Porshe will offer a base model Taycan electric sedan with a reduced list price of $81,250. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s Headlines:
+ Incoming U.S. President Joseph Biden is set to order U.S. agencies to review federal fuel efficiency standards, with the likely result of reversing lax Trump era policies. More at The Detroit News.
+ Ford Motor announced it will recall 3 million vehicles to replace defective air bag inflators that could rupture and injure occupants, at a cost of $610 million to the company. More at Reuters.
+ General Motors and its self-driving car subsidiary Cruise will partner with Microsoft to accelerate the commercialization of self-driving vehicles, the companies announced. More at the Detroit Free Press.
+ AJ Allmendinger will make his first NASCAR Cup Series start since 2018 driving a Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing in the Daytona Beach road course event on February 21. More at Autosport.
+ According to a report by the International Energy Agency, increased sales of SUVs are cancelling out the reduction in emissions due to increased electric vehicle sales. More at The Drive.
+ Gerald Alden “Jerry” Wiegert, the creator of the widely publicized Vector exotic sports car that never quite made it into production, has passed away at 76. More at Autoweek.
+ Porsche has added a new base model to the Taycan sedan line with a 79.2-kWh battery pack, a single 402 hp motor, rear-wheel drive, and a list price of $81,250. More at Car and Driver.
+ Fire has destroyed the Top Mountain Motorcycle Museum in Austria, and with it a collection of more than 300 vintage motorcycles, but there are no reports of injuries. More at Classic Cars.com Journal.
+ Five-time Indy 500 starter Simona De Silvestro will return in 2021 to drive for team owner Beth Paretta, backed by Roger Penske’s Race For Equality & Change Program. More at Racer.
+ Rivian, the electric truck maker backed by Amazon and Ford Motor and set to launch its first vehicles this year, has closed on a $2.65 billion investment round with T. Rowe Price. More at Reuters.
Photo courtesy of Porsche.
Review the previous Executive Briefing from January 18 here.
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