Tag: Tier 1 Suppliers

Profit warnings and car dumps: The autumn of the German auto industry

A profit warning chases the next, the sluggish production even drives the German GDP into negative – the showcase industry number one delivers bad news. The overview. The automotive supplier Continental has already revised its profit forecast down twice this year – and again made it subject to reservations at the beginning of November. The… Continue reading Profit warnings and car dumps: The autumn of the German auto industry

Mixed Feelings Among German Drivers About Automated Driving

“ Two thirds would prefer automated driving in stressful traffic jam situations Skepticism about technical feasibility has grown in the last five years CEO Dr. Degenhart: “New developments must be introduced onto the roads in a responsible way” Hanover, November 9, 2018. According to the Continental Mobility Study 2018, German drivers are ambivalent about automated… Continue reading Mixed Feelings Among German Drivers About Automated Driving

Daimler and Bosch: San José targeted to become the pilot city for an automated on-demand ride-hailing service

Test area will be San Carlos/Stevens Creek corridor between downtown and west San José The on-demand ride hailing service app will offer an automated driving experience to a selected user community  Stuttgart/San José. Located on the southern shore of San Francisco Bay in Silicon Valley, and with more than 1 million inhabitants, San José is… Continue reading Daimler and Bosch: San José targeted to become the pilot city for an automated on-demand ride-hailing service

Continental Confirms Earnings Forecast for Current Fiscal Year

“ Sales of €10.8 billion in the third quarter despite substantial market downturn Order intake remains at very high level, almost matching the previous year’s €30 billion Adjusted EBIT of €772 million (margin: 7.2 percent) CEO Dr. Degenhart: “Our growth in sales and our order intake for automotive electronics are a good sign in light… Continue reading Continental Confirms Earnings Forecast for Current Fiscal Year

Battery entrepreneur releases new invention to reduce cobalt

Tour of Tesla battery gigafactory for invited owners, Reno, Nevada, July 2016
As other battery scientists are working to develop the solid-state lithium batteries of tomorrow, technology entrepreneur Kenan Sahin is working to make the batteries of today more affordable.

Sahin announced at a conference in Berlin this week that his company TIAX has invented a new battery compound that he calls GEMX that reduced the need for cobalt in the battery cathodes, according to a Bloomberg report.

Cobalt prices are one of the main concerns of electric car makers who are counting on mass production of batteries and their lithium ingredients to bring prices of electric cars down to the point that they can compete against conventional cars without subsidies.

CHECK OUT: Battery legend Goodenough not done yet: new solid-state chemistry introduced

While batteries require more lithium than cobalt, lithium supplies are stable and new sources are coming online.

Cobalt is mined only in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has been tied to child labor in the country. Cobalt prices have tripled since 2015.

READ THIS: Panasonic works to develop cobalt-free electric-car batteries

Sahin says his new material can reduce the amount of cobalt in battery cathodes from about 20 percent to as little as 4 percent, which could result in dramatic cost savings for electric cars.

The invention plays into the hands of major battery manufacturers as well as automakers. Panasonic, which supplies batteries for Teslas, has said it is committed to eliminating cobalt from its batteries “in the near future.”

DON'T MISS: Supplies may be less of a problem for lithium than financing, report

In 2016, Sahin provided a key cathode compound based on lithium nickel-oxide to German electronics giant BASF. It's unclear whether BASF is one of Sahin's new customers.

Sahin says his company already has one major automaker signed up to use the technology. “We’re hoping we will get this into the hands of the major producers,” Sahin told Bloomberg in a phone interview.

German auto parts maker Schaeffler to close two UK plants

BERLIN, Nov 6 (Reuters) – German automotive supplier Schaeffler will shut two factories in Britain as part of changes prompted partly by Britain’s planned exit from the European Union, it said on Tuesday. The ball bearings maker said its factories in Plymouth and Llanelli, Wales, would be shut down in the medium term, with production… Continue reading German auto parts maker Schaeffler to close two UK plants

Hyundai Motor invests in Israeli computer vision firm allegro.ai

This is Hyundai’s fifth investment in an Israeli company. TEL AVIV: Hyundai Cradle, Hyundai Motor Co’s corporate venture business, said on Monday it invested in allegro.ai, an Israeli company specializing in deep learning-based computer vision. Financial details were not disclosed. Hyundai said the partnership with allegro.ai will allow it to speed up deployment of artificial… Continue reading Hyundai Motor invests in Israeli computer vision firm allegro.ai