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”

BERLIN, Sept 20 (Reuters) – A consortium led by Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) on Monday handed in a proposal for a takeover of Europcar Mobility Group (EUCAR.PA) to France’s market regulator AMF, Volkswagen said on Monday, following through on an announcement in July that an offer was underway.

Volkswagen, which has teamed up with asset manager Attestor Limited and Dutch mobility group Pon Holdings BV for the deal, is proposing an offer price of 0.50 euro per share, valuing the car rental company at 2.9 billion euros ($3.4 billion). read more

WASHINGTON, Sept 20 (Reuters) – Honda Motor Co’s (7267.T) U.S. unit said on Monday it is targeting initial annual sales of 70,000 for its planned electric Prologue sport utility vehicle when it goes to market in 2024.

Honda plans to add additional electric vehicle models as it aims to have sold a total of 500,000 electric vehicles in the United States by 2030, and to achieve 100% zero emission vehicles sales in North America by 2040.

It comes as President Joe Biden signed an executive order last month setting a target to make half of all new passenger vehicles sold in 2030 zero-emissions vehicles.

Continue reading “Honda targets annual sales of 70,000 Prologue electric vehicles in U.S. from 2024”

WASHINGTON, Sept 19 (Reuters) – U.S. auto safety investigators have opened a new probe into 30 million vehicles built by nearly two dozen automakers with potentially defective Takata air bag inflators, a government document seen by Reuters on Sunday showed.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Friday opened an engineering analysis into an estimated 30 million U.S. vehicles from the 2001 through 2019 model years. Automakers were alerted to the investigation, which is not yet public.

Continue reading “Exclusive: U.S. opens probe into 30 million vehicles over air bag inflators”

WASHINGTON, Sept 17 (Reuters) – General Motors Co (GM.N) Chief Executive Mary Barra said Friday the largest U.S. automaker plans to make changes in its supply chain as it works to address the continuing semiconductor chip crisis that has forced significant production cuts.

“We’re going to make some pretty substantial shifts in our supply chain,” Barra said in an online interview. “We’re already working much deeper into the tiered supply base because generally General Motors doesn’t buy chips (directly) but (our suppliers do). But now we’re building direct relationships with the manufacturers.”

A GM spokesman declined to comment further on how the company might shift its supply chain.

Continue reading “Barra: GM will make ‘substantial shifts’ in supply chain over chips”

PTI

Kotak will gain access to over 30,000 high-quality customers with a total loan outstanding with VWFPL of around Rs 1,340 crore, the company said.

Kotak Mahindra Bank on Thursday announced the acquisition of German carmaker Volkswagen’s captive vehicle finance business for an undisclosed sum. The deal involves the private sector lender’s in-house NBFC Kotak Mahindra Prime acquiring the passenger car and two-wheeler portfolio, while Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited (KMBL) will acquire the commercial vehicles portfolio from Volkswagen Finance (VF), as per an official statement.

Kotak will gain access to over 30,000 high-quality customers with a total loan outstanding with VWFPL of around Rs 1,340 crore, the statement said, adding all these loans have been classified as “standard loans”.

Continue reading “Kotak Mahindra Group acquires vehicle finance portfolio of Volkswagen Finance”

PTI

In the coming days, MERPL’s line of activity will also include pre-processing and recycling of Lithium-Ion Batteries and EV Batteries of different chemistries, Solar PV Module recycling, Plastic recycling, and Waste to Energy (W2E), the statement said.

Bengaluru, Metal scrap processors the MTC Group and E-waste recycler Exigo Recycling Private Limited have formed a joint venture company MTC-Exigo Recycling Pvt. Ltd (MERPL). The joint venture company will be headquartered in Mumbai and its plants will be operational in Bengaluru and Chennai by March 2022, a joint statement said on Thursday.

MERPL targets to process over two lakh tons of e-waste annually, ramping up the recycling capacity in a phased manner across ten cities in India, including NCR, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, and Lucknow.

Continue reading “MTC Group, Exigo Recycling form JV, to invest USD 25 million”

Sept 15 (Reuters) – Rivian, the Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O)-backed electric vehicle maker that registered last month for a stock market debut, is aiming to raise between $5 billion and $8 billion with the listing, making it one largest U.S. initial public offerings of recent years, according to people familiar with the matter.

Rivian, which counts Ford Motor Co (F.N) and T. Rowe Price (TROW.O) among its investors, registered the IPO confidentially with U.S. regulators last month. It is seeking a valuation of about $80 billion in the listing, which is expected to land in late October or November, the sources said. read more

Rivian declined to comment.

Continue reading “Rivian aims to raise as much as $8 bln in IPO -sources”

WASHINGTON, Sept 14 (Reuters) – The U.S. auto safety regulator said Tuesday it has asked 12 major automakers for assistance as part of its probe into crashes involving Tesla (TSLA.O) vehicles striking emergency vehicles while using advanced driver assistance systems like Autopilot.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sent letters to General Motors Co (GM.N), Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T), Ford Motor Co (F.N), Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) and others questions as the agency conducts a “comparative analysis” with other “production vehicles equipped with the ability to control both steering and braking/accelerating simultaneously under some circumstances.”

In August, NHTSA opened a formal safety probe into Tesla driver assistance system Autopilot after 12 crashes with emergency vehicles. The probe covers 765,000 U.S. Tesla vehicles built between 2014 and 2021.

Continue reading “U.S. asks 12 automakers for assistance in Tesla probe”

BEIJING, Sept 16 (Reuters) – One of General Motors Co’s (GM.N) China joint ventures said on Wednesday it is developing auto chips and aims to increase use of locally sourced chips in the next five years.

Liuzhou-based SGMW, GM’s venture with partners SAIC Motor Corp (600104.SS) and Guangxi Automobile Group, said at an industry conference that it has been developing its own auto computing chips since 2018.

SGMW did not say whether it is merely designing chips or is also participating in chip-manufacturing but said it would boost cooperation with Chinese manufacturers to improve quality and economy of its chips. Continue reading “GM’s China joint venture develops own auto chips”

SEOUL, Sept 16 (Reuters) – SK Innovation Co Ltd (096770.KS) said on Thursday its shareholders had approved the company’s proposal to separate its battery business into a new company.

The decision paves the way for the battery business, a supplier for Ford Motor Co (F.N), Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS) and others to potentially raise funds and go public to finance its high-cost production capacity expansion.

The unit, to be launched on Oct. 1, will initially be a wholly-owned subsidiary of SK Innovation, tentatively named “SK Battery Co Ltd.”

Continue reading “SK Innovation shareholders approve plan to split off battery business”

STOCKHOLM, Sept 15 (Reuters) – China’s Geely Holding (GEELY.UL) is in advanced discussions with banks to list its Volvo Cars unit in the coming weeks, three sources told Reuters, in what is expected to be one of Europe’s biggest initial public offerings (IPOs) this year.

Volvo Cars is aiming for a valuation of about $20 billion in the planned Stockholm listing, the sources said, with one saying the launch was pencilled in for the end of September.

Goldman Sachs (GS.N) and SEB are leading the transaction, while other banks including BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA), Carnegie and HSBC (HSBA.L) are also involved in the deal, the sources added.

Continue reading “Volvo Cars gears up for $20 bln IPO in coming weeks, sources say”

PARIS, Sept 16 (Reuters) – Carmaker Stellantis plans to launch a new model in India and Latin America next year under its Citroen brand, the group said on Thursday, as it aims to push out of its European turf and branch further into emerging markets where it has less exposure.

The plan marks Citroen’s return to India, a market it left in the 1930s, and comes at a time when some other foreign carmakers are leaving the country after struggling to make a profit.

Stellantis, which was formed earlier this year by the merger between Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot-maker PSA, has brands like Jeep and Ram in the United States, but is still aiming to reduce its reliance on Europe.

Continue reading “Stellantis to push into challenging Indian market with Citroen”

WASHINGTON, Sept 15 (Reuters) – General Motors Co (GM.N)on Wednesday recommended that Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle owners parking in decks do so on the top floor or on an open level, at least 50 feet away from other vehicles, citing potential fire risks.

The precaution would “reduce potential damage to structures and nearby vehicles in the rare event of a potential fire,” a company spokesman said in an email. GM sent a notice to consumers who had asked about parking issues, he added.

GM had previously asked owners to park Bolt vehicles outdoors, away from structures, and to not charge them overnight.

Continue reading “GM tells Bolt EV owners park away from vehicles in decks”