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After decisive loss at Alabama Mercedes plants, powerful auto union vows to return and win
Read full article: After decisive loss at Alabama Mercedes plants, powerful auto union vows to return and winA decisive vote against the United Auto Workers at two Mercedes factories in Alabama sidetracked the union's grand plan to sign up workers at nonunion plants mainly in the South.
United Auto Workers reaches deal with Daimler Truck, averting potential strike in North Carolina
Read full article: United Auto Workers reaches deal with Daimler Truck, averting potential strike in North CarolinaThe United Auto Workers union announced it reached a last-minute tentative agreement with truck and bus manufacturer Daimler Truck on Friday evening, averting a potential strike of more than 7,000 workers.
Autoworkers union celebrates breakthrough win in Tennessee and takes aim at more plants in the South
Read full article: Autoworkers union celebrates breakthrough win in Tennessee and takes aim at more plants in the SouthThe United Auto Workers union is celebrating a huge win at a Volkswagen plant in Tennessee, where workers will now be represented by the union.
Most automated driving systems are lousy at making sure drivers pay attention, insurance group says
Read full article: Most automated driving systems are lousy at making sure drivers pay attention, insurance group saysMost electronic systems that take on some driving tasks for humans don’t adequately make sure drivers are paying attention, and they don’t issue strong enough warnings to make drivers behave.
Snowfall, rain and gusty winds hit Northeast as Tennessee recovers from deadly tornadoes
Read full article: Snowfall, rain and gusty winds hit Northeast as Tennessee recovers from deadly tornadoesA combination of heavy rain, snow, and wind is bringing threats of flooding and power outages to the Northeast.
No alcohol found in system of Houston woman charged driver in deadly California crash, authorities say
Read full article: No alcohol found in system of Houston woman charged driver in deadly California crash, authorities sayThe driver suspected of causing a fiery crash that killed five people, including a pregnant woman, near Los Angeles has been charged with murder.
HPD: 2 dead after shooting at SE Houston gas station leads to 2 separate car chases
Read full article: HPD: 2 dead after shooting at SE Houston gas station leads to 2 separate car chasesOne man was shot and killed and another was thrown out of a moving vehicle after a shooting at a southeast Houston gas station led to two separate police chases early Monday, according to police
‘Something out of a 007 movie’: Officers recover stolen vehicle equipped with license plate flipper, other high-tech features
Read full article: ‘Something out of a 007 movie’: Officers recover stolen vehicle equipped with license plate flipper, other high-tech featuresPolice officers in California apprehended a suspicious vehicle equipped with technology that seemed like it came straight from the movies this week.
Police tie car used in Young Dolph's killing to 2nd shooting
Read full article: Police tie car used in Young Dolph's killing to 2nd shootingPolice say they have tied a car used in the killing of rapper Young Dolph to a shooting that left a woman dead and wounded another person days before the ambush on the hip-hop artist.
VIDEO: Precinct 5 deputy narrowly escapes injury after suspected drunk driver sideswipes patrol vehicle
Read full article: VIDEO: Precinct 5 deputy narrowly escapes injury after suspected drunk driver sideswipes patrol vehicleA Precinct 5 Deputy Constable narrowly escapes injury after her patrol vehicle was sideswiped by a suspected drunk driver on Monday.
Cost controls, luxury sales help Daimler weather pandemic
Read full article: Cost controls, luxury sales help Daimler weather pandemicThe bottom line improved on 2.7 billion euros from 2019, even as top-line revenue fell 11% to 154.3 billion euros. AdDaimler AG faced production shutdowns early in the year along with other automakers but benefitted from recovering demand for luxury cars after the first wave of the virus outbreak. The Mercedes-Benz luxury car division saw sales down only 1% in the last three months of the year. Luxury car sales were boosted by the rebound in China, the division's largest market, where sales rose 12% compared with 2019. Net profit in the fourth quarter rebounded to 3.58 billion euros from a loss of 11 million euros in the same quarter of 2019.
Daimler to spin off trucks, change name to Mercedes-Benz
Read full article: Daimler to spin off trucks, change name to Mercedes-BenzGerman automaker Daimler said it will split itself into two independent companies by spinning off its truck and bus division. The division had revenue last year of 40.2 billion euros ($48.1 billion) for trucks and 4.7 billion for buses. One reason for the spinoff is that the auto business and the truck business are pursuing different technologies as they seek to reduce vehicle emissions. The luxury car business is bringing out new battery-powered models, while the truck business is investing in hydrogen fuel cell technology. The market listing is subject to a decision by an extraordinary shareholder meeting of Daimler shareholders to take place in the third quarter of 2021.
New Mercedes screen to stretch nearly full width of car
Read full article: New Mercedes screen to stretch nearly full width of carThe new electric sedan from Mercedes will replace the conventional dashboard with a screen that extends almost the width of the car. (Mercedes-Benz via AP)FRANKFURT – Daimler's Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a key interior component of its upcoming electric luxury sedan: a large, curved screen that sweeps across almost the entire width of the car in the place of a conventional dashboard. The screen also lets the front seat passenger watch television in some markets, while preventing the driver from watching the passenger's screen to avoid distraction. Kallenius said that in developing the screen, the company focused on eliminating information and activities that could preoccupy drivers. It's the first Mercedes car built on its all-electric framework rather than sharing components with an internal combustion model.
Automaker Daimler rebounds after lockdowns, raises outlook
Read full article: Automaker Daimler rebounds after lockdowns, raises outlookDaimler, maker of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, is reporting third-quarter earnings on Friday Oct. 22, 2020. Quarterly net profit rose to 2.16 billion euros ($2.54 billion), up 19% from 1.81 billion euros in the same quarter a year ago — and improving on a net loss of 1.9 billion euros from the second quarter during the worst of the lockdown. Operating profits, which exclude one-time expenses and financial items such as interest and taxes, rose to 2.42 billion euros from 1.87 billion euros in the same quarter the year before. The company saw strong cash flow and has 13.1 billion euros in net liquidity, resources it can use to develop new technologies such as electric cars and digital services. Daimler AG said that its outlook assumed no new widespread lockdowns.
Daimler AG to pay $1.5B to settle emissions cheating probes
Read full article: Daimler AG to pay $1.5B to settle emissions cheating probesWASHINGTON – Automaker Daimler AG and subsidiary Mercedes-Benz USA have agreed to pay $1.5 billion to the U.S. government and California state regulators to resolve emissions cheating allegations, officials said Monday. The settlement, which includes civil penalties, will also require Daimler to fix the vehicles, officials said. Daimler AG said the settlement would bring costs of about $1.5 billion, while the civil settlement will bring a one-off charge of about $700 million. Fiat Chrysler also is being investigated for allegedly cheating on emissions. In April 2016, the Justice Department asked Daimler to conduct an internal probe into its exhaust emissions certification process.
Mercedes gets big electric van order from Amazon
Read full article: Mercedes gets big electric van order from AmazonAmazon says its buying 1,800 electric delivery vans from Mercedes-Benz, the biggest such order for the German automaker to date. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)BERLIN Amazon says it's buying 1,800 electric delivery vans from Mercedes-Benz, the biggest such order for the German automaker to date. In announcing the order Friday, Mercedes said it would also join a climate initiative established by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The transport sector, including the surge in deliveries from online retailers like Amazon, is a major source of carbon emissions. While the e-van order with Mercedes is Amazon's biggest in Europe, it is dwarfed by a contract it signed last year with U.S. start-up Rivian to deliver 100,000 electric delivery vans by 2030.
Surprise $1K bonuses given to Sugar Land car dealership employees
Read full article: Surprise $1K bonuses given to Sugar Land car dealership employeesHOUSTON – A Sugar Land car dealership surprised all 153 of its employees with a $1,000 bonus this week. Mercedes-Benz of Sugar Land, a privately-owned business, paid employees -- from technicians to executive management -- an extra $1,000 as the coronavirus pandemic continues. “Our employees are our company, the single most valuable asset we have,” said Ken Enders, owner and president of Mercedes-Benz of Sugar Land. “My hope is that these bonuses will assist my employees and their families in some small way.”The dealership opened in 2003.