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DoJ fines Japanese parts firms $740M in massive automotive price-fixing scandal

Nine Japanese suppliers have pleaded guilty in US court over charges of price fixing in the automotive parts industry, resulting in the Department of Justice doling out a total of $740 million of fines, according to a report from Bloomberg. The scandal, which has resulted in General Motors, Ford, Toyota and Chrysler spending up to $5 billion on inflated parts and driving up prices on 25 million vehicles has sent the DoJ hustling into investigations. "The conduct this investigation uncovered involved more than a dozen separate conspiracies aimed at the U.S. economy," Attorney General Eric Holder (pictured above) said during yesterday's press conference.
As the investigation stands, the DoJ has issued $1.6 billion in fines against 20 companies and 21 individual executives, with 17 of the execs headed to prison. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Scott Hammond said, "The breadth of the conspiracies brought to light today are as egregious as they are pervasive. They involve more than a dozen separate conspiracies operating independently but all sharing in common that they targeted US automotive manufacturers."
Big-name suppliers indicted in the investigation include Mitsubishi Electric, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Hitachi Automotive and Mitsuba Corporation. A list of fines and other corporations named in the investigation is available at Bloomberg.

Major Alexa deal will bring Amazon services into more cars

Amazon and its personal assistance service Alexa are partnering with HERE Technologies to create a new connected mobility service powerhouse. Alexa will integrate with HERE's navigation and location services to offer what the two companies are calling a "true voice-first-navigation experience." Alexa will come pre-integrated with HERE navigation on-demand, which the automakers can then enable, which should help cut down on development time. One of the biggest features from this partnership is how directions could be offered and delivered using HERE's Open Location Platform (OLP). Currently, the OLP uses data from several car manufacturers to provide insights into real-time location and traffic. But on Alexa, this could be used to provide directional context. For example, Alexa could say, "Turn right after [such-and-such a building]" rather than just, "Turn right." Amazon has been testing the automotive waters throughout the past decade. Its home-based Alexa-enabled devices are already offered with connections to several manufacturers. To various degrees of integration, it can already pair with Ford, Genesis, Toyota, Lexus, Hyundai and BMW vehicles. At the end of 2018, Amazon took things a step further when it introduced the Echo Auto, a Bluetooth-connected Alexa assistant device that can be physically kept in a car. Currently only available by invitation (its production and distribution have been delayed), the $25 device is essentially a voice service that works together with smartphones and connects to a car's speakers. Users can command it to do a variety of things, including playing music, setting navigation, opening the garage door, finding local stores, making calls, setting reminders, and thousands of other "skills." According to The Verge, nearly 1 million people have already ordered the device. Some (well, probably few) may know HERE Technologies from its maps on Windows Phones. We all know how that turned out, though. Today, HERE has expanded into a multi-function suite that is available in multiple mediums, including many automotive applications. HERE Automotive's connected vehicle services include real-time traffic, parking, weather, fuel prices, hazard warnings, traffic sign integration, and even EV charging stations. These all incorporate and extend the use of HERE's location and tracking programming. HERE is already partnered with BMW, Audi, Daimler, Intel, Mobileye, NVIDIA, and has investments from Bosch, Continental and Pioneer.

Recharge Wrap-up: TRD Toyota Prius, new Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell dealer

A new study predicts that biofuels capacity will grow to 61 billion gallons per year by 2018. The findings from Lux Research also suggest that biodiesel and ethanol will make up 96 percent (about 5.76 billion gallons) of that. Sixty-four percent of biofuels will come from the Americas, led by the US and Brazil, but with Colombia and Argentina emerging as important producers. Other large emerging producers are China, Indonesia, and Thailand in Asia, and Portugal, Poland, and France in Europe. A large share of next-generation biofuels are expected to come from waste oils. Read more at Domestic Fuel. Images of Toyota Racing Development equipment for the 2016 Prius have leaked. The images show what are likely cosmetic upgrades for the JDM version of the hybrid, including a rear spoiler, front spoiler lip, extended side skirts and a selection of wheels ranging from 15 to 18 inches. Also shown are LED daytime running lights and a dual-tip, centrally mounted exhaust. Expect to see the official reveal of the TRD Prius at the Tokyo Motor Show, where there will surely be more details about the add-ons, including the possibility of some interior features. See the leaked images and read more at Motor1. A fourth Hyundai dealer in southern California now sells the Tucson Fuel Cell. Keyes Hyundai in northern Los Angeles has met the requirements to sell the hydrogen-powered CUV. So far, Hyundai has delivered more than 75 Tucson Fuel Cell vehicles, which have logged almost 700,000 miles on southern California roads. "Keyes Hyundai is thrilled to be added as a qualified dealer for Hyundai's zero-emissions Tucson Fuel Cell hydrogen electric vehicle," says David Kohan, the dealership's general manager. "Our location in the northern Los Angeles region makes it even more convenient for local residents to conveniently acquire their new Tucson Fuel Cell CUV, helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions." The other qualified dealerships are located in Anaheim, Carson and Tustin. Read more in the press release below. Keyes Hyundai In Los Angeles Added To Growing Collection Of Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell Dealers Keyes Hyundai Joins Tustin Hyundai, Win Hyundai in Carson and Hardin Hyundai in Anaheim as a Qualified Hydrogen Fuel Cell Dealer LOS ANGELES, Sept. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Keyes Hyundai in Los Angeles became the fourth qualified dealer for Hyundai's zero-emissions Tucson Fuel Cell hydrogen electric vehicle today. Hyundai is the only manufacturer in the U.S.