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E.U. executive conditionally approves Daimler, BMW car-sharing deal

BRUSSELS — The European Union's competition authority said on Wednesday it had approved the plan of German luxury carmakers Daimler and BMW to combine their car-sharing businesses, subject to conditions. Under the deal, which includes car-sharing units Car2Go and DriveNow as well as ride-hailing, parking and charging services, Daimler and BMW will each hold 50 percent stakes in a joint venture. They have offered concessions to address E.U. antitrust concerns over the deal they hope would let them better compete with U.S. rival Uber and China's Didi Chuxing. The European Commission has found the deal would raise competition concerns for free-floating car sharing services in Berlin, Cologne, Duesseldorf, Hamburg, Munich and Vienna. It said Daimler and BMW agreed to a remedy package in the six cities. "The commitments thus fully address the Commission's concerns as they will reduce the barriers to entry for competing free-floating car sharing providers," the Commission said in a statement. "Therefore the Commission concluded that the proposed transaction, as modified by the commitments, would no longer raise competition concerns. The Commission's decision is conditional upon full compliance with the commitments." Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska and Philip Blenkinsop. Related Video:

Formula One approves aerodynamic rule changes to promote more passing

LONDON — Formula One has approved aerodynamic rule changes for 2019 aimed at promoting closer racing by making it easier for cars to overtake, the sport's governing body said on Tuesday. The measures include a simplified front wing with a larger span, front brake ducts without winglets and a wider and deeper rear wing. The International Automobile Federation (FIA) said its Formula One commission, Strategy Group and World Motor Sport Council had approved the changes. The changes should reduce turbulence for cars that are following each other, and come after criticism of the lack of overtaking in some races. The FIA said the vote, on the last day before unanimous agreement is required for any 2019 regulation changes, followed research carried out by a majority of the teams and backed by commercial rights holders Liberty Media. "These studies indicated the strong likelihood of a positive impact on racing and overtaking within F1 and as such have now been ratified for implementation in 2019," the statement added. "The approved changes are separate to the ongoing work being undertaken in regard to defining Formula One's regulations for 2021 and beyond." Motorsport.com suggested several teams, including Ferrari and Red Bull, had been opposed to the proposals but were outvoted. Formula One's current agreements with teams expire at the end of 2020 and all parties are discussing what kind of engine and rules should be introduced after that. Liberty want to level the playing field, reduce the costs and introduce a more equal distribution of the revenues. Only three of the 10 teams — Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull — have won races in the V6 turbo hybrid era that started in 2014, and Mercedes has so far won every championship. The FIA said it was continuing to evaluate a range of other measures to encourage closer racing. Reporting by Alan BaldwinRelated Video: Image Credit: Reuters Motorsports Ferrari Mercedes-Benz Technology Racing Vehicles F1 fia liberty media

Mercedes trolls kids with uncrashable toy cars

Kids love crashing toy cars. Adults in the real thing, not so much. That's the angle behind Mercedes' latest ad, crafted to promote the company's latest safety systems. The video clip humorously posits what would happen if Mercedes gave out sets of toy cars with strong magnets in them that would prevent kids from crashing them into each other. Needless to say, the kids depicted are not amused by the endeavor. And neither would we have been when we were that age. But the point is nevertheless made. That point is to highlight the company's Brake Assist System Plus – Benz-speak for an automatic braking system – fitted in the new C-Class (among other models). The technology uses two radar systems – one mounted behind the three-pointed star in the grille and another in the front bumper – to detect other vehicles on the road, and, when necessary, apply the brakes. It'll also flash the brake lights to warn drivers behind. The inclusion of Cross-Traffic Assist applies the same measures at intersections, while Pre-Safe Brake adds pedestrian detection into the mix, as well. The creative campaign is the work of the Jung von Matt/Alster ad agency in Germany. And it strikes us as a clever way to showcase the system – or at very least, it looks better than some of the German automaker's previous attempts from ten years ago. Check it out for yourself in the video above.