UPDATE 2-VW and Ford close to deal on self-driving and electric cars – VW

HAMBURG (Reuters) – Volkswagen and Ford are close to reaching a deal on a partnership for developing self-driving and electric cars, the German carmaker’s chief executive said on Thursday. FILE PHOTO: The logo of Volkswagen carmaker is seen at the entrance of a showroom in Nice, France, April 8, 2019. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File Photo Volkswagen and… Continue reading UPDATE 2-VW and Ford close to deal on self-driving and electric cars – VW

Diesel claimants achieve important victory against VW

Schlappe for Volkswagen in the exhaust scandal: The group has to pay the driver of a Sharan 26,000 euros, decided judge in Koblenz. Thus, the legal risks for the company continue to grow. Julian Stratenschulte / DPA Logo sparkling, Image not: VW has to pay damages Wednesday, 12.06.2019 20:24 clock VW has suffered a painful… Continue reading Diesel claimants achieve important victory against VW

VW continues to Aurora with Ford

VW ends its collaboration with the US robot car company Aurora – and wants to cooperate with self-driving cars in the future with Ford. Even with a Swedish battery manufacturer, the German group enters. Hauke-Christian Dittrich / DPA Autonomous vehicle “Cedric” Wednesday, 12.06.2019 15:59 clock Autonomous driving is considered a key technology for the future… Continue reading VW continues to Aurora with Ford

ChargePoint and Electrify America simplify charging access with roaming agreement

While public charging sessions are few and far between for most electric car owners, who typically charge at home the vast majority of the time, they can present a disproportionately high level of frustration.

The mess of multiple apps, fobs, and RFID cards may soon be a thing of the past. So, too, will the late-night calls to tech support to process credit card numbers, or to enroll as members in a different network in order to just use one of its chargers once.

Electrify America DC fast chargers

Although some of the charging and utility sector wants to term this “interoperability,” the word “roaming” is appropriate because the users who most need to understand it—people new to electric cars—can think of it like cellphone coverage. Simply put, you use the app for the charging network you most use, and occasional sessions on other networks will just work—and be billed via your usual network.

The new partnership agreement was announced Tuesday, and should prove especially useful from a consumer standpoint as those using an existing account from one of the networks won’t incur additional fees on the other.

“This roaming agreement further accelerates the seamless integration of individual EV fueling networks and brings us even closer to the day when the movement of all goods and people will be powered by electricity,” said ChargePoint president and CEO Pasquale Romano. “Partnerships like this make transitioning to electric drive easier than continuing to use fossil fuels.”

2018 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid charging at ChargePoint station, Santa Cruz, California, Dec 2017

In all, there will be more than 30,000 individual charge points connected by the two networks, including Level 2 AC and DC fast charging (CCS or CHAdeMO). ChargePoint claims to be the largest electric vehicle charging network in the world, while Electrify America, created by the Volkswagen diesel emissions settlement, is committed to having 2,000 charge ports at 484 locations by July 1.

Both Electrify America and ChargePoint have already made such partnerships with Greenlots. Electrify America also has allied with EV Connect and SemaConnect, while ChargePoint has roaming agreements with EVBox and FLO.

Former Ford CEO suggests electric-car “reckoning” as US adoption lags

Many major automakers, including Ford Motor Company, have changed their tune on electric cars, and stepped up targets for EVs and electrified vehicles over the past several years.

But not everyone is so rosy about rapid growth of the electric vehicle market—including, apparently, former Ford CEO Mark Fields.

Appearing at the EcoMotion mobility conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, as reported by Automotive News, Fields said that the industry is going to be “under a reckoning over the next 2 to 3 years.”

2020 Ford electric SUV teaser

“My view is that yes, electrification is going to grow over the years, but it's not going to grow to the extent all the experts are telling you,” said Fields, who pointed to China’s industrial policy and noted that the adoption rate of electrified vehicles in the U.S. is going to lag that in other countries.

It’s possible Fields has an axe to grind. In the couple of years since the former CEO was shown the door, it has emerged that some in the company saw him as towing too conservative of a line with respect to electrification—even though he announced a $4.5 billion push toward those technologies during his tenure.

Under the leadership of CEO Jim Hackett, Ford has since gone bigger on plans for electric and hybrid vehicles, while pulling back on some of its autonomous-vehicle push that Fields had started. It’s in the midst of an $11 billion investment plan toward 40 electrified vehicles (and including several fully electric models) by 2022. Ford’s Lincoln luxury brand will have at least one of those fully electric models, and it will get electrified versions of all its models by 2022.

2020 Lincoln Aviator plug-in hybrid

Fields’ successor also led Ford’s slow exit from traditional sedans, toward future vehicles that would be more activity-based and configured around varying levels of electrification. “We’re all in on this and we’re taking our mainstream vehicles, our most iconic vehicles, and we’re electrifying them,” chairman Bill Ford said in January 2018. “If we want to be successful with electrification, we have to do it with vehicles that are already popular.”

The company has announced that it will be partnering with Volkswagen for vans and trucks outside of North America, and has an ongoing memorandum of understanding extending the conversation to other vehicle types and business areas. So it’s still within the realm of possibility that Ford could decide to step its targets and timelines up once again—regardless of what former executives might think.

Death of the cheap cars

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RPT-VW and Ford close to deal on self-driving cars, VW says

(Repeats to additional subscribers) HAMBURG, June 13 (Reuters) – Volkswagen and Ford are close to reaching a deal on a partnership for developing self-driving cars, the German carmaker’s chief executive said on Thursday. Volkswagen and the No. 2 U.S. automaker have been in talks for months. The comments on progress are the most definitive from… Continue reading RPT-VW and Ford close to deal on self-driving cars, VW says

Porsche CEO Says Taycan Performance Will Parallel Iconic 911

Sadly, however, initial production will be limited. Porsche is a legend when it comes to performance. We challenge you to find another mainstream brand that has put all its eggs in that basket, and then some. Sure, there’s BMW, Jaguar, and the like, but these automakers don’t possess the clout of Porsche’s legendary offerings. Of… Continue reading Porsche CEO Says Taycan Performance Will Parallel Iconic 911

France’s Le Maire to meet Renault chairman, says Nissan alliance priority

France’s Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire answers a question during a news conference of the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in Fukuoka, Japan June 9, 2019. Toshifumi Kitamura/Pool via REUTERS PARIS (Reuters) – French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Thursday a Fiat Chrysler-Renault merger remained an “interesting opportunity” but added… Continue reading France’s Le Maire to meet Renault chairman, says Nissan alliance priority

Hyundai takes minority stake in self-driving car startup Aurora

Hyundai Motor Group has invested in Aurora, the latest sign that the scope of the year-old partnership between the automaker and self-driving car startup has expanded. Aurora and Hyundai didn’t disclose terms of the investment. However, picking part new details of its Series B funding round and speaking to sources within the industry, Hyundai’s investment… Continue reading Hyundai takes minority stake in self-driving car startup Aurora