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☆ AI, EVs and more: Goldman names 5 'compelling' stocks to play major themes — giving one 60% upside
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Analysts at Goldman Sachs named five stocks to play themes including artificial intelligence, electric vehicles and energy-efficiency, with two on its conviction list: Mercedes-Benz and Daikin Industries . The bank gave Mercedes' stock an estimated 48% upside to its 12-month price target. Goldman gave the stock an estimated 30% upside to its 12-month price target. The bank gave the stock an estimated 54% upside to its 12-month price target. Darling Ingredients , a feedstock and renewable diesel company in the United States, has a 60% upside to Goldman's 12-month price target, the bank said.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Mercedes, TSMC, Goldman, firm's, Joe Biden's, — CNBC's Michael Bloom, Emma Newburger Organizations: Goldman, Benz, Daikin Industries, ICE, Mercedes, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Locations: United States, North America, Dutch

☆ Electric cars are breaking sales records, but here’s why they’re not replacing gas cars anytime soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Christopher Hickey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

More shoppers are choosing electric vehicles so far this year than ever, according to vehicle sales data from Cox Automotive. While EV sales have been growing healthily for the past couple of years, that trend has accelerated this year. The electric vehicle market is entering into a transition period, she said. The average electric vehicle price in July was $53,469, according to Kelley Blue Book, versus an average price of $48,334 across all vehicles. But the number of charging stations still lags behind what is needed to support a wider-scale adoption of electric vehicles.

Persons: Cox, That’s, ”, Stephanie Valdez, Streaty, Chevrolet Bolt, Rivian, BEV, “ We’ve, ” Valdez, Price, Kelley, “ Organizations: Cox Automotive, EV, Streaty, CNN, Alliance for Automotive Innovation, Tesla, Volkswagen, Valdez, US Energy, Ford, EV considerers, US Department of Energy, Alliance, Automotive, Quarterly, California Energy Commission, AAI, District of Columbia, California Air Resources Board Locations: Valdez, California

☆ Nikola recalls 209 Class 8 battery-electric trucks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Logo of U.S. truckmaker Nikola is pictured at the IAA Transportation fair in Hanover, Germany, September 19, 2022. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer/File PhotoCompanies Nikola Corp FollowAug 11 (Reuters) - Nikola (NKLA.O) on Friday said it is recalling about 209 of its Class 8 Tre battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) as a precautionary measure. Nikola is currently in the process of filing this voluntary recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and is placing a temporary hold on new BEV sales until a resolution is in place, the company said. The company said in a statement that a third-party investigator had found a coolant leak inside a single battery pack to be the probable cause of a truck fire at the company's headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona, on June 23, 2023. Reporting by Shubhendu Deshmukh in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nikola, Fabian Bimmer, BEV, Shubhendu Deshmukh, Sandra Maler Organizations: IAA Transportation, REUTERS, Companies Nikola, National, Traffic Safety Administration, Thomson Locations: Hanover, Germany, Phoenix , Arizona, Bengaluru

☆ Car companies think fake vroom vroom sounds will make you want an electric car
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some car companies think that fake engine noises will get drivers to consider going electric. Hyundai and Dodge have both unveiled EVs that blast fake exhaust noises outside the car. Electric cars are inherently quiet. Last year, the brand showed off an electric concept car with a multi-speed transmission and a phony exhaust sound that mimics a supercharged V8 engine. "Automakers are responding to some enthusiasts' worries that electric cars have no soul," Ed Kim, president and chief analyst at AutoPacific, an automotive research and consulting firm, told Insider.

Persons: Bill Pugliano, Stringer, Dodge, EVs, Ed Kim Organizations: Hyundai, Dodge, Toyota, Wall Street, EV

[1/3] A Lucid Air electric vehicle is displayed in Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S., September 27, 2021. REUTERS/Hyunjoo Jin/File PhotoJune 26 (Reuters) - British luxury carmaker Aston Martin (AML.L) has reached a deal that will give U.S. electric vehicle (EV) maker Lucid Group (LCID.O) a 3.7% stake in the company in return for access to its "high performance" technology, Aston Martin said on Monday. Subject to shareholder approval, Aston Martin will issue about 28.4 million new ordinary shares to Lucid Group. Smaller carmakers such as Aston Martin are more reliant on partnerships to make the transition. Lucid and Aston Martin have a common shareholder in Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Persons: Hyunjoo Jin, Aston Martin, Lucid, Aston Martin's, PIF, Aby Jose Koilparambil, Rashmi Aich, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Lucid, Mercedes, Benz, Aston, Public Investment Fund, U.S, Tesla Inc, Thomson Locations: Scottsdale , Arizona, U.S, Aston Martin, Saudi, Bengaluru

☆ Japan signed a critical minerals deal with the U.S. — but it's still losing the global EV race
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Audrey Wan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Tokyo in March signed the U.S.-Japan Critical Minerals Agreement, securing both countries' commitment to strengthen supply chains and promote EV battery technologies. Notably, the deal allows minerals from Japan to meet sourcing requirements for U.S. electric vehicle tax credits, unlocking up to $7,500 per vehicle. The critical minerals agreement was "negotiated in warp-speed time" when similar deals "usually take years," David Boling, Eurasia Group director for Japan and Asian trade, told CNBC. Hybrid EVs still account for 96.8% of new EV sales in the country, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association. EV supply chain strainJapan depends on China for critical minerals essential to the production of EV components.

Persons: Yasuhide Mizuno, Kiyoshi Ota, David Boling, Boling, Eurasia's, BEV, China's, Kristin Vekasi Organizations: Sony Honda Mobility, Sony, Bloomberg, Getty, Japan, U.S, U.S ., EV, Eurasia Group, CNBC, U.S . Trade, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Japan Automobile Dealers Association, International Energy Agency, Argonne National Laboratory, IEA, University of Maine, Hitachi Metals, Nikkei Locations: Tokyo, Japan, U.S, China, Nikkei Asia

The plan comes a day before an annual shareholders meeting where governance and strategy - including a slow pivot to battery EVs under former CEO Akio Toyoda - will be scrutinised. Toyota said it aims to launch next-generation lithium-ion batteries from 2026 offering longer ranges and quicker charging. At the high end of the market, Toyota said it would produce an EV with a more efficient lithium-ion battery offering a range of 1,000 km (621 miles). An EV powered by a solid-state battery would have a range of 1,200 km and charging time of just 10 minutes, Toyota said. "What we want to achieve is to change the future with BEVs," Takero Kato, president of new Toyota EV unit BEV Factory, said in a video posted on the automaker's YouTube channel on Tuesday.

Persons: Akio Toyoda, Koji Sato, Takero Kato, BEV Factory, Henry Ford, Koji Endo, Toyota's, I'm, it's, Toyota's BEV Factory, Kato, Tesla, Daniel Leussink, Christopher Cushing, Kevin Krolicki Organizations: Toyota, EVs, Tesla, Engineers, Toyota EV, YouTube, NEW ASSEMBLY, SBI Securities, Lexus, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, China

The Japanese carmaker said it aims to launch next-generation batteries from 2026, seeking to win over consumers with vehicles that offer longer driving ranges and quicker charging times. It also said it was developing a method to mass produce solid-state batteries, which it aims to commercialise in 2027-2028. The automaker said it would produce an EV with a more efficient lithium-ion battery which would have a range of 1,000 km (621 miles). "We will launch the next-generation battery EVs globally and as a full lineup on the market from 2026," Kato said. Toyota also detailed other technologies that it plans to deploy to reduce costs for its EVs and batteries.

Persons: Takero Kato, BEV Factory, Kato, Tesla, Daniel Leussink, Christopher Cushing, Kevin Krolicki Organizations: Toyota, EVs, Tesla, Toyota EV, YouTube, U.S, Lexus, Thomson Locations: TOKYO

☆ Toyota shares surge 5% after announcing plans for next-gen battery EVs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In this article 7203.T-JP Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTA display of Toyota electrified vehicles at the 2022 New York Auto Show, April 13, 2022. Toyota has a goal of achieving sales of 1.5 million all-electric vehicles per year by 2026, and selling 3.5 million all-electric vehicles annually by 2030. Separately, the company is also developing a method for mass producing all-solid-state batteries for battery electric vehicles, and aims to commercialize this in 2027 to 2028. Toyota said it will be looking at a 20% improvement in cruising range for its all-solid-state batteries, compared to the current batteries. HEVs refer to hybrid electric vehicles, which are vehicles that are powered by a conventional internal combustion engine in combination with one or more electric motors.

Persons: Scott Mlyn, Koji Sato, Sato, Akio Toyoda Organizations: Toyota, York Auto Show, CNBC, Tesla, Nikkei

☆ Not enough resources for EVs to be only cleaner car option, Toyota says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Some investors and environmental groups have long criticised Toyota (7203.T) for being slow to embrace BEVs, saying it has lagged Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) and others amid growing global demand. Gill Pratt, chief executive of the Toyota Research Institute, told reporters that BEVs could make a positive difference in reducing climate change in countries such as Norway, which has a lot of renewable infrastructure. But in other parts of the world, where coal is still used to produce power, hybrids were better for CO2 emissions, he added. "But it's going to take decades for battery material mines, renewable power generation, transmission lines and seasonal energy-storage facilities to scale up." BEVs are "one very important option" for achieving carbon neutrality and hydrogen is as well, Toyoda, who currently is chairman of Toyota, told reporters earlier on Thursday.

☆ US consumers keep vehicles for a record 12.5 years on average -S&P
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Paul Lienert | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 15 (Reuters) - Americans in the waning days of the COVID pandemic are keeping their combustion-engine vehicles longer, according to a new study. Despite six straight years of increases, average vehicle age is expected to drop over the coming year as rising availability and renewed demand push new vehicle sales above 14.5 million in 2023, the S&P research said. Electric vehicles are bucking the aging trend, according to S&P. The average age of battery electric vehicles (BEV) in the U.S. actually fell to 3.6 years, down slightly from 3.7 years in 2022. During the same period, just 5.2% of combustion vehicles left the fleet, S&P said.

☆ Ford to test small UK fleet of hydrogen fuel cell E-Transit vans
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, May 9 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co (F.N) said on Tuesday it will test a small fleet of prototype hydrogen fuel-cell versions of its electric E-Transit model to see if they are a workable zero-emission option for customers hauling heavy goods long distances. Ford will lead a consortium in the three-year project that includes BP (BP.L), which will focus on hydrogen and infrastructure, and British online supermarket and technology group Ocado (OCDO.L). Interest in using hydrogen fuel cells to power trucks and vans is getting a boost from fleet operators looking for a more practical alternative to electric vehicles and rising government aid, particularly the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Vehicles with hydrogen fuel cells, in which hydrogen mixes with oxygen to produce water and energy to power a battery, can refuel in minutes and have a much longer range than those with BEVs. But there are major challenges to be overcome for mass adoption of hydrogen fuel cells, including the lack of fueling stations and green hydrogen made using renewable energy to power them.

☆ Iveco to fully own venture with Nikola on electric, hydrogen trucks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Despite Nikola's problems, battery electric trucks developed by the venture based in Ulm, Germany are already circulating in the U.S., while orders are being collected in Europe. Fuel cell hydrogen trucks are expected to hit the road next year. As part of the agreement, Iveco will focus on Europe for the further development and commercialisation of its own battery electric (BEV) and fuel cell (FCEV) electric trucks, while Nikola will concentrate its operations in North America, the two groups said in a joint statement. Iveco's overall investment, through available liquidity, will be partly in cash, for $35 million, and partly in shares, with the purchase of 20 million Nikola shares. Iveco will retain a "meaningful" amount of Nikola shares, they said.

☆ Iveco takes full ownership of JV with Nikola on electric, hybrid trucks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, May 9 (Reuters) - Italy's Iveco Group (IVG.MI) has agreed to buy the full ownership of its joint venture with U.S. start-up Nikola (NKLA.O) developing battery electric and fuel cell heavy-duty trucks for 44 million euros ($48 million), it said on Tuesday. Battery electric (BEV) trucks developed by the JV are already circulating in the U.S., while orders are being collected in Europe. Fuel cell hydrogen hybrid (FCEV) trucks are expected to hit the road next year. As part of the agreement announced on Tuesday, Iveco will focus on Europe for the further development and commercialisation of its own battery electric and fuel cell electric trucks, while Nikola will concentrate its operations in North America, the two groups said in a joint statement. Iveco's overall investment, through available liquidity, will be partly in cash, for $35 million, and partly in shares, with the purchase of 20 million Nikola shares.

TOKYO, April 28 (Reuters) - Japan will provide as much as $1.8 billion in subsidies for a slate of storage battery and chip-related projects, Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Friday, marking Tokyo's latest push towards greater supply chain security. The government plans to give up to 184.6 billion yen ($1.38 billion) in subsidies for eight storage battery-related proposals and up to 56.4 billion yen for two semiconductor-related projects, Nishimura told reporters. Among the proposals that it will subsidise is a plan by automaker Honda Motor Co Ltd (7267.T) and battery maker GS Yuasa Corp (6674.T) to invest about 430 billion yen to boost storage battery production, with the ministry providing up to 158.7 billion yen in subsidies for the project. "We have great expectations that this will lead to the stable supply of storage batteries and the promotion of GX (green transformation)," Nishimura said. In a statement, Honda, GS Yuasa and their 14-year-old battery joint venture Blue Energy Co Ltd, said they planned to start production in April 2027 and would start mass production in October 2027.

☆ Electric car sales surged by 55% last year to surpass 10 million, and China led the way: IEA
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Electric vehicles from Tesla photographed in China. The world's second largest economy is a major player when it comes to the sale of electric vehicles. "Electric car sales — including battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) — exceeded 10 million last year, up 55% relative to 2021," the IEA's report said. In total, it said more than 26 million electric cars were on the world's roads in 2022, which represents a 60% increase relative to 2021. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, or PHEVs, have an internal combustion engine as well as a battery-powered electric motor.

☆ BMW promises stable prices, raises margin forecast for 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The transition to battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) was moving faster than planned and it expected to reach its target of over 50% battery-electric vehicle share well ahead of its 2030 target, the company said. It forecast that the speed of growth in BEV sales, which doubled to more than 215,000 in 2022, to slow slightly this year to a high double-digit percentage. But by 2025, one in four new sales should be battery-electric, rising to one in three by 2026, according to Wednesday's forecast - a big leap from the one in 11 ratio seen last year. Almost half of cash flow came from a cash contribution from Chinese joint venture BMW Brilliance Automotive. BMW proposed a dividend to shareholders of 8.50 euros, up from 5.80 a year earlier.

☆ Mitsubishi Motors to sell only EVs, hybrids by mid-2030s
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A Mitsubishi Motors signage is pictured next to a Mitsubishi Motors electric car at the Tokyo Motor Show, in Tokyo, Japan October 24, 2019. Mitsubishi considers plug-in hybrids (PHEV), hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles (BEV) as electrified vehicles. Electrified vehicles accounted for about 7% of the company's total new car sales in fiscal 2021. Mitsubishi, an early mover in EVs in the early 2010s, currently has no BEVs in its line-up in Europe. Of the other 14 models Mitsubishi plans to launch, seven will be purely combustion engine-powered ones, five will be hybrids and the remaining two will be BEV, the company said.

☆ Chinese EV comptition hots up as BYD offers discounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] BYD electric vehicles (EV) are displayed at a car dealership in Shanghai, China, February 3, 2023. The discounts will be for buyers who place orders for the Song Plus and Seal models between March 10 and March 31, the company said on its social media account. In return for an 88 yuan ($12.64) deposit, buyers for a Seal EV can get 8,888 yuan deducted from the price, while for Song Plus models, the discount is 6,888 yuan. It sold 34,621 Song Plus SUVs and 14,372 Seal sedans in the first two months, according to China Passenger Car Association. The car association data showed Tesla (TSLA.O) sold 39,710 Model Ys and 21,056 Model 3s in January and February combined.

☆ Tesla's forecast means boom times ahead for lithium demand. Citi's top stocks to play the trend
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

We apply ~8x EV/EBITDA multiple to Energy Storage, ~9x to Specialties, and ~10x to Ketjen, all of which are in line with comparable peer valuations." Livent "Our $28 target price is based on a target EV/EBITDA of ~9.5x applied to our FY24 estimate. SQM "Our $92 target price is calculated using [sum of the parts] valuation on 2024E segment EBITDA. SQM's Lithium multiple is at a discount to LTHM as LTHM is a pure-play lithium hydroxide company. ... Our current price target assigns 3/90/7 weightings, respectively, to these three scenarios—yielding a $146 blended stock outcome."

Organizations: ~$

☆ Jeep, Dodge maker Stellantis posts record annual profit, announces $4.47 billion shareholder payout
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An engine undergoes assembly at the Stellantis Dundee Engine Complex on August 18, 2022 in Dundee, Michigan. Carmaker Stellantis on Wednesday announced record full-year results, reporting a 26% rise in net profit to 16.8 billion euros ($17.9 billion) and a 41% annual jump in global battery and electric vehicle sales. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said the results also demonstrated the effectiveness of the company's electrification strategy in Europe, with 288,000 battery and electric vehicle (BEV) sales in 2022 and 23 BEVs now on the market. This figure is expected to double to 47 models by the end of 2024, and Stellantis is targeting global BEV sales of 5 million by 2030. "We now have the technology, the products, the raw materials, and the full battery ecosystem to lead that same transformative journey in North America, starting with our first fully electric Ram vehicles from 2023 and Jeep from 2024," Tavares said.

"The amount of energy BEVs need is so enormous that I see a strain on our grid that ultimately it can't fulfill." Daimler Truck will invest up to 15 billion euros ($16 billion) on fuel cells over the next decade, Daum said. Symbio, which supplies fuel cells for Stellantis vans, expects global fuel cell vehicle sales to reach 2 million units annually by 2030 and wants a 10% share. Both General Motors (GM) (GM.N) and Toyota (7203.T) are testing fuel cells for larger vehicles including semi-trucks and trains to build scale and lower costs. While Volkswagen is not currently investing in fuel cells, it has hundreds of patents around the technology.

☆ Electric cars need less service — but they could cost you more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Electric cars require different service and maintenance than gas-powered ones. They also wonder what it means to service and maintain these vehicles — and how much that will cost them. Tesla even advertises its vehicles as "eliminating the need for service." EV tires are different than those for a gas-powered vehicle. What it means for car dealersAs a result of these shifts, dealers are assessing just how much of an impact that potentially less vehicle service will have on their bottom lines.

☆ Gigapresses - the giant die casts reshaping car manufacturing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Giulio Piovaccari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

GIGAPRESS 9,000Metal and plastic die casting has been largely used in manufacturing, but its application to large aluminium underbodies in carmaking is relatively new. The global aluminium die casting market was worth almost $73 billion last year and is projected to top $126 billion by 2032, according to an AlixPartners analysis based on Apollo Reports data. Ralf Bechmann of manufacturing consultant EFESO said the benefits of die casting would push it "to be applied to an increasing number of new models of BEV vehicles, also by other manufacturers". Yet not all automakers are convinced, and EFESO's Bechmann cautioned that large module die casting required product design to be "super solid". After initially considering die casting for its upcoming Trinity model, Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) has backtracked, while BMW (BMWG.DE) has never expressed an interest.

☆ China's EV giant BYD in talks to acquire insurer Yi'an
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The BYD Atto 3 EV car is displayed at the 39 Thailand International Motor Expo, in Bangkok, Thailand, November 30, 2022. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/FilesSHANGHAI, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Chinese electric vehicle (EV) giant BYD said on Tuesday it is working on a potential acquisition of Yi'an P&C Insurance Co, an insurer that was seized by Chinese regulators two years ago as part of a crackdown on financial conglomerates. Chinese business publication Caixin reported earlier this month, citing unnamed sources, that BYD would fully take over the insurer and would use it to start an insurance business targeting electric vehicles. Yi'an P&C Insurance was among nine firms Chinese regulators seized from the Tomorrow Holdings conglomerate in July 2020. China banking and insurance regulator said last year it had agreed to allow Yi'an P&C Insurance to enter bankruptcy and reorganisation procedures.

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