Category: Automotive News

CEO Edward Hightower still sees hope in the long shot of Lordstown Motors

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While success was undoubtedly a long shot, he saw a path: Minimize the need for capital, put together a team focused on R&D and technical aspects around bringing an EV to market, while partnering with a strong manufacturing company with twice the revenue of Tesla and global supply chain prowess. “I had to keep the team focused on the task at hand because we had and I believe we still have … a compelling market opportunity for this business model that we were creating.” The approach was two-pronged. The obvious part was launching the Endurance pickup to prove it could…
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Two researchers die after EU-funded hybrid car explodes in Italy

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ROME — Two people have died after a hybrid car prototype that was being developed and tested with European Union funds blew up last week in the southern Italian city of Naples. The Life-Save project aims to turn cars with conventional combustion engines into hybrid vehicles, running at least partially on solar energy. One vehicle equipped with the experimental technology caught fire last Friday, seriously injuring the two people who were on board. Maria Vittoria Prati, a researcher at Italy’s National Council of Research (CNR), died of complications from third-degree burns on Monday. The other occupant, research apprentice Fulvio Filace,…
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Car dealerships, automakers target of new Impel Chat AI software

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Chat AI is designed in part to integrate with existing dealership management systems, including those from CDK Global Inc., Reynolds and Reynolds, Cox Automotive Inc.’s Dealertrack and Tekion, Daly said. CDK Global confirmed to Automotive News that the tool can be integrated, while Reynolds and Reynolds said Impel’s tool is going though its certification process. Daly said Chat AI can also be woven directly into dealership websites. Additionally, Chat AI will be offered with Impel’s AI-driven digital engagement platform, which relies on proprietary shopper behavioral data and generative conversational AI technology to bring more personalized interactions to an auto customer…
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Investing in a New Windshield Offers Clear Visibility

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Making sure that you can see clearly when behind the wheels of a vehicle is essential to keep yourself and your passengers safe. A new windshield installation can be a practical way to ensure the best visibility and to reduce the risk of accidents for yourself, your family, and friends when driving in Tampa, FL. Why Clear Visibility Matters Poor visibility is responsible for thousands of automobile accidents each year. While cracked or distorted windshields are not to blame for all these accidents, the lack of visibility caused by damage to your windshield can put you and your passengers at…
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Hyundai is undecided where it will expand EV manufacturing; Canada ‘on the list’

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Romano said Hyundai has had “a lot” of such conversations with the government. And while Hyundai’s focus is on Georgia today, the US $5.5 billion plant, going up northwest of Savannah, is unlikely to produce enough vehicles to meet the government’s EV targets on its own, he added. This need for a larger North American footprint could lead Hyundai to Canada, said Sam Fiorani, vice-president of global vehicle forecasting at US-based AutoForecast Solutions. “Canada is now pushing for an EV future. It makes a lot of sense to piggyback off of the battery plants and the technology, and the good…
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Tesla’s 20-year transformation of the auto industry

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“Over time we should cover all areas. It would probably make sense to develop a compact car as well as a van or minivan,” Musk said in September 2020 in a – rare – interview with Automotive News Europe sister publication Automobilwoche. Meanwhile, the model plans have progressed further, but there is a lack of concrete statements, especially on the compact model. Breaking conventions The reasons for the success of the company, which is 20 years old on July 1, are well known and widely discussed. Musk broke with industry conventions from the start. All-electric drive, central control architecture, smart…
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Port of Vancouver strike would affect auto retail

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BCMEA, which represents a range of port employers, including terminal operating companies and shipping agents, said the notice was a “regrettable development” after months of talks. The previous collective agreement between the labor union and employer expired March 31. BCMEA said it would remain engaged with the union through the federal mediation process “with the desire of reaching a fair and balanced deal at the table that keeps our ports stable and goods flowing for Canadians.” Grain shipments will continue to move, even if ILWU members walk out July 1, but servicing of vessels used by all other industries, including…
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Lithium iron phosphate curbs the battery gap with nickel, cobalt

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Battery expert Lukasz Bednarski, author of the 2021 book “Lithium: The Global Race for Battery Dominance and the New Energy Revolution,” believes automakers’ interest in building lower-priced EVs could be one of the drivers behind LFP’s rising popularity. “LFP provides good enough performance at a lower cost, which makes it an attractive proposition for EVs for the middle class,” he said. Bednarski added that the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provides incentives “for the development of the whole battery chain (with no) preference for LFP chemistry.” Rising investment in LFP manufacturing facilities in the United States is coming not just…
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