MILAN, Nov 19 (Reuters) – The transition to electric cars could jeopardise 60,000 jobs in Italy, one of the country’s main metal workers’ unions said on Friday and called on the government to support a sector that is “overwhelmed by changes”.

Industry analysts say the auto sector in Italy could be hit harder than elsewhere because of the small average size of firms in the country and the scale of investment needed to comply with the European Union’s “Fit-For-55” climate plan to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 55% from 1990 levels by 2030. Continue reading “Electric vehicle transition puts 60,000 Italian jobs at risk, union says”

WASHINGTON, Nov 19 (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau returned to Ottawa on Friday after failing to convince U.S. President Joe Biden to scrap proposed electric-vehicle tax credits that would favor American-based manufacturers, but said he would keep seeking a solution.

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed the $1.75 trillion domestic investment bill that includes the tax credits, sending it to the Senate where negotiations will continue. Continue reading “Canada’s Trudeau comes up short on U.S. EV tax credits, says will keep pushing”

BERLIN, Nov 19 (Reuters) – Several thousand workers at autos supplier Robert Bosch protested in Germany on Friday against planned plant closures and job relocations which the company said are needed to adapt to changing demand in the transition to electric vehicles.

Around 3,000 workers from various plants gathered outside a Bosch plant in Buehl, union IG Metall said, where around 1,000 staff in Germany will lose their jobs by 2025 as a result of relocations, cuts, or new hires, according to the company. Continue reading “Bosch workers protest against factory closures, job cuts”

BARCELONA, Nov 19 (Reuters) – Volkswagen’s (VOWG_p.DE) Spanish car maker SEAT has recommended unvaccinated and vaccinated employees sit separately in its canteen at its plant outside Barcelona to protect workers and ensure operational activity, the company said on Friday.

The move, which involves having a separate section for workers who have not had a COVID-19 vaccine, has been in place for the past month, a SEAT spokesperson told Reuters. Continue reading “Spain’s SEAT asks unvaccinated workers to eat separately in Barcelona canteen”

WASHINGTON, Nov 19 (Reuters) – Stellantis NV (STLA.MI) will require all of its 14,000 U.S. salaried non-represented employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Jan. 5, the automaker said on Friday, as it prepares for a phased reopening of its U.S. offices next year.

Nearly 80% of its salaried U.S. workforce self-reported that they are fully vaccinated, the company said. Continue reading “Stellantis to require 14,000 U.S. workers to be fully vaccinated”

WASHINGTON, Nov 19 (Reuters) – Detroit’s Big Three automakers, General Motors (GM.N), Ford Motor Co (F.N) and Chrysler parent Stellantis lag other automakers in fuel economy performance as they sell a rising number of large trucks and SUVs, a government report released on Friday shows.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said fuel economy for new vehicles hit a high in the 2020 model year at 25.4 miles per gallon but added that projected industry fuel economy for the 2021 model year will decline to 25.3 mpg. Continue reading “Detroit’s Big Three automakers lag industry on fuel economy”

Nov 19 (Reuters) – Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) chief Elon Musk said on Friday that the company’s mobile application was coming back online after an app server outage earlier prevented many owners from connecting to their cars.

Musk was responding to a Tesla owner’s tweet, who said that he was experiencing a “500 server error” to connect his Model 3 through the iOS app in Seoul, South Korea. Continue reading “Tesla app coming back online after server outage, Musk says”

MILAN, Nov 20 (Reuters) – Ferrari’s (RACE.MI) new high octane model, the Daytona SP3, ends a long wait by lovers of its Icona-series cars, although it may not be welcomed by those trying to curb carbon emissions.

With an 840 horse power, 12-cylinder (V12) aspirated mid-rear-mounted engine, the Daytona SP3 pays tribute to the Ferrari 330 P3/4, which dominated the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1967. Continue reading “Ferrari roars out with high octane Daytona SP3 for its Icona fans”

Nov 19 (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co (F.N) and Rivian Automotive Inc (RIVN.O) have dropped plans to jointly develop an electric vehicle, Ford confirmed on Friday.

“We respect Rivian and have had extensive exploratory discussions with them,” a spokesperson told Reuters. “However, both sides have agreed not to pursue any kind of joint vehicle development or platform sharing.” Continue reading “Ford, Rivian dump plans to jointly develop a Ford electric vehicle”

LOS ANGELES, Nov 18 (Reuters) – What a difference two years make. The 2019 Los Angeles auto show featured a parade of vehicle debuts, a flurry of press conferences and other events in the opening two days, along with hundreds of thousands of people eager to see new cars.

Fast forward to 2021. The Los Angeles Auto Show, the first major U.S. auto show since the start of the pandemic, kicked off on Wednesday with a single day of press events, withsome automakers even skipping the show. Continue reading “Are auto shows dead after pandemic? LA shows some life”

MEXICO CITY, Nov 19 (Reuters) – A senior executive of carmaker General Motors (GM) raised concern about the future of renewable energy usage in Mexico, saying that without a solid legal basis for it, automotive investment in Latin America’s no. 2 economy would suffer.

Francisco Garza, chief executive of GM Mexico, spoke as debate rages over a Mexican government proposal to give priority to the state-run power utility in the electricity market at the expense of private investors, particularly in renewable energy. Continue reading “GM flags concern over renewable energy in Mexico, sees investment risk”

BERLIN, Nov 18 (Reuters) – Daimler (DAIGn.DE) will produce the first in-house electric motor at its oldest plant in Berlin from 2022, the carmaker said on Thursday, providing relief to workers worried that the diesel motor production site was on the brink of deep job cuts.

Workers who feared for their positions after Daimler said in September 2020 its Berlin site would end production of the 6-cylinder diesel motor within a year would also be offered retraining in software and coding, the German company said. Continue reading “Daimler to produce first in-house electric motor at Berlin plant from 2022”

SHANGHAI, Nov 18 (Reuters) – WeRide, a China-based autonomous driving startup, said on Thursday it plans to make its robotaxis available for booking by the public on Guangzhou Automobile Group’s (601238.SS) Ontime ride-hailing app by next year.

Backed by Nissan Motor (7201.T), WeRide said in a statement it plans to offer test rides for the public at the Guangzhou Auto Show, which begins in the southern Chinese city on Friday. It added that its robotaxi has been integrated into the Ontime platform and they were conducting testing. Continue reading “China’s WeRide to launch robotaxis on GAC’s Ontime ride-hailing app”

TOKYO, Nov 18 (Reuters) – The Japanese automotive lobby said on Thursday it has chosen Toyota President Akio Toyoda to serve a rare third term as its chairman to lead the industry through a time of seismic change and zero-emission challenges.

Toyoda, a member of Toyota Motor Corp’s (7203.T) founding family, has served as the head of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association since 2018. Most past chairpersons have served a single two-year term.  Continue reading “Toyoda gets rare third term as head of Japan’s auto lobby”

LONDON, Nov 16 (Reuters) – Switch Mobility, a British unit of commercial vehicle maker Ashok Leyland Ltd (ASOK.NS), said on Tuesday it would provide 300 electric buses to Indian city Bengaluru’s public transport agency.

Switch will supply, operate and maintain the buses for the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation under a 12-year contract. Switch said the 300 buses should reduce fossil-fuel consumption by around 5.5 million litres annually. Continue reading “Ashok Leyland’s Switch to provide 300 electric buses to Bengaluru”

Nov 16 (Reuters) – The California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved a three-year $1.4 billion plan to help California achieve its electric vehicle charging and hydrogen refueling goals.

The CEC said the plan, approved on Monday, will support California Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order phasing out the sale of new gasoline-powered passenger vehicles by 2035. Continue reading “California OKs $1.4 bln plan for car chargers, hydrogen refueling”

BERLIN, Nov 17 (Reuters) – German online used car seller Auto1 (AG1G.DE) raised its full-year revenue and earnings targets on Wednesday after reporting record third-quarter results thanks to strong demand, sending its shares sharply higher.

The Berlin-based company is benefiting from the increasing digitalisation in the used car trade with its platform “wirkaufendeinauto.de” and also its focus on growth in sales to private customers through its Autohero unit. Continue reading “German online car dealer Auto1 raises 2021 targets on strong demand”

FRANKFURT/DUESSELDORF, Nov 17 (Reuters) – Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) plans to double staff numbers at its charging and energy division, roll out new payment technology next year and strike more alliances to take on Tesla (TSLA.O) in a key electric vehicle (EV) battleground: power infrastructure.

By ensuring there are enough fast-charging plugs – and enough power – for the EVs it wants to sell, Europe’s biggest carmaker hopes to convince drivers worried about battery ranges that they can ditch their fossil fuel cars for good. Continue reading “Volkswagen powers up the grid to take on Tesla”

DETROIT, Nov 17 (Reuters) – General Motors Co’s (GM.N) “Factory Zero” in Detroit is on the front line of a battle for the U.S. electric vehicle market between ageing, unionized factories, and new, non-union plants run by young electric vehicle companies.

President Joe Biden’s administration wants to give the older part of the American auto industry a boost. Continue reading “Retooling auto plants for EVs will cost billions. Biden wants to help”

BERLIN, Nov 14 (Reuters) – Volvo Cars (VOLCARb.ST) is considering building a third plant in Europe in order to boost its production capacity beyond 1.2 million vehicles per year, a company spokesperson said on Sunday.

German autos publication Automobilwoche reported earlier on Sunday that the company was planning on building another European plant by the middle of the decade to meet its production target of 1.2 million vehicles a year, quoting Volvo Cars CFO Bjorn Annwall. Continue reading “Volvo Car considers opening third plant in Europe”

TOKYO, Nov 16 (Reuters) – Honda Motor (7267.T) has asked its main parts suppliers to reduce carbon emissions annually by 4% versus 2019 levels, the Nikkei daily reported on Tuesday.

The Japanese carmaker aims to start implementing the targets in fiscal 2025, which begins in April 2025, the report said. Continue reading “Honda Motor asks parts suppliers to reduce carbon emissions, Nikkei reports”

NEW YORK, Nov 15 (Reuters) – JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) has sued Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) for $162.2 million, accusing Elon Musk’s electric car company of “flagrantly” breaching a contract the two corporate giants agreed in 2014 relating to warrants Tesla sold to the bank.

Warrants give the holder the right to buy a company’s stock at a set “strike” price and date. The suit, filed in a Manhattan federal court, centers on a dispute over how JPMorgan re-priced its Tesla warrants as a result of Musk’s notorious 2018 tweet that he was considering taking the carmaker private. Continue reading “JPMorgan sues Tesla for $162 mln after Musk tweets soured warrant deal”

BEIJING, Nov 11 (Reuters) – For foreign automakers, selling in China – the world’s biggest car market and front-runner by far in the adoption of electric vehicles – can yield great rewards. But the regulatory headaches can also be really painful.

A lack of transparency, insufficient lead time for new rules as well as unequal “access to policy and standards drafting processes” were key complaints about Chinese auto regulation listed in a European Union Chamber of Commerce report. Continue reading “In China, global automakers seek clarity from a more ambitious regulator”

TOKYO, Nov 15 (Reuters) – As U.N. climate conference delegates considered how to save the planet over the weekend in Glasgow, Toyota Motor’s chief executive was in Japan racing an experimental hydrogen car – a vehicle he says could preserve millions of auto jobs.

The colourful Toyota Corolla Sport that Akio Toyoda steered around the Okayama International Circuit in western Japan was powered by a converted GR Yaris engine running on hydrogen. Making such a powerplant commercially viable could keep internal combustion engines running in a carbon-free world. Continue reading “As autos go electric, Toyota chases hydrogen dream”

WASHINGTON, Nov 11 (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden will visit a Michigan General Motors (GM.N) electric vehicle plant next week as the White House pushes Congress to approve big tax incentives for zero-emission vehicles.

The largest U.S. automaker said its “Factory Zero” will mark its grand opening during Biden’s visit Wednesday. The plant, spanning parts of Detroit and Hamtramck, actually opened in 1985 but GM said in 2020 it would repurpose it to build electric trucks and SUVs. Continue reading “Biden, pushing tax breaks for electric vehicles, to visit GM factory”

Nov 11 (Reuters) – Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) Chief Executive Elon Musk disclosed on Wednesday that he sold about $5 billion in shares, just days after the billionaire polled Twitter users about offloading 10% of his stake in the electric carmaker.

It was the first time that Musk cashed out on a stake of that size since the electric carmaker was founded in 2003. Continue reading “Factbox: What happened with Musk’s Tesla stock sales”

FRANKFURT, Nov 12 (Reuters) – German container shipping line Hapag-Lloyd (HLAG.DE) reported a more than 10-fold surge in nine-month net profit on Friday, citing record freight rates amid scarce transport capacity and rising transport volumes.

The world’s fifth biggest operator said net profit climbed to 5.6 billion euros ($6.41 billion) in the January-September period, from 538 million euros a year earlier. Continue reading “Hapag-Lloyd nine-month net profit soars 10-fold on record freight rates”

Nov 11 (Reuters) – Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) boss Elon Musk said on Thursday high production and breakeven cash flow would be the “true test” for Rivian Automotive Inc (RIVN.O), a day after the electric vehicle maker’s blockbuster market debut.

“There have been hundreds of automotive startups, both electric and combustion, but Tesla is (the) only American carmaker to reach high volume production & positive cash flow in past 100 years,” Musk said in a tweet. Continue reading “Musk says high production, breakeven cash flow ‘true test’ for Rivian”

SEOUL, Nov 12 (Reuters) – General Motors Co (GM.N) will launch 10 electric vehicles (EVs) in South Korea by 2025, but has no plans yet to manufacture EVs in the country, Steven Kiefer, the head of GM’s international operations said on Friday.

The No.1 U.S. automaker, which warned last year that persistent industrial action was preventing further investment in South Korea, builds EVs in the United States and China. It also has plans to build them in Mexico and Canada. Continue reading “GM to launch 10 EVs in S.Korea by 2025; no local manufacturing plans yet”

BERLIN, Nov 10 (Reuters) – Electric vehicles (EVs) are a powerful weapon in the world’s battle to beat global warming, yet their impact varies hugely from nation-to-nation and in some places they pollute more than gasoline models, data analysis shows.

In Europe, where sales are rising the fastest in the world, EVs in Poland and Kosovo actually generate more carbon emissions because grids are so coal-reliant, according to the data compiled by research consultancy Radiant Energy Group (REG). Continue reading “Is your electric car as eco-friendly as you thought?”

Nov 10 (Reuters) – Lordstown Motors Corp (RIDE.O) said on Wednesday that Taiwan’s Foxconn has bought stock worth $50 million from the U.S. electric vehicle maker, finalizing an equity investment announced in September.

Foxconn acquired the shares at $6.8983 apiece, Lordstown said. The stock, which had closed at $5.56 in regular trading, rose about 10% to $6.11 after the bell. Continue reading “Foxconn finalizes $50 mln stock deal with Lordstown Motors”

WASHINGTON, Nov 10 (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday sued Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) over allegations of overcharging disabled passengers, and asked a federal court to order compliance with an anti-discrimination law.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco, targets an April 2016 Uber policy of charging passengers “wait time” fees, a practice the ride-sharing service started in several cities and eventually expanded nationwide. Continue reading “U.S. sues Uber over alleged disability discrimination”

GLASGOW, Nov 10 (Reuters) – (This November 10 story corrected to read Volvo Cars in bullet point, paragraphs 9 and 12)

A group of countries, companies and cities committed on Wednesday to phasing out fossil-fuel vehicles by 2040, as part of efforts to cut carbon emissions and curb global warming. Continue reading “Countries, cities, carmakers commit to end fossil-fuel vehicles by 2040”

SEOUL, Nov 11 (Reuters) – South Korea demonstrated a system for controlling urban air mobility vehicles (UAM) on Thursday, which it hopes will serve as taxis between major airports and downtown Seoul as soon as 2025, cutting travel time by two-thirds.

Last year, South Korea announced a roadmap to begin commercial urban air travel by 2025. The transport ministry estimates such services could cut travel time for distances between 30-50km (19-31 miles) from an hour by car to 20 minutes by air. Continue reading “South Korea tests system for controlling air taxis”

Nov 10 (Reuters) – Tesla (TSLA.O) Chief Executive Elon Musk sold about $5 billion in shares, the billionaire reported in filings on Wednesday, just days after he polled Twitter users about selling 10% of his stake.

In his first share sale since 2016, Musk’s trust sold nearly 3.6 million shares in Tesla, worth around $4 billion, while he also sold another 934,000 shares for $1.1 billion after exercising options to acquire nearly 2.2 million shares. Continue reading “Elon Musk sells $5 bln in Tesla shares after Twitter poll”

BERLIN, Nov 11 (Reuters) – Opel’s status as the only German brand within the Stellantis (STLA.MI) group affords it “special prioritisation,” said the carmaker’s chief executive on Thursday, following concerns from unions over the company’s future in the country.

“We are the only German brand. We are building off this and with it I believe we will find success with the Opel brand,” Uwe Hochgeschurtz said at an online summit organised by German newspaper Handelsblatt. Continue reading “Opel has “special prioritisation” as Stellantis’ only German brand – CEO”

DETROIT, Nov 11 (Reuters) – For years, luxury vehicle brands have promoted holiday season sales with slogans like Lexus’s “A December to remember.”

But automakers and dealers are on track to spend less on advertising this holiday season, industry executives and analysts said, leaving behind the generous lease deals and discounts of seasons past. A year of supply chain and production disruptions have left auto dealerships with roughly one-third of the normal inventory levels, giving sellers little reason to shell out for splashy holiday ads. Continue reading “‘December to Forget’: Automakers, retailers cut TV ads amid supply chain woes”