AUDI AG plans a total investment of approximately €35 billion, in spite of a difficult business environment, to 2025. Some €17 billion of that, amounting to half of the investment sum, is allocated to future technologies alone. Audi has earmarked approximately €15 billion for electromobility and hybridization, thus underlining the... Read more →

Daimler Truck AG and Beiqi Foton Motor Co., Ltd. jointly announced that both partners will produce and distribute Mercedes-Benz tractors for an advanced market segment in China. Based on Daimler Trucks’ global platform strategy, the companies’ joint venture Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive Co., Ltd. (BFDA) will localize new heavy-duty tractor... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Group has unveiled its new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), a dedicated battery electric vehicle (BEV) platform. Revealed online during an ‘E-GMP Digital Discovery’ event, the platform will serve as the core technology for Hyundai Motor Group’s next-generation BEV line-up. From 2021, the E-GMP will underpin a range of... Read more →

General Motors Co. announced it has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Nikola Corporation for a global supply agreement to provide GM’s Hydrotec fuel cell system for Nikola’s Class 7/8 semi-trucks. The MoU replaces the previous agreement announced 8 September 2020. (Earlier post.) At that time, Nikola and GM... Read more →

SEAT continues to expand its range of electrified vehicles, as the SEAT Tarraco e-HYBRID enters production this week. The plug-in hybrid version of the brand’s flagship delivers a maximum power of 245PS (180kW), making it the most powerful Tarraco produced to date. With a 13 kWh lithium-ion battery back, it... Read more →

Volkswagen Group of America opened a large electric vehicle charge park at the Innovation and Engineering Center California (IECC) – Silicon Valley Campus. In addition to 11 existing charging stations on campus, a total of 51 new charging stations are now fully operable on the property and accessible to the... Read more →

Volkswagen Group Components is the central supplier for the first models of the new Volkswagen ID. family and numerous other Group brand models based on the modular electric drive matrix (MEB). Volkswagen Group Components contributes around 40% of the overall added value of the first fully electric SUV by the... Read more →

ŠKODA AUTO has begun series production of the electric ENYAQ iV at its main plant in Mladá Boleslav. The battery-electric SUV is the first ŠKODA series production model based on the Volkswagen Group’s Modular Electrification Toolkit (MEB). (Earlier post.) The ENYAQ iV is ŠKODA’s first series-production model that was designed... Read more →

Volkswagen Group Logistics will be using certified fuel from vegetable residues for certain new car shipments via marine routes. The fuel is produced from materials such as used oil from restaurants and the food industry. The first car freighter was refueled for the first time with this oil in mid-November... Read more →

Audi has presented the new e-tron FE07 that has been developed by Audi Sport, with a new Audi MGU05 motor-generator unit. The electric racing car, with an all-new electric powertrain that was developed in-house for the first time, will make its debut on the race track during the test in... Read more →

SEAT has invested more than €30 million in recent years to create the most advanced powertrain test center in southern Europe. The facilities are equipped with nine multi-energy test benches, which enable different types of tests to be carried out on internal combustion, electric, hybrid and CNG engines, with the... Read more →

Volkswagen’s new Arteon and Arteon Shooting Brake are available in Europe as plug-in hybrid models. Prices in Germany start from €51,064.37 (US$60,800) for the Arteon eHybrid with a hatchback and from €51,927.06 (US$61,900) for the Arteon Shooting Brake eHybrid. Volkswagen now offers the Golf, Tiguan, Passat, Passat Estate, Arteon, Arteon... Read more →

Nissan launched the all-new Note compact car in Japan, with sales planned to begin 23 December. The new Note will come exclusively with Nissan’s e-POWER electrified powertrain (earlier post). As the company’s best-selling model in its home market, the car continues to play a key role in the Nissan NEXT... Read more →

Groupe Renault is creating the REFACTORY in Flins, the first European circular economy site dedicated to mobility. By 2030, it will employ more than 3,000 people in dedicated professions. The implementation of this industrial and commercial ecosystem will take place gradually between 2021 and 2024, replacing the production of new... Read more →

A large number of components in automobiles are made from plastics; these have to meet exacting safety, heat-resistance and quality requirements. That is why, so far, only petroleum-based materials have been suitable for manufacturing plastic components in automobiles that are subjected to particularly intensive wear. Such materials are not recyclable... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Company and INEOS signed a memorandum of understanding to explore new opportunities to accelerate the global hydrogen economy. Hyundai and INEOS will jointly investigate opportunities for the production and supply of hydrogen as well as the worldwide deployment of hydrogen applications and technologies. Both companies will initially seek... Read more →

Daimler AG and Geely Holding, the respective parent companies of Mercedes-Benz AG and Volvo Cars, plan to collaborate on developing highly efficient powertrain systems for next-generation hybrid vehicle applications. The companies expect to work together on hybrid powertrain solutions to enhance their global competitiveness and create economies of scale. Areas... Read more →

General Motors Co. Chairman and CEO Mary Barra said that the company will offer 30 all-electric models globally by mid-decade; 40% of the company’s US entries will be battery electric vehicles by the end of 2025. Barra also announced an increase in GM’s financial commitment to EVs and AVs (autonomous... Read more →

With the rapid expansion of Scania’s electrified range of trucks, buses and engines, the company plans to, over several years, invest more than 1 billion SEK (US$116 million) in a battery assembly plant in Södertälje, Sweden. The initial step is a 18,000-square meter facility and the construction will start early... Read more →

The BMW Group is speeding up the shift towards electromobility and strengthening its global network for production of electrified vehicles. The company is investing €400 million in a new vehicle assembly at the main plant in Munich. The new assembly in Munich will be built on the site currently used... Read more →

GM is launching OnStar Insurance. GM’s new insurance agency, OnStar Insurance Services, will be the exclusive agent for OnStar Insurance. OnStar Insurance Services intends to leverage its unique understanding of the vehicles GM produces to offer a secure, fair, personalized and easy-to-use digital insurance experience for drivers. We aim to... Read more →

The MINI brand presented the MINI Vision Urbanaut—a digital concept vehicle intended to provide an example of MINI’s possible future directions. MINI sees its future self primarily as an enabler of and companion for unforgettable times—what we might call ‘MINI moments’. The MINI Vision Urbanaut uses three curated MINI moments—“Chill”,... Read more →

The second-generation Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV), which made its debut in 2019 at the Los Angeles Auto Show, will arrive in US dealerships—in California and Hawaii—in December. With a significant change in styling, this Mirai will offer multiple grades for the first time—XLE and Limited—and is based... Read more →

Toyota’s Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) announced four new research projects focused on enhancing advanced technology system designs to be intuitive, easy to understand and to safely engage with drivers. The new projects will be undertaken in partnership with University of Michigan, Miami University, University of Nebraska, Texas Transportation Institute... Read more →

FCA Italy S.p.A. (FCA), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V., and ENGIE EPS, an Italian technology player in energy storage and e-mobility, have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at creating a Joint Venture to become a leader in the European e-Mobility landscape. The JV would rely... Read more →

With time still to go before expected US market launch in early 2022, and with the series development phase ongoing, BMW provided a first look ahead at the future BMW iX. With its completely newly developed design, the electric BMW iX is the first representative of a generation of cars... Read more →

Hyundai committed to offer ten electrified vehicles by the end of 2022, including seven SUVs and three car models. This product blitz includes eco solutions for many of Hyundai’s current products as well as all-new models, such as the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6. Product details for these Hyundai models... Read more →

Ford Motor Company announced that its Kansas City Assembly Plant will build the all-new E-Transit van, part of a more than $3.2 billion investment in Ford’s North American manufacturing facilities to produce a series of new electric vehicles for commercial and retail customers. The new E-Transit will join the all-electric... Read more →

Volkswagen of America marked the start of construction of its Battery Engineering Lab at its Chattanooga Engineering and Planning Center. The approximately $22-million facility will test and validate electric vehicle cells and battery packs for the North American region. The new lab will join Volkswagen Chattanooga’s under-construction 564,000 square-foot electric... Read more →

Hyundai announced a sustained product blitz of 12 new and enhanced SUVs continuing through the 2021 calendar year. The fresh pipeline of new SUV products will include new and refined internal combustion, hybrid, plug-in, BEV and N performance models. These models include the Tucson, Santa Fe, Kona, Santa Cruz and... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Group and NVIDIA announced the roll-out of the NVIDIA DRIVE connected car platform across all new models from Hyundai, Kia and Genesis from 2022 onwards. From entry-level to premium vehicles, all future models will feature in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems powered by NVIDIA DRIVE as standard. NVIDIA DRIVE includes... Read more →

China-based EV maker NIO launched its 100 kWh battery together with battery upgrade plans. With more than 300 patents filed and gained, the 100 kWh battery features CTP (cell to pack) technology, realizing 37% higher energy density. Powered by the 100 kWh battery, the NEDC range of NIO models can... Read more →

As part of its newly announced 30-year environmental plan, Mitsubishi Motors (MMC) says that it will raise the proportion of electrified vehicles in its total sales—with a focus on its plug-in hybrids) to 50% by 2030. The plan, which represents a medium- to long-term perspective, comprises three parts: MMC’s Environmental... Read more →

Volvo Cars says that it is making significant investments that allow for the in-house design and development of electric motors for the next generation of Volvo models, as the company continues to move towards becoming a fully electric car maker. The company has opened a new electric motor lab in... Read more →

The Volvo Group and Daimler Truck AG have now a signed binding agreement for a joint venture to develop, produce and commercialize fuel-cell systems for use in heavy-duty trucks as the primary focus, as well as other applications. (Earlier post.) The joint venture will develop a system with several power... Read more →

The Nikkei reports that Nissan will switch all models sold in China to either electric or hybrid vehicles by 2025. The move follows an announcement that China will require all new vehicles sold in 2035 to be “eco-friendly.” Nissan will introduce nine models in China by 2025 that will either... Read more →

The Volvo Group and Isuzu Motors signed binding agreements to form a strategic alliance within commercial vehicles in order to capture the opportunities in the ongoing industry transformation, in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding signed in December 2019. The agreements include Isuzu Motor’s acquisition of UD Trucks from the... Read more →

Ford’s hands-free Active Drive Assist feature will arrive first on 2021 F-150 and 2021 Mustang Mach-E, included as standard on certain models or as relatively affordable option on others, with both vehicles becoming available to customers in late 2020. Ford expects to sell more than 100,000 F-150 and Mustang Mach-E... Read more →

At SEMA360, Chevrolet will showcase a 1977 K5 Blazer converted to all-electric propulsion. The K5 Blazer-E is a functional proof of concept of the upcoming Electric Connect and Cruise package Chevrolet Performance plans to sell in the second half of 2021. During the virtual event, Chevrolet Performance will survey SEMA... Read more →

TRATON SE (formerly Volkswagen Truck & Bus) and Hino Motors, Ltd. signed a joint venture agreement for e-mobility in order to plan and provide e-mobility products that will be based on the two companies’ strategic partnership. (Earlier post.) TRATON and Hino will combine their unique strengths to develop electric vehicles... Read more →

Audi of America is among the first in the automotive industry to implement an internal carbon price program as a key initiative in the brand’s pursuit of lower CO2 emissions. This is part of the global commitment Audi has made to lower its carbon footprint by 30% by 2025, and... Read more →

Li-ion battery provider Octillion Power Systems is working with the reborn FNM (now Fábrica Nacional de Mobilidades) in Brazil to produce battery-electric trucks; FNM has selected Octillion as the official battery supplier for the coming lineup. Octillion will open a local battery factory inside FNM’s facility to lower manufacturing and... Read more →

Ballard Power Systems has signed definitive agreements—in the form of Amendments to the existing Technology Development Agreement and a Patent License Agreement—with Audi related to the non-binding Memorandum of Understanding previously announced in a press release on 14 September 2020, thereby expanding Ballard’s right to use the FCgen-HPS product, a... Read more →

The British premium automobile manufacturer MINI is realigning its model range, with a focus on drivetrain technologies, vehicle segments and services of the future. Core elements of the realignment include the expansion of electromobility; enhanced commitment in the crossover and premium compact segments; and strengthening of the market position in... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz AG and Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings plc announced a new strategic technology agreement and an enhanced partnership. The new agreement will see Mercedes-Benz AG grant access to a range of advanced Mercedes-Benz technologies, including next generation hybrid and electric powertrains, as well as other vehicle components and systems.... Read more →

Daimler Trucks and Waymo have signed a broad, global, strategic partnership to deploy autonomous SAE L4 technology. Their initial effort will combine Waymo’s automated driver technology with a unique version of Daimler’s Freightliner Cascadia to enable autonomous driving. The partnership is Daimler’s second in this area. In March 2019, Daimler... Read more →

SEAT has created its first multimodal mobility platform as a service through its SEAT:CODE software development center. This platform is the first software product developed and marketed by the company in order to operate and manage vehicle fleets 100% digitally. SEAT MÓ has been the first operator to use this... Read more →

The BMW Group and Daimler Mobility AG are transferring the business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) business of their joint subsidiary moovel Group GmbH to Mobimeo GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn. At the same time, the two shareholders are focusing the moovel Group’s market presence on the existing offering... Read more →

General Motors Co. announced today that its Spring Hill, Tennessee assembly plant will begin the transition to become the company’s third vehicle manufacturing site to produce electric vehicles, joining Factory ZERO in Detroit and Hamtramck, Michigan, and Orion Assembly in Orion Township, Michigan. In addition, the company is confirming investments... Read more →

Since September 2015, the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) has been working with the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) as a Connected Vehicle Pilot site. The next step in the Connected Vehicle space is to begin working with the auto industry manufacturers. To that end, THEA is proud to... Read more →