AUTO

California has issues with federal attempts to weaken new vehicle pollution standards, but the state backed away on Wednesday from a report that it was threatening to pull out of a deal with U.S. President Barack Obama's administration.

Dutch luxury car maker Spyker Cars said on Thursday it is nearing an outcome in its talks to buy Saab from General Motors, although it gave no indication as to how the talks were going.

A sister company to Toyota Motor Corp secured a lithium supply deal in Argentina on Wednesday that could help the world's largest automaker keep its lead in gasoline-electric hybrid cars.

U.S. carmaker General Motors will close its Opel plant in the Belgian port city of Antwerp, sources said on Wednesday, slamming the door on hopes to save the jobs of the site's 2,300 staff.

Japan has changed its auto replacement incentive program to give U.S. cars more chance to qualify after the United States complained its automakers were shut out, the Japanese government said on Tuesday.

Top European carmaker Volkswagen plans to build its fifth plant in China along with its Chinese partner, with an initial annual production capacity of at least 200,000 units, the 21th Century Business Herald said on Wednesday.

Chrysler Group LLC will recall 24,177 vehicles due to a potential defect in a brake system that could result in sudden brake failure, the automaker said in a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Toyota Motor Corp aims to double its global output of gas-electric hybrid cars to 1 million units in 2011, as it fights to stay in the lead in the growing market for low-emission cars, the Nikkei business reported on Monday.

Dutch luxury car maker Spyker Cars said on Monday it was still in talks to buy Swedish auto brand Saab from General Motors, but gave no indication of when a deal might be clinched.

Opel management called on staff to abandon any false illusions that parent General Motors was the root cause of the ailing European carmaker's problems and accept its own shortcomings.

Volkswagen's light commercial vehicles (LCV) unit warned the industry has not yet escaped last year's violent market downturn, the maker of the all new Amarok pickup said on Monday.

General Motors' German unit Opel appointed a new management team on Friday led by Nick Reilly as chief executive and a close ally, Mark James, as finance chief.

The chairman of Volvo, the world's second biggest truck maker, resigned on Friday in what analysts said was a surprising move just three months away from the firm's annual general meeting.

Quebec's power utility is teaming up with Mitsubishi Motors to road test the performance of up to 50 all-electric vehicles against the rigors of the Canadian climate and measure their infrastructure needs.

Canadian auto parts maker Magna International Inc forecast 2010 sales of $19.5 billion to $20.5 billion and said it would spend $750 million to $800 million for fixed assets during the year.

Dutch sports car maker Spyker is working around the clock to clinch a deal to buy Sweden's Saab and has a deadline of days not weeks as parent General Motors GM.UL starts winding down the business, Spyker's CEO said on Tuesday.

Luxembourg-based Genii Capital is working to improve its offer for ailing Swedish carmaker Saab, a spokesman for the investment firm said on Tuesday.

U.S. automakers and officials at the Detroit auto show struck an optimistic yet cautious tone on Monday as they sought to put a toxic year of slumping sales and massive government aid behind.

Honda 2011 Honda CR-Z sport hybrid coupe made its debut on Monday, launching a vehicle designed with fun and energy efficiency in mind.

Japan's Hitachi Ltd said it has developed lithium-ion batteries for plug-in hybrid vehicles and plans to start commercial production by 2013, aiming to take a slice of a market with strong growth potential.

General Motors Co could post a profit in 2010 if the U.S. industry stages modest recovery but remains subject to the risk that the improving trend in the U.S. economy is reversed, the automaker's vice chairman, Bob Lutz, said on Monday.

General Motors Co will build a Cadillac version of its highly anticipated battery-powered Chevy Volt sometime in 2013 or later.

South Korea's LG Chem Co Ltd will sell rechargeable batteries for hybrid cars to Ford Motor Co from 2012, with the annual sales estimated to reach 500 billion won ($447 million), local media said on Monday.

The Obama administration plans on Monday to announce the selection of nine projects totaling $187 million aimed at improving the fuel efficiency of cars and trucks.

Demand for luxury sedans like the sleek new E-Class Coupe helped power a 12 percent rise in global sales of Mercedes-Benz brand cars in December, closing off an otherwise dreadful year on a brighter note.

General Motors Co said on Thursday it will seek to sell its Nexteer Automotive business -- the steering unit the U.S. automaker took back from former parts subsidiary Delphi Corp last year.

Tianjin Qingyuan Electric Vehicle Co, the first Chinese automaker to break into the United States, hopes to significantly boost sales of its self-developed electric models in the world's second-largest market this year, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday.

Hyundai Motor Co is bracing for tougher competition in India as more global rivals attack the small-car segment, but said it would continue to be a top player due to its big volumes and sprawling sales network.

Nissan Motor Co will soon offer a line-up of nine vehicles in India including five built locally as it aims to catch up with rivals in the fast-growing market, the head of its Indian operations said.