Fiat Chrysler withdraws merger offer to Renault after Nissan balks

2017 Fiat 500eA potential merger between Fiat Chrysler and Renault, which would have involved Japanese partners Nissan and Mitsubishi, is off the table. Fiat Chrysler withdrew the offer after Nissan, Renault's larger but junior partner withheld its support. A report in trade journal Automotive News (subscription required), noted that Nissan representatives...

Karma to expand dealerships to 13 US cities, 19 countries by year-end

Karma SC1 Vision Concept  -  2019 Shanghai auto showKarma, the company, is starting its effort in earnest to revive sales of its Revero—the car that started life as the ill-fated Fisker Karma. According to the federal government, Karma sold 231 of the cars in 2018, well down from the 2,667 that Fisker sold in the car's first year on the market. That's partly the result of a paucity of...

BMW teams with Jaguar Land Rover for EV parts

BMW iX3 Concept front 3/4Jaguar Land Rover and BMW announced on Wednesday that they will form an alliance to build the unique parts, beyond the battery, that make up an electric vehicle. The effort will focus on electric drive units (EDUs), including motors, transmissions and power electronics, such as motor controllers. BMW has said it plans to build 25 new plug-in...

Hydrogen supply pinch affects San Francisco fuel-cell drivers

2018 Toyota MiraiHydrogen fuel-cell drivers in California’s San Francisco Bay Area may soon have to find a backup plan—like a gasoline or electric vehicle. As of Wednesday night, 9 out of the 11 passenger-vehicle hydrogen stations in the Bay Area were down due to a hydrogen shortage—a status that remained the same going back to Monday. An...