Stellantis unveils technology to support flexible EV production, delayed electric pickup

Stellantis unveils technology to support flexible EV production, delayed electric pickup

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By: reuters
, updated on: November 20, 2024, 10:47 am

  • Stellantis is introducing the STLA frame platform for versatile vehicle assembly, but Ram electric truck production has been delayed until 2025.
File photo: A view shows the logo of Stellantis at the entrance of the company's factory in Horden, France, on July 7, 2021. Reuters/Pascal Rossignol/file photo (Reuters)

Stellantis said Tuesday it will deploy a new vehicle system that will support assembly of gasoline, hybrid and electric models, but in a sign of how turbulent the electric-vehicle transition is, the automaker also announced plans to ramp up production of Ram electric pickup trucks. Delayed. The Franco-Italian company revealed details about its STLA frame platform, which will support full-size trucks and SUVs. The platform is thought of as a skateboard on which many different types of vehicles can be built, and contains the car's critical electrical and mechanical components.

“Despite all the difficult challenges facing the industry, we remain very focused on the execution of our plan,” CEO Carlos Tavares said in a call with reporters.

Tavares said the automaker is delaying production of its electric RAM pickup from this year to the first half of 2025, citing the need to ensure quality.

“We are facing a tremendous amount of workload,” he said.

Also read: Used EVs save owners on average £1,600 per year compared to petrol models – study

Automakers in Detroit and elsewhere have been accelerating the construction of EV-manufacturing capacity over the past two years, only to find demand growing slower than anticipated.

The decision to focus on platforms that support EVs or incorporate the flexibility for hybrid or gasoline-powered vehicles has divided automakers. Ford Motor has leaned toward selling hybrid vehicles, while General Motors has focused on battery-powered models after investing more in building its own EV platforms.

It says GM will begin offering plug-in hybrids in 2027. Stellantis is primarily offering plug-in hybrids in the US for now, but plans to expand its EV footprint in the coming years, pursuing the goal of 100 percent battery electric car sales in Europe and 50 percent electric passenger cars and light-duty vehicles. Planning to increase sales. Truck sales in the US by 2030.

If US President-elect Donald Trump plans to untangle various incentives around EV production and sales, the global industry will face even more uncertainty over EV demand. Trump's transition team plans to eliminate a $7,500 consumer tax credit for electric-vehicle purchases as part of broader tax-reform legislation, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters last week.

Also read: EV manufacturers want GST cut on electric vehicle batteries and lower charging rates

Some of Stellantis' plug-in hybrids, including the Jeep Grand Cherokee, qualify for half of that credit. The carmaker is facing falling sales in North America, which has historically made big profits from sales of its popular Jeep and Ram vehicles. Tavares changed his management team in an effort to address his high vehicle inventory and declining stock price, and he plans to retire at the end of his contract in 2026. Stellantis shares are down nearly 40 percent this year.

The company announced in 2021 that it would design frame platforms in addition to large, medium, and small foundations to accommodate different vehicles in its lineup. Stellantis said Tuesday that Ram and Jeep vehicles are the first to use the frame version. The company said the battery electric vehicles on frame will have a range of up to 500 miles (805 km) and will offer 14,000 pounds (6,350 kg) of towing capacity. It will also support hydrogen and extended-range electric vehicles.

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First publication date: November 20, 2024, 10:47 am IST

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VW's labor chief raised concerns over mass layoffs and closure of three German plants

VW's labor chief raised concerns over mass layoffs and closure of three German plants

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Europe's biggest carmaker has been in talks with unions for weeks over a plan to revamp its business and cut costs, including considering closing a plant on home soil for the first time, the first in Germany. A major blow to industrial power.

Volkswagen reiterated on Monday that restructuring is needed and said it would make concrete proposals on Wednesday.

“Management is absolutely serious about all this,” Daniela Cavallo, the head of Volkswagen's works council, told workers at the carmaker's biggest plant in Wolfsburg, threatening to break off negotiations. Is.”

Also read: Ford cuts 2024 earnings and profit guidance due to slow pace of warranty costs and cost cuts

“This is the plan of Germany's largest industrial group to start selling in its home country of Germany,” Cavallo said, without specifying which plants would be affected or how many of Volkswagen Group's approximately 300,000 employees in Germany would be furloughed. can be removed.

Cavallo's comments reflect a major escalation of conflict between Volkswagen workers and management, as the company faces serious challenges from higher energy and labor costs, tough Asian competition, weak demand in Europe and China and a slower-than-expected electric transition. Facing pressure.

He put further pressure on the German government to act to revive the economy, which looks set to contract for a second consecutive year, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition searching for ways to speed up growth. Scholz is trailing in the polls ahead of next year's federal elections.

Cavallo said Volkswagen also planned to cut salaries at the brand by at least 10% and freeze salaries in both 2025 and 2026.

Thousands of people gathered in Wolfsburg, where the company has been headquartered for nearly nine decades. Blowing horns and whistles, the workers insisted that not a single plant should be closed.

Also read: Mexico warns US ban on Chinese car technology could hurt automotive industry

Volkswagen said in a statement it would make proposals to cut labor costs on Wednesday, when employees and management meet for a second round of wage talks and the carmaker releases third-quarter results.

Volkswagen Group board member Gunnar Kilian said, “The situation is serious and the responsibility of the negotiating partners is enormous… Without comprehensive measures to regain competitiveness, we will not be able to make the necessary investments in the future.”

Thomas Schaefer, head of the Volkswagen brand division, said German factories were not productive enough and were operating 25–50% above target costs, meaning some sites were twice as expensive as the competition.

Volkswagen shares fell more than 1% after the announcement. Shares of peer Mercedes-Benz also fell. VW shares have lost 44% of their value over the past five years, compared with a 12% decline for Renault and a 22% gain for Stellantis.

“The plans are far ahead of market expectations,” said Daniel Schwarz, an analyst at Stifel. “I believe this reflects a unique combination of adverse factors: competition in China, softening demand in Europe, particularly BEVs (battery powered electric vehicles), tighter regulation.”

The unions hold great sway at VW, where worker representatives hold half the seats on the supervisory board and, in theory, are legally entitled to strike from December 1 as a tool to further escalate the conflict.

Volkswagen's position reflects a broader trend in the world's third-largest economy, which is seeing its dominance challenged by more nimble and cheaper rivals in key sectors including the auto industry, its industrial backbone.

“If VW confirms its dystopian path on Wednesday, the board should expect the same outcome from our side,” said Thorsten Gröger, negotiator for the IG Metall union, warning of fierce resistance.

Schwarz said a strike, which had been threatened in early December, now became possible.

Cavallo said Berlin urgently needed to come up with a masterplan for German industry to ensure it does not “go down the drain”.

Also read: Mercedes-Benz's quarterly profit fell by more than 50 percent amid Chinese market troubles.

A government spokesman said Berlin was aware of Volkswagen's difficulties and remained in close dialogue with the company and labor representatives.

“The Chancellor's position on this is clear, namely that potentially bad management decisions of the past should not be to the detriment of staff. The aim now is to retain and protect jobs,” the spokesman said at a regular briefing.

Scholz and his Finance Minister Christian Lindner are both hosting separate business summits on Tuesday, while Economy Minister Robert Habeck last week laid out a major plan to stimulate investment.

Industry data suggests there will be no recovery for automakers, said Moritz Kronenberger, a portfolio manager at Union Investment, which owns shares in Volkswagen.

“Significant cost-cutting measures must therefore be taken immediately, before the ongoing underutilization of the plants leads to negative cash flows.”

Suggested Watch: What makes the Volkswagen Virtus so popular in India?

It's even more bad news for German carmakers from last week, with Mercedes-Benz and Porsche both vowing to take cost-cutting measures after falling profits in the weak Chinese market.

German carmakers are also fearful of being caught in the crossfire of a trade war between the EU and China, with steep EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles set to take effect this week.

“I believe that anyone who has not yet understood what it is all about should wake up now,” said Stefan Erhard, an employee at another Volkswagen plant near the German city of Kassel.

“It's really about all our livelihoods, suppliers for the future. It's about every little baker in this place. “I have to say, I'm really a little scared.”

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First publication date: 29 October 2024, 09:04 am IST

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New US rule forces GM and Ford to stop importing cars made in China

New US rule forces GM and Ford to stop importing cars made in China

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By: Reuters
, updated on: Sep 24, 2024, 07:21 am

The move comes as part of the Biden administration's broader approach to protecting the U.S. auto sector from China's unfair trade practices.

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The move is part of the Biden administration's broader approach to protect the U.S. auto sector from China's unfair trade actions. (Reuters)

General Motors and Ford Motor would have to stop importing vehicles from China to the United States under a proposed rule cracking down on Chinese software and hardware, a US Commerce Department official told Reuters on Monday.

The rule would also affect other automakers that sell or build vehicles in the U.S., such as Volvo Cars and BYD.

GM sells the Buick Envision and the Ford Lincoln Nautilus – both assembled in China – in the U.S. market. Ford did not comment. In the first six months of 2024, GM sold about 22,000 Envisions and Ford sold 17,500 Nautilus SUVs in the U.S.

“At this time, our anticipation is that any vehicle manufactured in China and sold in the United States would be subject to the ban,” said Liz Cannon, head of the Commerce Department's Office of Information and Communications Technology.

He said GM and Ford know that “going forward” production in China for the U.S. market “will have to be shut down and moved elsewhere.”

GM did not say whether it would have to halt sales of the Envision, but said the government “has an important role in setting clear policies” on safety issues.

The commerce ministry said this would allow companies to obtain “specific authorisation” to continue selling vehicles or components.

China's BYD North America, a unit of BYD that makes electric buses in Lancaster, California, could be affected. The company did not immediately comment.

“We have to work with them to better understand their supply chain,” Cannon said. “They have to come in for specific authorization.”

For example, if a software was developed for a Chinese automaker by a team of Chinese workers working in that country, it could be banned. But if a software was developed for a non-Chinese company by Chinese workers working in another country, it could be banned.

Reuters reported in May that four Chinese vehicle models are sold in the U.S., including the Polestar 2 and Volvo's S90 sedan. Polestar and Volvo are subsidiaries of Chinese automaker Geely.

Cannon said he expects companies like Volvo to meet with the Commerce Department and “work with us to discuss ways to mitigate the risk, and we're open to that” and that the agency may allow them to do so.

Volvo Cars said, “We are reviewing the US Department of Commerce's proposal and analysing any potential impact on us and the auto industry in the US.”

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First Publication Date: September 24, 2024, 07:21 AM IST

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Ford Ranger pick-up truck spotted in India alongside new-gen Endeavour

Ford Ranger pick-up truck spotted in India alongside new-gen Endeavour

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By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 07 Mar 2024, 16:48 PM

  • If Ford launches the Ranger in the Indian market, then it will go directly against the Toyota Hilux.
Ford Ranger is the smallest and most affordable pick-up truck in the lineup. (Photo courtesy: Instagram/carcrazy.india)

Recently, a new-gen Endeavour was spotted in Chennai but it was not alone. There was another flatbed truck right behind the Endeavour that was carrying a Ford Ranger which is the smallest pick-up truck in the manufacturer’s lineup. Ford Ranger shares its underpinnings with the Endeavour which is sold as Everest in the global market. As of now, it is not clear what the Everest and Ranger are doing in Chennai. What is interesting though is the fact that Ford India’s plant is on the outskirts of Chennai so there is a possibility that both vehicles are headed towards the plant.

Pick-up trucks are very popular in the global market but not everyone wants such a large vehicle on a daily basis. This is where the idea of small pick-up trucks was generated. In the global market, there are a few small pick-up trucks such as Volkswagen Amarok and Ford Ranger and now Kia has announced that they are also bringing a pickup truck soon.

In the global market, the Ford Ranger is offered with three engine options. There is a 2.3-litre EcoBoost, 2.7-litre EcoBoost and a 3.0-litre EcoBoost. The 2.3-litre unit puts out 266 bhp of max power and 420 Nm of peak torque. Then there is the 3.0-litre unit that is rated for 399 bhp and 583 Nm. As of now, the 2.7-litre engine has not gone on sale. Ford says that they are targeting power and torque figures of 310 bhp and 542 Nm.

Ford Ranger pick-up truck spotted in India

Also Read : Ford set for India return? New Endeavour SUV spyshot triggers speculation

Ford offers the Ranger in four models – XL, XLT, Lariat and Raptor. It seems like the model that was spotted in India was the XL trim which is the most affordable one that a person can buy. In India, we have the Toyota Hilux and the Isuzu D-Max V-Cross but the Ford Ranger is expected to cost more if it is launched here.

First Published Date: 07 Mar 2024, 16:03 PM IST

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Ford unveils the fastest Mustang ever as a street-legal 800-bhp supercar

Ford unveils the fastest Mustang ever as a street-legal 800-bhp supercar

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US auto giant Ford Motor has unveiled its Mustang GTD, a limited version model, ahead of the Monterey Car Week in California, US. Designed for racing, this is the fastest Mustang ever produced by the carmaker from Dearborn. It is Ford Motor’s first real swing at some of the famous supercars with racing credentials that can match others. The new Mustang is inspired by the carmaker’s Mustang GT3 racing car which will take part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2024.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 18 Aug 2023, 16:41 PM

Ford Motor has unveiled a new performance version of its iconic Mustang which is inspired by its GT3 racing car.

The design of the Ford Mustang GTD is the most aggressive among the current generation of Mustang cars. The grille and the air intakes are large with a sporty bumper and hydraulically controlled front wings. The aggressive aerodynamic bodykit offers front splitter, a new hood, wider fenders with air vents, new side skirts, a new diffuser and a huge spoiler that also has a DRS system.

Ford has used a large amount of carbon fiber in the bodywork of the Mustang GTD to reduce weight. The engineers have used carbon-ceramic braking system from Brembo and forged aluminium to shape the 20-inch wheels. The tyres have a tread of 325 mm in front and 345 mm in the rear.

Under the hood, the Mustang GTD comes with a supercharged 5.2-litre V8 engine, which Ford says can roar up to 800 bhp. The engine comes mated to a 8-speed dual-clutch transmission unit. The Mustang GTD is also the first road-going Mustang to feature a dry-sump engine oil system.

The interior of the Mustang GTD also reflects its sporty character. The driver and front passenger get Recaro seats optimised for track use. The gears are changed with 3D printed titanium paddles on the steering wheel. The drive mode selector knob and nameplate are also made of titanium. The alloy has been borrowed from Lockheed Martin F-22 titanium components. At the rear, the Mustang GTD does not offer any seats, but has space for luggage.

The Ford Mustang GTD will be a limited edition model. The US carmaker is likely to launch the Mustang GTD for domestic markets by the end of 2024 or beginning of 2025.

First Published Date: 18 Aug 2023, 16:41 PM IST


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Tata’s Jaguar aims to bounce back from mediocrity with a shock design. Know more

Tata’s Jaguar aims to bounce back from mediocrity with a shock design. Know more

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Tata Motors-owned British luxury car brand Jaguar aims to bounce back from mediocrity. To achieve that target, the automaker plans to tap rich American buyers with polarizing designs. Auto News has reported that the automaker is targeting 20 million millionaires in the US who could be its potential customers in an attempt to salvage the brand. Jaguar Land Rover CEO Adrian Mardell believes that chasing volume has impacted the brand negatively and in a revised strategy, the company aims to change that situation.

The report has quoted Mardell saying that Jaguar will aim for a lower volume and higher price positioning, which will be the right thing to do for the company. This would make the Jaguar cars more elusively premium, raising the bar. He pointed to the fact that during the 1990s, Jaguar was highly successful in the North American market, when its cars were more expensive and targeted a wealthier demographic than the brand has been chasing for the last 20 years.

(Also read: JLR on track to become all-electric luxury brand; new car launches slated for 2025: N Chandrasekaran)

The JLR chief further conceded that the automaker’s strategy to chase volume during the previous two decades, first under Ford and then Tata Motors, has resulted in it losing touch with the wealthy car buyer community. He also admitted that it is a lot of work to build that brand equity. In order to bring back the luxury glory to the brand, Jaguar is focusing on fearless designs, which would be conceived to shock and reengage wealthy buyers.

The auto company’s design chief Gerry McGovern said that the brand will not worry about being loved by everybody. “What we will not worry about is being loved by everybody, because that is the kiss of death,” he said further adding that this is what has put Jaguar in the situation it is in today, which is with no equity whatsoever.


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