Category: Automotive News

Construction of Stellantis EV battery module plant remains at stand still

By on May 23, 2023

Ford said May 19 that his government would offer more support. “I will confirm we’re putting more money on the table,” he said after an unrelated announcement in St. Catharines, Ont. “This is all about saving jobs and giving people the quality of life they deserve in southwestern Ontario.” The premier wouldn’t provide details on the additional amount of funding the province is prepared to provide. A Stellantis spokesperson on May 23 said the company has “no new comments or statements at this time.” “Construction remains stopped for the module building.” The plant, expected to employ 2,500 people and slated…

Consider This Before Repairing Your Windshield

By on May 22, 2023

Does your windshield currently have a crack, chip, or some sort of break? While you may not believe the damage is too significant right now, it can turn into a real problem for your safety. As such, windshield repair and replacement are important and should be pursued urgently. The skilled, friendly, and professional team at Lucky Dog Auto Glass has put together a list of questions for you to consider before choosing how to deal with windshield damage–take a look! How bad is the chip in the windshield? Yes, chips may seem small or, as stated above, insignificant, but they’re…

2024 Ford Ranger Raptor to boost ICE profits at little extra cost

By on May 21, 2023

“When you can get scale and engineering efficiencies through a lot of re-use of parts, you can really do a lot of things both from a business perspective and also from a customer perspective, making sure we’re bringing them new and exciting products ,” John Emmert, Ford’s general manager of North America trucks, told Automotive News. “A lot of our enthusiast products create a halo for the rest of the brand.” The Raptor line started as a skunkworks project on the 2010 F-150 that was well received by customers looking for off-road performance. Such buyers also exist in the midsize…

Polestar 3 electric crossover delayed again

By on May 20, 2023

Polestar now expects 2023 global sales volumes of 60,000 to 70,000, compared with its earlier forecast of about 80,000 units. Polestar delivered 51,491 units last year. “Given the tougher economic climate, it is difficult for us to compensate for the absence of the Polestar 3 volumes with an incremental Polestar 2 volume,” Polestar CFO Johan Malmqvist said on an earnings call Thursday. “That, coupled with high market uncertainties, led us to call down the volumes.” Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath said the volume forecast adjustment would also help the automaker protect the profit margin on the Polestar 2. “We are intent…

Insurers sue Hyundai and Kia over costs of easily hot-wired vehicles

By on May 19, 2023

The widespread theft of vulnerable older Hyundai and Kia models not equipped with a crucial anti-theft device could end up costing the US insurance industry up to $600 million. Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, American Family and 65 other auto insurers, which comprise only a fraction of the country’s insurance companies, estimate that just their portion of the payout to owners who have been affected by the social media-driven crime wave could top $300 million . The insurers, who filed a lawsuit in US District Court in Orange County, Calif., in March, say they have already paid out $190 million. They are…

Canada’s Linamar will ‘immediately’ break ground on new plant

By on May 18, 2023

Canadian auto supplier Linamar Corp. plans to break ground “immediately” on a new plant in Welland, Ont., that will house three giga-casting presses capable of producing very large aluminum structural parts for electric vehicles. The Guelph, Ont.-based parts supplier announced the new site in the city south of Niagara Falls as it reported its first-quarter earnings on Wednesday. Company CEO Linda Hasenfratz said the state-of-the-art plant will be a “flagship location” for the company’s structural castings business. “As the first supplier to invest in this equipment in North America, Linamar will naturally take a market leadership position in this technology,”…

Elon Musk has found a new Twitter CEO

By on May 17, 2023

Elon Musk said on Thursday he has found a new chief executive for Twitter without naming the person and that he will transition to the role of chief technology officer of the social media platform within the next few weeks. “Excited to announce that I’ve hired a new CEO for X/Twitter. She will be starting in ~6 weeks!,” Musk said in a tweet. The Wall StreetJournal first reported that Comcast NBCUniversal executive Linda Yaccarino was in talks for the job. Word came Thursday that Yaccarino will leave NBC following the reports. Musk has previously not named any prospective candidates, and…

France beats Germany, Netherlands to host the ProLogium battery plant

By on May 16, 2023

Macron, who personally met with ProLogium CEO Vincent Yang at the start of the vetting process, was due on Friday to officially announce in Dunkirk the 5.2-billion-euro ($5.7 billion) investment. Gilles Normand, ProLogium executive vice-president, said that after Macron, a former investment banker, pitched Yang more than a year ago Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire followed up and helped make the company’s case with the European Commission for EU financial incentives. “There was then the realization that there might be some interesting possibilities, which was maybe a little bit different from the clichés about France,” Normand told a small group…