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FCA-Renault revival may hinge on willingness to cut Nissan stake

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Renault are looking for ways to resuscitate their collapsed merger plan and secure the approval of the French carmaker's alliance partner Nissan, according to several sources close to the companies. Nissan is poised to urge Renault to significantly reduce its 43.4% stake in the Japanese company in return for supporting a FCA-Renault tie-up, two people with knowledge of its thinking also told Reuters. It is still far from clear whether any concerted effort to revive the complex and politically fraught deal can succeed. FCA Chairman John Elkann abruptly withdrew his $35 billion merger offer in the early hours of June 6 after the French government, Renault's biggest shareholder, blocked a vote by its board and demanded more time to win Nissan's backing. Nissan representatives had said they would abstain. The failure, which FCA and Renault blamed squarely on the French government, deprived both companies of an opportunity to create the world's third-biggest carmaker with 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion) in promised annual synergies. It also shone a harsh light on Renault's relations with Nissan, which have gone from frayed to fried since the November arrest of former alliance Chairman Carlos Ghosn, now awaiting trial in Japan on financial misconduct charges he denies. REVIVAL TALKS Italian-American FCA — whose brand stable encompasses Fiat runabouts, Jeep SUVs, RAM pickups, Alfa Romeo luxury cars and Maserati sports cars — has so far turned a deaf ear to suggestions by French officials that its merger proposal could be revisited. But since the breakdown, Elkann and his French counterpart Jean-Dominique Senard have had talks about reviving the plan that left the Renault chairman and his Chief Executive Thierry Bollore upbeat about that prospect, three alliance sources said. Renault and a spokesman for FCA declined to comment. One of Elkann's senior advisors on the Renault merger bid, Toby Myerson, was expected at Nissan headquarters in Yokohama on Monday for exploratory discussions with top management, two people with knowledge of the matter said. Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa is likely to attend. Myerson did not respond to a message from Reuters seeking comment. The meeting comes amid mounting strains that may preclude compromise, after Senard warned Saikawa that Renault was prepared to block key Nissan governance reforms in a dispute over board committees.

More Ram trucks recalled over tailgate issue

Almost a year ago Fiat Chrysler recalled roughly 1.6 million Ram trucks over an issue with the locking power tailgate. The actuator limiter tab for the power locking mechanism could fracture, which would permit the actuator's lock-rod control to move beyond its limits. That would pull the locking rods open, thereby allowing the tailgate to open at any time. The 2018 recall covered Ram 1500, 2500, and 3500 pickups from the 2015 to 2017 model years, with the five-foot-seven and six-foot-four beds and the power locking tailgate option. Trucks with eight-foot beds, and those with manual-locking tailgates, were excluded. The trucks with eight-foot beds have been added to the recall as of earlier this month, putting 410,351 more trucks in the pool. According to Consumer Reports, Ram redesigned the locking assembly on the other two shorter bed sizes for trucks built after August 2, 2017, which was the end of the 2017 model year. But the eight-foot long-bed trucks didn't get the redesigned part until April 2, 2018 for some reason, making all eight-foot-bed pickups from the 2015 model year to April 1, 2018 part of the recall equation. FCA says it's not aware of any accidents or injuries because of the issue. The company plans to notify owners on June 28. The paperwork filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration doesn't advise owners to stop driving the trucks, but nor does it instruct owners on how to address the problem in the meantime. Sounds like bungee cords might be the go. The fix is estimated to take 30 minutes at the dealer and entails removing the tailgate cover and installing a stop block to prevent the locking actuator's pivot arm from traveling too far. FCA says it will reimburse owners for any other repairs made to address the problem. Meanwhile, owners can contact Fiat Chrysler Automobiles customer service at 800-853-1403, and refer to FCA's number for this recall, V44. The NHTSA campaign number is 19V-347. Last year's recall comes under FCA number U74, and NHTSA campaign number 18V-486. Ram's not alone on this field. The NHTSA continues to investigate the 2017 Ford Super Duty pickups for a similar issue.

Waymo bids its self-driving bubble cars farewell

Say goodbye to Waymo's quirky bubble-shaped autonomous cars. Google's former self-driving car division is retiring its fleet of "Fireflies" - also known as "koalas" and "gumdrops," among many other nicknames - to focus on integrating its technology into more traditional vehicles. It particularly aims to give more people access to its self-driving technology through a fleet of 600 Chrysler Pacifica minivans, which the team has equipped with its latest custom-built radar, lidar and vision systems. The minivans also come with Waymo's newest AI platform that can see farther and more clearly. Plus, they run like normal vehicles do, unlike the Fireflies, which are limited to 25mph. This move doesn't exactly come as a surprise. A report from late 2016 said Alphabet's Larry Page scrapped Waymo's plans to manufacture bubble-shaped driverless vehicles to make the company's strategy more feasible. It said Page's new plan involves collaborating with automakers to design and make cars with no pedals and steering wheels that use Google's self-driving tech. Shortly after that report came out, Waymo introduced its heavily modified Chrysler Pacificas with altered electrical, powertrain, chassis and structural system to accommodate the extra weight of the company's equipment. While Waymo will no longer use its Fireflies for future tests, you can still catch a glimpse of the cute bubble cars in various locations. This August, they'll be on display at the Arizona Science Center in Phoenix before making their way to the The Thinkery in Austin, Texas, this October. You'll also find a Firefly at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California and another at the Design Museum in London.Written by Mariella Moon for Engadget. Waymo Related Video: