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”

Sept 2 (Reuters) – Hyundai Motors’ (005380.KS) Genesis said on Thursday it would phase out all gas-powered cars by the end of the decade and that its luxury vehicles debuting 2025 onwards will run on fuel cells and batteries.

Genesis, which was launched as Hyundai’s standalone luxury division in 2015 to compete with premium brands such as BMW, Mercedes and Lexus, joins other auto majors who are doubling down on investments in electric vehicles.

The company, which accounts for just above 3% of Hyundai’s overall vehicle sales, said it would develop eight electric vehicle models with global sales expected to reach 400,000 units per year.

Continue reading “Hyundai’s luxury brand Genesis to be all-electric by 2030”

SEOUL, Sept 3 (Reuters) – South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS) plans to use an auto chip it has developed itself for one of its upcoming vehicles next year, the Seoul Economy Daily reported on Friday.

Hyundai Motor, which together with affiliate Kia Corp (000270.KS) is among the world’s top 10 biggest automakers by sales, plans to internally develop a silicon carbide technology based power chip, the newspaper said, citing an unnamed industry source.

A shortage of chips made by semiconductor companies, fuelled by pandemic interruptions and production issues at chip factories, have forced automakers halt production and reduce work shifts amid concerns that shortages could continue.

Continue reading “Hyundai Motor set to use internally developed chip for upcoming car -media report”

LONDON, Sept 1 (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) on Wednesday announced plans to vastly expand its network of electric vehicle charging points in Britain, aiming to install 50,000 on-street posts by 2025 as part of its global rollout.

Shell will implement the plans through ubitricity, an on-street charging point company that it acquired in February which operates around 3,600 chargers in Britain.

The expansion is part of a government-backed push to rapidly grow Britain’s electric vehicle (EV) fleet in line with a target to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. Britain also plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.

Continue reading “Shell to vastly expand EV charging network in Britain”

BOSTON, Sept 1 (Reuters) – Massachusetts’ attorney general on Wednesday gave backers of a proposed ballot measure, which would define drivers for app-based companies like Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) and Lyft Inc (LYFT.O) as independent contractors rather than employees, the green light to collect the signatures needed to put it before voters.

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey certified that the measure met constitutional requirements, clearing the way for a coalition of app-based service providers backing the initiative to begin collecting the tens of thousands of signatures needed to get the proposal onto the November 2022 ballot.

Continue reading “Companies-backed Massachusetts gig worker ballot measure clears key hurdle”

Sept 1 (Reuters) – The Biden administration has an ambitious $7.5 billion plan to expand electric vehicle charging to underserved areas, but it must first overcome a host of obstacles that have discouraged private investment in more equitable charging networks.

The experience of California – the U.S. state with the largest number of EVs and the most advanced charging infrastructure – shows how challenging it will be to achieve the goals in the $1 trillion infrastructure spending proposal Biden wants Congress to pass.

California has poured more than $2 billion into a variety of EV incentive programs over the last years, which include policies to promote equity in distribution of chargers. The state has also generated more than $25 billion through its carbon credits trading program since 2012, a portion of which goes toward EV and charging projects.

Continue reading “Biden infrastructure plan takes on EV charging’s inequality problem”

BEIJING, Sept 2 (Reuters) – Chinese regulators summoned 11 ride-hailing firms including Didi Global Inc (DIDI.N), Geely’s (GEELY.UL) Caocao and Meituan’s (3690.HK) ride-hailing unit to a meeting, the transport ministry said on Thursday, to discuss points of concern in the sector.

At the meeting held on Wednesday, authorities highlighted the hiring of unqualified drivers and use of promotions that disrupt fair market order, the ministry said in a statement.

Regulators urged ride-hailing companies to comply with relevant rules and protect data security, the ministry said.

Regulators have frequently held talks with the ride-hailing industry, which offers tens of millions of rides a day in China, on topics of driver salaries, safety and other issues.

WASHINGTON, Sept 2 (Reuters) – General Motors Co (GM.N) will reduce production at most North American assembly plants this month because of the ongoing semiconductor chip shortage, hitting its profitable truck and sport utility vehicles, it said on Thursday.

The largest U.S. automaker will halt production next week at its Fort Wayne plant in Indiana and its Silao plant in Mexico, both of which build pickup trucks. In total, GM is cutting production at eight North American assembly plants in September.

The industry wide chip shortage is causing massive auto production cuts around the globe.

Continue reading “GM to cut North American production, citing chip shortage”

BEIJING, Aug 31 (Reuters) – BMW (BMWG.DE) said on Tuesday it wanted to support the restructuring of Huachen Group, parent of the German premium automaker’s Chinese joint venture partner Brilliance China Automotive (1114.HK).

BMW said in a statement to Reuters that it also wanted to use Huachen’s existing car manufacturing capacity. Huachen is based in China’s northeastern city of Shenyang in Liaoning province.

“To BMW, Liaoning province and the city of Shenyang have become the crucial innovation and production base in China, and the cornerstone of our future success in China,” BMW said, it did not offer details of how it plans to participate in Huachen’s restructuring.

Continue reading “BMW backs the restructuring of China JV partner’s parent Huachen”

BENGALURU, Sept 1 (Reuters) – Swedish steelmaker SSAB (SSABa.ST) said on Wednesday it had partnered with Daimler’s (DAIGn.DE) Mercedes-Benz to introduce fossil fuel-free steel into vehicle production, with prototype parts for body shells planned for next year.

SSAB plans to supply the market with fossil-free steel at a commercial scale in 2026, using the HYBRIT system to replace coking coal, traditionally needed for iron ore-based steelmaking, with electricity and hydrogen.

The Mercedes-Benz logo is seen on a car in front of the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany February 11, 2020. REUTERS/Andreas Gebert

Continue reading “Mercedes-Benz teams up with SSAB to explore fossil fuel-free steel for cars”

SHANGHAI, Sept 1 (Reuters) – Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi Corp (1810.HK) said on Wednesday it has completed the official business registration of its electric vehicle unit, marking the latest milestone in its push into the automotive sector.

The new unit, to be called Xiaomi EV Inc, opened with registered capital of 10 billion yuan ($1.55 billion) and Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun as its legal representative, Xiaomi said in a statement.

Some 300 staff have so far been employed to join the EV unit and it continues to recruit talent, it said.

Continue reading “China’s Xiaomi completes business registration of electric vehicle unit”

SHANGHAI, Sept 1 (Reuters) – Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Global Inc (DIDI.N) has set up a union for its staff while e-commerce powerhouse JD.com (9618.HK) has also established one – landmark moves in the country’s tech sector where organised labour is extremely rare.

Regulators in China have come down hard on its biggest technology firms this year, criticising them for policies that exploit workers and infringe on consumer rights in addition to unleashing a slew of anti-trust probes and fines.

The government is also encouraging companies to implement initiatives to share wealth as part of a recent “common prosperity” drive laid out by President Xi Jinping to ease inequality in the world’s second-largest economy.

Continue reading “Didi and JD.com workers get unions in watershed moment for China’s tech sector”

MADRID, Aug 31 (Reuters) – French carmaker Renault (RENA.PA), like several of its rivals, will extend partial stoppages at its three assembly plants in Spain to the end of the year because of the global shortage of microchips, a spokeswoman for Renault Spain said on Tuesday.

The company plans to halt production at its plant in Palencia, where it assembles its Kadjar and Megane models, for as many as 61 days and its factory in Valladolid, where it makes Capture SUV crossovers, for up to 40 days, she said.

The engine plant in Valladolid could cease producing for as many as 17 days over the period.

Continue reading “Renault to extend Spanish output curbs owing to chip shortage”

Aug 31 (Reuters) – India’s biggest car maker Maruti Suzuki (MRTI.NS) warned on Tuesday its vehicle production in September will tumble by 60% due to a chip shortage, joining a slew of global automakers facing a pandemic-led paucity of critical components.

Maruti had flagged a partial production impact in August, but the output cut in its plants in the states of Haryana and Gujarat for September shows the problem is intensifying for Japanese automaker Suzuki Ltd’s (6785.T) flagship arm.

Total production volume in September across the two plants could be around 40% of normal output, Maruti said in a regulatory filing. The company produced 170,719 cars in July and 165,576 in June.

Continue reading “Maruti production to halve in Sept as chip shortage hits India’s top car maker”

Aug 30 (Reuters) – Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) on Monday proposed a plan for a flexible benefits fund for app-based ride-hail and food delivery drivers in Canada under which all gig industry players would share data on workers’ hours and earnings.

Under the preliminary proposal outlined in a company blog post, the fund would provide gig workers with cash benefits to put toward a retirement or life insurance plan, or to pay for educational or dental and health benefits not covered by Canada’s universal healthcare system.

The benefits fund would be enabled by Canada’s provincial governments, Uber said in the blog post without providing further details, but managed by ride-hail and delivery companies.

Continue reading “Uber proposes industry-wide gig worker benefits model in Canada”

NEW DELHI/HONG KONG, Aug 30 (Reuters) – Indian ride-sharing giant Ola plans to raise up to $1 billion through an initial public offering (IPO) and is finalising banks to advise on the fund-raise, three sources told Reuters, becoming the latest startup to join the capital markets boom.

Ola, backed by Japan’s Softbank Group (9984.T), has roped in Citigroup (C.N), two people with direct knowledge of the matter said. It has also brought Kotak Mahindra (KTKM.NS) and Morgan Stanley (MS.N) on board, said two other people familiar with the plans.

The company, which competes with Uber Technologies (UBER.N), is also in talks with Bank of America (BAC.N) and JP Morgan (JPM.N), one of the people said.

Continue reading “Softbank-backed ride-sharing company Ola readies for up to $1 bln India IPO -sources”

BENGALURU, Aug 30 (Reuters) – Shares of Indian auto parts suppliers rose as much as 14% on Monday following a report electric-vehicle maker Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) was in talks with at least three companies to source critical parts for its planned entry into the country.

Tesla, which is looking to set up a factory in India if it is successful with imported vehicles, is holding early talks with some companies for the supply of components such as instrument panels, windshields, differential gears, brakes and power seats, the Economic Times reported on Sunday.

Bharat Forge Ltd (BFRG.NS), Sona BLW Precision Forgings Ltd (SONB.NS) and Sandhar Technologies Ltd (SNTL.NS) are understood to be among the Indian companies already supplying components to Tesla, according to the report. Shares of the three Indian firms rose as much as 6.2% to 13.7% on Monday.

Continue reading “Indian auto parts makers’ shares gain on report of talks with Tesla”

Aug 30 (Reuters) – Toyota Motor (7203.T) said on Monday it would resume operations of its self-driving e-Palette pods at the Tokyo Paralympic Games village with greater operator control and more safety staff to ensure they did not hit any more people.

The e-Palettes were halted after one of the vehicles collided with and injured a visually impaired Japanese athlete at a junction last week, prompting a YouTube video apology from Toyota Chief Executive Akio Toyoda.

“The vehicle’s sensor detected the pedestrian crossing and activated the automatic brake, and the operator also activated the emergency brake. The vehicle and pedestrians, however, came into contact before it came to a complete halt,” Toyota said in a statement on Monday.

Continue reading “Toyota to restart self-driving Olympic village vehicles with more safety staff”

OTTAWA/MEXICO CITY, Aug 27 (Reuters) – Canada has joined Mexico in seeking formal consultation with the United States over the interpretation of content rules for automobiles set out in the North American trade pact, Mexico and Canada said on Friday.

Mexico on Aug. 20 requested the formal consultation over the interpretation and application of tougher content rules for cars under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), after voicing disagreement in May over the issue in a virtual meeting when it cited differences with the United States’ methods.

Continue reading “Canada joins Mexico in seeking consultation with U.S. over USMCA content rules”

Aug 26 (Reuters) – U.S. auto retail sales are expected to fall in August, as the global semiconductor shortage coupled with the fast spreading Delta variant of the coronavirus squeezed inventory at dealerships, consultants J.D. Power and LMC Automotive said.

Retail sales of new vehicles are expected to fall 14.3% to 987,100 in August from a year earlier, they said in a report released on Thursday.

The chip shortage continues to weigh on manufacturing activity, with automakers cutting production despite strong demand for personal transportation during the COVID-19 crisis.

Continue reading “U.S. August auto sales to fall as supply constraints continue – J.D. Power, LMC Automotive”

BEIJING, Aug 27 (Reuters) – Zeekr, the premium electric vehicle brand by Geely, said on Friday it raised $500 million in its first external funding from investors including Intel (INTC.O), battery maker CATL (300750.SZ) and online entertainment firm Bilibili (9626.HK).

Zeekr said investors would jointly hold a 5.6% stake in the company, valuing it at around $9 billion.

The company makes the Zeekr 001 model in the eastern city of Ningbo and is expected to start delivering them later this year. It aims to sell 650,000 vehicles a year by 2025.

Continue reading “Geely’s EV brand Zeekr raises $500 mln in first external funding”

Aug 26 (Reuters) – Public support for stronger measures to require COVID vaccinations is strong, according to a new Reuters/IPSOS poll, but for Detroit automakers the debate over vaccination policy is far from over.

General Motors Co (GM.N) said on Thursday it has required its U.S. salaried employees to report whether they have received COVID-19 shots, the first such action by one of Detroit’s “Big Three” automakers.

GM said the information will help “determine when GM should relax or strengthen certain COVID-19 safety protocols as recommended by the CDC and OSHA, such as mask wearing, physical distancing and facility occupancy rates,” referring to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration.

Continue reading “Detroit highlights the tension over COVID vaccine mandates”

NEW DELHI, Aug 25 (Reuters) – India is open to discussing a change in tax rates on automobiles, the country’s revenue secretary said on Wednesday, indicating receptiveness over negotiation on a long-standing request from automakers for lower taxes.

India’s federal goods and services tax (GST) rate on automobiles, including cars, motorbikes and trucks, is as high as 28%, on top of which other taxes are imposed by states.

Company executives say this is making vehicles unaffordable for many buyers, especially as high raw material prices and upgrades to meet tougher safety and emission rules have already boosted prices.

Continue reading “India revenue secretary says open to ‘tinkering’ tax rates on automobiles”

DETROIT, Aug 25 (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co (F.N) will delay bringing most workers back to offices until January, and is still considering whether to require employees to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, the company’s chief people officer told Reuters.

Ford is joining a growing number of large employers that are delaying plans to reopen offices as the Delta variant of the coronavirus sweeps through many countries where the automaker does business. Ford said most office workers in North America, Latin America and International Markets groups will not come back to offices before January. The company is reassessing return to work plans every three to four months.

Continue reading “Ford delays a return to offices, weighs vaccine mandate”