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Geely wants to be a tech-sharing 'friend' of Daimler in $9B bet

Chinese carmaker Geely has built up an almost 10-percent stake in Daimler in a $9 billion bet by its chairman that he can access the Mercedes-Benz owner's technology in the growing battle for the future of automotives. The purchase by Li Shufu, Geely's founder and main owner, means China's largest privately-owned automaker is now the biggest shareholder in Germany's Daimler. Geely said on Saturday there were no plans "for the time being" to raise the stake further. Instead, it will seek to forge an alliance with Daimler, which is developing electric and self-driving vehicles, to respond to the challenge from new competitors such as Tesla, Google and Uber. "No current car industry player is likely to win this battle against the invaders from outside without friends. To achieve and assert technological leadership, one has to adapt a new way of thinking in terms of sharing and combining strength. My investment in Daimler reflects this vision," Li said. "Daimler is pleased to announce that with Li Shufu it could win another long-term orientated shareholder, which is convinced by Daimler's innovation strength, strategy and future potential," the German company said in a statement. Geely officials plan to travel to Stuttgart to meet Daimler executives early next week and also hope to meet top German government officials in Berlin, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The Chinese firm plans to use the meetings to underline that it intends to be a supportive long-term investor, they said. Daimler had no immediate comment on any meetings. Geely and the German economy ministry declined to comment. Chinese investors in German technology companies have tended to take a consensual approach, buying incremental stakes in companies such as robotics firms Kuka and Kion, typically after long consultation with management and other stakeholders. In November, Geely asked Daimler to issue new shares so it could buy a stake, as a way to access Mercedes-Benz technology for electric cars and trucks, including battery technology, to help Geely comply with a Chinese crackdown on pollution. But the German company turned down the offer saying it did not want to dilute existing shareholders, sources at the time told Reuters. Li changed tactics, and quietly amassed a stake of 9.69 percent worth $9 billion at Daimler's current share price.

2015 Volvo XC90 proves Sweden's auto industry is alive and well [w/video]

The most important new Volvo in quite some time has made its first auto show appearance, with the second-generation XC90 debuting at the 2014 Paris Motor Show.
As we discussed in both our original post and Deep Dive feature, the new XC90 remains a three-row crossover for 2015, although it ditches the first-gen model's top-end, turbocharged six-cylinder in favor of a single twin-charged, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine. By pairing that with a plug-in-electric powertrain, the king of the XC90 range, the T8 TwinEngine, will offer up 400 horsepower. So yeah, performance should be brisk.
Also appearing on 2015 XC90 will be an entirely new, Apple CarPlay-compatible infotainment system with a big, vertical touchscreen display at its heart. Based on the videos we've seen, the new system looks responsive, feature-laden and quite attractive.

Volvo updates XC60 and adds Android-based infotainment to more models

The 2022 Volvo XC60 is getting a number of minor updates, plus Volvo is rolling out its Android-based infotainment system to more of its lineup. Starting with the XC60 news, Volvo is subtly adapting the front and rear bumper styling. It gets new front side intakes and a massaged lower bumper opening. Neither of those nearly unnoticeable changes do much to influence our opinion of the car. The new rear bumper design reveals a slight character adjustment, though. Like other recently-updated Volvos, the exhaust exit is made invisible under the car — there are no longer any exhaust pipes exiting from the rear. The dual exhaust seen on the regular XC60 was a nice touch, but this is simply more of Volvo preparing us for the electric future to come. As for tech, Volvo says that the XC60 will be one of the models to get the Android-based infotainment for 2022. The 2022 S90, V90 and V90 Cross Country will be adding this infotainment system, too. It comes with something Volvo is calling the “Digital Services Package” for four years at no cost. This package includes the Google Assistant, Google Maps, access to Google Play apps, the Volvo On Call app, a data/internet connection and access to the wireless phone charger. After four years, Volvo says that “customers can continue to use the package by opting for an extension.” The “extension” will certainly involve paying Volvo for continued access to the programs (though Volvo hasn't said how much yet), similar to BMW and its proposed subscription-based vehicle feature model. Seeing what you get with the package, itÂ’s made such that you need the package to make the infotainment system useful. Losing access to Google services with a Google-based infotainment system seems crippling on the surface, and VolvoÂ’s tying of the wireless phone charger functionality to this subscription service is also irksome.  Volvo is just introducing this package, and weÂ’re sure it will change over time as it matures, so this likely isnÂ’t the last weÂ’ll hear of the “Digital Services Package” story. ChargePoint in-car app View 5 Photos Lastly, Volvo is adding a new in-car ChargePoint app to its Android infotainment system that should simplify the charging process. It eliminates any need for you to get your phone or credit card out when you pull up to a charging station, assuming you're using a ChargePoint charger.