Porsche will produce a sport-wagon version of the Taycan electric sedan called the Cross Turismo. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing. 

Today’s Headlines:

 +   Texas oil refineries closed down by cold-weather disruptions may take several weeks to resume operations, industry experts say, pushing retail gasoline prices upward. More at Reuters. 

+  Apple is in discussions with multiple suppliers of lidar laser-imaging sensors, a key element in self-driving vehicle technology that suggests an Apple car is on the way.  More at The Detroit News. 

+   Honda research and development head Toshihiro Mibe will become the Japanese automaker’s new chief executive, replacing Takahiro Hachigo, who steps down April 1. More at CNET Roadshow. 

+   Las Vegas Motor Speedway plans to admit a limited number of spectators to its NASCAR Cup weekend on March 5-7, subject to final approval by local authorities. More at Jayski. 

+   Porsche has unveiled an upcoming sport-wagon variant of the Taycan electric sedan that will be called the Cross Turismo, releasing a video of a barely disguised prototype. More at The Drive. 

+   General Motors, Ford, Stellantis, Toyota, Volkswagen, Honda, Nissan, and Subaru have all slowed production at North American plants due to the deepening microchip shortage. More at Car and Driver. 

+   Bruce Meyers, who created the original Meyers Manx dune buggy by designing a one-piece fiberglass body shell for a shortened Volkswagen chassis, has passed away at 94. More at Classic Cars.com Journal. 

+   Ford is investing $1 billion in an electric vehicle production facility in Cologne, Germany as the automaker commits to going all-electric in the European market by 2030. More at CNBC. 

+   Jaguar Land Rover’s executive director of vehicle programs, Nick Collins, says a pickup version of the Land Rover Defender may well be in the company’s future. More at Autocar. 

+   Chris Craft, a top British sports car driver of the 1970s who started a single Formula 1 race at the U.S. Grand Prix in Watkins Glen in 1971, has passed away at age 81. More at Motorsport.com. 

Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company.

Review the previous Executive Briefing from February 19 here. 

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