Volvo – Page 545 – I wish I had more to offer

Dealers stock more used cars but sell slower in May

UK dealers stocked 15% more used vehicles in May than 12 months ago, according to the latest Market View from Motors.co.uk. Dealers’ average stock levels rose from 60 to 69 cars. However, cars took two days longer to sell in May than 12 months ago increasing from 38 to 40 days. May also marked a… Continue reading Dealers stock more used cars but sell slower in May

Toyota to launch ultra-compact battery vehicle, tie up with China’s CATL

The company has partnered with CATL. TOKYO: Toyota Motor Corp will launch an ultra-compact, battery-powered car that seats two by next year and will tie up with Chinese battery maker CATL, it said on Friday, to accommodate an accelerated shift to electric vehicles. Japan’s largest automaker said it aimed to have half of its global… Continue reading Toyota to launch ultra-compact battery vehicle, tie up with China’s CATL

Toyota to tie up with China’s CATL to accelerate electrification: Nikkei

FILE PHOTO: A Toyota logo is displayed at the 89th Geneva International Motor Show in Geneva, Switzerland, March 5, 2019. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo TOKYO (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp will tie up with leading Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd (CATL), in a move to accelerate the electrification of its products, the Nikkei… Continue reading Toyota to tie up with China’s CATL to accelerate electrification: Nikkei

US rejects GM, Volvo tariff relief requests for China-made SUVs

Volvo XC90 SUV is on display on day three of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) at the National Exhibition and Convention Center on November 7, 2018 in Shanghai, China.VCG | Getty ImagesThe United States has rejected separate requests from General Motors and Chinese-owned Volvo Cars for an exemption to a 25% U.S. tariff on their Chinese-made sport utility vehicle models.
GM, the largest U.S. automaker, and Sweden's Volvo both said they were aware of the respective denials of their nearly year-old petitions. Both companies had not raised the sticker price to account for tariffs, which came into play last July.
The denial of GM's petition for its Buick Envision came in a May 29 letter from the U.S. Trade Representative's office saying the request concerned “a product strategically important or related to 'Made in China 2025' or other Chinese industrial programs.”
The midsize SUV, with a starting price of about $35,000, has become a target for U.S. critics of Chinese-made goods, including leaders of the United Auto Workers union and members in key political swing states such as Michigan and Ohio.
Buick Envision sales fell in the United States by nearly 27%to 30,000 last year and fell another 21% in the first three months of 2019.
Only a small number of vehicles are built in China and sold in the United States.
Last month, the U.S. Trade Representative's Office also rejected a request by Volvo Cars for its mid-size XC60 SUVs, its top selling U.S. vehicle.
Volvo, which is owned by China's Geely, had already last year begun switching production of U.S.-bound XC60s from China to Europe as part of a global shake up of production plans for most of its lineup in an effort to dodge tariffs.
A spokeswoman said the XC60 shift, Volvo's biggest move to mitigate the impact of tariffs, was completed in the Spring,meaning Volvo was no longer paying tariffs on XC60 imports and would not see any fresh cost impact due to the rejection.
Volvo had argued in its exemption request that it could “anticipate” the XC60 would be eventually produced in its recently opened South Carolina plant, where it is building S60 sedans, but the spokeswoman said no decision had been taken.
“(New production setup) is a cost so that would of course depend on the permanence of tariffs and what the situation looks like going forward. It's a continuous evaluation that we always do with the flexible manufacturing footprint,” she said.
Besides the shift, Volvo has also split production of its S60 luxury sport sedan between the two countries; altered some European production plans; and reduced shipments of its S90 sedan, which is only produced in China, to the United States.
U.S. retail sales for the S90 sedan this year to May were down 63.7 percent year on year, company data showed.
GM had argued in its request that Envision sales in China and the United States would generate funds “to invest in our U.S. manufacturing facilities and to develop the next generation of automotive technology in the United States.”
GM said last year the “vast majority” of Envisions, about 200,000 a year, are sold in China.
Because of the lower U.S. sales volume, “assembly in our home market is not an option” for the Envision, which competes with such mid-size crossover vehicles as the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Cadillac XT5. Ahead of the July 2018 start for higher import tariffs, GM shipped in a six-month supply of Envisions at the much lower 2.5 percent tariff rate, Reuters reported in August 2018.

UPDATE 2-U.S. rejects GM, Volvo tariff relief requests for China-made SUVs

WASHINGTON/STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – The United States has rejected separate requests from General Motors Co and Chinese-owned Volvo Cars for an exemption to a 25% U.S. tariff on their Chinese-made sport utility vehicle models. FILE PHOTO: The GM logo is seen at the General Motors plant in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil, January 22, 2019. REUTERS/Roosevelt… Continue reading UPDATE 2-U.S. rejects GM, Volvo tariff relief requests for China-made SUVs

TomTom part of EU Data Task Force’s proof of concept to make roads in EU safer

An Innovative Road Safety Initiative To Rely On Live Vehicle Data

AMSTERDAM, 5-Jun-2019 — /EuropaWire/ — EU Data Task Force (DTF) and TomTom (TOM2), active in location technology services, will work together on a proof of concept to improve road safety by sharing vehicle and infrastructure data between countries and manufacturers.

Dangerous road conditions, such as slippery roads, can be detected using the latest technologies and warnings can be issued to drivers and traffic participants. These warning messages, however, can also be very beneficial to other drivers and road operators, if shared.

The EU Data Task Force (DTF) will use a decentralised data collaboration architecture to share vehicle-generated data such as alerts, along with infrastructure information, in its proof of concept. The datasets will then be taken by TomTom, processed further, and delivered back to other vehicles and road authorities via its live Traffic services.

The EU Data Task Force (DTF) is a trusted partnership that enables fair competition organised into a public-private initiative that will implement existing EU laws on safety data access. DTF members include the European Commission, national governments, vehicle manufacturers and service providers. The DTF project is based on the reciprocity principle where safety data is offered in return for safety services.

Commenting on the DTF collaboration, Ralf-Peter Schäfer, VP Traffic and Travel, TomTom, said:

“Improving road safety in Europe is high on the agenda of the EU and national governments, and it’s also high on ours. TomTom’s vision is of safer roads, free of congestion and emissions. Our involvement in this proof of concept demonstrates our commitment to delivering live safety services for our customers, and our pride in being the first to collaborate with automakers and governments to make the roads safer.”

The following EU Member States, organisations and companies are part of The EU Data Task Force (DTF): BMW AG; Ford Smart Mobility Ltd; Mercedes Benz; Volvo Cars, HERE Europe B.V., TomTom Traffic B.V., The Netherlands, Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management; Spain, Ministry of Home Affairs La Subdirección General de Gestión de la Movilidad DGT; Finland, Transport and Communications Agency TRAFICOM; Germany, Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure and Luxembourg, Ministry of the Economy.

SOURCE: TomTom

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Car companies & EU authorities for networking data

Various car manufacturers and individual EU authorities have created the European Data Task Force. Actually, the networking standard was already within Europe, but there was resistance. So it is not quite sure if this is it default WLAN (DSRC or ITS-G5) or if it the mobile with for example 5G becomes. But it’s clear what… Continue reading Car companies & EU authorities for networking data

Mercedes-Benz is expanding its luxury subscription service

Mercedes-Benz is expanding a pilot subscription service that lets users switch between different luxury models to a third U.S. city a year after launching in Nashville and Philadelphia. The pilot is another example of how automakers are experimenting — with mixed levels of success — with different ways to make money beyond producing and selling… Continue reading Mercedes-Benz is expanding its luxury subscription service

Volvo Cars reports 12.4 per cent sales growth in May

Volvo Cars posted strong sales in May, with volumes up 12.4 per cent compared with the same period last year. The company sold 60,196 cars during the month, as China, Europe and the US all reported a growth in sales compared with the same period last year. The double digit volume growth… Continue reading Volvo Cars reports 12.4 per cent sales growth in May

TomTom Collaborates on Innovative Road Safety Initiative

AMSTERDAM–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Location technology specialist, TomTom (TOM2), today announced that it is collaborating with the EU Data Task Force (DTF) on a proof of concept to improve road safety by sharing vehicle and infrastructure data between countries and manufacturers. Using the latest technologies, vehicles can detect and warn occupants about dangerous road conditions — for example, when roads… Continue reading TomTom Collaborates on Innovative Road Safety Initiative