Automobile Industry

Industry Roundup

Electric & Hybrid Vehicles

Hyundai Motor and Kia Unveil 'Active Air Skirt' Technology to Help Electric Vehicles Go Faster and Farther
Hyundai Motor Co. (01/22)

USPS announces plans to purchase 9,250 Ford E-Transit vans through 2024 as part of shift towards EVs for nationwide fleet; neither the agency nor Ford revealed the cost of the contract
Detroit Free Press (MI) (01/22)

Light Vehicles

Honda announces organizational changes to accelerate its electrification business and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050; Honda to create Automobile Production Operations, Supply Chain & Purchasing Operations and Quality Innovation Operations divisions
JCN Newswire (01/22)

Hyundai IONIQ 5 Disney100 Platinum Edition now available at select dealerships
Hyundai Motor Co. (01/22)

Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs)

Volkswagen AG launches Tayron SUV to replace Tiguan AllSpace model, with initial release in China followed by global markets; new model features 2.0-litre TSI engine, and hybrid setup, with production in Germany, China, Mexico and India
Auto Business News (01/22)

GMC to expand global footprint with launch of its Yukon full-size SUV into Australia, New Zealand, and China; sales in China to begin in 2024 and in Australia and New Zealand in 2025
U.S. Markets (Alternative Disclosure) via PUBT (01/19)

Heavy Trucks / Commercial Vehicles

USPS unveils first set of EV charging stations at Atlanta Sorting and Delivery Center, with plans to add hundreds of charging stations at other centers nationwide; agency to add at least 45,000 battery-electric Next Generation Delivery Vehicles by 2028
PR Newswire (01/22)

Accelera by Cummins, Daimler Trucks and Paccar form JV to build a factory in Marshall County, Mississippi, to make lithium-iron-phosphate electric batteries for commercial trucks; new plant to potentially create over 2,000 jobs
Republic, The (Columbus, IN) (01/19)

Pickup Trucks

GMC reports 2023 US retail sales up 6.5% year-over-year, Canada retail sales up 10% YoY, Mexico sales up 14.4% YoY, Middle East sales up 15% YoY: Sierra LD and HD pickups record best sales year ever in US
General Motors Co. (01/19)

Ford plans to create around 900 new jobs and add a third crew at its Wayne, Michigan, assembly plant to boost production of Bronco, Bronco Raptor, Ranger and Ranger Raptor; Ford to reduce production of F-150 Lightning electric pickup
Ford Motor Co. (01/19)

Vans

USPS unveils E-Transit parcel delivery vans and charging infrastructure plans
Ford Motor Co. (01/22)

Ram introduces its first fully electric vehicle, the ProMaster electric van, in two models; the van features a standard 110-kWh battery pack with a targeted range of up to 162 miles in city driving and Level 3 DC fast charging options
PR Newswire (01/16)

Auto Interior

Beaulieu International subsidiary BIG Yarns completes its first industrial production runs of virgin polyester BCF yarns for automotive carpet to complement its line of polyamide PA6 superior yarns; yarns offer abrasion, stain resistance, durability
Beaulieu International Group (01/17)

Hyundai wins six 2023 Good Design Awards, including N Vision 74's fourth global design accolade; other award-winning designs include IONIQ 6, Grandeur/Azera, Kona, Seon connected car Navigation Cockpit, and the Hyundai Sans UI font
Hyundai Motor Co. (01/16)

Automotive Care

Dorman debuts 325 new auto parts in January 2024; parts include the Dorman OE FIX transmission oil cooler bypass valve for about 1.5 million Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac SUVs and pickup trucks, three exhaust manifold hardware and gasket repair kits
GlobeNewswire (01/22)

Valvoline Inc. to report financial results for first quarter 2024 and host webcast on February 6
Valvoline LLC (01/22)

Automotive Use

Goodpack and BENTELER China announce strategic partnership within the automotive supply chain industry; BENTELER will leverage Goodpack’s reusable packaging solutions for its global supply chain requirements
Goodpack (01/22)

Elkem develops new specialized iron silicon powder intended for 3D printing of electrical motor components; project has received EU funding, aims to resolve concerns such as brittle end products
Elkem ASA (01/19)

Auto Parts & Accessories

Dorman rolls into 2024 with more than 300 new products, including more aftermarket exclusives and Dorman® OE FIX™ innovations
Dorman Products Inc. (01/22)

Tesla to open 251,100-square-foot regional distribution center in Greenville County, South Carolina, in early 2024; the center will focus on distribution of vehicle parts
CBS - 13 WBTW (Florence, SC) (01/19)

Tires

Firestone introduces Roadhawk 2z tire for light vehicles to fit 12-inch to 16-inch rims; the tire features a high carbon black ratio to reduce abrasion and improve rolling resistance
Auto Business News (01/19)

Germany's Fraunhofer Institute explores rapeseed oil to develop non-toxic, biobased plasticizer for tire and packaging solutions in federally funded Biocerine project; team aims to develop biopolymers for use in manufacturing machines without conversion
Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) (01/18)

Batteries

Cadillac ups production of Lyriq EV SUV as battery availability increases; Cadillac delivered 9,000 Lyriqs in 2023, up from just 2,400 in the first half, with Lyriq now accounting for 25% of all of Cadillac sales, up from 12% in Q4 of last year
Bauaelectric Auto News (01/19)

Umicore enters AI platform agreement with Microsoft to accelerate and scale its battery materials technologies development; collaboration will leverage Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service to speed time to market
Umicore (01/18)

Car Dealers

Honda to offer wireless Apple CarPlay retrofit for 2018-2022 Accord models; owners can schedule a service at a dealer via a web portal by the end of January
Autoblog (01/19)

Honda reports 2023 US auto sales up 33% from a year ago to 1.3 million units; for 2024, Honda anticipates selling up to 1.3 million units and Acura expects to sell 150,000 units as it increases hybrid sales and launches its first high-volume EVs
Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (01/18)

Autonomous Transportation Technology

BYD unveils AI-powered Xuanji smart car system that includes voice recognition, automated parking, and hands-free driving in some situations; BYD investing US$14.0B to develop smart car features
Autoblog (01/17)

Electric Vehicle Charging

USPS unveils first postal electric vehicle charging stations and electric delivery vehicles
U.S. Postal Service (USPS) (01/22)

Mercedes reports its me Charge EV charging network now has over 1.5 million charging points worldwide from over 1,300 charge point operators in 31 countries; the network has about 600,000 charge points in Europe, 800,000 in Asia, 100,000 in North America
Daimler AG (01/18)

Ride-Sharing / Mobility Services

BluSmart Mobility launches Charging Superhubs in India, operating over 4,000 charging stations spanning 1.3 million-sq-ft; company has onboarded over 18,000 driver partners, with plans to expand its EV fleet to 8000 cars by next year
Business Today (India) (01/17)

Automotive & Driving

2024 Acura ZDX & ZDX Type S deliver electrified performance starting at US$64,500
Acura Motors (01/19)

Acura announces plans to launch smaller crossover vehicle later this year; the automaker also plans updates to RDX and MDX and will start taking orders for ZDX electric SUV in February
CBS - 12 WJTV (Jackson, MS) (01/19)

Luxury car maker Bentley reports 2023 global sales down 11% year-over-year to 13,560 vehicles, with sales in the UK and China dropping 18% YoY; sales of Azure, Bentayga S and Speed models accounted for 70% of total sales in 2023
Mirror, The (UK) (01/19)

Auto Parts & Accessories

LKQ Corporation to release fourth quarter and full year 2023 results on Thursday, February 22, 2024
ENP Newswire (01/18)

Worksport Ltd. announces its SOLIS Solar Truck Cover will be available for Ford, RAM, and GM light pickup trucks; the truck cover produces power off grid and in remote locations when combined with COR Battery System
GlobeNewswire (01/18)

BorgWarner to showcase eMobility solutions at EV JAPAN 2024 in Tokyo
BorgWarner Inc. (01/17)

Batteries

Kia launching new subsidiary in Thailand to import and market vehicles; subsidiary to open at the end of this month with focus on battery electric vehicles
Auto Business News (01/18)

Chinese lithium producer Ganfeng Lithium secures supply agreement with Hyundai Motor to provide battery-grade lithium hydroxide products from 2024 - 2027 for EV battery production
CnEVPost (China) (01/18)

Kia unveils EV9 EV SUV in four trim levels; the vehicle features three-rows, high-speed charging, two battery sizes configured with RWD or dual-motor AWD, EPA-estimated 304 miles of AER on the long-range Light trim, and over-the-air software updates
Kia Motors Corp. (01/17)

Electric & Hybrid Vehicles

Stellantis unveils BEV-native STLA Large platform with 800 Km/500 Mile range and the flexibility to cover a wide spectrum of vehicles; platform supports 400-volt and 800-volt architectures and hybrid and internal combustion propulsion systems
GlobeNewswire (01/19)

Tesla Model Y becomes first electric vehicle to be Europe's best-selling car in 2023 after selling 254,822 units last year; sales of second place Romanian-made Dacia Sandero hit 235,893 units, third place VW T-Rock records sales 206,438 units: Dataforce
Bauaelectric Auto News (01/19)

Executive Perspective: Stellantis CEO says Chinese brands are their main competitor, as Stellantis seeks to cut EV cost by 40% in next three to four years to compete; Stellantis JV with Chinese manufacturer Leapmotor expected to add value to Stellantis
CE Noticias Financieras (Latin America) (01/19)

Electric Vehicle Charging

Mazda to adopt Tesla's North American Charging Standard for its electric vehicles from 2025; the deal provides customers with access to over 15,000 Tesla Superchargers in North America
Mazda Motor Corp. (01/16)

Infineon Technologies partners with OMRON Social Solutions to create Japan's smallest & lightest vehicle-to-everything charging systems; the partnership aims to drive innovation towards wide bandgap materials and speed up transition to renewable energies
Infineon Technologies AG (01/16)

Fleet Vehicles

Fleet management firm Merchants Fleet expands electric vehicle options with addition of 250 Chevrolet Silverado EV work trucks; the Ultium platform trucks offer estimated range of 450 miles, towing capability up to 10,000 pounds
Contify Automotive News (01/17)

Light Vehicles

Stellantis says its new large vehicle platform is designed to adapt to changing EV policies, allowing for the manufacture of a number of different vehicle models with various powertrain options; eight models using the new platform due this year
Associated Press (01/19)

High-Performance Acura Integra Type S wins 2024 Road & Track Performance Car of the Year award
Acura Motors (01/18)

Beijing Hyundai Motor sells Chongqing, China, plant for US$221.0M due to slumping demand; the plant was a Hyundai JV with Beijing BAIC Motor and had an annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles
Indian Investments Abroad (01/18)

Pickup Trucks

Ford Performance unveils F-150 Lightning Switchgear pickup, a high-performance, off-road electric truck built in collaboration with RTR Vehicles; vehicle is part of a demonstrator program to showcase the potential of electric vehicles
Ford Motor Co. (01/17)

Stellantis lays off 535 temporary blue-collar jobs in US operation cost-cutting amid signs of stalling sales of Jeep and RAM vehicles; over 1,600 more might risk layoffs as the automaker also reduces its corporate events presence to save costs
Ward's Auto World (01/16)

Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs)

Jeep to release 600-hp Wagoneer S EV in US this fall with an estimated 400 mile range from a single charge; Jeep Recon EV and an all-electric Wrangler to follow
Bauaelectric Auto News (01/18)

Three Hyundai models win 2024 Best Cars for the Money awards from U.S. News & World Report; the Hyundai IONIQ 5, Elantra Hybrid and Tucson named Best EV, Best Hybrid Car and Best Compact SUV
Hyundai Motor Co. (01/18)

Hyundai Motor India plans to have SUVs account for 65% of its automotive sales in India in 2024, up from 60% in 2023; Hyundai offers eight SUV models in the country
Autocar Professional (India) (01/17)

xAutomobiles & Components group

Liberty Tire Recycling appoints Andrew Meurer as president and chief commercial officer; Meurer previously served as VP of Sales for Michelin's North American Passenger Tire division
Wireless News (01/17)

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