Supporting Ford’s global redesign strategy to strengthen its leadership in commercial vehicles and growth in Europe, Ford and its partner, Sollers PJSC, confirm the restructuring of their Russian joint venture A restructured Ford Sollers will build on Ford Transit strength as Russia’s top-selling, non-domestic commercial vehicle nameplate and maintains a strong brand presence in the… Continue reading Ford Restructures Russian Joint Venture to Grow Commercial Vehicle Business; Exiting Passenger Vehicle Market in Russia
Tag: Electric vehicles
A Tesla rival in China wants at least $500 million in funding, and it may try a US IPO
Original Article
Great Wall, Ford hitch up to burgeoning Chinese demand for pickup trucks
BEIJING (Reuters) – Grey Liu bought his third vehicle four months ago – a Foton pickup truck, lured by its $7,000 price tag and its ability to transport his sports motorcycle to the grasslands of northern China where he likes to ride. A worker closes the back of a Toyota Tundra pickup truck at Pickup… Continue reading Great Wall, Ford hitch up to burgeoning Chinese demand for pickup trucks
Singapore Joins CCS Combo Charging Bandwagon
4 H BY MARK KANE More than 1,000 new charging points are to be installed within a few years Singapore, as expected, confirmed that the official charging standard in the ASEAN city-state will be CCS Combo of the European version – Type 2 AC and Combo 2 for DC. The CCS Combo 2 is expected to embrace… Continue reading Singapore Joins CCS Combo Charging Bandwagon
South America resists electric vehicles as local fuels remain in favor
SAO BERNARDO DO CAMPO, Brazil (Reuters) – Meeting in Brazil this week, auto executives from Toyota to GM talked up traditional fuel sources like ethanol, natural gas and diesel, underlining how South America’s protected auto market is likely to resist a broader global move toward electric vehicles for years to come. FILE PHOTO: A man… Continue reading South America resists electric vehicles as local fuels remain in favor
Tesla’s Elon Musk, SEC to face off in U.S. court on April 4
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Lawyers for Elon Musk and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will square off in a Manhattan courtroom next week over whether the Tesla Inc chief executive should be held in contempt over one of his tweets. FILE PHOTO: Tesla CEO Elon Musk attends the Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory groundbreaking ceremony in… Continue reading Tesla’s Elon Musk, SEC to face off in U.S. court on April 4
UPDATE 1-Tesla’s Elon Musk, SEC to face off in U.S. court on April 4
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Lawyers for Elon Musk and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will square off in a Manhattan courtroom next week over whether the Tesla Inc chief executive should be held in contempt over one of his tweets. FILE PHOTO: Tesla CEO Elon Musk attends the Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory groundbreaking ceremony in… Continue reading UPDATE 1-Tesla’s Elon Musk, SEC to face off in U.S. court on April 4
Volvo to boost plug-in hybrid production to 25 percent of fleet
2020 Volvo XC90
While other automakers are moving away from plug-in hybrids to electric powertrains, Volvo is finding unexpected success with its lineup of plug-in hybrids.
At a recent roundtable with journalists in Sweden, Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson said the company is disappointed that it underestimated demand for its plug-in hybrids.
DON'T MISS: Volvo XC90, XC60 T8 plug-in hybrids add electric miles for 2020
“We are not happy because we could sell more [plug-in hybrids],” he said, according to Automotive News (subscription required.) “We underestimated the demand.” He said the company did not have a big enough supply of batteries, motors, and other electrical components to build more of its plug-in hybrids, which sell for about 30 percent more than non-hybrid versions of the cars.
Samuelsson said the company will boost its capacity for those plug-in hybrid components for 2019, from its current 10 or 15 percent worldwide, up to 25 percent of its sales.
READ THIS: Audi plans new plug-in hybrid Q5, A6, A7, and A8 for Geneva reveal
Last year in the U.S., Volvo sold a little less than 1,500 XC90 T8 PHEVs, a little more than 2,100 XC60 T8 PHEVs, and fewer than 500 S90 T8 sedans, but it sold almost 27,000 plug-in hybrids in Europe, combined.
At the same time, the company announced an upgrade to upcoming XC60 and XC90 T8 hybrids to boost their plug-in range by about 15 percent.
CHECK OUT: Fiat Chrysler lays groundwork to build electrified Jeep models
The new models haven't been rated by the EPA, but current models have an estimated 17 miles of electric range, which would put the new ones up around 20 miles. The Volvos use a 2.0-liter turbo-4 and an 8-speed automatic transmission to drive the front wheels, and an electric motor to provide another 87 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels.
Volvo also announced a new B5 line of mild-hybrid SUVs for Europe.
Other automakers, such as Audi, BMW, and Jeep have also announced plans to boost their lineups of plug-in hybrid SUVs, earlier this month at the Geneva auto show, so the new Volvos will have plenty of competition.
China Evergrande says diversification complete, eyes top electric vehicle spot
Minister for IT, Rohan Khaunte, on Saturday said that the ministry planned to formulate dedicated policies for ESDM and electric vehicles which could see the light of day in the coming year. By Clare Jim HONG KONG: China Evergrande Group wants to be a big player in the electric vehicle industry because of its potential… Continue reading China Evergrande says diversification complete, eyes top electric vehicle spot
MagniX and Vancouver’s Harbour Air team up to test all-electric plane for B.C. flights
MagniX’s 750-horsepower magni500 all-electric motor will be used on a converted Harbour Air DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver seaplane for tests. (Harbour Air Photo) Two Pacific Northwest companies — MagniX, an electric propulsion venture headquartered in Redmond, Wash.; and Harbour Air Seaplanes, an airline based in Vancouver, B.C. — say they have a firm plan to… Continue reading MagniX and Vancouver’s Harbour Air team up to test all-electric plane for B.C. flights