Author: Harding Greenwood

President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has indicated plans to prioritize the development of a federal framework for fully self-driving vehicles, with the U.S. Department of Transportation set to play a key role, according to a Bloomberg report on Sunday. The move is expected to benefit prominent Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a staunch Trump supporter who invested heavily in the campaign and has taken a leadership role in the new Department of Government Efficiency, focused on cutting regulations and restructuring federal agencies. Musk has shifted Tesla’s focus towards self-driving technology, moving away from his earlier plan to build an affordable EV…

Ford Motor Company has agreed to pay a $165 million penalty to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for delays in recalling vehicles equipped with malfunctioning rearview cameras. This fine marks the second-largest in NHTSA’s history, following the 2019 Takata airbag recall penalty. In a consent order, the NHTSA cited Ford for failing to provide accurate and complete information in its recall reports and for delays in submitting mandatory quarterly recall updates. The automaker will pay $65 million upfront, while $55 million will be suspended, contingent on compliance with the terms of the agreement. An additional $45 million will…

Audi is unveiling its latest electric vehicles (EVs) designed for the Chinese market at the Guangzhou Motor Show, including the Q6L e-tron and the AUDI E concept. The AUDI E concept, developed under a new sister brand, features distinctive branding without the traditional four-ring logo. The AUDI E concept, previously revealed in Shanghai, will make its public debut at the SAIC stand. The near-production electric Sportback measures 4.87 meters in length and features a dual-motor system delivering 570 kW of power. Audi describes the AUDI brand as focused on “intelligent and connected electric vehicles,” creating a separate identity from the…

EVgo, a leading electric vehicle charging network in the United States, has announced record revenue of $67.5 million for the third quarter of 2024, representing a 92% increase compared to the same period last year. The company also saw its energy throughput grow to 78 GWh, a 111% year-over-year rise, as it expanded its customer base to over 1.2 million registered users. The company operates over 1,000 fast-charging locations across 40 states, continuing its rapid expansion. Recent efforts, including the introduction of the “ReNew” program to improve charger reliability and partnerships with companies such as Pilot/Flying J and General Motors,…

Xiaodi Hou, co-founder and former CEO of self-driving trucking startup TuSimple, has petitioned a California district court to issue a temporary restraining order to prevent the company from transferring its remaining U.S. assets to China, according to court documents filed Monday. Hou’s request includes expedited discovery of evidence to support his motion, with a court hearing scheduled for December. Hou alleges TuSimple, once valued at $8.5 billion, is diverting tens of millions of dollars in investor funds to unrelated ventures in China, including an AI-generated animation and video game business tied to co-founder and board chairman Mo Chen. The company,…

Polestar has introduced a more affordable, longer-range version of its luxury electric SUV, the Polestar 3. The new 2025 Long Range Polestar 3 RWD variant, now available for pre-order, offers an EPA-estimated 350 miles of range starting at $67,500 — a $6,400 reduction compared to the entry-level AWD trim. The rear-wheel-drive model, powered by a single rear motor, generates 295 horsepower and 361 lb-ft of torque. This brings a balance between performance and efficiency, offering a 0-60 mph acceleration in 7.5 seconds, compared to the AWD variant’s 4.8 seconds. Those desiring higher power output can opt for the Performance Pack,…

Swedish truck manufacturer Scania is in discussions with various battery cell producers to secure supplies for its future electric vehicle (EV) lineup, while maintaining its partnership with Swedish battery maker Northvolt, CEO Christian Levin revealed in an interview with Reuters. Scania, part of Volkswagen-owned Traton Group, has set a target for half of its vehicle sales to be electric by 2030, though current sales remain under 1%, hindered by production and delivery challenges at Northvolt. “We talk to everyone in order to ensure we do not face disruptions if Northvolt encounters issues,” Levin said, without naming the alternative suppliers. Despite…

General Motors is laying off close to 1,000 employees worldwide, primarily in the United States, as the automaker continues efforts to streamline its operations and cut costs, a source told Reuters on Friday. GM confirmed the layoffs in a statement, though it declined to specify the total number of jobs affected. “In order to win in this competitive market, we need to optimize for speed and excellence,” the Detroit-based company said. “As part of this continuous effort, we’ve made a small number of team reductions.” The layoffs include 507 employees at GM’s tech center in Warren, Michigan, according to a…

Jaguar’s transformation into an all-electric luxury automaker is underway, with the first of its new EV lineup—a 4-door GT—spotted in testing on British roads. Images of the camouflaged vehicle reveal a sleek, low-riding profile and aggressive design features that signal a departure from Jaguar’s traditional styling. This model will be the first of Jaguar’s EV series, set to launch under its new identity from 2025. The company announced its shift to electric earlier this year, retiring popular models like the F-Type and E-Pace to make way for a fresh lineup built on Jaguar’s new JAE (Jaguar Electric Architecture). “This electric…

Hyundai Motor is preparing to launch an AI-powered electric vehicle (EV) in China next year, its first model specifically designed for the world’s largest EV market. Developed with Haomo, a Chinese autonomous driving startup, the new EV aims to boost Hyundai’s presence in a market largely dominated by local giants like BYD. A Hyundai spokesperson shared with The Korea Herald that the company is “working to load the software” onto the new EV model, adding, “The level of autonomous driving is somewhere between 2 and 2.5.” The collaboration with Haomo will see Hyundai’s new EV equipped with DriveGPT, Haomo’s generative…

General Motors’ self-driving unit, Cruise, will pay a $500,000 criminal fine after admitting to submitting an inaccurate report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) concerning an October 2023 incident where one of its autonomous robotaxis struck and dragged a pedestrian in San Francisco. The fine is part of a deferred prosecution agreement announced by the U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday, where Cruise admitted to omitting key details in its report on the accident. “Companies with self-driving cars that seek to share our roads and crosswalks must be fully truthful in their reports to their regulators,” said Martha…

Lyten, a U.S.-based battery developer, is set to acquire Northvolt subsidiary Cuberg’s production facility in San Leandro, California, in a move to bolster lithium-sulfur battery production. The acquisition comes as Sweden’s Northvolt navigates financial challenges and consolidates its battery operations to its Swedish research facility. Lyten plans to convert the San Leandro facility, previously used by Cuberg for lithium-metal batteries, for the production of lithium-sulfur batteries. This site will join Lyten’s existing San Jose pilot facility, established in May 2023, expanding the company’s footprint in California’s battery production landscape. “The acquisition of additional manufacturing capacity for lithium-sulfur is in direct…