China’s Inceptio Technology, a startup developing self-driving trucks, has raised US$100 million in its latest funding round from logistics firm GLP, its key strategic investor G7 and other investors, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.The company, which aims to operate a freight network with autonomous driving trucks in China from 2022, has partnerships with Dongfeng Automobile Co, Sinotruk Hong Kong and Foton.The two-year-old firm is developing autonomous driving software and an in-car computing system while the truckmakers are responsible for the vehicles’ platforms.
Author: World_Newz Mon
Great Wall Motor posts profit decline in 2019
SHIJIAZHUANG, April 26 (Xinhua) — Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motor said its net profit fell 13.6 percent year on year in 2019 as the world's largest auto market slowed.
The leading sport utility vehicle (SUV) and pickup maker said in its annual report that it made a net profit of 4.5 billion yuan (about 635 million U.S. dollars) last year when its total operating revenue dropped 3 percent year on year to 96.2 billion yuan.
The carmaker sold 1.06 million vehicles, an annual increase of 1.4 percent, in 2019 when auto sales in the whole country fell 8.2 percent to 25.77 million units.
In the first quarter of 2020, Great Wall Motor reported a net loss of 650 million yuan, compared to a net profit of 773 million yuan a year ago, according to a separate quarterly report.
Meanwhile, its first-quarter total operating revenue fell 45.1 percent year on year to 12.4 billion yuan, mainly as vehicle sales declined amid the COVID-19 epidemic.
Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors predicts losses over pandemic
Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors Corp. says it expects to move into the red during the current fiscal year as sales plunge because of the coronavirus pandemic
Automakers plan to restart factories in early May. UAW says not so fast
Olkswagen, Toyota, Hyundai and Fiat Chrysler are preparing to restart production at factories in the US that have been shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic come early May.The union represents factory workers at US-based automakers, GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler (FCAU).The UAW is still in talks with GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler over the safest way to reopen factories.
Audi Hungaria, union reps reach agreement on jobs
The management of German carmaker Audiʼs Hungarian unit has reached an agreement with union representatives on converting “a certain part” of benefits to additional leave in the interest of mitigating the impact of a shutdown because of the pandemic and preserving jobs, Audi Hungaria communications director Mónika Czechmeister told state news wire MTI.In these challenging times, bbj.hu is committed to providing you with up-to-date and accurate information.Breaking news and other stories will be added throughout the day Monday-through-Friday. More sourcesAudi Hungaria, union reps reach agreement preserving jobs (Budapest Business Journal: Apr 24, 2020 at 12:00 PM)
Slovenian car battery maker TAB plans layoffs
Slovenian car battery manufacturer Tovarna Akumulatorskih Baterij (TAB) plans to lay off 23 workers as part of measures to fight the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.In July 2019, local media reported that TAB had decided to stop looking for a strategic partner and to continue its operations as an independent entity.
Volkswagen restarts production in Germany after coronavirus shutdown
BERLIN, April 23 (Xinhua) — After around five weeks of shutdown due to the coronavirus crisis, Germany's largest car manufacturer Volkswagen restarted production in two of its plants on Thursday.
Volkswagen's vehicle plant in Zwickau, Saxony would “cautiously resume” production of its all-electric model ID.3, according to the company.
“We all have a historic task to accomplish,” said Thomas Ulbrich, Volkswagen brand board member for e-mobility. “That task is to protect the health of our employees and at the same time get business back on track responsibly.”
Volkswagen announced that with an initial production of 50 vehicles per day, operations were restarted “at reduced speed.” Before COVID-19, production volumes at the plant had been around three times as high.
To ensure the health of its employees, Volkswagen introduced new rules at the workplace, such as an obligation to wear mouth and nose protection when keeping the minimum distance of 1.5 meters between employees was n..
Ford engineers are working on electric Mustang SUVs in their own garages
Hen Aleyna Kapur started working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic, she had to take a few things from the office: her laptop, some cables and a Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUV.The Mach-E is the first Ford model designed and engineered purely as an electric vehicle.The engineers and designers are working on what they can do from home.
Daimler to gradually restart production at base in Hungary
German carmaker Daimler will gradually restart production at its plant in Kecskemét (about 85 km southeast of Budapest) from Tuesday, April 28, Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing Hungary said on Thursday.Production at the plant in Kecskemét was suspended on March 20 because of the pandemic.Daimler employs more than 4,400 people at the Mercedes-Benz base in Kecskemét.
Carmakers Pledge 5 Million ‘Talking Cars’ in FCC Airwaves Bid
The U.S. auto industry will deploy millions more wireless systems to help prevent traffic collisions if the Federal Communications Commission abandons a proposal that would take away most of the radio frequencies reserved to carry those signals, according to an industry trade association.