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☆ The Meteoric Rise and Spectacular Fall of the Queen of Airbnb
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +18 min

Now, after she made her pitch at the VFW hall, attendees clamored around Widell, eager to have her manage their Airbnb rentals. The reign of the Airbnb Queen of Tulsa was over — and her subjects were left to pick up the pieces. Dominic Bugatto for BIThe "Queen of Airbnb" label, which started off as Widell's Airbnb account name, helped create an aura of omnipotence. According to those familiar with the business, Widell seemed to be shifting her focus away from Airbnb rentals to the house-staging business. Today, her "Tulsa Airbnb Group" on Facebook remains active, with some 1,000 members.

Persons: Airbnb, Dani Widell, Widell, Kathy Portley, weren't, —, Emily Burke, Will Widell, They'd, thrifty, Will, who'd, Logan Haskett, Dominic Bugatto, Burke, hadn't, Knikki Nash, she'd, Mallory Massey, Massey, David Brunson, Brunson, Renee Brummett, We've, Dani hasn't, Brummett, doorstepped, unraveled, Nash, Dani, Widell's, carting, Will cosigned, Brummet, Tulsa's, Meagan McCollum, Bram Gallagher, Gallagher, Dan Latu Organizations: VFW, Tulsa, Facebook, Tulsa Real Estate Investors Association, Oklahoma State University, Tulsa People, Mahogany Prime, Summit, Downtown, Social, Bank of America Center, PGA, Investors, Widell, Employees, Rover, BI, nonpayment, University of Tulsa, Business Locations: Tulsa, Tulsa ., Widell, Airbnb, Brady, Arkansas, —

☆ How car buyers thinking hybrid over EV should make the decision
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-07 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

And what would the upfront costs be to upgrade your system to allow for faster charging, if desired? Do the math on upfront cost, EV vs. hybridIf it's still a toss up between an EV and a hybrid, next consider upfront costs. By contrast, the average starting price for a hybrid car is $33,214, according to iSeeCars.com, a car search engine. Search for available auto rebates and incentivesIf you're leaning toward an EV, but still find the upfront cost daunting, look for possible rebates. He points to a study by Argonne National Lab that shows scheduled maintenance costs per mile are significantly lower for an EV versus a traditional hybrid or plug-in hybrid.

Persons: you've, Aston Martin, Sandeep Rao, there's, Rao, Steve Christensen, Maxwell Woody, Woody, Albert Gore, ZETA Organizations: Ford, General Motors, Mercedes, Benz, Volkswagen, Jaguar, Rover, Gallup, New York, EV, Chevrolet, Department of Energy, Battery Coalition, Progressive Casualty Insurance Company, of Michigan, University of Michigan, Argonne National Lab, Honda Locations: U.S, California, Florida, Texas

☆ Hyundai's Genesis brand is a dark horse in U.S. luxury vehicle market
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Not only has Genesis made it, the brand has thrived to become a dark horse in the U.S. luxury market with unique styling, unexpected comfort and well-ranked quality. Patricia Wayne, first all-electric GV60 customer and Claudia Marquez (right), chief operating officer, Genesis Motor North America, at Genesis Santa Monica, Santa Monica, Calif., May 26, 2022. Genesis started as a vehicle in Hyundai's lineup but the company announced in late 2015 that it would become its own brand. Genesis sales last year increased about 23% over the prior year to 69,175 vehicles. Muñoz said Genesis will be a "key focus of the plant," which also will produce Hyundai and Kia vehicles.

Persons: Michael Wayland, —, Randy Parker, Claudia Marquez, Parker, Marquez, Patricia Wayne, Genesis, José, Muñoz, Jae Hoon Chang, there's, Stephanie Brinley, that's, Brinley, … Organizations: CNBC, Hyundai Motor, South, Infiniti, Hyundai Group, Hyundai, New York, Genesis, North America, Santa, North American, Porsche, Lexus, Mercedes, Benz, North, Rover, Volvo, P Global Mobility, Kia Locations: South Korean, U.S, North America, Santa Monica, Calif, Lincoln, New York, Georgia, Alabama, South Korea

☆ EV euphoria is dead. Automakers trumpet consumer choice for U.S. car shoppers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Andrew Merry | Moment | Getty ImagesDETROIT — The buzz around electric vehicles is wearing off. U.S. EV sales were a record 1.2 million units last year, representing 7.6% of the overall national market, Cox Automotive estimates. "Moving on to less tech-savvy buyers will slow the EV market share growth over the next few years." Automakers wanted to emulate Tesla's success, with some promising to exclusively offer EVs in the not-too-distant future. "Toyota is almost completely absent from the [battery electric vehicle] market yet will gain more U.S. market share than any other car company this year.

Persons: hasn't, Andrew Merry, Aston Martin, Tesla, Elon Musk, Marin Gjaja, Ford, Pablo Di Si, Sam Fiorani, Romeo, Bentley, Mary Barra, there's, Cadillac, John Roth, We've, Gjaja, Jim Farley, Rebecca Cook, Oliver Blume, Akio Toyoda, Morgan Stanley, Adam Jonas, It's, Biden, Cox, Michelle Krebs, EVs, Trisha Jung Organizations: DETROIT, EV, Ford Motor, General Motors, Mercedes, Benz, Volkswagen, Jaguar, Rover, CNBC, GM, Hyundai Motor, Kia, Toyota Motor, VW, U.S, Cox Automotive, AutoForecast Solutions, Volvo, Buick, Cadillac, Honda, Ford Motor Co, Ford, Amperex Technology, Toyota, Cox, Tesla, Nissan, Nissan U.S, Environmental Protection Agency, Alliance for Automotive Innovation, American Automotive, Detroit automakers Locations: EVs, Europe, U.S, North America, Warren , Michigan, Detroit, Marshall , Michigan, Romulus , Michigan

On Saturday, the agency posted documents showing that BMW is recalling 486 SUVs after the Chicago driver was hurt. At least 26 people have been killed in the U.S. by Takata inflators since May 2009, and at least 30 have died worldwide including people in Malaysia and Australia. About 100 million inflators were recalled worldwide. Automakers, he said, blamed manufacturing problems to limit recalls when the non-desiccated Takata inflators started to have problems. In the BMW recall, dealers will replace the air bags at no cost to owners, who will be notified by letter starting Jan. 16.

Persons: Takata, Takata inflators, General Motors, inflators, Michael Brooks, “ It's, ”, Brooks, “ Organizations: DETROIT, —, BMW, Traffic, Administration, General, Volkswagen, NHTSA, GM, VW, Center for Auto Safety, Companies, ” BMW, Honda, General Motors, Ford, Nissan, Toyota, Jaguar, Rover, Daimler Vans, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Benz, Ferrari, McLaren, Porsche, Mazda, Spartan Locations: Chicago, U.S, Malaysia, Australia, Japan, inflators

DETROIT (AP) — BMW is recalling a small number of SUVs in the U.S. because the driver's air bag inflators can blow apart in a crash, hurling metal shrapnel and possibly injuring or killing people in the vehicles. Takata used volatile ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate air bags in a crash. Political Cartoons View All 1277 ImagesPotential for a dangerous malfunction led to the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history, with at least 67 million Takata inflators involved. NHTSA says Takata air bags with a dessicant are under investigation because they have the potential to explode and expel shrapnel. The BMW recall comes after General Motors recalled nearly 900 vehicles in July with Takata inflators that have the dessicant.

Persons: Takata inflators, inflators, hasn't, dessicated inflators, General Motors, Takata Organizations: DETROIT, BMW, Takata Corp, National, Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, Honda, General Motors, Ford, Nissan, Toyota, Jaguar, Rover, Daimler Vans, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Benz, Ferrari, McLaren, Porsche, Mazda, Spartan, General, GM Locations: U.S, Japan, Malaysia, Australia, Chicago

☆ Nissan is ramping up its UK EV business with a $2.5 billion investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-25 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Nissan announced that it would invest billions in its UK EV business. The Japanese company said it would build three EV models in its UK factory as part of the deal. AdvertisementThe Japanese car manufacturer Nissan announced on Friday that it would invest £2 billion, which is around $2.5 billion, in its electric vehicle (EV) business in the UK. It takes Nissan's total proposed investment in the region to £3 billion, or around $3.8 billion, after the company already pledged $1 billion. Nissan did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment, which was made outside of normal working hours.

Persons: —, Makoto Uchida, Rishi Sunak, IAN FORSYTH, Getty Organizations: Nissan, EV, Service, Sunderland, Britain's, European Union, Land Rover, Tata, BMW, British Locations: England, Europe, Sunderland

☆ Nissan invests $1.4 bln to build two new EV models in Britain
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nissan has made its electric Leaf model in Sunderland for years and will continue to do so, with batteries supplied by a small plant at the site. It announced a $1.4 billion investment in 2021 to build a second, 9 gigawatt-hour (GWh) battery plant in Sunderland with Chinese partner Envision AESC. Nissan did not comment on the value of any subsidies or guarantees being provided by Britain. [1/4]Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt attach a Nissan badge to a car as they visit the car manufacturer, Nissan, in Sunderland, Britain, November 24, 2023. But Sunak, who became prime minister a year ago, is having some success turning that around.

Persons: Rishi, Sunak, Nissan's, Alan Johnson, Rishi Sunak, Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor, Makoto Uchida, Brexit, Nick Carey, Sarah Young, Paul Sandle, Sonali Paul, Mark Potter Organizations: Nissan, Investment Summit, Britain, BBC, Britain's, India's Tata Motors, Rover, Thomson Locations: Sunderland, England, Britain, Europe, EVs

☆ Nissan leads $2.5 billion investment to build two more EVs in UK
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London — Nissan will pump 1.12 billion pounds ($1.4 billion) into its British plant to build electric versions of two models, offering a boost to the country’s auto industry and a UK prime minister desperate to attract foreign investment. In 2021, the company announced a $1.4 billion investment to build a second, 9 gigawatt-hour (GWh) battery plant in Sunderland with Chinese partner Envision AESC. Its 2021 battery investment was a show of confidence when other foreign investors were avoiding the UK after Brexit led to years of uncertainty around the country’s trading relationships. The Nissan deal comes just months after India’s Tata Motors said it would invest £4 billion ($5 billion) in a UK electric vehicle battery plant to supply its Jaguar Land Rover factories. The automaker’s latest UK investment comes despite Sunak’s decision in September to delay by five years a ban on sales of new petrol cars.

Persons: Rishi, ” Sunak, ” Nissan’s, Alan Johnson, ”, Makoto Uchida, Brexit, Sunak, India’s Tata Organizations: London, Nissan, Investment, BBC, India’s, India’s Tata Motors, Rover, Industry, Tata Locations: Sunderland, England, Britain, Europe

LONDON (AP) — Nissan will invest more than 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) to update its factory in northeast England to make electric versions of its two best-selling cars, a boost for the British government as it tries to revive the country's ailing economy. The company said it's directly investing up to 1.12 billion pounds to produce electric successors to the two models. “Nissan’s investment is a massive vote of confidence in the U.K.’s automotive industry,” which contributes 71 billion pounds a year to the economy, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said. India’s Tata Sons, which owns Jaguar Land Rover, is building a 4 billion-pound EV battery factory in the U.K. that's expected to produce about 40 gigawatt hours of battery cells every year, enough to provide half the U.K.’s electric vehicle batteries. Stellantis, parent company of British automaker Vauxhall, is investing 100 million pounds to make electric vans and cars in northwestern England.

Persons: —, it's, Rishi Sunak, Makoto Uchida, Sunak, India’s Tata Organizations: — Nissan, Nissan, BMW, India’s Tata Sons, Rover, EV, British, Vauxhall Locations: England, Sunderland, China, Europe, Oxford

☆ Nissan to invest $1.4 bln to build two new EV models in Britain
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A staff cleans charging ports of Nissan's Leaf battery electric vehicle during the Japan Mobility Show 2023 at Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo, Japan, November 1, 2023. Japan's third-biggest automaker said it would announce the names of the new EV models and timings for production launches at a later date. Earlier this year, Nissan raised its targets for EV models as it plays catch up in a segment dominated by newcomers like Tesla (TSLA.O) - saying it would launch 19 new EV models by 2030. The Nissan EV production announcement comes just months after India's Tata Motors (TAMO.NS) said it would invest 4 billion pounds in a UK EV battery plant to supply its Jaguar Land Rover factories. Industry experts had described the Tata battery plant as good progress, but argue Britain needs much more EV battery production capacity to maintain a viable, growing auto industry.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Makoto Uchida, Rishi Sunak, Nick Carey, Sonali Paul Organizations: Japan, REUTERS, Nissan, British, Nissan EV, India's Tata Motors, EV, Rover, Industry, Tata, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Sunderland, Europe, Britain

☆ Eagle-eyed buyer made over $120,000 after discovering old Range Rover probably belonged to Queen Elizabeth II
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A Range Rover was sold for $165,000 after evidence emerged that it probably belonged to Queen Elizabeth II. AdvertisementA 2004 Range Rover with suspected ties to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has shattered auction records, selling for $165,000. The auction's outcome was more than double the pre-sale estimate of £60,000, or $75,000 — 10 times the usual price for a second-hand Range Rover that old. AdvertisementBefore the video's discovery, the only original ownership information was a letter from Jaguar Land Rover, which builds the Ranger Rover, identifying warranty recalls in July 2004 at a Land Rover dealer in London's high-end Mayfair district and one in Aberdeen, Scotland. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, spent 16 years designing his own hearse: a modified Land Rover.

Persons: Queen Elizabeth II, Historics Auctioneers, —, HRH Prince Phillip, The Duke, Edinburgh, Tim Graham, Historics, Historics Auctioneers Rob Hubbard, Duke, Prince Philip , Duke of Edinburgh Organizations: Service, Rover, Jaguar, Land Rover, Scottish Highlands, Windsor Horse, Royal Windsor Horse, Getty, Vehicle, Epsom, Rovers Locations: Birmingham, Mayfair, Aberdeen, Scotland, Balmoral, Scottish, Windsor , England, Epsom Green, Windsor

[1/4] A wheel loader operator fills a truck with ore at the MP Materials rare earth mine in Mountain Pass, California, U.S. January 30, 2020. Market leader Tesla (TSLA.O) garnered headlines earlier this year saying it would cut rare earths from its next-generation EVs. China dominates the mining and processing of a group of 17 metals known as rare earths, though companies elsewhere are trying to loosen China's grip. 'WAITING IN THE WINGS'The average EV permanent magnet motor uses around 600 grams (1.32 lb) of heavy rare earth neodymium. Tesla's announcement on dropping rare earths "opened up buyers' eyes to the fact that you don't really need rare earths to make EV magnets," Niron CEO Jonathan Rowntree said.

Persons: Steve Marcus, Tesla, Otmar Scharrer, Scharrer, you've, Ben Chiswick, Uwe Deuke, Gerd Roesel, Jonathan Rowntree, Oki, James Edmondson, Edmondson, Mike Grant, Nick Carey, Christina Amann, Paul Lienert, Ernest Scheyder, Gilles Guillaume, Giulio Piovaccari, Ben Klayman, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Auto, LONDON, General Motors, Rover, Nissan, ZF, U.S, BMW, Renault, GM, EV, Warwick Acoustics, Thomson Locations: Pass , California, U.S, China, BERLIN, German, Detroit, Europe, London, Berlin, Houston, Paris, Milan

☆ The automakers and suppliers pushing to cut rare earths from EVs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

1 U.S. automaker says it is "exploring options to limit or potentially eliminate rare earth materials in EV motors." BORGWARNER (BWA.N)The U.S. supplier already has an EV motor in production that has reduced heavy rare earth content. ZF (ZFF.UL)German supplier ZF has developed an EESM EV motor that could be in production in two years. The German premium automaker says it aims to remove heavy rare earth content entirely. EuroGroup Laminations (EGLA.MI) Electric motor component maker EuroGroup Laminations is working on both rare earth free permanent magnet motors and motors with limited rare earth content for automaker customers.

Persons: Darrin Zammit Lupi, Tesla, Stellantis, Zoe, Mercedes, Nick Carey, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, BMW, GENERAL MOTORS, Volvo, ROVER, Tata Motors, Renault, RENAULT Renault, NISSAN, Nissan, MERCEDES, BENZ, TOYOTA, Toyota, Volkswagen, U.S, KKR, Thomson Locations: Malta, China, U.S, Niron Magnetics, Niron

☆ Lab owner who defrauded Medicare to forfeit $187 million, Ferrari
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A Miami federal judge ordered a lab owner convicted of defrauding Medicare to forfeit more than $187 million worth of proceeds from the scam, including $30 million in cash, a 2018 Ferrari Spider and real estate, the U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday. The lab owner, Minal Patel of Atlanta, was sentenced in August to 27 years in prison for filing nearly $500 million in false claims to Medicare for sophisticated, and expensive, cancer genetic tests. The DOJ said Wednesday that the 44-year-old conspired with telemedicine companies, call centers and patient brokers to convince Medicare beneficiaries to take the genetic tests through his company LabSolutions. Medicare paid out more than $187 million in false claims for the tests. In addition to the Ferrari, which he bought for nearly $400,000, Patel also will forfeit a Land Rover Range Rover that he purchased for $215,000, according to court documents.

Persons: Spider, Minal Patel, Patel Organizations: Miami, U.S . Department of Justice, Medicare, DOJ, Ferrari, Rover Locations: Atlanta

The UK goal was ahead of the 2035 ban in the European Union, where most British-made cars are sold. "The timing sends the message that things can change again, making it difficult for companies to manage their investment strategies." Under the new mandate that the government could make public as early as this week, the 80% 2030 electric target should remain - with the other 20% a mixture of fossil fuel models and hybrids until 2035. "In Britain, there's no industrial strategy, no intent for industrial strategy and no desire for an industrial strategy," Palmer said. "The UK (fossil fuel ban) delay is not a good sign in terms of stability, but they have realigned with EU regulation," said Denis Schemoul, director of European vehicle forecasting at S&P Global Mobility.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Christopher Furlong, Boris Johnson, Sunak, it's, Philip Nothard, ZEV, Andy Leyland, Adrian Keen, Keen, Andy Palmer, Aston Martin, Palmer, Denis Schemoul, Nick Carey, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Britain's, Rover, Industry, Union, EV, European Union, Cox Automotive, Volvo, Ford, EU, P Global Mobility, Thomson Locations: Warwick , England, British, Britain, EVs, Europe, Spain

Houses at the Redhill Peninsula, a luxurious residential estate in the Tai Tam area of Hong Kong, on September 13. She was referring to the Hong Kong International School, one of the most prestigious in town. Flooded roads after heavy rains in Hong Kong on September 8. Typhoon Saola, which barreled through Hong Kong on September 1, was the strongest to hit the city in five years. Scientists say climate change will make such weather events only more frequent and some are urging Hong Kong to rethink its rain mitigation strategy.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, Feng Shui, –, Benny Chan, Chris Lau, ”, Tyrone Siu, Saola, Haikui, Hong Kong, Leung, ” Leung, Mai, Ray Su, Su, wouldn’t, John Lee, Chan, ” Chan, “, Chan Kim Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, South China, Hong Kong Institute of Architects, CNN, Redhill, Porsche, Rover, Ferrari, Hong Kong International School, RTHK, University of Hong, Hong Kong’s Buildings Department, Liber Research Locations: Hong Kong, South, tycoons, Redhill, Tai Tam, Malibu, Los Angeles, “, Hong, University of Hong Kong

☆ Elon Musk worried his father was 'uncomfortably attentive' to his stepdaughter when she was 15, biographer says. His father later had 2 kids with her.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Grace Kay | Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Elon Musk worried about the attention Errol Musk was giving his stepdaughter when she was 15, according to a new book. Errol Musk told Insider the claims were "balderdash" and said he was equally attentive to his kids. Over a decade later, Errol Musk fathered two children with the same stepdaughter, Jana Bezuidenhout. Elon Musk invited his father to live near himIsaacson wrote in the biography that Elon Musk convinced his father to move with his then-wife and stepchildren from South Africa to Los Angeles in 2002. AdvertisementAdvertisement"I tried threats, rewards, and arguments to change my father for the better," Elon Musk told Isaacson in the book.

Persons: Elon Musk, Errol Musk, Errol, Jana Bezuidenhout, Walter Isaacson, Elon, Jana, Isaacson, Elon Musk's, Grimes, Musk, Heide Bezuidenhout, Rose, Heide, Kimbal, Kimbal Musk, Stone, Elon Musk —, —, didn't Organizations: Service, Elon, Rover, Sunday Times, Facebook Locations: Wall, Silicon, South Africa, Los Angeles, Malibu

☆ UK manufacturing trade body cuts outlook for 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Suban Abdulla | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 18 (Reuters) - Britain's main manufacturing trade body on Monday cut its forecast for the sector's growth for this year and next, citing a sharp fall in factory output and economic uncertainty. Trade body Make UK expects output to fall 0.5% in 2023, down from its June forecast for a 0.3% drop, and grow just 0.5% in 2024. "Manufacturers are seeing a very sharp slowdown in activity as the potent cocktail of rising interest rates, cost of living and slowing overseas markets bites hard," Verity Davidge, policy director at Make UK said. "But it is the scale of the fall in the indicators this quarter that comes as a surprise and highlights the extent of the slowdown on UK manufacturing." Make UK's quarterly survey said the balance for manufacturing output was the weakest performance for production since the last quarter in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Persons: Phil Noble, Verity Davidge, Richard Austin, Suban Abdulla, Andy Bruce Organizations: Rover, REUTERS, Make, Bank of England, Bank of, BDO, Manufacturers, Thomson Locations: Solihull, Britain, July's

☆ BMW Says It Will Invest $750 Million to Build Electric Minis in Oxford
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Stanley Reed | More About Stanley Reed | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

BMW said on Monday that it would invest 600 million pounds, or about $750 million, to build electric versions of its popular Mini car models in Britain. The German manufacturer’s move allays fears that the combination of Brexit and the shift to electric cars would pose a dire threat to automobile manufacturing in Britain, but questions over the sector’s long-term future remain. BMW’s announcement is the third major piece of good news for Britain’s beleaguered car industry in recent months. Tata Group, the owner of Jaguar Land Rover, said in July it would spend 4 billion pounds to build a battery plant in western England. And last week, Stellantis, the leading maker of commercial vans in Britain, began producing electric-powered vans at its plant near Liverpool, after a £100 million investment.

Organizations: BMW, Tata Group, Jaguar, Rover Locations: Britain, England, Liverpool

☆ BMW will invest $750 million to keep making the Mini in Oxford
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —BMW announced Monday that it would invest £600 million ($750 million) in building two new electric versions of the Mini in the United Kingdom. The commitment by the German automaker will secure the future of Mini production in Oxford, where the original classic version of the small car was born 64 years ago. Almost a year ago, BMW told the Times newspaper that it planned to shift all Mini production from Oxford to China for efficiency reasons. “Mini has always been aware of its history — Oxford is and remains the heart of the brand,” Stefanie Wurst, head of the Mini brand at BMW, said Monday. Robots work on the Mini production line at the BMW plant in Cowley, near Oxford.

Persons: London CNN —, Mini Cooper, ” Stefanie Wurst, Tolga Akmen, Susannah Streeter, Hargreaves Lansdown, Rishi Sunak, ” Organizations: London CNN, London CNN — BMW, Swindon, BMW, Times, Oxford, Government, Getty, Tata Group, Rover, Hargreaves Locations: United Kingdom, Oxford, China, Leipzig, Germany, Cowley, AFP

☆ Britain says BMW to make multimillion pound investment in electric Mini output
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

BMW will make a multimillion pound investment in its electric Mini production in Britain, the business ministry said on Monday, a move which secures 4,000 jobs. Business minister Kemi Badenoch will visit a Mini plant in Oxford for the announcement of the investment, which the government said followed "extensive government engagement and support." The government did not give a figure for the announcement but said it would bring total investment into the automotive sector to over 6 billion pounds ($7.48 billion) in recent years. "BMW's investment is another shining example of how the UK is the best place to build cars of the future," British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement. It comes less than two months after India's Tata said it will invest 4 billion pounds in an EV battery plant in Britain to supply its Jaguar Land Rover factories — a move seen as vital for the UK car industry's continued survival in the electric age.

Persons: Kemi Badenoch, Rishi Sunak, India's Tata Organizations: BMW, EV, Rover Locations: Britain, Oxford

☆ India's TCS expands partnership with Britain's JLR in over $1 billion deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A member of staff works on the production line at Jaguar Land Rover’s factory in Solihull, Britain, December 15, 2022. REUTERS/Phil Noble/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsBENGALURU, Sept 6 (Reuters) - India's Tata Consultancy Services (TCS.NS) and Britain's Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) have expanded their partnership, valued at more than 800 million pounds ($1.00 billion) over five years, the two Tata Group companies said on Wednesday. As part of the partnership, India's top IT services exporter would deliver a range of services for the vehicle manufacturer spanning application development and maintenance to cloud migration, cybersecurity and data services. TCS had in June signed a $1.1 billion contract with British pension scheme Nest. Rivals Infosys (INFY.NS) signed three deals between June and August, while HCL Technologies (HCLT.NS) secured a $2.1 billion deal with U.S. telecom major Verizon last month.

Persons: Phil Noble, Nandan Mandayam, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, India's Tata Consultancy Services, Rover, Tata Group, JLR, TCS, Infosys, HCL Technologies, U.S, Verizon, Thomson Locations: Solihull, Britain, India, States, Bengaluru

☆ UK's car output continues growth streak for six months in July- SMMT
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Aug 31 (Reuters) - Britain's car production rose for the sixth consecutive month in July as automakers continued to recover from global chip shortages, an industry body said on Thursday. "Six months of growth shows that British car production is recovering and, with electrified models increasingly driving volumes, the future is more positive," said SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes. The total number of cars produced, however, remained 29.4% lower from the pre-pandemic levels seen in July 2019. The UK's car industry, a significant driver of manufacturing and exports, got a boost last month when India's Tata Motors (TAMO.NS) committed to build a major EV battery plant in Britain to supply its Jaguar Land Rover factories. SMMT had said in July it could take five more years for Britain to return to producing 1 million or more cars a year.

Persons: Mike Hawes, India's Tata, Hawes, SMMT, Anchal Rana, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: Society of Motor Manufacturers, Traders, India's Tata Motors, EV, Rover, Thomson Locations: Britain, Bengaluru

☆ A Sanctuary for Elephants, and for the People of Kenya
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Alexandra Marshall | Photography Romain Laprade For Wsj. Magazine | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

On a trip to northern Kenya, David Bonnouvrier and Trish Goff, who have been together since 2011, got lost in the bush at night after their Land Rover broke down. They had given away their water and bananas to kids they saw en route, thinking they’d be at their friend’s place in no time. Hours later, walking in the dark, they stumbled upon a small settlement of Samburu, one of the ethnic groups in the area. The Samburu elder walked them hours more to a meeting place where they could be picked up by a ranger. “We sent his village a goat, and him a goat, too, once we were back,” Goff recalls.

Persons: David Bonnouvrier, Trish Goff, Goff, they’d, “, ” Goff Organizations: Rover Locations: Kenya, Samburu

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