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Our reporters empty their notebooks to round up this week's gossip from across the automotive industry

This week's selection of snippets from the automotive sphere brings news of Nissan pressing pause on performance, why Chinese brand Aiways thinks it can succeed in Europe, what plans Daimler has made for autonomy and more. 

Daimler's not in the driver's seat

Daimler will expand its autonomous vehicle operations this year, according to boss Dieter Zetsche. A “fully automated” shuttle service will begin trials in San Jose, California, in partnership with Bosch, while 500 million euros will be invested in getting “highly automated” trucks on the road in the next year. 

2018 12 06 Nissan gt r50 production version   exterior image 3 0

Nismo no-go?

The expansion of Nissan’s Nismo sporting sub-brand is on hold while bosses try to work out the “most cost-effective” model lines for it, according to product strategy manager Peter Bedrosian. He said that because EVs are “a priority” for Nissan, it’s likely such a powertrain would be top of the agenda.

Audi's winning formula 

Audi’s decision to have its Formula E involvement sit under its technical development wing has major benefits, according to Formula E team boss Allan McNish. “What we do has to have relevance. It gives Audi an understanding of what is needed for a production electric car,” he said. 

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Cheap and EV

China’s Aiways will expand into Europe with the U5 SUV and overseas operations boss Alexander Klose is targeting a starting price of “around 30,000 euro”. He claims it can undercut European EVs thanks to “highly efficient components, a Chinese manufacturing base and having built a car specifically as an EV”.

Read more

Chinese car maker Aiways to bring electric SUV and supercar to Europe

Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign: Production details and specs confirmed

Daimler trials convoy of connected autonomous lorries​

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