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☆ Say goodbye to the US car market as we know it: Cheap Chinese EVs are coming
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Nora Naughton | Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

After years of eyeing the American market, Chinese brands are poised to arrive. After years of preparation, Chinese car companies are poised to upend the US electric-vehicle market. Chinese EV manufacturers can gain a foothold in the US by coming in at a budget price point, analysts said. "I've driven a number of the Chinese EV brands, and boy oh boy, the Europeans are in trouble." The sheer size of the US car market means new entrants will need to build locally to compete seriously in the long term, he said.

☆ Automakers find a tax credit loophole to increase EV leasing and boost sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Buying a used Ioniq, which is produced in South Korea and Indonesia, wouldn't earn him $7,500 off through a federal tax credit. "I ran the numbers — what it would be without the leasing credit and with the leasing credit — and that kind of put me over the top and that was the main thing of why I went in that direction," he said. For a $50,000 EV and a 36-month lease, Chesbrough estimates the full $7,500 tax credit equates to $222 in monthly savings for a consumer. "It also allows them to level the playing field against competitors who get the full tax credit when purchasing." I wouldn't call it leveling the playing field," Watson said of leasing qualifying for the $7,500 tax credit.

[1/2] A Toyota logo is seen during the New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., April 5, 2023. REUTERS/David 'Dee' DelgadoTOKYO, May 12 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said on Friday the vehicle data of 2.15 million users in Japan, or almost the entire customer base who signed up for its main cloud service platforms since 2012, had been publicly available for a decade due to human error. The issue, which began in November 2013 and lasted until mid-April, stemmed from human error, leading to a cloud system being set to public instead of private, a Toyota spokesperson said. It could encompass details such as vehicle locations and identification numbers of vehicle devices, but there were no reports of malicious use, the company said. Toyota said it would introduce a system to audit cloud settings, establish a system to continuously monitor settings, and thoroughly educate employees on data handling rules.

☆ Toyota’s Hybridized EV Strategy Is Expensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Stephen Wilmot | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The 2023 Toyota Prius Prime at the Washington, D.C. Auto Show. Photo: Michael Brochstein/Zuma PressOnly a company as large as Toyota can still afford to hedge its bets on the future of cars. The Japanese manufacturing giant said Wednesday that its operating income would grow 10% to a record 3 trillion yen, equivalent to about $22.2 billion at the current exchange rate, in the fiscal year through March 2024. The reason is a 10% recovery in vehicle deliveries as semiconductor supplies normalize following pandemic shortages.

☆ Battle for China's electric SUV market heats up at home and abroad
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The trend will spread abroad with growing exports of China-made electric SUVs. The market for SUVs has boomed in China over the past decade and now represents almost 40% of all cars sold, with 400 SUV models of all fuel types. Legacy automakers Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE), BMW (BMWG.DE) and Toyota (7203.T) are counting on new electric SUVs to bolster China sales. Tesla and Renault (RENA.PA) have already been exporting their China-made electric SUVs to Europe on a large scale. Chinese automakers have their own plans to grow electric SUV sales to Europe.

☆ China's car sales rise 2.1% in April as price war effect fades
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING/SHANGHAI, May 9 (Reuters) - China's passenger vehicle sales rose by 2.1% in April from a month earlier, industry data showed, underscoring a slower pace of growth as the stimulus effect of price cuts and incentives faded. Car sales in April totalled 1.65 million units, 54.5% higher from a year earlier when COVID-19 lockdowns disrupted productions and sales, the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) said on Tuesday. In the first four months of 2023, vehicle sales were down 1.4% year-on-year to 5.98 million units, it added. Reuters GraphicsChina's crowded auto market is getting even more congested with nearly 300 models displayed at the Shanghai auto show in April, 172 of which were NEVs, according to Ways Consulting. A tepid property market recovery and an unexpected contraction in factory activity is also pointing to a shaky economic outlook, casting clouds over the strength of the post-COVID rebound and potentially dampening consumer spending.

☆ I travel the country teaching people about electric cars. Most people don't realize how much range they really need or how fun EVs are to drive.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Here's what he says new electric car buyers get wrong, as told to the reporter Alexa St. John. It was a glaring realization when we looked at the EV space that there wasn't anything like Electrify Expo. Automakers, charging companies, and more come to educate consumers about EVs at Electrify Expo events. At Electrify Expo, we are the closest you can get to the point of purchase for these attendees that are shopping for EVs. Car shoppers experience EVs and ask questions about owning an electric car at Birtwell's Electrify Expo.

☆ Analysis: Battle for China's electric SUV market heats up at home and abroad
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

☆ Volkswagen sees growing competition ahead as revenue jumps on Europe, US
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Victoria Waldersee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Next is debuted at an event ahead of the Shanghai Auto Show, in Shanghai, China April 17, 2023. "Competition will intensify with more chips and more availability," Antlitz said on a media call after the results. Volkswagen's revenue for the quarter was 76 billion euros ($84.22 billion). Operating profit fell to 5.7 billion euros from 8 billion last year, but still beat expectations of five analysts polled by Refinitiv SmartEstimate for 5.48 billion. Excluding the valuation effect from commodity hedging, operating profit rose by 35% to 7.1 billion euros, yielding a margin of 9.3%.

☆ Volkswagen revenue jumps on growth in Europe, North America
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Aly SongBERLIN, May 4 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) posted a 21.5% gain in first-quarter revenue on Thursday, boosted by higher prices and strong growth in Europe and North America, but operating profit declined from last year when the period benefited from commodity hedging. Revenue for the quarter was 76 billion euros ($84.22 billion). Operating profit fell to 5.7 billion euros from 8 billion euros last year, but still beat expectations of five analysts polled by Refinitiv SmartEstimate of 5.48 billion euros. Excluding the valuation effect from commodity hedging, operating profit rose by 35% to 7.1 billion euros, yielding a margin of 9.3%. Volkswagen attributed the rise in group revenue largely to strong growth in Europe and North America, and said its order book in western Europe totalled 1.8 million vehicles, including 260,000 battery-electric cars.

☆ Volkswagen, Bosch give up joint venture plans for battery cells
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A Volkswagen logo is seen during the New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., April 5, 2023. REUTERS/David 'Dee' DelgadoMay 4 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) and Bosch (ROBG.UL) have cancelled their plans to create a joint venture to equip battery cell factories, Bosch said on Thursday. "We are not setting up a joint venture," Bosch Chief Executive Officer Stefan Hartung said, adding that the partnership with the German carmaker to digitise its battery factories would continue. The joint venture, announced at the beginning of 2022, was designed to deliver battery production systems, as well as assisting battery cell manufacturers in scaling up and maintaining their production sites. "Volkswagen and PowerCo are sticking to their plan to get involved in equipping battery cell factories in the future.

☆ Jeep, Dodge maker Stellantis posts first-quarter revenue jump as chip supply eases
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Attendees view vehicles at the Jeep booth during opening day of the 2023 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) in New York, on Wednesday, April 7, 2023. Carmaker Stellantis on Wednesday posted a 14% annual rise in first-quarter net revenues as an easing of semiconductor supply chain pressures boosted shipments. The Dutch-headquartered company, formed in 2021 from the merger of Italian-American conglomerate Fiat Chrysler group and France's PSA Group, recorded first-quarter net revenues of 47.2 billion euros ($52 billion). The manufacturer of Jeep, Dodge, Peugeot and other brands said consolidated shipments increased 7% from the first quarter of 2022 to 1.48 million, as a result of "improvement in semiconductor order fulfilment." "Our global footprint and diverse product portfolio means we are well-positioned to continue delivering strong financial performance throughout the year," Chief Financial Officer Richard Palmer said in a statement.

☆ White House says Toyota 'fully committed' to electrifying auto fleet
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] A Toyota bZ Compact SUV Concept electric car is displayed during the press day at the Los Angeles Auto Show in Los Angeles, California, U.S. November 17, 2022. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File PhotoWASHINGTON, May 2 (Reuters) - White House senior adviser John Podesta said Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) is "fully committed" to electric vehicles after he met recently with senior company officials. Podesta told Reuters reporters and editors in a roundtable meeting on Tuesday the Japanese automaker "had been the laggard" but was now committed to electric vehicles. "I think they're going to stick with plug-in hybrids for a while, maybe longer than some of the other companies but they're fully now committed under their new leadership to electrification," he said. Reporting by David Shepardson Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ In race for efficient EVs, Mercedes taps F1 team to keep up with Tesla
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

In this article MBG-FF Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTLewis Hamilton of Great Britain drives the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team W13 on race day during the 2023 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park on April 2, 2023 in Melbourne. But Mercedes' F1 collaboration to build more efficient EVs faster is unprecedented because it embeds that racing mindset and technological expertise directly in product development. After decades of leadership in combustion-engine technology, legacy carmakers like Mercedes have lagged Tesla in electric vehicles. Mercedes' F1 team can help it get back in the race, said Steven Merkt, head of transportation solutions at TE Connectivity , a major autos supplier. Last year, Mercedes unveiled its EQXX concept car, a super-efficient EV capable of a range of more than 1,200 km (745 miles), which was jointly developed with the German premium carmaker's F1 team in England.

☆ How Gwyneth Paltrow Put Concussions On Trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Mireille Silcoff | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In March, on Day 7 of the Gwyneth Paltrow ski trial, after the court spectacle had already been branded everything from a “meme machine” to “the whitest trial of all time,” the retired optometrist Terry Sanderson sat in the witness box, somewhat deflated already. By that point, he probably knew that his pursuit of Paltrow for damages connected to a ski collision he said was her fault was a pretty bad idea. “This is a picture of you and your girlfriend, smiling big, right?”“Smile, camera, yup,” Sanderson replied. At a ski resort? As far as controversies go, the trial was as Diamond Life as you can get.

☆ Ford cutting price of electric Mustang Mach-E by thousands of dollars
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Ford Mustang Mach-E is presented at the New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City, April 5, 2023. DETROIT – Ford Motor is once again cutting the starting prices of its electric Mustang Mach-E by thousands of dollars, as the automaker increases production of the crossover and reopens order banks for the vehicle. The Detroit automaker said Tuesday it will lower pricing of the Mach-E by a range of $1,000 to $4,000. The cuts will make the starting price of the vehicle fall between $42,995 and $59,995. The cuts are the latest price adjustments in the electric vehicle market following Tesla cutting prices several times this year, but also slightly raising prices on some models this week.

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File PhotoNEW YORK, May 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. government could delay a decision on giving electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers tradable credits under a renewable fuel scheme, due to concern about legal challenges to the plan, two sources familiar with the matter said. Most credits generated under the RFS are for blending liquid fuels such as ethanol made from corn into gasoline. Adding credits for power generated from renewable gas and then used for charging EVs would take the program in a new direction. The EPA initially proposed adding EVs to the program when it outlined the mandates for blending biofuels for 2023-2025. The delay in finalizing the EV credit program may mean more volume is available for other renewable fuel pools under the 2023-2025 mandate, including blending for renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last year recommended adding EVs to the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which incentivizes oil refiners to blend biofuels. The EPA under the Biden administration is now testing the legal limits of the liquid fuel program by extending it to EVs. The EPA has proposed granting EV manufacturers tradable credits based on the amount of renewable electricity that makes it on the grid. Renewable gas producers and EV manufacturers like Tesla have been jockeying to gain the most benefits from the new credits. The November proposal foresaw EV manufacturers could generate as many as 600 million credits in 2024 and 1.2 billion of them by 2025.

☆ Why GM is killing the Chevy Bolt — America's cheapest EV — amid record sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

In this article GM Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTA Chevrolet Bolt EUV on display at the New York Auto Show, April 13, 2022. Scott Mlyn | CNBCDETROIT — After years of lackluster performance and a fire-provoked recall, the all-electric Chevrolet Bolt EV was finally gaining traction for General Motors . The Bolt EV would start at $26,595, followed by the Bolt EUV at $28,195. A 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV caught fire at a home in Cherokee County, Georgia on Sept. 13, 2021, according to the local fire department. Cherokee County Fire DepartmentStill, GM touted the Bolt EV as proof of the concept for its electric-powered future.

☆ China's EV players are starting to compete on driver assist tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Huawei's co-developed Aito electric car brand is now selling an updated version of the M5 model that comes with new driver-assist tech. Around the Shanghai auto show that kicked off last week, electric car startups and Chinese tech companies alike made several announcements about their driver-assist tech. But McKinsey estimates assisted and fully autonomous driving systems in passenger cars could generate $300 billion to $400 billion in global revenue by 2035. Those maps, used by autonomous driving companies such as Alphabet 's Waymo, give a car a detailed picture of city streets. Xpeng, considered one of the most advanced technologically, saw deliveries plunge in the first quarter ahead of a more widespread rollout of its assisted driving tech.

☆ Chrysler-parent Stellantis offering buyouts to 33,500 U.S. employees
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Carlos Tavares, Chief Executive Officer of Stellantis, poses during a presentation at the New York International Auto Show, in Manhattan, New York City, April 5, 2023. DETROIT – Stellantis is offering voluntary buyouts to more than 33,500 U.S. salaried and hourly employees, as the global automaker attempts to cut costs and headcount. The buyouts will be offered to 31,000 hourly employees with at least one year of employment and 2,500 salaried non-union U.S. employees who have 15 or more years with the company, the automaker said Wednesday. General Motors earlier this year offered buyouts to a majority of its salaried employees following performance-related layoffs. Stellantis earlier this year idled a Jeep plant in Illinois, placing about 1,200 workers on indefinite layoffs.

☆ BYD lowers starting price for Seagull electric hatchback
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies BYD Co Ltd FollowSHANGHAI, April 26 (Reuters) - Chinese electric car maker BYD (002594.SZ) has set the starting price for its Seagull hatchback at 73,800 yuan ($10,658.89), about 6.3% lower than its initial advertised price, its website showed. The vehicle attracted significant attention at the Shanghai auto show at a price starting from 78,800 yuan - half the price of the cheapest new energy vehicles available elsewhere. It had advertised the two versions at 78,800 yuan and 83,800 yuan during the auto show. The company's longer-range version will be priced at 89,800 yuan, down from the 95,800 yuan advertised at the show. ($1 = 6.9238 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Brenda Goh Editing by David GoodmanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Hyundai and partner SK On, a battery unit of SK Innovation Co Ltd (096770.KS), will set up a new battery manufacturing plant in the state of Georgia, the companies said, formalising an earlier provisional agreement. Accompanying Yoon on the trip are top executives of some of South Korea's biggest companies, including Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung. Rivals General Motors Co (GM.N) and Samsung SDI (006400.KS) said they would invest over $3 billion to build a joint venture EV battery manufacturing plant in the United States. That compared with a Refinitiv SmartEstimate for first-quarter profit of 2.3 trillion won from 16 analysts. Hyundai and Kia cars are competitive in the U.S., based on their prices and a favourable exchange rate, he added.

☆ Volkswagen takes on China's EV market with a higher-end car and $1 billion investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Volkswagen's ID.7 is set for release in Europe and China in the fall of 2023, and in North America in 2024. CNBC | Evelyn ChengBEIJING — German automaker Volkswagen is investing about $1 billion in China for electric car development, and releasing a vehicle targeted at a higher end of the market. German investment in China grew by nearly 61% in the first quarter from a year ago, China's Ministry of Commerce said Thursday. Overall, foreign investment in China grew by 4.9% year-on-year in the first three months of the year to 408.45 billion yuan ($59.33 billion). Vehicles for China will be produced locally, while those for Europe and North America will be produced in Germany, Volkswagen said.

☆ Ford must rethink its brand for China as EVs boom, CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DETROIT, April 20 (Reuters) - Facing a booming and hyper-competitive market for electric vehicles (EVs) in China, Ford Motor Co (F.N) needs to reshape its brand for the world's largest car market, Chief Executive Jim Farley said. "We're going to have to rethink what the Ford brand means in a place like China," Farley told reporters on Thursday evening in Detroit, speaking on the sidelines of a charity event. Even state-owned automakers in China had created new brands for EVs, he said. "That's why they're going big on Europe. "They're totally vertically integrated, completely, all the way to batteries.

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