Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Alabama (TMMAL) held an event to mark the first of Toyota’s latest engine products for the all-new 2022 Tundra (earlier post) to come off the production line. These new engines, a hybrid electric powered twin-turbo V6 engine and the gas-powered twin-turbo V6 engine, usher in the next... Read more →

BMW i Ventures has invested in Michigan-based battery startup Our Next Energy Inc. (ONE) as part of a $25-million Series A capital raise led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures. The round was also joined by Assembly Ventures, Flex and Volta Energy Technologies. ONE is working to develop longer range, lower cost... Read more →

Ford announced that it intends to invest up to £230 million (US$316 million) at its Halewood vehicle transmission facility to transform it to build electric power units for future Ford all-electric passenger and commercial vehicles sold in Europe. Halewood will be Ford’s first electric vehicle component in-house assembly site in... Read more →

Toyota will invest approximately $3.4 billion (¥380 billion) in automotive batteries in the United States through 2030. Specifically, the investment is for developing and localizing automotive battery production, including those for battery electric vehicles, and is part of the global total of approximately $13.5 billion (¥1.5 trillion) set aside for... Read more →

Stellantis and LG Energy Solution have entered into a memorandum of understanding to form a joint venture to produce battery cells and modules for North America. The parties intend that the joint venture will establish a new battery manufacturing facility that will help power Stellantis’ goal of realizing more than... Read more →

Honda last week held a virtual press conference on its electrification strategy in China. During the conference, the company announced its new environmental and safety initiatives and also held the world premiere of two planned production models and three concept models of Honda-brand electric vehicles. All new models Honda will... Read more →

VinFast, the Vietnam-based automotive manufacturer established in 2017, announced the global premiere of the company’s new EVs—VF e35 and VF e36—at the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show 19-28 November 2021. The VF e35 and VF e36 electric SUV models are in the D and E market segments, respectively. These two... Read more →

Honda plans to apply the next generation of its advanced suite of safety and driver-assistive technologies—Honda Sensing 360—to all new Honda and Acura models in the US by 2030. With an expanded sensory range around the entire vehicle, Honda Sensing 360 removes blind spots to enhance collision avoidance, while also... Read more →

Renault Group and Finland-based metals producer Terrafame have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the future supply of nickel sulfate. With this agreement, Renault Group will secure a significant annual supply of nickel sulfate from Terrafame, representing up to 15 GWh of annual capacity. The cooperation will start by... Read more →

Nissan and its affiliate Autech announced the start of sales of the Note Autech Crossover in Japan. The new Note Autech Crossover is based on the compact Nissan Note and comes exclusively with Nissan’s e-POWER electrified powertrain, a key part of the company’s electrification strategy under the Nissan NEXT global... Read more →

In Hiroshima, Mazda Motor Corporation announced plans to expand its SUV lineup globally starting from 2022. The new models will include the Mazda CX-50 to be produced in its new US plant, as well as models in our Large Product group, including the Mazda CX-60, Mazda CX-70, Mazda CX-80 and... Read more →

General Motors unveiledUltra Cruise, an all-new, advanced driver-assistance technology and significant next step in the company’s quest to enable its goal of zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion. Designed to ultimately enable hands-free driving in 95% of all driving scenarios, Ultra Cruise eventually can be used on every paved... Read more →

General Motors and GE Renewable Energy signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to evaluate opportunities to improve supplies of heavy and light rare earth materials and magnets, copper and electrical steel used for manufacturing of electric vehicles and renewable energy equipment. The initial focus of the collaboration will be... Read more →

General Motors announced the Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center, an all-new facility that will significantly expand the company's battery technology operations and accelerate development and commercialization of longer range, more affordable electric vehicle batteries. The Wallace Center will be located on the campus of GM’s Global Technical Center in Warren,... Read more →

Eighteen months after start of construction of its intelligent satellite production and testing center in Taizhou, China, Geely Technology Group has begun mass production of commercial satellites. The first set of low-orbit satellites rolled off the production line, marking a new milestone in Geely’s advancement into the commercial aerospace sector.... Read more →

Tesla reported that it produced approximately 238,000 vehicles and delivered more than 240,000 in Q3 2021—the vast majority of which were Model 3/Y. The results exceeded most analysts expectations for the quarter. Production % Deliveries % Model S/X 8,941 3.8% 9,275 3.8% Model 3/Y 228,882 96.2% 232,025 96.2% Tesla will... Read more →

General Motors plans to source 100% renewable energy to power its US sites by 2025—five years earlier than previously announced, and 25 years ahead of its initial target that was set in 2016. By accelerating its renewable energy goal, GM aims to avoid 1 million metric tons of carbon emissions... Read more →

Honda Motor outlined the technology development direction the company is currently pursuing for the challenges Honda is taking on in new areas while leveraging its core technologies. These new areas include an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL); an avatar robot to expand the range of human ability; and... Read more →

General Motors announced Ultifi, an end-to-end software platform that it says will unlock new vehicle experiences and connect customers’ digital lives. Ultifi will help enable the frequent and seamless delivery of software-defined features, apps and services to customers over the air. It offers the potential for more cloud-based services, faster... Read more →

Nissan has expanded its Michigan-based engineering center, Nissan Technical Center North America (NTCNA), with a more than $40-million Safety Advancement Lab for vehicle safety testing. The new lab brings more efficiency to the vehicle development process and furthers Nissan’s goal of reaching a future with virtually zero fatalities. The Safety... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Group is opening the 2021 EV Open Innovation Challenge following the successful completion of the EV and Battery Challenge launched in 2020 (earlier post). The 2021 EV Open Innovation Challenge is a program to facilitate collaboration with startups on various projects related to charging infrastructure and service solutions... Read more →

Ford Motor Company will build two new massive, environmentally and technologically advanced campuses in Tennessee and Kentucky that will produce the next generation of electric F-Series trucks and the batteries to power future electric Ford and Lincoln vehicles. Three new BlueOvalSK battery plants—two at the Kentucky mega-site and one in... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz is taking an equity stake in European battery cell manufacturer Automotive Cells Company (ACC) to scale up development and production of next-generation high-performance battery cells and modules. Mercedes-Benz announced in July that it will be ready to go fully electric by the end of the decade wherever market conditions... Read more →

General Motors will invest $300 million in China-based Momenta to accelerate the development of next-generation self-driving technologies for future GM vehicles in China. Momenta has pioneered a scalable path toward full autonomous driving by combining a data-driven approach with iterating algorithms—referred to as its “flywheel approach”—as well as a “two-leg”... Read more →

Just weeks after Lotus confirmed it will be launching a new family of EV performance cars, it has revealed the new lightweight chassis technology that will underpin the electric sports car in the range. The new structure has been developed through Project LEVA (Lightweight Electric Vehicle Architecture), announced last October... Read more →

Ford Motor Company and Redwood Materials are collaborating to build out battery recycling and a domestic battery supply chain for electric vehicles. Ford and Redwood’s goal is to make electric vehicles more sustainable, drive down the cost for batteries, and ultimately help make electric vehicles accessible and affordable for more... Read more →

At the 2021 Mackinac Policy Conference, General Motors President Mark Reuss revealed GM’s group of three all-new motors that will power its Ultium-based EVs. Designed by GM, the 180kW front-drive motor, 255kW rear- and front-drive motor and 62kW all-wheel drive assist motor are part of Ultium Drive. All three motors... Read more →

General Motors outlined an action plan to address the battery combustion issue afflicting the Bolt EV lineup. (Earlier post.) The action plan includes both hardware and software remedies, some of which are in place with immediate effect. LG battery plants in Holland and Hazel Park, Michigan, have resumed production. In... Read more →

Honda announced an initial annual sales target of 70,000 units for the Prologue SUV, Honda’s first new volume battery-electric vehicle (BEV), when it goes on sale in 2024. Following the launch of Prologue, Honda-brand electrified vehicle sales will be boosted by the introduction of additional vehicles based on a new... Read more →

The first Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck pre-production units have begun leaving the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center; the all-electric F-150 Lightning goes on sale next spring. With 150,000 reservations for F-150 Lightning to date, Ford said it is investing an additional $250 million in the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center,... Read more →

Porsche and Siemens Energy have joined forces with a number of international companies to build an industrial plant for the production of nearly CO₂-neutral fuel (eFuel) in Punta Arenas, Chile. A pilot plant is initially being built north of Punta Arenas in Chilean Patagonia, which is expected to produce around... Read more →

Honda will start a testing program for autonomous vehicles in September 2021, taking a step toward an autonomous vehicle mobility service (MaaS) business in Japan, which Honda is planning to launch under collaboration with Cruise and General Motors. The testing program for autonomous vehicles mobility service technologies will be conducted... Read more →

In a livestreamed briefing on batteries and carbon neutrality, Toyota Chief Technology Officer Masahiko Maeda said that the company will invest ¥1.5 trillion (US$14.3 billion) in the development of a battery supply system and research and development by 2030. Toyota currently assumes it will go beyond the 180 GWh worth... Read more →

In an online event from Seoul, Hyundai Motor Group presented plans to popularize hydrogen by 2040 through the introduction of new technologies and mobility solutions in transportation and other industrial sectors. The Group said it will electrify all new commercial vehicle models—featuring fuel cell electric or battery electric powertrains, as... Read more →

Genesis announced its vision for electrification with the live stream release of its vision statement film, “Futuring Genesis”. Under the dual electrification strategy, all new vehicles will be purely electric starting from 2025 with fuel cell EVs and battery EVs. Genesis plans to become a 100% zero emission vehicle brand... Read more →

Volkswagen is now offering car subscriptions for the ID.3 and ID.4 EVs in Germany with the launch of the Volkswagen AutoAbo subscription model. Customers can take out a monthly subscription, starting at €499 for the ID.3. This will enable us to achieve a key milestone in our Business Model 2.0.... Read more →

Foretellix, a platform provider automating the testing, verification and validation for automated driving systems (ADAS and AV), has secured $32 million in its latest series B funding round, bringing its total raised capital to more than $50 million. The round was led by MoreTech Ventures, with participation from several strategic... Read more →

In cooperation with Vodafone, Porsche has entered the 5G era at its Weissach Development Center. Real-time mobile communications will now be available with immediate effect for vehicle development at the site. The new technology will ensure the secure and instantaneous transmission of data between car, human and machine. At the... Read more →

Volkswagen is intensifying its e-offensive in China as part of its ACCELERATE strategy. The ID.3 will also be available on the world’s largest market for e-mobility from the fourth quarter. The compact car made its Chinese premiere at the Chengdu Motor Show. After the ID.4 and the ID.6, we are... Read more →

Geely’s Zeekr electric vehicle brand (earlier post) has raised $500 million in Pre-A funding from five strategic partners: Intel Capital; CATL; Bilibili; Cathay Fortune Group; and Boyu Capital. Intel is the leading investor amongst all five partners. The Zeekr brand is owned jointly by Geely Automobile Holding Ltd. and Zhejiang... Read more →

Ford Performance is offering the “Eluminator Mac E Electric Motor” as an electric crate engine, along with the dozens of combustion crate engines available. The Eluminator, which carries a price of $3,900, is from the 2021 Mustang Mach-E GT. Specs include: Peak power: 210 kW (281 hp) Peak torque: 430... Read more →

Aiming to gain a competitive advantage in the global EV market, Vietnam-based EV maker VinFast has been developing a number of partnerships with developers of advanced battery technologies. VinFast is collaborating with Israeli StoreDot, a company developing extreme fast charging (XFC) technology that allows the battery to charge to 80%... Read more →

The 2022 Mazda MX-30 EV—the first step toward the brand’s commitment to electrification—will initially launch in California dealerships this fall with a starting price of $33,470. The front-wheel drive 80.9 kW electric motor will deliver an output of 107 kW (143 horsepower) and a maximum torque of 271 nm (200... Read more →

Chinese EV manufacturer XPeng signed an agreement with the Zhaoqing Municipal Government and the Zhaoqing High Technology Industry Development Zone to build the Phase Two expansion project of the XPeng Zhaoqing Smart EV Manufacturing Base located in Guangdong Province. Zhaoqing Xpeng Motors Intelligent Industrial Park Upon completion, the Phase Two... Read more →

General Motors and AT&T will bring 5G cellular connectivity to millions of GM vehicles coming off the assembly line over the next decade in the United States. GM and AT&T are working together to set the benchmark for automotive connectivity with a fifth-generation cellular network architecture to meet the needs... Read more →

Lincoln is introducing the new 2022 Navigator—the first Lincoln vehicle to offer ActiveGlide. An evolution of Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go, Lane Centering and Speed Sign Recognition, Lincoln ActiveGlide adds a new level of convenience for drivers. Signature blue light cues appear on the digital cluster and head-up display... Read more →

Nissan launched the Note Aura NISMO, sales of which are scheduled to start in Japan this autumn. The all-new Note Aura NISMO comes exclusively with Nissan’s e-POWER electrified powertrain (earlier post), a key part of the company’s electrification strategy under the Nissan NEXT global business transformation plan. e-POWER borrows from... Read more →

Lightning eMotors, a provider of specialty commercial electric vehicles for fleets, and Forest River, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway company and the largest shuttle bus manufacturer in North America, entered into a strategic partnership agreement to deploy up to 7,500 zero-emission shuttle buses. The agreement, with a potential estimated value of... Read more →

Audi has unveiled the first member of a new family of concept vehicles, the skysphere roadster. With it, the brand is illustrating its vision for the progressive luxury segment of the future. This is being made possible thanks to autonomous driving, a redesign of the interior, and a seamless digital... Read more →

Renault Group and Geely Holding Group, China’s largest privately-owned automotive group, announced an MoU framework agreement to create a cooperation focused on China and South Korea as initial key core markets. The cooperation will allow Renault Group and Geely Holding to share resources and technologies. The focus will be on... Read more →