LONDON, Aug 26 (Reuters) – British car output fell to its lowest July level since 1956 as a global shortage of semi-conductor chips and staff having to self-isolate due to COVID-19 hit the sector, a trade industry body said on Thursday.

Volumes dropped by an annual 37.6% to 53,438 vehicles last month, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which also blamed the timing of summer factory shutdowns.

As cases rose last month, hundreds of thousands of people were being “pinged” by the National Health Service’s contact-tracing app and instructed to self-isolate, although it has since been tweaked to reduce the numbers contacted.

Continue reading “UK car output falls to lowest July level since 1950s”

TAIPEI, Aug 24 (Reuters) – Taiwan is doing all it can to address the global shortage of semiconductors, Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua said on Tuesday after talks with the newly-appointed de facto U.S. ambassador in Taipei, a problem that has idled some auto production lines.

Democratic U.S. senators from Michigan and Ohio last week asked the Taiwanese government to help address the shortage, given that the island is a major semiconductor producer and seen as central to efforts to resolve the problem.

Wang said the top U.S. diplomat in Taiwan, Sandra Oudkirk, had raised the issue of chip shortages during a meeting on Monday.

Continue reading “Taiwan seeks again to reassure U.S. over tackling chip shortage”

Aug 24 (Reuters) – Akira Yoshino, a co-winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work on lithium-ion batteries, can take credit for the upheaval in both the automotive and technology industries.

Lithium-ion batteries have provided the first serious competition in a century to fossil fuels and combustion engines for transportation. Now an honorary fellow at Asahi Kasei, the Japanese chemical firm where he has worked for nearly 50 years, Yoshino sees more disruption ahead as transportation and digital technology become one industry, sharing lithium battery technology.

Yoshino spoke with Reuters about about the next generation of electric vehicle batteries, the potential for shared autonomous electric vehicles that can charge themselves, the prospects for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and the possibility that Apple could lead the convergence of the automotive and information technology industries in future mobility.

Here is an edited transcript:

Continue reading “Battery pioneer Akira Yoshino on Tesla, Apple and the electric future”

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 24 (Reuters) – Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Waymo has started taking a few San Franciscans on rides in its self-driving sport utility vehicles and hopes to open the robotaxis to anyone in the city in less than the three years it took to launch in its only other market.

Waymo’s announcement on Tuesday of its status and plans in San Francisco, a small peninsula of hills, trolleys, bicycles and narrow streets, shows the length that remains before driverless transport becomes commonplace.

The company’s all-electric Jaguar I-PACE SUVs initially are serving the more residential western and southern portions of the city, including Richmond and Bernal Heights. Operators are in driver’s seats with hands on their knees – but prepared to steer in an emergency.

Continue reading “Google self-driving spinoff Waymo begins testing with public in San Francisco”

BEIJING, Aug 24 (Reuters) – China’s Changan (000625.SZ) aims to sell 3 million vehicles a year in 2025, and 4.5 million annually in 2030, its chairman Zhu Huarong said on Tuesday.

Zhu said 35% of its sales in 2025 will be new energy vehicles (NEVs), including battery electric, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. Sixty percent of its sales in 2030 will be NEVs.

Sales outside China will account for 30% of its business in 2030, Zhu added. Changan, which operates a joint venture with Ford Motor (F.N), sold 2 million vehicles last year.

Continue reading “Chinese automaker Changan aims to sell 3 million cars annually in 2025”

TOKYO/BEIJING, Aug 24 (Reuters) – Japanese automaker Mazda Motor Corp (7261.T) said on Tuesday it and two Chinese partners have agreed to form a new venture in which it will have a 47.5% stake.

State-owned Chongqing Changan Automobile (000625.SZ) will also hold 47.5% of the new joint venture, Changan Mazda Automobile Co Ltd (CMA). FAW will own the remaining 5%.

“The three companies aim to utilise every strategic and managerial opportunity in the new joint investment company and strive to make its business and management system optimal to adapt to the needs of the expanding Chinese market,” Mazda said in a statement.

Continue reading “Mazda restructures China car joint venture with Changan, FAW”

TOKYO, Aug 24 (Reuters) – Asia’s robust economic recovery from last year’s coronavirus low is losing momentum as a surge in COVID-19 cases sees shops empty again and factories close, dimming prospects for corporate profit growth after a blockbuster half year.

The rapid spread of the highly infectious Delta variant of the novel coronavirus and low vaccination rates have caught much of the region off-guard, especially in emerging markets, even as economies in Europe and North America reopen.

Continue reading “Delta blow knocks wind out of Asia’s economic recovery”

FREMONT, Calif., Aug 23 (Reuters) – Self-driving startups like Cruise and Pony.ai have begun testing their driverless cars in some parts of California in the past year, with an additional feature: Human operators.

While there is no driver behind the wheel, the passenger seat is occupied by a safety operator who “has a red button that can stop the vehicle just in case anything happens,” Pony.ai CEO James Peng told Reuters.

The operator will be removed next year when Pony.ai, whose investors include Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T), plans to deploy its driverless ride-hailing vehicles in certain areas of California. Still, a remote operator will monitor vehicles and provide guidance when the vehicles run into trouble, Peng said.

Continue reading “A secret weapon for self-driving car startups: Humans”

STOCKHOLM/BEIJING, Aug 23 (Reuters) – AB Volvo said on Monday it had struck a deal to buy a heavy duty truck subsidiary of Jiangling Motors Corp (JMC) (000550.SZ) for about 1.1 billion Swedish crowns ($125.7 million) to make trucks in the world’s biggest vehicle market.

The acquired business includes a manufacturing site in China’s northern city of Taiyuan. Volvo said it aimed to start production of its new heavy duty Volvo FH, Volvo FM and Volvo FMX trucks there at the end of next year.

The plant will have an annual production capacity of 15,000 trucks within a few years, with the potential to increase capacity further, Volvo said.

Continue reading “AB Volvo buys Chinese truck business for about $125.7 million”

Aug 23 (Reuters) – General Motors Co (GM.N) has expanded the recall of its Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles due to a risk of fire from the pouch-type lithium-ion battery cells made by South Korea’s LG. read more

The recall, the second major one involving batteries made by LG Chem’s (051910.KS) battery unit LG Energy Solution (LGES) underscores the challenges facing battery firms in making a stable product to power electric cars.

HOW DOES A LITHIUM-ION BATTERY WORK?

Cells come in different shapes and sizes, but most have three key elements: Electrodes, electrolyte and separator.

Electrodes store the lithium. The electrolyte carries the lithium ions between electrodes. The separator keeps the positive electrode from coming in contact with the negative electrode.

Continue reading “Explainer: Are lithium-ion batteries in EVs a fire hazard?”

• GM expands Bolt EV recall over fire risk

• Battery supplier parent LG Chem shares drop nearly 10%

• Recall may delay LG Chem battery unit IPO -analyst

SEOUL, Aug 23 (Reuters) – LG Chem Ltd (051910.KS) shares closed down 11.1% on Monday after General Motors Co (GM.N) said it would recall an extra 73,000 Chevrolet Bolt cars that use the South Korean firm’s batteries, months after a similar recall by Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS).

GM on Friday expanded its recall of Bolt electric vehicles (EVs) due to fire risk from what it called battery manufacturing defects, saying the recall would cost $1 billion and that it would seek reimbursement from LG. read more

Continue reading “S.Korea’s LG Chem shares dive on GM electric car recall”

WASHINGTON, Aug 21 (Reuters) – General Motors Co (GM.N) said on Friday it would take a hit of $1 billion to expand the recall of its Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles due to the risk of fires from the high-voltage battery pack – a blow for the largest U.S. automaker as it seeks to ramp up EV sales.

The Detroit company also said it would indefinitely halt sales of the EVs due to the issue and will seek reimbursement from battery supplier LG. The latest recall covers 73,000 vehicles from model years 2019 through 2022.

“The reserves and ratio of cost to the recall will be decided depending on the result of the joint investigation looking into the root cause, currently being held by GM, LG Electronics and LG Energy Solution,” LG said in a statement, referring to its subsidiaries.

Continue reading “GM expands Chevy Bolt EV recall for fire risk, will take $1 billion hit”

HONG KONG/SHANGHAI, Aug 20 (Reuters) – Embattled Chinese property developer Evergrande Group (3333.HK) is in talks with smartphone maker Xiaomi (1810.HK) and Shenzhen state-backed investment firms as it looks to sell part of a 65% stake in its electric vehicle (EV) unit, three sources said.

China’s central bank, banking and insurance regulator summoned executives of Evergrande to a meeting on Thursday and issued a rare warning that the company ought to reduce its debt risks and prioritise stability. read more

The Evergrande New Energy Vehicle (NEV) Group (0708.HK) had a market capitalisation of $12.5 billion on Thursday and one of the sources said the consortium is looking to buy a significant minority stake.

Continue reading “EXCLUSIVE China Evergrande in talks with Xiaomi consortium to sell EV unit stake-sources”

MEXICO CITY, Aug 19 (Reuters) – Workers at a General Motors Co (GM.N) pickup-truck plant in central Mexico have voted to scrap their collective contract, opening the door for them to oust one of Mexico’s largest labor organizations as their union under a new trade deal.

The vote, with safeguards agreed upon by Mexico and the United States to ensure a fair vote, was the first test of labor rules under an accord that replaced the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

The outcome marks a defeat for one of the most powerful unions in Mexico while representing an opening for workers to freely choose independent groups they feel will best fight for their interests.

Continue reading “GM workers in Mexico defeat union in first test of U.S. trade deal”

By Carl O’donnell

Aug 18 (Reuters) – The U.S. government said on Wednesday it plans to make COVID-19 vaccine booster shots widely available to all Americans starting on Sept. 20 as infections rise from the Delta variant of the coronavirus.

The White House is prepared to offer a third booster shot starting on that date to all Americans who completed their initial inoculation at least eight months ago, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement.

The booster shots initially will be given primarily to healthcare workers, nursing home residents and older people, all of whom were among the first groups to be vaccinated in late 2020 and early 2021, the department said.

Continue reading “U.S. to start offering COVID-19 vaccine booster doses in September”

Aug 17 (Reuters) – A cybersecurity flaw in a software designed by BlackBerry Ltd (BB.TO) could put at risk cars and medical equipment that use it and expose highly sensitive systems to attackers, the U.S. drugs regulator and a federal agency said on Tuesday.

The warning came after the Canadian company disclosed that its QNX Real Time Operating System (QNX RTOS) has a vulnerability that could allow an attacker to execute an arbitrary code or flood a server with traffic until it crashes or gets paralyzed.

The software is used by automakers including Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE), BMW (BMWG.DE) and Ford Motor (F.N) in many critical functions including the Advanced Driver Assistance System.

Continue reading “BlackBerry software flaw could impact cars, medical devices – U.S. agencies”

MEXICO CITY, Aug 18 (Reuters) – Volkswagen AG’s (VOWG_p.DE) Mexico unit said on Wednesday that it had agreed with a workers’ union to a 5.5% salary increase.

The deal with the Independent Union of Volkswagen Automotive Industry Workers (SITIAVW), also included a 1% increase to workers’ savings funds, the company said in a statement.

The agreement was reached in “an environment of challenges, where the automotive industry struggles to keep its recovery going after more than a year of the coronavirus pandemic, and in the face of the semiconductor (chip) shortage,” Volkswagen said.

Continue reading “Volkswagen’s Mexico unit says strikes deal with union for 5.5% salary rise”

BICESTER, England, Aug 17 (Reuters) – Electric car and van startups racing to become the next Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) all want to avoid Elon Musk’s journey through “manufacturing hell.”

But electric vehicle firms such as UK van company Arrival SA (47K.F) and Fisker Inc (FSR.N) are taking very different roads to overcome the challenges of profitable mass production that almost broke Tesla.

A few have found investors willing to hand over billions to fund their journey. Rivian has raised around $10.5 billion from Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O), Ford Motor Co (F.N) and others as it ramps up production to build electric vans, pickups and SUVs.

Continue reading “EV startups hunt for low-cost roads to mass production”

SILAO, Mexico, Aug 17 (Reuters) – General Motors (GM.N) employee Mari says that for the past decade, she has felt powerless to demand higher pay at the plant in central Mexico that cranks out hundreds of thousands of profitable pickup trucks annually.

But on Tuesday and Wednesday, the plant’s nearly 6,500 unionized workers are to vote on what Mari and many coworkers see as a historic opportunity to oust their union, which they say protects the company’s interests over their own.

If workers reject the Miguel Trujillo Lopez union, it would open the door for them to bring in new representation.

Continue reading “GM workers’ historic vote in Mexico tests new trade deal”

BEIJING, Aug 17 (Reuters) – Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) is hiring managers for legal and external relations teams in China, according to a job post on its Wechat account, as the electric-car maker faces public scrutiny in the country over safety and customer service complaints.

U.S.-headquartered Tesla, which is making electric Model 3 sedans and Model Y sport-utility vehicles in Shanghai, is hiring external relation managers in several Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, according to the post.

The job advertisement did not go into details of external relation positions, but separate posts showed the managers will handle government relations as well.

Continue reading “Tesla expands legal, external relations workforce in China”

WASHINGTON, Aug 17 (Reuters) – Production at U.S. factories surged in July, boosted by an acceleration in motor vehicle output as auto makers either pared or canceled annual retooling shutdowns to work around a global semiconductor shortage.

Manufacturing output jumped 1.4% last month after falling 0.3% in June, the Federal Reserve said on Tuesday.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast manufacturing production rising 0.6%.

Continue reading “U.S. manufacturing production accelerates on autos in July”

CHENNAI, Aug 17 (Reuters) – An Indian arbitrator has asked Renault-Nissan to pay its 3,542 workers at its southern Indian plant an average of over 7,100 Indian rupees ($95.52) per month in additional wages as interim relief, according to a copy of the order reviewed by Reuters.

Workers at the Renault-Nissan plant in Chennai filed an industrial arbitration suit demanding 20,000 rupees as a monthly interim settlement after the expiry of a previous wage agreement in March 2019.

The consortium had agreed to pay on an average 2,250 rupees every month ending March 2021.

Continue reading “Indian arbitrator asks Renault-Nissan to pay workers $9.5 mln interim dues”

WASHINGTON, Aug 16 (Reuters) – U.S. auto safety regulators said Monday they had opened a formal safety probe into Tesla Inc’s (TSLA.O) driver assistance system Autopilot in 765,000 U.S. vehicles built since 2014 after a series of crashes involving emergency vehicles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that since January 2018 it had identified 11 crashes in which Tesla models “have encountered first responder scenes and subsequently struck one or more vehicles involved with those scenes.”

Tesla shares fell 5% on the news.

After investigating, NHTSA could opt to take no action, or it could demand a recall, which might effectively impose limits on how, when and where Autopilot operates. Any restrictions could narrow the competitive gap between Tesla’s system and similar advanced driver assistance systems offered by established automakers.

Continue reading “U.S. opens probe into Tesla’s Autopilot over emergency vehicle crashes”

DETROIT, Aug 16 (Reuters) – The future may belong to electric cars, but for U.S. automakers, trucks will rule for years to come.

Automakers in North America plan to build more big pickups and sport utility vehicles than electric vehicles well into the late 2020s, chasing sales trends that run counter to the Biden administration’s goal of boosting EVs to half the market by 2030, according to internal production forecasts viewed by Reuters.

The popularity of Detroit’s big trucks is a challenge both to the industry and efforts by lawmakers and regulators to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other exhaust gas pollutants from combustion engines.

Continue reading “Detroit sticks with trucks, SUVs despite lofty 2030 goals for EVs”

DETROIT, Aug 13 (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co (F.N) said late on Friday it will ask the U.S. Patent Office to rescind trademarks obtained by rival General Motors Co (GM.N) for the terms “Cruise” and “Super Cruise,” escalating a brawl GM began by suing Ford over its use of “Blue Cruise” for an automated driving system.

The legal fight between the two Detroit automakers turns on whether “cruise” is a generic term for technology that allows the car to take over some share of driving tasks from a human motorist.

The clash underscores the intensity of competition among established automakers to be seen as leaders in automated driving technology, competitive with Silicon Valley rivals Tesla Inc (TSLA.O), Alphabet Inc(GOOGL.O) ‘s Waymo unit and others.

Continue reading “Ford counterattacks in ‘cruise’ dispute with GM”

Ben Klayman

Reuters 2 min read

Ford Motor Co’s (F.N) electric vehicle battery joint venture with South Korea’s SK Innovation Co Ltd (096770.KS) will extend beyond North America into Europe, a senior Ford executive said on Wednesday.

In May, Ford announced the joint venture with SK to produce about 60 gigawatt-hours (GWh) annually in battery cells and array modules, starting in the middle of this decade, with the potential to expand. The deal, which still needs to be finalized, includes plans for two North American plants. read more

Continue reading “Ford battery venture with SK Innovation will extend to Europe, executive says”

Reuters

2 min read

China’s ride-hailing giant Didi Global Inc (DIDI.N) said on Thursday that rumours about a possible management change are not true.

“Didi is actively and fully cooperating with regulators’ cybersecurity probe, market rumours about management change at the company is not true,” Didi said in a Weibo post.

Continue reading “Didi denies management changes amid cybersecurity probe”

Reuters

2 min read

The Chinese government has asked automakers to strengthen data protection and store locally generated key data in the country.

Automakers need to get regulatory approval for both when they need to export critical data and before they update in-car systems, according to a new policy published by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on its website.

Continue reading “China urges automakers to strengthen data protection”

Reuters

1 min read

The Biden administration’s supply chain team remains in touch with auto industry executives about issues driving up prices, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday.

Short-term disruptions in shipments of automotive semiconductors is now becoming a long-term problem and is driving average prices of new and used vehicles to luxury-car levels, fueling inflation fears and causing concern in the White House.

Continue reading “White House says it remains in touch with auto executives about high car prices”

David Shepardson, David Lawder

Reuters 4 min read

Mexican auto parts company Tridonex on Tuesday agreed to ensure worker rights, pay severance and back wages to dismissed employees to settle an early labor rights complaint under the new North American trade deal.

The agreement announced by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and Tridonex parent Cardone Industries Inc aimed to settle complaints that the company’s workers were being denied the rights of free association and collective bargaining.

Continue reading “U.S. reaches deal with Mexican auto parts factory in USMCA labor complaint”

Reuters

2 min read

China’s vehicle sales slid in July for a third consecutive month, hit hard by flooding in some areas of the country, COVID-19 outbreaks in other areas and the global shortage of semiconductors.

The world’s biggest auto market saw sales drop 11.9% from the same month a year earlier to 1.86 million vehicles, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).

Continue reading “China auto sales tumble for a third straight month in July”

Aditi Shah, Yilei Sun

Reuters 5 min read

Great Wall Motor (601633.SS) has decided to re-allocate to Brazil a portion of its $1-billion investment in India, as the Chinese automaker has been unnerved by a year-long delay in winning government approvals, three sources told Reuters.

The re-allocation, which could range up to $300 million, comes as the sources said the maker of popular sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) and pick-ups was close to acquiring a former Daimler (DAIGn.DE) plant in Brazil to build cars.

Continue reading “EXCLUSIVE Great Wall Motor to shift some India investment to Brazil after approval delays -sources”

Aftab Ahmed, Aditi Shah

Reuters 5 min read

India is considering slashing import duties on electric cars to as low as 40%, two senior government officials told Reuters, days after Tesla Inc’s (TSLA.O) appeals for a cut polarised the country’s auto industry.

For imported electric vehicles (EVs) with a value of less than $40,000 – including the car’s cost, insurance and freight – the government is discussing slashing the tax rate to 40% from 60% presently, the officials told Reuters.

Continue reading “EXCLUSIVE India considers sharp import tax cuts on EVs after Tesla lobbying – sources”

David Shepardson

Reuters 3 min read

A group of 28 U.S. House Democrats on Monday asked congressional leaders to back $85 billion in funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, a big jump over funding proposed in a bill before Congress.

The current $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill under consideration has $7.5 billion in EV charging infrastructure funding, but Democrats plan to add additional funding in a separate measure that could spend up to $3.5 trillion.

Continue reading “28 U.S. House Democrats want $85 billion in EV charging infrastructure funding”

Aditi Shah

Reuters 4 min read

Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE), the world’s second-largest carmaker, is calling for lower import duties on electric cars in India to help drive demand for clean vehicles, echoing Tesla’s recent pitch which has divided the country’s auto industry.

Cutting duties on electric vehicles (EVs) even to 25% – from current levels as high as 100% – would not pose a “big threat” to domestic players, but would help to drive investment, the German carmaker’s India head told Reuters in an interview.

Continue reading “VW joins Tesla in call for lower import tax on EVs in India”

Reuters

1 min read

Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) is telling workers at its Nevada battery factory they will be required to wear a mask indoors starting Monday regardless of vaccination status, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

Workers at the Reno, Nevada-area facility had previously been required to wear a mask if they were not vaccinated, but could avoid that requirement if they were, the Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Continue reading “Tesla mandates masks at Nevada battery factory – WSJ”

Norihiko Shirouzu

Reuters 4 min read

France’s Renault SA (RENA.PA)said on Monday it is looking to revive business in China by forming a hybrid vehicle joint venture with Geely Holding Group (GEELY.UL), a year after it ended its previous operation in the world’s largest car market.

The two companies have signed a framework agreement to set up the joint venture, which would make and sell Renault-branded petrol-electric hybrid cars in China using Geely’s technologies, supply chains and manufacturing facilities while Renault would focus on sales and marketing.

Continue reading “France’s Renault, China’s Geely to explore new hybrid-focused venture”

David Shepardson, Jeff Mason

Reuters 4 min read

 President Joe Biden took a step toward his goal of slashing greenhouse gas emissions on Thursday with an executive order aimed at making half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 electric, a move made with backing from the biggest U.S. automakers.

The administration also proposed new vehicle emissions standards that would cut pollution through 2026, starting with a 10% stringency increase in the 2023 model year.

Continue reading “Biden seeks to make half of new U.S. auto fleet electric by 2030”