Monday Morning Auto News, Apr 01, 2019

Tesla boom lifts Norway’s electric car sales to 58 percent market share – Reuters: IndiaAlmost 60 percent of all new cars sold in Norway in March were fully electric, the Norwegian Road Federation (NRF) said on Monday, a global record set by a …
New Alfa Romeo GTV: 2022 hybrid super-coupe leaks – Autocar: Styling of upcoming hybrid two-door seemingly revealed well ahead of official unveiling A leaked image may have given us our best look yet at Alfa Romeo”s forthcoming GTV coupe, which isn”t due to be unveiled until 2021. The single image, purportedly…
Maruti Suzuki sales continue to fall as India car demand slows ahead of elections – Nikkei: Maruti Suzuki India’s sales continued to decline as demand for cars slowed further in March, piling up inventory and forcing …
Buying Lyft stock requires making ‘too many big assumptions,’ analyst warns amid IPO hype – CNBC: Guggenheim restrained its enthusiasm for shares of Lyft on Monday, beginning coverage of the rideshare company’s stock with a neutral rating due to what the firm sees as a hazy outlook.

Volvo XC40 full-electric variant to debut this year – Automotive News: Volvo will reveal the full-electric version of the XC40 before the end of the year. The XC40 will be the first battery-driven model from the brand.
Here’s what Uber can learn from Lyft’s IPO – CNBC: Triton Research co-founder and CEO Rett Wallace joins “Squawk Box” along with guest host Mohamed El-Erian, chief economic advisor at Allianz, …
Uber of Iran Hits Two Million Rides-a-Day Mark Amid Growth Spurt – Bloomberg: Snapp, also known as the Uber of Iran, said its ride-hailing app is generating two million fares a day as young people in Tehran embrace technology …
Skoda, Hyundai, Dacia among winners as French sales fall 2% in March – Automotive News: French new-car sales fell by 2.3 percent in March, with Skoda, Hyundai, Dacia and Seat recording double-digit increases.
For want of a quorum, America’s jobs are being lost – CNBC: … CRRC, China Mobile, SAIC Motor, China Railway, China Aerospace Science and Technology, the list of China’s national champions spans virtually …
Analysis: how to save the city car – Autocar: Cars like the Citroen C1 and Volkswagen Up are under threat Value small cars are at risk of extinction. Profits are slimming, costs are rising. Is there a solution? The message was as bleak as it was clear. “If Europe is pursuing this legal target,…
Hyundai Venue SUV: Launch, features, expected price revealed – Yahoo: Right, Hyundai Venue, I know the name, some more info please? This is a new sub-4m compact SUV by Hyundai and the much awaited rival to the …
Peugeot, Fiat Said to Explore Venture to Build Cars in Europe – Bloomberg: PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler are reportedly exploring a partnership to build cars in Europe. Bloomberg has learned the companies are holding …
The Auto Industry Is Overdue a Bout of Mega-Mergers – Bloomberg: It’s not clear that this necessary process can easily happen. As we’ve seen with the Renault-Nissan saga, the Trump administration’s automotive tariff …
VW, BMW, FCA, others make changes to protect profits in China – Automotive News: “The total market is cooling down, but the premium market is cooling down less,” Audi CEO Bram Schot told Automotive News Europe. “What’s more …
BUZZ-India’s Tata Motors rises; JLR confirms expectations of better Q4 results – Reuters: Automaker Tata Motors Ltd’s shares rise as much as 6.3 pct to 185.2 rupees, in their biggest intraday pct gain since March 5.
Toyota robot can’t slam dunk but shoots a mean 3-pointer – Washington Post: It can’t dribble, let alone slam dunk, but Toyota’s robot hardly ever misses a free throw or a three-pointer.
General Motors seeks dismissal of union lawsuit on closures – Washington Post: Attorneys for General Motors have asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit claiming the automaker sidestepped an agreement with union workers through its …
Toyota robot can’t slam dunk but throws a mean three-pointer – Washington Post: It can’t dribble, let alone slam dunk, but Toyota’s robot hardly ever misses a free throw or a three-pointer.
In North America’s Biggest Uber Holdout, It Pays to Know Chinese – Bloomberg: Welcome to Vancouver, one of Uber’s most obstinate holdouts — the largest North American metro region without legal ride sharing, where …
Italy Seen Needing Energy Storage to Deliver on Pollution Pledge – Bloomberg: … cars might help balance the grid, since the batteries in those vehicles might … the executive said in an interview at Bloomberg’s European headquarters in London. “Today in Italy, we have a limited number of electric vehicles. … a battery is a…
French interest in Jeep: Deja vu? – Automotive News: Last week’s French drama, in which PSA Group and Renault-Nissan were said in dueling media reports to both be interested in a bid for Fiat Chrysler …
Merger buzz rings with irony – Automotive News: And how odd that with both Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne and former Renault-Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn gone, their companies find …
What a truck”s off-road package really gets you – Detroitnews: Are off-road packages worth the money?
GM brushed off UAW concessions to idle Lordstown plant – Detroitnews: Union workers are angry they agreed to make $118 million in annual concessions to save the plant in mid 2017.
Convicted Fiat Chrysler exec raises questions about former UAW boss – Detroitnews: Retired UAW President Dennis Williams could be questioned about alleged illegal payments amid corruption scandal involving Fiat Chrysler.
Jettisoned Chrysler dealers challenge U.S. in court – Automotive News: Almost 300 of the Chrysler dealers whose franchises were terminated in the 2009 bailout will continue their fight in Washington on April 8, nine years after they sued the U.S. Treasury.
U.S. sales drop with no reason for buying – Automotive News: “Consumers simply haven’t had a compelling reason to buy,” Cox Automotive’s chief economist said.
Sun plays tricks on Cadillac’s Super Cruise – Automotive News: The issue involves a critical part of the system that monitors the driver’s attentiveness.
Toyota’s Lentz: U.S. has a lot to lose in trade fight – Automotive News: If the U.S. and Japan can’t find common ground, tariffs could knock down 2 million new-vehicle sales as quick as a Texas windstorm, the automaker’s North America chief warned.
JLR wins a rare challenge against Chinese copycat Landwind – Automotive News: A Chinese court ruled recently that Jiangling Motors’ LandwindX7 SUV from 2014 was too similar to Range Rover Evoque. In a rare decision, it ordered the …
Survey finds flagging loyalty in the pickup truck market – Automotive News: What does it take to get a truck owner to switch brands?
Cadillac’s next-gen Super Cruise system to address camera’s sunlight issue – Automotive News: The issue involves a critical part of the system that monitors the driver’s attentiveness.
Rakuten says to book $990 million gain on Lyft investment – Reuters: Japan’s Rakuten said on Monday it will book a 110 million yen ($989.74 million) gain in the quarter through March on its investment in Lyft following the U.S. ride-hailing firm’s listing last week.
GRAINS-Corn ticks up after deep cuts; abundant supplies cap gains – Reuters: China’s State Council said on Sunday that the country would continue to suspend additional tariffs on U.S. vehicles and auto parts after April 1, in a …
Porsche looking at subscription model for special models? – Autocar:
Nissan CEO, Ghosn Mulled Fourth Partner for Alliance, Email Says – Bloomberg: Last September, two months before his arrest in Tokyo, then Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn and the carmaker’s chief executive officer considered …
Rakuten to book $990m profit from Lyft IPO – Nikkei: … ($990 million) profit in its first-quarter earnings from a jump in the value of its stake in Lyft, after the U.S. ride-hailing company went public on Friday.

Related

Grove launches hydrogen fuel-cell car brand in China

Grove Hydrogen Automotive fuel-cell car
China is the world's largest market for cars—especially electric cars.

The country has even announced that at some point in the future it will ban internal combustion cars. But it's not all about battery electric EVs, it turns out.

A new company called Grove Hydrogen Automotive Co. announced that it will focus on fuel-cell cars, starting with a four-door SUV that it plans to launch in China later this year. The company says it will reach mass production sometime next year. Grove is home to several former automotive executives from Volkswagen, Audi, Infiniti, and other established automakers.

MUST READ: Why the future of electric cars depends on China's war on pollution

Grove says the car will have up to 625 miles of range from its hydrogen tanks, which can be refueled in a “few minutes.” The company says the car will be built with composite materials and use regenerative braking to maximize efficiency, which implies that it also includes some battery capacity that could be used to provide extra bursts of power beyond the fuel-cell's output.

The car is scheduled to debut at next month's Shanghai auto show.

Grove Hydrogen Automotive fuel-cell car

Grove has plans to sell a line of hydrogen cars, not just a single model, and will set up “experience centers” similar to Tesla stores, in China. It plans to explore export markets in 2020, but did not specify where.

The car company was founded by the Institute for Geosciences and the Environment, which develops hydrogen from industrial wastes, giving it a more sustainable, less carbon-intensive footprint that most hydrogen produced in the U.S.

READ MORE: 2019 Hyundai Nexo hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle pricing: Puzzling economics

IGE plans to roll out hydrogen fueling infrastructure in “Tier 1” cities in China starting in 2020, Tier 2 cities in 2021, and then “aggressively” throughout all “significant” cities in China thereafter. They gave no indication what's considered a significant city.

The company is working with officials in China to pave the way for the rollout.

Grove did not specify any plans to come to the U.S., where hydrogen infrastructure is still sparse. If it did, it might find a more fertile market as a supplier of renewable hydrogen production and refueling equipment than as another automaker trying to sell fuel-cell cars in the States alongside Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, and GM.

Tesla Announces Date for First Quarter 2019 Financial Results and Webcast

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Tesla Announces Date for First Quarter 2019 Financial Results and Webcast

Apr 11,2019

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Tesla Announces Date for First Quarter 2019 Financial Results and Webcast

PALO ALTO, Calif., April 11, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tesla will post its financial results for the first quarter of 2019 after market close on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. At that time, Tesla will issue a brief advisory containing a link to the Q1 2019 Update Letter, which will be available on Tesla’s Investor Relations website. Tesla will hold a live question and answer webcast that day at 2:30pm Pacific Time (5:30pm Eastern Time) to discuss the Company’s financial and business results and outlook.

What:
Date of Tesla Q1 2019 Financial Results and Q&A Webcast
When:
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Time:
2:30pm Pacific Time / 5:30pm Eastern Time
Webcast:
http://ir.tesla.com (live and replay)
Approximately two hours after the Q&A session, an archived version of the webcast will be available on the Company’s website.

For additional information, please visit ir.tesla.com.

Source: Tesla, Inc.

Tesla Model 3 hack shows new cars can snitch on owners after a wreck

Two security researchers and self-described “white hat hackers” found a trove of unencrypted location, camera, and other data on a wrecked Tesla Model 3, according to a new report from CNBC. And while it’s not a problem unique to Tesla, the example serves as a stark reminder that newer cars can become a security risk… Continue reading Tesla Model 3 hack shows new cars can snitch on owners after a wreck

Audi e-tron Gets Delivered To 1st Customers While Battery Production Bottleneck Rumored

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Published on March 28th, 2019 |

by Zachary Shahan

Audi e-tron Gets Delivered To 1st Customers While Battery Production Bottleneck Rumored

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March 28th, 2019 by Zachary Shahan

Given that the LG Chem battery factory that supplies the Audi e-tron is basically in my backyard, I guess this one falls in my lap.

The German outlet br.de (h/t electrive) recently reported that production bottlenecks for the e-tron’s batteries are slowing down vehicle production. My understanding from rummaging around the garbage bins (or something like that) is that Tesla isn’t the only company to run into innumerable production challenges (fires included). I’m not collecting data on e-tron battery production rates, and wouldn’t share that if I was if it put any sources at risk, but suffice it to say that, even for the big boys, mass production comes with challenges.

As with countless other electric vehicle fans, I’m curious about Audi e-tron production and sales rates. This is supposed to be a big entry into electrification from Audi, and as much as I might think it doesn’t compare to a Tesla Model X (or Model Y), it is a pretty attractive vehicle with neat features. More importantly, it is critical that Tesla not be the only company with high electric vehicle sales. We need other automakers to succeed with electric vehicles.

Word on the street is that, even with the battery bottleneck, the waiting line for delivery is only 5 months long. Yes, 5 months is not super convenient when you need a new car tomorrow, but it’s not that bad when compared to other popular electric vehicles at around launch (any Tesla model and a few other models). At the end of the year, I’m afraid the e-tron will see approximately as many sales as the Model S or Model X. That’s better than most electric cars or SUVs, but it’s not exactly market-shifting at this point.

Audi, somewhat surprisingly when you consider how much money it and the rest of Volkswagen Group spend hyping coming products, is only rather quietly announcing the commercial launch of the e-tron. A few days ago, there was an announcement about the first customer delivery in Germany, but it was only on the German Audi media site. The global site doesn’t have a peep about it.

The first Audi e-tron was apparently delivered to a Norbert Münch last Friday, March 22 (photo evidence above). Norbert has been driving Audi vehicles for a whopping 18 years, so I assume Audi considered him a trustworthy buyer to highlight as an electric Audi early adopter. (There’s no way he’s going to switch to a Model Y in a few years, right?) That said, he reportedly got the first e-tron because he had the first reservation in during the livestreamed launch from San Francisco. (Yes, San Francisco, not Ingolstadt, which made it easier for CleanTechnica to attend the event and provide an early, thorough rundown.)

“The sporty design coupled with the long range make the car a companion suitable for everyday use,” says Norbert. Indeed. It is a great looking electric crossover with long range and some cool features. Via our own Sebastian Blanco, this is one of my favorites: “In Europe, the e-tron Charging Service will simplify drivers’ daily lives by combining 220 different operators and a network of over 72,000 public charging stations into one account, one contract, and one card. E-tron buyers will be able to test out the service with a free trial period to see if it does make their charging lives easier.”

Perhaps we’ll find a way to get a word with Norbert or another early e-tron adopter for a full review from an owner’s perspective. And if Audi can get its production rolling, perhaps we’ll secure an extended test drive of the e-tron before too long on at least one side of the Atlantic.

About the Author

Zachary Shahan Zach is tryin' to help society help itself (and other species). He spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as its director and chief editor. He's also the president of Important Media and the director/founder of EV Obsession and Solar Love. Zach is recognized globally as an electric vehicle, solar energy, and energy storage expert. He has presented about cleantech at conferences in India, the UAE, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, and Canada.

Zach has long-term investments in TSLA, FSLR, SPWR, SEDG, & ABB — after years of covering solar and EVs, he simply has a lot of faith in these particular companies and feels like they are good cleantech companies to invest in. But he offers no professional investment advice and would rather not be responsible for you losing money, so don't jump to conclusions.

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A revived traditional brand: Borgward changes owner – and continues to torment himself

The idea had quite a charm, but was spiced with a pinch of Irrwitz: After decades of slumber, the car brand Borgward should resume from 2015 a revival in the turbo-pace. Finished financially for decades, the former Borgward boss Karlheinz Knöss sounded March 2015 opposite manager-magazin.de, An “affordable premium brand” was to become Borgward, by… Continue reading A revived traditional brand: Borgward changes owner – and continues to torment himself

Existing Tesla Superchargers are now cranking out more power

As charging technology improves, power levels are going up, and charging times are coming down. As usual, Tesla is at the forefront of this trend (for now). The company recently launched the next-generation Supercharger V3, which is capable of charging at rates up to 250 kW. Tesla also announced plans to increase the power levels… Continue reading Existing Tesla Superchargers are now cranking out more power

As Lyft goes public, profitability is a long-term goal, not a near-term likelihood

As Lyft goes public, profitability is a long-term goal, not a near-term likelihood

Lyft beat Uber to the punch on Friday — the number-two ride hailing service in the U.S. was the first to go public, pricing shares ahead of the IPO at $72. The stock popped as much as 20% in the first minutes of trading, valuing the company at nearly $25 billion.

But Lyft is deeply in the red today, with a net loss of $911 million in 2018. During its road show, Lyft told investors that eventually, it expects to hit twenty-percent margins. The company just didn't say when.

A fierce competition

Uber, which is expected to go public next month, still commands greater market share than Lyft.

It offers rides on-demand in 65 countries and has a stake in Didi and Careem, which operate in Asia and the Middle East and North Africa, respectively.

Lyft is far behind Uber when it comes to coverage. In 2018, its geographic expansion focused on coverage in 95 percent of the U.S., and some new locations in Canada, filings ahead of its IPO disclosed.

Uber was also the first ride-hailing company to expand into services like food delivery and bike-sharing (via its acquisition of Jump in April 2018) which provide it with different revenue streams.

Lyft has been slower to diversify, although it has invested in other modes of transit as well. It bought Motivate in 2018, a bike-sharing company after Uber bought Jump, for example. It also offers scooters to riders looking for options beyond the car.

Lyft
Lyft has invested in other modes of transit including scooters and bike-sharing.

Uber is making plays in logistics with Uber Freight, short-hop air travel with Uber Air, and driverless taxis with its own autonomous vehicle division, Uber Advanced Technology Group.

Lyft is more focused, although it is starting book passengers into self-driving vehicles via a partnership with Aptiv. It hasn't talked about any plans for air taxis.

The race to profit

The next race will pit these ride-hailing players against each other in a quest for profitability, and the confidence of the public market investor.

D.A. Davidson senior vice president and research analyst Tom White says Lyft is doing well with some traditional sales and marketing efforts, and incentives that keep drivers and riders loyal to their platform.

Long term, he says, “There's the potential for autonomous vehicles and autonomous technology to basically reduce the amount of times Lyft has to pay a driver. And that could be a big, big lever for profitability.”

Uber's costly ambitions and lack of focus could challenge its path to profitability, he suggested. “One of the things we like about Lyft being a little smaller than Uber is the fact that they are more focused,” he said.

Lyft
Lyft says it has facilitated 35,000 rides in autonomous vehicles like this one

Head of research at Manhattan Venture Partners, Santosh Rao, told CNBC: “The macro market is good, IPO sentiment is good, so I think this is the right time to get out and they're doing the right thing.”

Others look at Amazon, which lost money for the first several years it operated as a public company, and Tesla, which has yet to record a profitable year, as examples of growth stocks that didn't always prioritize profits.

For those holding out to see an end to Lyft's losses before buying shares, one recent SIG report forecasts the company will become profitable…but it may take seven years.

WATCH:
Lyft begins trading on the Nasdaq at $87.24 a share

Watch the moment Lyft begins trading on the Nasdaq at $87.24 a share
1 Hour Ago | 02:20

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Tesla supplier agrees to buy GM’s S.Korean plant for EV manufacturing

A Tesla logo is seen at a groundbreaking ceremony of Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory in Shanghai, China January 7, 2019. REUTERS/Aly Song SEOUL: A South Korean supplier of Tesla Inc said on Friday it had agreed to buy a shuttered auto factory from General Motors’ local unit to start contract manufacturing of electric vehicles. The deal… Continue reading Tesla supplier agrees to buy GM’s S.Korean plant for EV manufacturing

GM will not reduce Chevy Bolt EV prices after federal tax credit phase out

GM is about to become the second automaker to see its federal tax credit for electric vehicles start to phase out and it announced that unlike Tesla, it will not adjust the Chevy Bolt EV prices to compensate. Spokesperson Jim Cain confirmed the news and said (via Reuters): “it is easier to react to the… Continue reading GM will not reduce Chevy Bolt EV prices after federal tax credit phase out