After leaving the series in 2012, Dodge is studying a possible return to NASCAR competition, says Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing. 

Today’s headlines:

+   BMW will roll out a string of hybrid and electric vehicles equipped with increasing self-driving capability over the next decade, says head of development Klaus Fröhlich. More at Motor Trend.

+   Ford will recall around 680,000 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ sedans from the 2013 through 2016 model years to resolve a defective seat belt issue. More at CNBC. 

+   Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne says the automaker is planning a return to competition in NASCAR with the Dodge brand. More at the Daytona Beach News-Journal. 

+   Production of the the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, the industry’s first hybrid minivan, has begun at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ Windsor, Canada assembly plant. More at the Detroit Free Press. 

+   Rolls-Royce released photos of the prototype for the automaker’s first SUV, currently code-named Project Cullinan and scheduled to launch in 2018. More at Automotive News Europe. 

+   The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) has unveiled the 15-turn, clockwise course layout to be used at the 2017 Runoffs national championship event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. More at National Speed Sport News. 

+   New vehicle sales in Australia edged higher in November over the same month last year and appear set to clinch another year of records, thanks in part to strong demand for pickup trucks. More at Reuters. 

+   President-elect Donald Trump has named General Motors CEO Mary Barra to a Strategic and Policy Forum that will advise him on economic issues. More at  The Detroit News. 

+   Formula 1 czar Bernie Ecclestone predicts a return of the French Grand Prix to the schedule, with the Paul Richard circuit poised to sign a five-year deal. More at Racer. 

+   Petitioners at the White House’s We The People site are requesting a reduction on the model year cutoff for collector car imports from 25 to 10 years. More at Hemmings Daily. 

Review the previous Executive Briefing from December 2 here.

Photo courtesy of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. 

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