Author: World_Newz Mon

Volkswagen to reduce production at Kaluga plant due to parts shortage

MOSCOW, March 3. /TASS/. Volkswagen will temporarily cut production of Skoda Rapid cars at their plant in Kaluga due to shortage of components, an official spokesperson of the company told TASS on Tuesday.
“In view of shortage of components (tail lamps from an international supplier), Volkswagen Group Rus will tentatively lower the daily production volume of the Skoda Rapid model. We are keeping a close eye on the situation and will restore the model production in full at the earliest opportunity,” the company said.

China-made Tesla vehicles downgrade hardware amid epidemic

SHANGHAI, March 3 (Xinhua) — Tesla China issued a statement Tuesday on “downgrading” hardware on the made-in-China Model 3 due to the supply chain status amid the epidemic and promised free upgrades.
Some Chinese consumers noticed the hardware in their newly delivered Tesla Model 3 vehicles was inconsistent with their orders. Tesla China responded that the Hardware 2.5 version was installed in some vehicles instead of the promised Hardware 3.0 version.
Tesla also said it will provide free replacement with the recovery of production capacity and supply chain. Consumers in need of the service can make appointments with the Tesla service center.
Tesla said in the statement that the company is taking measures to ensure the supply chain and timely delivery.
　　The Tesla Shanghai gigafactory resumed operation on Feb. 10, among one of the earliest automakers in China.

Renault’s Alpine goes further upmarket as it looks beyond France

PARIS, March 3 (Reuters) – Renault's Alpine brand will launch a more luxurious version of its sleek A110 sports car as it looks to branch out from its core French market and consolidate a jump in sales last year, its chief executive said.
The Renault group, which also makes budget Dacia cars, revived the Alpine brand and its two-seater models in 2017, updating a classic design which hit a peak in the 1960s and 70s.
But the French company is struggling with slumping demand in emerging markets and outlined cost cuts in February to try to turn around a decline in operating margins.
Pricier models like the Alpine could help improve the group's profitability and growth in the longer run as the brand goes even more upmarket and plans more launches, Alpine Chief Executive Patrick Marinoff told Reuters.
“If you look at profit potential in the future, Alpine is the tool and the weapon for Groupe Renault to harvest that potential,” he said in a telephone interview to replace an event p..

McLaren 765LT revealed: more power, less weight, looks the same

Last year we raved about the 600LT Spider, observing that it wouldn’t be too long before the LT range adopted the 4.0-litre V8 engine from McLaren’s “Super” series of cars (the middle tier of the company’s output, sandwiched by the Sports and Ultimate ranges).The new 755bhp/590lb ft 765LT coupé uses the 3,994cc twin-turbo V8 and seven-speed sequential gearbox with a memory function so that even if you request a downshift that might over-rev the engine, it will make that shift only when the engine and road speed will allow it.For the first time in the LT range, each car will be numbered and production will be capped at, you’ve guessed, 765.

LG Chem buys Turkish plant in Poland for EV output expansion

LG Chem Ltd., South Korea’s largest chemicals company, said Tuesday it has acquired a Turkish television assembly factory in Poland for US$31.4 million to expand its plant for electric vehicle (EV) batteries.The South Korean chemical giant plans to raise its capacity to 100 GWh, enough to supply batteries to 1.6 million electric vehicles, by the end of this year.LG Chem supplies electric vehicle batteries to 13 of the top 20 car brands, including German automaker Volkswagen, French carmaker Renault, American auto giant General Motors and South Korea’s largest carmaker, Hyundai Motor.

Nissan to start working in one shift due to challenging market situation

MOSCOW, March 2. /TASS/. The Nissan plant in St. Petersburg will switch over to working in one shift during several months because of the challenging situation on the Russian car market, an official spokesperson of the company told TASS.
“The Nissan plant will switch to a single shift during several months. The decision is absolutely unrelated to the coronavirus. The reason is in the challenging situation on the Russian market,” the spokesperson said.
The company expects to return to the two-shift schedule after the car market recovery, he added.