Tag: Strategy

Are electric cars really reducing CO₂ emissions?

Henk de Bruin — Sustainability Advisor

As Global Head of Sustainability in a large multinational I have been working on a broad range of topics for many years. I helped define the sustainability elements are relevant for the company and in which parts of the value chain those elements need to be addressed. I then followed up by measuring the company’s performance on said elements and identifying possible improvements, and worked on in- and external reporting.
Within Lightyear, I am applying that experience in the challenging environment of a fast-growing company focused on contributing to a sustainable society with its products and services. The three subjects I will discuss are: Carbon Footprint, Circular Economy and Supplier Sustainability.

Carbon Footprint
In our efforts to support the reduction of global warming, the benefit of an electric vehicle with no tailpipe emissions is clear. That benefit is enlarged substantially if such a car is solar driven because additional..

BYD Plans New Changzhou Factory For 400,000 Plug-Ins Annually

The investment in Changzhou will amount to around $1.5 billion BYD is going to invest heavily in its new production capacity in China as sales of plug-in electric cars exceeded 250,000 in the past 12 months and are growing. According to Xinhua, the new idea is to set up an industrial base for cars and… Continue reading BYD Plans New Changzhou Factory For 400,000 Plug-Ins Annually

Japan’s Kawasaki ups stake in DRB-Hicom’s two-wheeler unit for $9.7m

April 28, 2019 Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd (KHI) has upped its stake in DRB-Hicom-backed national motorcycle company Motosikal dan Enjin Nasional Sdn Bhd (Modenas), from 19 per cent to 30 per cent, it said in a statement on Friday. DRB-Hicom Bhd has entered into an agreement with KHI to sell an additional 14.3 million… Continue reading Japan’s Kawasaki ups stake in DRB-Hicom’s two-wheeler unit for $9.7m

Ford electric vehicles and hybrids: Here are some of the many models arriving soon

Follow Bengt

2013 Ford Focus Electric
With last week’s announcement of a strategic partnership with electric truckmaker hopeful Rivian, cemented by a pending $500 million equity investment, Ford Motor Company is covering the bases for how the market might evolve and assuring multiple paths toward a future where vehicles with charge ports are the norm.

“Across the world, we're fortifying our franchise strengths in trucks, commercial vehicles, and performance vehicles and bolstering our SUV franchise, executing the unique approach to electric vehicles that takes advantage of our strongest nameplates,” said Ford CEO Jim Hackett on Ford’s Q1 earnings call, the day after the Rivian announcement.

In Ford’s business update the company noted its strengthened electric vehicle plan, which includes a future vehicle developed with Rivian.

Ford said in March 2018 that globally it will be creating 16 fully electric vehicles and 40 electrified vehicles through 2022. Everything the company has said since then about electrification fit neatly into that frame—except for one other thing, autonomous vehicles, which we’ll get to.

THE ELECTRIC CARS

Here, rounded up, are at least some of the fully electric vehicles that Ford has in the works:

2020 Ford electric SUV teaser

Mustang-influenced electric crossover. Ford has been pushing ahead with its plan to build this much-anticipated alternative to the Tesla Model Y. To make sure that the vision doesn’t become too diluted (or convoluted) along the way, it’s been focusing those efforts through a focused electric-vehicle team (Team Edison) that will guide it though all the way to production, delivery, and support.

Although Ford has dodged recent questions about pricing and position for this vehicle, which has been referred to as Mach 1 and Mach E, executives have at several points stressed the importance of affordability and noted that it’s one of the main targets for the project. The electric SUV will land in a middle ground between small EVs like the Hyundai Kona Electric and Chevrolet Bolt EV, and larger premium ones like the Audi E-tron and Tesla Model X. Based on comments from several company officials, expect it to start around $45,000 (or even less) when it arrives, in the second half of 2020.

Fully electric Lincoln crossover. As Ford’s North American president, Kumar Galhotra, said earlier this year, it will emphasize “understated, quiet luxury.” It could arrive as soon as 2021, which would beat the Cadillac EV we’re expecting to be a top alternative.

Other future “C-EV” vehicles—maybe even a sedan. The Ford (and Lincoln) electric vehicles are expected to be just the first two to be conceived on what Ford has described is a scalable electric vehicle platform. This platform, which was conceived to be in what’s called the C-segment globally, is intended to spawn an entire suite of electric-car variants. Although Ford is exiting the traditional, mainstream sedan fold, for instance, company officials have hinted to Green Car Reports that we may see the sedan form factor again in a niche—as a Lincoln EV, perhaps.

Fully electric luxury SUV. The Michigan-based company Rivian plans to introduce its R1T and R1S in the U.S. in late 2020. With last week’s announcement, the two companies will “work together to develop an all-new, next-generation battery electric vehicle for Ford’s growing EV portfolio using Rivian’s skateboard platform.” Rivian has already teased a tow rating of up to 11,000 pounds and a range of up to 400 miles, aided by battery packs of up to 180 kwh.

2019 Ford F-150 RTR

Fully electric F-150. Ford has confirmed it’s a project, but that’s about it. Since the F-150 is at the core of Ford’s heritage and profitability, you can bet it’s moving along, Rivian venture or not. Just don’t expect it to arrive quite as soon. But with continued U.S. demand for the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, which are based on the F-150, we could see this paying off in broader scope.

THE HYBRIDS (SOME PLUG-IN)

Unlike GM, which discontinued the Chevrolet Volt and sees electric as a near-term future for the company, Ford aims to push full hybrids and plug-in hybrids out in more of its next-generation vehicles:

2020 Ford F-150 hybrid. Separate from the fully electric F-150 project, Ford is producing an F-150 hybrid, and it’s due soon—as a 2020 model. The F-150 hybrid is expected to use a 10-speed automatic transmission, as part of a hybrid system that should still allow a wider range of engine-off coasting and idling without sacrificing much if any towing or hauling ability. Ford has teased that the F-150 will have a power takeoff for tools and worksites—a feature that would be even more useful with a charge port, if that’s a hint.

2020 Lincoln Aviator plug-in hybrid

2020 Lincoln Aviator plug-in hybrid. The Aviator plug-in hybrid will come with a version of Ford’s soon-to-be-ubiquitous 10-speed modular-hybrid transmission. It will be the top-performing version in the Aviator lineup as well, with a projected 450 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque. The Ford Explorer on which it’s based is (in the U.S.) only available as a hybrid, with the Explorer plug-in hybrid saved for Europe for now.

2020 Lincoln Corsair, 2019 New York International Auto Show

2020 Ford Escape plug-in hybrid and 2020 Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrid. These models arrive later in 2019 and employ a revised version of the variable-ratio/planetary hybrid system Ford has used in a number of other hybrid products, including the C-Max Energi and going back to the previous Escape Hybrid.

2020 Ford Mustang hybrid. A hybridized version of Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission is also going to be the basis for the Hybrid Mustang. The hybrid pony car is likely to gallop to the performance potential of hybrid tech rather than eke out every possible mpg—possibly with a V-8 still a part of the presentation.

New Ford Bronco

2021 Ford Bronco hybrid. Ford still hasn’t confirmed final specs for its much-anticipated Bronco—or even revealed its production form—yet the company long ago confirmed that it would arrive in leaner shape, with a hybrid version.

Ride to future: Auto firms are crafting new strategies to stay on track

In this digital era, disruptions have become routine. But not many disruptions are as deep and comprehensive as those facing the automobile industry. With 3% of global car sales today, India is expected to drive half the additional global demand. To be sure, these upheavals have been in the works for a decade now. In… Continue reading Ride to future: Auto firms are crafting new strategies to stay on track

Zero Motorcycles Raises Additional $25 Million

Zero Motorcycles is the biggest electric motorcycle manufacturer in the world. Zero Motorcycles announced the close of the $25 million funding round, which bring its aggregate equity capital raised to over $250 million since inception 13 years ago in 2006. According to the press release, Zero is selling more electric motorcycles annually than all of its… Continue reading Zero Motorcycles Raises Additional $25 Million

Renault to propose joint holding company with Nissan: source

TOKYO (Reuters) – Renault will propose a plan to create a joint holding company that would give the French carmaker and Japanese partner Nissan equal footing, a person with knowledge of the issue told Reuters. FILE PHOTO: The logos of car manufacturers Renault and Nissan are seen in front of a common dealership of the… Continue reading Renault to propose joint holding company with Nissan: source

Uber prices IPO at $44-50, to raise $7.9-9B, PayPal takes $500M stake in strategic partnership

Uber, the transportation-on-demand behemoth, today filed its much-anticipated updated S-1, where it announced that it would be pricing its initial public offering at $44-50 per share. Selling 180 million common shares, Uber plans to raise between $7.9 billion and $9 billion ahead of its public debut on the NYSE, valuing it at $84 billion — squarely in… Continue reading Uber prices IPO at $44-50, to raise $7.9-9B, PayPal takes $500M stake in strategic partnership

Bentley not sold on electric, planning plug-in hybrids for full lineup

Follow Bengt

Bentley Continental GT V8
The ultra-luxury carmaker Bentley is at work on a new model strategy, and fully electric vehicles might not play as much of a part in it as the company had previously hinted.

The company, which is part of the Volkswagen Group, will reveal more about its future direction in July, corresponding with its 100th anniversary, according to a report earlier this month in Autocar, citing Werner Tietz, the board member in charge of Bentley’s engineering.

Bentley is looking to expand its buyer base rather than sell more cars to existing buyers. Part of the strategy will also involve offering a plug-in hybrid version of each of its models by 2025. It might also add another SUV to the lineup, although it hasn’t detailed whether that means one larger or smaller than the current Bentayga.

2019 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid

Bentley had previously hinted that it was leaning toward making a smaller SUV all-electric—although that was before an extensive leadership change at the company in 2017.

Bentley backing away from all-electric?

In the Autocar report, Tietz sounds notably less bullish about all-electric vehicles than his predecessor as engineering boss, Rolf Frech. “It is by no means certain that battery-electric is the right way to go,” said Tietz, who argued that the current technology wouldn’t work for towing horse trailers or boats.

2017 Tesla Model X

There are of course many people who do tow—today—with the Tesla Model X. One couple we recently featured towed a 3,800-pound camping trailer around the Southeastern U.S. and saw range drop by at least a third. Rivian is also developing its electric R1T pickup and R1S SUV around impressive towing capability—of up to 11,000 pounds.

One other noteworthy change is that the brand won’t be building “pure sports cars”—a decision that’s a bit surprising as the brand had shown several concept cars that looked aimed at Aston Martin, or even Ferrari.

Bentley EXP 12 Speed 6e concept, 2017 Geneva auto show

The most interesting evolution of those ideas was the EXP12 Speed 6e, a plush, racy-looking, fully electric, two-seater shown in 2017. Bentley then said that a production model based on it would be able to “drive between London and Paris or Milan and Monaco on a single charge.”

In the meantime, it’s considering a small electric city car while also evaluating fuel-cell technology and looking at carbon-neutral synthetic fuels.

Considering the changing priorities of luxury-vehicle buyers, and the importance of being seen in a vehicle that’s efficient and technologically advanced—in a world that includes Tesla—we’re eager to see where this storied British brand is headed.

Carmaker BYD to build NEV base in east China

NANJING, April 26 (Xinhua) — Leading Chinese new energy vehicle (NEV) maker BYD will set up an industrial base for passenger vehicles and key components in the city of Changzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province.

The strategic cooperation agreement on the project was signed between BYD and the municipal government of Changzhou Thursday, according to the local government.

With a total investment of 10 billion yuan (about 1.5 billion U.S. dollars), the base is designed to produce 400,000 NEVs each year with an annual output worth of 50 billion yuan.

The company also plans to establish a research and development center in the city in the future.

BYD Chairman Wang Chuanfu said this project will make the company's passenger car network complete in China along with its existing bases in Shenzhen, Xi'an and Changsha, which will benefit Changzhou with the addition of new job opportunities.