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Tag: car

  • Toyota Tests Solar-Powered Prius In Quest For Plugless Electric Car

    Toyota Tests Solar-Powered Prius In Quest For Plugless Electric Car

    Inspired by new ultra-thin solar panels developed for satellites, a project led by Toyota Moto is experimenting with a sun-powered Prius that it hopes will one day require no plugging in. In the Japanese government-funded demonstration project, Toyota engineers fitted solar panels designed by Sharp Corp to the hood, roof, rear window and spoiler to see how much juice the sun can generate. The electricity from the panels goes directly to the drive battery, so the Prius can charge while moving or when parked.

    On a good day, the charge can be sufficient for up to 56 kilometres (35 miles) of travel, more than the 47 kilometres driven a day by the average American, according to a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

    But the performance drops off quickly if it is cloudy or even when it’s too hot. If used in real-world driving in those conditions, the Prius would have to be plugged in to recharge.

    The solar cells are super-slim – just 0.03 millimetres, making them malleable enough to form-fit to the body of a car. The engineers needed to create a buffer between the car and the cells to protect them, so the actual solar panel modules are closer to a centimetre thick.

    The trunk of the car is filled with batteries for the solar panels, adding an extra weight of around 80 kilograms (180 lb).

    Making the entire package lighter and bringing down the extremely high costs are among the biggest challenges for the technology, said Satoshi Shizuka, Toyota’s lead engineer on the project, adding that commercialisation likely remained “years away”.

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  • European Automakers Tell Governments They Must Help Sell Electric Cars

    European Automakers Tell Governments They Must Help Sell Electric Cars

    Europe’s carmakers are telling governments they must help build electric car charging points and provide consumer subsidies to boost sales of battery-powered vehicles and assist the industry in meeting stringent new emissions rules.

    German carmakers are accelerating plans to launch electric vehicles, under pressure from a European Union mandate to deliver a 37.5% cut in carbon dioxide emissions between 2021 and 2030, on top of a 40% cut in emissions between 2007 and 2021.

    Industry executives warned at this week’s Frankfurt auto show that the EU rules could be disastrous for profits and jobs because mainstream customers were not buying electric vehicles. Instead, consumers are opting for larger sport utility vehicles.

    “Our industry is eager to move as fast as possible toward zero-emission mobility. But this transition is a shared responsibility,” said PSA Group Chief Executive Carlos Tavares, who is also president of European auto industry association ACEA. “It requires a 360 degrees approach.”

    “Governments across the EU need to match the increasing pace at which we are launching these cars by dramatically stepping up investments in infrastructure. Moreover, they also have to put in place sustainable purchase incentives that are consistent across the EU,” Tavares said.

  • China Sees Decline In Electric Vehicle Sales For Second Consecutive Month

    China Sees Decline In Electric Vehicle Sales For Second Consecutive Month

    China has reported a decline of 16 percent in electric vehicle sales for the month of August. Last month the cumulative sales of all pure-electric, fuel-celled, and plugin hybrids vehicles stood at 85,000 units the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, compared to 100,000+ vehicles sold during the same month in 2018. In addition to the decline in year-on-year (YoY) sales, China also registered month-on-month (MoM) drop of 4.7 per cent compared to the total EV sales in July 2019. This for the second straight month the EV sales have gone down in China, following the local government’s decision scale back subsidies.

    China is currently the world’s largest electric vehicle market, accounting for about half of the world’s EV sales. The electric vehicle segment is a strategically important industry in China, which hopes to electrify 60 per cent of its total vehicle population by 2035. However, the automotive industry is still heavily reliant on the government, which is why China decided to gradually reduce the subsidies for NEVs since 2017, with an aim to make the EV segment self-sufficient. But, the poor performance of China’s EV segment in the last two months is now putting pressure on the government to again come to the industry’s aid with new relief measures.

    In addition to EVs, China’s regular passenger vehicle wholesales also fell by 7.7 per cent in August, seeing a sales slump for the 14th consecutive month, coming down to 1.65 million units. One of the main reasons for this is also the slowdown of the Chinese economy, which is further affected by the ongoing trade conflict with the US.

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  • FADA Asks SIAM To Calculate OEM Market Share Based On Retail Numbers

    FADA Asks SIAM To Calculate OEM Market Share Based On Retail Numbers

    The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) has announced sending a letter to the Society of India Automotive Manufacturers (SIAM), asking it to upgrade Auto OEM’s market share calculations on basis of actual registration numbers. FADA President Ashish Harsharaj Kale says that the actual registration data is which is found in Ministry of Road Transport & Highway’s Vahan Platform in much detail. Requesting for this much-needed reform, in his letter to SIAM President Rajan Wadhera, Kale mentioned that this is a globally followed norm and it should be implemented for the betterment of the Indian Auto Industry.

    Kale also says that many senior industry captains share this sentiment and had even voiced the need for such a practice at the recently held SIAM and ACMA conventions. The letter also claims that both dealers and component manufacturers feel if retail numbers were reported instead of wholesale figures, it would have been easier for them to predict the ongoing slowdown in the auto sector. Such a practice would have not only helped them manage their inventory efficiently and be better equipped for such troubled times.

    FADA has been advocating the need to upgrade Auto OEM’s market share calculations on basis of actual registrations from November 2018. The apex retail body says that many of its members have also done the same with their respective OEM’s and have received a positive response of accepting it if it becomes an industry practice.

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  • Volvo XC40 Plug-in Hybrid Variant Launched Globally

    Volvo XC40 Plug-in Hybrid Variant Launched Globally

    Volvo has launched the plug-in hybrid variant of its XC40 compact SUV and with that, it has become the first automotive manufacturer to offer an electrified variant for each of its car models. The new T5 Twin Engine petrol-electric hybrid powertrain made its debut in UK and will be launched in other European markets soon. The Volvo XC40 plug-in hybrid has a front-wheel-drive system which uses a 180 bhp petrol engine which displaces 1.5-liters and has three-cylinders. There is also an electric motor which churns out 82 bhp and together, the combined power output is about 262 bhp, which is the highest in the XC40 lineup. There is a Lithium-ion battery with 10.7kWh capacity which provides an all-electric driving range of up to 46 kilometers.

    The initial data from World Harmonised Light-Duty Test Procedure (WLTP) indicates that the XC40 plug-in hybrid has a fuel efficiency of 59.98 kmpl while having a 0-100 kmph sprint time of 7.3 seconds. This is also the first occasion where a hybrid powertrain has been used in Volvo’s Compact Modular Architecture or CMA platform. The car also gets a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission as standard, which is a first in a new-generation Volvo model. Volvo will also be launching a fully electric variant of the XC40 premium compact SUV in 2020, and offer a complete range of powertrain options. The new powertrain offered in R-Design, R-Design Pro, Inscription and Inscription Pro trim levels.

    The XC40 T5 Twin Engine models get a charging outlet on the nearside front wing. The company will provide a 4.5 metre cable with a three-pin plug as standard while a type 2/mode 3 fast-charge cables will be available as an optional extra. Charging via the fast-charge cable will completely recharge the car’s high-voltage battery in as little as 2.5 hours. Fully charging via the three-pin plug cable takes between 3.5 and 6 hours.

    Volvo UK dealers have begun taking orders now and the first cars will be delivered in February 2020.

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  • Hyundai Motor Joins European Electric Car Charging Venture Ionity

    Hyundai Motor Joins European Electric Car Charging Venture Ionity

    Ionity, the European electric vehicle charging joint venture of Volkswagen, BMW, Daimler and Ford, said on Monday that South Korea’s Hyundai Motor had joined as a shareholder.

    Ionity aims to install 400 high-speed charging stations across Europe by the end of next year in a bid to combat concerns about the range of electric vehicles, which is still considered a key factor limiting demand.

    So far, the venture has installed 140 stations in 14 European countries, while a further 50 are under construction.

    “The participation of new investors in Ionity is a clear signal of trust indicating that the work of our young company is already bearing fruit,” Chief Executive Michael Hajesch said in a statement.

    The announcement comes days before the Frankfurt Auto Show IAA, where sustainable driving and electric cars will take centre stage. Volkswagen will display its ID 3 electric vehicle, Porsche its Taycan electric sports car, and Mercedes-Benz its fully electric van.

    Carmakers are pouring much of their cash into developing electric vehicles, while energy providers hesitate to take on responsibility for the rollout, as long as electric car sales remain too low to provide a profitable customer base.

    Reporting by Christoph Steitz; Editing by Edmund Blair

  • Porsche Opens Factory For The All-electric Taycan

    Porsche Opens Factory For The All-electric Taycan

    After a construction period of less than 48 months, Porsche officially opened the new production facility for its first all-electric sports car at its Zuffenhausen site. The new production facility sets new standards in terms of energy efficiency and environmental friendliness. Assembly takes place in a flexible, networked and using 4.0 production technology. It is a further step towards the “Zero Impact Factory” with no negative environmental impact: production of the Porsche Taycan with zero-emission powertrain at the Zuffenhausen site will be carbon-neutral. In addition to using electricity from renewable sources and biogas to generate heat, the new production buildings are designed to be energy-efficient. Further examples are the electrically powered logistics vehicles, the use of waste heat in the paint shop, the greening of roof areas and a continuous and holistic approach to other potential resource savings.

    Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG said, “We have a level of responsibility for the environment and society. Production of the Taycan is carbon-neutral. Heritage meets the future at our parent plant in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, which is the heart of the brand.”

    Porsche uses automated guided vehicle systems instead of traditional conveyor belts to transport components and vehicles from station to station. Production of the Porsche Taycan will see 1,500 new jobs created at the Zuffenhausen site. In total, the company is set to invest more than six billion euros in electromobility by 2022. The company has invested a total of 700 million euros in the new production facilities alone.

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  • More than 1 million motor vehicles will have been sold through E-commerce next year

    More than 1 million motor vehicles will have been sold through E-commerce next year

    By next year, more than 1 million motor vehicles will have been sold online, according to research from Frost & Sullivan.

    “At the current rate of adoption, online vehicle sales are expected to comprise 5 percent of global vehicle sales by 2025, with China as a leading market,” says Julia Saini, a consultant at Frost & Sullivan’s mobility division.

    In the early days of online retailing, there was skepticism that consumers would purchase big-ticket items like motor vehicles online. But in recent times, consumers have embraced the concept – provided they know what they want.

    In 2016, Alibaba sold more than 100,000 cars during its 11.11 Singles Day, ranging from Maserati sports cars to 13,000 local Chery runabouts. Few people pop online to buy a car on a whim – those are carefully researched, calculated purchases with settlements deferred until a 24-hour window to take advantage of a special deal. But they were still online sales, driven by good deals.

    Saini says the digital transformation of the global automotive retail market is driving the need for customer-centric retail strategies and innovations along with omnichannel touchpoints to further refine the customer journey.

    “Adopting disruptive new auto retail models and emerging digital KPIs by leveraging technology and data-driven approaches will be imperative for attracting new customers, enhancing customer experience, and improving customer retention,” she says.

    “With the emergence of new purchase models such as vehicle subscription and short-term leasing, increased customer-centricity in terms of offerings, services, activities, roles, and functions is expected to be the focus of OEMs and dealerships in the future.”

    Saini and her colleague Yeswant Abhimanyu will lead an interactive webinar on the topic on September 26, discussing innovative business models, growth opportunities, and insights on initiatives and trends across the automotive e-retail market in Asia, North America and Europe.

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  • Nissan Mulls Pulling Out Of South Korea As Trade Tensions Rise

    Nissan Mulls Pulling Out Of South Korea As Trade Tensions Rise

    Nissan Motor is considering pulling out of South Korea, the Financial Times reported on Friday, as political and trade tensions between Japan and South Korea have caused sales of Japanese products in the neighboring country to plummet.

    Nissan and other Japanese firms have been a casualty of consumer boycotts of products ranging from cars to beer in South Korea, triggered by sudden export curbs by Tokyo earlier this year as trust between the two countries has eroded over wartime issues.

    Citing unnamed sources, the FT said that besides stopping sales in South Korea, Nissan is also mulling its involvement in an assembly plant in Busan owned by Renault Samsung Motors Co, a joint venture with Nissan’s French automaking partner Renault SA. The plant makes cars mainly for export markets.

    Nissan spokespeople in South Korea and Japan declined to comment on the report.

    Japan’s second-biggest automaker has been trying to strengthen governance, slash costs and boost flagging profitability amid persistent allegations of financial misconduct stemming from former chairman Carlos Ghosn’s 20-year reign.

    Nissan’s market share in South Korea has long lagged its domestic rivals. Along with its luxury Infiniti brand, the automaker has sold just 3,581 cars in the country in January-August this year, down 27% from a year ago and trailing far behind Toyota Motor Corp.

    Japanese automakers are small players in the South Korean auto market, which is dominated by Hyundai Motor Co, and German imports including the Mercedes Benz and BMW brands.

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  • Retro-Themed Hyundai 45 Concept Teased Ahead Of Frankfurt Motor Show Debut

    Retro-Themed Hyundai 45 Concept Teased Ahead Of Frankfurt Motor Show Debut

    The future is 8-bit. At least that’s what Hyundai’s new ’45’ concept suggests that was recently teased, ahead of its debut at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show on September 10, 2019. Inspired by the automaker’s first model in the 1970s, the 45 fully-electric concept car will act as a symbolic milestone for Hyundai’s future EV design, according to the company. The car that the automaker speaks of is the Hyundai Pony that was introduced in 1975 and was the first mass market car in South Korea. The Hyundai 45 concept not only pays homage to the Pony but also takes a retro design cue or two for its EVs.

    While the teaser does not give out any major details about the Hyundai 45 concept, we do get a clearer look at the silhouette of the car that is more angular and boxy than we thought. The dot-matrix taillights though do standout and certainly something we wouldn’t mind seeing on the production EV cars of the future too. It also sits well with the neo retro theme fo the car, something Honda too explored successfully with its new E, electric compact car.

    Hyundai is known for making some bold styling choices and while its current cars get that ‘Sensuous Sportiness’ design language, this would be a welcome change. We will, of course, get the complete look at the new 45 in a few days from now at Frankfurt and we do expect something radical from the Korean carmaker.

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  • BlackBerry To Offer Cybersecurity For Future Jaguar Land Rover Model

    BlackBerry To Offer Cybersecurity For Future Jaguar Land Rover Model

    Jaguar Land Rover and technology firm BlackBerry today announced the expansion of the companies’ corporate partnership to develop next-generation intelligent vehicles for the carmaker. As part of the extended collaboration, the BlackBerry, a trusted security software and services company, will help JLR develop future-ready vehicle safety technology for the automotive market. The company will share its Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies like – BlackBerry QNX and BlackBerry Cylance, to develop vehicle safety systems, with a range of capabilities like – predictive software maintenance and cybersecurity threat protection.

    For instance, the BlackBerry QNX, an integrating software will be used to help develop Jaguar Land Rover’s next-generation vehicle architecture, making it safer. On the other hand, its consultants and security testing technology, BlackBerry Cybersecurity Consulting services will help identify security vulnerabilities in connected and autonomous vehicles, across the full software library used in a vehicle.

    Speaking about the partnership Ralf D Speth, Jaguar Land Rover CEO, said “Jaguar Land Rover and BlackBerry share a common objective in bringing the most intelligent vehicles to reality. I am delighted that our partnership with BlackBerry continues to go from strength-to-strength, a company whose technology innovations uniquely address the expanding safety needs of the automotive industry.”

    As for John Chen, Executive Chairman & CEO, BlackBerry, he said, “BlackBerry is a trusted partner of the automotive industry because of our heritage and innovations in secure communications. We are pleased to be Jaguar Land Rover’s chosen partner for safety-certified technology, as we advance Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies to transform automotive safety.”

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  • Nissan India Appoints Rakesh Srivastava As Managing Director

    Nissan India Appoints Rakesh Srivastava As Managing Director

    Nissan today announced the appointment of Rakesh Srivastava as Managing Director, Nissan Motor India and will report to Sinan Ozkok, President of Nissan India Operations. Rakesh joins Nissan after having worked as Director in charge of electric vehicle development, JSW Group. Prior to that, Rakesh has held senior management positions at Hyundai Motor India and Maruti Suzuki.

    Sinan Ozkok said, “I am pleased to welcome Rakesh to the Nissan India team. With his rich experience and deep understanding of the Indian market, I am confident he will strengthen our sales and marketing functions and successfully deliver our customer-centric strategy.”

    Nissan Motor India has had its share of ups and downs and now that the company looks to renew its outlook for India, Srivastava brings expertise and also strategy to the table. The company has big plans for India and this includes moving to a future with an electric car portfolio.

    Rakesh Srivastava said, “I am excited by the opportunity to build and strengthen Nissan operations for our customers, partners and employees in India. Nissan is an iconic global brand and its leadership in technology and innovation will be a key driver and differentiator towards delivering value and aspiration to our customers in this competitive market.”

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  • Japanese Automakers’ Sales Fall In South Korea Amid Consumer Boycott

    Japanese Automakers’ Sales Fall In South Korea Amid Consumer Boycott

    Japanese automakers posted sharper sales falls in South Korea in August, industry data showed on Wednesday, hit by a consumer boycott of Japanese vehicles amid a worsening diplomatic row between the countries.

    Toyota Motor Corp and other Japanese carmakers saw South Korean sales tumble 57% to 1,398 vehicles in August from a year earlier, steeper than the 17% fall in July.

    Japan’s decision in July to tighten controls on exports of materials that South Korea uses to make semiconductors and display screens has prompted a consumer backlash in Korea, with consumers boycotting Japanese products such as beer, clothes, vehicles and tours to the neighboring country.

    Relations between the two U.S. allies had already soured over South Korean demands for Japanese compensation for South Korean forced laborers during World War Two.

    Toyota’s South Korean sales fell 59% to 542 in August from a year earlier, while Honda Motor’s sales tumbled 81% to 138.

    Toyota’s Lexus was the top-selling Japanese brand in South Korea, with sales reaching 603 vehicles in August, up 7.7% from year earlier, but down 39% from July.

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  • Ford Finds Buyer For Brazil Plant, But New Owner Could Cut 1,300 Jobs

    Ford Finds Buyer For Brazil Plant, But New Owner Could Cut 1,300 Jobs

    Brazilian automaker CAOA reached an initial agreement to buy Ford Motor Co’s plant in Sao Bernardo do Campo, the companies said on Tuesday, but CAOA could slash 1,300 jobs, according to the union representing the plant’s workers.

    Ford announced in February that it would shut down the plant, its oldest in Brazil, which employs some 3,000 workers, as part of a global restructuring and a push to exit the heavy truck business.

    CAOA and Ford have been negotiating the purchase since late February, Reuters reported at the time, when Sao Paulo state Governor Joao Doria rushed to find a buyer for the plant in a push to keep jobs in the city.

    Wagner Santana, president of the union that represents Ford’s workers, told reporters that in conversations with CAOA, the Brazilian automaker said it would initially retain only some 800 workers and that 1,300 would be let go, with the remainder being kept by Ford.

    Doria has defended Sao Paulo as a manufacturing hub at a time when the auto industry turned to other Brazilian states that were offering aggressive tax incentives. He has introduced a tax incentive of his own.

    At the news conference, Doria said a decision on how many jobs will be kept can only be made once Ford and CAOA close the sale, which is set to go through a 45-day due diligence process.

    “Preserve all jobs, that’s the fundamental condition for a contribution from the state,” Doria said, in reference to potential tax benefits.

    Santana said CAOA plans to pay those it hires up to 80% of their current Ford salaries, noting that is still much more than salaries paid in other states.

    A CAOA spokesperson declined to comment.

    “The objective is to make the factory profitable and productive, so it generates employment and riches,” said Carlos Alberto Oliveira Andrade, CAOA’s president and founder, whose initials make up the company name.

    Brazil’s large domestic market and protectionist economy has long attracted the world’s biggest automakers to set up shop here, and CAOA is the rare carmaker that is actually domestically owned. It has struck deals to make cars for Korea’s Hyundai and co-owns China’s Chery operation in Brazil, whose cars are branded as CAOA Chery.

    Ford opened the plant in 1967, and it is the company’s oldest in the country. It was primarily used to make heavy trucks, as well as the compact Ford Fiesta, a sales laggard. Ford is undergoing a global restructuring and has said it would focus on a much newer plant in the Northeastern state of Bahia.

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  • Trump Prods General Motors Over Its Auto Plants In China

    Trump Prods General Motors Over Its Auto Plants In China

    U.S. President Donald Trump, who is engaged in a trade war with Beijing, said on Friday that the largest U.S. automaker, General Motors Co, should begin moving its operations back to the United States.

    “General Motors, which was once the Giant of Detroit, is now one of the smallest auto manufacturers there. They moved major plants to China, BEFORE I CAME INTO OFFICE. This was done despite the saving help given them by the USA. Now they should start moving back to America again?” Trump said in a post on Twitter.

    Trump appeared to be referring to a Bloomberg News story that reported GM’s hourly workforce of 46,000 U.S. workers has fallen behind that of Fiat Chrysler as the smallest of the Detroit Three automakers. Over the past four decades, GM has dramatically cut the size of its overall U.S. workforce, which numbered nearly 620,000 in 1979.

    GM did not directly comment on Trump’s tweet.

    “GM’s China operations are not a threat to U.S. jobs,” the company said in a fact sheet, noting that its joint ventures have sent $16 billion in equity income to GM since 2010 and that it has invested $23 billion in U.S. operations since 2009.

    GM’s U.S. hourly workforce has fallen by about 4,000 jobs since the end of 2018 to about where it was a decade ago.

    Trump’s ire with GM comes as contract talks with the United Auto Workers union with the Detroit Three automakers intensify ahead of a Sept. 14 deadline. Trump has previously attacked GM for building vehicles in Mexico and for ending production at plants in Michigan, Ohio and Maryland and threatened to cut GM subsidies in retaliation.

    GM’s decision to close four plants in the United States is a central issue in the contract talks.

    Trump has made boosting auto jobs a key priority and has often attacked automakers on Twitter for not doing enough to boost U.S. employment. His 2020 re-election bid will hinge on holding key industrial battleground states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan that narrowly voted for him in 2016.

    China is the world’s largest auto market, and government policy favors automakers assembling vehicles there, and not importing them from overseas.

    In response to Trump’s latest tariffs, China said last week it will reinstitute 25% tariffs on U.S.-made vehicles. The U.S. is imposing 15% tariffs on more than $125 billion in Chinese goods starting Sunday.

    GM sold 3.6 million vehicles in China last year accounting for 43% of its worldwide sales. GM booked $2 billion in equity income from its China operations last year.

    GM imports a small number of vehicles from China. In June, the Trump administration rejected a request from GM to exempt its Chinese-made Buick Envision from a 25% U.S. tariff on sport utility vehicle models.

    The midsize SUV has become a target for U.S. critics of Chinese-made goods, including leaders of the UAW members in key political swing states such as Michigan and Ohio.

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