WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – German carmaker BMW said on Wednesday it was recalling 394,000 vehicles in the United States due to faulty airbag inflators that could potentially cause serious or fatal injuries, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Wednesday.

An air bag inflator could explode, sending potentially deadly sharp metal fragments flying and striking the driver or others in the vehicle, NHTSA said. Continue reading “BMW recalling 394,000 US vehicles over potentially deadly air bag issue”

BERLIN, (Reuters) – Volkswagen has secured production of solid-state batteries developed with U.S. startup QuantumScape, both companies said on Thursday, as the German carmaker aims to bring the technology into more vehicles.

Under an agreement announced on Thursday, Volkswagen’s battery unit PowerCo will receive the licence to mass-produce battery cells based on QuantumScape technology, pending technological progress and certain royalty payments, they said. Continue reading “Volkswagen, QuantumScape strike deal on solid-state batteries”

FRANKFURT, (Reuters) – German energy company E.ON and Volkswagen subsidiary MAN Truck & Bus plan to set up a pan-European electric charging network for trucks, starting this year, they said on Thursday.

Europe has set itself the goal of reducing emissions from heavy commercial vehicles by 90% by 2040 compared with 2019. Continue reading “VW’s MAN and E.ON join forces to charge electric trucks”

Summary

• IBAT’s DLE tech produces lithium in Utah at nearly 5,000 metric tons per year
• Portable plant design allows for scalable and relocatable production
• IBAT’s method recycles over 98% of water, addressing high water use in lithium industry

HOUSTON, (Reuters) – In a milestone for the global clean-energy transition, International Battery Metals has become the first company to commercially produce lithium with a novel type of filtration technology, a step expected to usher in cheaper and faster supplies of the electric-vehicle battery metal. Continue reading “Exclusive: In lithium industry first, IBAT commercializes new extraction technology”

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The Biden administration plans to award General Motors and Chrysler-parent Stellantis nearly $1.1 billion in grants to convert existing plants to build electric vehicles and components, it said on Thursday.

The Department of Energy (DOE) announced $1.7 billion in planned grants to help fund the conversion of 11 “at risk” plants in eight states to enable the production of 1 million EVs annually, help retain 15,000 existing jobs, and create 3,000 new positions. Continue reading “Biden administration to award nearly $1.1 billion to Stellantis, GM for EV production”

(Reuters) – Payment issues between Russia and China, caused by U.S. sanctions, pose serious issues for Russian imports of Chinese cars that have supplied the domestic market over the last two years, the head of Russia’s car dealers’ association told Reuters.

Moscow and Beijing have resorted to complex steps to try to avoid payment delays, including a workaround using small, regional Chinese banks, as the threat of secondary U.S. sanctions on Chinese banks that facilitate trade with Russia deters larger lenders. Continue reading “Payment problems stifle Russian imports of Chinese cars”

BERLIN, (Reuters) – BMW on Tuesday reported the strongest sales among Germany’s top three premium carmakers and was the only brand to significantly boost battery-electric deliveries, as Mercedes-Benz and Porsche struggled with low demand.

BMW saw a 2.3% rise in total sales in the first half of the year to almost 1.1 million vehicles, with battery-electric sales surging 34% to a total of nearly 180,000 cars. Continue reading “BMW leads German premium car brands in first-half sales”

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – A U.S. auto safety regulator said on Wednesday that three people have been killed and two seriously injured in the last nine months by low-cost faulty replacement air bag inflators.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration urged used car buyers and owners to beware of substandard imported inflators that can cause death or serious injury in a crash. The agency said the inflators, which had been installed after prior crashes, malfunctioned in subsequent collisions, sending large metal fragments into drivers. Continue reading “Three people killed by faulty replacement air bag inflators, US safety agency says”

SALAR CENTENARIO, Argentina, July 10 (Reuters) – In a dusty plain in northern Argentina’s mountains, black tubes stretching two stories high fill a massive tank with salty brine sucked from deep below ground.

The brine contains lithium, a silvery white metal essential for making electric vehicle batteries and in high demand as the world shifts to green energy. French miner Eramet is attempting to use an innovative technique, known as direct lithium extraction, or DLE, in a race for cleaner, faster and cheaper ways to produce the metal with less water. Continue reading “Global lithium sector eyes Argentina’s salt flats on tech test run”

Source : PTI | New Delhi: Maruti Suzuki India Chairman RC Bhargava on Tuesday said the reported 100% registration waiver for hybrid vehicles by the Uttar Pradesh government recognises the fact that multiple technologies are required to reduce carbon emissions and oil imports. According to reports, the Uttar Pradesh government has announced a 100% registration tax waiver on hybrid vehicles leading to a drop in prices of models by up to INR 3.5 lakh.

When contacted, Bhargava told PTI that the step taken by the UP government would also inspire other states to consider such proposals.

Continue reading “UP govt announces 100% registration waiver for hybrid vehicles”

Summary

• Closure would be first VW factory shutdown in nearly 4 decades
• Volkswagen, parent company Porsche SE cut 2024 profit forecasts
• Q8-etron production could end in 2025 – source

BERLIN, (Reuters) – Volkswagen on Tuesday warned it may close the Brussels site of its luxury brand Audi due to a sharp drop in demand for high-end electric cars that has hit Europe’s top carmaker, forcing it to cut its margin target for the current year. Continue reading “Volkswagen may close Brussels factory as low EV demand hits Audi”

(Reuters) – Fisker is recalling 11,308 Ocean electric SUVs globally due to a water pump issue that could cause a loss of power, the electric vehicle company said in a stop-sale notice to its sales department and dealers in Canada, the United States and the European Union.

The move comes less than two weeks after its third recall in June. Fisker had filed for bankruptcy protection last month after burning through cash in an attempt to ramp up production of its Ocean SUVs. Continue reading “Fisker to recall more than 11,000 electric SUVs globally over water pump issue”

DETROIT, (Reuters) – Ford Motor is receiving a reduced incentive package from Michigan for its battery plant in the city of Marshall after the automaker cut expected production at the facility to match demand for electric vehicles.

The Dearborn, Michigan-based car company is building the plant and plans to license technology to produce low-cost lithium-iron batteries at the facility from China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL) one of the world’s largest battery manufacturers. Continue reading “Michigan lowers incentives for Ford EV battery plant to match reduced output”

(Reuters) – A group of Hyundai Motor dealers has sued the South Korean automobile giant in Chicago federal court for allegedly inflating sales numbers for electric vehicles while punishing franchises that would not participate in the ruse.

The lawsuit filed on Friday by Napleton Aurora Imports in Illinois and affiliated franchises, said Hyundai Motor America Corp (HMA) pressured dealers to misuse inventory codes meant for “loaner” vehicles to exaggerate their sales figures. Continue reading “Lawsuit accuses Hyundai of faking US sales data for electric cars”

(Reuters) – Fisker is recalling 11,308 Ocean electric SUVs globally due to a water pump issue that could cause a loss of power, the electric vehicle company said in a stop-sale notice to its sales department and dealers in Canada, the United States and the European Union.

The move comes less than two weeks after its third recall in June. Fisker had filed for bankruptcy protection last month after burning through cash in an attempt to ramp up production of its Ocean SUVs. Continue reading “Fisker to recall more than 11,000 electric SUVs globally over water pump issue”

(Reuters) – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a recall query into 94,275 Stellantis-owned Jeep SUVs over a loss of motive power, the U.S. auto safety regulator said on Tuesday.

The investigation targets Jeep’s Wrangler 4xe hybrid SUVs manufactured between 2021 through 2024. Chrysler had previously recalled the same model in 2022 to address concerns related to an engine shutdown. Continue reading “NHTSA opens recall query into about 94,000 Jeep Wrangler 4xe SUVs”

(Reuters) – German sportscar maker Porsche said on Tuesday that global vehicle deliveries were down 7% in the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2023, primarily driven by a 33% year-on-year drop in China.

Porsche, majority-owned by Volkswagen, is highly exposed to the EU-China tariff tensions, with deliveries to China accounting for nearly 20% of global deliveries. Continue reading “Porsche AG reports sharp fall in China deliveries”

(Reuters) – Lucid Group will recall about 5,251 of its 2022-2023 Air luxury sedans due to a software error that could cause a loss of power, according to a notice from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published on Tuesday.

The regulator added the EV maker will also recall about 7,506 of its 2022-2024 Air luxury sedans due to an issue with a coolant heater that could fail to defrost the windshield. Continue reading “EV maker Lucid to recall over 5,200 Air luxury sedans for software error, US regulator says”

PARIS, (Reuters) – Stellantis said on Tuesday it would expand its line of affordable hybrid vehicles to 36 models in Europe by 2026, to meet growing demand for this engine type, an alternative to petrol-fuelled cars and electric vehicles.

The American-French-Italian automaker, created from the 2021 merger between Peugeot maker PSA and Fiat Chrysler, said in a statement it would offer 30 hybrid models this year for nine of its 14 brands, including Fiat, Peugeot, Jeep and Alfa Romeo, and launch six more over the following two years. Continue reading “Stellantis to expand hybrid vehicle line to meet growing demand”

Source : PTI | New Delhi: The Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA) has raised concerns over the significant rise in the import of waste/scrap tyres into India. The organization highlighted the issue in its pre-budget submission to the finance ministry, emphasizing the environmental and safety risks associated with these imports. Since FY20-21, the import of waste/scrap tyres has increased more than fivefold, turning India into a dumping ground for scrap tyres.

ATMA pointed out that the unchecked importation of waste/scrap tyres conflicts with the Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) Regulation on Waste Tyres, which has been in place since July 2022. The association stressed the need for policy measures to curb the import of waste tyres. Continue reading “ATMA alarms the govt about rising import of waste tyres into India”

• Rajeev Chauhan takes the helm as Vice President to spearhead overall EPV business of BYD India
• Sanjay Gopalakrishanan retires from BYD India
• BYD recently featured among Top 10 in 2024 Kantar BrandZ Global Automotive Brands

New Delhi, India: BYD India, a subsidiary of the world’s leading New Energy Vehicles (NEV) manufacturer BYD, sees Mr. Rajeev Chauhan takes on the role of Vice President of the Electric Passenger Vehicle Business at BYD India. He takes over from Mr. Sanjay Gopalakrishnan as he retires after over three decades in Indian Automotive Industry with his last stint that saw him set up the EV Passenger Vehicle Business at BYD India. Continue reading “New leadership announcement by BYD India”

FRANKFURT, (Reuters) – Porsche is sticking to its guns in its transition of some models to electric vehicles, despite a recent weakness in demand for battery-powered cars, the carmaker’s head of production told magazine Automobilwoche.

Porsche executive board member Albrecht Reimold said that the petrol-powered version of SUV model Macan for non-European markets would be produced no longer than 2026. Continue reading “Porsche sticks with plans to stop some combustion model production”

BERLIN, (Reuters) – BMW has asked Brussels to calculate lower tariffs for imports of its China-made electric Mini to Europe, which are currently subject to the highest duties under provisional EU regulation, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The move is aimed at getting the model included in the group of companies that cooperated with the investigation. That would bring duty levels to 20.8%, down from 37.6% under the current plans. Continue reading “BMW seeks lower import tariffs for China-made electric Mini, source says”

SEOUL, (Reuters) – Hyundai Motor Co reached a tentative wage agreement with its South Korean labour union on Monday, a union official said, potentially avoiding a strike in the carmaker’s biggest manufacturing base.

The agreement was reached after the South Korean automaker and its union held several rounds of negotiations for 46 days. Continue reading “Hyundai Motor, South Korea union reach tentative wage deal, says union”

BEIJING, (Reuters) – The prospect of European tariffs cut 20-30 percentage points off China’s growth in exports of electric and plug-in hybrid cars in recent months, an official at a leading Chinese auto industry body said on Monday.

Last week, the European Union introduced provisional tariffs of up to 37.6% on China-made electric vehicles (EVs) to safeguard against what it described as a potential flood of unfairly subsidised EVs – a move China strongly opposes. Continue reading “EU tariffs hit growth in China’s electric car exports, industry body official says”

(Reuters) – Lucid Group reported second-quarter deliveries above market expectations on Monday, as price cuts helped boost demand for its luxury electric sedans.

Demand for electric vehicles has grown at a slower-than-expected pace in the past year, pressured by high borrowing costs, economic uncertainties and consumer preference for hybrid alternatives. Continue reading “EV maker Lucid beats quarterly deliveries estimates helped by price cuts”

(Reuters) – A group of Hyundai Motor dealers has sued the South Korean automobile giant in Chicago federal court for allegedly inflating sales numbers for electric vehicles while punishing franchises that would not participate in the ruse.

The lawsuit, filed on Friday by Napleton Aurora Imports in Illinois and affiliated franchises, said Hyundai Motor America Corp (HMA) pressured dealers to misuse inventory codes meant for “loaner” vehicles to exaggerate their sales figures. Continue reading “Lawsuit accuses Hyundai of faking US sales data for electric cars”

Source : PTI | New Delhi: German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz has reported a 9% growth in its sales in India for the first half (H1) of 2024, reaching 9,262 units, the highest ever for the company in this period. This increase is attributed to strong demand across categories and the availability of volume models. The company’s sales had been 8,528 units in the same period of 2023.

Mercedes-Benz India plans to introduce six new products in the second half of 2024.

Continue reading “Mercedes-Benz India records 9% growth Y-o-Y with 9,262 units sold in H1 FY25”

• Introduction of turbo petrol variant under 10 Lakhs in Sonet and
• New GTX variant in both Petrol and Diesel engines and automatic transmission in Seltos and Sonet
• X-line variants in Aurora Black Pearl with all black glossy look

New Delhi, 8th July 2024: Kia India, one of the fastest-growing premium carmakers in the country, is refreshing its trim line-up for Seltos and Sonet with the introduction of 5 new variants and X-Line in a new avatar. The vehicles now have 21 and 22 variants, respectively, with the addition of 4 GTX variants in Petrol DCT and Diesel AT powertrain and transmission options. Customers now also have the option to buy a Sonet with a turbo petrol engine under 10 Lakh with the introduction of Smartstream G1.0 HTK iMT. Continue reading “Kia refreshes its product line-up, introduces 5 new trims in Seltos and Sonet”

Efficiency is what every OEM strives for and with the advancements in technology and increasing vehicle complexity, it has become essential to ensure operations run smoothly. The competition is rising today and OEMs bring innovative ideas to ensure their operations run without any bottlenecks. To ensure the dealer network is working at the utmost potential, there should be little or no order errors. This makes a dent in customer satisfaction in a major way. Dealers have to order many parts in a day and it becomes essential for them to receive the right parts. A delay in the parts or wrong parts will cause further delays in the repair process or maintenance of the vehicles. Continue reading “Necessity of Spare Parts Catalog Software for OEMs”

Source : PTI | The Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) held a meeting with automobile associations and companies on Saturday to encourage their participation in the newly launched Right to Repair Portal India, aimed at empowering consumers with easier access to product repair information. The meeting, chaired by DoCA Secretary Nidhi Khare, focused on addressing consumer concerns about restricted access to repair tools, high costs, and service delays in the automotive sector, an official statement said.

Khare emphasized the need to “democratize repair manuals and videos” and foster a robust ecosystem for third-party repair services. She also suggested introducing a “repairability index” for vehicles to inform consumers about product lifespan and ease of repair. Continue reading “Govt meets auto industry to onboard firms on Right to Repair Portal”

Source : PTI | Electric two-wheeler makerAther Energy is hopeful of increasing its market share as it forays into the family scooter segment, a company official said on Friday. The Bengaluru-based firm has so far been manufacturing sporty scooters.

“The company has now entered the family scooter segment to capture a larger share of the market. Ather Energy’s market share at the moment is around nine% in the sporty scooter segment, which is 14% of the overall market,” Chief Business Officer Ravneet Singh Phokela said. Continue reading “Ather Energy aims to raise market share with foray into family scooter segment”

Source : PTI | Bajaj Auto Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj on Friday suggested that the government review GST rates on vehicles powered by clean fuels. At the launch of the first integrated motorcycle Freedom 125 here, Bajaj also voiced concerns about the use of “unsustainable subsidies” to promote electric vehicles (EVs).

Earlier, he, along with Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, launched the world’s first CNG-run bike in three variants at a starting price of Rs 95,000 (ex-showroom).

Continue reading “Govt should review GST rates on vehicles powered by clean fuels: Rajiv Bajaj”

Source : PTI | New Delhi: Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot has directed the department officials to take strict action, including suspension of their licence, against any car dealer if they do not hand over the registration certificate to the private car buyer at the time of purchase of the vehicle. In 2021, the Delhi government had begun the facility of the buyers getting a registration certificate (RC) for their vehicles directly from the dealers. There are dealers that have self-registration facility.

Gahlot has taken cognisance of complaints from private vehicle buyers in Delhi regarding delays in receiving the RC on the same day at the time of purchase, despite a mandate by the Delhi government, an official statement from his office said. Continue reading “Delhi transport minister directs strict action against car dealers over delay in giving RCs”

BRUSSELS, (Reuters) – The European Union has resisted calls from some industries and countries to delay its flagship policy to fight deforestation, a letter seen by Reuters on Friday showed.

The deforestation law will, from Dec. 30, require companies selling soy, beef, coffee, palm oil and other products in the 27-nation bloc to prove their supply chains do not contribute to the destruction of forests. Equally, EU companies will be banned from exporting products cultivated on deforested land. Continue reading “EU resists calls to delay deforestation law, letter shows”

BERLIN, (Reuters) – Germany’s coalition government is set to overhaul the way renewable energy is subsidised so that power producers would get one-off support for their investment costs instead of a guaranteed price for power they produce, a finance ministry document showed on Friday.

A shift to investment subsidies would mark a significant change in Germany’s renewables market and would seek to make the industry less dependent on government support. Continue reading “Germany set to overhaul subsidy regime for renewable energy- document”

BEIJING, (Reuters) – China’s SAIC Motor will request a hearing from the European Commission on the extra duties it faces, the company said on Friday, as the European Union’s provisional tariffs on made-in-China EVs took effect.

“The European Commission overlooked some of the information and counter-arguments submitted by SAIC during the investigation,” the state-owned automaker said in a statement. Continue reading “China’s SAIC Motor seeks European Commission hearing on EV tariffs”

TOKYO, (Reuters) – Toyota Motor did not find any new cases of wrongdoing in the certification applications of its car models beyond the ones it had already reported last month, the Japanese automaker said in a statement on Friday.

The world’s top-selling automaker said it reported its findings to Japan’s transport ministry after completing its investigation into the certification process for all domestic models for the past 10 years. Continue reading “Toyota finds no new wrongdoing in certification investigation”