BEIJING -- China unveiled late Thursday a long-anticipated easing of foreign investment curbs in the auto industry and other key sectors as Beijing moves to open its markets further. China's National Development and Reform Commission published on its website a new version of the so-called negative list, which sets out industries where foreign investment is limited or prohibited, that will take effect July 28. In addition to confirming already announced pledges to fully remove

How fast that revolution will unfold is the source of much dispute and uncertainty. And it matters a great deal to oil demand, electricity demand, greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and global trade flows. In many ways, questions around EVs parallel questions around renewable energy. They have both been consistently underestimated. If they continue beating expectations, revolution is nigh. But there’s also a lot of hype, wildly conflicting projections, and plenty of ris

The Renault-Nissan alliance has announced plans to build electric cars in China in a new venture with Dongfeng Motor, joining the scramble by global automakers to meet Beijing's stringent quotas for zero-emission vehicles. The venture, eGT New Energy Automotive Co, will develop an electric mini-SUV to go into production in 2019 by Dongfeng, the carmaking alliance said, for sale under the partners' own brands. Dongfeng already builds conventional vehicles with Nissan and its F

FRANKFURT -- Daimler and its Chinese joint-venture partner BAIC Motor Corp. have agreed to jointly invest 5 billion yuan ($735 million) in electric-vehicle production in China by 2020 and to provide the infrastructure needed. Of that investment, a three-digit million-euro sum is to be invested in a new battery factory to be built in China by the joint venture, Beijing Benz Automotive Co., Daimler said in a statement on Wednesday. "By 2025, the Chinese market will have a subst

BERLIN/FRANKFURT - Daimler and its Chinese joint venture partner BAIC Motor Corporation agreed to upgrade the Mercedes-Benz factory in Beijing to make electric cars, the German carmaker said on Thursday. At a signing ceremony in Berlin attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Daimler signed a framework agreement to upgrade production facilities at Beijing Benz Automotive Co., Ltd. (BBAC), to make New Energy Vehicles, a label for so-called lo

Here’s what the world looks like to a car guy in Detroit right now: In the U.S. new regulations are cranking up costs while cautious car buyers creep back into showrooms. China’s once-hot sales are cooling–fast. Europe is a total basket case, with too much production capacity and an allout price war. Carmakers from General Motors and Ford Motor to Volkswagen and Daimler warn of difficult times ahead. Market conditions, says VW Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn, have become “n