Last week I wrote an article about Lynk & Co, a subsidiary of Geely who have become a companion brand to Volvo, also owned by Geely. In that article I wrote that Volvo had bought a stake in Lynk & Co. Recently, Geely bought 10% of Daimler for $9B and there have been reports that Daimler would buy a stake in Volvo. This is an example of the convoluted ownership … [Read more...]
What Happened to China’s Straddling Bus?
I read about this a couple of years ago and it intrigued me - mainly because of the naysayers who said it wouldn’t work - it actually didn’t but not because of the reasons put forward at the time! The Concept Very simply, a mass transit system that would straddle a two lane road to allow vehicles to pass underneath and as such would not be a blockage like buses or trams are … [Read more...]
Volvo with Lynk and Co
I recently wrote an article about Pontiac, a “companion” brand to Oakland that ultimately pushed it’s parent out of the market. Lynk and Co. is a modern interpretation of a companion brand having been created in 2016 by Zeijhiang Geely Holding Group, the current owners of Volvo, Proton (who own Lotus) and the London Taxi Company. The brand has just started selling their … [Read more...]
Ford has to Plan Production Around a Loose Cannon
Last year during the first few months of Donald Trump’s Presidency, Ford made an announcement to invest heavily in manufacturing plants in Michigan. In Trump’s typical mode of operation, he applauded the plan as something that had happened under his watch. The President even tweeted: “Major investment to be made in three Michigan plants. Car companies coming back to U.S. JOBS! … [Read more...]
Discussion on China’s Decision to Ban Petrol Vehicles
In September last year, China joined the UK and France in announcing that they would ban petrol and diesel car sales. Unlike the European countries who stated that 2040 was the year for the ban, the China announcement is open ended. There are a couple of comments to make on this. Firstly, China is a big player in electric vehicles (EV) and the battery technology that … [Read more...]
