18 Monday, August 20, 2018 Motoring CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION Short Torque Musk says stress, taking heavy toll Electric car maker Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk has admitted in a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times that stress is taking a heavy toll in what he calls an “excruciating year”. Musk stood by his tweet last week saying he might take Tesla private. Reports say government regulators have subpoenaed Tesla as they dig deeper into his disclosure of the potential buyout. Kroger tests driverless grocery deliveries United States supermarket chain Kroger launched a robotic delivery vehicle pilot program on Thursday at its store in Scottsdale, Arizona. A store clerk loaded the back seat with grocery bags while a person in the driver’s seat monitored its performance on route. Under the self-driving service, shoppers can order same-day or next-day delivery online or on a mobile app for a fl at rate of about $6. After the order is placed, a driverless vehicle will deliver the groceries curbside, requiring customers to be present to fetch them. The all-new Lexus ES makes its world premiere at the Auto China 2018 in Beijing. LIU JIAHAO / FOR CHINA DAILY MG forms joint venture with Egyptian dealer British automotive brand MG Motors announced on Import sales get back on Tuesday that it will form a joint venture with Egyptian auto dealer Mansour Group to promote its products in the Egyptian market.Mansour, with the gas in July after slow June 60,000 employees worldwide, will become the exclusive distributor of MG’s products in Egypt after the forming of Cuts to tari s lead to robust growth in market demand the joint venture. The Egyptian dealer has been one of the largest dealers of General By LIFUSHENG cent to 15 percent starting of Customs, and around one Sales of brands that were “Another sign of premium Motors, the United States-based [email protected] from July 1, which prompt- fi fth of them were made in expected to be hit hard by carmakers’ confi dence is that multinational corporation in ed carmakers ranging from the US, including those from Sino-US trade tensions — none have scaled down their vehicle and vehicle parts. Following a slump in Audi to Porsche to cut the Tesla and Lincoln as well as Lincoln, BMW and Mercedes- sales target in China so far. June, China’s vehicle imports price tags of their imports. some models bearing BMW Benz — have survived almost In contrast, some even have Geely, Proton to set soared in July, mainly as a Cars made in the US, Another sign and Mercedes-Benz marques. unscathed, although their raised their goals a little bit, up joint venture result of tari cuts for models however, are an exception, Cui said the extra tari on profi ts will be gnawed to some which shows that they are made in countries except the subject to a 40 percent tari of premium cars made in the US will not extent. positive about the market,” Zhejiang Geely Holding Group United States, and analysts because of Sino-US trade ten- carmakers’ reverse the expected upward Lincoln, which imports all said Li. and Malaysian car manufacturer said they expect an upward sions that have simmered for trend considering their its models from the US, saw Porsche expects its China Proton on Saturday agreed trend for the whole year. months. confi dence is that proportion of China’s total its China sales in July edge up sales to approach 80,000 to establish a joint venture to In July, China imported Cui Dongshu, secretary- imports. 2 percent to 4,500 units. cars this year, said Detlev deepen their cooperation in new 165,000 automobiles, up 50 general of the China Passen- none have scaled Li Yanwei, an analyst at the BMW, whose imports Li von Platen, the carmaker’s energy vehicles and promote percent year-on-year, accord- ger Car Association, said Chi- China Automobile Dealers said account for around 35 head of sales and marketing, Proton cars in global market ing to statistics from the nese customers delayed their down their sales Association, said the market percent of China sales, sold in late July when the new Geely and Proton will each hold General Administration of purchases of cars in June to this year will be a little bet- 46,692 cars in the month, Macan made its global pre- a 50 percent stake in the joint Customs. July in expectation of lower target in China so ter than in 2017, adding that up 7.8 percent year-on-year, miere in Shanghai. venture. The new company will Almost all brands saw prices, which thus caused his confidence is backed up and Mercedes-Benz, which That would equate to a 30 have a comprehensive system robust growth in July, with a slump in June and then a far.” by premium carmakers’ sales has a similar percentage of percent second-half increase for motor vehicle developing, Japanese premium marque surge last month. performance. imports as BMW, delivered over last year. purchasing and producing. Li Yanwei, an analyst at the Lexus seeing its best ever He said the 15 percent fall in China Automobile Dealers Citing statistics from deal- 52,616 cars, up 8.3 percent. Volumes through June fell month in China. June was a major reason for Association ers across the country, he said Li said the sales were 7 percent to 33,000 vehicles Honda Accord put One of few carmakers that the 5 percent dip in imported a total of 20 premium car partly the result of some dis- in China due to a weak sec- through its paces have not localized models in vehicle sales in the fi rst half brands present in the Chi- counts at dealerships and it ond quarter. China, Lexus sold 15,201 cars of the year, which totaled grow steadily, offsetting the nese market saw an average is hard to predict how the But chances are that The 10th generation of the in July, up 37.5 percent year- 496,000 units, but he expect- dip in the fi rst half and result- growth rate of 14.4 percent sales would be later this year, Porsche will hit the target Honda Accord was tested on-year. ed China’s new tari will drive ing in some growth compared year-on-year in July, and sales but a reassuring message for because, unlike BMW and early this month in Hohhot, The surge came after up imports in the second half. with last year,” said Cui. went up for most of them, carmakers and dealers is that Mercedes-Benz, all of its Inner Mongolia autonomous China’s announcement in “It would be impossible for China imported 1.22 million with the exceptions of Jaguar demand for imported models models are made in Germany region. It is equipped with late May to slash tari s on the surge in July to repeat vehicles last year, according to Land Rover, Infiniti, Acura made in the US did not shrink and stand to benefi t from the standard Honda Sensing imported cars from 25 per- again this year but sales would the General Administration and Maserati. immediately. tari cut. on all models, and a base 1.5-liter turbo-charged engine, mated to a 6-speed manual or continuously variable transmission. The optional NEV makers should work together to grow segment, GAC head says 2.0-liter turbo-charged engine, which replaced the V6 engine option, was available from By LI FUSHENG the country’s total vehicle joint ventures focusing on ing a free software update that December 2017. sales in the period. research and development, will extend the mileage of the China has the world’s larg- “So we regard all new production and sales of bat- former GE3 version, which Jaguar debuts SUV est new energy car market, energy carmakers as friends, teries and energy storage can run up to 310 km, by range in China with nearly 800,000 units and we should work togeth- systems. around 15 percent, Gu said. sold last year, but GAC New er to make a big cake of the Of the two joint ventures, The new model will also British premium marque Energy Automobile Co said market by offering models one will be registered with feature an onboard system Jaguar made the China debut there is a long way to go that will enable customers a capital of 100 million yuan developed in partnership of its SUV family in Beijing before players in the country to figure out new energy ($14.47 million), the other of 1 with Chinese tech giant Ten- last week, showcasing the look should consider how to slice cars are better than gasoline billion yuan, according to the cent. and capabilities of its fi rst SUV the cake. ones,” said Gu, who start- deal signed last month. The system, unveiled F-PACE, the electric I-PACE “It is not time to share the ed his career as an engine GAC New Energy Auto- late last month, will enable and its fi rst localized model, cake, but the time to make expert. mobile is fast expanding its smarter communication the E-PACE. SUVs have been a it,” said Gu Huinan, general Such a philosophy, togeth- portfolio, with at least two between people and cars. It major driving force of the new manager of the one-year old er with GAC’s traditional new models added each year will lower the temperature car market in China, the world’s subsidiary under the State- competitive edge in design The GE3 SUV is one of the three models that GAC New Energy to meet customer needs, Gu onboard when customers largest vehicle market.