Automotive industry

Car registrations posted a remarkable 22.8 percent annual increase in January as 13,096 cars (new or used in other countries) hit the Greek roads for the first time last month, compared to 10,665 in January 2016, according to data released on Wednesday by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT).

Turkey's car and light commercial vehicle sales in January grew 8 percent compared to the same month in 2016, the Automotive  Distributors' Association said on Feb. 2.      

German auto giant Daimler on Jan. 31 said it had struck a partnership with Uber to supply self-driving cars for the U.S. ride-hailing company.

The tie-up comes as both carmakers and ridesharing firms are jockeying to establish themselves as leading players in the burgeoning world of autonomous driving, seen as the future of the auto industry.

Shares in German carmakers BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen fell after United States President-elect Donald Trump warned he will impose a border tax of 35 percent on vehicles imported from abroad to the U.S. market.

French authorities will launch an investigation of carmaker Renault on suspicions of fraud during tests for harmful gas emissions of diesel engines, announced France's Prosecutor's Office, reported BGNES.

Volkswagen AG, as part of a $4.3 billion settlement with U.S. regulators, on Wednesday agreed to sweeping reforms, new audits and oversight by an independent monitor for three years to resolve diesel emissions cheating investigations.

The Shift Sector half mile event was definitely one to remember. Richard Fowler, in his Underground Racing X Version Twin Turbo Lamborghini Huracan, set and reset records all and ended up leaving with the new standing half mile World Record of 247.25 MPH!!!

Leaders of the big three U.S. auto makers have all spoken at the Detroit auto show about how President-elect Trump might impact the industry, but the third, from GM, offered the most business-as-usual message.

Waymo, the autonomous car subsidiary of Google's parent company Alphabet, announced at the Detroit auto show that it would develop its self-driving technology with multiple partners, positioning itself as an automotive supplier.

FBI agents have arrested a Volkswagen executive on conspiracy charges in relation to the "diesel-gate" emissions-cheating scandal, The New York Times reported on Jan. 9.