HONG KONG, June 16 (Reuters) – Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng Inc (9868.HK) on Thursday expanded its self-driving capability to Beijing as part of the automaker’s expanded launch of City NGP (Navigation Guided Pilot) across the mainland.

City NGP is now available in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing, with plans to expand it to dozens of cities within this year, Xpeng said in a statement.

Continue reading “China’s Xpeng expands self-driving capability to Beijing, eyes wider expansion”

INGOLSTADT, Germany, June 15 (Reuters) – Audi has to speed up development of new models to meet a surge in demand for electric vehicles, especially in China, the German luxury carmaker’s CEO said in an interview with Reuters published on Thursday.

“We are in the process of reviewing our entire development process,” Markus Duesmann said.

Continue reading “Audi chief sets sights on China in electric car catch-up”

PTI – India and China, the world’s top oil users, continued to lap up heavily discounted Russian crude oil, buying as much as 80% of the oil that Moscow exported in May, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a report.

TOKYO, June 15 (Reuters) – About 85% of Toyota Motor’s (7203.T) shareholders voted to re-elect Chairman Akio Toyoda to the automaker’s board of directors at an annual general meeting, the company said on Thursday, for his lowest approval rating in at least five years.

Support for Toyoda, the grandson of the founder of the world’s top-selling automaker, fell from 96% the previous year, when he was president and chief executive.

Continue reading “Some 85% of Toyota shareholders vote to re-elect Toyoda at annual meet”

June 15 (Reuters) – Graphene added to tyres could replace the toxic chemical 6PPD, U.S. startup Carbon Rivers says, as pressure mounts on the auto industry to eliminate the widely-used compound that has polluted waterways and been found to be lethal to some fish.

Later this year, California is expected to be the first authority to demand tyre-makers demonstrate they are seeking an alternative to 6PPD.

Continue reading “US startup Carbon Rivers says graphene is the answer to toxic tyre chemical”

NEW DELHI, June 15 (Reuters) – India’s Ministry of Corporate Affairs has ordered an investigation to assess Hero MotoCorp’s (HROM.NS) relationship with a third-party vendor in a case related to alleged diversion of funds, two government sources told Reuters on Thursday.

The investigation has been ordered in the “public interest” to probe the ownership structure of Hero MotoCorp and whether it controlled the third-party vendor, said the two sources, who are privy to the internal government directive.

Continue reading “India’s corporate affairs ministry orders probe into Hero MotoCorp -sources”

DETROIT, June 15 (Reuters) – The venture capital arm of automaker Stellantis (STLAM.MI) said on Thursday it will invest about 100 million euros ($108.3 million) in automotive and battery technology startups and a mobility venture fund.

Stellantis Ventures, created last year with 300 million euros of initial capital, will put money in ten startups ranging from Nauto, which provides driver monitoring and risk-management technology to fleets, to battery technology startup Electra Vehicles, to Beweelsociety, an electric bike venture started within Stellantis, Adam Bazih, head of Stellantis Ventures, said in a videoconference.

Continue reading “Stellantis invests 100 million euros in startups, mobility fund”

MANILA, June 15 (Reuters) – China’s Yadea Group Holdings (1585.HK), one of the world’s biggest electric two-wheeled vehicle makers, plans to invest about $1 billion in an e-motorcycle factory in the Philippines, the country’s investment promotions agency chief said on Thursday.

Yadea is one of a several electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers looking at the Southeast Asian nation for expansion of their manufacturing sites, Tereso Panga, director-general of government-run Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), told reporters.

Continue reading “(OFFICIAL) Philippines says China’s Yadea to invest $1 bln in e-motorcycle plant”

WASHINGTON, June 14 (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday vetoed a measure approved by Congress that would overturn his administration’s sharp new limits on emissions from heavy-duty trucks responsible for significant soot and smog.

The veto preserves Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules will “make our air cleaner and prevent thousands of premature deaths by limiting hazardous heavy-duty vehicle pollution,” Biden said on Twitter.

Continue reading “Biden vetoes bill that would negate EPA heavy truck pollution cuts”

BERLIN, June 14 (Reuters) – Volkswagen’s (VOWG_p.DE) passenger car brand will implement savings and cost-cutting measures amounting to 10 billion euros ($10.83 billion) by 2026 to hit a return on sales target of 6.5%, a spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Chief Financial Officer Arno Antlitz posted on LinkedIn earlier on Wednesday that the company would improve production efficiency across the passenger cars brand as well as at CUPRA, Skoda and SEAT, and streamline its product range to achieve the target.

Continue reading “Volkswagen passenger cars targets 10 billion euros of efficiency gains”

June 14 (Reuters) – Toyota Motor (7203.T) said this week it will adopt a technology Tesla (TSLA.O) pioneered known as “Gigacasting” as part of a strategy by the Japanese automaker to improve the performance – and lower the cost – of future electric vehicles (EVs).

Toyota is not alone in following Tesla’s breakthrough.

Continue reading “Why are other automakers chasing Tesla’s ‘Gigacasting’?”

TOYOTA CITY, Japan, June 14 (Reuters) – Toyota (7203.T) shareholders backed the board and voted down the first resolution proposed in 18 years at an annual general meeting (AGM) on Wednesday, an endorsement of the automaker a day after it laid out an extensive electric vehicle strategy.

The resolution from three European asset managers called for greater disclosure on climate lobbying activity, but was widely expected to fail given the strength of support for management.

Continue reading “Toyota shareholders vote down climate resolution, back board”

HONG KONG, June 14 (Reuters) – Chinese automaker BYD Co Ltd has restarted operations at two showrooms and a service centre in Hong Kong after they were vandalised earlier this week, BYD’s sole agent said in a notice on its website on Wednesday.

Restoration work on another showroom in the outlying district of Yuen Long in the New Territories was expected to be completed by the end of the week, BYD’s Hong Kong sole agent JC Motor Ltd said.

Continue reading “Chinese automaker BYD reopens two Hong Kong showrooms after vandalism”

DETROIT, June 13 (Reuters) – General Motors (GM.N) has signaled in a series of recent announcements on plant retoolings that it plans to keep its largest and most profitable combustion trucks and SUVs in production longer than expected – another 10 to 12 years, according to analysts and suppliers.

This should enable the automaker to reap tens of billions of dollars in additional profit, according to Reuters estimates, before it shifts completely to zero-emission electric vehicles in 2035.

Continue reading “Analysis: GM could reap billions by building combustion trucks and SUVs through 2035”

June 14 (Reuters) – Russian state entity NAMI said on Wednesday it had acquired a 100% stake in a factory producing anti-lock brakes and other systems for cars that was formerly owned by German technology group Robert Bosch.

NAMI, Russia’s Central Automobile and Engine Research and Development Institute, has been snapping up assets from global carmakers that left Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Continue reading “Russia takes over another Western asset with Bosch plant deal”

COPENHAGEN, June 14 (Reuters) – Swedish electric self-driving truck company Einride expects to reduce CO2 emissions in Norway by 2,100 tonnes over the coming three years as it partners up with Scandinavia’s leading postal service, PostNord, the company said on Wednesday.

Norway has the world’s highest number of electric vehicles per head of population and aims for all heavy vehicles to be zero-emission by 2040, potentially cutting CO2 emissions by 4.4 million tonnes or nearly 9% of the country’s annual emissions.

Continue reading “Self-driving truck company Einride expands into Norway”

TOKYO, June 13 (Reuters) – Toyota (7203.T) will introduce high-performance, solid-state batteries and other technologies to improve the driving range and cut costs of future electric vehicles (EVs), the automaker said on Tuesday, a strategic pivot that sent its shares higher.

The Japanese giant’s technology roadmap, covering aspects as varied as next-generation battery development and a radical redesign of factories, amounted to the automaker’s fullest disclosure of its plan to compete in the fast-growing market for EVs where it has lagged rivals led by Tesla (TSLA.O).

Continue reading “Toyota unveils sweeping plans for new battery tech, EV innovation”

TOKYO/SINGAPORE, June 13 (Reuters) – Toyota Motor (7203.T) has said it is moving toward production of solid-state batteries for the next generation of electric vehicles (EVs), bringing a technology that promises more energy storage and faster charging closer to market.

HOW ARE SOLID-STATE BATTERIES DIFFERENT?

Solid-state batteries use thin layers of solid electrolytes that carry lithium ions between electrodes.

Continue reading “Explainer: How could solid-state batteries improve next-gen EVs?”

LONDON, June 13 (Reuters) – Scottish and Southern Energy Networks (SSEN) Transmission will invest 10 billion pounds ($12.5 billion) in networks in Scotland which will enable the connection of up to 11 gigawatts of offshore wind projects, it said on Tuesday.

The company’s “Pathway to 2030 Programme” will include investment in several new onshore and sub-sea transmission links as part of a wider upgrade of the electricity transmission network across Britain to meet climate change and energy security targets.

Continue reading “UK’s SSEN to invest 10 billion pounds in electricity networks”

June 12 (Reuters) – Electric vehicle charging companies are cautiously embracing Tesla’s (TSLA.O) charging technology as the main U.S. standard, mere days after Ford (F.N) and GM (GM.N) said they were adopting it, but questions remained about how any interoperability would work.

The rare agreements between Tesla Inc and each of the two U.S. automakers, who among them control more than 60% of the country’s EV market, is likely to give top billing to Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS). Tesla shares rose 2.2% on Monday.

Continue reading “Analysis: EV charger makers guardedly look to adopt Tesla standard”

LONDON, June 12 (Reuters) – Global miner Glencore (GLEN.L), Chrysler parent Stellantis (STLAM.MI) and Volkswagen’s (VOWG_p.DE) battery unit PowerCo have agreed to back a $1 billion deal by blank-cheque fund ACG Acquisition Company to buy two mines in Brazil, ACG said on Monday.

The deal comes as a mining M&A spree picks up, spurred in part by investors betting on rising demand for metals needed for the global green energy transition in coming years.

Continue reading “Glencore, automakers to back $1 bln nickel, copper SPAC deal in Brazil”

SHANGHAI, June 12 (Reuters) – Nio (9866.HK) said on Monday it would lower prices for all its models and end free battery swapping services to new buyers, as the Chinese electric vehicle maker faces mounting pressure over earnings losses and lukewarm sales.

Nio will cut prices by 30,000 yuan ($4,200) for all models including its revamped ES6 and ES8 sports utility vehicles from June 12, according to a company statement. That equates to discounts ranging from 6% to 9% on Nio cars.

Continue reading “China’s Nio cuts prices, ends free battery swapping as sales slide”

June 9 (Reuters) – Tesla (TSLA.O) shares closed 4% higher on Friday after General Motors (GM.N) joined Ford (F.N) in agreeing to use its electric-vehicle charging network, a big win that analysts said could make Tesla Superchargers an industry standard in the United States.

The rare partnership among three of the biggest U.S. automakers ensures that more than 60% of the country’s EV market can access Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS), which should make it the primary network in the country.

Continue reading “Tesla jumps as GM deal makes its charging network closer to US standard”

June 9 (Reuters) – Lordstown Motors (RIDE.O) said on Friday it plans to take legal action against investor Foxconn (2317.TW) to ensure that the Taiwanese contract manufacturer completes a planned purchase of nearly 10% of the electric vehicle startup’s shares.

The company, and its EV peers have been struggling as access to capital tightens from rising interest rates and economic uncertainty.

Continue reading “EV maker Lordstown plans to sue Foxconn over funding dispute”

June 9 (Reuters) – The White House on Friday said electric-vehicle charging stations using Tesla (TSLA.O) standard plugs would be eligible for billions of dollars in federal subsidies as long as they included the U.S. charging standard connection, CCS, as well.

The statement follows separate announcements by U.S. automakers Ford Motor (F.N) and General Motors (GM.N) that they were adopting the Tesla model of charging, known as the North American Charging Standard (NACS). The moves shake up a charging industry that looked like it was drifting toward the rival CCS connection, with the help of federal subsidies.

Continue reading “White House welcomes Tesla to take advantage of federal dollars for chargers”

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, June 9 (Reuters) – China should standardise requirements for electric vehicle (EV) batteries in order to keep its edge over other markets such as the U.S. and Europe in the rapidly growing industry, the country’s former industry minister said on Friday.

“Europe and the United States are ramping up efforts to develop local battery makers, while protectionism has resurfaced,” Miao Wei told the World Power Battery Conference in China’s southwestern city of Yibin where he had an audience of policymakers and industry executives.

Continue reading “Ex-minister urges Beijing to lead in setting global EV battery standards”

New Delhi, June 2023; The automobile industry has been experiencing a significant shift towards Electric vehicles (EVs) as a more sustainable and eco-friendly mobility solution. Among the leading players in this emerging market are Tata Motors and MG Motor India, both offering impressive electric SUVs.

Continue reading “MG ZS EV Dominates in Resale Value in Droom Study, Outshining Nexon EV, Creta, Kona, and Seltos”

BEIJING, June 9 (Reuters) – BYD announced on Friday a new brand of electric vehicles (EV) ranging from off-road to sports cars as the company looks to meet more diversified consumer demand.

The new brand is called Fang Cheng Bao, which translates from Chinese literally as “Formula” and “Leopard”. The Chinese EV giant is expected to launch the first model this year – an SUV identified for now internally as SF, BYD said in a statement.

Continue reading “China’s BYD announces new Fang Cheng Bao brand of energy vehicles”

MADRID, June 8 (Reuters) – U.S. electric car manufacturer Tesla (TSLA.O) is in talks with the leaders of the regional government of Valencia in Spain to make an automotive investment, a source close to the discussions has told Reuters.

A spokesperson for Valencia’s regional government told Reuters it had held meetings and conversations with an unidentified company about a “large automotive investment”, but declined to give more details, citing the confidentiality of the negotiations.

Continue reading “Tesla considering building automotive investment in Spain – source”

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, June 8 (Reuters) – China on Thursday announced a nationwide campaign to promote automobile purchases in a major push to shore up demand in the world’s largest auto market.

The announcement from the Ministry of Commerce came shortly after data showed passenger vehicle sales in China rose 7.3% in May from April, higher on the month but far from the robust recovery policymakers are hoping for.

Continue reading “China launches nationwide car purchase campaign as May sales tick up”

June 8 (Reuters) – The California Department of Motor Vehicles on Thursday approved Mercedes-Benz’s (MBGn.DE) automated driving system on designated highways under certain conditions without the active control of a driver.

California is one of Tesla’s (TSLA.O) largest markets, accounting for 16% of the carmaker’s global deliveries last year, according to Reuters calculations.

Continue reading “Mercedes-Benz beats Tesla for California’s approval of automated driving tech”

Gurugram, June 8, 2023: MG Motor India, a British automobile brand with a 99-year-old legacy, today announced a significant milestone in its journey towards sustainable and futuristic mobility. BluSmart, India’s largest EV ride-hailing service and EV charging superhub infrastructure operator, has placed an order for 500 units of MG ZS EV – India’s first pure-electric internet SUV.

Continue reading “MG Motor India and BluSmart collaborate to Electrify Mobility with 500 ZS EV SUVs”

LONDON, June 8 (Reuters) – Britain could lose out on investments in autonomous vehicles (AVs) and see startups shift testing elsewhere if promised laws to regulate the technology are not passed before the next general election, startups and insurance companies said.

Despite the government’s vision to be a world leader in AV technology, truly driverless cars are not currently permitted on Britain’s roads, making it difficult for start-ups to commercialise their vehicles and insurers to assess their risks.

Continue reading “UK self-driving car dreams could break down at the starting line”