LE BOURGET, France (AFP) – Automaking powerhouse Germany is opposed to a ban on internal combustion engines from 2035 provided they work on synthetic fuels, the country’s transport minister said Monday. The European Commission proposed last year a ban on the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines from the middle of next decade, but the debate is far from over. “We want to allow combustion engines after 2035 only if they can be […]
Tag: automobile
Ford Q4 profits hit by supply chain woes
Ford reported weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter profits Thursday amid supply chain problems, even as higher car prices boosted results in North America. Executives with the US automaker said some of the company’s suppliers had been unable to deliver items due to outbreaks of the Omicron variant of Covid-19. Profit margins in 2021’s final quarter were also pinched by higher commodity costs, as well as elevated expenses tied to fuel and shipping, executives said. Ford, which has also […]
Bentley says first luxury electric car due 2025
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – German-owned luxury car brand Bentley said Wednesday that its first all-electric vehicle will be ready by 2025, as it unveiled major investment on becoming a fully carbon zero company. Its first battery-powered electric vehicle will be developed and built at its factory in Crewe, northwest England, Bentley said in a statement. The carmaker, owned by Volkswagen, added it was investing £2.5 billion ($3.4 billion, 3.0 billion euros) “in sustainability over […]
GM to spend $7 bn in Michigan to build electric auto capacity
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) – General Motors announced Tuesday plans to invest $7 billion in the US state of Michigan as it converts assembly plants and builds batteries for the transition to electric vehicles (EV). Calling the announcement “the largest single investment in GM history,” the auto giant said the push in its Midwestern home state would create 4,000 new jobs and retain 1,000 more positions. GM has previously projected that it will double […]
Volkswagen hits 2021 EU emissions target after 2020 miss
FRANKFURT, Germany (AFP) – German car giant Volkswagen said Monday it beat the European Union’s target for cutting carbon emissions on its new vehicles in 2021, having missed the mark last year. “Our group-wide electric offensive picked up significant speed last year with many attractive new models,” the head of sales for the multi-brand group Christian Dahlheim said. Average CO2 emissions for passengers cars sold in the EU were “around two percent below the legal […]
Four people including baby freeze to death near US-Canada border
MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) — Canadian authorities found the bodies of four people including a baby who apparently froze to death in a blizzard a few meters from the US border along a route used by migrants, officials said Thursday. The temperature Wednesday when the bodies were found amid vast snowdrifts, taking into account the wind, was minus 35 degrees Celsius (minus 31 degrees Fahrenheit). “At this very early stage of the investigation, it appears that […]
Europe eyes lithium ‘white gold’ rush as cars go green
by Isabel MALSANG Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) – Europe is seeking to expand its lithium mining and refining capacity and wean itself off imports as the “white gold” becomes a vital resource in the fight against climate change. Alongside nickel and cobalt, lithium allows electricity to be stored and transported, making them essential in electric battery production as car manufacturers move away from polluting fossil fuels. But Europe mostly depends on external sources for […]
GM factory launch ushers in Detroit’s EV pickup campaign
by John BIERS Agence France-Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) – General Motors takes a leap Wednesday towards its much-touted “all-EV” future when it officially opens its first electric pickup truck factory. The auto giant will unveil Factory Zero, a 36-year old plant in Hamtramck, Michigan that has been retooled for electric vehicles (EV), commemorating the occasion with President Joe Biden. The celebration at the Detroit-area plant comes ahead of initial commercial deliveries of the […]
General Motors says 2023 car will allow mostly hands-free driving
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) – General Motors plans to launch in 2023 a premium model that would enable hands-free operation in 95 percent of driving scenarios, the US auto giant announced Wednesday. The technology, called “Ultra Cruise,” is a centerpiece of a newly unveiled plan that the Detroit company says will enable it to double annual revenues by 2030. “The vehicle has become a software platform,” Chief Executive Mary Barra said at a briefing […]
Merkel’s record mixed as she takes wheel at last IAA show
by Sophie MAKRIS Agence France-Presse BERLIN, Germany (AFP) – No German leader’s diary would be complete without a visit to the venerable IAA motor show, which welcomes Angela Merkel on Tuesday for the last time in her chancellorship. But the biennial celebration of all things auto-related is mired in controversy this year as Germany struggles to adapt its flagship industry to the electric and digital revolution. Merkel, who is quitting politics after an election on […]
Elon Musk says Tesla’s robot will make physical work a ‘choice’
After dominating the electric vehicle market and throwing his hat into the billionaire space race, Tesla boss Elon Musk announced the latest frontier he’s aiming to conquer: humanoid robots. The irascible entrepreneur said Thursday he would have an initial prototype of an androgynous “Tesla Bot” by next year. Based on the same technology as the company’s semi-autonomous vehicles, the robot will be able to perform basic repetitive tasks with the aim of eliminating the need […]
Ford to speed up push to electric autos, digitization
by John BIERS Agence France-Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP)— Ford announced Thursday a dramatic acceleration of its investment push into electric autos and signaled deepening collaborations with technology giants on the increased digitization of driving. The US auto giant, released fourth-quarter and annual results, and said it plans $22 billion in electric car investment through 2025, nearly twice the earlier plan. The announcement is the latest big bet on electric autos by a legacy […]





