PTI | New Delhi: Chennai-based startup The ePlane Company expects to develop a certifiable prototype of a flying electric taxi by March next year as it works on ways to alleviate urban congestion. Incubated out of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, the company also aims to initially commercialise its drones that can carry a payload of 2-6 kilograms in the coming months, according to a senior executive.

The ePlane Company’s Founder and CEO Satya Chakravarthy said it is developing an eVTOL (electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) aircraft and to begin with, it will be a three or four-seater plane which can be converted into an air ambulance. Continue reading “Indian startup The ePlane to develop electric air taxi prototype by March 2025”

PTI | New Delhi: A major surge of nearly 149% in prosecutions related to mobile phone usage while driving in Delhi since January 1, as compared to the corresponding period last year, the traffic police data revealed. The statistics, shared by the Delhi Traffic Police, indicate a sharp rise in violations of mobile phone usage laws while driving.

From January 1 to April 15, a total of 15,846 motorists were booked for this offence, significantly higher than the 6,369 cases reported in 2023, it said. Continue reading “149% surge in cases of mobile phone use while driving since Jan”

SHANGHAI/BEIJING, (Reuters) – Tesla (TSLA.O), CEO Elon Musk arrived in Beijing on Sunday on an unannounced visit, where he was expected to discuss the rollout of Full Self-Driving (FSD) software and permission to transfer data overseas, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

Chinese state media reported that he met Premier Li Qiang in Beijing, during which Li told Musk that Tesla’s development in China could be regarded as a successful example of U.S.-China economic and trade cooperation. Continue reading “Elon Musk visits China as Tesla seeks self-driving technology rollout”

ABUJA, (Reuters) – Nigeria secured a $600 million investment in seaport infrastructure from Danish shipping company A.P. Moller-Maersk (MAERSKb.CO), the presidency said in a statement on Sunday.

The investment was secured during a meeting between President Bola Tinubu and Moller-Maersk Chairman Robert Maersk Uggla on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum meeting in Saudi Arabia. Continue reading “Nigeria secures $600 million Maersk investment in seaport infrastructure”

BEIJING, (Reuters) – Elon Musk pushed for China’s approval for Tesla to roll out advanced driver-assistance systems in a whirlwind trip to Beijing that ended on Monday, a step that could boost revenues at a time when Tesla is under pressure from Chinese rivals.

Tesla CEO Musk arrived in the Chinese capital on Sunday where he was expected to discuss the rollout of Full Self-Driving (FSD) software and permission to transfer driving data overseas, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. Continue reading “Elon Musk pursues self-driving approval on China trip as Tesla wins key endorsement”

Summary

• SK Innovation Q1 tops forecast thanks to its petrochem business
• Co expects solid Q2 refining margin backed by travel demand, OPEC+ cut
• Battery unit maintains its target to reach breakeven in H2

SEOUL, (Reuters) – SK Innovation Co Ltd (096770.KS),  said on Monday its SK On battery-making unit is on target to breakeven in the second half of this year after it posted a forecast-beating operating profit in the first quarter, sending its shares up over 6.0%. Continue reading “SK Innovation Q2 profit tops forecast, battery unit eyes EV demand recovery”

(Reuters) – Tesla (TSLA.O), is set to clear a key hurdle to introduce its advanced assisted driving features in China by partnering with Baidu (9888.HK), for mapping and navigation functions, Bloomberg News reported on Monday. Continue reading “Tesla clears key China assisted-driving hurdle with Baidu deal, Bloomberg News says”

BEIJING, (Reuters) – Baidu (9888.HK), China’s major internet search company, reached an agreement with Tesla (TSLA.O),to grant the car company access to its mapping license for data collection on China’s public roads, two people familiar with the matter said.

The deal clears a final regulatory hurdle for Tesla’s driver assistance system, which Tesla calls Full Self Driving (FSD), to be offered in China, the sources said. Continue reading “Baidu, Tesla agree on mapping deal for FSD in China, sources say”

Source : PTI | New Delhi, Varanasi has been selected as the pilot location for deployment of green hydrogen fuel cell inland vessels on National Waterways-I, aligning with the government’s Harit Nauka guidelines, an official statement said on Friday. Discussions are ongoing with potential players for facilities like bunkering, it added.

It was also informed that due to its low emission qualities, methanol is also actively considered one of the key green fuels for EXIM Vessels globally, as seen in the recent case of Maersk’s deployment of methanol-powered ships, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) said in the statement. Continue reading “Varanasi pilot location for deployment of green hydrogen fuel cell inland vessels on NW-I”

(Reuters) – Daimler Truck agreed to a new labor contract on Friday with over 7,300 hourly workers represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW) at six facilities in the U.S. South, averting a strike at the 11th hour.

“For months, we said that record profits should mean a record contract with no concessions,” UAW President Shawn Fain said in a late-night appearance on YouTube from Charlotte, North Carolina, near where the company has plants. Continue reading “Daimler Truck reaches deal with United Auto Workers, averts U.S. strike”

BERLIN, (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Justice has closed its probe into the Mercedes-Benz diesel emissions scandal and the car manufacturer is no longer facing charges, the company said on Saturday.

Mercedes-Benz cooperated fully with the DOJ, Renata Jungo Bruengger, board member for integrity, governance and sustainability at Mercedes, said in an emailed statement. Continue reading “Mercedes-Benz says US DOJ ended investigation into diesel emissions scandal”

(Reuters) – A new form of sticker shock has hit American car buyers like Darin Davis.

In January, when the 56-year-old Dallas real estate agent renewed the insurance on the pearly-white 2024 Cadillac XT4 that he bought just a few months earlier, the rate nearly doubled. Continue reading “Soaring insurance costs hit as US buyers get a break on car prices”

Summary

• Entry-level Tesla car won’t be built, three sources tell Reuters
• Tesla to focus on self-driving taxis instead, sources said
• Strategy shift comes as Tesla faces competition from China EV makers including BYD

(Reuters) – Tesla has canceled the long-promised inexpensive car that investors have been counting on to drive its growth into a mass-market automaker, according to three sources familiar with the matter and company messages seen by Reuters. Continue reading “Exclusive: Tesla scraps low-cost car plans amid fierce Chinese EV competition”

(Reuters) – A made-in-China electric vehicle will hit U.S. dealers this summer offering power and efficiency similar to the Tesla Model Y, the world’s best-selling EV, but for about $8,000 less.

The EX30 from Volvo Cars, the Swedish luxury brand owned by China’s Geely, foreshadows the fierce competitive threat U.S. automakers could face from Chinese EV manufacturers that have surged far ahead of global rivals, especially on affordability. Continue reading “How Volvo landed a cheap Chinese EV on U.S. shores in a trade war”

(Reuters) – Former Tesla executive Drew Baglino has sold shares worth around $181.5 million in the world’s top EV maker, according to a SEC filing on Thursday.

Baglino, a Tesla veteran who began his career as an engineer in 2006 and was one of four members, along with Elon Musk, on the company’s leadership team. Continue reading “Former exec Baglino sells Tesla shares worth $181.5 mln, SEC filing shows”

BEIJING, (Reuters) – It’s taken Huawei just four years to become a force in smart car technology, navigating the devastation of trade sanctions on its smartphones business while simultaneously developing a driver assistance system that is the darling of the Beijing auto show.

Huawei Technologies has two huge booths at this week’s event, and there are at least seven Chinese automakers touting its Qiankun installed in their cars as the most sophisticated advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) to date. Continue reading “Huawei’s smart car tech offers automakers route to China sales”

SAN FRANCISCO/AUSTIN, Texas, (Reuters) – Elon Musk’s new plan to use current product lines as the basis for new affordable vehicles — rather than springing for all-new models — follows the playbook of Tesla’s old-school Detroit rivals, as some Tesla investors and analysts see it.

The shift toward incremental improvement, mirroring a common strategy of Ford and General Motors, suggests the future of car-making that Musk has promised to disrupt may still look a lot like the past. Continue reading “Tesla’s plan for affordable cars takes page from Detroit rivals”

LONDON, (Reuters) – U.S. and European politicians have raised alarms that their domestic auto industries could be destroyed by a wave of cheap Chinese electric vehicles. But so far, China’s top EV maker, BYD, has dramatically hiked export prices compared to what it charges at home rather than undercut foreign rivals.

The goal: to rake in hefty profit margins the automaker can’t get in China amid fierce competition. Continue reading “Insight: Why BYD’s EV exports sell for twice the China price”

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.S. auto safety regulators said on Friday they have opened an investigation into whether Tesla’s recall of more than 2 million vehicles announced in December to install new Autopilot safeguards is adequate following a series of crashes.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it opened the probe after receiving reports of 20 crashes involving vehicles that had the new Autopilot software updates installed under Tesla’s recall. Continue reading “US probes Tesla recall of 2 million vehicles over Autopilot”

SAN FRANCISCO, (Reuters) – Tesla plans to lay off 693 employees at its facilities in Sparks, Nevada, a government notice showed, as part of its plan to cut more than 10% of its global workforce amid dropping sales and rising competition.

The notice was submitted to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation earlier this week. Continue reading “Tesla to lay off 693 employees in Nevada, government notice says”

(Reuters) – Daimler Truck agreed to a new labor contract on Friday with over 7,300 hourly workers represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW) at six facilities in the U.S. South, averting a strike at the 11th hour.

“For months, we said that record profits should mean a record contract with no concessions,” UAW President Shawn Fain said in a late-night appearance on YouTube from Charlotte, North Carolina, near where the company has plants. Continue reading “Daimler Truck reaches deal with United Auto Workers, averts U.S. strike”

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The Biden administration is not taking any options off the table to respond to China’s excess industrial capacity, which is a top concern for the U.S. and its allies, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Reuters on Thursday.

China exporting its way to full employment is not acceptable to the rest of the world, Yellen said in a Reuters Next interview in Washington. Continue reading “Nothing off the table in US response to China overcapacity, Yellen says”

TOKYO, (Reuters) – Honda Motor plans to invest C$15 billion ($11 billion) in new EV and battery production plants alongside its existing facilities in Ontario, it said on Thursday, the Japanese automaker’s largest ever investment in Canada.

The investment, announced by company executives and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, signals Honda’s expectation for more growth in North American demand for EVs. Continue reading “Honda to set up $11 bln electric vehicle, battery plants in Canada”

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INDIA

MG Motor India Installs 500 EV Chargers in 500 Days APN News

Volkswagen India launches new variants – Taigun GT Line and GT Plus Sport WAF

Tata Passenger Electric Mobility to supply 2,000 XPRES-T units to Vertelo WAF Continue reading “WAF Auto News | The Auto World This Week (26th April 2024)”

FRANKFURT, (Reuters) – Mercedes-Benz is planning to launch a luxury electric van for the Chinese market based on its VAN.EA platform, the head of the carmaker’s vans division told German magazine WirtschaftsWoche.

“A super-luxury variant, so to speak. We want to significantly increase our sales share in China,” Mathias Geisen was quoted as saying. “In China, demand for vans is growing rapidly, especially in the luxury segment.” Continue reading “Mercedes-Benz to launch luxury electric van for Chinese market”

BEIJING, (Reuters) – Mercedes-Benz executives said on Thursday the company would continue to invest in tie-ups with Chinese partners including automaker BAIC Group (1958.HK), opens new tab, underscoring the importance of China to its global strategy.

China is “the most dynamic new energy vehicle market”, country chief Hubertus Troska said at a press conference on the opening day of the Beijing auto show. Continue reading “Mercedes-Benz says it will continue to invest in Chinese tie-ups”

BEIJING, (Reuters) – Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has locked in 75,723 orders for its sporty SU7 electric sedan as of April 24, and aims to deliver over 10,000 units in June, founder Lei Jun said on Thursday.

The delivery target sets a record for an electric vehicle (EV) startup, Lei said during an event on the first media day of the Beijing auto show. Continue reading “Xiaomi locks in over 75,000 orders for SU7 car, targets over 10,000 deliveries in June”

BEIJING, (Reuters) – Chinese electric vehicle (EV) battery maker CATL on Thursday unveiled a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery with a driving range of more than 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) on a single charge.

The Shenxing Plus is the world’s first LFP battery boasting such a range, Chief Technology Officer Gao Huan of CATL’s e-car division said on the first media day of the Beijing auto show. Continue reading “Chinese EV battery maker CATL unveils LFP battery with 1,000 km range”

TOKYO, (Reuters) – Toyota Motor said on Thursday its global sales and production hit record highs in the year ended March 31, supported by robust demand and the absence of semiconductor supply constraints it had to endure in recent years.

Still, Toyota plans to delay the start of its electric vehicle (EV) production in the U.S. and trim domestic production to ensure product safety and quality after a series of scandals at its group firms, the Mid Japan Economist newspaper said. read more Continue reading “Toyota hits record annual output, sales on robust demand”

PARIS, (Reuters) – Production at three Stellantis assembly plants in Europe has been stopped for several days due to a strike at a plant run by supplier MA France, a spokesperson told Reuters.

“Three sites have seen a production halt since the start of the week,” the spokesperson said, adding two are in France (Poissy and Hordain) and one in Britain (Luton). Continue reading “Three Stellantis plants halted due to strike at supplier”

LOS ANGELES/SAN FRANCISCO, (Reuters) – UPS and FedEx are facing uncertainty in U.S. supplies of big, boxy electric step vans they need to replace their gas guzzlers and make a dent in the country’s climate-warming tailpipe emissions.

The path to electrification by the package delivery giants is critical to U.S. President Joe Biden’s transportation climate goals. Achieving that aim, however, is hampered by battery shortages that are limiting EV supplies and keeping prices high, and by startup electric van makers that are running out of money and shutting down. Continue reading “UPS, FedEx transition to electric vans slowed by battery shortages, low supply”

Source : PTI | New Delhi: Tata Passenger Electric Mobility on Wednesday said it has secured an order to supply 2,000 units of XPRES-T electric sedans from integrated fleet electrification platform Vertelo. The company, a unit of Tata Motors, has inked a non-binding memorandum of understanding, with Macquarie managed Vertelo for the delivery of EV units.

The company will begin deliveries of the cars to Vertelo in a phased manner, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility (TPEM) said in a statement. Continue reading “Tata Passenger Electric Mobility to supply 2,000 XPRES-T units to Vertelo”

BEIJING, (Reuters) – Chinese-backed Swedish electric vehicle (EV) maker Polestar Automotive is accelerating efforts to produce more vehicles outside China in view of rising geopolitical tensions, its CEO said.

Asked how Polestar is preparing for the possibility a European probe into Chinese-made EVs might lead to increased tariffs, Thomas Ingenlath said the automaker was exploring the idea of speeding up exporting the Polestar 3 made in South Carolina to the European Union. Continue reading “Polestar speeds plans to make more cars outside China as EU-China tensions rise”

Summary

• Targets 15% market share in China by 2030
• Expects to sell 4 million cars annually in China by 2030
• Expects price war to continue

BEIJING/FRANKFURT, (Reuters) – Volkswagen aims to keep its Chinese market share roughly stable until the end of the decade, the head of its China business said, betting heavy investment will support sales despite a raging price war with local electric vehicle (EV) rivals. Continue reading “Volkswagen aims to keep China market share stable as price war rages”

(Reuters) – General Motors CEO Mary Barra’s total compensation in 2023 fell 4% to $27.8 million, the largest U.S. automaker said Wednesday.

The Detroit automaker also said GM President Mark Reuss’ total compensation in 2023 rose to just under $18 million, up from $14.3 million, while Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson’s compensation rose to $11.1 million last year, up from $10.2 million. GM general counsel Craig Glidden, who was also named president and chief administrative officer at self-driving unit Cruise last year, received $11.5 million. Continue reading “GM CEO Barra compensation fell 4% in 2023 to $27.8 million”

(Reuters) – Ford Motor Co posted first-quarter earnings on Wednesday that beat Wall Street’s expectations, bolstered by a strong performance in its commercial vehicle division and an increase in its hybrid vehicle sales.

The company said it expects to achieve the higher end of its projected annual guidance of $10 billion to $12 billion in earnings before interest and taxes. Ford shares rose more than 3% in after-market trading on the news. Continue reading “Ford profit beats on commercial sales; EVs still dragging”

Source : PTI | The government on Tuesday said it received bids from seven companies including Reliance Industries and JSW Neo Energy for production-linked incentives to set up battery manufacturing facilities of 10 GWh capacity with an outlay of INR 3,620 crore. The other bidders on the list included ACME Cleantech Solutions Private Limited, Amara Raja Advanced Cell Technologies Private Limited, Anvi Power Industries Private Limited, Lucas TVS Limited, and Waaree Energies Limited.

The bids for manufacturing facilities with a cumulative capacity of 70 GWh came in response to a global tender issued by the Heavy Industries Ministry on January 24 this year. Continue reading “Reliance, JSW Neo Energy and 5 others bid for govt incentives to set up battery manufacturing units”

Source : PTI | German automaker Volkswagen has rolled out two new variants of its popular sports utility vehicle Taigun, the company said on Tuesday.

Widening its product portfolio, the company has launched Taigun GT Line equipped with a 1.0L TSI engine at INR 14.08 lakh, while the Taigun GT Plus Sport 1.5L TSI will be available at INR 18.53 lakh, both ex-showroom prices. The two new variants were formally unveiled at the Volkswagen Annual Brand Conference which showcased its all-electric vehicle ID.4 in March. Continue reading “Volkswagen India launches new variants – Taigun GT Line and GT Plus Sport”