European Auto Sales Plummet 14 Percent During Second Lockdown - RoadandTrack.com

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Welcome to The Grid, R&T's quick roundup of the auto industry and motorsports news you should know this morning.

European Auto Sales Plummeted 14 Percent in November

In a month where global coronavirus cases skyrocketed driven primarily by surges in the U.S. and Europe, many European countries announced stricter virus protocols similar to the lockdowns we saw back in March and April. The result helped quash the rising case numbers, but the auto industry has taken another battering. Sales in the continent fell 14 percent year-over-year in November, Automotive News Europe reports.

Numbers were down pretty much across the board, with Seat taking the worst hit with a 25 percent drop. Only two brands made it through without shedding sales: Toyota sales were flat and Jeep sales were up 16 percent, partially due to the company's new hybrid models. Many virus measures in Europe continued on into or started up in December, so expect sales figures to look pretty bad this month as well.

Council Approves 23-Race F1 Calendar

The World Motor Sport Council has approved the 23-race provisional schedule that Formula One announced last month. Assuming no pandemic-related cancellations, it'll be the most race-packed year in the sport's history and feature a new race in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

As Autosport notes, the calendar was approved despite an April race slot remaining unfilled. That slot, previously occupied by the Vietnam Grand Prix, will likely be replaced by one of races that were added to the modified 2020 schedule. Imola, Mugello, and Portimao are all supposedly possibilities, according to Autosport. They'll join races that were axed for 2020 but are scheduled to come back, including the United States Grand Prix, Monaco Grand Prix, Mexico Grand Prix, Chinese Grand Prix, and more.

VW Loses Yet Another Dieselgate Ruling

In the never-ending saga that is Dieselgate, Volkswagen has lost another ruling. This time, the company was trying to limit its liability by claiming in the top European Union court that the emissions defeat device "contributes to preventing the aging or clogging up of the engine," Automotive News reports. This French case that was elevated to the E.U. high court focuses on the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve that affected cars would disable under normal conditions.

The E.U. ruled in July that customers anywhere in the 27-nation bloc can sue VW over its deceptive marketing and emissions cheating, opening up even more cases against the automotive giant. Automotive News points out that VW's still facing a 91,000-owner class-action suit in the U.K. that was given standing back in April in addition to other cases across the continent. The scandal has cost VW over $36 billion since it was uncovered in 2015.

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