In a historic first for all-electric vehicles, Rhys Millen won the 2015 Pikes Peak Hill Climb in a battery-powered Drive eO PP03 prototype. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing. 

Today’s headlines:

+   Jeep is delaying the full redesign of the Grand Cherokee by at least a year from 2017 to 2018-2019, according to Jeep CEO Mike Manley. More at The Detroit News. 

+   Construction began this past week on M1 Concourse, a $40 million-plus development for auto enthusiasts with more than 260 car condos on a former General Motors plant site in Pontiac, MI. More at Crain’s Detroit Business.

+   Volkswagen will launch a family of low-price cars in China and possibly elsewhere starting in 2018, chief executive Martin Winterkorn told the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag. More at Reuters.

+   U.S. safety regulators are investigating complaints that the power brake booster can fail on some 2011 and 2012 Ford F-150 pickup trucks. More at the Detroit Free Press.

+   Drag racer Roger Garten was fatally injured when his nostalgia funny car crashed at high speed at Auto Club Famosa Raceway in McFarland, California. More at the Bakersfield Californian.

+   Japan’s industrial output dropped more than forecast in May as production of transport equipment and cars slowed, sapping a recovery in the world’s third-largest economy. More at Bloomberg.com. 

+   British-based driveline manufacturer GKN Automotive officially opened its North American headquarters in Auburn Hills, MI with a staff of 350. More at Automotive Business Review. 

+   Calling the Confederate flag an “insensitive symbol” he finds offensive, NASCAR chairman Brian France said the sport will work to disassociate the flag from its events. More at ESPN. 

+   Rhys Millen won the 2015 Pikes Peak Hill Climb in an all-electric Drive eO PP03 prototype, powered by a 50 kWh li-ion battery pack and six 400-hp motors. More at Racer. 

Read the previous Executive Briefing from June 26 here. 

Photo courtesy of Drive eO. 

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