Author: David Smith

The Ministry of Industry announced on Monday that Indonesia and Japan are collaborating to develop the automotive industry, with a focus on electric vehicles and carbon neutrality (CN) fuels, including biofuels. The partnership was revealed by Taufik Bawazier, the Director General of Metal, Machinery, Transportation Equipment and Electronics (ILMATE) at the Industry Ministry, citing state-run media Antaranews. According to Taufik, the two countries are in dialogue about automotive industry policies, particularly with regards to reducing emissions. “As one of the countries with the best automotive industry in the world, we believe cooperation with Japan can support efforts to achieve carbon…

The ABT Group, a German-based company specializing in automotive refinement, has entered into a joint venture with YOTTA Automobile (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., a leading Chinese company in automotive digitalization, electric vehicles, and zero-emission energy solutions. The newly-formed company, ABT Technologies (Guanghzou) Co., Ltd., will be majority-owned by YOTTA with a 51% stake, while ABT Sportsline, a subsidiary of the ABT Group, holds 34%, and renowned investor Dr. Cornelius Boersch holds the remaining shares. The joint venture will grant the newly formed Chinese company the exclusive right to sell refinement parts, co-branded vehicles, and services under the ABT brand in China,…

Norfolk County Council has announced that it has awarded the contract for the installation of on-street charging points for electric vehicles (EVs) in Norwich to EB Charging. The contract will see the installation, supply, and operation of 46 new charging points on 40 streets throughout Norwich. This is a significant step towards achieving the council’s Electric Vehicle and Local Transport Plan 4 strategies. The charging points, which will be available to the public, will help to improve the accessibility of charging infrastructure, which is essential for the transition to electric vehicles, particularly for residents without access to off-street parking. See…

Volkswagen is aiming to make a significant impact in the emerging electric pickup truck market in the United States. As part of its plan, the carmaker acquired the Scout brand through a merger in 2020 and will utilize it to develop “true American” electric SUVs and pickup trucks. To further bolster its efforts, Volkswagen is building a new factory in the US dedicated solely to producing Scout brand vehicles, as per a recent report. While it was initially believed that the carmaker would outsource manufacturing to companies such as Foxconn or Magna, “business circles” now claim that Volkswagen is taking…

Peugeot, the French automaker, has announced that its midsize sedan, the 508, will undergo a full EV redesign in a bid to rival Tesla’s Model 3 and Volkswagen’s ID.7. Despite many competitors, such as the Ford Mondeo and Opel/Vauxhall Insignia, discontinuing their midsize sedans, Peugeot remains committed to the segment. The new model, set to debut after 2025, will come in both fastback and SW bodystyle options and incorporate Peugeot’s new styling language, as well as the latest technologies from Stellantis’ parts bin. The successor to the 508 will ride on the new STLA architecture, allowing for greater range, faster…

North America’s leading school bus manufacturer, Thomas Built Buses (TBB), and Proterra, a prominent commercial EV and battery maker, announced a significant milestone in sustainable school transportation. The companies revealed that their electric school buses have surpassed one million miles driven across the continent, marking a significant step in transitioning the nation’s fleet. Diesel-powered school buses have been found to emit over 40 toxic air contaminants and other fine particle matter, which can cause respiratory issues and asthma. Given that over 25 million children take the school bus each year, it is imperative that the nation’s fleet shifts towards a…

Mercedes-Benz has recently announced the launch of its all-new purpose-built operating system, MB.OS, which will power its future vehicles. The software is designed to run on supercomputers and a comprehensive suite of sensors to enable the brand to climb towards self-driving functionality. The MB.OS is built on Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA) and uses chip-to-cloud architecture to offer an all-new infotainment suite and autonomous driving features. In addition to this, Mercedes has also partnered with Google to create the next-gen navigation system, which will integrate Google Maps into the car. See also: Mercedes-Benz partnership with Unity to develop infotainment OS in…

Polestar has recently opened a brand new design studio in Gothenburg, Sweden. The studio, which is located next to the company’s global headquarters, has been specifically designed to be the home of up to 120 members of the Polestar design team, led by Maximilian Missoni. The environment combines modernist architecture with the brand’s clean, minimalistic Scandinavian aesthetic, and is set in a dense forest. The studio has been built on the site of a historic former Volvo facility completed in 1984 by Italian Romaldo Giurgola and local architect Owe Svärd. The building has been fully upgraded while maintaining its unique…

General Motors (GM) has revealed plans to invest in its powertrain plant in St. Catharines, Ontario to produce over 400,000 electric drive system units annually in the future. This investment will create around 500 new jobs in the assembly of electric drive systems. However, the exact amount of GM’s investment remains undisclosed, and the investment is contingent upon additional funding. GM has indicated that the investment is subject to government subsidies, and negotiations with the Canadian government and the provincial government of Ontario are expected to conclude this year. Despite this, GM seems optimistic about the funding commitment and has…

Self-driving technology is set to be trialed on the streets of Coventry and the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham in the United Kingdom as part of a project led by Conigital and Coventry University. The Multi-Area Connected Automated Mobility (MACAM) initiative is expected to cost £15.2m ($18.4m) and will be carried out over the next 18 months. The project is a collaboration between Coventry City Council, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Warwick Manufacturing Group, dRisk, IPG Automotive UK, Direct Line Group, and the NEC. Coventry University will be responsible for developing strategies that ensure the safe and efficient operation of self-driving…

Ecobat, the global leader in battery recycling, has announced its plans to build its first lithium-ion battery recycling facility in North America. The new facility, located in Casa Grande, Arizona, will be Ecobat’s third li-ion battery recycling plant globally, following those in Germany and the United Kingdom. Ecobat’s expansion into lithium-ion battery recycling is a significant milestone for the company’s strategy to grow its lithium-ion battery recycling business to a scale comparable to its world-leading lead battery recycling business. The new facility will initially produce approximately 10,000 tons of recycled material per year, with plans to expand capacity to meet…

In 2020, Apple announced a new feature that would allow iPhone users to use their devices as digital car keys. The feature, called Car Key, allows users to unlock and start their cars using their iPhones. However, adoption of the feature has been slow, with only a few cars currently supporting it. The recent appearance of the Car Keys Tests app on the App Store suggests that Apple is working with more manufacturers and developers to bring Car Key to more models. This is an exciting development for iPhone users who are eager to take advantage of this new feature.…