PARIS (Reuters) – France will invest 700 million euros ($790 million) over the next five years into projects to boost the European electric car battery industry and reduce its carmakers’ reliance on dominant Asian rivals, said French presidency officials. The new battery of the Renault electric car Z.E. is displayed on media day at the… Continue reading President Macron to unveil plan to give Europe’s electric battery industry a jolt
Category: Automotive
UPDATE 2-Ford told UK PM May it is preparing alternative production sites -The Times
(Reuters) – Ford Motor Co has told British Prime Minister Theresa May that it is stepping up preparations to move production out of Britain, The Times reported on Tuesday. FILE PHOTO: The logo of Ford is seen during the 88th International Motor Show at Palexpo in Geneva, Switzerland, March 6, 2018. REUTERS/Pierre Albouy The automaker… Continue reading UPDATE 2-Ford told UK PM May it is preparing alternative production sites -The Times
Renault wants to limit the compensation of Carlos Ghosn
Diet dry for Carlos Ghosn. Now chaired by Jean-Dominique Senard, Renault has taken a very clear position: the compensation that will be paid to his former CEO will be limited. In a statement, the board of directors The Losange announces having decided “unanimously” to “waive the benefit of the commitment of non-competition subscribed by Mr.… Continue reading Renault wants to limit the compensation of Carlos Ghosn
Baden-Württemberg’s Minister-President Kretschmann test drives an Audi e-tron
The Audi e-tron in front of the Villa Reitzenstein: Winfried Kretschmann, Minister-President of Germany’s federal state of Baden-Württemberg, and the Audi CEO, Bram Schot, met for an informal exchange of opinions at the headquarters of the state government in Stuttgart. On this occasion, the Chairman of the Audi Board of Management accompanied by Wendelin Göbel,… Continue reading Baden-Württemberg’s Minister-President Kretschmann test drives an Audi e-tron
Renault scraps Ghosn’s 30 million euro parachute with government backing
PARIS (Reuters) – Renault said it had scrapped 30 million euros ($34 million) in deferred and severance pay to former boss Carlos Ghosn, forced out last month following his arrest for suspected financial misconduct at Japanese affiliate Nissan. FILE PHOTO: A street monitor showing a news report about arrest of Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn is… Continue reading Renault scraps Ghosn’s 30 million euro parachute with government backing
CORRECTED-Ford recalls almost 1.5 mln F-150 pickups in North America for transmission issue
A row of new Ford F-150 pickup trucks are parked for sale at a Ford dealer in the Denver suburb of Broomfield, Colorado April 14, 2011. REUTERS/Rick Wilking (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co on Wednesday said it was recalling about 1.48 million F-150 pickup trucks in North America due to a transmission issue that could… Continue reading CORRECTED-Ford recalls almost 1.5 mln F-150 pickups in North America for transmission issue
Car manufacturer: VW finds software board in its own ranks
VW As head of the e-Mobility series, Senger has been responsible since 2016 for the development of the modular electrical construction kit MEB, on which the new electric cars of the ID family are based. (Photo: AP) HamburgVolkswagen According to an insider, a candidate for the announced board position for auto software has been found.… Continue reading Car manufacturer: VW finds software board in its own ranks
Velodyne高管探讨Velodyne如何为自动驾驶和驾驶辅助提供突破性激光雷达技术
德国吕塞尔斯海姆–(BUSINESS WIRE)–(美国商业资讯)–Velodyne Lidar, Inc.质量和验证高级副总裁Mircea Gradu博士将于2月14日在德国慕尼黑举办的国际VDI汽车传感器系统大会(International VDI Conference – Automotive Sensor Systems)上发表关于激光雷达技术的专题演讲。Gradu将探讨在激光雷达传感器必须实现的测试和验证方面的关键成功因素，以支持车辆自动驾驶和高级驾驶辅助系统(ADAS)。 Gradu是一名杰出的工程师，担任国际自动机工程师学会(SAE International)官员兼2018年当选主席。演讲期间，他将提议自动驾驶汽车(AV)社区以非竞争方式合作，以确定激光雷达传感器测试和验证的要求和方法。该计划的目标是创建传感器验证项目存储库，使其成为行业标准，并可供业内的任何一家公司使用。 Velodyne在激光雷达传感器的制造和验证方面拥有十余年的经验，这些传感器满足汽车原始设备制造商(OEM)和一级供应商的严格安全性和可靠性要求。该公司拥有强大的内部验证能力和外部实验室网络。它还拥有从其汽车、技术和商用车辆客户驾驶的数百万道路里程中获取的知识。 Gradu表示：“自动驾驶领域的公司需要携手合作，就像航空航天业的公司在安全问题上合作一样，以确保自动驾驶汽车安全推出。Velodyne致力于培养这类行业学习经验，将严格性融入传感器验证工作中，尤其是解决存在高安全风险的极端情况方面。” 国际VDI大会期间，与会者将聆听到Gradu关于先进激光雷达解决方案的概述，以及了解激光雷达的市场细分和特定要求。Gradu将探讨激光雷达元件测试和系统验证的关键考虑因素。他还将介绍激光雷达在提供高级驾驶辅助功能方面的安全性和标准化影响，例如车道保持辅助(LKA)、自动紧急制动(AEB)和自适应巡航控制(ACC)。 为了帮助与会者了解驾驶辅助系统，Velodyne和国际VDI大会已在大会网站上发布了一份有关驾驶辅助技术的白皮书。该白皮书讨论了SAE确定的车辆自动化水平、激光雷达传感器的优势，以及激光雷达如何支持“安全第一”的方法，该方法为驾驶辅助方面带来显著的进步。 Gradu发表的名为“高级安全激光雷达解决方案及其测试和验证机会”专题演讲，将于2月14日上午9:00至9:30在德国慕尼黑的瑞拉纳酒店(Rilano Hotel)进行。 Velodyne的产品组合满足AV和ADAS的所有激光雷达需求，提供实时感知数据，实现安全可靠的操作。Velodyne生产定向和环绕视觉传感器，提供同类最佳的量程和分辨率。由这些传感器提供的丰富的计算机感知数据有助于直接对象和自由空间检测，以实现安全导航。 关于Velodyne Lidar Velodyne致力于为自动驾驶和驾驶辅助提供最智能、最强大的激光雷达解决方案。Velodyne始创于1983年，总部位于加州圣何塞，以其突破性的激光雷达传感器技术组合而闻名于世。2005年，Velodyne的创始人兼首席执行官David Hall发明了实时环绕视图激光雷达系统，彻底改变了面向汽车、新出行方式、地图、机器人和安防领域的感知和自主性。Velodyne的高性能产品系列包括广泛的传感解决方案，例如具有成本效益的Puck™、多功能型Ultra Puck™、完美的L4-L5自主驾驶Alpha Puck™、经ADAS优化的Velarray™以及驾驶辅助用开创性软件Vella™。 免责声明：本公告之原文版本乃官方授权版本。译文仅供方便了解之用，烦请参照原文，原文版本乃唯一具法律效力之版本。 Go to Source
Ford executive raises doubts about VW deal for electric vehicles
Bill Pugliano | Getty Images
Jim Farley, Ford Motor Company Executive Vice President and President of Global Markets, reveals the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500 at the 2019 North American International Auto Show during Media preview days on January 14, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan.
Ford and Volkswagen appear increasingly unlikely to pull together a deal to work together on battery-electric vehicles, a senior executive with the Detroit automaker said this week.
The two companies announced plans last month to team up on the development of light commercial vehicles and confirmed that other projects were under consideration. It has been widely reported that a key focus was on battery-electric vehicles, a move that could help Ford and VW save billions of dollars by sharing R&D efforts.
But their programs are out of sync, “almost like snowboarding and skiing,” Jim Farley, Ford's president of global markets, said Monday during a taping of the local TV show “Autoline Detroit.”
Automakers around the world have begun looking for ways to partner with erstwhile rivals in order to address an increasingly challenging environment. Many of these alliances focus on the development of new technologies, such as electrification and autonomous driving, areas in which Ford and Volkswagen aim to take a lead.
But the two carmakers are taking markedly different approaches with their electrification programs, said Stephanie Brinley, principal auto analyst with IHS Markit and a participant in the “Autoline” panel discussion.
“They have two very different strategies,” Brinley said, and the “timing issues that just won't mesh.”
America is falling back in love with trucks and SUVs, and that's causing big changes at big car companies
10:38 AM ET Tue, 5 Feb 2019 | 04:45
VW has committed over $50 billion to develop more than 50 pure battery-electric vehicles by 2025. They would be sold through the German automaker's dozen passenger car brands, including Porsche and Audi, as well as the flagship Volkswagen marque.
But the majority of the products will target mainstream markets using a high-volume vehicle platform known as the MEB. “This is meant to be a car for the millions, not millionaires,” Matthew Renna, vice president of e-Mobility for Volkswagen's North American Region, said during a media briefing last week at the Chicago Auto Show.
Ford was itself an early proponent of electrification but initially focused on hybrids, plug-in hybrids and relatively short-range battery-electric vehicles. It now plans to introduce its first long-range model in 2020, and then expand its lineup over the course of the coming decade.
While VW is primarily targeting low-cost, passenger car segments with its battery-car program, “Ford's bet is on commercial vehicles and performance vehicles,” said Farley.
There is still the possibility they could eventually find common ground, “if we could find platforms where it makes sense,” said Farley, but, at least for now, “we're in different timing.”
VW declined to comment about Farley's remarks.
Morgan Stanley: Why GM and Amazon may be investing in ‘the next Tesla’
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
A person places items into the front trunk cargo area of the Rivian Automotive Inc R1T electric pickup truck during a demonstration at a reveal event at AutoMobility LA ahead of the Los Angeles Auto Show.
General Motors and Amazon are reportedly in talks to invest in Detroit startup Rivian Automotive and that indicates a massive shift in the “next and potentially imminent” electric vehicle market of pickup trucks, Morgan Stanley said on Wednesday.
“The highly lucrative and US-dominated pickup truck market” is “an important area of investor focus” due to the “culmination of battery cost reduction, architecture, duty cycle, and price point,” Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas said. Jonas earned a wide following on Wall Street due to his early calls on Tesla and the rise of electric vehicles.
Morgan Stanley featured Rivian earlier this week as the “next serious competition” for Tesla. The startup's “clean sheet” approach could make it “the next Tesla,” Jonas said.
“We have focused considerable research effort on the theme of electric pickup trucks in recent days,” Jonas said. Rivian emerged as the firm's top pick to challenge Tesla in the coming years, due to Rivian's “access to talent & capital focused on the fastest growing segments of pickup trucks & SUVs,” he said.
America is falling back in love with trucks and SUVs, and that's causing big changes at big car companies
10:38 AM ET Tue, 5 Feb 2019 | 04:45
Rivian previewed its R1T electric truck prototype in November. Rivian CEO R.C. Scaringe said the R1T will deliver 400 miles of range, with four individual motors allowing for all-wheel-drive. The R1T will be able to hit 60 miles per hour in 3 seconds and tow up to 11,000 pounds. Rivian is also building the R1S, an electric seven-passenger SUV. Rivian says the R1S will also have a range of over 400 miles.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
RJ Scaringe, founder and chief executive officer of Rivian Automotive, speaks after unveiling the R1S electric sports utility vehicle (SUV).
The Amazon and GM deal would value Rivian between $1 billion and $2 billion, according to Reuters on Tuesday.
Morgan Stanley believes Amazon's involvement represents the e-commerce giant seizing the opportunity to use its own technology “to shape electric delivery vehicles to support its own logistics efforts,” the firm said.
“Amazon has spent the last few years building out and expanding its logistics network and recently invested in autonomous driving startup Aurora,” Jonas said.
As for GM's involvement, Morgan Stanley pointed to comments from GM CEO Mary Barra on electric pickup trucks. Barra said GM believes “in an all-EV future,” while GMC VP Duncan Aldred said an electric pickup truck is “certainly” an opportunity the company is considering.
In full, Morgan Stanley is very bullish on the future of electric pickup trucks.
“EV powertrains have yet to be applied to the most profitable segments where established US automakers generate profit and cash flow,” Jonas said. “We estimate the full sized pickup truck segment accounts for well over 100% of global auto profit for GM and Ford and the majority of [Fiat Chrysler]'s global profit.”
T esla's pickup truck plans
Tesla may unveil an electric pickup truck this summer, CEO Elon Musk said during the company's fourth-quarter conference call. In December, Musk talked extensively on Twitter about what he would like to include in a pickup truck design, including all-wheel drive with “crazy torque & a suspension that dynamically adjusts for load.”
The buzz Jonas has seen about Tesla's pickup truck “suggests there may be greater excitement around the” pickup than for Tesla's anticipated Model Y. Based on the luxury Model X SUV, the Model Y is an “entry-level” crossover that would be comparable in price to Tesla's Model 3.
Elon Musk plans a truck he says looks like something out of 'Blade Runner'
3:05 PM ET Fri, 2 Nov 2018 | 01:11