BRUSSELS, Sept 25 (Reuters) – European Union ministers agreed on Monday to dilute a European Commission proposal on new vehicle commissions after eight states, including France and Italy said the changes could divert investment from the electric vehicle industry.

The European Union has progressively tightened road vehicle emission limits since 1992. The Commission’s latest proposed rules, called “Euro 7”, were designed to introduce new standards on particle emissions from brakes and tyres. Continue reading “EU ministers weaken position on vehicle emissions”

Summary

• UK delay unlikely to affect global pace of EV shift
• Analysts say delay is political, unsettles investors
• Some brands plan to be fully electric before 2030

LONDON, Sept 25 (Reuters) – Britain’s decision to delay a ban on new fossil fuel car sales may make little difference to the pace of a shift to electric vehicles (EVs), even though the news drew anger from automakers worried about supply chains and investment uncertainty. Continue reading “UK’s fossil fuel car ban delay may only stall investment”

LONDON, Sept 25 (Reuters) – Nissan Motor Co (7201.T) said on Monday all its new European models will be fully electric and it plans to sell only electric vehicles (EVs) on the continent by 2030, joining a growing number of carmakers shifting to electric by the end of the decade.

“There is no turning back now,” Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida said in a statement.

The Japanese carmaker said that one of two new EV models it has already confirmed for Europe will be manufactured at its Sunderland plant in northeast England. Continue reading “Nissan says all new models coming to Europe will be fully electric”

Sept 25 (Reuters) – Canadian union Unifor announced General Motors (GM.N) as its second bargaining target in contract talks with the Detroit Three on Monday, a day after ratifying a new three-year contract with Ford Motor (F.N).

Unifor had set Ford as the first target for a pattern agreement in its contract discussions with the Detroit Three in Canada. On Sunday, the union voted in favor of a new contract with Ford that offers wage increases of up to 25% to about 5,600 workers at the automaker’s Canadian facilities. Continue reading “Canadian union Unifor names GM its second bargaining target among Detroit Three”

Sept 25 (Reuters) – Ford Motor (F.N) said on Monday it has paused work on a $3.5 billion electric vehicle battery plant in Michigan, citing concerns about its ability to competitively operate the plant at a time when it remains locked in broader contract negotiations.

United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain blasted Ford, saying the announcement was “a shameful, barely-veiled threat by Ford to cut jobs…. We are simply asking for a just transition to electric vehicles and Ford is instead doubling down on their race to the bottom.” Continue reading “Ford pauses work on $3.5 bln battery plant in Michigan”

Source : PTI | Luxury carmakers Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and Audi expect sales momentum to continue in the ongoing festive season with demand remaining robust for high-end cars. With offtake remaining strong, the festive season push could even see the luxury car segment posting its highest ever volumes in a year in 2023. In an interaction with PTI, Mercedes-Benz India Managing Director and CEO Santosh Iyer noted that the festive season looks very promising as compared with last year. Continue reading “Luxury carmakers Mercedes, Lexus, Audi expect bumper sales in festive period”

Sept 24 (Reuters) – Canadian labor union Unifor said on Sunday its members had voted to ratify a new contract with Ford Motor (F.N), a relief for the Detroit automaker locked in a separate tussle with its U.S. union over demands for better pay and benefits in the country.

Unifor, which represents about 5,600 Canadian auto workers, said its members at Ford ratified a new three-year collective agreement. Continue reading “Workers with Canadian union Unifor vote in favor of Ford contract”

BANGKOK, Sept 24 (Reuters) – Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Sunday the country expected to receive investment of at least $5 billion from Tesla (TSLA.O), Google (GOOGL.O) and Microsoft (MSFT.O).

“Tesla would be looking into an EV manufacturing facility, Microsoft and Google are looking at data centres,” he said, without detailing whether the $5 billion was expected to be a combined investment or made individually by each company. Continue reading “Thailand expects Tesla, Google, Microsoft to invest $5 billion, prime minister says”

Sept 25 (Reuters) – The European Union and Britain need to take urgent action to postpone rules for electric vehicles traded between the bloc and the UK that will trigger 10% tariffs, Europe’s car industry group said on Monday.

“Driving up consumer prices of European electric vehicles, at the very time when we need to fight for market share in the face of fierce international competition, is not the right move,” European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) president and Renault (RENA.PA) CEO Luca de Meo said in a statement ahead of a planned trade meeting between EU and UK officials this week. Continue reading “EU car group calls for urgent action on post-Brexit trade rules”

Sept 24 (Reuters) – Ford Motor (F.N) said on Sunday that despite progress in some areas, it still has “significant gaps to close” on key economic issues before it can reach a new labor agreement with the United Auto Workers union.

The “issues are interconnected and must work within an overall agreement that supports our mutual success,” it said in a late evening statement after talks over the weekend. Continue reading “Ford says ‘significant gaps’ remain in UAW labor contract talks”

Summary

• UK delay unlikely to affect global pace of EV shift
• Analysts say delay is political, unsettles investors
• Some brands plan to be fully electric before 2030

LONDON, Sept 25 (Reuters) – Britain’s decision to delay a ban on new fossil fuel car sales may make little difference to the pace of a shift to electric vehicles (EVs), even though the news drew anger from automakers worried about supply chains and investment uncertainty. Continue reading “UK’s fossil fuel car ban delay may only stall investment”

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 23 (Reuters) – California Governor Gavin Newsom late on Friday vetoed a bill to prevent heavy-duty driverless trucks from operating in the state, in a relief for companies developing autonomous technology to haul goods across the U.S.

The labor-backed Assembly Bill 316, which requires a trained human driver to be present in autonomous vehicles weighing over 10,001 pounds, was passed by a heavy majority in both houses of the state legislature. Continue reading “California governor vetoes bill banning robotrucks without safety drivers”

Sept 23 (Reuters) – U.S. auto workers expanded their strike on Friday with a clear target for distress: dealers who sell and service GM and Stellantis vehicles.

Selling and installing parts is one of the most profitable parts of the auto business, but it is also one of the most vulnerable, because the industry relies on just-in-time shipments. The strategy of choking parts delivery increases problems for some dealers who say it already had been difficult to source some components. Continue reading “GM, Stellantis dealers and customers face dwindling parts as UAW strike expands”

Summary

• Expands strikes against GM, Stellantis distribution centers
• Fain says ‘we will be everywhere’
• Ford shares gain; says more work ahead for an agreement

DETROIT, Sept 22 (Reuters) – The United Auto Workers expanded its strikes against Detroit automakers General Motors (GM.N) and Chrysler parent Stellantis (STLAM.MI), but kept its Ford (F.N) walkout limited to a single plant due to progress made in talks, the union said on Friday. Continue reading “UAW strikes more GM, Stellantis facilities, cites progress in talks with Ford”

WASHINGTON/TOLEDO, Ohio, Sept 22 (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden will travel to Michigan on Tuesday to show support for the United Auto Workers’ strike against Detroit automakers, putting him in the center of the dispute that has pitted his labor allies against major manufacturers.

Biden, a Democrat, sees himself as a pro-union president and his visit to the state, a day before former President Donald Trump is scheduled to be there, will underscore his support for union workers’ right to take action and engage in collective bargaining. Continue reading “Biden to visit Michigan to support auto strike, a day before Trump”

Sept 22 (Reuters) – An auto industry group said on Friday carmakers do not plan to immediately comply with a Massachusetts law requiring them to share vehicle data with independent repair shops citing concerns about potential hacking.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) previously reversed course and said automakers could safely share diagnostic data with independent shops, after earlier objecting that it could make vehicles vulnerable to hacking. Continue reading “Carmakers will not immediately comply with Massachusetts data repair law”

Sept 22 (Reuters) – The United Auto Workers said on Friday the union will expand its strikes against Detroit automakers General Motors (GM.N) and Chrysler parent Stellantis (STLAM.MI), but has made real progress in talks with Ford Motor (F.N).

UAW President Shawn Fain, in a Facebook live event, summarized: Talk with Ford “represents serious movement on tiers, on cost of living, on pay and on job security. But to be clear we’re not done at Ford. We still have serious issues to work through. But we do want to recognize that Ford is showing that they’re serious about reaching a deal. At GM and Stellantis, it’s a different story.” Continue reading “UAW President Fain gives details of talks with automakers”

CHICAGO, Sept 21 (Reuters) – United Auto Workers (UAW) members rallied against the Detroit Three automakers in multiple U.S. states on Thursday afternoon as Friday’s deadline loomed for a threatened expansion of the union’s strikes.

The seven-day standoff is fueling worries about prolonged industrial action that could disrupt production and ripple through the supply chain and dent U.S. economic growth. Continue reading “Auto workers rally as deadline nears to expand strikes on Detroit Three”

Sept 21 (Reuters) – Faraday Future Intelligent Electric (FFIE.O) on Thursday named company insider Matthias Aydt its new global CEO, effective Sept. 29, as the troubled EV maker focuses on boosting production and generating revenue.

Aydt, who has been with Faraday Future for over seven years, will replace Xuefeng Chen, who took the top job at the company in November last year. Chen will resume his prior duties as CEO of Faraday Future’s China business and also take on a new role as the company’s EVP of Global Industrialization. Continue reading “Faraday Future names insider Matthias Aydt its new global CEO”

Sept 21 (Reuters) – More automakers signed up to access Tesla’s electric-vehicle charging infrastructure across the United States, taking the Elon Musk-led company’s superchargers closer to becoming the industry standard.

Texas has approved a plan to require EV charging companies to include Tesla’s plug if they want to be eligible for federal funds. Continue reading “More automakers plug into Tesla’s EV charging network”

NEW DELHI, Sept 21 (Reuters) – Indian steel-to-energy group JSW is in early stage talks with Korea’s LG Energy Solution (LGES) (373220.KS) about jointly manufacturing batteries in India, two sources told Reuters, as it presses ahead with plans to build electric vehicles locally.

JSW held talks with senior LGES executives in Korea earlier this month, proposing a partnership to manufacture battery cells in India for EVs and energy storage, one of the people with direct knowledge of the discussions said. Continue reading “Exclusive: JSW in talks with LG Energy Solution to make EV batteries in India -sources”

Summary

• Tesla thinking beyond EV plant, new car for India entry -sources
• Proposed setting up Powerwall business in India -sources
• India’s Modi previously keen on Tesla’s battery storage products

NEW DELHI, Sept 21 (Reuters) – Tesla (TSLA.O) has drawn up plans to make and sell battery storage systems in India and submitted a proposal to officials seeking incentives to build a factory, two people aware of the plan said, as Elon Musk continues a push to enter the country. Continue reading “Exclusive: Tesla proposes building battery storage factory in India -sources”

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WASHINGTON, Sept 21 (Reuters) – Americans broadly back striking workers in the auto industry and Hollywood, according to a two-day Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Wednesday that found significant support among both Democrats and Republicans.

The poll found that 58% of Americans support the first-ever simultaneous strike by the United Auto Workers union against Ford Motor (F.N), General Motors (GM.N) and Chrysler parent Stellantis (STLAM.MI) to win better pay and benefits, while 32% oppose the action and 10% were unsure. Continue reading “Americans broadly support auto, Hollywood strikes -Reuters/Ipsos poll”

HANOI, Sept 21 (Reuters) – Vietnamese electric vehicle (EV) maker VinFast plans to ship its first EVs to Europe this year after receiving regulatory approval, its CEO told Reuters on Thursday, as the European Union considers imposing tariffs on its Chinese rivals.

Under the plan, about 3,000 of its VF8 crossovers would be delivered to France, Germany and the Netherlands in the fourth quarter of this year from VinFast’s factory in northern Vietnam, a person familiar with the plan told Reuters. The source declined to be named because these details were not yet public. Continue reading “Exclusive: Vietnam’s VinFast to deliver EVs to Europe this year as EU probes China rivals”

SHANGHAI, Sept 21 (Reuters) – China’s Nio Inc (9866.HK) on Thursday unveiled a high-end smartphone designed to be used with its electric vehicles, touting a plethora of related functions such as using the phone to instruct the car to park itself.

The launch of the Nio Phone – the first car-specific phone to be sold by a Chinese firm, highlights the advanced state of EV technologies in the world’s biggest auto market, where electric cars now account for more than a third of vehicle sales. Continue reading “China’s Nio launches smartphone developed to use with its electric cars”

WASHINGTON, Sept 20 (Reuters) – Republican lawmakers on Wednesday urged the U.S. Treasury Department to conduct a security review over China-linked ownership of Gotion Inc, which plans to build electric vehicle battery plants in Michigan and Illinois, arguing its management is under Beijing’s sway.

The move is the latest push by Republicans to question Chinese-linked EV battery producers looking to set up shop in the U.S., possibly with access to taxpayer funding. Continue reading “US Republicans push for security review of China-linked battery company”

WASHINGTON, Sept 20 (Reuters) – Republican presidential contender Ron DeSantis pledged on Wednesday to slow America’s transition to electric vehicles, repeal regulations related to environmental, social and governance considerations and dramatically ramp up domestic fossil fuel production if he were elected.

In a speech in Midland, Texas, a city in the heart of oil country, the Florida governor also said he would withdraw the U.S. from global agreements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to fight climate change, while increasing production of crude, gas, coal and uranium on federal lands. Continue reading “Republican hopeful DeSantis slams EVs, climate “fear” in energy speech”

Summary

• Sunak delays petrol car ban by 5 years
• Eases targets on heating, insulation
• Says UK is committed to overall 2050 net zero target
• Businesses complain over changing targets

LONDON, Sept 20 (Reuters) – Prime Minister Rishi Sunak watered down Britain’s plans to tackle climate change on Wednesday, saying he would delay a ban on sales of new petrol cars to maintain the consent of the British people in the switch to net zero. Continue reading “Sunak delays UK petrol car ban, seeking voter support on climate”

Sept 20 (Reuters) – Auto workers at Ford Motor’s (F.N) Canadian facilities will start voting on a tentative three-year deal on Saturday, a spokesperson for the Unifor union said on Wednesday.

Ford reached a last-minute deal to avoid a walkout at its Canadian operations late on Tuesday, as the United Auto Workers union prepared for a potential expansion of its U.S. strikes against the Detroit Three automakers. Continue reading “Canadian auto workers to vote on Ford deal starting on Saturday”

Sept 20 (Reuters) – The United Auto Workers (UAW) union said on Wednesday that 190 workers went on strike at Mercedes-supplier ZF’s plant in Alabama, demanding higher pay and better healthcare benefits.

The workers are also seeking an end to the tier system of wages, under which older employees get higher pay than newer workers for the same job. Continue reading “UAW workers strike at Mercedes supplier ZF’s plant in Alabama”

BRUSSELS, Sept 20 (Reuters) – EU countries are debating a compromise draft for new emissions regulations on combustion engine vehicles that waters down limits, monitoring and delays the start date for the cuts, a document showed on Wednesday.

The European Union has been progressively tightening road vehicle emission limits since the first set of regulations, known as “Euro 1”, in 1992. The Commission proposed the latest set of rules, “Euro 7”, in November last year. Continue reading “EU countries debate weakened new car emissions proposal”

DETROIT, Sept 20 (Reuters) – Detroit’s Big Three automakers and the United Auto Workers remained far apart in labor negotiations on Wednesday, less than 48 hours before the union’s deadline to make significant progress or escalate a strike with new work stoppages.

Talks continued between union representatives and company management on the sixth day of a coordinated walkout, a day after Ford (F.N) averted a strike by Canadian workers. Continue reading “UAW, Detroit Three automakers in standoff as wider strike looms”

LONDON, Sept 20 (Reuters) – Carmakers, which have invested billions on electric vehicles, slammed Britain’s move to delay a 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, saying it would disrupt supply chains and slow the transition to greener cars.

Following weeks of speculation over the key net zero pledge, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday he would push back the ban by five years to 2035, with the aim of easing the financial burden on households. Continue reading “Auto industry slams Britain’s petrol car ban delay and confusion”

Source : PTI | New Delhi: US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti on Wednesday said electric buses can change the world and give a future where the planet will be liveable. The ambassador travelled in an Indian electric bus here to attend a session on “accelerating deployment of electric buses in India”.

“It was very exciting for me to be on an Indian electric bus. We know that electric buses can change the world. They are quieter, cleaner, they help us reduce our carbon (footprint) and give us a future where our planet will be livable. Continue reading “India, US join hands to launch 10,000 electric buses on Indian streets”

Source : PTI | New Delhi: The price of natural gas produced from difficult areas like KG-D6 of Reliance Industries is likely to be cut by about 14 per cent from next month in line with softening energy prices, sources said. For the six-month period starting October 1, the price of gas from deepsea and high-pressure, high-temperature (HPTP) areas is likely to be cut to around USD 10.4 per million British thermal unit from the current USD 12.12, they said. Continue reading “Gas price for Reliance to be reduced by 14% from next month”

Source : PTI  | The Indian economy is developing very fast and the country is poised to become a leader in sustainable technologies, a senior official of American technology firm Honeywell has said. India is an emerging economy, which provides an opportunity to directly build sustainable infrastructure, instead of building it using legacy technologies that are now being abandoned in places like the Europe in the United States, Honeywell, Corporate Chief Scientist, Sustainability Technologies, Gavin Towler told PTI. .

“There are some parts of India, some regions in India now that actually have very high levels of renewable power, and very low levels of fossil fuel intensity. I think India is poised to become much more of a leader in sustainable technologies,” Towler said on the sidelines of a company event. Continue reading “India poised to become leader in sustainable technologies: Honeywell Chief Scientist”

Source : PTI | Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has approved the draft of ‘Rajasthan Green Hydrogen Policy-2023’ and a notification in this regard will be issued soon. The state government has taken the decision keeping in mind clean energy production, future needs and climate change, according to a release.

‘Rajasthan Green Hydrogen Policy-2023’ is being brought to encourage investors and search for clean energy sources in the state. Chief Minister Gehlot has approved the policy draft. Notification will be issued soon by the Energy Department, the release said. Continue reading “Rajasthan govt approves hydrogen policy”

Source : PTI | Daughters of industrial workers pursuing higher education will be granted INR 50,000 to purchase electric two-wheelers, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced on Sunday. Speaking at an event at the Shri Vishwakarma Skill University in Palwal district, Khattar said the move will promote mobility and enable the daughters of industrial workers to be independent.

Khattar also made announcements regarding scholarships for the children of industrial workers. They will receive identical scholarship amounts with immediate effect, according to an official statement. Continue reading “Haryana CM Khattar announces INR 50,000 for industrial workers’ daughters to buy electric two-wheelers”