*Battery-swap system to require $50- $100 mln investment. SAN FRANCISCO, June 18- Tesla Motor Inc is marshalling lawyers across the country to prepare for a "multi-front war" against local laws that risk stalling the electric vehicle maker's plan to bypass dealerships and sell directly to consumers.
Figures on Tuesday from the Association of European Carmakers showed Germany, France and Italy, accounting for about half of the embattled region's sales, suffered declines at or near double-digit percentage levels.
"The performance of new car registrations in May marks a significant milestone for UK automotive," said Mike Baunton, the industry trade body's interim chief executive.
*GM passes VW for No.2 in sales; Hyundai passes Renault. General Motors Co sold 53,829 cars and light trucks in the month, passing the 53,442 sales registered by Volkswagen AG. Ford Motor Co sold 27,546 passenger vehicles last month and Hyundai Motor Co passed Renault SA in sales, with 19,102 cars and light trucks sold compared to 18,111 vehicles.
Automakers suffering from weak economies and excess plant capacity had taken heart when demand picked up a little in April, suggesting a slide of almost 10 percent in Europe's first-quarter car sales would not play out in the full year.
DETROIT, June 3- May U.S. auto sales beat expectations by achieving an 8 percent gain over a year ago, industry consultant Autodata Corp said on Monday. Total sales on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate were 15.3 million vehicles, Autodata said. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had expected a gain of 6 percent to 15.1 million vehicles on an annualized basis.
TORONTO, June 3- Ford Motor Co was Canada's top auto seller in May, the company said on Monday, as brisk demand for new trucks more than offset a decline in car sales. Ford said Canadian sales rose 0.5 percent last month compared to a year earlier, as total vehicle sales hit 32,490 in May, up from 32,338 last year.
DETROIT, June 3- Chrysler Group LLC reported an 11 percent rise in May U.S. auto sales on Monday, easily beating analysts' expectations, on strong demand for pickup trucks. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters forecast May U.S. sales of 15.1 million vehicles on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis.
DETROIT, June 3- Strong sales of pickup trucks helped boost Chrysler Group LLC U.S. May auto sales by 11 percent, Chrysler said on Monday, easily beating analysts' expectations. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect May U.S. sales of 15.1 million vehicles on a seasonally adjusted annualized basis.
*Incentives fell 3 pct in May to $2,842 per vehicle- TrueCar. DETROIT, May 30- The U.S. auto industry is expected to report sales growth of more than 6 percent in May, shaking off disappointing results in the previous month as consumers still headed to dealer lots to buy new cars and trucks.
DETROIT, May 23- U.S. auto sales in May are expected to rise 6 percent to 8 percent and the annual sales pace should rebound back above 15 million vehicles after a disappointing result in the prior month, two research reports said on Thursday.
DETROIT, May 23- U.S. auto sales in May are expected to rise about 8 percent and the annual sales pace should rebound back above 15 million vehicles after a disappointing result in the prior month, two research reports said on Thursday.
The answer, in the luxury carmaker's German showrooms, is more than it takes to shift an Audi- just part of the cost gap Daimler wants to close with its premium rivals. Among the top three, Mercedes depends on its unprofitable company-owned dealerships for a bigger share of domestic sales than either Volkswagen's Audi or BMW, which rely more on franchises.
No reason has been given yet for the departure of founder and executive chairman George Zimmer, reports CNBC's Courtney Reagan. Zimmer has long been the face of the company.
Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 10:52 AM ETCNBC's Rick Santelli, explains why he hears 'crickets" when he asks questions about Fed Chairman Bernanke's policies. "Enough is enough," he rants.
Wednesday, 19 Jun 2013 | 11:36 AM ETAre reporters lobbing "softball" questions at the Fed chairman? CNBC's Rick Santelli and the Wall Street Journal's Jon Hilsenrath, debate whether the economy continues to need quantitative easing. I'm trying to inform the public about what the Fed is up to, says Hilsenrath.