WASHINGTON, Sept 13 (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp and Tesla clashed with Ford Motor Co (F.N) and the United Auto Workers (UAW) union over a proposal by Democrats in the U.S. House to give union-made, U.S.-built electric vehicles an additional $4,500 tax incentive.

In a letter to Congress, Toyota (7203.T) said the plan discriminates against nearly half of American autoworkers who do not belong to a union and called on lawmakers to reject giving “exorbitant tax breaks” to wealthy buyers of high-priced cars and trucks.

The bill, set to be taken up on Tuesday by the House Ways and Means Committee as part of a proposed $3.5 trillion spending bill, would benefit Detroit’s Big Three automakers – General Motors (GM.N), Ford Motor Co (F.N) and Stellantis NV (STLA.MI), the parent of Chrysler – which assemble their U.S.-made vehicles in UAW-represented plants.

Continue reading “Tesla, Toyota spar with Ford, UAW over EV tax bill”

BEIJING, Sept 13 (Reuters) – China has “too many” electric vehicle (EV) makers and the government will encourage consolidation, Industry and Information Technology Minister Xiao Yaqing said on Monday.

The minister also said China would improve its charging network and develop EV sales in rural markets.

The government’s promotion of greener vehicles to cut pollution has prompted electric car makers such as Nio Inc (NIO.N), Xpeng Inc (9868.HK) and BYD Co Ltd (002594.SZ) to expand manufacturing capacity in China.

Continue reading “China to consolidate overcrowded electric vehicle industry – minister”

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 13 (Reuters) – General Motors Co’s (GM.N) venture capital arm has invested millions of dollars in Oculii, a U.S. startup maker of software for radar sensors used in self-driving cars, Oculii co-founder Steven Hong said.

GM can use Oculii’s low-cost software to boost the resolution of radars and scale up its partially automated vehicles and full self-driving cars, he told Reuters in an interview.

The investment is a “fantastic signal they’re serious about the technology and bullish about radar in general,” said the Stanford University graduate who founded Oculii with his father, Lang Hong, an engineering professor at Wright State University.

Continue reading “GM invests in Oculii, radar software maker for self-driving cars”

AMSTERDAM, Sept 13 (Reuters) – Uber (UBER.N) drivers are employees, not contractors, and so entitled to greater workers’ rights under local labour laws, a Dutch court ruled on Monday, handing a setback to the U.S. company’s European business model.

It was another court victory for unions fighting for better pay and benefits for those employed in the gig economy and followed a similar decision this year about Uber in Britain.

Continue reading “Uber drivers are employees, not contractors, says Dutch court”

WASHINGTON, Sept 11 (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) and Honda Motor Co (7267.T) on Saturday sharply criticized a proposal by Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives to give union-made electric vehicles in the United States an additional $4,500 tax incentive.

Toyota said in a statement that the plan unveiled late Friday discriminates “against American autoworkers based on their choice not to unionize.”

The bill, set to be voted on Tuesday by the Democratic-led House Ways and Means Committee as part of a proposed $3.5 trillion spending bill, would benefit Detroit’s Big Three automakers, which have union-represented auto plants.

Continue reading “Toyota, Honda oppose U.S. House electric vehicle tax plan”

Sept 13 (Reuters) – General Motors Co (GM.N) is taking a more direct role with South Korea’s LG Corp (003550.KS), its longtime electric vehicle partner, in tracking down and fixing problems linked to battery fires in Chevrolet Bolts that threaten the strategic plans of both companies.

At an investor conference on Friday, GM Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson said LG is working with GM engineers to “clean up the manufacturing process” at LG battery plants and implement some “GM quality metrics.”

Continue reading “GM digs in with LG Corp to speed a fix for Bolt battery fires”

WASHINGTON, Sept 10 (Reuters) – U.S. Democratic lawmakers on Friday proposed an expansion of tax credits for electric vehicles that includes significantly higher subsidies for union-made zero emission models assembled in the United States.

The proposal, a key part of President Joe Biden’s goal to ensure EVs comprise at least 50% of U.S. vehicle sales by 2030 and boost U.S. union jobs, will give Detroit’s Big Three automakers a big competitive edge and has drawn criticism from foreign automakers like Honda Motor Co (7267.T) and Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T).

The tax credit for up to $12,500 per vehicle for U.S.-made union-made zero emission models compares with a $7,500 incentive for most other electric cars – an amount that has not changed.

Continue reading “U.S. Democrats propose dramatic expansion of EV tax credits that favors Big Three”

FRANKFURT, Sept 10 (Reuters) – Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) is open to partnerships with other carmakers to develop software, Chief Executive Herbert Diess told Der Spiegel

Volkswagen has bundled all its software efforts into one unit, Cariad, hoping to challenge Tesla (TSLA.O) and Alphabet (GOOGL.O) in a field in which it has not traditionally been active.

The development of operating systems and software for autonomous driving requires high one-time costs, making it important to fit as many vehicles with the technology as possible to pay off, Diess told the German weekly.

Continue reading “Volkswagen open to software partnerships, CEO tells Der Spiegel”

DETROIT, Sept 9 (Reuters) – General Motors Co (GM.N) will give its best-selling Chevrolet Silverado large pickup truck models a makeover next spring to fix competitive shortcomings that have left Chevy in third place in one of the most lucrative vehicle market segments in the world.

Catching up with rival trucks from Stellantis NV (STLA.MI) and Ford Motor Co (F.N), most 2022 Silverado models will get larger dashboard screens and new connectivity technology featuring built-in Google voice commands and software.

Chevrolet also will add a 420-horsepower Silverado ZR2 designed for rugged off-road adventures – or to give the appearance that the owner would have them. The Silverado ZR2 will chase Ford’s F-series Raptor and the Ram TRX from Stellantis, which are attention-getting performance models for those brands.

Continue reading “GM’s pickup money machine gets a technology tuneup”

WASHINGTON, Sept 9 (Reuters) – General Motors Co (GM.N) said on Thursday it will extend a shutdown of a Michigan assembly plant by two weeks in the aftermath of a new recall of its Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles over battery issues.

The largest U.S. automaker said the extension of the production halt at its Orion Assembly plant that will go through at least Sept. 24 was “a result of a battery pack shortage” related to the recall that followed reports of 10 battery fires. GM said it will not resume Bolt production or sales until it is satisfied that the recall remedy will address the fire risk issue.

GM in August widened its recall of the Bolt to more than 140,000 vehicles to replace battery modules, at a cost now estimated at $1.8 billion. The automaker said it would seek reimbursement from GM battery supplier LG (051910.KS).

Continue reading “GM extends Michigan plant shutdown over Bolt EV recall”

TOKYO, Sept 9 (Reuters) – Disruptions to parts and components suppliers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could force fresh production cuts at Japanese automakers in October, Akio Toyoda, the head of the auto industry lobby group, said on Thursday.

Japanese car companies have already had to cut production this month because of difficulties finding semiconductors and other components as the pandemic disrupts manufacturing around the world and drives up demand for chips from consumer electronic device makers.

“Depending on the manufacturer, we could see production cut to a lower level in October,” said Toyoda, who leads the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association and is President of Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T), the country’s biggest car maker.

Continue reading “COVID-19 impact could hit Japanese automakers’ output in Oct”

BEIJING, Sept 9 (Reuters) – WeRide, a China-based autonomous driving startup, said on Thursday that it would start developing self-driving vans for urban logistics service, with automaker JMC (000550.SZ) and delivery firm ZTO Express (2057.HK).

The Guangzhou-based startup, led by founder Tony Han, is pursuing what is known in the auto industry as a level 4 autonomous standard, in which the vehicle can handle all aspects of driving in most circumstances with no human intervention.

WeRide is currently testing autonomous passenger cars and mini-buses.

Continue reading “Nissan-backed Chinese startup WeRide develops self-driving vans”

BEIJING/PARIS, Sept 9 (Reuters) – Renault (RENA.PA) is in advanced discussions to end its joint venture to build vans with China’s state-backed Brilliance (1114.HK), a source close to the matter said, as the French firm overhauls its struggling Chinese operations.

The tie-up dates back to 2017, when Renault and Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd set up manufacturing operations in Shenyang, the provincial capital of Liaoning, and set out to make a push into electric commercial vans in particular.

The Chinese market has proved difficult for some foreign producers, however, with sales faltering right before the COVID-19 pandemic, which walloped the industry.

Continue reading “Renault in talks to end Chinese van venture with Brilliance – source”

Sept 8 (Reuters) – New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Wednesday signed into law a bill that sets a goal for all new passenger cars and light-duty trucks to be zero-emission models by 2035, joining the state of California in attempting to eliminate gasoline-powered vehicles.

The law directs setting regulations requiring higher numbers of zero-emission vehicles with a goal of “100% of in-state sales by 2035”, and a similar target for medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles by 2045 if feasible.

The U.S. government is seeking to promote the sales of electric vehicles to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and help meet global goals to slow human-caused climate change.

Continue reading “New York sets 2035 zero-emission passenger car goal”

NEW DELHI, Sept 9 (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co (F.N) will stop manufacturing cars in India and shut down its plants in the country, two sources told Reuters, becoming the latest automaker to quit a market still dominated by Asian rivals.

The U.S. automaker made the decision because it was not profitable for it to continue, said one of the sources, adding that the process is expected to take about a year to complete.

Ford is the latest vehicle maker to cease production in India, following U.S. companies such as General Motors (GM.N) and Harley Davidson (HOG.N), which have already left a market that had once promised exponential growth.

Continue reading “Ford to stop manufacturing cars in India – sources”

Sept 7 (Reuters) – The head of Apple Inc’s(AAPL.O) car project, Doug Field, is going to work for Ford Motor Co(F.N)to lead the automaker’s advanced technology and embedded systems efforts, a hiring coup for Ford Chief Executive Jim Farley.

Field most recently served as vice president of special projects at Apple and was previously senior vice president, engineering at Tesla . Earlier in his career, Field worked at Ford.

In his new role, Field will report to Farley, leading software and connectivity strategy, and working in partnership with Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s chief product platform and operations officer, Ford said. Thai-Tang oversees the development and design of cars and trucks, as well as supply chain and other operations, Ford said on Tuesday.

Continue reading “Ford poaches Apple’s car project chief Doug Field”

LONDON, Sept 8 (Reuters) – JPMorgan (JPM.N) has struck a deal to buy a majority stake in German car giant Volkswagen’s (VOWG_p.DE) payments business ahead of a planned rollout of in-car technology that allows drivers to automatically pay for fuel or tolls.

The U.S. bank has agreed to buy close to 75% of Volkswagen Payments S.A. for an undisclosed sum, subject to regulatory approvals.

The Luxembourg-based business was founded in 2017 and operates across 32 countries. It offers car purchase and leasing, in-vehicle payments, fuelling and electric vehicle charging and subscription services such as insurance and in-vehicle entertainment.

Continue reading “JPMorgan to buy majority stake in Volkswagen’s payments business”

Sept 7 (Reuters) – Volkswagen AG (VOWG.DE) said on Tuesday it planned to set up a venture capital fund, which would initially invest 300 million euros ($355.14 million) in decarbonization projects and start-ups.

“Decarbonization will make many things more affordable, not more expensive,” Herbert Diess, chief executive officer of Volkswagen, said in a LinkedIn post, adding that reducing carbon dioxide is possible without sacrificing the standard of living.

“Carbon capturing to remove the CO2 is feasible, but not yet on scale and it is still very expensive,” Diess added.

Continue reading “Volkswagen to set up venture capital fund in decarbonization push”

Sept 7 (Reuters) – Intel Corp (INTC.O) on Tuesday said it could invest as much as 80 billion euros in Europe over the next decade to boost the region’s chip capacity and will open up its semiconductor plant in Ireland for automakers.

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, speaking at Munich’s IAA auto show, also said the company would announce the locations of two major new European chip fabrication plants by the end of the year.

There is speculation about possible production sites, with Germany and France seen as leading contenders while Poland, where Intel also has a presence, also in the picture.

Continue reading “Intel to invest up to 80 bln euros in boosting EU chip capacity-CEO”

BEIJING, Sept 6 (Reuters) – Japanese automakers Honda Motor (7267.T), Nissan Motor (7201.T) and Toyota Motor (7203.T) saw their sales in China tumble in August as a chip shortage hit vehicle production in the world’s biggest car market.

Honda said it sold 91,694 vehicles in China last month, down 38.3% from a year earlier due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a shortage of components.

Nissan said it sold 113,166 cars in China in August, down 10.6%, due to “external headwinds including on-going pandemic, material shortage and natural disasters across the country”.

Continue reading “Japanese automakers’ China car sales tumbled in August”

MUNICH, Sept 6 (Reuters) – Great Wall Motor (601633.SS), will launch an electric compact car and a plug-in hybrid SUV in Europe in 2022, it said on Monday, joining a growing number of Chinese carmakers trying their luck on the continent with low or zero-emission vehicles.

The company said at the IAA car show in Munich it will start taking orders for the Coffee 01 plug-in SUV for the German market at the end of 2021. Deliveries of the vehicle, which will have an electric range of 150 kms (93.2 miles) and will be marketed under Great Wall’s WEY brand, will start in the first half of 2022.

The IAA show is the first major motor industry event worldwide since the COVID-19 pandemic. read more

Continue reading “China’s Great Wall to launch electric car and hybrid SUV in Europe in 2022”

MUNICH, Sept 5 (Reuters) – Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) head Herbert Diess on Sunday said autonomous cars, not electric vehicles, were the “real gamechanger” for the auto industry, which is facing the end of combustion engines in Europe by 2035.

Diess’ comments signal the pace at which the 62-year old tries to transform Europe’s largest carmaker by basically saying that the shift towards battery-powered electric vehicles (EV), which still needs to be backed up by actual sales, was sealed.

“Autonomous driving is really going to change our industry like nothing else before,” Diess said in Munich ahead of the official opening of the IAA car show, adding the shift towards electrified cars was “kind of easy” in comparison.

Continue reading “Volkswagen CEO: smart cars, not e-cars, are ‘gamechanger’”

MILAN, Sept 6 (Reuters) – Italian scooter maker Piaggio (PIA.MI) said on Monday it had set up a consortium with Honda Motor Co. (7267.T), KTM AG and Yamaha Motor Co. (7272.T) to encourage the use of swappable batteries for electric motorcycles and light electric vehicles.

The Swappable Batteries Motorcycle Consortium (SBMC) aims to broaden the use of light electric vehicles, such as scooters, mopeds and motorcycles, and support a more sustainable management of their batteries, a joint statement said.

It will focus on issues such as battery life, recharging times, infrastructure and costs and will work on defining international standard technical specifications for swappable batteries.

Continue reading “Piaggio, KTM, Honda and Yamaha set up swappable batteries consortium”

BEIJING, Sept 6 (Reuters) – Chinese automaker Geely (GEELY.UL) has hired Stefan Sielaff, the former design chief of British luxury brand Bentley, as China’s manufacturers increasingly turn to new styles to boost sales in the world’s biggest car market.

Sielaff, who also worked for Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) and Daimler AG (DAIGn.DE), will be based in Sweden’s Gothenburg and lead design the domestic Geely, Zeekr, Lynk & Co and Geometry brands, the company said in a statement.

He will not manage design for its Volvo and Polestar brands.

Continue reading “Chinese automaker Geely hires former Bentley design chief”

FRANKFURT, Sept 3 (Reuters) – German carmaker Porsche (PSHG_p.DE) and sportswear maker Puma (PUMG.DE) will join the nation’s premier DAX stock index, as it expands to 40 from 30 companies in the biggest overhaul of its 33-year history, the exchange operator Deutsche Boerse (DB1Gn.DE) said on Friday.

The expansion, contemplated for years, got a push in reaction to the collapse of German payments company Wirecard, which dramatically fell from grace in 2020, just two years after promotion to the benchmark index.

Continue reading “Porsche, Puma to join Germany’s DAX as index expands”

MEXICO CITY, Sept 3 (Reuters) – Mexico expects the United States to comply with automotive rules in the new North American trade pact, a senior official said, taking a firm line ahead of high-level talks next week clouded by a dispute over the future of the car industry in the region.

Mexico and Canada have been at odds for months with the United States over the application of regional content requirements for the auto industry, one of the cornerstones of last year’s United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) trade pact.

The two countries favor a more flexible interpretation of the rules than the one taken by U.S. officials.

Continue reading “Mexico adopts firm stance on auto dispute ahead of U.S. talks”

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 3 (Reuters) – One of the two victims of a fatal crash involving a Tesla car in Texas had a blood-alcohol level that exceeded the legal driving limit, according to an autopsy report.

No one was found in the driver’s seat in the April accident where a Model S caught fire after hitting a tree, killing the two people in the car, according to the police at the time.

William Varner, who was found in the back left passenger seat, had 0.151 g/100mL of ethanol – grain alcohol – detected in his blood after his death, according to the report by Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.

Continue reading “Victim of Tesla crash in Texas had alcohol level exceeding legal limit”