Trade News

The automotive industry is solidly in the fast lane when it comes to mobility. New cars are already more connected and smarter, and there is more change coming. The way cars are built is transforming, a development that was only accelerated by pandemic disruptions.

And like the moving assembly line before it, the next generation of connected cars is already causing an industry revolution, and one that is still only half completed. The last piece of the transition will be when manufacturers cease producing gasoline-driven vehicles.

Software-defined vehicles drive massive changes to hardware and also to how automotive manufacturers connect with their customers. It impacts the onboard computer and operating systems and also how telematic control units (TCUs) get data out of the car and into the cloud. Creating an efficient ecosystem around this movement of data will require integrated microservices, middleware, and APIs, and that is the roadmap for large-scale us…

LONDON -- The bankruptcy of Stellantis' Jeep joint venture in China could spell trouble for other global automakers whose output has plunged over the last five years in the world's largest car market, as domestic players rapidly gain overtake them.

The first joint venture failure by a foreign brand in the electric vehicle era, the Oct. 31 bankruptcy filing marks a turning point in that Chinese automakers are beginning to surpass the long-dominant international brands in giving consumers what they want.

"I do not expect Stellantis to be an isolated case," said Marco Santino, a partner at management consultants Oliver Wyman. "Probably almost all of the western automakers will have to review the industrial logic of their presence in China."

A spokesman for Stellantis said Jeep would operate through an "asset light" strategy in China, importing vehicles via a distribution model that is profitable for its Maserati and Alfa Romeo brands.

"Jeep remains …

Tesla Inc. is developing a revamped version of Model 3, according to four people with knowledge of the effort, as the top EV maker aims to cut production costs and boost the appeal of the five-year-old electric sedan.

One focus of the redesign codenamed "Highland" is to reduce the number of components and complexity in the interior of the Model 3 while focusing on features that Tesla buyers value, including the display, according to the people, who asked not to be named because the revamp has not been announced.

The previously unreported redesign comes as the electric sedan faces increased competition from models coming from most major automakers.

For Tesla future product coverage, click here.

The revamp of the battery-powered sedan, which could also include some changes to the Model 3’s exterior and powertrain performance, will go into production at Tesla’s factory in Shanghai and the company’s flagship operation in Fremont, Calif., two of the p…

Tesla Inc. is making its controversial driver-assistance system available to customers previously deemed not safe enough behind the wheel to test it out.

CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the system Tesla calls Full Self-Driving Beta is now available to anyone in North America who has bought the option and requests it from their car screen.

Until now, some paying customers have been blocked from accessing the feature known as FSD because they did not score high enough on metrics Tesla uses to set insurance rates.

FSD has been a lightning rod for criticism because the product has not lived up to Musk’s statements. He first announced his plan to sell it in October 2016, a few months after he told a tech conference that he considered autonomous driving to be “basically a solved problem.”

In 2019, he said that within roughly a year, Tesla’s technology would advance to the point that no human would need to be behind the wheel.

Those predictions have…

Since launching a year ago, Lucid Motors has made a name for itself with six-figure versions of its electric Air sedan that have broken records for battery range and efficiency while delivering roller-coaster levels of performance. A new top version coming next year will be the $250,000 Air Sapphire.

But while the Sapphire will serve as a halo car for the young all-electric brand, the newly launched Air Pure version will be an entry-level "hero" of the lineup, offering a high-tech luxury experience at a sub-$90,000 starting price, executives say.

The Air Pure provides a steppingstone to even more affordable Lucids, since the core technology will find its way into a broader lineup of vehicles later in this decade with prices starting at $50,000 or so to compete with luxury EV competitors, the company said.

Derek Jenkins, senior vice president of design and brand, told Automotive News there is pride among the design and engineering …

Citroën's new concept car, the Oli, is an answer to the hot question: How can the industry make electric vehicles affordable to the masses? The Oli is packed with solutions. But one in particular stands out. Citroën has devised a way to make the car's roof out of recycled corrugated cardboard. Working with BASF, Citroën created a honeycomb "sandwich structure" of cardboard between fiberglass reinforcing panels and coated in a polyurethane resin. The resulting lower-cost roof is half the weight of a comparable steel panel roof. And it's strong enough for an adult to stand on — or even to pitch a tent on, Citroën suggests.

ANJO, Japan — Denso Corp.'s massive Anjo plant churns out all manner of automotive components, from power control units and electric motor stators to lithium ion battery packs and alternators.

Its aluminum smelter also churns out thousands of tons of carbon dioxide every year, posing a serious hurdle to the Japanese supplier's goal of going carbon neutral by 2035.

But thanks to an innovative carbon capture technology, Denso believes it can turn that greenhouse gas into a future energy source. The method is called carbon dioxide circulation, and it combines the waste emissions with hydrogen to produce methane that, in turn, can help power the plant.

"The world is now transitioning from low carbon to zero carbon," Kazuya Komagata, general manager for environment neutral system development at Denso, said during a recent briefing.

"What we are thinking about is carbon neutrality in the manufacturing process," he said. "So…

Our 2022 All-Stars rose to the challenge

Every year, the editorial staff of Automotive News convenes to select our annual All-Stars, an exercise that often involves vigorous debate and occasionally tough decisions.

Our goal is to recognize leaders who have steered their companies through extraordinary challenges, led their organizations to new heights and innovated in ways that will transform the automotive landscape.

The prevailing theme among the 2020 and 2021 All-Stars was how they managed the shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic and global microchip shortage that severely hampered vehicle production and constricted the flow of inventory to dealers' lots. In 2022, neither problem went away, but there are signs that both are abating, at least somewhat.

While that dual threat is not quite as pronounced this year as it was during the previous two, the industry continued to face production challenges and inventory shortages. If those issues weren't en…

Every year, the editorial staff of Automotive News convenes to select our annual All-Stars, an exercise that often involves vigorous debate and occasionally tough decisions.

Our goal is to recognize leaders who have steered their companies through extraordinary challenges, led their organizations to new heights and innovated in ways that will transform the automotive landscape.

Take Leoni CEO Aldo Kamper, our 2022 Industry Leader of the Year, whose employees make wiring harnesses in Ukraine and were thrust into an awful war. If given a choice, I'm sure Kamper, his workers and Leoni's customers would much rather have never had to deal with Russia's aggression than received an award. But the reality is that they have persevered through grim circumstances, and we commend Leoni as well as pray for its workers' safety and the end of this conflict.

We intend for the All-Stars listing to have a celebratory overtone. After all, we invite th…

The prevailing theme among the 2020 and 2021 Automotive News All-Stars was how they managed the dual shock of the COVID-19 pandemic and global microchip shortage that severely hampered vehicle production and constricted the flow of inventory to dealers' lots. In 2022, neither problem went away, but there are signs that both are abating, at least somewhat. Still, the industry continued to face production challenges and inventory shortages. Our All-Stars persevered, delivering excellent products and services to their customers, introducing innovations that are key to the future of mobility, and making other significant contributions to the industry in myriad ways.

Industry Newsmakerof the Year

JoeManchin

U.S. Senator

D-W.Va.

U.S. Executive,Global Automaker

JeremiePapin

Nissan Americas

Chairperson

Operati…

The Redwood Materials founder and CEO details a breakthrough battery materials deal with Panasonic, explains how recycling bolsters a domestic electric vehicle supply chain and reflects on his tenure as Tesla’s chief technology officer.

How do I subscribe?

Apple Podcasts: “Shift: A podcast about mobility” is available on the iTunes Store and through the ‘Podcast’ app pre-installed on all iOS devices. Click here to subscribe.

Spotify: "Shift: A podcast about mobility" can be streamed through Spotify on your desktop, tablet or mobile device. Click here to subscribe.

Google Play: "Shift: A podcast about mobility" is available on Android devices through the Google Play store. Click here to subscribe.