Automobile

Bloomberg China’s top maker of electric-vehicle batteries plans to spend $1.4 billion building its first factory in the southwest of the country, adding to ambitious plans for next decade even as the short-term EV outlook get buffeted by subsidy cuts and demand uncertainties. Contemporary Amperex Technology Co will build the facility in Sichuan province, an outpost of China’s car industry, ...

Bloomberg Thailand’s ubiquitous tuk-tuk, the noisy, colourful three-wheeled taxi that’s been belching exhaust on local roads for almost a century, is getting a cutting-edge makeover to help carry the local auto industry into the future. Beginning in November, a public-private partnership will test the nation’s first self-driving tuk-tuk in an effort to nudge Thailand towards the forefront of developing autonomous-vehicle ...

Bloomberg First there was derision. Then mockery turned into admiration. Now a battle is unfolding between two of the most revered names in the automobile world, Porsche and Tesla Inc on one of the world’s most challenging race tracks. The two automakers are vying for electric vehicle bragging rights on Germany’s Nürburgring, a circuit with 73 tight turns (Silverstone in ...

Bloomberg Mercedes-Benz gave car buyers a glimpse of the top-end of its electric model plans, showing off a sleek silver battery-powered concept version to complement the flagship S-Class sedan. So far luxury cruisers have remained a mainstay for traditional combustion-era heroes, with only plug-in hybrids available for the likes of BMW 7-Series or the recently revamped Audi A8. Mercedes-maker Daimler ...

Bloomberg Volkswagen AG is unwrapping not just new models at the Frankfurt car show, but also a tweaked logo as the world’s biggest carmaker ushers in the electric era. Little-changed since World War II, the new VW emblem will be uncovered atop its headquarters in Wolfsburg on Monday. Then later in Frankfurt, the manufacturer will unveil the VW brand’s electric-powered ...

Bloomberg Sequoia-backed PlusAI Inc is close to raising about $200 million in new funds at a valuation of more than $1 billion to bankroll its development in autonomous trucks, according to people familiar with the matter. The self-driving truck startup is working with advisers on the funding round with plans to set up a joint venture with one of the ...

Bloomberg When athletes and organisers descend on Tokyo for the 2020 Olympic Games, they’ll be ferried around in autonomous cars, while torch relay runners will be accompanied by AI-equipped cars. Robots will ferry javelins and hammers. All told, Toyota Motor Corp will provide 3,700 vehicles, including dozens of self-driving cars, about 500 fuel-cell vehicles and 850 battery-electric cars to the ...

Bloomberg Bracing for a future with less-polluting fuels, Indian oil refiner Hindustan Petroleum Corp (HPCL) is planning a pilot programme for swapping batteries of electric two- and three-wheelers at its outlets by December, according to people familiar with the matter. The initiative is aimed at helping the company maintain its grip on a segment of the mobility market that’s rapidly ...

Bloomberg Nissan Motor Co, BMW AG and Volkswagen AG are among carmakers in talks to bring the electric-car revolution to South Africa, as the nation’s auto-factory floors risk being left behind in the global switch to greener vehicles. The industry is preparing a unified stance on electrification to present to the government by the end of the year, Mike Mabasa, ...

Bloomberg BMW AG’s profit fell 20 percent in the second quarter as the company accelerates a rollout of electric vehicles. In Chief Executive Officer Harald Krueger’s final quarter, earnings before interest and taxes declined to 2.2 billion euros ($2.4 billion) from 2.74 billion euros a year earlier. Analysts had expected 2.19 billion euros. After a loss in the first quarter, ...