TuSimple Holdings Inc (TSP.O) on Tuesday said it has partnered with Nvidia Corp (NVDA.O) to use the company’s vehicle chips to design and build an advanced autonomous driving computer for its self-driving trucks.

The computer, known as a domain controller in the automotive industry, will be specifically engineered for TuSimple’s commercial self-driving trucks, and will power sensor perception and vehicle operation. Continue reading “Self-driving truck company TuSimple to use Nvidia chips for autonomous computing”

Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) is poised to outsell General Motors Co (GM.N) in the United States in 2021, which would mark the first time the Detroit automaker has not led U.S. auto sales since 1931.

In the first nine months of 2021, Toyota sold 1.86 million vehicles in the United States compared with GM’s 1.78 million, or just over 80,000 more vehicles. For all of 2020, GM’s U.S. sales totaled 2.55 million, compared with Toyota’s 2.11 million and Ford Motor Co’s (F.N) 2.04 million. Continue reading “Toyota poised to dethrone GM in 2021 as U.S. sales leader”

Mercedes-Benz (DAIGn.DE) on Monday took the wraps off its battery-powered VISION EQXX prototype which it says will have a range of more than 1,000 kilometres (km) per charge, taking a big stride in its electric vehicle (EV) ambitions.

Daimler, soon to be rebranded Mercedes-Benz, announced plans in 2021 to invest more than 40 billion euros ($45 billion) by 2030 to take on Tesla (TSLA.O) in an all-electric car market, including building eight battery plants. From 2025, all its new vehicle platforms will only make EVs, it has said. Continue reading “Mercedes-Benz unveils 1,000 km-per-charge VISION EQXX prototype”

 Car sales rose 5.51% overall last year in Italy to reach the level of 1,457,952, Italy’s transport ministry said on Monday, highlighting a positive result compared with 2020, when the sales fell nearly 28% on the previous year.

Last month, however, sales were down 27.5% compared with December 2020, the ministry said. Continue reading “Italian car sales rise 5.51% in 2021, down 27.5% in December”

Tesla Inc’s (TSLA.O) shares started the year with stellar gains after the electric carmaker reported record deliveries for the fourth quarter, allaying fears of supply chain woes that have hit automakers.

Shares of the world’s most valuable carmaker ended up 13.5% at $1,199.78 each on Monday, marking the biggest daily percentage gain in nearly 10 months. Continue reading “Tesla’s bumper delivery numbers charge up shares”

South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS) and affiliate Kia Corp (000270.KS) on Monday forecast that their combined global sales will jump 12.1% in 2022, even as last year’s sales fell short of target due to a global chip shortage.

The companies sold 6.67 million vehicles in 2021, about 3.7% less than their combined target of 6.92 million vehicles, largely due to supply problems including the chip shortage, which drove down vehicle shipment. Continue reading “Hyundai, Kia expect auto sales jump in 2022 amid chip shortage”

Electric cars made up nearly two thirds of Norway’s new sales in 2021, with Tesla the top selling automobile brand overall, as the country pursues its goal of becoming the first to end the sale of petrol and diesel cars.

While Norway, with a population of 5.4 million, has the world’s highest proportion of electric vehicles, China with its 1.4 billion people is by far the biggest overall car market. Continue reading “Electric cars hit 65% of Norway sales as Tesla grabs overall pole”

Electric two-wheeler maker One Moto India on Monday said it plans to invest Rs 250 crore to set up a manufacturing unit in Telangana. The company has signed a memorandum of understanding with the state government to set up the new facility at the outskirts of the capital Hyderabad, One-Moto said in a statement.

“We aim to manufacture at least 40,000 units in the first phase of the plant launch, and capacity will easily be taken up to one lakh in two years,” One Moto India co-founder and partner Sameer Moidin said. Continue reading “One Moto India plans to invest Rs 250 cr to set up manufacturing unit in Telangana”

Oil prices fell on Friday but were set to post their biggest annual gains since at least 2016, spurred by the global economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic slump and producer restraint, even as infections reached record highs worldwide.

Brent crude futures settled down $1.75, or 2.2%, at $77.78 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures dropped $1.78, or 2.31%, to $75.21 a barrel. Continue reading “Oil posts biggest annual gain since at least 2016”

Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) is recalling more than 475,000 of its Model 3 and Model S electric cars to address rearview camera and trunk issues that increase the risk of crashing, the U.S. road safety regulator said on Thursday.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been discussing another camera issue with the automaker, while probing the company’s driver assistant system. Continue reading “Tesla recalls almost half a million electric cars over safety issues”

CHENNAI – Foreign automakers have indicated an interest to the government of India’s Tamil Nadu state in acquiring Ford Motor Co’s (F.N) plant there, the state industries minister said on Thursday, after inconclusive talks with the Tata Group.

Ford announced plans to stop production in India in September, as it did not see a path to profitability there. The carmaker expected to wind down operations at its vehicle and engine manufacturing unit in Tamil Nadu by 2022. Continue reading “Foreign carmakers interested in Ford plant in India – state minister”

Spanish authorities have selected local automotive group QEV Technologies as lead candidate to take over Nissan’s main plant in Barcelona after Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motor (601633.SS) withdrew its interest, Nissan said on Wednesday.

Catalonia-based engineering group QEV plans to turn the facility into a hub for electric vehicles, including participation from Swedish producers Inzile and Volta. Continue reading “Spain picks QEV as frontrunner for Nissan’s Barcelona plant”

Germany’s BMW plans to create up to 6,000 new jobs next year to prepare for growing demand for its electric vehicles, the carmaker’s chief executive told daily Muenchner Merkur.

BMW is on a very good path through the transformation and has its plants prepared for e-mobility, Oliver Zipse was quoted as saying in an interview published on Wednesday. “That is why we will increase our workforce by up to five percent next year.” Continue reading “BMW to create up to 6,000 new jobs next year”

China’s Geely Holding said its premium electric mobility brand, Zeekr, will make electric vehicles for Waymo, Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) self-driving unit, to be deployed as fully autonomous ride-hailing vehicles across the United States.

The vehicles will be designed and developed at Zeekr’s facility in Sweden, and later integrated with Waymo’s self-driving technology, Geely said on Tuesday. Continue reading “Waymo and China’s Zeekr partner to develop driverless taxis”

The U.S. auto safety agency has stepped up its probe into engine fires that have plagued some Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS) and Kia Motors Corp (000270.KS) vehicles for over six years.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it had opened an “engineering analysis” covering about 3 million vehicles to evaluate, among other things, the efficacy of recalls initiated by the two automakers. The agency added that it was aware of 161 fires occurring potentially due to engine failures. Continue reading “U.S. regulators step up probe into Hyundai, Kia engine fires”

Japan’s factory output jumped at the fastest pace on record in November, as easing global supply chain bottlenecks helped car production leap out of its recent slump, lifting prospects for a strong fourth-quarter economic rebound.

But while improved manufacturing conditions provide some relief for policymakers, persistent global semiconductor shortages and new risks from the Omicron coronavirus variant are expected to cloud the outlook for the world’s third-largest economy. Continue reading “Japan’s factory output soars as car production returns”

Electric carmaker Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) will stop allowing video games to be played on vehicle screens while its cars are moving, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Thursday.

The move follows an announcement by the NHTSA on Wednesday that it had opened a formal safety investigation on 580,000 Tesla vehicles sold since 2017 over the automaker’s decision to allow games to be played on the front center touchscreen while they are in motion. Continue reading “Tesla pulls games on moving car screens after U.S. safety probe”

Daimler AG and its Chinese partner BYD Co Ltd (002594.SZ) have signed an equity transfer agreement to restructure their China EV venture Denza, Daimler said on its company website.

Daimler said its holdings in Denza will be reduced to 10%, and BYD will hold the remaining 90% equity interest after the transfer. Continue reading “Daimler, BYD to restructure China EV venture Denza”

Electric vehicle maker One-Moto on Monday said it has launched a new high-speed electric scooter Electa priced at Rs 1.99 lakh (ex-showroom price). The Electa is the third launch of the company after the ‘Commuta’ and ‘Byka’ high speed scooters which were rolled out last month, the company said in a statement.

One-Moto India Partner and Promoter Muzammil Riyaz said the company forayed in the Indian market with the very objective of addressing the EV requirements of “those looking for something chic and unique”. The Electa is equipped with a 72V and 45AH, detachable lithium-ion battery that is fully charged in 4 hours. The e-scooter has a top top speed of 100 km/hr and can cover a distance of 150 km on a single charge, the company said.

Source : PTI

Electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) maker Eve, part of Brazilian planemaker Embraer (EMBR3.SA), is planning to go public in the fifth such debut as investors bet on environmentally friendly urban air travel.

That comes after Vertical Aerospace saw its shares surge 19% in a New York debut on Friday Continue reading “Factbox: From San Francisco to Munich, key players developing flying taxis”

WASHINGTON, Dec 21 (Reuters) – The Biden administration on Tuesday finalized a reversal of a rule issued under then-U.S. President Donald Trump that sought to pre-empt California’s vehicle emissions regulations.

The Department of Transportation said it was issuing final rules rescinding the Trump action, which sought to bar the most populous state in the nation from setting vehicle rules that might conflict with the federal government’s authority to set Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) requirements. Continue reading “U.S. reverses Trump effort to quash California vehicle emissions rules”

LONDON, Dec 23 (Reuters) – British car manufacturers had their slowest November in 37 years as the sector struggled to cope with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on global supply chains, industry data showed on Thursday.

Car production fell by 28.7% compared with November 2021 to 75,756 units, despite a 53% increase in electric vehicle output, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said. Continue reading “UK car plants have worst November since 1984”

Dec 22 (Reuters) – The United States has enough reserves of lithium, copper and other metals to build millions of its own electric vehicles (EVs), but rising opposition to new mines may force the country to rely on imports and delay efforts to electrify the nation’s automobiles.

The tension underscores the dilemma facing the United States going into 2022, a year in which U.S. policymakers hope to see groundbreakings on a raft of EV manufacturing facilities from Ford Motor Co(F.N), General Motors Co(GM.N) and others. Continue reading “U.S. faces tough choices in 2022 on mines for electric-vehicle metals”

WASHINGTON, Dec 22 (Reuters) – U.S auto safety regulators said Wednesday they have opened a formal safety investigation into 580,000 Tesla vehicles sold since 2017 over the automaker’s decision to allow games to be played on the front center touchscreen.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said its preliminary evaluation covers various 2017-2022 Tesla Model 3, S, X, and Y vehicles. This functionality, referred to as “Passenger Play,” “may distract the driver and increase the risk of a crash,” the agency said. Continue reading “U.S. opens investigation into 580,000 Tesla vehicles over game feature”

Dec 19 (Reuters) – Electric-car maker Tesla Inc’s (TSLA.O) Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said on Sunday on Twitter that he will pay more than $11 billion in taxes this year.

Earlier this week, Democratic U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren took to Twitter to say that Musk should pay taxes and stop “freeloading off everyone else” after Time magazine named him its “person of the year”. (https://bit.ly/3EbW6eo) Continue reading “Tesla’s Musk says he will pay over $11 bln in taxes this year”

MILAN, Dec 20 (Reuters) – Luxury sports car maker Ferrari (RACE.MI) announced plans on Monday to shake up its leadership structure, in one of new boss Benedetto Vigna’s first major moves, and said three top managers will leave the company.

Those who have decided to leave include Chief Technology Officer Michael Leiters, the carmaker said. Continue reading “Ferrari plans new leadership structure, three top manages to leave”

WASHINGTON, Dec 21 (Reuters) – Nikola Corp (NKLA.O) has agreed to pay $125 million to settle civil charges that it defrauded investors by misleading them about its products, technical advancements and commercial prospects, the U.S. securities regulator said on Tuesday.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) accused the electric vehicle maker of violating U.S. securities laws with numerous misleading statements made from March to September 2020 about in-house production capabilities, reservation book and financial outlook. Continue reading “Nikola Corp agrees to pay $125 mln to settle SEC charges of defrauding investors”

BEIJING, Dec 21 (Reuters) – Geely Holding and France’s Renault are likely to soon announce a deal to jointly produce the Chinese automaker’s hybrid vehicles in South Korea and look at possibly exporting cars duty-free to the United States, three people familiar with the matter said.

The joint venture (JV) deal, in the works since early this year and which also involves joint operations in China, will allow Renault (RENA.PA) to shore up its struggling business in South Korea and more broadly its presence in Asia. Continue reading “EXCLUSIVE Geely, Renault to soon announce hybrid-focused auto JV for Asia – sources”

LUXEMBOURG, Dec 16 (Reuters) – Italian carmaker Fiat Chrysler need not pay 30 million euros ($33.95 million) in back taxes to Luxembourg, an adviser to Europe’s top court said on Thursday.

The Fiat case was part of European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager’s crackdown on sweetheart deals between European Union countries and multinationals, the most high profile of which were Apple’s Irish deal and Amazon’s Luxembourg deal. Continue reading “Italy’s Fiat need not pay $30 million in back taxes, EU court adviser says”

Dec 16 (Reuters) – New car sales in the United States are expected to rise next year, driven by pent-up demand as automakers in 2021 cut production due to pandemic-driven supply chain issues and semiconductor shortages, industry consultant Edmunds said on Thursday.

The online car shopping guide estimated that 15.2 million new cars will be sold in 2022, representing a 1.2% increase from its 2021 vehicle sales estimate. Continue reading “U.S. new car sales to rise in 2022 on pent-up demand – Edmunds”

MOSCOW, Dec 17 (Reuters) – Russia’s largest truckmaker Kamaz (KMAZ.MM) is considering bringing in prisoners to work at its largest factories to compensate for a workforce deficit, CEO Sergei Kogogin said on Friday.

“We are assessing how to apply the (work) programme developed by the Federal Penitentiary Service,” Kogogin told reporters. Continue reading “Russian truckmaker Kamaz looks to prisons to plug workforce deficit”

MILAN, Dec 17 (Reuters) – Carmaker Stellantis is in exclusive talks with BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA), Credit Agricole (CAGR.PA) and Santander (SAN.MC) over the reorganisation of its leasing and financing operations in Europe, it said on Friday.

The group plans to create a 50-50 long-term leasing company with Credit Agricole Consumer Finance, and to reorganise its financing activities through exclusive joint ventures with BNP Paribas Personal Finance and Santander Consumer Finance. Continue reading “Carmaker Stellantis reshuffles European financing operations”

NEW DELHI, Dec 15 (Reuters) – India has approved a $10 billion incentive plan to attract semiconductor and display manufacturers, its technology minister said on Wednesday, as part of a deepening push to establish the country as a global electronics production hub.

Under the plan, India’s government will extend fiscal support of up to 50% of a project’s cost to eligible display and semiconductor fabricators, the government said in a statement. Continue reading “India outlines $10 bln plan to woo global chip makers”