WASHINGTON/DETROIT, Sept 29 (Reuters) – The plan for Ford Motor Co (F.N) and Korean battery partner SK Innovation (096770.KS) to build three battery plants in the United States, announced this week read more , will prompt a furious drive by labor leaders to organize the plants, potentially setting the tone for future union drives at auto industry factories in the U.S. South.

The United Auto Workers (UAW) union, which represents about 150,000 hourly workers at the U.S. plants for General Motors Co (GM.N), Ford and Chrysler parent Stellantis NV (STLA.MI), is working to represent workers at battery plants. Union leaders have said Ford has a “moral obligation” to make sure battery plant jobs are good-paying union jobs.

The fate of these workers is so important because building electric cars and the batteries that power them is largely where the job growth lies in the auto sector. If the UAW strikes out in the Ford-SK plants, it could face the risk of further erosion of membership as consumers buy fewer gasoline-powered vehicles.

Continue reading “Analysis: Auto industry wonders whether Ford-SK battery plants will sport the union label”

FRANKFURT, Sept 29 (Reuters) – The chief executive of Volkswagen’s (VOWG_p.DE) truck unit Traton (8TRA.DE), Matthias Gruendler, will leave the business and will be replaced by the head of Traton subsidiary Scania, Christian Levin, who will lead both businesses.

In a statement on Wednesday, Traton added that its chief finance officer, Christian Schulz, would leave alongside Gruendler. Schulz will be replaced by Annette Danielski, now the firm’s head of group finance.

Traton said the changes, which take effect on Thursday, were decided by its supervisory board, chaired by VW non-executive Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch.

Continue reading “Chief executive of VW’s truck unit Traton replaced by Scania boss”

MUNICH/BEIJING, Sept 30 (Reuters) – China’s electric carmakers are darting into Europe, hoping to catch traditional auto giants cold and seize a slice of a market supercharged by the continent’s drive towards zero emissions.

Nio Inc (NIO.N), among a small group of challengers, launches its ES8 electric SUV in Oslo on Thursday – the first foray outside China for a company that is virtually unheard of in Europe even though it’s valued at about $57 billion.

Other brands unfamiliar to many Europeans that have started selling or plan to sell cars on the continent include Aiways, BYD’s (002594.SZ) Tang, SAIC’s (600104.SS) MG, Dongfeng’s VOYAH, and Great Wall’s (601633.SS) ORA.

Continue reading “China’s electric carmakers make their move on Europe”

Sept 28 (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co (F.N) on Tuesday became the second Detroit automaker to ask U.S. salaried employees to reveal their vaccination status against COVID-19 in a bid to comply with wider federal guidelines.

Ford said salaried employees were required to submit their vaccination status against COVID-19 by Oct. 8 but the process was voluntary for its hourly employees represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW) union.

The automaker’s move comes as the Biden administration pursues sweeping measures to increase vaccination coverage in the United States, while pushing large employers to have their workers inoculated or tested weekly. read more

Continue reading “Ford asks U.S. salaried employees to disclose COVID-19 vaccination status”

CASA GRANDE, Ariz., Sept 28 (Reuters) – U.S. startup Lucid Group Inc (LCID.O) said on Tuesday it will start delivering luxury electric sedans with a Tesla-beating driving range in late October, posing a major challenge to the market leader whose sales of premium models have stagnated.

The California-based Lucid began production of its long-delayed Lucid Air cars at its Arizona factory on Tuesday, and said it aims to ramp plant’s capacity up to 90,000 vehicles per annum in the next two years.

The top-end Lucid Air Dream Edition will be available in late October, followed by less expensive models: Grand Touring, Touring and Air Pure. The company said it has received more than 13,000 reservations for Lucid Air models, and it has increased the planned total production of the Lucid Air Dream Edition to 520 vehicles.

Continue reading “Lucid to start deliveries of electric cars with range exceeding Tesla’s in October”

Sept 28 (Reuters) – Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) Chief Executive Elon Musk said on Tuesday U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration was not the friendliest and its electric vehicle policy appeared to be controlled by labor unions.

Speaking at a tech conference in California, Musk was critical of a White House summit on electric vehicles in August to which automakers other than Tesla were invited.

“(They) didn’t mention Tesla once and praised GM and Ford for leading the EV revolution. Does that sound maybe a little biased?,” Musk said during a panel discussion at the Code Conference in Beverly Hills.

Continue reading “Musk says Biden’s EV policy ‘controlled by unions’-Code Conference”

LONDON, Sept 22 (Reuters) – Vitol has partnered with China’s BYD (002594.SZ) to allocate an initial $250 million to expand electric vehicle infrastructure in some markets, the energy trading firm said on Wednesday.

“Together they will offer municipal, corporate and others a comprehensive solution including electric vehicles, charging infrastructure and depot design,” the statement said.

Vitol is currently deploying over 300 electric buses in Bogota, Colombia, and is seeking additional opportunities in South America and further afield.

Continue reading “Energy trader Vitol, China’s BYD partner on EV infrastructure”

TOKYO, Sept 28 (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp’s (7203.T) Silicon Valley research arm on Thursday said it had acquired automotive operating system software company Renovo to help accelerate the development of fully-autonomous connected vehicles.

“I am hoping to shave off years and months to our minimum viable product launches,” James Kuffner, the head of Toyota’s Woven Planet subsidiary said during a press briefing.

A longer term goal is to design software and operating systems that other automakers would also use, the former Google robot engineer added.

Continue reading “Toyota buys software firm Renovo to accelerate self-driving tech development”

Sept 28 (Reuters) – U.S. retail sales of new vehicles are expected to fall nearly a quarter in September, hurt by depleting inventories, even as consumer spending remains strong, consultants J.D. Power and LMC Automotive said in a joint forecast on Tuesday.

New vehicle retail sales in the United States are seen dropping to 888,900 units in September, from 1,182,788 a year ago.

“September results show that there are simply not enough vehicles available to meet consumer demand,” J.D. Power said in a statement.

Continue reading “U.S. new vehicle retail sales set to fall 25% in Sept – data”

PARIS, Sept 28 (Reuters) – Two leading trade unions at Stellantis (STLA.MI) on Tuesday criticised the way the carmaker is implementing a furlough scheme aimed at mitigating the impact of a fall in output brought on by a global chip shortage.

Stellantis and other carmakers have been hit by a series of supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, including chips which are key components in car manufacturing. Stellantis extended production halts at several European plants in late August.

The French furlough deal, agreed by four unions at Stellantis, enables the company to reduce the number of hours worked by staff affected by the chip shortage. The state reimburses the company for a portion of the lost hours, allowing workers to receive most of their salary on the condition they are re-trained and not laid off.

Continue reading “Stellantis criticised by unions in France over furlough scheme to cushion chip shortage”

Sept 28 (Reuters) – The shift to electric vehicles will force huge changes in the auto industry and require EU backing for ‘reskilling’ programs to help workers prepare for a zero-emission future, according to a report published on Tuesday.

The Platform for Electromobility, an industry group, said a report by the Boston Consulting Group showed by 2030 European auto industry employment will drop by less than 1% from 5.7 million people today amid the transition to electric vehicles.

But jobs at manufacturers and traditional suppliers focused on combustion engines will drop 20% and 42% respectively – between them shedding a cumulative 500,000 positions. At the same time, employment at suppliers focused on zero-emission technology will rise by 300,000 workers, representing a 10% increase, the study said.

Continue reading “Shift to EVs means huge ‘reskilling’ job for Europe – report”

DETROIT/SEOUL, Sept 27 (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co (F.N) and its Korean battery partner SK Innovation (096770.KS) will invest $11.4 billion to build an electric F-150 assembly plant and three battery plants in the United States, accelerating the U.S. automaker’s push into electric vehicles.

Ford said on Monday it now expects to have 40% to 50% of its global vehicle volume to be all-electric by 2030, up from its prior forecast of 40%.

The companies intend to create nearly 11,000 jobs by opening assembly and battery plants in Stanton, Tennessee, and two additional battery factories in Glendale, Kentucky, as part of Ford’s previously announced plan to spend more than $30 billion through 2030 on electrification, Ford said. Plants on both sites will open in 2025. read more

Continue reading “Ford, SK to invest $11.4 bln to add electric F-150 plant, three battery factories”

SEOUL, Sept 28 (Reuters) – South Korea’s SK Innovation Co Ltd (096770.KS) plans to invest 5.1 trillion won ($4.32 billion) to build battery production facilities in the United States through its battery joint venture with Ford Motor Co (F.N) through 2027, the company said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday.

The South Korean battery maker, which supplies electric car batteries to Ford Motor and Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS), among others, has battery production sites in the United States, Hungary, China and South Korea.

($1 = 1,179.6200 won)

MILAN, Sept 27 (Reuters) – Italian luxury car maker Ferrari and its parent company Exor, the holding vehicle of the Agnelli family, are joining forces with with Jony Ive, the creative mind behind many of Apple’s iconic products, and fellow designer Marc Newson.

The duo – who together developed Apple Watch – belong to the LoveFrom creative collective of designers, architects writers, engineers and artists based in London and California.

LoveFrom will explore “a range of creative projects with Exor in the business of luxury” in addition to the collaboration with Ferrari, the companies said in a joint statement on Monday. The partnership is a multi-year deal.

Continue reading “Ferrari, parent Exor clinch alliance with former Apple designer Jony Ive”

Sept 26 (Reuters) – Swedish electric car maker Polestar is nearing a deal to go public through a merger with blank-check firm Gores Guggenheim Inc (GGPI.O) at a valuation of $20 billion including debt, according to people familiar with the matter.

The premium EV maker, owned by China’s Geely (GEELY.UL) and Volvo Cars, could announce its plan to go public as soon as Monday, the people said.

Polestar raised $550 million in external funding in April and announced plans in June to build Polestar 3 electric sport utility vehicles at Volvo’s U.S. plant in South Carolina starting in the second half of 2022.

Continue reading “EV maker Polestar to go public at $20 billion valuation via SPAC -sources”

OXFORD, Sept 27 (Reuters) – Speed has always been paramount for supercar makers, and now they’re in the race of their lives to go electric before climate policy cuts their combustion engines.

That’s why the likes of Ferrari (RACE.MI) and Mercedes-Benz are turning to startups such as Oxford-based electric motor company YASA for expertise and technology to solve the unique challenges of electrifying the highest-performance vehicles.

Batteries are immensely heavy and electric motors overheat if driven too hard – big problems for a niche industry that charges hundreds of thousands of dollars for lightweight cars capable of screaming round 10 laps of a track at full throttle.

Continue reading “Electric supercars need to lose weight, power up and cool down”

BEIJING, Sept 26 (Reuters) – China’s Geely (GEELY.UL) aims to set up 5,000 battery swapping stations for electric vehicles (EV) globally by 2025, as sales grow in the world’s biggest vehicle market, the automaker said in a statement on Sunday.

A battery swapping station allows drivers to change car batteries to power the rides. Chinese automaker Nio Inc (NIO.N) plans to have 4,000 battery swapping stations globally by 2025.

China is promoting EV-related infrastructure facilities, including charging stations and battery swapping stations.

Continue reading “China’s Geely to set up 5,000 battery swapping stations by 2025”

BEIJING, Sept 26 (Reuters) – Tesla Inc’s (TSLA.O) Shanghai factory is expected to produce 300,000 cars in the first nine months of the year, capped by a delivery rush in the end of the July-September quarter, despite a global semiconductor shortage, two sources said.

The factory makes the electric Model 3 sedans and Model Y sport-utility vehicles for domestic and international markets, including Germany and Japan.

Around 240,000 vehicles were shipped from the factory in the first eight months, including many for export, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association. Tesla has not announced details on the factory’s production.

Continue reading “Tesla Shanghai to make 300,000 cars Jan-Sept despite chip shortage -sources”

Sept 24 (Reuters) – Uber Technologies (UBER.N) said it would start rolling out its pension plan to all eligible drivers in the United Kingdom, months after the ride-hailing service granted workers’ rights to its drivers in the country.

In March, Uber had reclassified its more than 70,000 drivers in Britain as workers following a Supreme Court ruling. Uber had also said it would offer guaranteed entitlements, including holiday pay, a pension plan and limited minimum wage.

On Friday, the Silicon Valley company said it would contribute 3% of a driver’s earnings into a pension plan, while drivers can choose to contribute a minimum of 5% of their qualifying earnings.

Continue reading “Uber to roll out pension plans for UK drivers”

BERLIN, Sept 24 (Reuters) – Daimler’s (DAIGn.DE) Mercedes-Benz said on Friday it will take a 33% stake in battery cell manufacturer Automotive Cells Company (ACC), expanding its European sourcing of battery cells key to its EV ambitions and currently produced primarily in Asia.

ACC, founded in 2020 by France’s Stellantis (STLA.MI) and TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA), will begin supplying Mercedes-Benz with batteries from its production locations in France and Germany from the middle of the decade.

Continue reading “Daimler expands European battery network with 33% stake in ACC venture”

DETROIT, Sept 23 (Reuters) – Global automakers could lose $210 billion in revenue this year because of supply chain disruptions, nearly double a forecast earlier this year, consulting firm Alixpartners said Thursday.

A shortage of semiconductors is just part of the problem, Alixpartners said in a new forecast. High prices and tight supplies of commodities such as steel and plastic resin are driving up costs and forcing automakers to curtail production.

Automakers are on track to lose production of 7.7 million vehicles in 2021, according to the new forecast. Alixpartners advises automakers on supply chain and other issues.

Continue reading “Supply chain snarls could cost automakers $210 billion this year, forecast finds”

NEW DELHI, Sept 23 (Reuters) – India’s Ola plans to produce kick scooters, e-bikes, drones and even flying cars under its future mobility scheme to help meet the country’s transport needs, the company’s founder Bhavish Agarwal said in a blogpost on Thursday.

Ola, backed by Japan’s Softbank Group (9984.T), is building what it calls a “New Mobility” ecosystem which will include mobility services, new energy vehicles and digital forms of auto retail, Agarwal said in his post.

The company’s electric unit will soon begin production of its first electric scooter at a plant in the southern state of Tamil Nadu which it says is the biggest in the world. The Indian start-up also has plans to expand into electric bikes and cars.

Continue reading “From e-bikes to flying cars: India’s Ola plots mobility future”

TURIN, Sept 24 (Reuters) – Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) CEO Elon Musk said on Friday that thanks to new semiconductor plants that are planned or under construction, the global chip shortage that has pummelled the car industry this year should be short term in nature.

Asked how long he thought the global chip shortage would affect vehicle production, Musk said: “short term I think”.

“There’s a lot of chip fabrication plants that are being built,” Musk said during a joint session with Stellantis (STLA.MI) and Ferrari (RACE.MI) Chairman John Elkann, at Italian Tech Week.

“I think we will have good capacity for providing chips by next year,” he added.

Continue reading “New semiconductor plants will end global auto chip shortage next year -Tesla’s Musk”

FRANKFURT, Sept 24 (Reuters) – The planned opening of Tesla’s (TSLA.O) first gigafactory in Europe later this year will force local industry to step up its game, Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) Chief Executive Herbert Diess said on Friday.

Diess’ comments, made on Twitter, come as Tesla continues work on its plant in Gruenheide, near Berlin, as it awaits final building approval for the 5.8 billion euro ($6.8 billion) site. read more

“Efficiency is key for the transformation of our industry/Germany. Tesla develops in shorter processes, works closer with the best in the industry and takes more risk,” Diess, a known admirer of the electric car pioneer led by Elon Musk, said.

Continue reading “Tesla’s German landing will fuel competition – Volkswagen CEO”

NEW DELHI, Sept 24 (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co’s (F.N) India head Anurag Mehrotra has quit the company to pursue other career opportunities, days after the U.S. automaker said it would stop making cars in the Asian nation, taking a hit of $2 billion.

Mehrotra, according to his LinkedIn profile, has spent over a decade with Ford in India across multiple roles including marketing, sales and most recently as president and managing director.

Sept. 30 will be Mehrotra’s last day, a source with knowledge of the information told Reuters.

Mehrotra did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Continue reading “Ford India head quits after company says to stop making cars in India”

LONDON, Sept 23 (Reuters) – Swedish carmaker Volvo Cars said on Thursday that its vehicle range will go leather-free or ‘vegan-friendly’ by 2030, offering instead bio-based and recycled materials to a customer base that increasingly wants sustainably sourced products.

“We’ve got a new generation of customers coming through, they’re far more interested in the products they buy and having an ethical story behind them,” Robin Page, Volvo’s head of design, told Reuters. “They want to understand where the materials come from.”

Volvo said the shift recognises customer concerns over animal welfare issues in the leather industry and the environmental impacts of cattle farming.

Continue reading “Soft, warm and vegan-friendly, Volvo cars go leather-free”

BEIJING, Sept 23 (Reuters) – Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) said on Thursday it is building a new electric vehicle (EV) battery system factory in eastern China’s Hefei city which will start production in 2023.

The German automaker is building a factory for electric vehicles under a majority-owned venture with JAC (600418.SS) in the Hefei city. It also holds a stake in the EV battery maker Gotion (002074.SZ) which is also based in Hefei.

It said it would invest more than 140 million euros ($164 million) in the battery plant by 2025. The factory’s initial capacity will be 150,000 to 180,000 battery systems a year for local EV production.

Continue reading “Volkswagen building new EV battery system factory in China”

BEIJING, Sept 23 (Reuters) – General Motors Co (GM.N) said on Thursday it will invest $300 million in Chinese autonomous driving startup Momenta to develop self-driving technologies for future models in China, its first such tie-up in the world’s biggest car market.

Momenta is among the few companies that hold a permit for gathering high-definition maps in China, a key tool in autonomous driving technologies. It is working with automakers to develop mass-production vehicles with self-driving functions to gather real-time data.

The company is also backed by SAIC Motor (600104.SS), GM’s main Chinese partner, as well as Toyota Motor (7203.T) and Daimler AG (DAIGn.DE).

Continue reading “GM invests in Chinese autonomous driving startup Momenta”

TURIN, Sept 22 (Reuters) – Stellantis (STLA.MI) chairman said on Wednesday production in Italy was key to the carmaker, responding to criticism that manufacturing in the country was becoming less important after the merger between Fiat Chrysler and PSA that created the group.

John Elkann said Stellantis had invested 2 billion euros ($2.35 billion) in Turin to produce full-electric cars – including the BEV 500 – and hybrid ones along with innovative projects, such as smart-grid recharging infrastructure.

The investment, he added, is a “clear and important sign that we believe not only in all the women and men who work there, but also in the entire automotive district of the city@.

Continue reading “Stellantis chairman says Turin is key for group’s manufacturing”

WASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) – General Motors Co (GM.N) is set to name a senior U.S Senate aide and former top auto safety official as its new regulatory affairs chief as the largest U.S. automaker expands its electric vehicle plans, sources told Reuters.

GM will appoint David Strickland as vice president for global regulatory affairs, beginning Oct. 1, they said.

Strickland is currently staff director of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee and served as National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) chief under President Barack Obama.

Continue reading “GM to name former NHTSA chief as global regulatory chief – sources”

Sept 22 (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co (F.N) and startup Redwood Materials said on Wednesday they are partnering to form a “closed loop” or circular supply chain for electric vehicle batteries, from raw materials to recycling.

The aim is to lower the cost of EVs by reducing the dependence on imported materials, while also narrowing the environmental impact from mining and refining of battery materials.

Ford and Redwood will work closely with Korean battery maker SK Innovation (096770.KS), which has a joint venture with Ford called BlueOvalSK to make EV battery cells in the United States, Ford executive Lisa Drake said at a media briefing.

Continue reading “Ford, Redwood form ‘circular’ supply chain for EV battery materials”

SANAND, India, Sept 21 (Reuters) – Hundreds of workers at a Ford Motor Co (F.N) factory in India’s western Gujarat state protested outside the automaker’s plant on Tuesday, demanding that the factory’s closure plan be scrapped or workers be provided other jobs.

The blue-uniformed workers gathered outside what is Ford’s car manufacturing and engine-making facility in Gujarat’s Sanand city and said the plant’s closure planned for the year-end would lead to the loss of their livelihoods.

“After working here for seven years, I am suddenly being told I do not have a job. What is my future?” asked Anil Singh Jhala, one of the workers.

Continue reading “Hundreds of Ford India workers protest over planned plant closure”

MEXICO CITY, Sept 22 (Reuters) – Mexican used-car platform Kavak said it has more than doubled its valuation to $8.7 billion based on its latest funding round, making it the second-most valuable startup in Latin America as it eyes further expansion beyond its home market.

Kavak’s chief executive, Carlos Garcia, told Reuters the Mexico City-based firm netted $700 million in its Series E round, making the platform second only to Brazilian fintech Nubank among the highest-valued startups in the region.

The injection of capital has delivered a boost to Kavak’s plans to expand outside the region as a one-stop shop for browsing, purchasing and financing pre-owned cars via an app.

Continue reading “EXCLUSIVE Mexico’s Kavak says new funds make it second-most valuable LatAm startup”

Sept 21 (Reuters) – Robin Geoulla had doubts about the automated driving technology equipped on his Tesla Model S when he bought the electric car in 2017.

“It was a little scary to, you know, rely on it and to just, you know, sit back and let it drive,” he told a U.S. investigator about Tesla’s Autopilot system, describing his initial feelings about the technology.

Geoulla made the comments to the investigator in January 2018, days after his Tesla, with Autopilot engaged, slammed into the back of an unoccupied fire truck parked on a California interstate highway. Reuters could not reach him for additional comment.

Continue reading “A life and death question for regulators: Is Tesla’s Autopilot safe?”

SINGAPORE, Sept 21 (Reuters) – A global drive towards electrification of road transport to reduce carbon emissions may cut demand for the world’s oil refining capacity by half in 2050, consultancy Rystad Energy says.

“Going forward we will be touching by 2050 somewhere very close to 90% of electrification,” Mukesh Sahdev, senior vice president and head of downstream at Rystad Energy said, adding that this scenario would probably lead to a 50% decline in global refining capacity.

Electric vehicles will cut global consumption of gasoline and diesel, but demand for other refined oil products in aviation, maritime and petrochemical sectors could remain high because of urbanisation which will pose a challenge to the refining sector, Mukesh said.

Continue reading “Electric vehicles may cut global refining capacity demand by half in 2050 – Rystad”

BERLIN, Sept 21 (Reuters) – German activists have filed a lawsuit against automakers BMW and Daimler for refusing to tighten carbon emissions goals, the first time German citizens have sued private companies for exacerbating climate change.

The lawsuit from the heads of Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), is similar to one being lined up for Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) by the heads of Greenpeace’s Germany division in collaboration with Fridays for Future activist Clara Mayer and an unidentified landowner. However, this group has given Volkswagen until Oct. 29 to respond.

DUH also challenged energy firm Wintershall (WINT.UL) to restrict its emissions targets, but no suit has been filed against the company as of yet.

Continue reading “Explainer: Why are BMW and Daimler being sued over climate change?”

BENGALURU, Sept 20 (Reuters) – Indian used-car platform Cars24 said on Monday it raised $450 million from investors including SoftBank Group (9984.T), nearly doubling its valuation to $1.84 billion, as demand for personal transport soared during the pandemic.

Car sales have picked up in recent months as curbs ease and people avoid public transport, but carmakers have been hit by semiconductor shortages that have disrupted production. The used-car market has also seen a pick-up in recent months.

Demand for used cars is at an all-time high, Cars24 Chief Executive Officer Vikram Chopra said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

Continue reading “India’s Cars24 valuation nearly doubles after $450 mln raise”