In the second quarter of 2021, Tesla produced 206,421 vehicles (2,340 Model S/X and 204,081 Model 3/Y) and delivered 201,250 (1,890 Model S/X) and 199,360 Model 3/Y). Tesla also announced that had achieved an operating margin of 11.0% and exceeded $1 billion of GAAP net income for the first time.... Read more →

Since the introduction of General Motors’ fleet telematics solution, OnStar Vehicle Insights, fleet managers have received nearly 3.5 million notifications and details of almost 16 million trips covering more than 246 million miles. OnStar Vehicle Insights can now be used with most non-GM vehicles via a plug-in adapter. This means... Read more →

Just under a year after the initial concept idea, Audi Sport has started testing the new Audi RS Q e-tron series hybrid, with which Audi will tackle the Dakar Rally in January 2022. (Earlier post.) Audi wants to be the first car manufacturer to use an electrified drivetrain in combination... Read more →

General Motors will introduce new Super Cruise capabilities on six model year 2022 vehicles in the first quarter of 2022. Super Cruise is the first true hands-free driver-assistance technology allowing drivers to travel hands-free on more than 200,000 miles of compatible roads across the US and Canada. Super Cruise adds... Read more →

Experts from GM and LG have identified the simultaneous presence of two manufacturing defects in the same battery cell as the root cause of battery fires in certain Chevrolet Bolt EVs. (Earlier post.) As a result, GM will be conducting a new recall for the previous population of Bolt EVs... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz is getting ready to go all-electric by the end of the decade, where market conditions allow, shifting from electric-first to electric-only. By 2022, Mercedes-Benz will have battery electric vehicles (BEV) in all segments the company serves. From 2025 onwards, all newly launched vehicle architectures will be electric-only and customers... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz has acquired YASA, a pioneer in next-generation electric drive technology. Under the terms of the acquisition, YASA will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz, developing ultra high-performance e-motors, while retaining its own brand, team, facilities and continuing to supply existing automotive supercar customers. YASA’s axial-flux electric motor... Read more →

The Volkswagen Group continued to gain momentum with its electric offensive in the first half of 2021. In total, 170,939 BEV models were delivered throughout the world up to the end of June—more than twice as many as in the prior-year period (+165.2%). The following new BEV models were launched... Read more →

Volkswagen of America, Inc. will end assembly of the Passat sedan in Chattanooga with model year 2022 as part of the plant’s transformation to build future electric vehicles. To celebrate the integral role of the Passat in the resurgence of Volkswagen in the United States, a short-run Limited Edition will... Read more →

BMW i Ventures has invested in Natural Fiber Welding, Inc. (NFW), a creator of all-natural, plastic-free alternatives to animal- or petrochemical-based materials such as leathers, foams, and textiles. The financing round will enable the company to scale from the batch processing of materials to commercial roll-to-roll production. NFW has developed... Read more →

General Motors and BrightDrop, a new business created and wholly owned by GM focused on electric commercial delivery and logistics, announced the Ultium Charge 360 fleet charging service, a comprehensive approach designed to help make the switch to electric seamless for fleet customers by connecting them with services, features and... Read more →

Volkswagen is the first automaker to transport most of its new vehicles overseas using low-emission LNG ships. After the first two LNG car carriers entered service in 2020, Volkswagen Group Logistics has now ordered four more ships with dual-fuel engines that can be powered with LNG. These should be traveling... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Company will begin a test operation of its RoboShuttle service on 9 August in South Korea. The demand-responsive, high-occupancy vehicle service, powered by autonomous driving and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, will operate along a 6.1-km route in Sejong Smart City. The pilot operation will be conducted using Hyundai... Read more →

Volkswagen Group executives laid out the basics of the new Group strategy “NEW AUTO – Mobility for Generations to Come”, which will see the Group realign from being a from vehicle manufacturer to a leading, global software-driven mobility provider. The guiding principle is to be the development of sustainable, connected,... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hyundai Global Service, a South Korean manufacturer specializing in ship electric propulsion systems and a subsidiary of Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, and Korean Register (KR), South Korea’s only internationally recognized classification society, to develop and commercialize hydrogen fuel cell systems... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding with Canada-based Next Hydrogen Corporation, a specialist in water electrolysis technology and a subsidiary of Next Hydrogen Solutions Inc., to bolster their efforts to usher in a global hydrogen society through cost-effective production of clean hydrogen. Under the... Read more →

Volvo Cars and its parent company Geely Holding will create a joint venture under the name Aurobay for its powertrain operations, as the companies proceed with their earlier announced plans to merge these into a new, stand-alone business. The new company will be a global supplier of complete powertrain solutions... Read more →

In Paris, Stellantis N.V. presented a comprehensive electrification strategy that delivers class-leading vehicles for the company’s brands, while leveraging in-house expertise, partnerships and joint ventures to deliver advanced technology at affordable prices. Stellantis brands include Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Fiat Professional, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, MOPAR,... Read more →

The European Commission has found that Daimler, BMW and Volkswagen group (Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche) breached EU antitrust rules by colluding on technical development of NOx aftertreatment systems. The Commission has imposed a fine of €875,189,000 (US$1.04 billion). Daimler was not fined, as it revealed the existence of the cartel... Read more →

Rolls-Royce’s all-electric aircraft the ‘Spirit of Innovation’ (earlier post) will take to the skies for the first time in the coming weeks as it works towards a world-record attempt with a target speed of 300+ mph (480+ km/h). The current speed record for an all-electric plane—set by Siemens in 2017—is... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) announced that five key affiliate companies, including Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation, will join Climate Group’s RE100, a global initiative committed to moving toward 100% renewable energy. Joining 300 other global companies, the Group plans to further accelerate efforts on sustainable development and carbon... Read more →

Volkswagen is taking its next step towards becoming a software-oriented mobility provider; starting this summer, the brand will regularly send over-the-air (OTA) software updates to models in the ID. electric vehicle family. The first model to benefit is the ID.3. The latest software version ID.Software2.3 will be delivered to “First... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Group announced its 2021 ZER01NE Accelerator, an open innovation platform to facilitate collaboration between startups and the Group on various projects. This program aims to discover valuable startups and explore the possibilities of strategic usage of their innovative technologies. Startups can apply to one of the 45 projects... Read more →

General Motors has agreed to form a strategic investment and commercial collaboration with Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR) to secure sustainably produced lithium from the CTR’s Hell’s Kitchen Lithium and Power development, located in the Salton Sea Geothermal Field in California. This lithium will be produced from geothermal brine through a... Read more →

Nissan unveiled Nissan EV36Zero, a £1-billion flagship Electric Vehicle (EV) Hub —an EV manufacturing ecosystem—centered around its plant in Sunderland, UK. The project has been launched with an initial £1-billion (US$1.4-billion) investment by Nissan and its partners battery-maker Envision AESC and Sunderland City Council. Comprising three interconnected initiatives, Nissan EV36Zero... Read more →

Porsche is making further efforts to reduce CO₂ emissions in its supply chain: the sports car manufacturer is calling for its around 1,300 series suppliers to use exclusively renewable energy in the manufacture of Porsche components as of July 2021. It applies to any contracts awarded for providing production material... Read more →

Volvo Cars will take software development in-house as a car’s appeal increasingly becomes more defined by software-driven functions and features, rather than traditional automotive attributes. The next generation of pure electric Volvo models, including the company’s first SUV on a completely new electric-only technology base, will run on Volvo Cars’... Read more →

Rapidly moving towards becoming a fully electric car company, Volvo Cars is bringing battery cell technology development and production closer to home and aims to tailor its future batteries to the needs of its customers: a longer range and faster charging times. It will do so by improving lithium-ion battery... Read more →

BMW i Ventures created a new $300-million venture capital fund with a strong focus on sustainability. The new fund will invest in early to mid-stage start-ups operating in the sustainability, transportation, manufacturing, and supply chain industries. This marks BMW i Ventures’ second dedicated investment fund, which is fully backed by... Read more →

Ford and State Farm are working together to improve the safety and overall cost of vehicle ownership by better matching price to risk. After completing a year-long pilot project, Ford’s new Vehicle Build Data API product has allowed State Farm to better understand how ADAS on specific vehicles impact the... Read more →

The Urban Air Mobility Division of Hyundai Motor Group is partnering with ANRA Technologies—a leading international provider of end-to-end drone operations and traffic management solutions for unmanned system operators and airspace managers—to begin developing the operating environment for the advanced air mobility (AAM) industry. This is the first in a... Read more →

Toyota’s global brand for new mobility services, KINTO, is now introducing the Toyota Mirai fuel cell vehicle into its KINTO Share fleet in Sweden. Since KINTO started its Swedish operations one year ago, the mobility service provider has grown rapidly to almost 1.000 cars in operation today, covering almost all... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Group and Grab Holdings Inc. are enhancing their ongoing strategic partnership in mobility services to focus on accelerating EV adoption in Southeast Asia. The Group—including Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation—and Grab will further develop new pilots and initiatives that lower the barriers of entry for Grab driver... Read more →

As part of its strategic realignment, Audi is accelerating the transition to e-mobility. The manufacturer will be gradually phasing out the production of internal combustion engines until 2033. Production of Audi’s final completely newly developed combustion engine model will start in just four years. Beginning in 2026, the brand will... Read more →

Volvo Car Group intends to establish a joint venture with Swedish battery company Northvolt to develop and produce more sustainable batteries, tailored to power the next generation of pure electric Volvo and Polestar cars. As a first step for the 50/50 joint venture, Volvo Car Group and Northvolt aim to... Read more →

Toyota Research Institute (TRI) unveiled new robotics capabilities aimed at solving complex tasks in home environments. Specifically, TRI roboticists were able to train robots to understand and operate in complicated situations that confuse most other robots, including recognizing and responding to transparent and reflective surfaces in a variety of circumstances.... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Group, Boston Dynamics, Inc. and SoftBank Group Corp. announced the completion of Hyundai’s acquisition of a controlling interest in Boston Dynamics from SoftBank, following the receipt of regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The deal valued the mobile robot firm at $1.1 billion. Additional financial details were... Read more →

Porsche is investing a high double-digit-million amount in its new joint venture company Cellforce Group GmbH. Porsche and joint venture partner Customcells, a spin-off from Fraunhofer, also announced the launch of production of high-performance battery cells at Porsche’s Weissach Development Center. The new high-performance cells use silicon as the anode... Read more →

Origin Materials launched its Net Zero Automotive Program with Ford Motor Company. The Net Zero Automotive Program is a sustainable automotive supply chain initiative focused on industrializing new materials to drive decarbonization in the automotive industry. Origin Materials has developed technology which turns sustainable wood residues into cost-advantaged, carbon-negative materials... Read more →

Volkswagen is pressing ahead with the use of 3D printers in car production. For the first time, binder jetting is being used to manufacture components at the company’s main plant in Wolfsburg, Germany. (earlier post) Whereas conventional 3D printing uses a laser to build a component layer by layer from... Read more →

The BMW Group is beginning to test near-standard vehicles with a hydrogen fuel cell drive train in everyday conditions on European roads. Prototypes of the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT will examine how effectively the CO2-free drive train, model-specific chassis technology and vehicle electronics systems work together under real-life conditions. The... Read more →

Mazda Motor Corporation announced its new technology and product development plans, which include the introduction of a dedicated EV platform—SKYACTIV EV Scalable Architecture—in 2025, which can be adapted for various vehicle sizes and body types. Mazda has been continuously enhancing its internal combustion engines (SKYACTIV-X and new straight-six engines) and... Read more →

General Motors and Liebherr-Aerospace will join forces to develop a hydrogen fuel cell power generation demonstrator system for aircraft. The two companies will explore possiblities to develop an integrated system, customized to the performance and economic requirements of commercial aircraft. The construction and testing of this demonstrator—based, in part, on... Read more →

Electric cars do not emit carbon on the road, but the generation of electricity also produces carbon emissions—far more when the power is generated from fossil fuels than from renewable energy sources. Audi is thus partnering with energy providers to support the expansion of renewable energy sources in Europe. The... Read more →

As part of the THINKTANK Industrial Resource Strategies, researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have been working with Audi on the pilot project “Chemical Recycling of plastics from automotive manufacturing.” The results of the project indicated that the chemical recycling of mixed plastic waste is both technically feasible... Read more →

General Motors will increase its EV and AV investments from 2020 through 2025 to $35 billion, representing a 75% increase from its initial commitment announced prior to the pandemic. We are investing aggressively in a comprehensive and highly-integrated plan to make sure that GM leads in all aspects of the... Read more →

Lincoln will debut its first global fully electric vehicle next year, the first step toward electrifying its entire portfolio of vehicles by the end of the decade. The new electric vehicle will debut as the brand celebrates its 100th anniversary next year and accelerates growth in North America and China.... Read more →

Volvo Cars is teaming up with Swedish steel maker SSAB to jointly explore the development of fossil-free, high-quality steel for use in the automotive industry. The collaboration makes Volvo Cars the first carmaker to work with SSAB and its HYBRIT initiative (earlier post), the steel industry’s most ambitious and advanced... Read more →

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is developing a prototype hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) based on the new Land Rover Defender, with testing scheduled to begin this year. The FCEV concept is part of Jaguar Land Rover’s aim to achieve zero tailpipe emissions by 2036, and net-zero carbon emissions across... Read more →

Lexus announced the world premiere of the all-new NX, the first model of Lexus’ next-generation range. Under the “Lexus Electrified” initiative, the new NX accelerates the proliferation of electrified models by being Lexus’ first Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV); the NX is also offered as a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV).... Read more →