said. Reporting by Gilles Guilaume; Editing by Silvia Aloisi and David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: FlexEvan, Mercedes, Luca de Meo, Carlos Ghosn, Gilles Guilaume, Silvia Aloisi, David Holmes Organizations: Mercedes Benz Group, Renault, Nissan, Renault Trucks, Sweden's Volvo, Mercedes, Daimler, Thomson Locations: U.S

☆ Mercedes car "a nasty piece of work" fumes Wolff
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MIAMI, May 6 (Reuters) - Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff slammed the Formula One outfit's car as "a nasty piece of work" on Saturday after a frustrating qualifying effort for the Miami Grand Prix left the Austrian scratching his head and at times speechless. But it has been all downhill from there with Russell qualifying sixth for Sunday's race and Hamilton 13th, his worst ever qualifying at any circuit in the United States. "It's the lack of comprehension of what it is, that makes this car such a nasty piece of work. "I think that the car is not a nice car, not a good car and I wouldn't even be able to point out fundamentally it's just...," paused Wolff searching for the right words. "That's worse than I thought because we have 20 months on since we were last time in Miami and the car is just marginally better," said Wolff.

☆ Miami Grand Prix: How to watch and everything you need to know as F1 returns to Florida
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Charlie Webster | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Despite more competitive sessions, fans were left disappointed with the lack of overtaking in last week’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix. What happened last yearIn last year’s inaugural Miami Grand Prix, Ferrari locked out the front row in qualifying with Charles Leclerc taking pole position and teammate Carlos Sainz starting P2. Max Verstappen is the only previous winner of the Miami Grand Prix. Only a chaotic Australian Grand Prix, in which Pérez began from the pit lane after crashing in qualifying, has prevented a perfect start for Red Bull. Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty ImagesFlorida-born rookie Logan Sargeant will be hoping to score his first F1 points at his home Grand Prix.

CNN —Lewis Hamilton is one of the greatest sportsmen of his generation, a seven-time world champion and an influential philanthropist. “The crazy thing is I’m in my 17th year of this sport […] I’m still grafting. I’m still having to work like never before to be able to excel in a sport that’s constantly evolving. “There’s not a lot of Black equity and Black leadership within sports in general, so that’s something I’m really passionate about being a part of changing. I’m really grateful for it.

☆ In race for efficient EVs, Mercedes taps F1 team to keep up with Tesla
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

In this article MBG-FF Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTLewis Hamilton of Great Britain drives the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W13 on race day during the 2023 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park on April 2, 2023 in Melbourne. But Mercedes' F1 collaboration to build more efficient EVs faster is unprecedented because it embeds that racing mindset and technological expertise directly in product development. After decades of leadership in combustion-engine technology, legacy carmakers like Mercedes have lagged Tesla in electric vehicles. Mercedes' F1 team can help it get back in the race, said Steven Merkt, head of transportation solutions at TE Connectivity , a major autos supplier. Last year, Mercedes unveiled its EQXX concept car, a super-efficient EV capable of a range of more than 1,200 km (745 miles), which was jointly developed with the German premium carmaker's F1 team in England.

☆ You can make your Mercedes EV go faster for $60 a month
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle owners in North America who want a little more power and speed can now buy 60 horsepower for just $60 a month or, on other models, 80 horsepower for $90 a month. Various automakers have touted the potential for recurring revenue from subscription features like this. The power-unleashing software upgrades are available through the Mercedes Me online store in the vehicles. The availability of downloadable upgrades and features allows Mercedes customers to continuously customize their vehicles to fit changing needs and preferences, Mercedes said in an announcement. Mercedes never wants customers to press a button and get an annoying “Subscribe for use” pop-up on the center screen.

☆ Lack of electric vans opens door for Chinese, other EV makers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/3] Tristan Thomas, CEO of Packfleet, demonstrates charging an electric van made by Chinese brand Maxus at the fully-electric package delivery firm's headquarters in London, Britain, October 27, 2022. Packfleet grew tenfold in 2022 and CEO Tristan Thomas said most of the company's 53-vehicle fleet are Maxus vans. SAIC said it sold 18,000 mostly electric Maxus brand vehicles in Western Europe and Scandinavia last year, including buses and pickup trucks. Fleet manager Sean Clifton has 50 additional Ford vans and 20 Maxus vans on order, but will need more soon as Asda electrifies its 1,300 delivery vans. There is no difference in delays for conventional and electric vans at Renault, said commercial vehicle marketing director John Cleworth.

☆ Charlie Munger says BYD is so far ahead of Tesla in China it's almost ridiculous
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Charlie Munger said Wednesday that Tesla pales in comparison to BYD in China, calling the Chinese electric vehicle maker his favorite stock ever. Berkshire initial investment is now "worth about $8 billion or maybe $9 [billion]. Berkshire has actually been trimming its BYD stake in the past year as the stock has become increasingly pricey. "At the current price of BYD stock, little BYD is worth more than the entire Mercedes corporation. It's not a cheap stock, but on the other hand, it's a very remarkable company," Munger said.

☆ Mercedes-Benz's new self-driving tech is turning up the heat on Tesla at the worst possible time
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Its Drive Pilot feature allows drivers to not pay attention to the road in certain situations. Drive Pilot is a "really big deal," Bryant Walker-Smith, a law professor at the University of South Carolina who specializes in autonomous vehicles, told Insider. But at one level higher, Mercedes' Drive Pilot allows a driver's attention to wander to other tasks in certain situations. There are some caveats: When Drive Pilot hits roads later in 2023, it will only work on certain freeways in Nevada and only at speeds under 40 mph. Still, Drive Pilot isn't sparking a revolution in the way people drive — or don't — just yet.

☆ Mercedes is the first automaker to deploy actual
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Mercedes’ Drive Pilot system is designed to work on highways in dense traffic at speeds of less than 40 miles per hour. The Mercedes system is considered Level 3 Automation, as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers. Even Tesla’s Autopilot and so-called “Full Self-Driving” technologies require that the driver pay attention to the road outside the car at all times. Among other technologies, the Mercedes system relies on lidar, which is similar to radar but uses laser light, rather than radio waves, to detect objects in its surroundings. The Mercedes system also uses a rear-facing a camera in the back window, a microphone to listen for emergency vehicles and road wetness sensors inside the wheel well.

☆ Tesla needs to separate itself from Elon Musk's personality to win back investors after 75% crash, NYU's 'dean of valuation' says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Tesla needs to separate itself from Elon Musk's personality to win back investors, according to NYU's Aswath Damodaran. Shares of Tesla have cratered more than 70% from their record high as investors grow concerned about Musk's focus on Twitter. "You're no longer buying a company, you're buying a human being," Damodaran said. "It's a danger buying a company that's so closely tied to a personality that you're no longer buying a company you're buying a human being," Damodaran said. Meanwhile, a Tesla shareholder in Iceland submitted a resolution for Tesla investors to vote on in May as to whether the board of directors should prepare and maintain a key-risk report, according to the LA Times.

☆ Meet 41-year old Judge Aileen Cannon, the Trump-nominated Floridian who will pick the special master to weed through the documents seized at Mar-a-Lago
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Judge Aileen Cannon recently reversed a big win that she had handed Trump's defense team. Judge Aileen Cannon gave her confirmation testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee over Zoom on July 29, 2020. There, she prosecuted cases involving narcotics, fraud, firearms, and immigration cases, according to her Senate confirmation document. Cannon during her confirmation hearing thanked Rubio as well as fellow Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida for their "continued support." "Judge Cannon is a great judge who I am very proud to have enthusiastically supported," Rubio told Insider through his office when asked about the connection.

☆ Putin drove across a newly fixed bridge to Crimea that was blown up. It is the closest he's come to his war in Ukraine.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin drove across a newly repaired bridge in Crimea on Monday. The Kerch Bridge was rocked by an explosion on October 8, causing significant damage. Putin's visit is the closest he's been to the front lines of the devastating war he started. On Monday, Putin drove across a newly repaired bridge to the occupied Crimean peninsula that was blown apart a couple months ago. As for its involvement during the ongoing war, the bridge was used by Russian troops to move military equipment.

☆ Mercedes CEO: 'absolutely inconceivable' to write off China
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FRANKFURT, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) Chief Executive Ola Källenius on Monday spoke out against distancing oneself from China, saying it was "absolutely inconceivable" to write off the country. The comments came days after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz led a delegation of business leaders to China, urging German companies to diversify should the relationship between the two countries sour. Källenius, speaking at an event at Berlin's ESMT business school, said he was deeply convinced of the benefits of globalization and that it was absolutely right for Scholz to be the first Western leader to visit President Xi Jinping recently after his term extension. "To back away from China because something might happen would be the wrong direction," Källenius said. Reporting by Ilona Wissenbach; Writing by Tom Sims; Editing by Richard ChangOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Zadeh Kicks boss Michael Malekzadeh, who made millions taking payments for Nike Air Jordans he failed to deliver, faces multiple fraud charges
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A $300 million sneaker mogul is facing extensive fraud charges over the sale of popular shoes. He pre-sold Nike Air Jordan 11 Cool Grey sneakers for $115 to $200 a pair, while they retailed at $225. Malekzadeh has been charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud which carries a 30-year maximum sentence, and money laundering. Malekzadeh, 39, from Eugene, Oregon, went on to accept preorder sales for 600,000 Air Jordans from customers, helping him rake in $70 million. Malekzadeh faces another lawsuit from American Express for unpaid charges, with the group pursuing him for millions more in damages, filings show.

☆ Mercedes-Benz to quit Russian market, sell shares to local investor
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The Mercedes-Benz logo is seen on a car at a new Mercedes-Benz plant's cornerstone laying ceremony in the town of Esipovo outside Moscow, Russia, June 20, 2017. REUTERS/Tatyana MakeyevaBERLIN/MOSCOW, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) said on Wednesday it would withdraw from the Russian market and sell shares in its industrial and financial services subsidiaries to a local investor, becoming the latest carmaker to exit the country. Mercedes-Benz Russia said shares in the local subsidiaries would be sold to car dealer chain Avtodom. "Final completion of the transaction is subject to the authority's approval and the implementation of contractually agreed conditions," he added. The Association of European Businesses (AEB) said 9,558 Mercedes vehicles were sold in Russia from January to September, down 72.8% from a year earlier.

☆ Trump company set for criminal trial in an off-books pay scheme
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

If convicted, the Trump Organization could be fined more than $1 million — but that's not the only potential fallout. The Trump Organization has said it did nothing wrong and that it looks forward "to having our day in court." The former Trump Organization chief financial officer must also pay nearly $2 million in taxes, penalties and interest and complete five years of probation. When the Trump Organization and Weisselberg were indicted in 2021, prosecutors called the tax scheme "sweeping and audacious" and said it was "orchestrated by the most senior executives." "The purpose of the scheme was to compensate Weisselberg and other Trump Organization executives in a manner that was 'off the books,'" the indictment said.

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