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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:

Autoblog Minute: Frankfurt Motor Show recap

We check in with Autoblog staffers in Germany for a recap of the biggest reveals from the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. Autoblog's Adam Morath reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute with commentary from senior editor, Greg Migliore. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] As the doors of the Frankfurt Motor Show open to the world's press we venture across the Atlantic for a front row seat to all the action. I'm Adam Morath and this is your Autoblog Minute. The fall auto show season kicks off this week and Germany is set to play host. We're expecting plenty of big vehicle reveals and industry news to come out of Frankfurt. [00:00:30] [Greg Migliore Interview] [00:01:00] Be sure to check in with Autoblog for tons of great photos, video and editorial coverage on all things Frankfurt. For Autoblog, I'm Adam Morath. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals. Frankfurt Motor Show Bentley Jaguar Mercedes-Benz SUV Concept Cars Electric Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video

Mercedes-Benz Concept IAA is a modern silver aero

While we English-speaking folk call it the Frankfurt Motor Show, our German friends call this week's bi-annual confab the Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung, or IAA. At first glance, then, you might think Mercedes-Benz named its Frankfurt concept, the Concept IAA, after the show it'd debut at. But, the Concept IAA isn't named for the show. It's actually an abbreviation for Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile, and it's very aerodynamic indeed. This four-door coupe can transform, while moving, from its sedan-like design mode to an ultra-sleek, gas-powered fish of a car. This aerodynamic mode has a drag coefficent of just 0.19. That's sleeker than a Tesla Model S, and it ties the rating of the General Motors EV1 electric car. In fact, it's very nearly as aerodynamic as the Volkswagen XL1. The IAA can transform automatically at 80 kilometers per hour (about 50 miles per hour) or via the press of a button. When it enters an aerodynamic mode, eight segments at the back of the car extend out, adding over 15 inches to the overall vehicle length, effectively extending its already tear-dropped-shaped tail. And that's just the most visible aero aid. At the front of the car, flaps in the bumper extend out nearly an inch, while there's a smaller extender in the back bumper. These serve to keep air away from the wheel arches, where turbulence can become an issue. Of course, Mercedes has thought of this, too, fitting "Active Rims" that "alter their cupping from 55 mm to zero," whatever that means. There's even an active aero aid inside the front bumper, where a louver extends backward by 2.3 inches to smooth out the air traveling underneath the car. Outside of its super-slippery mode, the IAA is a relatively handsome four-door coupe, featuring the kind of plunging roofline that wouldn't look out of place on the company's pioneering CLS-Class. The interior is certainly worthy of the CLS, too. It's home to gorgeous white leather and touch-based controls, and in general, looks very luxurious. Mercedes' dogged pursuit of aerodynamics does not mean that the Concept IAA is some gutless ecomobile. Under the skin is a gas-powered, plug-in hybrid system that produces up to 279 horsepower and allows the sleek sedan to hit 155 mph. Its all-electric range is based, of course, on what mode its body is in. It's most impressive in aero mode, where it will cover 41 miles on a single charge. Switch over to design mode, and that figure drops slightly to 38.5 miles.