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☆ Lewis Hamilton extends Mercedes stay until the end of the 2025 season
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Matt Foster | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Lewis Hamilton will remain a Mercedes driver in Formula One until at least the end of the 2025 season after the team announced a contract extension on Thursday. Hamilton, who shares the record for most F1 world titles with Michael Schumacher (seven), joined Mercedes in 2013 after starting his career with McLaren in 2007. The 38-year-old owns the outright record for most race wins in F1 history with 103. In the Mercedes press release, Hamilton said, “We dream every day of being the best and we have dedicated the past decade together to achieving that goal. Hamilton’s teammate, fellow Brit George Russell, also extended his contract with the outfit until the end of 2025.

Persons: CNN — Lewis Hamilton, Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, Max Verstappen, Red Bull, “, it’s, … I’m, isn’t, Mercedes, Hamilton’s, Brit George Russell, ” Russell, ” Organizations: CNN, Formula, Mercedes, McLaren, Red, “

☆ Norris tops Dutch practice as Ricciardo ruled out
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SummaryCompanies Norris tops second session and fastest overallVerstappen quickest in first practiceRicciardo ruled out with broken handLawson to debut as Australian's replacementAug 25 (Reuters) - McLaren's Lando Norris was fastest in Dutch Grand Prix practice on Friday as former team mate Daniel Ricciardo crashed his AlphaTauri and was ruled out of Sunday's race with a broken hand. Norris denied home hero Max Verstappen a perfect Friday by lapping 0.023 faster than the championship-leading Red Bull driver in the day's second session at Zandvoort. Norris then lapped in 1:11.330 in the late afternoon, with double Formula One world champion Verstappen second. The 25-year-old leads Mexican team mate Sergio Perez by 125 points after 12 of 22 races. Perez was fourth on those timesheets, 0.471 slower than his team mate, with Williams' Alex Albon fifth and Norris sixth.

Persons: Norris, Ricciardo, Lawson, McLaren's Lando Norris, Daniel Ricciardo, Liam Lawson, Max Verstappen, Red, Verstappen, we’ve, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, Piastri, AlphaTauri, Sebastian Vettel's, Sergio Perez, Fernando Alonso, Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton, Perez, Williams, Alex Albon, Albon, AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda, Alpine's Pierre Gasly, Red Bull, Haas's Nico Hulkenberg, Guenther Steiner, Aston, Lance, Robert Shwartzman, Carlos Sainz, Sainz, Charles Leclerc 11th, Alan Baldwin, Toby Davis, Ken Ferris Organizations: Bull, Red Bull, Briton, McLaren, Hamilton, Prix, Sky Sports, Ferrari, Thomson Locations: Zandvoort, London

☆ Meet a 64-year-old San Francisco Uber driver who says switching to a Tesla has saved him more than $1,000 a month on gas and maintenance
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

64-year-old Uber driver Wesley Johnson started driving a rented Tesla four months ago. Johnson also offered tips for Uber drivers looking to make the electric-vehicle switch. To compare, Johnson said the Tesla rental from Hertz costs him roughly $50 per week, or $200 a month, to charge. Wesley Johnson, 64, says he's saved roughly $1,400 per month on gas since switching to an electric vehicle. What Uber drivers should know before making the EV switchJohnson has a few tips for any Uber drivers who are considering renting or buying an EV.

Persons: Wesley Johnson, Johnson, San Francisco Uber, Uber, He's, who's, Hertz, Tesla, he's, I'm, — Organizations: Service, Hertz, EVgo, EV Locations: Wall, Silicon, San Francisco

☆ Mercedes sales rise in Q2 on top-end, electric vehicles
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Mercedes Benz Group AG FollowBERLIN, July 11 (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz Group (MBGn.DE) sales in the second quarter rose 6% year-on-year - a total of 515,700 vehicles - on the back of demand for all-electric and top-end vehicles, the German carmaker said on Tuesday. Sales grew in all the carmaker's main regions - Europe, Asia and North America - with deliveries in Germany up 23%, while China was up by 12% and the United States by 6%. In the rest of the world, second-quarter sales fell 12% to 20,700 vehicles. Electric vehicles conitnued to be the main growth driver in the quarter, with passenger cars sales growing 123%, to reach 56,300 units. The top-end segment - which includes models such as AMG, Maybach and G-class - also posted solid growth of 12% for the period.

Persons: carmaker, Miranda Murray, Friederike Heine Our Organizations: Mercedes Benz Group, BERLIN, Benz Group, ., Maybach, Thomson Locations: Europe, Asia, North America, Germany, China, United States

☆ Mercedes-Benz to adopt Tesla’s EV charging standard in North America
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The German luxury automaker will fully integrate what Tesla calls the North American Charging Standard (NACS) in its electric vehicle line-up, it said on Friday. In November, Tesla CEO Elon Musk invited other EV makers to build vehicles that could use Tesla charging ports. In May, Ford (F) announced its vehicles will gain access to Tesla’s vast EV charging network. “With the development of Mercedes-Benz’s new North American High-Power Charging Network, we are ready to redefine the electric vehicle charging experience,” Andrew Cornelia, CEO of Mercedes-Benz HPC North America said in a statement. CCS chargers are used by most other EV makers, including General Motor, Audi, and Rivian, but Tesla’s charging stations outnumber CCS stations in the United States.

Persons: New York CNN — Mercedes, Tesla, superchargers, Mercedes, Elon Musk, “, ” Andrew Cornelia, it’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, Benz, American, EV, Tesla, Ford, GM, Mercedes, America, General Motor, Audi Locations: New York, North America, Europe, China, California, United States

☆ Analysis: Auto firms race to secure non-Chinese graphite for EVs as shortages loom
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Eric Onstad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Auto firms have been slow to plan for graphite shortages, focusing mainly on better-known battery materials lithium and cobalt, even though graphite is the largest battery component by weight. Graphite shortages are expected to rise in coming years, with a global supply deficit of 777,000 tonnes expected by 2030, Project Blue projections showed. China produces 61% of global natural graphite and 98% of the final processed material to make battery anodes, BMI said. Agreeing graphite supply deals is complex, requiring extensive safety testing for material going into each model of EV that can take up to three years. Natural graphite anodes tend to be cheaper and are beneficial for cell capacity and power output, allowing cars to run further distances before charging.

Persons: Tomas Bergman, Handout, there's, Mark Thompson, Australia's, Northvolt, Thompson, Talga, Mercedes, Brent Nykoliation, Tesla, George Miller, Reitumetse, Eric Onstad, Veronica Brown, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Talga Group, Reuters, Mercedes, Auto, Australia's Talga, BMO Capital Markets, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, BMI, Reuters Graphics, Toyota, Ford, Tesla Inc, Toyota Motor Corp, Ford Motor, Benz, Renault, NextSource, Syrah Resources, Magnis Energy Technologies, U.S, European Union, Thomson Locations: Norrbotten, Sweden, China, Madagascar, Mozambique, United States, Europe, U.S, Mauritius, CHINA, Western

☆ Mercedes drivers can soon turn to ChatGPT for voice control
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) on Thursday said U.S. drivers could power some of their luxury vehicles with ChatGPT in a test program starting June 16. Compatible with some 900,000 vehicles that have the automaker's "MBUX" systems, ChatGPT will download over the air after drivers opt in via a Mercedes app or by voice command, the company said. Mercedes said ChatGPT would make its car system's answers sound more natural and would let drivers ask for destination information or address other queries, like what to cook for dinner. The automaker had previously let drivers and passengers issue a range of requests by voice, such as turning on seat heaters. Findings from the test program will inform Mercedes' plans for adding such artificial intelligence to other countries and in other languages, the company said.

Persons: Yves Herman, ChatGPT, Mercedes, Alexa, Jeffrey Dastin, Jamie Freed Organizations: Mercedes, Benz, REUTERS, Microsoft, General, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Palo Alto , California, Bengaluru

☆ You'll be able to have a conversation with your Mercedes thanks to built-in ChatGPT
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

ChatGPT will help Benz's voice assistant respond to more complex commands, the firm said. Starting Friday, some 900,000 Mercedes drivers in the US will be able to opt into a beta program and add ChatGPT capability to their cars through a software update. The German automaker says ChatGPT will augment its existing "Hey Mercedes" voice assistant, allowing it to respond to a wider variety of prompts and even conduct full-on conversations. I've had positive experiences with Mercedes-Benz's software in the past, and maybe ChatGPT will make it even better and more helpful. General Motors is also working on a ChatGPT-powered voice assistant for its cars, Semafor first reported.

Persons: ChatGPT, Smart, Mercedes, I've, Semafor Organizations: Benz, Morning, Mercedes, Motors

☆ Mercedes-Benz and Microsoft to test ChatGPT in vehicles
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Mercedes-Benz and Microsoft are partnering to test in-car ChatGPT artificial intelligence, available to more than 900,000 vehicles in the U.S., the companies announced Thursday. The luxury automaker said the emerging technology will be used for audio requests through its Hey Mercedes voice assistant, which is expected to greatly expand the system's capabilities. It is the first implementation of ChatGPT in a vehicle, according to a Microsoft spokesperson. Similar to other industries, the potential applications of ChatGPT in the automotive industry have emerged as a growing discussion. GM earlier this year said it was exploring use cases for ChatGPT in its vehicles as part of a broader collaboration with Microsoft, an investor in OpenAI, which created the technology.

Persons: Mercedes, Hey Mercedes Organizations: Mercedes, Benz, Microsoft, Motors, GM Locations: U.S, OpenAI

☆ Lewis Hamilton lauds ‘amazing result’ for Mercedes with first double podium of the year, as Max Verstappen wins the Spanish Grand Prix
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Mercedes secured its first double podium of the year as Lewis Hamilton finished second and George Russell third at the Spanish Grand Prix, another race once again won by a dominant Max Verstappen. “What a result for our team,” Hamilton told Sky Sports afterwards. “A sign of things to come hopefully,” Russell told Sky Sports afterwards. Really pleased to be on the podium.”Russell and Hamilton finished on the podium behind Verstappen. While Red Bull has exerted its dominance since, Hamilton finished sixth in the drivers’ championship last year and Russell finished fourth.

Persons: CNN — Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Max Verstappen, ” Hamilton, “, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, Russell, Sergio Perez, ” Russell, we’re, Hamilton, Verstappen, Hasan Bratic, Red Bull, Mercedes, Aston Martin, Ferrari, ” Mercedes ’, Toto Wolff, Bull, ” Organizations: CNN, Spanish, Sky Sports, Bulls, Prix, Aston, Ferrari, Getty Locations: Red, Abu Dhabi, British

☆ Verstappen wins in Spain to continue Red Bull sweep
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Red Bull's Sergio Perez, Verstappen's closest rival in a season that looks sure to crown the dominant Dutch 25-year-old for a third time, finished fourth after fighting back from 11th at the start. The victory was Verstappen's fifth of the season, third in a row, third in Spain and the double world champion's 40th in Formula One. TALKING POINTThe form of the Mercedes drivers, with a re-designed car after a disappointing start to the season, provided a main talking point. Mercedes moved up to second in the championship on 152 points to runaway Red Bull's 287 and with Aston Martin dropping to third on 134. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who started from the pitlane after a nightmare in qualifying left him on the back row, finished 11th.

Persons: Max Verstappen, Albert Gea, Mercedes, Perez, Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Bull's Sergio Perez, Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, Max, Christian Horner, McLaren's Lando Norris, Aston Martin, Hamilton, Russell, Ferraris, Sainz, Aston Martins, Lance, Fernando Alonso, Alonso, Alpine's Esteban Ocon, Alfa Romeo's, Zhou, Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, Alan Baldwin, Angus MacSwan, Pritha Sarkar, Ken Ferris Organizations: Prix, Spanish, Prix REUTERS, Spain Dutch, Mercedes, Barcelona's, Formula One, Hamilton, Aston, Alfa, Renault, Thomson Locations: Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain, Verstappen's, London

☆ Imola F1 race called off as floods devastate region
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Alan Baldwin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Last year's race drew a weekend crowd of 129,000 and 64,000 on the Sunday. Officials said at least eight people had died and thousands were evacuated from their homes in towns and cities across the region. The race was scheduled to be the sixth round of the season and the first in Europe. Red Bull have won every race so far and double world champion Max Verstappen is 14 points clear of team mate Sergio Perez. "We support the decision... safety to all those involved and in the region is paramount and has to take priority," the team said on Twitter.

☆ Mercedes plans new electric van platform, 20% cost cuts by mid-decade
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, May 16 (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz's (MBGn.DE) van unit said on Tuesday that it plans a new, scalable platform for its electric vans that will reduce fixed costs by 20% by the middle of the decade and that electric models should make up 50% of its van sales by 2030. Electric vans should make up 20% of sales by 2026, Mercedes' van unit said, adding it expects double-digit margins on zero-emission model sales by the end of the decade. All new midsize and large van models will be based on what Mercedes described as an "innovative, modular and scalable electric architecture" called VAN.EA. Legacy automakers got off to a late start with their commercial electric vans, opening the door for other electric commercial vehicle (ECV) makers to gain a foothold, such as the Maxus brand from China's SAIC Motor Corp (600104.SS) has done in Europe. Customer demand for electric vans has taken off and is expected to outstrip supply for some years to come.

☆ This family of 3 sold their house and now live in a Mercedes van so they can travel around Australia all year round. Take a look.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

They decided to sell pretty much everything they ownedMaddison MiltonGetting woken up by the sun has become almost normal for Maddison Milton and her partner Kyle Markham, who live in a van with their three-year-old son Reef. Avid travelers, the couple decided to move into their Mercedes Sprinter van full-time in February, after about two years of escaping on getaways when they could. "We sold pretty much everything we owned and decided to go all in on the van," Milton told Insider. "We were just trying to figure out a way where we could keep kind of moving and keep doing what feels good for us," she added. Their plan is for them to travel all over Australia.

☆ Lots of sporting buzz in Miami but can F1 deliver?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Once again in a league of their own, Red Bull have won every grand prix this season, with three of the four races one-two finishes. While Miami can deliver plenty of Monaco like pizzazz, the action on the track could also be similar to Monte Carlo with precious little overtaking. Double world champion Max Verstappen (93) leads Red Bull team mate Sergio Perez (87) in the drivers standings and a resurgent Alonso a distant third on 60 points. Hamilton's team mate George Russell had a tongue-and-cheek solution, forget about Red Bull and dive into the battle for third place. Reporting by Steve Keating in Miami, editing by Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Hamilton no fan of Florida Governor DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Steve Keating | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Formula One F1 - Miami Grand Prix - Miami International Autodrome, Miami, Florida, U.S. - May 4, 2023 Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton ahead of the Grand Prix REUTERS/Mike SegarMIAMI, May 4 (Reuters) - It's probably safe to say Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will not be cheering for Lewis Hamilton this weekend at the Miami Grand Prix and the Mercedes seven-times world champion made it clear he is no supporter of the Republican leader. A long-time champion of LGBTQ+ rights, Hamilton will have a Rainbow Flag on his helmet for Sunday's race and said he stands with the gay, lesbian and transgender community that has come under attack by DeSantis. DeSantis, who has declared Florida is "where woke comes to die", recently passed a law banning classroom discussion of sexuality and gender identity with younger children, dubbed by critics as the "don't say gay" bill. Hamilton has used his global platform and celebrity to campaign for everything from diversity and racial equality to LGBTQ+ rights. "This isn't the people of Miami making these decisions, it's the people in government and that's the issue.

☆ You can make your Mercedes EV go faster for $60 a month
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle owners in North America who want a little more power and speed can now buy 60 horsepower for just $60 a month or, on other models, 80 horsepower for $90 a month. Various automakers have touted the potential for recurring revenue from subscription features like this. The power-unleashing software upgrades are available through the Mercedes Me online store in the vehicles. The availability of downloadable upgrades and features allows Mercedes customers to continuously customize their vehicles to fit changing needs and preferences, Mercedes said in an announcement. Mercedes never wants customers to press a button and get an annoying “Subscribe for use” pop-up on the center screen.

☆ Mercedes includes buyback option as Russian assets sale given official approval
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Tatyana MakeyevaApril 19 (Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) has agreed on a buyback option for its Russian assets, the sale of which has now been granted official approval, the German carmaker said on Wednesday, bringing its exit from Russia one step closer. Deals to leave Russia by Western companies from so-called unfriendly countries - those that imposed sanctions against Russia - need approval from a government commission. Mercedes said it intended to withdraw from the market and that the sale of shares in its subsidiaries to Avtodom had now been granted approval. "The completion of the transaction is now particularly subject to the implementation of the contractual agreements," Mercedes said in a statement. "We have agreed an option with the buyer, according to which we could buy back the shares in companies if the sanctions are lifted again."

☆ I started my Turo business with one car and grew my fleet to 69 cars. Now I can afford a luxury apartment and multiple vacations every year.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Natalia Zorina is a Turo host in Miami who started her business on the car-rental app in 2018. I started Turo as a side hustle with one carI'm from Ukraine and moved to the US in 2017. I started renting our family car, a 2011 Porsche Cayenne, on Turo in 2018. Luxury family cars, like Mercedes SUVs, are also in demand because tourists in Miami come here to enjoy the luxury vibe of the city. In my fleet, I have a yellow car, orange car, blue cars, green cars — I have all sorts of colors.

☆ Tesla's biggest Chinese rival showed off a supercar that can balance on 3 wheels, dance, and jump off the ground
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Chinese electric-car maker BYD posted a video of its upcoming Yangwang U9 supercar. The luxury vehicle will be able to bounce and jump off the ground. Chinese Tesla rival BYD showed the world just that on Monday. In a video from a BYD event posted to Twitter, its upcoming Yangwang U9 can be seen dancing and bobbing side to side as it slowly drives across the stage. It looks a lot like a feature in some Mercedes SUVs that makes the vehicle bounce vigorously up and down.

☆ Mercedes set to invest billions in e-vehicles plants
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] An electric-powered Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrow conception car is seen at the Auto Zurich Car Show 2022 in Zurich, Switzerland, November 10, 2022. Mercedes has said it will be ready to go electric by the end of the this decade, where market conditions allow. The carmaker will start work on the Rastatt plant over the coming months and will produce the first model of the compact vehicle platform MMA from 2024. In addition, Mercedes will invest a low single-digit billion dollar sum in modernising the painting systems at its Sindelfingen, Bremen and Rastatt plants in Germany. Burzer said Mercedes was ready to respond to any further changes in the regulatory environment.

[1/3] Sales representatives stand outside their kiosks inside a luxury residential project by Indian property developer DLF in Gurugram, India, February 28, 2023. Many people want to upgrade their homes after the COVID-19 pandemic confined them indoors, industry executives say. "I haven't seen such a mad rush in a decade," said Prashant Thakur, head of research at real estate consultant Anarock. Mercedes sold a record number of high-end cars in India last year and luxury goods are in high demand too. So far, around 160 people were invited for a viewing and 17 of 46 flats sold in the eight-storey project.

☆ Several big-name GOP lawmakers won't go to CPAC this year amid chairman Matt Schlapp's sexual assault scandal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

CPAC is typically a major opportunity for GOP politicians to boost their profile and give red-meat speeches. But many aren't going this year as chairman Matt Schlapp faces a $9.4 million sexual assault lawsuit. Nikki Haley, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, and Sen. Rick Scott of Florida — are still scheduled to speak later this week. Republican Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, also not attending, visibly cringed when asked about CPAC.

☆ A new Mercedes-Benz will have TikTok, Angry Birds, and Zoom built into a touchscreen that extends across the dashboard to the passenger side
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mercedes-Benz unveiled its 2024 E-Class on Wednesday. And a new app store that lets drivers watch TikToks, play Angry Birds, or attend Zoom meetings. Mercedes-Benz unveiled its 2024 E-Class on Wednesday, featuring a giant touchscreen extending across the passenger side. TikTok, Angry Birds, and Zoom are already set up on the display. The first batch of Mercedes' 2024 E-Class is expected to arrive in European dealerships this summer, and in the USA in autumn.

☆ The 2024 Mercedes E-class will have TikTok built in
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —For those who have ever felt the urge to whip off a TikTok video from inside their car, Mercedes-Benz owners will be able to do that from inside the 2024 E-class without even having get out their phones. Angry Birds will be one of the applications available in the new Mercedes-Benz E-class. These features will be part of the new 2024 Mercedes-Benz E-class, a redesigned model that will be fully revealed later this year. The E-class is Mercedes’ mid-level model, larger than the entry-level A-class and the more compact C-class, but smaller and less expensive than the ultra-luxurious S-Class. Mercedes has not yet announced pricing for this new version, but prices for the 2023 E-class start at around $56,000.

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