Industry – Automotivetry.com – Motor Sports, Exotic Cars, and Everything In Between

Volvo To Open Battery R&D Center In Gothenburg With Partner Northvolt

Volvo and Northvolt will open a joint research and development center in Gothenburg, Sweden. The center will be tasked with developing new batteries for EVs that deliver on range and charging time expectations while reducing the carbon footprint of the batteries themselves.

The R&D center will become operational in 2022 and the location has been chosen to keep it close to Volvo’s own R&D center as well as Northvolt‘s existing innovation campus in Västerås, Sweden, to ease cooperation.

“Our partnership with Northvolt secures the supply of high-quality, sustainably-produced batteries for the next generation of pure electric Volvos,” said Håkan Samuelsson, chief executive for Volvo Cars. “It will strengthen our core competencies and our position in the transformation to a fully electric car company.”

Volvo says that the partnership will focus on developing “tailor-made” batteries that give buyers long ranges and quick charging times. The automaker wants to collaborate with Northvolt to create an end-to-end system for battery manufacturing to allow it to develop its own batteries. Since batteries are the single largest component of an electric vehicle and the single biggest contributor to their carbon footprint, the development of new technology will be an important area of focus.

The center is being created as part of a SEK30 billion ($3.3 billion) investment in battery development. Batteries developed there will also power Polestar vehicles, which announced this year that it intends to build climate-neutral cars by 2030.

Following the completion of the R&D center, Volvo and Northvolt will build a battery manufacturing plant in Europe. Although the exact location of the site is not yet known, Volvo says it will be announced in early 2022.

The plant will have a potential annual capacity of 50 GWh, enough to supply about 500,000 vehicles, the automaker says. Construction is expected to commence in 2023 and large-scale production should kick off in 2026. Part of Volvo’s commitment to sell only electric vehicles by 2030, the plant and the R&D center are quite important when it comes to the automaker’s plans for the future.

PHOTO GALLERY

more photos…

Bugatti Rimac Is Officially In Business, With An HQ In Croatia And Mate Rimac As The CEO

Four months after the official announcement of the marriage between Bugatti and Rimac, the “Bugatti Rimac” joint company is officially in business, with its headquarters in Sveta Nedelja, Croatia, and Mate Rimac undertaking the CEO role.

Despite the new joint venture, both Bugatti and Rimac will continue “to act as independent brands” retaining their production sites and sales channels. They will keep offering different vehicles, although jointly developed models are planned for the future. Mate Rimac said: “I am very excited to see what impact Bugatti Rimac will have on the industry and how we will develop innovative new hyper sports cars and technologies. It’s hard to find a better combination for new and exciting projects”.

The complex shareholder structure of Bugatti Rimac involves Porsche, Hyundai, Rimac, and other investors.

The Rimac Group holds the majority stake in the new venture with 55 percent of the shares, and Porsche AG is holding the remaining 45 percent. Thus, Mate Rimac, founder and CEO of Rimac Automobili became the CEO of Bugatti Rimac, while the supervisory board includes high-ranked officials from Porsche AG – Oliver Blume (chairman), and CFO Lutz Meschke (deputy chairman, CFO).

Stephan Winkelmann who has been Bugatti’s president since January 2018 and Lamborghini’s president since December 2020, will now focus on the latter role as Chairman and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. After his term in Bugatti leading to the automaker’s most successful year, Winkelmann said: “I would like to thank the entire Bugatti team and our customers for three and a half unbelievable, exciting, intense and successful years. Together, we have developed fantastic hyper sports cars and led Bugatti into a new dimension”.

Christophe Piochon who was the Managing Director of Production and Logistics at Bugatti, is now the new President and the Chief Operating Officer (COO) in Bugatti Rimac. In his first statement under the new role, he said that Bugatti will keep their independence and continue making handmade vehicles at the Molsheim Atelier in France, securing all jobs in the historic location.

Other changes in the high-ranking positions include Hendrik Malinowski who is the Managing Director responsible for Sales and Marketing in Bugatti, Larissa Fleischer who is leaving Porsche AG to become Chief Financial Officer of Bugatti Rimac, and Emilio Scervo who is Chief Technology Officer of Bugatti Rimac after undertaking similar roles in McLaren and Rimac Automobili.

A total of 435 employees will work for Bugatti Rimac, with 300 located in Zagreb, Croatia, and 135 in Molsheim, France. An additional 180 employees will be working for the joint company from the Wolfsburg development site in Germany.

PHOTO GALLERY

more photos…

For GREAT deals on a new or used Cadillac check out Ghent Cadillac TODAY!

First Series Production BMW i4 Has Rolled Off The Assembly Line In Munich

BMW today celebrated the completion of the first production i4 electric sedan. Produced at its home plant in Munich, the car is the first fully electric vehicle produced at the plant in its nearly 100-year history.

BMW announced that its Munich plant would be upgraded to produce EVs last year and was able to modify the facility to allow it to produce both electric and conventional vehicles on the same line without shutting down production.

“For the plant and team, the launch of the BMW i4 is a milestone on the road to electric mobility,” said Milan Nedeljković, BMW AG Board Member for Production. “By 2023 more than half of all vehicles from our Munich facility will have an electrified drive. The majority will be fully electric.”

The result of a €200 million ($233 million USD) investment, BMW says it was able to leave 90 percent of the body shop systems unchanged, though additional systems were required for the floor and rear-end assembly.

“Our body shop is a shining example of intelligent, efficient integration,” said Peter Weber, the plant’s director. “Most of the new production processes for the BMW i4 can be carried out on the existing body shop systems.”

Integrating the high-voltage battery, though, did prove to be a complex issue. Bolted onto the body by a brand new, fully automated battery assembly system that works from below, it uses high-resolution cameras to scan the body before affixing the battery to it.

Updates at the plant are ongoing. With the addition of the battery-electric line, some of the other lines have had to be moved. The production of four-cylinder engines, for instance, was moved to Hams Hall in the U.K. and to Steyr in Austria. By 2024, all engine production will be gone from Munich.

The BMW i4 will launch in two versions. The 335 hp (340 PS/250 kW/) eDrive40 that offers a range of 366 miles (590 km), and the 536 hp (544 PS/400 kW) M50 that can get to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.9 seconds and travel 323 miles (520 km) on a single charge.

PHOTO GALLERY

more photos…

For GREAT deals on a new or used Nissan check out Mossy Nissan Kearny Mesa TODAY!

Toyota To Start Building Truck Fuel Cell Modules In Kentucky In 2023

Toyota will start to assemble fuel cell modules at its Kentucky plant in 2023.

A dedicated line at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK) site in Georgetown will assemble dual fuel cell modules to be used by hydrogen-powered, heavy-duty commercial trucks. This site already builds the Toyota Camry and Lexus ES 350.

The dual-fuel cell modules weigh approximately 1,400 lbs and produce 160 kW of power and the kit that will be assembled in Kentucky includes a high voltage battery, electric motors, transmission, and the hydrogen storage assembly itself. A Toyota spokesperson confirmed to Auto News that the fuel cell modules are “designed to fit in essentially the same space” as a similar diesel engine in a Class 8 semi-truck.

Watch Also: James May Finally Gets To Properly Drive His New Toyota Mirai

“We’re bringing our proven electric technology to a whole new class of production vehicles,” president and chief executive of Toyota Motor North America, Tetsuo Ogawa, said. “Heavy-duty truck manufacturers will be able to buy a fully integrated and validated fuel cell electric drive system, allowing them to offer their customers an emissions-free option in the Class 8 heavy-duty segment.”

Toyota hasn’t specified what companies it will supply its hydrogen powertrain to, nor has it said if the move will bring any new investment to the plant.

“This second-generation fuel cell system is necessary for a carbon-neutral future,” Toyota Kentucky powertrain head David Rosier stated. “It delivers over 300 miles of range at a full load weight of 80,000 lbs., all while demonstrating exceptional drivability, quiet operation and zero harmful emissions.”

For GREAT deals on a new or used Land Rover check out Envision Land Rover TODAY!

General Motors Announces $40 Million Investment In Pontiac Stamping Plant

GM is hoping to make custom, precise stamping easier with a new $40 million investment in its Pontiac Stamping Plant.

The money will go to renovating the facility as well as installing new, highly flexible fabrication machinery and presses. These will help support future production of EVs and will allow the plant to serve a range of product applications, the company said in a statement.

Renovation work is beginning immediately and GM says it anticipates that the UAW-represented plant will gain 20 new positions as a result of the investment. The 1.25 million sq ft facility currently has 191 hourly employees and 31 salaried staff.

The new machinery being installed will feature “Flex Fab” metal fabrication technology. That, GM says, allows for custom stamping, which reduces costs for low-volume applications. It also means that the machines can switch to producing new products without requiring any additional investment in new stampings.

“This investment will bring the latest in flexible sheet metal fabrication technology to the Pontiac team,” said Phil Kienle, GM vice president of North America Manufacturing and Labor Relations. “Our manufacturing capabilities create a competitive advantage for GM, and I am confident the team at Pontiac Stamping will continue delivering excellence in all areas of the business as they deploy this new equipment.”

The plant has been in use since 1926 as part of the Oakland Motor Car Company before being bought by Pontiac in 1932 and currently produces parts for the Bolt EV, the Bolt EUV, the Hummer EV, and GM’s full-size SUV line.

Its most recent investment came in 2015 when $124 million was invested in tooling and equipment to enhance its manufacturing capabilities.

For GREAT deals on a new or used Toyota check out South Bay Toyota TODAY!

Hertz Faces Off With $11 Billion Bond Creditors Over 494,000 Used Vehicles

Hertz and its bondholders are looking for ways to shrink the company’s near half-a-million vehicle fleet in what is turning into a tense standoff.

It is understood that the 494,000 used vehicles in Hertz’s fleet are linked to its asset-backed securities and leased to it. Ordinarily, when a company files for bankruptcy, like Hertz has done, it needs to confirm or reject the master lease tied to the debt. In the event of it keeping the lease, it has to continue making payments on the vehicles but if it chooses to ditch the master lease, the collateral is liquidated to pay back bondholders.

Bloomberg reports that Hertz wants a judge to permit it to alter the master lease into 494,000 separate agreements for each of the used cars, allowing it to reject the terms of 144,000 vehicles. Doing so would allow Hertz to save approximately $80 million a month, savings that could prove pivotal on whether or not the company can continue to operate in the long term.

Hertz wants to avoid liquidation and strengthen its balance sheet through the restructuring. Meanwhile, its creditors, who hold $11 billion in bonds, are facing the prospect of losses.

“It’s going to be a real showdown,” Bloomberg Intelligence Philip Brendel said. “Hertz is taking an aggressive posture, but if it rejects the master lease, it doesn’t have a fleet and this bankruptcy looks more like a liquidation.”

For creditors, the best bet is that Hertz will make lease payments on the vehicles in its fleet as it sells them gradually.

For GREAT deals on a new or used Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep or RAM check out Cabral CDJR TODAY!

Renault’s Restructuring Plan Calls For 15,000 Layoffs Worldwide, 17.5% Lower Production Capacity

Yesterday Nissan revealed its restructuring plan and today it is Renault’s turn to do the same.

Renault Group’s main objective is to reduce fixed costs by more than €2 billion ($2.22 billion) over the next three years to restore its competitiveness and “ensure its long-term development within the framework of the Alliance.”

Achieving savings of this magnitude will be possible by reducing the workforce, the production output and the diversity of components within vehicles. More specifically, Renault plans to lay off just under 15,000 employees worldwide and reduce its production capacity to 3.3 million in 2024 from 4 million in 2019.

Renault plans a reconversion for the Dieppe plant after production of the Alpine A110 ends

The company said the workforce adjustment project would be based on retraining measures, internal mobility and voluntary departures. Spread over three years, it would concern nearly 4,600 posts in France and more than 10,000 other positions in the rest of the world. In France, the Renault Group will be organized around strategic business areas with a promising future: electric vehicles, LCVs, the circular economy and high value-added innovation.

At the heart of the Group’s recovery will be three major regional centers of excellence based in France. The Douai and Maubeuge plants will focus on EVs and LCVs, respectively, while the Flins and Guyancourt facilities will be reorganized. As for the Dieppe plant, home to the Alpine A110, Renault plans a reconversion after production of the sports car ends. Sadly, this likely means the mid-engined A110 will not have a successor. The carmaker will also launch a strategic review regarding the Fonderie de Bretagne plant.

The company also said it would suspend planned capacity increases in Romania and Morocco, as well as adapt its production capacities in Russia.

Plans to expand production capacity at the Dacia plants in Mioveni, Romania and Tangiers, Morocco have been suspended

On the product side of things, Renault plans to improve efficiency and reduce engineering costs by leveraging the assets of the Alliance. The company will reduce component diversity, increase standardization and pursue Leader – Follower programs within the Alliance.

It will also concentrate the development of strategic technologies with high added value in the engineering sites of Île-de-France (the region surrounding Paris). This involves the optimization of the use R&D centers abroad and subcontracting.

According to Renault, the estimated cost of implementing the transformation plan is around €1.2 billion ($1.33 billion). Renault is offering further details on its transformation plan during a live press conference this morning you can watch at this link.

The Flins plant near Paris could switch from building cars to recycling activities