Tag: BMW

SUVs hardest hit as used car values fall in January

Used car values dropped 0.7% in January as dealers saw lower retail demand for vehicles priced over £12,000. The drop was larger than the seasonal trend, where over the last five years the movement in Black Book Live for January was an average of -0.4%. A downward trend was seen for all mainstream sectors, but… Continue reading SUVs hardest hit as used car values fall in January

Opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge under a cloud of sadness for BMW Motorsport.

Munich. This weekend, the Intercontinental GT Challenge kicks off the new season with the Bathurst 12 Hour (AUS). In the thick of the action will be two BMW M6 GT3s, run by BMW Team Schnitzer and Walkenhorst Motorsport. In addition, the RHC-Jorgensen/Strom by Marc GT team will field the BMW M4 GT4 in Class B.… Continue reading Opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge under a cloud of sadness for BMW Motorsport.

Tesla is responsible for half of Toyota’s owner defection rate

Toyota recently admitted that the Tesla Model 3 is affecting Prius sales, but we are now learning by just how much: Toyota says that it has a 9% owner defection rate in North America and it attributes about half of it to Tesla. Last year, Tesla revealed the top 5 cars Tesla Model 3 buyers are trading… Continue reading Tesla is responsible for half of Toyota’s owner defection rate

Volvo’s self-driving car venture gets nod to test on Swedish roads

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – A Volvo Cars joint venture has won approval to begin hands-free testing of its software for self-driving cars on Swedish highways, partner Veoneer said on Monday. FILE PHOTO: A self-driving Volvo electric truck with no cab called Vera is seen during a presentation in Berlin, Germany, September 12, 2018. REUTERS/Emma Thomasson/File Photo… Continue reading Volvo’s self-driving car venture gets nod to test on Swedish roads

Strike at Audi Hungary plant continues, hits production in Germany

BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Support for a strike that last week shut Audi’s massive Hungarian plant increased over the weekend, the union said on Monday, and the disruption in supplies has led to a halt in production at the carmaker’s home factory in Germany. FILE PHOTO: The logo of Audi is seen during the first press… Continue reading Strike at Audi Hungary plant continues, hits production in Germany

Six PEUGEOTS on the aventure PEUGEOT stand at Retromobile

The 44th Rétromobile show will be held at Porte de Versailles in Paris from 6 to 10 February 2019. The 120,000 visitors expected over the five days will be able to admire the PEUGEOT e-LEGEND Concept, an all-electric, autonomous and connected vehicle by the Lion brand. The star of last year’s Paris Motor Show will… Continue reading Six PEUGEOTS on the aventure PEUGEOT stand at Retromobile

BMW, Porsche, Jaguar Land Rover invest in roadside assistance startup Urgently

Urgently, the roadside assistance startup that connects car owners who need help with tow truck and other services, has raised $21 million in a Series B round that includes the venture arms of BMW, Porsche and Jaguar Land Rover. BMW has also signed Urgently as a vendor partner for its own roadside assistance platform (known… Continue reading BMW, Porsche, Jaguar Land Rover invest in roadside assistance startup Urgently

DS plans 600bhp hybrid supercar to rival the BMW i8 – Evo

DS, the luxury arm of French brand Citroen, is planning an onslaught of new models over the next decade. Plans are in the pipeline for four new SUV models as well as a luxury saloon, but the big news is an exotic hybrid supercar which could rival the likes of the BMW i8. We first… Continue reading DS plans 600bhp hybrid supercar to rival the BMW i8 – Evo

IONITY Installs First 50 Ultra Fast Charging Stations

3 H BY MARK KANE Within 8 months, IONITY installed 50 stations The installations of IONITY fast charging infrastructure accelerated and the number of stations increased to 51 out of 400 planned in Europe. Interestingly, another 43 stations are at various stages of construction. The pace of installations is very important as several manufacturers are… Continue reading IONITY Installs First 50 Ultra Fast Charging Stations

BMW Exec Bemoans Company’s Failure To Keep Pace With Tesla’s Battery Cell Production

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Batteries Published on January 25th, 2019 | by Carolyn Fortuna
BMW Exec Bemoans Company’s Failure To Keep Pace With Tesla’s Battery Cell ProductionTwitterLinkedInFacebookJanuary 25th, 2019 by Carolyn Fortuna
A BMW chief has called out its board of directors for failing to step up with battery cell production, which he describes as the heart of the car of the future. Manfred Schoch, deputy chairman of the supervisory board at BMW, has publicly critiqued BMW’s rejection of battery cell R&D, basing his assessment on the model of innovation and vision that Tesla CEO Elon Musk has established for his automotive company.
Schoch advises a quick corporate rethinking of BMW long-range planning if the company is to remain truly competitive. “I need people here who go with us into the future,” he said. He added that his comments were directed “also — and especially — for the board.”

Schoch suggested to the German business journal Manager Magazin that BMW and the auto industry in general should pay closer attention to the Tesla model rather than indulging in petty nitpicking about the all-electric car company.
Tesla, the company that has caused an electric car revolution, has been the subject of constant criticism since its first cars hit the market. Who will buy this premium car? The market for this all-electric high-end catalog is too narrow. Tesla doesn’t have the experience to produce enough cars to be profitable. The Gigafactory isn’t a viable manufacturing entity. Tesla is a fading fad. The company can’t provide a pathway to a sustainable future unless it appeals to a mass market. Claims of Tesla profitability aren’t backed up by commonly accepted accounting practices. CEO Elon Musk is a live cannon who will bring down the company.
And, yet, the numbers are positive for Tesla sales and likely ongoing profitability. “Tesla made in the third quarter, at a good $6 billion in sales, $312 million profit. BMW came in the automotive segment at 21 billion euros to 784 million surplus,” said Schoch, who has been head of the BMW works council for 31 years and is considered one of the most important leaders of the group. “Who deserves better?”
Indeed, Tesla’s success has upended the auto industry, and battery cell technology is one of the driving factors for the Tesla master stroke. In contrast, BMW just ended a supply contract with the Chinese cell manufacturer CATL, which had wanted to build a plant in Thuringia, Germany — about 4 hours away from Munich and BMW’s headquarters.

Value Chain as Key to ElectromobilitySchoch pointed to Tesla’s close relationship with its battery supplier, Panasonic, as key to company dominance. That collaboration has been essential as the demand for the lithium-ion batteries that power its vehicles grows commensurate with Tesla’s increased sales. As the world’s largest manufacturer of automotive lithium-ion battery cells and Tesla’s exclusive battery cell supplier for the Model 3, Model S, and Model X, the Tesla/ Panasonic partnership is leading others in the EV field in R&D.
For example, when it comes to minimizing cobalt usage, Tesla has long been a proponent of nickel-cobalt-aluminium (NCA) technology developed by Panasonic, which goes against the trend of a nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM)-focused EV industry. Furthermore, Elon Musk has acknowledged that the company will continue material development toward higher-energy, lower-to-no-cobalt chemistries.
“Tesla controls the entire value chain; they understood electromobility,” Schoch commented. Tesla inbound logistics involves the receipt and storage of raw materials to build electric vehicles, energy storage systems, and solar panels, according to the Tesla, Inc. Report at business portal Research Methodology. Tesla conducts vehicle manufacturing and assembly operations at its facilities in Fremont, California; Lathrop, California; and Tilburg, Netherlands. Tesla automotive operations comprise design, development, manufacturing, and sales of electric vehicles. High level of integration of robots into various manufacturing processes is the major source of value creation for Tesla.

Battery Cell Technology is at the Heart of Future Auto CompetitionBatteries are the keys to completing a worldwide transition to a clean energy economy. Tesla’s enormous battery factory — about 5.5 million square feet — in Nevada, is called the Gigafactory or Gigafactory 1. Tesla reportedly expects the Gigafactory to introduce production cost cuts for lithium-ion electric vehicle batteries and energy storage products by some 30%, compared to pre-Gigafactory batteries. Such production savings will occur using what the company has referred to as economies of scale, innovative manufacturing, reduction of waste, and the simple optimization of locating most manufacturing process under one roof.
Schoch stated explicitly that battery cell production is the determining factor to future automotive viability. “Anyone who does not master and build this core will not be able to compete,” he analyzed.

Independence and Optimism through Battery Cell ProductionSchoch praised Tesla for its optimistic approach to the future of automotive transportation. “Too much is complained and too much is declared impossible [in the auto industry],” he declared.
Referring to entrenched automotive manufacturing practices that reward maintaining a status quo approach, Schoch mused, “We are dependent.” He suggested that collaboration should be an option for BMW and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. “Our board members should, finally, deal more intensively with this gentleman.”

Tesla has shown over and over again that healthy ideation and income growth are a result of a culture of innovation. Of course, with each remarkable Tesla transformation comes a shifting risk landscape. Musk manages innovation-related risks and the outcomes required in an era of digital transformation with delicate balance. His business model for converting ideas and technologies into economic value anticipates dramatic shifts in the cleantech markets, often in response to a perceived need which only Musk can envision. He’s also able to devise a pragmatic road map to implementation.
That’s a disruptive model that many automotive manufacturers like BMW have not yet been able to adopt.
As BMW moves into the electric car marketplace, it will add several electric vehicles to its catalog. BMW-owned Mini will reportedly begin production of its first EV later this year, and BMW will expand its lineup of “i” models with the iX3 in 2020 and the i4 along with the X5-sized iNext in 2021.
BiographyManfred Schoch serves as a Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft and BMW US Capital, LLC. He is Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board and Member of the Supervisory Board of BMW Finance N.V. He functions as the Chairman of the Central Works Council and Member of the Presiding Board at BMW US Capital, LLC. He is the Chairman of the General Works Council of BMW Group.
Unless otherwise attributed, images copyright free via Pixabay and YouTube

About the AuthorCarolyn Fortuna Carolyn Fortuna, Ph.D. is a writer, researcher, and educator with a lifelong dedication to ecojustice. She's won awards from the Anti-Defamation League, The International Literacy Association, and The Leavy Foundation. She’s molds scholarship into digital media literacy and learning to spread the word about sustainability issues. Please follow me on Twitter and Facebook and Google+

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