Softbank invests €460M in Germany’s Auto1 car dealer platform

Softbank’s Vision Fund has made another investment: The Japanese conglomerate has agreed to invest €460M in Berlin-based online car dealer Auto1. Auto1 confirmed the investment in a press release put out today, saying the deal values the company at €2.9BN. Around half of the investment is being made through the issue of new shares, it added. The… Continue reading Softbank invests €460M in Germany’s Auto1 car dealer platform

Adapt or Die Is Marchionne’s Stark Farewell Message to Carmakers

Sergio Marchionne, one of the longest-serving CEOs in the automotive industry, has a blunt warning: Carmakers have less than a decade to reinvent themselves or risk being commoditized amid a seismic shift in how vehicles are powered, driven and purchased. Developing technologies like electrification, self-driving software and ride-sharing will alter consumers’ car-buying decisions within six… Continue reading Adapt or Die Is Marchionne’s Stark Farewell Message to Carmakers

Ford Mach1 performance SUV to launch in 2020

Ford’s first all-electric vehicle will be a Mustang-inspired performance SUV, Auto Express can reveal. It will arrive in 2020 and could be launched as the Mach1. The all-electric SUV will be built on a new dedicated EV platform and have a range of 300 miles, while the design and packaging of the model has almost… Continue reading Ford Mach1 performance SUV to launch in 2020

NTU & Volvo for Autonomous Electric Buses in Singapore

The University of NTU and the manufacturer Volvo want to jointly develop an autonomous e-bus for Singapore. Volvo still has some difficulties at home approval to receive, but in Singapore If you want to stir up the public transport right now. Autonomous E-bus Singapore. Source: NTU In fact, there are some autonomous driving projects in… Continue reading NTU & Volvo for Autonomous Electric Buses in Singapore

ZF off to a Strong Start in 2018

“The improved rating highlights our solid financial policies and is a milestone in securing financial independence which is firmly anchored into the long-term ZF 2025 Strategy,” added Sauer, who is also CFO of the ZF Group. “We are making excellent progress in reducing debt that originated from the TRW acquisition in 2015. In fact, progress… Continue reading ZF off to a Strong Start in 2018

UPDATE 3-Ford plans $11 billion investment, 40 electrified vehicles by 2022

DETROIT (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co (F.N) will significantly increase its planned investments in electric vehicles to $11 billion by 2022 and have 40 hybrid and fully electric vehicles in its model lineup, Chairman Bill Ford said on Sunday at the Detroit auto show. The investment figure is sharply higher than a previously announced target… Continue reading UPDATE 3-Ford plans $11 billion investment, 40 electrified vehicles by 2022

Alibaba Said To Buy $3B Stakes In Chinese Bike Sharing Firm Ofo From GSR

Chinese tech giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is reported to have bought a US$3 billion stake in bike sharing firm ofo from GSR Ventures. According to multiple Chinese media reports, Ou Chengxiao, brother-in-law of GSR’s managing partner Allen Zhu, stated in an open course he teaches that GSR sold its entire stake in ofo to… Continue reading Alibaba Said To Buy $3B Stakes In Chinese Bike Sharing Firm Ofo From GSR

China Digest: Kintor Pharma, CalmCar, MLog, Yida Media raise funding

January 15, 2018 Five Chinese startups have raised a total of $81.6 million from venture capital and private equity companies in China, according to a China Money Network report. Kintor Pharmaceuticals raises $44 million Series C Chinese pharmaceutical research company Suzhou Kintor Pharmaceutical Inc has raised $44 million in a Series C funding round led by… Continue reading China Digest: Kintor Pharma, CalmCar, MLog, Yida Media raise funding

Chao promises 'tech-neutral' robot car approach

CLOSE United States Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao talks about the future of technology in the automobile industry at Cobo Center during a press event at the Detroit Auto Show. Daniel Mears, The Detroit News United States Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao speaks in the Cobo Center Atrium in Detroit, Michigan on January 14,… Continue reading Chao promises 'tech-neutral' robot car approach

Why We Need Electric Vehicle Concepts, + The RAESR & Its Wild Tachyon Speed

January 14th, 2018 by Nicolas Zart  No doubt about it, proof-of-concept cars are cool, but rarely practical. Despite their unobtainium status, they are nonetheless very much needed. Here’s why. The RAESR Wild Tachyon Speed Proof Of Concept Mainstream car manufacturers would be happy if nothing changed. They modestly change the four-wheel people haulers every year… Continue reading Why We Need Electric Vehicle Concepts, + The RAESR & Its Wild Tachyon Speed