Tag: automotive news data center

Audi, China’s SAIC agreed to EV tech tie-up

By on July 23, 2023

Audi and SAIC Motor Corp. have agreed to partner on electric-vehicle projects as the German premium brand seeks to catch up with rivals in the key EV market. Audi said on Thursday that it reached an agreement with state-owned SAIC in which the two companies will accelerate the electrification of their portfolio as China’s auto market rapidly shifts to EVs. Audi is under pressure to improve sales, especially in China and is reported to be seeking to use a platform owned by IM Motors, SAIC’s premium EV brands. Zu Sijie, SAIC’s chief engineer, told reporters on Thursday the automaker is…

Amazon deploys 5,000 Rivian vans

By on July 15, 2023

“To date, Amazon’s Rivian vans have delivered more than 150 million packages across the country,” Amazon said in a blog post Thursday. More than 800 cities now have the electric vans delivering packages, the retailer added. Amazon first deployed the EDV van about a year ago. For the US, the van comes in three cargo sizes: 500 cubic feet, 700 cubic feet and 900 cubic feet, according to Rivian. “This expansion marks a major milestone for Amazon as we continue to drive the fastest rollout of an electric delivery fleet at this scale in the US,” Amazon said. Since Rivian…

May sales up 13%, but remain well below pre-pandemic numbers

By on June 3, 2023

May marked just the second month of this year in which sales were up over 2021 totals, which were higher than 2022 totals in all but November and December of last year. DAC said that historically, May was more often than not the strongest sales month of the year over the previous decade. It took the sales crown eight times between 2010 and 2019. “The last three years have seen very different sales patterns, however, with the first the pandemic and then the semiconductor shortage, meaning that the traditional spring selling season failed to materialize,” the consultancy said in a…

The UK expects a deal on EU ‘rules of origin’ for EVs

By on May 30, 2023

The UK and the European Union will “soon” announce a solution on post-Brexit trading rules that automakers warn could lead to factory closures, Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said. “This is not a UK problem, it is an EU-UK problem. It works both ways,” Badenoch told Bloomberg on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha. “We should see an answer soon.” Stellantis this month warned that British car plants would close with the loss of thousands of jobs if the issue was not addressed. Ford called for post-Brexit EU trade requirements on rules of origin…

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…

$200 million GM EV parts plant slated for Auburn Hills, Mich.

By on April 30, 2023

GM plans to begin making the Chevy Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV at its Factory Zero in Detroit this year before adding the Orion plant as a second assembly site in 2024. Together, the two plants will give GM the ability to make 600,000 electric pickups a year. “General Motors has identified the former Palace of Auburn Hills site as a potential location for a supplier park to support its Orion Assembly Plant, which will be expanded to produce electric pickup trucks,” GM said in a statement. “The company is still determining the scope of work and which supplier…

Polestar will take over part of the old Saab plant to expand R&D

By on April 25, 2023

Polestar will take over part of Saab’s former car plant in Sweden to extend its R&D operations in Europe. The EV maker will conduct powertrain development for the Polestar 5, a Tesla Model S rival, and the Polestar 6 roadster at a 15,000-square-meter building in Trollhattan, Automotive News Europe sister publication Automobilwoche reported. Polestar will also test powertrains, electric motors and batteries for the upcoming models at the new R&D center. Polestar will rent the building from the city of Trollhattan, Automobilwoche said. The site was previously used for powertrain development by Saab and then by National Electric Vehicle Sweden…

Road safety study: SUVs are more dangerous to cyclists than cars

By on April 21, 2023

SUVs cause more severe injuries to bicyclists than cars, a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows. The tall front end of SUVs can strike bicyclists higher on their bodies above the center of gravity. This results in riders getting knocked down, where they can be run over, rather than being thrown onto the hood of the vehicle, said IIHS statistician Sam Monfort, the lead author of the study. The study analyzed data from 71 Michigan bicycle crashes that involved a single SUV or car and a bicyclist age 16 or older. The severity of injuries inflicted…