European sales of full-electric cars and plug-in hybrids boom, as EVs from Tesla and VW gain popularity

Mini, Hyundai and Kia sales were bright spots for the month, as most volume automakers recorded declines. Full-electric vehicle sales reached 10 percent, double the total in January 2021.

The debate over closed versus open operating systems is raging as automakers develop new interfaces and connectivity to put their cars more on par with smartphones.

Lexus says overall volume increased 6 percent to 760,012 vehicles in 2021. European sales rose 2 percent to 72,000 units.

A private fundraising deal for Smart could attract interest from other automakers and strategic investment funds.

Faurecia says the combined group will be better placed to sell electric mobility products and automated driving services to the industry. The deal is one of the largest in the automotive supply sector in recent years.

Any discussion of job cuts in France is likely to be closely examined in other countries where Stellantis operates such as Italy for signs of what may come there, too.

Tata Motors said it expects chip shortages at JLR to continue through 2022 as suppliers gradually ramp up production, and it is also engaging directly with chip manufacturers to secure supply longer-term supplies.

The startup has so far raised 200 million euros for its high-efficiency supercapacitors, energy storage devices that can be charged in a few seconds and recharged almost endlessly.

Huettl succeeds industry veteran Stephen Norman as the Stellantis unit's sales and marketing boss.

Mitsubishi's quarterly results got a boost from higher volume and beneficial foreign exchange rates, prompting the company to lift its full fiscal year targets.