PTI – Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) for its best ever annual production in the 2022-23 fiscal, and said this shows that not only in steel, but also in every sector the country is moving fast towards self-reliance.

PTI – The auto major said its passenger vehicle sales in the domestic market stood at 44,044 units last month, as compared to 42,293 units in the same month last year. Commercial vehicle sales in the domestic market stood at 46,823 units as against 47,050 units in March 2022, it added.

SHANGHAI, April 1 (Reuters) – A senior Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) China executive reiterated on Saturday the German automaker’s commitment to quickening the pace of electrification in the world’s second largest economy despite issues such as intensified competition and weak demand.

VW plans to increase the number of charging posts in China for electric vehicles to 17,000 by 2025, as it planned to invest 15 billion euros ($16.26 billion) in the country on electric mobility together with its three joint ventures by 2024, Stefan Mecha, chief executive of the Volkswagen brand in China, told China’s EV 100 forum in Beijing.

Continue reading “VW pledges to double down on EVs in China, urges extension of NEV tax breaks”

By Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK, March 31 (Reuters) – Elon Musk asked a U.S. judge on Friday to throw out a $258 billion racketeering lawsuit accusing him of running a pyramid scheme to support the cryptocurrency Dogecoin.

In an evening filing in Manhattan federal court, lawyers for Musk and his electric car company Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) called the lawsuit by Dogecoin investors a “fanciful work of fiction” over Musk’s “innocuous and often silly tweets” about Dogecoin.

Continue reading “Elon Musk seeks to end $258 billion Dogecoin lawsuit”

March 31 (Reuters) – Carmaker Stellantis NV (STLAM.MI) said on Friday its Portugal plant would become the first assembly plant in the country to produce large series fully battery electric compact vans by 2025.

Stellantis’s Mangualde Production Center, which has made over 1.5 million vehicles, will produce battery electric light commercial vehicles for Citroën, Fiat, OPEL and Peugeot, the company said in a statement.

Continue reading “Stellantis’ Portugal plant to produce large series fully battery electric compact vans”

By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS, March 31 (Reuters) – Car services groups on Friday warned a stalled EU proposal to ensure fair access to valuable vehicle data could pave the way for unfair competition from U.S. and Chinese tech companies.

The vehicle data tussle between carmakers and a coalition of insurers, leasing companies and repair shops underscores the huge potential of the connected car market, which consultancy Fortune Business Insights says could grow to 250 billion-400 billion euros ($272 billion-$435 billion) by 2030.

Continue reading “Car services groups warn of unfair competition as EU data plan stalls”

DETROIT, March 31 (Reuters) – General Motors (GM.N) plans to phase out widely-used Apple CarPlay and Android Auto technologies that allow drivers to bypass a vehicle’s infotainment systems, shifting instead to built-in infotainment systems developed with Google for future electric vehicles.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto systems allow users to mirror their smartphone screens in a vehicle’s dashboard display.

Continue reading “GM plans to phase out Apple CarPlay in EVs, with Google’s help”

By David Shepardson and David Lawder

WASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) – The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday unveiled stricter electric vehicle tax rules that will reduce or cut tax credits on some zero-emission models but grant buyers another two weeks before the new requirements take effect.

The rules are aimed at weaning the United States off dependence on China for EV battery supply chains and part of President Joe Biden’s effort to make 50% of U.S. new vehicle sales by 2030 EVs or plug-in hybrids.

Continue reading “US unveils stricter EV tax credit rules to take effect April 18”

March 31 (Reuters) – Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) has been sued by a Black former general manager who says he was fired for pushing back against comments by his white supervisor that he claims were racist, the latest in a series of race bias cases against the world’s most valuable automaker.

John Goode, who oversaw a Tesla service center near Atlanta, filed a lawsuit in San Francisco federal court on Thursday claiming a regional manager blocked him from consideration for a promotion before having him fired on false pretenses on March 3.

Continue reading “Tesla faces new race bias claims while a separate trial wraps up”

• This content was produced in Russia where the law restricts coverage of Russian military operations in Ukraine

MOSCOW, March 31 (Reuters) – Russia and Toyota (7203.T) said on Friday that the Japanese carmaker’s factory in St Petersburg had been handed over to state entity NAMI, with Moscow snapping up more assets from global automakers leaving Russia over the conflict in Ukraine.

“Toyota’s production site in St Petersburg has… been transferred to the state,” Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade said in a statement.

Continue reading “Japan’s Toyota hands St Petersburg plant over to Russian state”

SHANGHAI/HONG KONG, March 31 (Reuters) – Tesla (TSLA.O) Chief Executive Elon Musk is making plans to visit China as early as April and is seeking a meeting with China’s Premier Li Qiang, two people with knowledge of planning for the trip told Reuters.

The exact timing of the visit is subject to Li Qiang’s availability, one of the sources said.

Continue reading “Exclusive: Elon Musk plans China visit, seeks meeting with premier”

PTI – In February, Citroen, which is a part of Stellantis Group, inked a pact with Kamarajar Port, which is located 24 km north of Chennai Port in the city, for shipping out vehicles to the overseas market.

PTI – The device enables equipment owners and rental entrepreneurs to sustainably improve fleet performance, improve incomes and manage maintenance costs while reducing tractor downtime and preventing unauthorised usage of their tractors, the company said.

PTI – “A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between HPCL Mumbai refinery and BPCL Mumbai refinery as part of synergy through purchase and sale of hydrogen,” the company said in a statement.

March 29 (Reuters) – India’s GoMechanic was acquired by a consortium led by car parts manufacturer Lifelong Group on Wednesday, ending months of uncertainty after the beleaguered car servicing startup announced job cuts and an independent review into its finances.

Financial details of the deal was not disclosed. GoMechanic and its investor Stride Ventures, which helped the process, did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request further details.

Continue reading “India’s GoMechanic acquired by consortium led by car parts maker Lifelong”

SOROWAKO, Indonesia, March 30 (Reuters) – U.S. carmaker Ford (F.N) has joined PT Vale Indonesia (INCO.JK) and China’s Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt’s as their new partner in a $4.5 billion nickel processing plant in Indonesia, the companies said on Thursday.

The investment is Ford’s first in the Southeast Asian country and underscores growing appetite among automakers for raw materials used in producing electric vehicle (EV) batteries, which account for about 40% of a vehicle’s sticker price, aiming to cut costs and close the gap on EV market leader Tesla (TSLA.O).

Continue reading “Ford in $4.5 bln deal for EV battery materials plant”

By Victoria Waldersee and Ilona Wissenbach

BERLIN, March 30 (Reuters) – Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) said on Thursday it had signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Spain’s Iberdrola (IBE.MC) for 140 megawatts (MW) of wind energy from a Baltic Sea wind park, part of automakers’ push to make production costs more predictable.

Production chief Joerg Burzer told Reuters that Mercedes was focusing on securing wind capacity in northern Germany and installing solar capacity in the south of the country, which gets more sunshine but is less windy.

Continue reading “Mercedes amps up renewable energy switch with Iberdrola wind deal”

By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS, March 30 (Reuters) – An Italian antitrust fine levied on Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) over its defeat devices may have infringed the German carmaker’s right not to be penalised twice for the same offence, an adviser to Europe’s top court said on Thursday.

The case came before the EU Court of Justice (CJEU) after Volkswagen challenged a 5 million euro ($5.4 million) Italian antitrust fine levied in 2016 for its misleading advertising about its cars fitted with illegal defeat devices.

Continue reading “EU court adviser says Italy antitrust fine may breach Volkswagen’s rights”

WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) – Senate Energy Committee Chair Joe Manchin said on Wednesday he may go to court after the U.S. Treasury releases guidance later this week on battery sourcing guidance for electric vehicle tax credits.

“If it goes off the rails” and violates the intent of the climate legislation approved in August, “I will do whatever I can – if that means going to court and I can do it, I’d do it,” said Manchin, a Democrat.

Continue reading “Manchin threatens to sue US Treasury over EV tax credit rules”

TOKYO, March 30 (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said on Thursday that global sales hit a record for the month of February as it bounced back from severe pandemic-induced parts shortages, adding that worldwide production also increased for a second straight month.

Japan’s biggest automaker said in a statement, however, that shortages of parts continue to be a problem. During the pandemic, it fared better than most car makers in managing supply chains, but even so ended up cutting monthly production targets repeatedly last year.

Continue reading “Toyota’s global sales notch up a February record as parts shortage eases”

PTI – “The Mumbai-Goa highway touches 66 tourism spots in Maharashtra’s Konkan. It will give development a high boost. It will also ensure quick transportation of fruits and other produce the region is famous for,” Gadkari said.

PTI – A research team at Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan made studying these fractures in isolation possible, initially difficult because other types of fracture tend to occur alongside of it. They describe their findings in the journal Scripta Materialia.

PTI – The ministry has released Rs 560 crore or 70 per cent of the total amount to three OMCs — Indian Oil (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum (BPCL), and Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) – as the first installment for the installation and commissioning of upstream infrastructure and charging equipment of EV public charging stations at respective retail outlets in the country.

By Lisa Baertlein

LOS ANGELES, March 29 (Reuters) – Manufacturers of everything from pickup trucks to homes are still grappling with tight supplies of microchips and cement – shortages that could translate into delays and higher costs for federal efforts to arm Ukraine against Russian aggression and rebuild U.S. crumbling infrastructure and manufacturing.

The supply chain woes that sent costs soaring and spurred shortages of everything from toilet paper to passenger cars are easing for retail-focused industries, but remain stubbornly persistent in important growth sectors like autos, machinery, defense and non-residential construction, experts said.

Continue reading “Supply shortages threaten U.S. infrastructure and war efforts”

MILAN, March 29 (Reuters) – Italian metalworkers unions said on Wednesday they had reached an agreement with Stellantis (STLAM.MI) for up to 120 layoffs through voluntary redundancies at the group’s Atessa van-making plant in the central Abruzzo region.

The workers laid off will all be no more than five years away from retirement age, the unions said in a joint statement.

Continue reading “Stellantis, unions agree on layoffs, hiring at Italy’s Atessa plant”

By Lisa Barrington and Hadeel Al Sayegh

DUBAI, March 28 (Reuters) – Uber Technologies’ (UBER.N) Middle East subsidiary Careem is in advanced talks with Emirates Telecommunications Group Company (EAND.AD) to invest in its expansion into services beyond ride-hailing, five sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Careem began seeking outside investors last year to help finance its Super App, which offers services outside its core ride-hailing business such as food delivery, bike rentals, digital payments and courier services.

Continue reading “Ride-hailer Careem in advanced talks with UAE’s e& for Super App investment – sources”

By Jyoti Narayan, Krystal Hu, Martin Coulter and Supantha Mukherjee

March 29 (Reuters) – Elon Musk and a group of artificial intelligence experts and industry executives are calling for a six-month pause in developing systems more powerful than OpenAI’s newly launched GPT-4, in an open letter citing potential risks to society and humanity.

Earlier this month, Microsoft-backed OpenAI unveiled the fourth iteration of its GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) AI program, which has wowed users with its vast range of applications, from engaging users in human-like conversation to composing songs and summarising lengthy documents.

Continue reading “Elon Musk and others urge AI pause, citing ‘risks to society’”

OXFORD, England, March 29 (Reuters) – Portugal’s largest utility, EDP (EDP.LS), said a compromise by the European Commission to allow the sale of cars running on e-fuels after 2035 would not impact the company’s target to roll out electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.

European Union countries’ energy ministers on Tuesday gave approval to the bloc’s law to end sales of new CO2-emitting cars in 2035, after Germany won an exemption for cars running on e-fuels.

Continue reading “Portugal’s EDP to stick with EV charging target after EU e-fuel compromise”

WASHINGTON, March 28 (Reuters) – U.S. auto safety regulators said Tuesday they are opening a probe into 50,000 Tesla Model X vehicles after receiving two complaints reporting front seat belt failures.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said the preliminary evaluation covers 2022-2023 model year vehicles over reports of failures of the front seat belt to remain connected to the seat belt anchor pretensioner while driving.

Continue reading “U.S. agency opens probe into 50,000 Tesla Model X vehicles over front seat belts”

BRUSSELS, March 28 (Reuters) – European Union countries gave final approval on Tuesday to a landmark law to end sales of new CO2-emitting cars in 2035, after Germany won an exemption for cars running on e-fuels.

The approval from EU countries’ energy ministers means Europe’s main climate policy for cars can now enter into force – after weeks of delay caused by last-minute opposition from Germany.

Continue reading “EU countries approve 2035 phaseout of CO2-emitting cars”

March 28 (Reuters) – Electric-vehicle maker Lucid Group Inc (LCID.O) said on Tuesday it would lay off about 18% of its workforce, or around 1,300 employees, to cut costs as part of a restructuring plan.

The maker of Air luxury sedan last month forecast 2023 production that fell well short of analysts’ expectations and reported a major drop in orders during the fourth quarter.

Continue reading “EV startup Lucid to cut about 18% of its workforce”

HONG KONG/SHANGHAI, March 29 (Reuters) – Chinese electric vehicle (EV) giant BYD said on Wednesday it was large enough to shake off the impact of a bruising price war and faltering demand in China, after reporting an 11-fold increase in fourth-quarter profit.

The strong result came as it extended its lead in the Chinese market, thanks to an expanding range of products that is helping it overtake Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) to become the top-selling brand.

Continue reading “BYD downplays China price war impact after Q4 profit jumps”

PTI – Ashok Leyland would retail its LCV products including BADA DOST, DOST, PARTNER and MiTR range of vehicles. Ashok Leyland has more than 1,700 exclusive outlets ensuring authorised service centres at every 75 kms on major highways, the company said.

PTI – LML said it aims to accelerate the growth of the e-mobility industry with its niche and ultra- premium products and added that the brand is currently focusing on building a well-knitted ecosystem of EV channel partners across the country.

PTI – As per the partnership, the companies will offer last-mile delivery partners associated with Zomato affordable loan terms and battery swapping services.

By Joseph White and David Shepardson

DETROIT, March 27 (Reuters) – Shawn Fain, the new president of the United Auto Workers union, on Monday said workers at the Detroit Three automakers are “fed up with the status quo” and prepared to fight in contract talks this fall.

“You’re going to see a lot more aggressive UAW,” Fain told reporters late Monday after a day-long meeting with local union officials.

Continue reading “New UAW leader tells automakers: ‘Our membership is fed up’”

By Christina Amann and Marie Mannes

BERLIN/STOCKHOLM, March 28 (Reuters) – European carmakers are fighting back against proposed emission regulations they argue are too costly, rushed and unnecessary, but which the European Commission says are needed to cut harmful emissions and prevent a repeat of the Dieselgate scandal.

European Union countries and lawmakers will negotiate “Euro 7” proposals this year on tighter limits for car emissions – for diesel cars, but not petrol – and for heavy-duty trucks and buses, including nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide.

Continue reading “Euro 7 emissions proposals, the sequel Europe’s carmakers don’t want to see”

PTI – The car maker, which expects 2023 to be the best for it in terms of sales in the country so far, also aims for electric vehicles to account for about 15 per cent of its overall sales this year. The group also plans to introduce three bike models under the BMW Motorrad business in India this year.