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SummarySummary Companies Move comes shortly after Scout plant announcementPlant in Canada can also qualify for IRA subsidiesBASF also picked Canada for EV battery materials plantWOLFSBURG, Germany, March 13 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) chose Canada to build its first battery cell plant outside Europe, granting its cars access to both Canadian and U.S. subsidies as it works to localise electric vehicle production chain in the region. Canada, home to a large mining sector for minerals including lithium, nickel and cobalt, is trying to woo companies involved in all levels of the EV supply chain via a multi-billion-dollar green technology fund as the world seeks to cut carbon emissions. The Canadian federal innovation minister, Francois-Philippe Champagne, called the VW battery plant a "home run for Canada" and said it was "the largest single investment in the auto sector in the history of Canada", without giving details. "I think all the big manufacturers understand that if you need to green the supply chain, Canada is the place to do that," said Champagne. Chemicals giant BASF (BASFn.DE) a year ago also secured land in Canada for a planned battery materials facility to better serve electric vehicle markets in the U.S. and Mexico.

SummarySummary Companies Move comes shortly after Scout plant announcementPlant in Canada can also qualify for IRA subsidiesBASF also picked Canada for EV battery materials plantWOLFSBURG, March 13 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) chose Canada to build its first battery cell plant outside Europe, granting its cars access to both Canadian and U.S. subsidies as it works to localise electric vehicle production chain in the region. He said Volkswagen would be making "the largest single investment in the auto sector in the history of Canada" but did not give details. The plant will be based in the city of St. Thomas, around 195 km (120 miles) northeast of Detroit. "I think all the big manufacturers understand that if you need to green the supply chain, Canada is the place to do that," said Champagne. Chemicals giant BASF (BASFn.DE) a year ago also secured land in Canada for a planned battery materials facility to better serve electric vehicle markets in the U.S. and Mexico.

☆ Volkswagen to build first North American battery cell plant in Canada
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WOLFSBURG, March 13 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) said on Monday it will build its first North American battery cell plant in Canada, granting its cars access to both Canadian and U.S. subsidies as it works to localise its electric vehicle production chain in the region. VW's Monday's announcement did not specify the size of the investment or the capacity of the new plant, but board member Thomas Schmall said in August the company was targeting 20 gigawatt hours of capacity at its first North American site. Volkswagen has long said it is working towards setting up regional supply chains in Europe, North America and China for EV production in light of high transport and logistic costs, supply chain risks and geopolitical tensions. It announced last week its Scout brand would build a $2 billion manufacturing plant near Columbia, South Carolina for trucks and SUVs, with production to start in 2026. Reporting by Victoria Waldersee and Jan Schwartz, Editing by Angus MacSwan, Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Chief Financial Officer Lutz Meschke, however, warned that supply chain issues, geopolitical strains and rising inflation still presented a challenge for the industry. Porsche AG, historically a huge money spinner for the Volkswagen Group (VOWG_p.DE), which owns 75% minus one ordinary share of the group, is targeting a margin of 17-19% this year with a long-term goal of 20%, it said in a statement. Porsche reported a 27.4% rise in annual operating profit to 6.8 billion euros on revenue of 37.6 billion, slightly undershooting a consensus 6.86 billion in earnings and 38.3 billion in revenue expected by 19 analysts polled by Refinitiv. The logo of German carmaker Porsche AG is seen before the company's annual news conference in Stuttgart, Germany, March 17, 2017. He also said the company was investing 20 billion euros in digitalisation in the next five years.

☆ Volkswagen: we are covered by our three gigafactories in Europe until 2028
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WOLFSBURG, March 13 (Reuters) - Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) battery needs are covered until 2028 by its three confirmed factories in Europe - the Salzgitter plant in Germany, Northvolt's plant in Sweden and a planned plant in Valencia, board member Thomas Schmall said on Monday. "With these three plants we are covered until 2028," Schmall said at a press event at the Salzgitter plant, inaugurated last July. The Valencia plant, confirmed last year, is due to begin production in 2026. Volkswagen said last week it was waiting to hear what Europe's response to the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act will be before progressing with plans to build further battery plants in the region. The carmaker was standardising the structure of its factories to make production more efficient, Schmall said, describing the process of building new plants as "copy-paste".

☆ Porsche CEO: There is no conflict between e-mobility and e-fuels
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WOLFSBURG, March 13 (Reuters) - Porsche (P911_p.DE) CEO Oliver Blume characterised the debate over e-fuels as "emotional" and said there was no conflict between electrification and building out e-fuel production during a press call on Monday following the carmaker's results. Porsche is the strongest advocate for e-fuels as a carbon-free way of driving combustion engine cars among all German carmakers amid a debate in Europe over whether to allow new combustion engines to be powered by e-fuels after 2035. "We can adjust tax politics to make e-fuels cheaper ... politics should support investments to make prices more attractive," Blume said. I know no other possibility to decarbonise combustion engine cars." Reporting by Victoria Waldersee, Editing by Friederike HeineOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ BMW hits earnings target helped by pricing, China consolidation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, March 9 (Reuters) - BMW's (BMWG.DE) core carmaking business hit its 2022 earnings target, the company said on Thursday, helped by strong pricing and consolidation of its China joint venture. Group revenue rose 28% to 142.6 billion euros ($150.66 billion) versus a Refinitiv SmartEstimate of 141.6 billion. Its autos business reported an 8.6% margin on earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of 10.6 billion euros and cash flow of 11.1 billion euros. Almost half of the latter came from a cash contribution from Chinese joint venture BMW Brilliance Automotive (BBA). BMW said last February it would pay 3.7 billion euros to take majority control of BBA after securing the necessary licence from Beijing, increasing its stake to 75% from 50%.

☆ Volkswagen pauses on Europe battery plants, awaits EU response to IRA
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Jan Schwartz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"De facto it is the case that we are getting ahead far faster in North America," a person close to the matter said to Reuters, declining to be named. Asked about the report, a Volkswagen spokesperson said the carmaker was "still evaluating suitable locations for our next cell factories in Eastern Europe and North America. The company said in October last year it planned to firmly settle on a location for a plant in eastern Europe in the first six months of 2023. Schmall said he participated in a discussion with EU officials via the European Battery Alliance last week on what conditions were needed in Europe for battery production. These included state aid in line with China and North America, a raw materials strategy and affordable renewable energy, he said.

☆ Continental predicts higher margins, selling Russia operations
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Announcing results on Wednesday, CEO Nikolai Setzer also said the company was selling its operations in Russia including its factory in Kaluga. Last year's performance was undermined by asset impairments of 87 million euros ($91.70 million) from its Russia operations, as well as negative special effects of around 1 billion euros due largely to high interest rates. Continental suspended production at its Kaluga plant in Russia after Moscow began its invasion of Ukraine in February last year. The company forecast a 5.5-6.5% margin for this year on higher consolidated sales of 42-45 billion euros, up from 39.4 billion last year. It incurred 3.3 billion euros in extra costs in 2022 and expected an extra 1.7 billion this year from the increased cost of materials, energy, logistics, wages and salaries.

☆ Awaiting an IRA response, Volkswagen pauses decision on eastern Europe battery plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Volkswagen AG FollowMarch 8 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) is pausing plans for a battery plant in eastern Europe and prioritising building a plant in North America where it expects to reap 9-10 billion euros ($10.54 billion) in subsidies, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. The company was waiting for a response from Europe to the U.S. $369-billion Inflation Reduction Act package before moving ahead with its plans in the region, the newspaper reported, citing sources with knowledge of the matter. Volkswagen board member Thomas Schmall posted on LinkedIn last week that Europe risked losing "the race for billions of investments that will be decided in coming months and years" to the attractive conditions offered by the IRA. The company said in October last year it planned to firmly settle on a location for the plant in the first six months of 2023. ($1 = 0.9489 euros)Reporting by Victoria Waldersee Editing by Paul CarrelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Continental net income drops 95% in 2022, sees higher margins this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, March 8 (Reuters) - Continental's (CONG.DE) net income in 2022 fell 95.4% year-on-year to 67 million euros ($70.60 million), the autos supplier said on Wednesday, dragged down by negative special effects, higher interest rates and impairing assets related to Russia. The company, which reported in preliminary results in January that its 2022 margin was 5%, forecast a 5.5-6.5% margin for this year on higher consolidated sales of 42-45 billion euros, up from 39.4 billion last year. It incurred 3.3 billion euros in extra costs in 2022 for raw materials, semi-finished products, energy and logistics because of the impact of the war in Ukraine, coronavirus restrictions in China and the chip shortage, it said. For 2023, it expected an extra 1.7 billion in risen costs for materials, energy, logistics, wages and salaries. ($1 = 0.9490 euros)Reporting by Victoria Waldersee Editing by Paul CarrelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Volkswagen focuses on productivity in challenging year
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Volkswagen AG FollowMarch 8 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) needs to focus on productivity at its mass-market brands to cope with a step up in competition this year as supply chains improve, car production rises and consumers remain under pressure, executives said on Wednesday. "2023 must be the year of productivity," finance chief Arno Antlitz told staff newspaper 360 Grad (360 Degrees). Antlitz and VW brand chief Thomas Schaeffer said supply chain snags would continue to affect output this year, but Antlitz said chip supply was improving. Volkswagen said last week it expected sales to rise by up to 331 billion euros ($350 billion) this year and forecast a 14% increase in vehicle deliveries from 2022. ($1 = 0.9454 euros)Reporting by Jan Schwartz and Victoria Waldersee Editing by Riham Alkousaa and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The EU law would require all new cars sold from 2035 to have zero CO2 emissions, making it effectively impossible to sell new fossil fuel-powered cars. E-fuels, like e-kerosene, e-methane, or e-methanol, are made by synthesizing captured CO2 emissions and hydrogen produced using renewable or CO2-free electricity. Germany and Italy want clearer assurances from the EU that sales of new ICE cars can continue beyond 2035, if they run on CO2-neutral fuels. Most major carmakers are betting on battery-electric vehicles - a technology that is already widely available - as the main route to cut CO2 emissions from passenger cars. Supporters say e-fuels offer a route to cut the CO2 emissions of our existing passenger car fleet, without replacing every vehicle with an electric one.

REUTERS/Wolfgang RattaySummarySummary Companies Volkswagen China chief toured Xinjiang plant on Feb 16-17Carmaker contractually bound to plant until 2030Company notes 'more repressive approach' in region since 2015No indication of forced labour on visit - China chiefPlant no longer assembling cars, 65% staff cutBERLIN, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) is contractually committed to its plant in Xinjiang until 2030, it said on Tuesday, after its China chief made the first visit by senior management to the plant in mid-February and said he saw no signs of forced labour. Ralf Brandstaetter, who has headed the carmaker's China operations since the middle of last year, spent 1-1/2 days on Feb. 16-17 touring the facility with Volkswagen's compliance and external relations chief in China. I can try and verify the facts [from joint venture partner SAIC], and that's what I did. China has strenuously denied any abuses in Xinjiang. Around 190 workers had also undertaken retraining and qualification programmes at other SAIC plants across China.

☆ Tesla's German plant hits 4,000 cars per week ahead of schedule
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Companies Tesla Inc FollowBERLIN, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Tesla's (TSLA.O) plant in Brandenburg near Berlin is now producing 4,000 cars per week, the company said on Monday, three weeks ahead of schedule according to a recent production plan reviewed by Reuters. Tesla was planning to ramp up output from Brandenburg to 4,000 in the week of March 13 and to more than 5,000 by the end of June. It hit production of 2,000 units per week in October last year and 3,000 per week in December. The maximum capacity planned for the Brandenburg plant is 500,000 cars a year, nearing 10,000 per week. Reporting by Victoria Waldersee, Zhang Yan, Editing by Friederike HeineOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Audi CEO: IRA subsidies make prospect of building U.S. plant "highly attractive"
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Chief Executive Markus Duesmann said that a decision had not yet been made but that the IRA made it far more attractive to build electric vehicles (EVs) in the United States. Asked whether Audi would build a plant itself or do so together with other Volkswagen brands, Duesmann said: "Both are possible. But a growing number of firms are now announcing heightened investment in the United States over Europe in light of the IRA, worrying European officials. Volkswagen is also upgrading its Mexican plants in Puebla and Silao to starting building EVs, motors and related components by mid-decade. Volkswagen is due to lay out in March how it will rejig its production network worldwide to scale up EV production.

☆ Volkswagen to build own US plant for Scout brand - Automobilwoche
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Volkswagen Group (VOWG_p.DE) will build its own production plant in the United States for its new Scout brand rather than collaborating with a partner, industry publication Automobilwoche reported on Friday, citing company sources. Volkswagen said last May it planned to reintroduce the Scout off-road brand, creating a separate, independent company to build Scout trucks and SUVs starting in 2026 that will be designed, engineered, and manufactured in the United States for U.S. customers. Building its own plant was the least likely option, the publication reported at the time, also citing company sources. Volkswagen is expanding its existing U.S. plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to produce the ID. However, the Scout brand will build off-road electric pick-up trucks and SUVs that require a new platform and the Chattanooga plant does not have enough space to do it all, a source told Reuters last May.

"His deep understanding of our customers' needs, and the broader industry make him an ideal candidate for Chairman of the Supervisory Board from 2024 onwards," Plattner added. Plattner, who co-founded SAP in 1972 alongside four other former IBM employees, stepped down from active management in May 2003 to head the supervisory board after serving as SAP's CEO since 1997. He owns a 6.16% stake in SAP which is currently worth 8.23 billion euros ($8.73 billion), and said he would remain committed to the company as an "investor with an unchanged stake". SAP, in a separate statement, said it would propose a dividend of 2.05 euros per share for 2022. The company paid 2.45 euros a share for the previous year, which included a 0.50 euros apiece special dividend.

☆ Mercedes-Benz cars to have 'supercomputers', unveils Google partnership
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But the car companies also want to keep control over their customer relationships as well as valuable data generated by their cars. Mercedes-Benz is moving from a patchwork approach of integrating software from a range of suppliers to controlling the core of its software. Under the Google partnership, Google Maps will be Mercedes-branded and provide drivers with Google traffic information and automatic rerouting, as well as the ability to watch YouTube on the cars' entertainment system when the car is parked, or in Level 3 autonomous driving mode. Google and Mercedes-Benz also agreed to explore further collaboration with Google Cloud data and artificial intelligence capabilities. Others carmakers like General Motors, Renault (RENA.PA), Nissan (7201.T) and Ford (F.N) have embedded an entire package of Google services into their vehicles, offering features like Google Maps, Google Assistant and other applications.

☆ SAP names ex Deloitte CEO as designated chairman to succeed co-founder Plattner
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BERLIN/FRANKFURT, Feb 22 (Reuters) - SAP (SAPG.DE) on Wednesday named former Deloitte global CEO Punit Renjen as designated chairman to succeed co-founder Hasso Plattner, whose term will expire in May 2024. SAP's board nominated Renjen, global CEO of Deloitte from 2015 until the end of 2022, to stand for election as a new member of the supervisory the board, the statement said. Reporting by Victoria Waldersee in Berlin and Hakan Ersen in Frankfurt; Editing by Christoph SteitzOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Tesla scales back German battery plans, won over by U.S. incentives
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Victoria Waldersee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O) has paused plans to produce entire batteries in Brandenburg, Germany, and will instead carry out some production steps in the United States where tax incentives are more favourable, the Brandenburg economy ministry said on Tuesday. The U.S. carmaker had originally planned to produce the full battery at the Gruenheide site in Germany, with a peak capacity of over 50 gigawatt hours per year. But with the United States offering electric vehicle makers sourcing batteries from within the United States tax breaks and consumer discounts, the company has changed course. "Tesla has started its battery system production in Gruenheide and is preparing to manufacture battery cell components. The company has prioritized further production steps in the USA because tax incentives make business conditions more favorable there," the Brandenburg economy ministry said in a statement.

☆ In EU car data tussle, insurers and others brace for delays, disappointment
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Companies in Europe and beyond are vying for control of the crown jewels of the connected car era, namely car manufacturers' data covering everything from driving habits, to fuel consumption and tyre wear which can be used to target cash-generating services. Although the EU is currently haggling over the Data Act, a draft law governing the use of consumer and corporate data, insurers and others are pushing for auto sector-specific regulation. A proposal is expected soon after the European Commission launched a consultation last year. Ten industry groups also wrote to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in January urging an end to "repeated delays". A spokesperson for the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) said the Data Act would guarantee fair access to car data, so "additional legislation on access to in-vehicle data is unlikely to achieve more".

☆ Ford to cut 3,800 engineering, administration jobs in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Ford (F.N) plans to cut 3,800 product development and administration jobs in Europe in the next three years, the company said on Tuesday, citing rising costs and the need for a leaner structure as it pivots production to electric vehicles. The news comes as a blow to unions who said in late January the worst-case scenario was 2,500 job cuts in Europe in product development and a further 700 in administration. The cuts were needed to "revitalise business in Europe", Ford said in a statement. Lawler also said at the time that productivity of engineers in Europe was 25-30% lower than it should be. Ford is due to launch its first electric vehicle in Europe built on Volkswagen's MEB platform in Cologne later this year and is considering bringing a Ford platform to Europe, possibly to its plant in Valencia, Sander said.

☆ Adidas forecast for 2023 sales slump spooks investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Adidas flagged that it expects a high single-digit decline in sales this year, sending its shares more than 10% lower in premarket trade early on Friday. Analysts on average had expected a 4% rise in 2023 revenue on a currency-neutral basis and operating profit of 1.02 billion euros, according to a consensus published on Adidas' website. The news came as it missed its own forecasts with a rise of just 1% in 2022 revenue in currency-neutral terms. Jefferies cut its recommendation on Adidas stock to "hold" from "buy", citing "challenges in articulating the mid-term profit delivery". ($1 = 0.9307 euros)Reporting by Victoria Waldersee and Maria Sheahan; editing by Kirsten Donovan and Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ VW to speed up electric shift in five-year plan
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) will speed up its shift to electric cars and revamp its software strategy in a five-year investment plan presented by management to the supervisory board on Friday, the automaker said in a statement. Bosses discussed how to rejig the German group's production network to accelerate the move to cleaner driving, the statement said, without elaborating. Full details of what was discussed will be presented at the company's annual media conference on March 14. A spokesperson for the works council denied the Handelsblatt report, saying jobs in Hannover were guaranteed under an agreement with the company until 2029. Reporting by Jan Schwartz; Writing by Victoria Waldersee; Editing by Jan Harvey and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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