Electric Ford Transit van confirmed for 2022

Ford is looking to electrify the commercial van segment it currently dominates in the U.S.The automaker has confirmed plans to introduce an all-electric Transit van in 2022.Along with the Transit, Ford is developing an all-electric F-150 pickup that will be suitable for commercial customers.

Geely builds presence in satellite industry with new plant and testing center

HANGZHOU, March 4 (Xinhua) — Geely Holding Group announced Wednesday that it has begun construction on an intelligent satellite production and testing center, making it the first private carmaker to produce satellites in China.
The new facility is being built by Geely Holding Group's subsidiary, Geely Technology Group, in Taizhou, east China's Zhejiang province.
The cutting-edge facility will include a modular satellite manufacturing center, a satellite testing center, a satellite R&D center and a cloud computing center. It will be able to develop and produce a variety of different satellite models.
The satellite strategy will be implemented by Geespace, a Geely-run company established in 2018 for the development, launch and operation of low-orbit satellites.
By the end of 2020, Geespace will begin the launch of its commercial low-orbit satellite network that will facilitate highly accurate navigation for self-driving cars.
Li Shufu, chairman of Geely Holding Group, said: “T..

Alphabet’s Waymo raises US$2.25b for driverless cars

WAYMO raised US$2.25 billion from a slate of private equity investors, venture capitalists and automotive companies, the first time Alphabet Inc’s autonomous vehicle unit has taken outside funds.Silver Lake Management LLC, a private equity firm, led the round, which also includes vehicle manufacturer Magna International Inc, car seller AutoNation Inc, Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Co and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.Alphabet’s “other bets” division, which includes Waymo, has absorbed billions of dollars in losses in recent years.

PSA expects compensation for Vauxhall’s UK factories in the event of no deal

Vauxhall’s owner PSA is expecting the UK Government to compensate it for the extra costs involved in a no-deal exit from the EU, its chief executive Carlos Tavares said today.Vauxhall’s 1,100 staff at its Ellesmere Port factory build the Vauxhall Astra (mostly the estate version, which sells best on the European continent), which is due for replacement in 2021.