Tag: Manufacturing

Volkswagen Bids Farewell to e-Golf, Will Refocus Dresden Facility to ID.3

Volkswagen Bids Farewell to e-Golf, Will Refocus Dresden Facility to ID.3

23 Dec 2020, 12:10 UTC ·
by

Aurel Niculescu

Home > News > Industry

After a little more than half a decade on the sustainable mobility front, the Volkswagen e-Golf is heading into retirement. Production of the fully electric compact just ended, with the final vehicle rolling out from the assembly line of the Transparent Factory in Dresden, Germany.
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The location had been taking care of the e-Golf manufacturing process since March of 2017 – and has managed to build a total of 50,401 examples in the meantime. The group-wide “E-offensive” is not slowing down, though; starting early next year, the plant will be retooled and after just three weeks of downtime, it will start producing the ID.3 series from late January.
According to Volkswagen, the final e-Golf to roll off the production line was a “Uranogrey” unit. The company is quickly switching its focus to the future production of the ID.3, with the Dresden plant following the Zwickau facility in adapting to MEB requirements.
“The end of the e-Golf is also the start of the final preparations for the ID.3. In just a few weeks, we will be opening the next chapter for the Transparent Factory. After Zwickau, we are the second location in Europe to manufacture vehicles based on the new modular e-drive system,” explains Danny Auerswald, head of plant of the Transparent Factory.
In total, 145,561 VW e-Golf units were produced between the Wolfsburg and Dresden plants, with the electric compact being popular especially in Norway and Germany. The Transparent Factory Dresden, on the other hand, has also covered the build for some interesting ICE models since it started operations back in 2001 – such as the flagship Phaeton or Bentley’s Flying Spur.
Now it’s fully embracing the EV future with the introduction of the ID.3, Volkswagen’s first vehicle based on the dedicated Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB) platform.
The company says it has already delivered more than 28k units of the ID.3 since its market launch back in September. VW is now preparing for the arrival of the model's entry-level version, set to go on sale below the €30,000 (less than $37k) mark from early next year.

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Tesla Delivers Almost 500,000 Vehicles in 2020

Tesla Delivers Almost 500,000 Vehicles in 2020

2 Jan 2021, 17:41 UTC ·
by

Mircea Panait

Home > News > Industry

As much as Elon Musk would have liked to hit the magical figure of 500,000 deliveries, Tesla Inc. got 99.91 percent of the way there with a tally of 499,550 vehicles. Considering how bad a year 2020 has been for the automotive industry, this result is more than simply impressive.
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For reference, Tesla delivered 367,500 vehicles in 2019 and 245,240 vehicles in 2018. Production output is on the rise as well, currently standing at 509,737 vehicles split between the Model S, 3, X, and Y (pun intended).
As you would expect, the Model 3 and Y took the lion’s share at 442,511 units compared to 57,039 for the Model S and X, which will be updated this year.
Elon Musk was expecting to ship 500,000 vehicles worldwide at the beginning of 2020 when the health crisis was looming on the horizon. But as you’re well aware, the big guns and bean counters in Palo Alto didn’t take into consideration temporary production halts for the Fremont and Shanghai facilities. Another reason the target figure hasn’t been hit is, of course, the financial stress of a health crisis that has affected pretty much everybody.
“So proud of the Tesla team for achieving this major milestone,” said the chief executive officer on social media. “At the start of Tesla, I thought we had (optimistically) a 10% chance of surviving at all.” As a brief refresher, the first investment that Musk made in the EV startup tallied $6.5 million when co-founders Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning were running the show.
“Tesla is responsible for two-thirds of all the personal and professional pain in my life combined. But it was worth it,” confessed the big kahuna.
At the time of writing, the Model 3 is the most affordable ticket to Tesla ownership thanks to an MSRP of $37,990 for the Standard Range Plus with rear-wheel drive. Not bad for 263 miles (423 kilometers) of driving range and an acceleration of 5.3 seconds to 60 mph (96 kph), don't you think?
The Model Y kicks off at $49,990 with the Long Range battery and Dual Motor all-wheel drive, the Model S is available from $69,420, and the Model X is the most expensive of the lot at $79,990 excluding potential savings.
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Over the air: updates become upgrades at Mercedes-Benz

28.

January 2021

Stuttgart

Stuttgart. Mercedes-Benz is further expanding the possibility of keeping programs and systems in the vehicle up to date through updates over the air (OTA). What started with Mercedes-Benz vehicles in the USA in 2013 is standard for the MBUX infotainment system today. Some twelve million over-the-air updates have now been performed. Many MBUX customers around the world can visit the Mercedes me Store to book and add additional services and optional extras. With over-the-air updates, completely new features enter the vehicle that is already with the customer: updates turn into upgrades.
Updating the navigation maps stored in the vehicle began with the E-Class in 2016. What previously required the insertion of a data medium such as a DVD, or a workshop visit, now takes place automatically over the air every three months, assuming the customer has activated this service in the Mercedes me Portal.
“Over-the-air updates are not new for us. Thanks to our many years of experience and many successfully run OTA campaigns over the years, our customers always have the latest software in the vehicle. With 'over the air', it is not just software updates that we can deliver to vehicles already sold, but also features which haven't even been invented yet. OTA enables the vehicle to become a more and more effective tool for the customer as time goes on”, says Georges Massing, Head of Digital Vehicle & Mobility at Mercedes-Benz AG.
How does over the air work in concrete terms? As soon as a new update is available from Mercedes-Benz, a message is shown in the central display; the download and installation of the update run in the background. Important note: the user then has to agree again explicitly to the activation. In this way, the vehicle is always up to date with software. To transmit the data, Mercedes-Benz relies on mobile radio technology and the communication module installed in the vehicle – this is the most secure way.
A further option for an updated and improved user experience is the additional booking of new functions in the Mercedes me Store: Smartphone Integration such as CarPlay or Android Auto, In-Car Office or the digital radio DAB+ for optimum radio reception are available there. And the best thing of all: services whose subscription has expired can also be renewed quickly and easily online via the Mercedes me Store.
However, some features and services will not even require an update in the vehicle. The reason being that MBUX is a hybrid system and draws upon data and software stored in the vehicle as well as upon information stored in the cloud. This applies, for example, to the voice assistant “Hey Mercedes”. It constantly learns new words and phrases through exchange with the cloud. Questions such as “Where is the nearest pizza place?” or “How did the national football team do today?” naturally also rely on the latest information in the cloud.
In addition, the latest traffic and weather information is constantly transferred to the vehicle, including associated data such as the snow depth in ski areas.
Currently, A-Class customers who have been using MBUX since 2018 are now receiving the additional streaming services TIDAL and Amazon Music, as well as access to the Mercedes me Store in MBUX, while in specific languages MBUX is switching to use the familiar form of “you”. In this way, updates become upgrades.
Depending on the age of the vehicle there are more functions available for downloading which are already on board more recently built models. The A-Class is shown as an example here (the dates will differ for other model series with MBUX):
Produced from … to …
MBUX functions
… 03/2018 to 10/2018
… 10/2018 to 06/2019
… 06/2019 to 06/2020
… 06/2020 to 12/2020
Online music: TIDAL
x
on board
ex factory
on board
ex factory
on board ex factory
Mercedes me Store
x
x
on board
ex factory
on board ex factory
The familiar form of “you” (certain countries)
x
x
x
on board ex factory
Online music: Amazon Music
x
x
x
x
x= OTA update possible
The next step in the update strategy of Mercedes-Benz comes with the new S-Class. Its electronics architecture allows over-the-air updating of more than 50 control units in the vehicle and of the entire MBUX system, including the central display, without a workshop visit.

Press Contact

Georg Walthart

Communications Connected Car & Mercedes me

georg.walthart@daimler.com

Koert Groeneveld

Head of Global Product and Technology Communications

koert.groeneveld@daimler.com

Tel: +49 160 8614747

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21C0039_002

Legend
:

Over the air update: Mercedes-Benz vehicles are constantly learning “over the air”. In the meantime, around 12 million Mercedes vehicles Over the Air have been updated. Updates become upgrades

Release date
:

Jan 28, 2021

21C0039_003

Legend
:

Over the air update: Mercedes-Benz vehicles are constantly learning “over the air”. In the meantime, around 12 million Mercedes vehicles Over the Air have been updated. Updates become upgrades

Release date
:

Jan 28, 2021

21C0039_004

Legend
:

Over the air update: Mercedes-Benz vehicles are constantly learning “over the air”. In the meantime, around 12 million Mercedes vehicles Over the Air have been updated. Updates become upgrades

Release date
:

Jan 28, 2021

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GM to Wind Down Chevy Equinox CAMI Production in Favor of New BrightDrop EV600

GM to Wind Down Chevy Equinox CAMI Production in Favor of New BrightDrop EV600

18 Jan 2021, 7:58 UTC ·
by

Aurel Niculescu

Home > News > Industry

Although General Motors still has only one fully electric vehicle – the Chevrolet Bolt EV – to show for itself on the streets, it’s currently working hard to cover all the bases in the near future. Thus, things should be looking a lot more interesting around 2022.
45 photos

Before that happens, though, there’s the question of backing all the promises, from the mind-blowing GMC Hummer EV to the new Chevrolet Bolt EUV or the upcoming BET truck, with production locations. And, if the automaker wants to be successful everywhere, even the commercial business side needs a lot of cash.
General Motors is looking to cover that area, as well. Its autonomous unit, Cruise, has proposed the Origin for passenger rides, while the recently revealed BrightDrop EV600 should cover electric delivery van needs. And the company just pledged almost $800 million (one billion Canadian dollars) to make the latter a real contender in the logistics and parcel delivery sectors.
After it reaches a final agreement with Unifor and the pledged support from the authorities gets confirmed, GM is going to source the BrightDrop EV600 from the company’s CAMI manufacturing facility in Ingersoll, Ontario. The investment will be used to create Canada’s “first large-scale electric delivery vehicles manufacturing plant,” as it plans to deliver the first units of the BrightDrop EV600 sometime before the end of the year.
Of course, in order to adhere to the proposed timing, work on the transformation needs to kick off “immediately,” and while that’s great news for the local workforce, it also means that over the next two years the unit should wind down the current production of the third-generation Chevy Equinox compact crossover SUV.
Most likely, the Equinox won’t survive the CAMI transformation, but the model is probably safe – thanks to continued manufacturing in China, Mexico, and Argentina. Meanwhile, Canada has been the target of a sustained round of GM investments, supporting both product manufacturing, renewable energy generation, and the expansion of its Canadian Technology Center.

Editor's note:

Gallery includes both images of the BrightDrop EV600 and of the Chevrolet Equinox.

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2020 Tesla Roadster Delayed Until 2022, Drivable Prototype Coming This Summer

2020 Tesla Roadster Delayed Until 2022, Drivable Prototype Coming This Summer

29 Jan 2021, 13:37 UTC ·
by

Mircea Panait

Home > News > Car Profile

Tesla gained worldwide acclaim for the first-generation Roadster, an EV unlike any other when it rolled out in 2008. Based on a Lotus chassis but quicker to 60 miles per hour than the Elise and Exige from that era, the open-top sports car will be succeeded in 2022.
7 photos
That’s a whole decade since the original stopped production, which is a heck of a long time by all accounts. What’s even more peculiar is that Elon Musk took the veils off the Roadster II in 2017, when he promised that deliveries would kick off by the end of 2020. Be that as it may, don’t forget the automotive industry didn’t know that a health crisis would backtrack things.
According to chief executive Musk Man, engineering will be completed by the end of 2021. Production starts next year, and a drivable release candidate is scheduled to arrive this summer in order to keep the hype going strong.
Previously nicknamed Model R, the all-new Roadster is available to reserve for quite a princely sum. Those who express interest in the tri-motor sports have to pony up a $50,000 deposit, representing a fourth of the base price of $200,000 before optional extras, taxes, and whatnot.
Scheduled to hit the Nürburgring for chassis and suspension calibration sometime this year, the Roadster II is described as “the quickest car in the world, with record-setting acceleration, range, and performance.” At the time of writing, Tesla promises 1.9 seconds, 620 miles (998 kilometers) on a charge, and more than 250 miles per hour (402 kilometers per hour).
Capable of crossing the quarter-mile finish line in 8.8 seconds, the most extreme Tesla entitled to wear a license plate is a four-seat targa with a 200-kWh battery and similar bits and bobs to the Model S Plaid+. Speaking of the full-size sedan, the 2021 redesign loses the conventional steering wheel in favor of a stalkless yoke that was previewed by the Roadster in 2017.
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German Manager Magazin: Battery cells: Funding worth billions for Tesla, BMW and others approved by the EU000539

The EU Commission has approved another major European project for battery production for electric cars. She classified the 2.9 billion euro investment project by twelve EU countries under German leadership as a so-called project of common European interest, as the Commission Vice-President Margrethe Vestager (52) in charge of competition said in Brussels on Tuesday. This… Continue reading German Manager Magazin: Battery cells: Funding worth billions for Tesla, BMW and others approved by the EU000539

SK Innovation boosts EV battery push with $1bn plant in Hungary

SEOUL — SK Innovation will spend 1.27 trillion won ($1.14 billion) to build its third automotive battery factory in Hungary as the South Korean company readies capacity on three continents to supply power sources for the fast-growing electric vehicle market. The third factory is slated to come online in 2024 after a second Hungarian site opens in 2022. Another… Continue reading SK Innovation boosts EV battery push with $1bn plant in Hungary

Jaguar Land Rover to use advanced lightweight composites for future EVs

Jaguar Land Rover is preparing for future electric vehicles with advanced lightweight composite research that will help deliver increased range, greater performance and a more dynamic drive. The Tucana project is a four-year programme to make the UK a world leader in low-carbon technology, helping prevent 4.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions between 2023 and 2032 by accelerating… Continue reading Jaguar Land Rover to use advanced lightweight composites for future EVs

Chinese carbuyers help Jaguar Land Rover outpace UK lockdowns

Jaguar Land Rover staged a recovery in the final three months of 2020, as the growth of car sales in China made up for the UK’s continued lockdowns and its setting aside of £35m to pay fines for missing carbon dioxide emissions targets. The carmaker made pre-tax profits of £439m in the last quarter of… Continue reading Chinese carbuyers help Jaguar Land Rover outpace UK lockdowns