Tag: auto current events

Tesla cuts prices in Germany, France to boost demand

By on
BERLIN — Tesla’s latest price reductions in Europe were made possible because of a scaling up and improvement in its production capacity, the company said. Tesla cut prices in European markets including Germany and France on Friday, with all versions of the Model 3, Model S, and Model X selling for lower prices as well as the Model Y Performance. “Our mission is to accelerate the transition to renewable energy. Our master plan has set a clear pathway to achieve that mission: the transformation of cost-intensive small-series products to cheaper mass-series vehicles,” Tesla said in a statement. In Germany, Tesla…
Continue reading

Reynolds and Reynolds acquires Canada’s DealerCorp Solutions

By on
Retail technology company Reynolds and Reynolds has acquired DealerCorp Solutions of Markham, Ont., after a successful test run as a software partner. The deal was announced April 3. Financial terms were not disclosed. DealerCorp Solutions is a software company with a focus on developing cloud applications for the auto industry in Canada. The new deal builds on a partnership that began in August 2021, when DealerCorp allowed Reynolds to become a licensed reseller of DealerCorp’s product, deskit The program is a digital retailing tool allowing dealers to present sales and F&I options on any screen, including wall-mounted screens, kiosks, tablets…
Continue reading

Where Ford will slash jobs in Europe

By Didi on
Workers were told to expect concrete numbers of job losses from the automaker in mid-February, according to Cologne’s daily paper, the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger. Industrial action threats Ford’s plans triggered a union threat of Europe-wide disruption. “If negotiations between the works council and management in coming weeks do not ensure the future of workers, we will join the process. We will not hold back from measures that could seriously impact the company not just in Germany but Europe-wide,” IG Metal said. Ford of Europe produces, sells and services Ford brand vehicles in 50 markets, employing around 45,000 people at its own…
Continue reading

Nio joins Tesla in cutting prices and ends free battery swapping

By on
Nio has been offering the battery swapping service for free at least four times per month to existing owners. It is among only a handful of EV makers betting on battery swapping as a way to power electric cars. Rival Tesla dismissed battery swapping as “riddled with problems and not suitable for widescale use.” Nio said in February it would accelerate the expansion of its battery swapping network with a plan to build 1,000 swapping stations in China this year to bring the total number of such sites to 2,300 by year-end. The money-losing company’s investments in battery swapping stations,…
Continue reading

Expert Insights: The Future of Connected Vehicles and Customer Experiences

By on
Q: What types of experiences are on the horizon that will be supported through connected or software-defined vehicles? Macleod: As digitally fueled car sales increase, vehicles are also becoming more connected. By the end of the decade, it is estimated that connected cars — cars that can communicate and share data with a variety of systems both inside and outside the vehicle — will make up about 95% of all new vehicles sold around the world. Layering web-based and location-based data, for example, a car will be able to alert a hungry driver that a favorite fast-food dining spot is…
Continue reading

Gentex auto supplier hit by ransomware attack

By on
According to TechTarget, a Dunghill operator reached out with a link to what the group claims is 5 terabytes of sensitive corporate data from Gentex, including client documents and personal employee information. The report indicated Dunghill posted the stolen information on the dark web as well as shared data with unspecified foreign and domestic manufacturers after Gentex “refused to cooperate.” Threats against companies in the manufacturing industry have become more prevalent and more costly as of late. According to an annual report from IBM, the cost of a data breach for the industrial sector — which includes chemical, engineering and…
Continue reading