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Category: Automotive

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Auto and Car news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Tesla Is Pushing New Software Update To Increase The Range The Model Y

    Tesla Is Pushing New Software Update To Increase The Range The Model Y

    Tesla has been relentlessly improving its cars and now a new software update that is coming to the relatively new Model Y will enhance the range of the vehicle. The software update numbered 2020.40.7 is behind these new efficiency improvements.

    “Your car’s range has increased with new software that improves the efficiency of the motors and the climate control systems,” Tesla said in the update release notes.

    It also notes that there is no impact on the efficiency of the HVAC system or the performance of the vehicle with these range enhancements. Fundamentally, there are no trade-offs.

    “Note: These changes do not impact acceleration or overall climate control performance,” Tesla added.

    As reported by Electrek, a Tesla Model Y owner noted the new software update accounted for a meager enhancement in range to something between 320 and 325 miles. Tesla officially has also enhanced the range of the Model Y from 316 miles to 325 miles.

    This is not the first time the company has done this as it recently increased the range of the Model 3 by 15 miles.

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  • Tesla To Export China-made Model 3 vehicles to Europe

    Tesla To Export China-made Model 3 vehicles to Europe

    Tesla said on Monday it would start exporting China-made Model 3 cars to more than 10 European countries this month, joining a growing number of automakers using China as an export hub for electric vehicles.

    The U.S. carmaker, which started delivering vehicles made in its Shanghai factory in December, will export China-made cars this month to countries including Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland, it said in a statement.

    Elsewhere, German rival BMW is preparing to export its electric iX3 model, made at a joint venture plant in Shenyang, China, to Europe, while Daimler is shifting production of its Smart branded city cars to Hangzhou Bay.

    Tesla has been expanding in China even as tensions between Washington and Beijing have been escalating. The Shanghai factory, Tesla’s first car plant outside of the United States, aims to build 150,000 vehicles this year.

    “Support from Chinese government towards the industry, innovative local companies and customers embracing new technologies make China the best market for smart electric vehicles,” Tesla said, adding it would expand car production, charging and sales networks in China.

    The electric vehicle maker, which sold more than 11,000 Model 3 cars last month in China, the world’s biggest auto market, is also building new car manufacturing capacity in Shanghai to make its Model Y sport-utility vehicles.

    Reuters reported in September that Tesla was planning to export Model 3 vehicles made in China to Asian and European markets, citing people familiar with the matter.

    The export of the Model 3 to Europe comes as Tesla is in the process of building a German factory on the outskirts of Berlin and after the German government announced a subsidy of up to 9,000 euros for buyers of electric cars, including the Model 3.

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  • Porsche Sells More Than 10,000 Units Of The Taycan EV Worldwide In 9 Months

    Porsche Sells More Than 10,000 Units Of The Taycan EV Worldwide In 9 Months

    We saw the production version of the Porsche Taycan at the 2019 Frankfurt Motorshow and the car was subsequently launched in select markets. Porsche’s first all-electric sports car has been well received across the globe as the company has sold a total of 10,944 units worldwide from January to September 2020. These numbers are staggering and show the inclination of buying an electric sports car. Now another statistic which shows this sharp rise in demand is the number of units sold by Porsche in the first half of 2020. Porsche sold a total of 4480 Taycans from January to June 2020, which goes to show that the remaining 6464 units were sold in just three months.

    While the sales of the Taycan could have taken off in the first half of the 2020, the coronavirus pandemic saw a markets and production come to a halt. With the opening up of several markets post lockdown, the pent-up demand for the Taycan seems to have kicked in and that’s why we see more cars being sold in the last 3 months.

    The Porsche Taycan is scheduled to hit the Indian shores as well very soon. We know that it’s good because we’ve driven the car and told you all about it. The Porsche Taycan sports two permanently excited synchronous electric motors that can churn out a maximum of 600 bhp and will a range of over 500 km thanks to its high voltage lithium-ion batteries. The electric car will get 800-volt chargers with fast charging capability, which can offer a 400 km range in 15 minutes of charge time. It can go from 0-100 kmph in under 3.5 seconds.

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  • Uber Seeking Options Including Partial Sale For Uber Elevate

    Uber Seeking Options Including Partial Sale For Uber Elevate

    Uber Technologies Inc is seeking options for its Uber Elevate business, including strategic partnerships or a partial sale, Axios reported on Friday, citing multiple sources.

    The move reflects Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi’s obsession with achieving profitability, the report added. Uber declined to comment on the report.

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  • Auto sales rise to year high

    Auto sales rise to year high

    Auto sales climbed to 27,252 units in September, the highest monthly number this year, as Vietnam contained its second Covid-19 outbreak.

    It represented a 32 percent rise from August, when hundreds of new Covid-19 cases were diagnosed, according to a report by the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA).

    Passenger vehicles accounted for 75.7 percent of the sales, commercial vehicles for 23.5 percent, and special-purpose vehicles for the rest.

    However, sales in the first nine months fell 22 percent year-on-year to 179,155 units as social distancing was imposed in the second quarter due to the disease outbreak and incomes fell.

    Local brand Truong Hai Auto (Thaco) retained the top spot with a 34.6 percent share of the market through its sales fell 11 percent to 59,709 units.

    It was followed by Toyota with 41,109 units and Mitsubishi with 17,228 units, both representing double-digit declines too.

    Honda and Ford rounded off the top five.

    On June 28 the government cut first-time registration fees by half for locally made vehicles to foster sales amid the pandemic.

    The reduction will last through this year before returning to old levels on January 1, 2021.

    Auto sales had risen 11.7 percent to 322,322 units last year.

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  • Rolls-Royce shuts Vietnam dealership

    Rolls-Royce shuts Vietnam dealership

    U.K. luxury car company Rolls-Royce has closed down its dealership in Vietnam and is looking for a new partner to replace it.

    The company said on Tuesday that the dealership, Regal Motor Cars in Hanoi, had not proven as effective as expected.

    However, servicing would remain unaffected for existing customers, with Regal continuing to provide it until the company appoints a new dealer.

    The dealership opened in 2014 with a showroom on Ly Thuong Kiet Street in downtown Hoan Kiem District, and a service center on Nguyen Van Linh Street, Long Bien District.

    But the focus was on servicing existing vehicles rather than selling large numbers immediately.

    There are several hundred Rolls-Royce cars currently in Vietnam, including its latest model, the Cullinan, which costs more than VND32 billion ($1.38 million) for the standard version.

    It is not known if the company is close to finding a new distributor.

    Rolls-Royce is a subsidiary of BMW, the German giant, though the two brands operate independently.

  • Honda To Introduce New 110 cc Motorcycle In India

    Honda To Introduce New 110 cc Motorcycle In India

    Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI), one of India’s leading two-wheeler manufacturers, is getting ready to launch a new affordable motorcycle in the 110 cc category. Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Director, Sales and Marketing, HMSI, said that with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a new customer has emerged who would like to shift from public transport to personal mobility. Keeping this new customer in mind, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India is working on an affordable motorcycle which will cater to both urban and semi-urban geographies.

    “As we proceed towards Unlock 5.0, more and more people are focusing on personal mobility. Our market research shows there is a new customer who is not very comfortable at this stage of using public transport and would prefer an affordable two-wheeler. While we have launched the Hornet 2.0 and the H’Ness CB 350 in the premium segment, work is also on to introduce an affordable 110 cc motorcycle. At this stage, I can’t share a timeline on when we will introduce the product, but it will be introduced,” Guleria said during a one-on-one interaction.

    According to Guleria, almost 95 percent of Honda’s sales and distribution network is now operational. While September wholesale despatches of two-wheelers have been encouraging, he cautioned that the real picture of the industry will emerge from actual retail sales. At this point, he said, there’s still some pent-up demand for two-wheelers which is being met. Going forward, the festive season is expected to usher in some cheer to two-wheeler sales as well, but he cautioned that sustainable growth in the industry will depend on how the economy and the overall sentiment shape up in the months ahead.

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  • Nissan Says China Sales Rose 5.1 Per Cent In September

    Nissan Says China Sales Rose 5.1 Per Cent In September

    Japanese automaker Nissan Motor said on Sunday its sales in China rose 5.1% in September from a year earlier, to 141,595 vehicles.

    China’s auto market, the world’s biggest, is a key focus for the embattled carmaker as it struggles to fix problems stemming from ousted leader Carlos Ghosn’s aggressive expansion drive.

  • Tesla Co-Founder Straubel Aims To Build World’s Top Battery Recycler

    Tesla Co-Founder Straubel Aims To Build World’s Top Battery Recycler

    Tesla co-founder J.B. Straubel wants to build his startup Redwood Materials into the world’s top battery recycling company and one of the largest battery materials companies, he said at a technology conference Wednesday. Straubel aims to leverage two partnerships, one with Panasonic Corp, the Japanese battery manufacturer that is teamed with Tesla at the Nevada gigafactory, and one announced weeks ago with e-commerce giant Amazon.

    With production of electric vehicles and batteries about to explode, Straubel says his ultimate goal is to “make a material impact on sustainability, at an industrial scale.”

    Established in early 2017, Redwood this year will recycle more than 1 gigawatt-hours’ worth of battery scrap materials from the gigafactory — enough to power more than 100 Tesla cars.

    That is a fraction of the half-million vehicles Tesla expects to build this year. At the company’s Battery Day in late September, Chief Executive Elon Musk said he was looking at recycling batteries to supplement the supply of raw materials from mining as Tesla escalates vehicle production.

    Redwood’s partnership with Panasonic started late last year with a pilot operation to recover materials at Redwood’s recycling facilities in nearby Carson City, according to Celina Mikolajczak, vice president of battery technology at Panasonic Energy of North America.

    Mikolajczak, who spent six years at Tesla as a battery technology leader, said: “People underestimate what recycling can do for the electric vehicles industry. This could have a huge impact on raw material prices and output in the future.”

    Straubel’s broader plan is to dramatically reduce mining of raw materials such as nickel, copper and cobalt over several decades by building out a circular or “closed loop” supply chain that recycles and recirculates materials retrieved from end-of-life vehicle and grid storage batteries and from cells scrapped during manufacturing.

    In September, Redwood said it received funding from Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, following an investment by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, backed by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

    “I’m excited about the work we can do together,” Straubel said of Amazon. “They have batteries in many devices,” from consumer electronics to data centers, as well as future electric delivery vehicles and drones.

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  • Musk Says Tesla To Use New Batteries

    Musk Says Tesla To Use New Batteries

    Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said on Wednesday the company will produce Model Y with a new structural battery design and technology at its Berlin factory next year and that could result in a “significant production risk”.

    The U.S. electric carmaker plans to manufacture a new version of its Model Y crossover vehicle, and possibly even battery cells at the site. Last month, Musk said that Tesla will use its Germany-based plant to demonstrate a radical overhaul of how its cars are built.

    The company plans to start the production of Model Y at Gigafactory Berlin during the second half of 2021.

    Tesla’s new battery cell – a larger cylindrical format called 4680 that can store more energy and is easier to make – is key to achieving the goal of cutting battery costs in half and ramping up battery production nearly 100-fold by 2030.

    The company’s new structural battery pack requires the new 4680 battery cells in order to work.

    Musk said on Wednesday that it will take about two years for Tesla factories in Fremont and Shanghai to embrace the new technology.

    “Fremont and Shanghai will transition in 2 years when new tech is proven,” Musk said in a tweet.

    The company said last week that it delivered 139,300 vehicles in the third quarter, a quarterly record for the electric carmaker.

    Tesla’s delivery push has been supported by its new Shanghai factory, the only plant currently producing vehicles outside California, as it is also building a new vehicle and battery manufacturing facility near Berlin.

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  • Tesla To Buy German Battery Assembly Maker

    Tesla To Buy German Battery Assembly Maker

    Tesla, the California-based electric vehicle manufacturer will soon be acquiring a German battery assembly manufacturing company. As per a report filed by Reuters, the EV maker has agreed to buy ATW Automation company, which is a subsidiary of the Canadian ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. It majorly focuses on assembling battery modules and packs for the auto industry. As per a German media report in September, the company was on the brink of liquidation due to a massive slump in orders.

    Last month, the company announced that certain assets and employees at one of its Germany-based units would be sold and transferred to a third party. However, the company did not disclose the name of the company. Based in western Germany, ATW has completed over 20 battery production lines for international automakers.

    As far as Tesla is concerned, the company plans to ramp up battery production in the coming year. And, the EV maker recently confirmed during an event that it would sharply reduce the cost of battery packs within the next three years. The company is also building its third Gigafactory near Berlin, which will also include a battery plant. It also aims to initiate construction at its new vehicle factory in Texas later this year.

    Tesla’s future product line-up includes the light-duty Cybertruck and the Semi truck. Both vehicles will require higher battery capacities. The company on Friday announced that it had delivered over 1.39 lakh vehicles globally in the third quarter and aims to sell half a million vehicles by the end of 2020.

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  • Tesla Autopilot Scores Low For Driver Engagement In European Safety Rating

    Tesla Autopilot Scores Low For Driver Engagement In European Safety Rating

    Tesla’s Autopilot has ranked sixth in 10 driver assistance systems evaluated in a European safety assessment, scoring low on its ability to keep drivers engaged. The Tesla Model 3’s Autopilot scored just 36 when assessed on its ability to maintain a driver’s focus on the road. But it gained the highest marks for performance and ability to respond to emergencies, receiving an overall score of 131 and a rating of ‘moderate’.

    In contrast, the Mercedes GLE’s system, which had the highest overall score of 174 and received the top rating of ‘very good’, received a score of 85 for driver engagement. Most other vehicles had scores of 70 or above for driver engagement.

    The European New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), which worked with UK insurance group Thatcham Research, called the assessments the first consumer ratings specifically focused on driver assistance systems – technology that automates some tasks, including acceleration, braking and steering support.

    Safety and insurance researchers have frequently warned of the risks of consumers overestimating the systems’ abilities, a misconception increased by some automakers calling their products Autopilot, ProPilot or CoPilot.

    Tesla’s Autopilot has been criticized by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board for allowing drivers to turn their attention from the road and U.S. regulators have investigated 15 crashes since 2016 involving Tesla vehicles equipped with Autopilot.

    “Unfortunately, there are motorists that believe they can purchase a self-driving car today. This is a dangerous misconception that sees too much control handed to vehicles that are not ready to cope with all situations,” said Matthew Avery, a Euro NCAP board member and research director at Thatcham Research.

    In addition to the Mercedes GLE, the BMW 3-Series and the Audi Q8, received the highest rating of ‘very good’ while two models, the Renault Clio and the Peugeot received the lowest rating of ‘entry’.

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  • Red Bull Spent Two Times More In 2019 Than What It Will Be Allowed In 2021

    Red Bull Spent Two Times More In 2019 Than What It Will Be Allowed In 2021

    Red Bull spent $305.04 million dollars in its 2019 campaign to win the F1 world championship which is reflective of the challenges that the big teams are up against in light of the upcoming budget cap that’s incoming. Next season teams will be only allowed to spend $145 million, though this number doesn’t include things like driver salaries. This number was also achieved after a minor reduction of $2.95 million from 2018 which was preceded with years of increasing expenditure. The big three teams – Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull are all in for major restructuring as the budget cap will not allow them to spend as much on their F1 programs. Ferrari has also revealed that it is willing to explore participating in the Indy Car franchise to transfer some of its staff from F1.

    “The directors consider race performance, Championship performance, and a controlled cost base to be principal key performance indicators to assess progress towards strategic goals,” said Red Bull team boss Christian Horner.

    “Costs remain under control and the team is mindful of adaptions necessary for new financial regulations coming into force for 2021,” he added.

    Red Bull’s racing unit remains profitable but just slightly as it made a profit of $0.79 million which is peanuts in the scheme of things. This number also fell when compared to what Red Bull made in 2018. It made $1.18 million in that year when it also finished P3 in the constructor’s world championship behind Mercedes and Ferrari.

    Even these numbers are complicated as Red Bull’s association with its parent company Red Bull Technologies is complex as it employs and hires a lot of the designing and manufacturing staff. The complications are compounded by the fact that Red Bull Technologies is the parent behind the sister AlphaTauri team and also works with Aston Martin on the Valkyrie project.

    The 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 world championships were won by Red Bull with Sebastian Vettel becoming world champion four years in a row, till 2014 ushered in the new hybrid era of F1 engines and Mercedes started to dominate.

  • Tokyo Motorcycle Show Cancelled

    Tokyo Motorcycle Show Cancelled

    The 48th edition of the Tokyo Motorcycle Show has been canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, the Tokyo Motorcycle Show Association has announced. The Tokyo Motorcycle Show was scheduled to be held in the spring of 2021, but considering the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the organizers have decided to cancel the event. The organizers hope to hold the next show in 2022. According to the Japanese publication, Young Machine, the original theme of the 2021 event was meant to be “seeing, touching, and experiencing.”

    The Tokyo Motorcycle Show is one of the biggest motorcycle events around the world, and the Japanese big four manufacturers usually save some of their biggest new models, as well as the most exciting innovations, and the most important launches for the event. The decision to cancel the show will be a disappointment for motorcycle manufacturers, with several other international shows for the year already canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The most popular European show, the EICMA show in Milan, has been canceled, as well as the Intermot show in Cologne, Germany. The UK’s Motorcycle Live show has also been canceled for this year.

    Instead of a physical event where OEMs usually showcase new models and technologies, manufacturers and organizers are expected to host a series of online reveals and ‘shows’ of their own. The change from a physical show has its advantages, of reaching to a wider audience around the world. But there’s nothing like an actual show, where the latest designs and models are on display to be seen up close and make a more personal connection with upcoming motorcycles.

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  • BMW 4-Series Convertible Unveiled

    BMW 4-Series Convertible Unveiled

    The BMW 4-Series broke cover in June this year and was followed by the M4 earlier this month. Now, we get to see the 2021 convertible version of the BMW M4 which looks even sexier, and somehow the grille looks relatively better on the convertible as compared to the coupe of performance coupe from which it’s been carried over. This time around, the 2021 BMW M4 Convertible gets a soft-top which is 40 percent lighter compared to the hard-top in its predecessor. Now that has also liberated 34 liters more space in its boot at 255 liters and marginally more headroom as well.

    The roof can open or close within 18 seconds and at speeds of up to 50 kmph. The M440i also gets a remote key function for the roof as standard while it’s optional on the 430i. The top is finished in black as standard and you also have the option of a moonlight black top that has a metallic shimmer, which looks more stylish. Other than its marginally reduced height thanks to the soft top, the convertible measures equal to the coupe in other dimensions. Then, BMW has given it some updates to up its torsional rigidity like stiffer side skirts, an Aluminium shear panel at the front, and reinforced transmission tunnel, and a rigid rear floor plate. The engineers also put attention into extra noise reduction with a focus on the intake system, engine cover, and underbody.

    The engines are carried over from the 4 coupe range as well. The 430i gets a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder, turbocharged engine that belts out 252 bhp 400 Nm of peak torque. The rear-wheel-drive convertible clocks triple-digit speeds in 5.9 seconds while the top speed is limited at 209 kmph which can be further increased to 249 kmph. The range-topping M440i has a 3.0-liter, inline six-cylinder, turbocharged engine which is coupled with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system and it develops 377 bhp and 500 Nm. The rear-wheel-drive model clocks triple-digit speeds in 5.0 seconds while even here the top-speed is limited to 209 mph as standard while can be upgraded to 249 kmph. Both engines are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission while the M440i also gets a M Sport rear differential as standard.

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