Rivian has closed an investment round of $2.5 billion. The financing was led by funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. Rivian has developed and vertically integrated a connected electric platform that can be flexibly applied to a range of applications including the company’s adventure products as... Read more →

China-based Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) and Honda have signed an agreement to form a comprehensive strategic alliance on new energy vehicle batteries to strengthen their strategic partnership and promote the popularization of electrified vehicles. This agreement will enable the two companies to begin discussions on a broad range... Read more →

Recently the BMW Group signed a cobalt supply contract with Moroccan mining company Managem Group; the contract has a volume of around €100 million, said Andreas Wendt, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Purchasing and Supplier Network. Managem is one of the world’s 5 largest... Read more →

Groupe Renault and Google Cloud announced a new industrial and technology partnership to accelerate the digitization of Groupe Renault’s industrial system and of Industry 4.0 transformation. A recognized contributor to Industry 4.0, Groupe Renault has been developing its own digital platform since 2016 to connect and to aggregate industrial data... Read more →

Volkswagen has begun conversion of its Emden, Germany plant to support the production of Evs; the first electric cars are to roll off the production line there from 2022. With the conversion of our plant at Emden into a production location for electric vehicles, Volkswagen is forcing the pace of... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz AG has taken numerous measures to sustainably improve its cost structure and become significantly more efficient. An important lever for this is the adjustment and realignment of capacity within its global production network. Against this backdrop, the company intends to start talks on the sale of its car plant... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz has entered a far-reaching strategic partnership with the Chinese battery cell manufacturer Farasis Energy (Ganzhou) Co., Ltd., including taking an equity stake. Key elements of the agreement include the development and industrialization of advanced cell technologies, accompanied by ambitious goals for cost competitiveness. The technological focus is on significant... Read more →

Volkswagen Group of America (VWGoA) welcomed its first overseas liquid natural gas (LNG) transport ship to the VWGoA port in Davisville, RI. The LNG-powered car carrier ship, named Siem Confucius, left Emden, Germany on 16 June 2020 on its first voyage, which includes one stop in the US before heading... Read more →

Daimler Truck AG is pushing forward with series production of fuel cells with Daimler Truck Fuel Cell GmbH & Co. KG. Over the past ten years, experts from Daimler have built up extensive know-how in this field and have developed production methods and processes. In close cooperation with their colleagues... Read more →

Toyota Motor Corporation has developed a world’s stamping-type plating technology that uses a polymer membrane (solid electrolyte membrane), through which metal ions can pass, to apply plating, like a stamp, only to areas requiring plating. The technology is used in the plating process for forming copper, nickel, and other metal... Read more →

The BMW Group has officially opened its new Additive Manufacturing Campus. The new center brings together production of prototype and series parts under one roof, along with research into new 3D printing technologies, and associate training for the global rollout of toolless production. The €15-million campus will allow the BMW... Read more →

The US Army Contracting Command–Detroit Arsenal announced that GM Defense LLC, a subsidiary of General Motors, has been awarded the production contract to build, field and sustain the Army’s new Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV). The total production ISV contract award value is $214.3 million to procure the initial Army Procurement... Read more →

Ford Motor Company intends to achieve carbon neutrality globally by 2050, while setting interim targets to address climate change challenges more urgently. Carbon neutrality refers to achieving zero carbon emissions by balancing such emissions with carbon removal. To achieve its goal, Ford will focus initially on three areas that account... Read more →

Cummins Inc. will form a joint venture with NPROXX, a designer, developer and manufacturer of Type 4 pressure vessels for the storage of hydrogen under high pressure, for hydrogen storage tanks. The joint venture will continue under the name NPROXX. NPROXX was formed in 2018 in a split from EMS,... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz and NVIDIA plan to enter into a cooperation to create a new in-vehicle computing system and AI computing infrastructure. Starting in 2024, this will be rolled out across the fleet of next-generation Mercedes-Benz vehicles, enabling them with upgradable automated driving functions. The new software-defined architecture will be built on... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation, and LG Chem are jointly sponsoring the “EV & Battery Challenge” (EVBC), a global competition to identify up to 10 EV and battery start-ups for potential investment and collaboration. New Energy Nexus, the international start-up support organization, will manage and facilitate the competition. With... Read more →

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Sunwoda Electric Vehicle Battery Co., Ltd. will begin studying joint development of next-generation vehicle batteries for Nissan’s e-POWER vehicles. (Earlier post.) The two companies will also discuss the development of an efficient production system to ensure stable supply capacity for jointly developed batteries. Nissan and... Read more →

BMW will become the first carmaker to enable its customers to use iPhone as a fully digital car key. BMW was the first to integrate iPod in their vehicles, first to offer wireless CarPlay and now first to introduce support for BMW Digital Key stored securely in Apple Wallet for... Read more →

The BMW Group and Mercedes-Benz AG are putting their cooperation on development of next-generation technology for automated driving temporarily on hold. The two companies said that after extensive review, they arrived at a mutual and amicable agreement to concentrate on their existing development paths, which may also include working with... Read more →

Audi has opened its new Audi Automated Driving Development (A2D2) R&D office in San Jose to create Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) specifically for the North American market. A2D2 will have the flexibility to develop new software quickly and to collaborate with nearby startups for production-intent applications. Audi expects the... Read more →

The Volkswagen Group is increasing its stake in QuantumScape and making an additional investment of up to $200 million in the US battery specialist. (Earlier post.) The goal is to drive forward the joint development of solid-state battery technology. In the future, solid-state batteries are expected to significantly increase range... Read more →

Tokuyama Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) have commenced verification tests, using by-product hydrogen, of a stationary fuel cell generator (FC generator) that makes use of the fuel cell system (FC system) installed in the Mirai Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV). The FC generator has been set up within the... Read more →

Honda Motor (China) Investment Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned Honda subsidiary in China, has established Hynex Mobility Service Co., Ltd., a new joint venture company with Neusoft Reach Automotive Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. Hynex Mobility Service will strive to advance connected services and offer new value users can enjoy through their... Read more →

Ford Mustang Mach-E owners in the US will receive 250 kWh of complimentary charging through FordPass Rewards at Electrify America fast-charging stations. For Mustang Mach-E owners with the extended-range battery, the 250 kWh of fast-charging energy is equal to more than three fill-ups. For standard-range battery models, the 250 kilowatt-hours... Read more →

PEUGEOT introduced the electric version of its Traveler van—the e-Traveler—earlier this month (earlier post). Now Groupe PSA co-brand Citroën is unveiling its corresponding electric version of the SpaceTourer MPV: the ë-SpaceTourer. Like its PEUGEOT cousin, the Citroën ë-SpaceTourer is based on the EMP2 platform, seats up to 9 people and... Read more →

Ford Motor Company and Volkswagen AG signed agreements that expand their global alliance (earlier post) to meet rapidly evolving needs of their respective customers in Europe and other regions by leveraging complementary strengths in midsize pickup trucks and commercial and electric vehicles. Plans for the agreements were first announced by... Read more →

Audi began using aluminum in 1994 with the first Audi A8 with the Audi Space Frame. Audi continues to use the lightweight metal in various components of what is now the fourth generation of the luxury sedan as part of an innovative multi-material mix. The production of aluminum is very... Read more →

BMW i Ventures has invested in Prometheus Fuels (earlier post), a company removing CO2 from the air and turning it into zero-net carbon gasoline that it will sell at gas stations, at a price that competes with fossil fuels, starting as early as this year. The ability to create gasoline... Read more →

Daimler Truck AG has established the new company Daimler Truck Fuel Cell GmbH & Co. KG, the organizational and legal framework for bringing together all of the group’s fuel cell activities. (Earlier post.) Dr. Andreas Gorbach and Prof. Dr. Christian Mohrdieck have been appointed as managing directors of the new... Read more →

Toyota Motor and five Chinese OEMs—China FAW Corporation Limited (FAW); Dongfeng Motor Corporation (DFM); Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd. (GAC Group); Beijing Automotive Group Co., Ltd. (BAIC Group); and Beijing SinoHytec Co., Ltd.—signed a joint venture agreement for the establishment of United Fuel Cell System R&D (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (FCRD).... Read more →

Capgemini and Audi have launched a joint venture: XL2. Following regulatory approvals, the company was founded at the end of April. It will provide digital technology and consulting services, specifically in the fields of SAP S/4HANA and cloud services primarily for Audi and the entire Volkswagen Group. XL2 was founded... Read more →

Two months after taking office as the new CEO at Audi, Markus Duesmann is establishing a unit for the accelerated development of additional automobile models. The head of the “Artemis” high-tech project will be Alex Hitzinger, a successful motorsport chief engineer and currently in charge of autonomous driving in the... Read more →

Volkswagen plans to increase its share in JAC Volkswagen, its joint venture for e-mobility. Around €1 billion is to be invested. This amount includes the acquisition of 50% of JAG, the parent company of the Volkswagen partner JAC, and an increase in the stake in JAC Volkswagen from 50 to... Read more →

Daimler Truck AG and Rolls-Royce plc plan to cooperate on stationary fuel-cell generators as CO2-neutral emergency power generators for safety-critical facilities such as data centers. They are to offer emission-free alternatives to diesel engines, which are currently used as emergency power generators or to cover peak loads. Daimler Truck AG... Read more →

Local battery production is an important success factor for Mercedes-Benz AG’s electric offensive and the key element to meet the global demand for electrified vehicles flexibly and efficiently. The company is therefore investing more than €1 billion to establish a global battery production network. The network will consist of nine... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board has reached a settlement of $1,927,800 with American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda) to resolve clean-air violations related to the sale of small off-road engines in California. The violations involved small off-road engines used in generators and lawn and garden equipment. Through extensive tests in... Read more →

Every new Volvo car now comes with a limited top speed of 180 km/h (112 mph), as Volvo Cars delivers on its promise made last year to introduce such a limitation and goes beyond regulation and legislation to help close the remaining gap to zero serious injuries and fatalities in... Read more →

Hyundai Motor will display a 1:8-scale model of its ‘UAM-PBV-Hub’ smart mobility ecosystem (earlier post) in its headquarters lobby until June 12 and at global events afterward. The 1:8-scale model on display is a miniature of the exhibit shown at CES 2020 and includes integration of its Urban Air Mobility... Read more →

Groupe Renault has identified some 20 projects to deploy blockchain technology. These projects concern, in particular, the traceability of financial transactions and communication with equipment manufacturers and the sales network. Some of these will be deployed soon. For Groupe Renault, blockchain has to be used as a collaborative, multi-company digital... Read more →

General Motors expects its Spring Hill Manufacturing plant will be powered by 100% solar energy beginning in late 2022. A green tariff agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority is expected to supply up to 100 megawatts of solar energy per year, or the amount of electricity consumed by 18,000 United... Read more →

The joint venture between Volkswagen Group and the Swedish battery producer Northvolt AB (earlier post) is gaining further momentum. Volkswagen itself will erect the buildings and infrastructure for the joint venture’s “Northvolt Zwei” factory that is to produce lithium-ion battery cells, in order to leverage synergies at the Salzgitter site—based... Read more →

This summer, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class will introduce a new, comprehensively digitalized generation of steering wheel: the capacitive steering wheel. The rim contains a two-zone sensor mat that detects whether the driver’s hands are gripping the steering wheel. The touch control buttons placed in the spokes also work with digital signals.... Read more →

Volvo Cars will equip its next-generation cars with Luminar LiDAR and perception technology. The partnership will deliver Volvo’s first fully self-driving technology for highways and paves the way for future active safety developments. Volvo Cars took a stake in Luminar in 2018 (earlier post). Volvo Cars’ next-generation SPA 2 modular... Read more →

Karma Automotive announced its E-Flex utility van platform with extended range electric vehicle (EREV) architecture. The new platform is one of five demonstration projects designed to illustrate Karma’s technical direction and capabilities through the use of highly versatile EREV and battery electric (BEV) chassis systems. (Earlier post.) Karma’s new EREV... Read more →

Honda has begun producing and delivering critical components for the production of much-needed ventilators to Dynaflo Inc. of Reading, Penn. Honda teamed up with Dynaflo to increase Dynaflo’s production of diaphragm compressors, a key component of portable ventilators that are used in hospitals and by first responders throughout the country... Read more →

The Volkswagen Group is pushing ahead with the integration of its plants into the Volkswagen Industrial Cloud; the aim is to further improve the efficiency of the plants and reduce production costs. (Earlier post.) The first three plants were already linked up in 2019. In 2020, the Group will integrate... Read more →

Audi will not extend its commitment in the DTM touring car racing series beyond the 2020 season. The management board of AUDI AG made this decision also in light of the economic challenges due to the corona pandemic and communicated it to ITR e.V., the DTM’s umbrella organization, on Monday.... Read more →

Karma Automotive announced the initial development-stage completion of its Karma High-Performance E-Flex Platform, the third in a series of demonstration efforts showcasing the company’s in-house technology capabilities and E-Flex Platform initiative, a program offering mobility solutions through versatile EREV (extended range electric vehicle) and BEV (battery electric vehicle) modular platforms.... Read more →

Audi of America (AoA) and the Audi Environmental Foundation are awarding a $100,000 grant to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), the lead institution in the Climate Modeling Alliance (CliMA). The grant will fund researchers in their pursuit of a novel new climate model, a critical tool for understanding future... Read more →

Daimler Truck AG and the Volvo Group have signed a preliminary non-binding agreement to establish a new joint venture. The intention is to develop, produce and commercialize fuel cell systems for heavy-duty vehicle applications and other use cases. Daimler will consolidate all its current fuel cell activities in the joint... Read more →