Automobile Industry

Industry Roundup

Electric & Hybrid Vehicles

New Zealand company CarbonScape announces US$18M investment to commercialize production of sustainable biographite for lithium-ion batteries in Europe and the US; graphite shortage of 777,000 tons per annum predicted by 2030
Targeted News Service (10/09)

China Passenger Car Assn. reports September sales of China-made Tesla EVs down 10.9% year-over-year to 74,073 vehicles; deliveries of BYD passenger vehicles up 42.8% YoY to 286,903 units in September
Autoblog (10/09)

Light Vehicles

Nissan recalls 9,813 Ariya EVs in US over a defect in the inverter software that may short circuit and shut down the system; owners to be notified October 20, with dealers updating the inverter free of charge
Indo-Asian News Service (10/09)

BMW reportedly to invest £600M in 110-year old Oxford plant to produce new electric MINI model with UK government financial support; move assures jobs and boosts UK's auto industry amidst declining production levels
MarketLine (10/06)

Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs)

GM's Cadillac reportedly taking orders in Switzerland for the Lyriq EV SUV; deliveries to begin in 2024, as Cadillac prepares to introduce new EVs in France, Sweden, other European countries in next two years
Auto Business News (10/09)

Kia America announces reservation program for its 2024 Kia EV9, beginning October 16th on the company's website with a US$750 refundable payment; reservation program includes an EV charger, maintenance plan, and 1,000 kWh of charging credit
Kia Motors Corp. (10/05)

Heavy Trucks / Commercial Vehicles

Stellantis to present commercial vehicles strategy from multiple brands and new global van lineup on October 23
GlobeNewswire (10/09)

UAW workers at Mack Trucks go on strike after rejecting a five-year contract agreement negotiated with the company; about 73% of 4,000 workers voted to reject the offer as UAW strike grows to over 30,000 workers in 22 states
Autoblog (10/09)

Pickup Trucks

Third-quarter sales of Ford Lightning EV pickup truck drop 46% year-over-year to 3,503 units, down from 6,464 units last year; Q3 sales of gasoline-powered F-150 pickup up 13.4% YoY to 190,477 units
24/7 Wall St. (10/05)

Ford reports Q3 US sales up 7.7% year-over-year to 55,504 vehicles sold, YDT sales up 9.2% YoY to 1,508,072 vehicles sold; Q3 sales of small Maverick pickup truck up 83.4% YoY to 23,931 units sold, F-Series pickup sales up 13.4% YoY at 190,477 units
Detroit Free Press (MI) (10/04)

Vans

FedEx Express Europe adds 23 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter electric vans to UK fleet, aiming to gradually electrify its Europe pick-up and delivery operations; vans are split between Bermondsey and Hornsey for routes in central London
Auto Business News (10/09)

Renault Group and Volvo Group create new company to develop a new generation of electrified vans slated to start operations in 2024, with Renault and Volvo each investing €300M over three years; CMA CGM may invest €120M
Volvo Car Group (10/06)

Auto Interior

Lear to host third quarter 2023 earnings conference call on October 26, 2023, at 8:30 a.m. EDT
Contify Automotive News (10/05)

Honda unveils 2024 Passport with improved off-road capabilities, enhanced styling, and increased interior versatility; new Passport is the most off-road ready model yet and features all-terrain tires, off-road tuned suspension, underbody protection
Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (10/04)

Automotive Care

Porsche and US firm UP.Partners create AI startup Sensigo to transform vehicle diagnostics and maintenance; AI tool aims to predict and prevent issues before they occur
Cryptopolitan (10/09)

Automotive Use

California-based Magrathea Metals to resurrect US magnesium production from seawater using renewable energy, offering a cost-effective, lightweight, carbon-neutral alternative; firm has several government contracts and a project with an automaker
American Prospect Blogs, The (10/09)

A1 Auto Transport joins Utah Trucking Assn. in push to be premier company in car shipping industry; company offers open-air, enclosed, door-to-door and terminal-to-terminal car shipping services, as well as high-end and luxury car moving services
GlobeNewswire (10/09)

Auto Parts & Accessories

Specialty Equipment Market Association CEO warns UAW strike at Ford, General Motors and Stellantis could significantly impact US$337B specialty aftermarket industry, hindering its role in American manufacturing and job creation
Fortune (10/05)

LKQ Corporation to release third quarter 2023 results on Thursday, October 26, 2023
GlobeNewswire (10/05)

Tires

All 11 EPR bills introduced in US in 2023 did not pass, as nation typically upcycles plastics rather than recycles; Asian, African countries contribute to most ocean plastics, while US mainly contributes microplastics via city dust, tires, textiles
Waste360 (10/04)

Batteries

Umicore and VW's IONWAY JV to build CAM production plant in Nysa, Poland, for the e-mobility business, with annual production capacity to 160 GWh p.a. by the end of the decade; the facility to create about 900 jobs and run on renewable energy
Volkswagen AG (10/09)

Li-Cycle highlights visit by Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and finance minister, Chrystia Freeland at company's lithium-ion battery recycling site in Kingston, Ontario; company showcases Spoke recycling technology to support circular supply chain
Li-Cycle Corp. (10/06)

Car Dealers

Stellantis recalls about 273,000 Ram trucks in the US from 2022 and 2023 model years due to issue with faulty radio software that can disrupt rear view camera image display; software updates available at dealers at no cost to owners
Associated Press (10/03)

Hyundai Motor America reports September total sales increased 16% year-over-year to 68,961 vehicles, retail sales up 2% YoY at 60,425 retail units; Hyundai reports Q3 total sales total sales of 200,534 units, a 9% increase over Q3 2022 sales
Hyundai Motor Co. (10/03)

Autonomous Transportation Technology

Ford expands Europe hands-free driving availability with BlueCruise launch in Spain; UK and Germany have also authorized use of BlueCruise
Ford Motor Co. (10/06)

Elroy Air announces that demand for its autonomous hybrid-electric vertical take-off and landing cargo system, Chaparral, has exceeded 1,000 vehicles for delivery in 2023; Chaparral has previously secured orders from Mesa Airlines, Bristow and FedEx
Business Wire (10/05)

Electric Vehicle Charging

Gelson’s finalizes partnership with electric vehicle charging company Rove to launch ReCharge, a premium convenience store format that will feature a curated selection of foods, beverages, convenience items by Gelson’s
Supermarket News (10/05)

Kia America to install North American Charging Standard port in new EVs sold in the US, Canada and Mexico starting in Q4 2024; NACS port gives Kia EVs access to 12,000 Tesla Superchargers in North America
Kia Motors Corp. (10/05)

Ride-Sharing / Mobility Services

JetBlue partners with Uber for Business to provide rideshare vouchers to customers whose flights have been delayed or cancelled; Uber vouchers to be offered automatically to passengers who experience delay of at least three hours or cancelled flights
USA Today Online (10/04)

Uber introduces nationwide package pickup, drop-off service for US$5 flat fee, with Austin, Texas, as one of first cities to implement it; service allows courier pickup of prepaid, sealed packages to USPS post offices, UPS or FedEx
Austin American-Statesman (TX) (10/04)

Automotive & Driving

GM reportedly to include battery plant workers in new 'master agreement' with UAW; union President Shawn Fain says strike is working but 'we're not there yet"
Autoblog (10/06)

Tesla lowers prices on Model 3 and Model Y in US to meet annual delivery target of 1.8 million vehicles; Tesla lowers Model 3 sedan price by US$1,250 to US$38,990, Model Y price cut by US$2,000 to US$48,490 according to Tesla website
CE Noticias Financieras (Latin America) (10/06)

Subaru to revive WRX TR model for 2024 with features from GT trim, including a manual gearbox, and a more track-friendly design, while missing luxurious elements found in previous top-tier models; pricing details to be announced later
Autoblog (10/06)

Auto Parts & Accessories

Cummins completes acquisition of Faurecia CV exhaust aftertreatment plants in Columbus, Indiana, and Roermond, Netherlands
Autocar Professional (India) (10/05)

Ford Motor Co. temporarily lays off 400 workers in Michigan amid ongoing United Auto Workers' strike against major US automakers; 350 workers at Livonia Transmission Plant and 50 workers at Sterling Heights Axle Plant laid off
Xinhua News Agency (China) (10/05)

Autonomous Transportation Technology

Ford to launch first hands-free car in Spain using Ford BlueCruise 1 autonomous driving assistant following approval from Spanish government; BlueCruise 1 driving system to be available in Ford Mustang Mach-E EV
CE Noticias Financieras (Latin America) (10/03)

Batteries

Kia creates multi-stakeholder partnership to drive circular economy in EV battery industry; Kia managing pilot project to enhance the residual value of EV batteries and initiatives like battery subscription and remanufacturing services
Contify Automotive News (10/06)

VW-backed PowerCo and Umicore form IONWAY JV for large-scale industrial production of precursors and cathode active materials for EVs; JV to have annual production capacity of 160 GWh p.a. by end of the decade to supply 2.2 m EVs
Volkswagen AG (10/06)

Toyota signs deal with LG Energy Solution for 20 gigawatt-hours of high-nickel NCMA pouch-type battery cells and modules annually for Toyota's US-produced EVs from 2025; LG investing US$3B in Holland, Michigan, battery plant
Autoblog (10/05)

Electric & Hybrid Vehicles

Global EV sales total 6.2 million vehicles in first half of 2023, up 49% year-over-year; Chinese EV maker BYD sold 1.3 million EVs and hybrids, in first half of year, Tesla EV sales in first half of year total 935,000 units: Canalys
Indian Technology News (10/05)

Hyundai Motor North America to add North American Charging Standard ports on EVs starting in Q4 2024; NACS charger ports will give the vehicles access to over 12,000 Tesla Supercharger outlets in North America
Hyundai Motor Co. (10/05)

Wedbush: General Motors' US$200M loss due to UAW strike is manageable now; however, if strike lasts longer than six weeks, costs could run into billions and cause other damage, 'be a backbreaker' for Q4 and delay 2024 EV production rollout
Detroit Free Press (MI) (10/04)

Electric Vehicle Charging

Report finds electric vehicles projected to constitute 62% to 86% of global vehicle sales by 2030, driven by policy changes and falling battery costs; EV market share in China may reach 90% by 2030: Rocky Mountain Institute
Utility Dive (10/04)

Heavy Trucks / Commercial Vehicles

Mack Trucks and UAW reportedly agree on 19% pay rise over 5 years with added benefits, still pending workers' approval; the deal includes a US$3,500 ratification bonus, 10% pay hike, improved retirement benefits, and additional vacation for some employees
Autoblog (10/06)

Light Vehicles

Subaru Canada retails 5,448 units in September, up 30.2% or 1,265 units over September 2022; YTD sales up 22.3% YoY to 39,867 units sold
Canada Newswire (10/06)

Rolls-Royce Motor Car CEO Torsten Müller-Ötvös to retire by November 2023; Rolls-Royce names Chris Brownridge, currently Chief Executive Officer of BMW UK, as his replacement
PR Newswire (10/05)

Toyota Motor Europe appoints Scott Thompson as president & MD at its UK affiliate, Toyota GB PLC, replacing Agustin Martin; most recently, Thompson served as VP of Operations, Business Development & Technology at KINTO Europe
ENP Newswire (10/05)

Pickup Trucks

GM reports Q3 US sales up 21% year-over-year to 674,336 vehicles, driven by demand for GM's portfolio of trucks and SUVs; total sales for the calendar year up 19% YoY
General Motors Co. (10/03)

Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs)

Sales of GM vehicles based on the Ultium EV platform show growth; combined sales of four Ultium-based vehicles totaled 4,257 vehicles in Q3, up from 2,663 vehicles sold during the first six months of 2023
Autoblog (10/04)

Mitsubishi Motors North America reports Q3 sales up 32.3% year-over year to 22,196 vehicles, YTD sales up 4.1% YoY to 67,736 units; Outlander leads sales with 9,340 units sold, followed by Mirage at 4,028 units sold in Q3
PR Newswire (10/03)

Mazda North American Operations reports total September sales grew 17.9% year-over-year to 28,031 vehicles, year-to-date sales up 26.6% YoY to 272,617 vehicles; CX-5 leads September sales at 9,742 units sold, followed by CX-30 at 6,924 vehicles sold
Mazda Motor Corp. (10/03)

 Logistics

 Stock