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    Solid-state batteries: SSB is not as easy as ABC
    Hard to believe, but the lithium-ion battery,  which has been synonymous with the auto industry’s electrification phase, not to mention the proliferation of personal electronic goods, is ripe for redevelopment. There have been different chemistries coming in and out of vogue, mainly involving the choice of cathode material, but the fundamentals have remained in place since the first commercialization in 1981. Now, development is advanced for one of the most fundamental elements of the ...
    Four factors shaping the battery metals market
    Amid persistent macroeconomic uncertainty, spot demand for battery metals has waned over 2023, contributing to a general weakening of metals prices, down from record price highs in 2022. But the horizon for energy transition-related demand has arrived, spurred forward by various government initiatives that have supported plug-in electric vehicle uptake to decarbonize the transport sector and a focus on renewable energy sources. Batteries are the most expensive component of electric vehicle...
    Chassis startup Tongyu Automobile raises over 500 million yuan in Series B round
    Shanghai Tongyu Automotive Technology Co (Tongyu Automobile) has announced the completion of Series B financing of over 500 million yuan (over $70 million), according to an official statement on December 4. Shenzhen Venture Capital, GGV Capital, BAIC Industrial Investment, Star Navigation Capital, Guojiang Fund, Southern Industrial Investment, CCB Capital, Xuanyuan Capital, Huoyan Capital, Mingchuan Capital, Lepu Capital, Guoshun Fund and many other well-known industries Capital and top finan...
    Rane Madras to establish manufacturing plant in Mexico
    Rane Madras will $31 million in Aguascalientes, Mexico to set up operations in the country, according to a report by Mexico Now on December 4. The investment is likely to generate over 300 jobs. The Indian company will set up its first plant in Mexico. Rane Madras will make an initial investment of $5 million, with a final projection set to rise to $31 million. Rane Madras specializes in the manufacture and distribution of steering and suspension systems, as well as other auto parts. The new ...
    UK Battery Industrialisation Centre secures £38 million in additional funding
    The UK Battery Industrialization Centre (UKBIC) has received an additional £38 million ($47.9 million) in funding to enhance its scale-up capabilities, it said in a press release on November 27. The funding will primarily be used to upgrade UKBIC's flexible scale-up line. The new capability is expected to be operational by 2025 and will provide battery developers with a cost-effective route to market, enabling them to move from R&D to large-scale production without using overseas facilit...
    NIFCO to set up new automotive plastic components manufacturing plant in Karnataka, India
    Nifco South India Manufacturing, a group company of Nifco Korea, will set up a new automotive plastic components manufacturing plant in Karnataka, Autocar reported on December 1. According to the report, Nifco entered into an memorandum of understanding with the government of Karnataka to invest 2.88 billion rupees ($34.5 million). The project is expected to create employment opportunities for around 400 people, with 65% of them being women. The company will complete the project over a period...
    Nexteer expands global footprint to further capitalize on APAC growth
    Nexteer Automotive has announced it will further capitalize on Asia-Pacific growth by increasing manufacturing and testing capacity through a strategic footprint expansion into Changshu within China’s Jiangsu Province nearby the company’s existing facilities in Suzhou, according to a press release on November 30. To meet growing demand from both global and domestic original equipment manufacturer customers in APAC, Nexteer’s approximately 21.4-acre site in Changshu will produce electric...
    Chinese carmaker GAC Group to set up an EV plant in Thailand
    In an effort to expand its presence beyond its home market in China, GAC Aion, the electric vehicle subsidiary of Chinese automaker GAC Group, plans to build an EV manufacturing plant in Thailand, according to a news report published by CnEVPost on Nov. 30. Citing a company announcement, the report mentioned that GAC Aion plans to invest a total of $65.9 million in setting up its EV factory in Thailand’s Rayong province and that the plant will be developed to have a production capacity...
    Taiwanese auto-parts maker Hota invests $99 million in New Mexico, US, plant; cites proximity to North America
    Hota Industrial Mfg. Co. (Hota), a Taiwanese company that produces auto parts for major carmakers such as Tesla, Ford and General Motors, has announced a $99 million investment in a plant in New Mexico, US, its first outside of Asia, according to a Reuters report on Nov. 28. The company's CEO Holly Sheng stated that the decision to invest in the US was a "very natural" choice due to the country's proximity to North America, which accounts for 70% of the company's sales. The company faced chal...
    Mercedes-Benz acquires stake in BTV technologies to secure semiconductor supply chain
    German carmaker Mercedes-Benz has invested in its logistics partner BTV, Evertiq reported Nov. 24. Financial details of the new investment were not disclosed. The aim of the investment by Mercedes-Benz is to secure its semiconductor supply chain. Westphalia, Germany-based BTV has customers across the automotive and consumer goods industries. It specializes in logistics, programming, quality management, assembly, testing, taping and the long-term storage of electronic components. It has been w...
    Secondmind partners with Mazda for vehicle design using AI
    Secondmind has expanded its partnership with Mazda for automotive design and development, it said in a press release dated Nov. 27. The partnership centers around research and commercial deployment of solutions that support systems engineering and validation processes, with the aim of increasing virtualization in design and development. Mazda has also joined a $16 million funding round in Secondmind alongside existing investors. The extended partnership builds on over three years of collabora...
    Changan Automobile to establish production base in Thailand, eyeing Southeast Asian markets
    Changan Automobile, a Chinese auto giant, has announced plans to establish a production base in Thailand, with an annual capacity of 100,000 units in the first phase. The facility, which began construction in early November, is expected to be up and running by the first quarter of 2025. Changan aims to use Thailand as a base to enter more Southeast Asian countries and other right-hand drive car markets, CnEVPost reported Nov. 27. The first phase of the production base will introduce mode...
    PhysicsX raises $32 million to accelerate design of advanced technologies
    PhysicsX, a startup bringing the power of generative AI to enable breakthrough engineering in advanced automotive and other industries, has raised $32 million in a Series A round led by General Catalyst. Standard Investments, NGP, Radius Capital, and KKR Co-founder and Co-executive Chairman Henry Kravis also participated in the round, based on a press release on Nov. 27. PhysicsX is building AIs that dramatically accelerate accurate physics simulation, enable generative engineering ...
    Nissan confirms production of electric Qashqai, Juke and all-new Leaf models in Sunderland, UK
    In an official announcement on Nov. 24, Japanese carmaker Nissan has confirmed that all the three cars it produces at its Sunderland, UK-based factory will be 100% electric. The facility, which Nissan calls the EV36Zero hub and refers to as its blueprint for future manufacturing, will consist of three electric vehicles, three gigafactories and up to £3 billion of investment. The commitment will support Nissan’s 7,000 UK employees and the 30,000 supply chain jobs in the UK, the company said...
    Gotion InoBat Batteries to set up battery factory in Slovakia
    Gotion InoBat Batteries (GIB), a joint venture between Gotion High-Tech and InoBat, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of the Slovak Republic to construct a battery gigafactory in Šurany, Slovakia, according to a company press release dated Nov. 23. The factory, expected to create thousands of jobs, will have a capacity of 20 GWh in the initial development stage, with potential expansion to 40 GWh. The government will provide subsidies, arrange the land, prepar...
    Hankook Tire to add truck and bus tire production line to its European plant
    South Korean tiremaker Hankook Tire plans to add a truck bus radial (TBR) production line to its European plant. This expansion proposal for a new TBR production line at the Rácalmás plant in Fejér County, Hungary, has been approved by its board of directors, the company said in a press release on Nov. 24.  The Rácalmás plant was completed in 2007 and has served as an outpost for the company's European expansion. The European plant, which has completed its third phase of c...
    Evonik's Silbond to expand Michigan, US, facility, add jobs for high-purity abrasives
    Silbond, a subsidiary of the Germany-based specialty chemicals company Evonik, will expand its production facility in Weston, Mich., according to a press release on Nov. 20. The company will add three jobs and manufacture new products, including high-purity abrasives, and market them to manufacturers of liquid abrasives used in the production of microchips. The project is expected to generate a total capital spending of $7.9 million in 2023 and 2024. Silbond produces chemicals used in the sem...
    What’s the fuss about What3Words?
    Founded in 2013, What3Words is a geocoding application that divides the world into a grid containing 57 trillion 3-meter by 3-meter squares and assigns each square a unique three-word address instead of alphanumeric coordinates. Each of the three words in a What3Words address corresponds to a specific square on the map, and the order of the words is important for accuracy. The words are randomly assigned to each square, but the system uses an algorithm to ensure that similar-sounding words ar...
    Toyota invests $400M in India expansion, creating 2,000 jobs – report
    Japanese automaker Toyota Motor has announced that it will invest nearly $400 million to set up a third manufacturing facility in India, creating 2,000 new jobs and increasing its overall capacity to 410,000 units per annum, news agency Reuters reported Nov. 21.   This is the company's first capacity expansion in over a decade and comes as Toyota looks to meet surging demand for its vehicles in the Indian market. The new plant will be located in the southern state of Karnataka, Indi...
    NHK Spring to build new plant in Mexico to boost motor-core production capacity
    NHK Spring Co. has announced its decision to construct a new plant in Mexico to increase its production capacity of motor cores, it said in a press release dated Nov. 17. The company plans to invest approximately ¥7.5 billion (about $50.8 million) in the new plant, which will be built on a site adjacent to its current plant in Mexico. The dedicated Mexico plant, along with the motor-core production plant in Japan, will improve productivity and efficiency, allowing the company to increase its...
    Blackshark.ai raises funding for GEOINT and 3D mapping technology
    Blackshark.ai, an AI geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) company, has successfully raised $35 million in its Series A extension round, with existing investors and new partners joining the funding, according to a press release on Nov. 16. The company, known for creating the first 3D digital twin of the Earth for Microsoft's Flight Simulator, aims to democratize high-frequency 3D mapping applications across various sectors. The funding will be used to support technology developments, and bolster...
    Onsemi opens new systems application lab for EVs in Europe
    In a press release announcement on Nov. 20, Onsemi said that the company has opened an application test lab in Piestany, Slovakia, focused on the advancement of system solutions for battery, plug-in hybrid, electric vehicles (xEVs) and energy infrastructure (EI) power conversion systems. The systems applications lab provides specialized equipment to develop and test next-generation silicon (Si) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) semiconductor solutions in collaboration with automotive original equipment ...
    Valeo invests $163 million in Mexico tech center, creating 510 jobs
    Valeo, a global automotive technology company, has announced an investment of over $163 million in its Technical Development Center (MTeC) in Querétaro, Mexico, over the next five years. This investment is expected to create 510 jobs in the automotive sector and underscores the growing confidence of companies in the state, Mexico Now reported Nov. 17. According to Marco Antonio Del Prete Tercero, head of the Ministry of Sustainable Development (SEDESU), this project represents a substantial ...
    Vitesco Technologies opens new South Korean factory, boosting EMR4 electric axle drive production
    Vitesco Technologies, a leading global provider of modern drive technologies and electrification solutions, has opened a new manufacturing space in Icheon, South Korea, with a capacity to produce over 200,000 of its EMR4 electric axle drives per year, it said in a press release on Nov. 16. The new line, which represents an investment of over €80 million, will enable the production of the highly efficient and compact EMR4 axle drive, which combines power electronics, an electric motor and a ...
    Jabil expands operations in Mexico with new production facility
    Jabil Inc. announced the opening of its third production facility in Chihuahua, Mexico, marking a significant milestone in the company's growth and commitment to the region. The new plant spans over 250,000 square feet and will support Jabil's customers across various industries, including energy, automotive, healthcare, digital print and retail, it announced Nov. 16. Victor Brizuela, Jabil's vice president of operations for Latin America, expressed the company's excitement about the opening,...
    Porsche invests €250 million in Stuttgart, Germany, plant upgrade for future sports-car production
    Porsche is upgrading its main plant in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, Germany, to prepare for the future of sports-car production. The company is investing €250 million in the construction work, which includes extending the plant's assembly line, integrating new production phases and upgrading quality management. The upgraded plant will enable increased efficiency, quality standards and mixed production of combustion-engine and electric sports cars, the company said Nov. 16. The reconstruction mea...
    Startup SiLC raises $25 million in additional Series A funding
    SiLC Technologies has raised $25 million in additional funding in its Series A round, it said in a press release dated Nov. 15. The additional funding will bring the total funding to $56 million. The new funding round includes strategic investors Hokuyo Automatic, Hankook & Co. and ROHM Semiconductor, among others. The additional funds will be used to expand production and continue product development to support design wins and further application deployments in mobility, robotics, smart ...
    Suzuki to make additional investment of ¥10 billion in Eliiy Power
    Eliiy Power and Suzuki Motor have entered into an additional investment and business alliance agreement, according to a company press release on Nov. 14. Suzuki will make an additional investment of ¥10 billion (about $65.9 million) in Eliiy Power and become the largest shareholder with a stake of 21.59%. Additionally, Suzuki will subscribe for ¥15 billion of convertible bond-type bonds with stock acquisition rights issued by Eliiy Power. The entire transaction is expected to be completed b...
    Hyundai breaks ground on $1.5 billion EV plant in South Korea
    Hyundai Motor Co. has announced a new electric vehicle plant at its complex in Ulsan, South Korea, that will act as a hub for its future mobility production practices. It will also operate as a human-centered facility offering a manufacturing platform designed to deliver an optimal working environment for employees. The EV-dedicated facility will be Hyundai Motor’s first new plant in South Korea in 29 years, following the opening of its Asan, South Korea, plant in 1996, according to a press re...
    Honda, Ohio State University partner to establish battery-cell research center
    Honda, along with Schaeffler Americas and the Ohio State University, is set to establish a battery-cell research center in Ohio, US, according to a press release dated Nov. 13. The center is expected to open in April 2025 and has received $22 million in commitments to date. The lab will aid in the development of battery-cell materials and manufacturing technologies, and provide an experiential learning setting for advanced battery-technology workforce development. The project will include the...
    Posco International to invest $519 million on scaling up EV parts business
    Posco International Corp. (Posco), the energy and trading unit of South Korea’s steel giant Posco Holdings Inc., plans to invest 680 billion South Korean won (about $519.1 million) on scaling up its electric vehicle component business, with an aim of riding on the surging growth of electric mobility, according to a news report published by The Korea Economic Daily on Nov. 9. The plan to expand into the EV parts business is part of Posco’s global strategy to foray into sustainability ...
    Pirelli opens Mexico research and development center, invests $15 million for innovation hub
    Italian tiremaker Pirelli has opened its first research and development (R&D) center in Silao, Mexico, with an investment of $15 million over two years. The center spans over 6,000 square meters and is part of the company's larger 200,000-square-meter plant. The new technology hub adopts Industry 4.0 principles and aims to strengthen the innovation ecosystem in the region, known as the Valley of Mentefacturing in Guanajuato, Mexico Now reported Nov. 9. Claudio Zanardo, presid...
    Ford invests $281million in hybrid vehicle production in South Africa
    US automaker Ford has announced an investment of 5.2 billion South African rands (approximately $281 million) to produce a hybrid vehicle in South Africa, according to a Reuters report dated Nov. 9. The company is urging the government to expedite the development of an electric vehicle policy, as the UK and Europe have announced plans to ban the sale of new petrol cars by 2035, which poses an existential threat to South Africa's auto industry. Ford plans to produce its Ranger Plug-in Hybrid E...
    Nissan to invest $575M in Brazilian plant for new SUV models, expanding its exports
    According to a Reuters report dated Nov. 7, Japanese carmaker Nissan will invest 2.8 billion reais ($575.22 million) between 2023 and 2025 in its Resende plant in Brazil to produce two new sports utility vehicle (SUV) models, quoting the company’s global CEO, Makoto Uchida. Uchida added that the new generation of the Nissan Kicks will be one of the vehicles manufactured in Resende, which he said will become a hub for exports to other Latin American countries. The announcement came a day aft...
    May Mobility raises $105 million in Series D investment round
    May Mobility has closed a $105 million Series D funding round led by NTT Group, according to its press release dated Nov. 7. Other new and existing investors, including Toyota Ventures, Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Company, State Farm Ventures, BMW i Ventures, Cyrus Capital, Millennium and Trucks Venture Capital, also participated in the round. This brings the company's total funding to approximately $300 million to date. May Mobility’s Series B and C were led by Toyota Motor Corp. and SPARX Gro...
    Ghost Autonomy announces investment from OpenAI Startup Fund to bring multi-modal LLMs to autonomous driving
    Ghost Autonomy, a company specializing in scalable autonomy software for consumer cars, has secured a $5 million investment from the OpenAI Startup Fund to develop large-scale, multi-modal language models (MLLMs) for autonomous driving. The investment brings Ghost's total funding to $220 million. The new funds will be used to accelerate ongoing research and development of LLM-based complex scene understanding, which is essential for urban autonomy, according to a press release dated Nov. 8. O...
    Fukui Murata Manufacturing to establish new ceramic capacitor R&D center in Japan
    Fukui Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd., a manufacturing subsidiary of Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd., will establish a new research and development base called Ceramic Capacitor R&D Center near Echizen-Takefu Station in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. Construction will commence in November 2023 with the inauguration planned for April 2026, according to a press release dated Nov. 6. The establishment of the Ceramic Capacitor R&D Center aims to improve the technological capabilities in the develop...
    DuPont opens New Kalrez® production site in Delaware, US
    DuPont has officially opened a new manufacturing site in Newark, Delaware, US called the Tralee Park Annex to meet growing demand from the semiconductor and industrial sectors, the company press release read on Nov. 6. The facility, which was inaugurated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, significantly expands DuPont's Kalrez® perfluoroelastomer parts capacity and features a high-end ISO Class 6 Cleanroom, upgraded manufacturing equipment and optimized facility layout. Brian Ammons, global b...
    Texas Instruments breaks ground on new 300-mm semiconductor wafer fabrication plant in Utah, US
    Texas Instruments (TI) has announced that the company broke ground on its new 300-mm semiconductor wafer fabrication plant in Lehi, Utah, US, according to a press release on Nov. 2. Joined by Utah Governor Spencer Cox, state and local elected officials as well as community leaders, TI celebrated the first steps toward the construction of the new fabrication plant, LFAB2, which will connect to the company's existing 300-mm wafer fabrication plant in Lehi. Once comple...
    Chinese carmaker Changan Auto plans to build EV plant in Thailand
    Chinese automaker Changan has signed a land purchase agreement with Thailand's industrial estate developer WHA Group to build its new electric vehicle factory in the Southeast Asian country, according to a news report published by Xinhua News Agency on Oct. 26. The EV assembly plant will be spread across an area of 40 hectares and will be located in Thailand's eastern Rayong province, which is part of the country's Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). Changan’s EV plant is expected to b...
    SAIC Motor opens EV battery factory in Thailand
    Chinese carmaker SAIC Motor has opened its first electric vehicle battery plant in Thailand, according to a news report published by Xinhua News Agency on Nov. 1. SAIC’s EV battery plant is spread across an area of 12 hectares and is located in the New Energy Industrial Park, Chonburi province's Eastern Economic Corridor Special Zone, the report said, adding that the plant’s production capacity is about 50,000 units per year. The factory is divided into two areas — the first one is the ...
    Asahi Kasei plan to expand coating capacity for lithium-ion battery separators
    Japanese chemical company Asahi Kasei Corp. plans to invest ¥40 billion (about $264.66 million) in expanding coating capacity for lithium-ion battery separators, the company announced Oct. 31. Asahi Kasei plans to install additional equipment for coating Hipore lithium-ion battery (LIB) separators, it said, adding that the new coating lines will be installed at existing Asahi Kasei LIB separator facilities in the US, Japan and South Korea, with start up scheduled in succession from...
    Toyota invests another $8 billion on its EV battery plant in North Carolina, US
    Japanese carmaker Toyota Motor Corp. plans to make an additional investment of nearly $8 billion at its upcoming battery manufacturing facility in the US — Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina (TBMNC) — bringing its total investment at the site to about $13.9 billion, the company announced Oct. 31. The additional investment is expected to add another 3,000 jobs at the site, bringing total job creation to more than 5,000 people. According to the company, the newly commi...
    Urbix secures strategic investments from Appian Capital to advance graphite processing plant
    US-based developer of graphite processing technology Urbix Inc. announced Oct. 30 that it has secured a significant strategic investment from funds managed by Appian Capital Advisory, an investment advisor to long-term, value-focused private capital funds that invest solely in mining and mining-related companies. In addition to the investment in Urbix, Appian Capital has also signed a joint development agreement (JDA) with the former to advance a commercial scale graphite processing faci...
    European Commission approves establishment of JV between BP, Iberdrola
    The European Commission has approved the establishment of a joint venture by Iberdrola SA of Spain, and BP PLC of the UK, under the EU Merger Regulation, the commission updated in a press note on October 27. The commission said that the transaction relates primarily to the markets for installation, operation and maintenance of a public network of electric vehicle charging stations with fast and ultrafast-charging speeds in Spain and Portugal. “The Commission concluded that the notif...
    Sumitomo Electric establishes manufacturing subsidiary in Mexico for automotive electric wires and wiring materials
    Sumitomo Electric Industries has established a new subsidiary, Judd Wire Mexico (JMEX), in Mexico to manufacture tab leads for automotive lithium-ion batteries, and high-functionality and high-heat-resistant electric wires, according to a press release on October 30. The subsidiary was established in response to the growing demand for these products in North America, particularly in the context of the advancement of Connected, Autonomous, Shared and Electric (CASE) technologies in the autom...
    India’s Epilson Advanced Materials to build a $650 million anode manufacturing plant in US
    Mumbai-headquartered Epsilon Advanced Materials (EAM) plans to build a $650 million graphite anode manufacturing facility in Brunswick County, NC, the company announced October 26. According to EAM, the planned battery materials plant is the first and largest Indian investment in the US electric vehicle battery industry. The company plans to break ground in 2024 and commence manufacturing in 2026, reaching full capacity by 2031. That said, when operational, the facility is slated to deploy gr...
    Renault plans €3 billion investment to launch eight new models outside Europe
    In an aggressive goal, French automaker Renault aims to emerge as a key global player in the new-energy vehicle market over the next five years. The company announced a significant investment of €3 billion to launch as many as eight new models to achieve its ambitious goal of selling one vehicle out of three in an electric or hybrid version by 2027, according to a press release on October 25. Fabrice Cambolive, CEO of the Renault brand, said, “As our product renewal is bearing fruit in Eu...
    Stellantis invests €1.5 billion in Leapmotor for a 20% stake
    Stellantis and Leapmotor have formed a strategic global partnership to create a highly competitive and efficient electric vehicle mobility powerhouse in China and globally, said a company press release on October 26. It added that this will be an industry-first global EV relationship between a leading automaker and a Chinese pure-play, new-energy vehicle original equipment manufacturer. Stellantis will invest €1.5 billion to acquire a 20% stake in Leapmotor, making it a significant sharehol...
    Pony.ai secures $100 million investment to bring autonomous rides to Neom and Middle East
    Pony.ai, an autonomous robo-taxi startup, has announced a new joint venture with Neom, a futuristic urban development in northwest Saudi Arabia, to expand its autonomous operations into the Middle East, according to a report published by TechCrunch on October 26. The JV includes a $100 million investment from Neom Investment Fund (NIF) in Pony.ai, with plans to establish a regional headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Saudi Arabia. The partnership aims to develop, manufacture and op...
    Asahi Kasei to invest in automotive interior startup NFW
    Asahi Kasei has invested in NFW, a US-based startup that produces non-petroleum-based leather alternatives for car interiors, according to a press release dated October 24. NFW has developed a patented leather alternative called Mirum, which is made from natural rubber, natural fibers, plant oils, natural pigments and minerals. The material is more durable than traditional animal-based or synthetic leather products and can replace polyurethane-coated materials without any polyurethane. The st...
    Jaguar Land Rover unveils a £250 million EV testing facility in Coventry, UK
    Tata Motors-owned British luxury-car brand Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has unveiled an all-new £250 million state-of-the-art electric vehicle testing facility — Future Energy Lab — at JLR's Whitley Engineering Center in Coventry, UK, the company announced October 23. The new facility, which is spread over an area of 30,000 square meters, is home to more than £40 million worth of technological innovation, the company said, adding that the Future Energy Lab will help JLR in paving the way for...
    Mitsubishi Motors announces €200 million investment in Ampere, Renault Group's new EV & software firm
    Mitsubishi Motors announced in a press release on October 24 its investment in Ampere, an electric vehicle and software company to be established by the Renault Group. The Japanese automaker's investment comes as an ambitious step forward in its mid-term management plan announced in March, where Mitsubishi Motors committed to the development of EVs and to strengthen cooperation with its Alliance members toward the acceleration phase of electrification. The maximum investment in Ampere will be ...
    Solid-state battery startup Factorial Energy opens new manufacturing facility in the US
    US-based solid-state battery startup Factorial Inc. announced October 23 that it has opened its new battery manufacturing facility in the Boston suburb of Methuen, Mass. The new state-of-the-art facility is being seen as a significant step by the company in scaling up the production of its patented solid-state battery technology for electric vehicles. The facility represents a $50 million investment and is expected to create more than 150 local jobs, the company said, adding that the site ...
    Chinese automaker Changan to invest $242 million on building an EV factory in Thailand
    As part of its global expansion plans, Chinese automaker Changan Automobile plans to invest close to $242 million on building a new car manufacturing factory in Thailand, according to a news report published by Yicai Global on October 19. The report stated that the planned battery-electric vehicle (BEV) plant is expected to come up in the WHA Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate in Thailand’s Rayong province. The news report cited an announcement made by the Chongqing, China-based company on ...
    Volvo Cars announces opening of a modern software-testing center in Sweden
    In a bid to get the future ready, Swedish automaker Volvo Cars announced the opening of its next-generation fully electric Volvo software-testing center in Gothenburg, Sweden, accelerating its capacity for integrated software testing at all levels. Spread across 2,000 square meters and representing an initial investment of about 300 million Swedish kronor (about $27.27 million), the new software-testing center is the flagship in the company’s network of engineering centers an...
    Kia to build second purpose-built vehicle plant in South Korea
    South Korea’s second-largest automaker, Kia Corp., contemplates building another purpose-built vehicle (PBV) factory in the country, despite the risk of disruption by unionized workers, as it aims to take the throne of the emerging custom-tailored car segment by 2030. Kia, part of the Hyundai Motor Group, intends to establish a new plant for large PBVs as a measure to improve competitiveness for future business in wage talks with its unionized workers, The Korea Economic Daily reported Octo...
    Umicore confirms expansion of its CAM, pCAM plant in Ontario
    Confirming expansion of its electric vehicle battery materials production footprint in Ontario, Umicore announced on October 16 that the company is proceeding with the construction of its 35-GWh-equivalent battery materials production plant at the chosen site in Loyalist, Ontario. The factory, which is slated to produce cathode active materials (CAM) and precursor (pCAM) in Canada, is aimed to serve the North American market for EV batteries. “Given the significance of the plant for th...
    EIB to invest €450 million in AESC’s upcoming EV battery gigafactory in Douai, France
    The European Investment Bank (EIB) plans to invest €450 million in Automotive Energy Supply Corp. (AESC) to support the battery-maker’s upcoming electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant in France, the European Commission announced October 12. The investment from EIB is part of the bank’s massive support strategy for a transition to a decarbonized industry in Europe. Notably, the investment to AESC is to support one of the four battery gigafactories planned in the Hauts reg...
    Japanese tiremaker Yokohama eyes capacity expansion and higher localization in India
    Japanese tiremaker Yokohama is betting on local production in India for a "sustainable and competitive" business model in the country. The company is currently building a new plant in the eastern Indian city of Visakhapatnam, with one plant already functioning in the North Indian state of Haryana, reported the Hindu Businessline on October 15, quoting news agency PTI.  "Yokohama India supports this decision and recognises the importance of investing in local production. Our inv...
    DiDi Autonomous Driving receives investment from GAC Group
    According to a press release on October 12, DiDi Autonomous Driving has announced an investment from Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC Group). The investment, worth up to $149 million, will be made by GAC Group’s wholly-owned subsidiary GAC Capital Co. and Guangzhou Development District Investment Group. DiDi Autonomous Driving will continue to invest deeply in research and development, accelerate the implementation of related products, pursue open collaborations in the industry chain, build ...
    Stellantis, Samsung SDI to build second US gigafactory in Kokomo, Ind.
    Stellantis and its South Korean battery supplier Samsung SDI are planning to set up their second joint US gigafactory in Kokomo, Ind., according to a press note issued by Samsung SDI on October 11. The two companies have a battery joint venture named StarPlus Energy, which will build its second battery manufacturing plant in the US. The new StarPlus Energy plant is expected to begin production in early 2027 with an annual capacity of 34 GWh, Samsung SDI said in its note. While the new batt...
    While the industry talks about casting, the play is being rescripted and the staging changed
    Gigacasting is a hot topic in the automotive industry right now. We continually receive calls from clients on the subject, either concerned about how it’ll change their market prospects or warning of the perils of this ‘eggs-in-one-basket’ strategy. They’re right about the perils. It’s a long list. Massive castings can cost up to 10 times more than what they’re replacing. They may have distortion issues, may remove important repair capabilities. What’s more they require intensiv...
    Purem, AAPICO open first plant in Malaysia for exhaust tech production
    Purem by Eberspaecher, a global leader in exhaust technologies, and AAPICO Hitech Public Co. Ltd. (AAPICO) have opened their first plant in Rawang, Malaysia, marking an important milestone in their joint venture activities in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) market, a company press release said October 10. The new plant covers 4,000 square meters and produces exhaust gas aftertreatment systems, including hot ends with catalytic converters and manifolds, and cold ends such as...
    Leadrive secures approximately $82M in Series-D funding
    Shanghai-based Leadrive Technology, which specializes in Silicon Carbide power modules and dual-motor controllers for electric vehicles, has secured 600 million Chinese yuan (approximately $82.2 million) in a Series-D financing round, DealStreetAsia reported October 9. The investment round was coled by Legend Capital and Oriza FOFs, the fund unit of mainland Chinese investment group Oriza Holdings. Existing shareholder Legend Capital, which led Leadrive's Series-C funding round in September, ...
    Electric Era secures investment to expand EV fast-charging infrastructure across US
    Electric Era Technologies has announced an investment from Chevron Technology Ventures, according to a press release dated October 3. The company intends on accelerating the deployment of its reliable, premium charging stations to gas stations and convenience stores throughout the US, advancing the future of car refill. “This investment will not only quickly expand our capacity to bring reliable, profitable [electric vehicle] charging stations to our valued convenience store and gas st...
    Umicore, PowerCo JV — Ionway — to build its first plant in Poland
    The Umicore-PowerCo joint venture company — Ionway — plans to build its first cathode active material (CAM) production plant in Nysa, Poland, Umicore announced October 7. The company said that Ionway’s planned first plant will come up adjacent to Umicore’s existing CAM plant. With the Brussels-based Ionway, parent companies — Umicore and Volkswagen — aim to scale up the production of battery materials in Europe, with a roadmap to grow its annual production capacity to 16...
    Forvia opens its Allenjoie industrial platform dedicated to new automotive technologies
    Forvia, the seventh global supplier of automotive technologies, announced October 9 the opening of its industrial platform in Allenjoie, Doubs, France, which houses two major factories, planned to support the Group's vision for a more sustainable automotive industry. The company said the two sites will produce hydrogen storage systems and more sustainable seats. With an estimated investment of over €250 million, the two plants will also create over 600 jobs to serve major French and Europea...
    Sumitomo Riko invests $17.8M to expand Mexican plant
    Sumitomo Riko, a Japanese automotive manufacturer, has expanded its production plant in El Marqués, Querétaro, Mexico, Mexico Now reported October 6. The company invested $17.8 million and added 200 jobs for the project. The plant manufactures anti-vibration products for the automotive sector. Sumitomo Riko currently has 100 plants in 20 countries. The company's first plant in Mexico was installed in 2012, and now it operates two production centers in Chihuahua, Mexico, and one in Querétar...
    Bolt.Earth secures $20M funding to expand EV charging network, enhance product portfolio
    Bolt.Earth, an India electric vehicle infrastructure and software company, has secured $20 million in funding from a consortium of investors, including Union Square Ventures, Prime Venture Partners and ITIGO Funds, it said in a press release dated October 5. The company plans to use the funds to expand its charging network, enhance its product portfolio and onboard top tier professionals across various disciplines. Bolt.Earth's operating system, Bolt.Earth OS, enables EVs to become software-d...
    Konect.ai secures $5.5M seed investment to accelerate growth in conversational AI for automotive retail
    Konect.ai, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company specializing in conversational AI technology for the automotive retail industry, has secured a $5.5 million seed investment from Silverton Partners, a venture capital firm based in Austin, Texas, the company said October 5. According to the company, this investment will enable it to accelerate its growth and innovation, with plans to expand its product offerings, enhance research and development, and increase its presence in key markets. Wi...
    Micron initiates construction memory manufacturing fab in Idaho, US
    According to a press release on October 5, Micron Technology has celebrated the start of construction on the nation’s first new memory manufacturing fab in 20 years. Company executives will join Idaho Governor Brad Little, Boise Mayor Lauren McLean, other community partners and team members to mark the milestone with a ceremonial concrete pour at Micron’s Boise, Idaho, headquarters on the 45th anniversary of the company’s founding. Just over a year ago, Micron announced&n...
    LG Energy Solution to supply lithium-ion batteries to Toyota in the US
    South Korean battery-maker LG Energy Solution (LGES) has signed a supply agreement with Toyota Motor North America Inc., Toyota announced October 4. Under the agreement, LGES will supply lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery modules for Toyota battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) that will be assembled in the US. “Under the contract, LG Energy Solution will supply automotive battery modules at an annual capacity of 20 GWh starting from 2025,” the carmaker said in a statement October 4. The battery ...
    Giti Tire launches next-gen plant with groundbreaking ceremony in Anhui, China
    Giti Tire celebrated a significant milestone in its evolution with the groundbreaking ceremony of its advanced plant in Hefei, Anhui, China, according to a press release on September 21. The facility is designed with a strong commitment to Industry 4.0 principles, emphasizing efficiency, connectivity and innovative technology. The plant will showcase Giti's dedication to environmental sustainability by integrating the latest production machinery and techniques to ensure an eco-friendly approach ...
    Toray expands European carbon-fiber production facilities
    According to a press release on October 4, Toray Industries announced that it has decided to expand French subsidiary Toray Carbon Fibers Europe SA’s production facilities for regular tow medium- and high-modulus carbon fibers, according to a press release on October 4. This move will increase annual capacity at the Abidos plant (South West France) from 5,000 metric tons annually, to 6,000 metric tons. Production is expected to start in 2025. Demand for medium- and high-modulus carbon ...
    Vitesco Technologies opens new lab in Romania for sustainable mobility testing
    Vitesco Technologies, an international developer and manufacturer of cutting-edge drive systems for sustainable mobility, has opened a new qualification and validation laboratory in Timisoara, Romania. The laboratory is part of the company's engineering center and headquarters in Romania and covers an area of about 3,500 square meters in the Vox Technology Park, the company announced in a press release dated September 29. The laboratory is equipped with over 100 test equipment and engineering...
    French battery startup Verkor secures over €2 billion in new funding
    Renault-backed French battery startup Verkor has secured more than €2 billion in fresh funding, following the signing of a minimum of €850 million Series-C funding, approval of European Investment Bank (EIB) for €600 million debt support and French subsidies for an amount of about €650 million, subject to final approval by the European Commission, Verkor announced September 14. The newly secured funding will accelerate: 1. The construction of Verkor’s first gigafactory in Dunkirk...
    Semiconductor firm EdgeCortix closes $20M in additional funding round
    EdgeCortix announced the successful completion of a $20 million funding round. Leading the investment was Japan's top venture capital firm, SBI Investment Co. Ltd., alongside the Japan-US collaboration-centric venture capitalist, Global Hands-On VC (GHOVC). Both firms have a strong track record in the semiconductor space, with GHOVC being particularly renowned for its successful investments in this domain, according to a report published by The Economics Times on October 4. Renesas Electronic...
    KPIT Technologies completes payment for majority stake in Future Mobility Solutions
    According to KPIT Technologies Ltd.'s stock exchange notification on September 29, KPIT Technologies Ltd. confirmed the payment of the final installment of €8.19 million for acquiring the remaining 75% stake in Future Mobility Solutions GmbH (FMS). FMS specializes in software and feature development for autonomous driving, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), vehicle safety, and integration and validation. This acquisition is poised to bolster KPIT's proprietary offerings in the aut...
    Martinrea inaugurates $85M Coahuila plant, creating 450 jobs
    Martinrea, a Canadian company, has inaugurated its seventh plant in Coahuila, Mexico, with an investment of $85 million. The plant, located in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, is the company's second dedicated to stampings in the state and will generate 450 new jobs, Mexico Now reported October 2. Governor of Coahuila Miguel Ángel Riquelme Solís highlighted the state's favorable indicators, including certainty, skilled labor, security and labor peace, which contributed to Martinrea's decision to ...
    Horiba Mira opens driving simulator center to improve vehicle attribute engineering
    Automotive engineering, test and development consultancy Horiba Mira has launched its new Driving Simulator Centre at its UK head office in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. It comprises of cutting-edge driver-in-the-loop simulator technology, supported by Horiba Mira's unique engineering service and consultancy, the company said in a press release on September 28. Horiba Mira has invested more than £4 million in the new facility to enable established automotive original equipment manufacturers, new s...
    InoBat signs MOU with Serbia to build battery manufacturing, recycling facilities
    Slovakia-based battery technology company InoBat announced on September 25 that the company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Republic of Serbia’s Ministry of Finance and the municipality of Ćuprija, Serbia, to build its second giga battery manufacturing and recycling facilities. “We are pleased to announce [Ćuprija] as the location for our Serbia gigafactory and recycling project, code[-]named Lion, which has been under development for the past two years with...
    BMW to invest over €100 million on new battery testing center in Wackersdorf, Germany
    BMW Group plans to invest more than €100 million by 2026 on building a new battery testing center in Wackersdorf in Germany, the luxury-car maker announced September 29. The company said that the investments will be made with a focus on complex test bench technology and the upgrades to the building’s existing infrastructure needed for their operation. The planned battery testing center will be integrated into BMW’s existing facility at the site. The carmaker plans to begin the activitie...
    Volvo Cars, Northvolt break ground on joint EV battery plant in Gothenburg, Sweden
    Novo Energy AB, a joint venture of Geely-owned Swedish carmaker Volvo Cars and the homegrown battery-maker Northvolt, has commenced the construction of its 50-GWh electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant in Gothenburg, Sweden, according to a press release published on Cision News on September 28. The company had organized a groundbreaking ceremony at the edge of the woods west of Volvo Cars’ Torslanda, Sweden, factory. The ceremony was attended by the mayor of Gothenburg and s...
    Startup Atlas Materials raises $27 million in Series-A round
    Atlas Materials has raised $27 million in a Series-A funding round, Reuters reported September 29. Investors in the Series-A funding round included the Grantham Environmental Trust and Voyager Ventures. The total funds raised by the startup stands at $33 million. Atlas Materials intends to use the funds for engineering and design work for a plant they plan on building in North America, but admitted that further funding will be needed to actually build the plant. It aims to launch productio...
    Northvolt plans to set up a 60 GWh battery plant in Quebec, Canada
    Swedish battery-maker Northvolt plans to build a fully integrated 60 GWh lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery gigafactory in Saint-Basile-le-Grand and McMasterville, a suburb of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the company announced September 28. The proposed battery plant, named Northvolt Six, will have adjacent facilities for the production of cathode active materials (CAM) as well as battery recycling, enabling circular production entirely on-site. Northvolt said that construction of the first 30 GWh ...
    KPIT Technologies invests €5 million in KPIT Technologies GmbH
    KPIT Technologies, a major supplier developer for the automotive and mobility industry, announced in a regulatory filing on September 27 that it has made further investment of €5 million in KPIT Technologies GmbH, a wholly owned, step-down subsidiary of the company.  The company said the cash investment is being undertaken in line with its main business. Founded in 2005, KPIT Technologies GmbH provides Engineering services to its customers predominantly in Automotive, including major a...
    Auto AI startup Kneron raises additional $49 million in Series-B funding
    Kneron has raised an additional $49 million funding as a part of its Series-B round, it said in a press release dated September 26. Investors include Foxconn, HH-CTBC Partnership (Foxconn Co-GP Fund) and Alltek. The total amount raised in the Series-B round stands at $97 million. The full round was led by Horizons Ventures, with participation from Liteon Technology Corp. and Adata, Palpilot. Kneron will use the funds to focus on deploying advanced AI, particularly nano-GPT solutions for ...
    Toyoda Gosei invests in safe driving assist startup Pyrenee
    Toyoda Gosei has announced an investment in Pyrenee, a startup that develops safe driving assistance devices, it said in a press release dated September 26. Toyoda Gosei will integrate Pyrenee’s driving assist technology into its safety systems and interior products. The investment is in line with its focus on safety, centered on airbags. The idea is to reduce traffic accidents through an approach of combining passive safety and preventive safety. The amount of the investment was undisclosed. ...
    Rolling Plus announces $1.07 billion investment to build tire plant in Egypt
    In a major announcement into Egypt’s automotive industry, Rolling Plus Chemical Industries Co. is set to build a tire manufacturing plant with an investment of $1.07 billion in the country. A report in Arab News on September 20 said the company had signed a contract with the Egyptian government to establish the plant, which will be located in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, as reported by Al Arabiya. The tire manufacturing facility will be spread over an area of 400,000 square ...
    Hyundai plans EV assembly plant in Saudi Arabia
    Eyeing growing markets in the Gulf countries, Hyundai Motor Co. is set to build an electric vehicle assembly plant in Saudi Arabia, The Korea Economic Daily reported September 18. The South Korean automaker in early 2023 signed a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi Trade Ministry to build an EV assembly factory in Saudi Arabia. Under the initial agreement, Hyundai will send semifinished EVs and parts to Saudi Arabia under a complete knock-down (CKD) scheme to assemble them for sale in ...
    Taiwanese supplier Hota to build first US factory in New Mexico – report
    According to a Reuters report on September 21, Hota Industrial Manufacturing Co. Ltd., a leading supplier to electric-vehicle maker Tesla, is planning to invest $99 million to build its first plant outside of Asia in the US state of New Mexico, the Taiwanese company said September 20, citing greater emphasis on regional production in supply chains. Hota, which makes gears and other auto components primarily in Taiwan, said it would begin construction on the factory in Santa Teresa, NM, n...
    German federal government and Free State of Bavaria commit support to AMS Osram for semiconductor technology
    AMS Osram received notice of substantial public funding by the German federal government (i.e., the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action [BMWK]) and the Free State of Bavaria, Germany, according to a press release on September 20. The funding is intended to boost the further development of semiconductor technology. The envisaged Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) funding will support AMS Osram in making its own investments in the research and development (R...
    Tianqi Lithium invests $150 million in Smart JV
    Tianqi Lithium has invested $150 million in the Smart joint venture, Yicai Global reported September 14. Smart is a JV between Mercedes-Benz and Geely Holding Group to develop electric vehicles. Tianqi Lithium also signed strategic deals with Mercedes-Benz and Geely. The company will cooperate with Geely on resources, core materials, lithium-battery technology research, lightweight materials for new-energy vehicles and software development. Significance: The investment in Smart repres...
    Stellantis plans to manufacture small electric cars in Spain
    Stellantis plans to produce its small electric cars on its STLA Small platform in Spain, according to a news report published by Spanish newspaper CincoDías on September 15. Citing sources aware of the matter, the report stated that Stellantis plans to invest more than €1 billion in installing its STLA Small production platform in its manufacturing plants based in Zaragoza and Vigo in Spain. The carmaker plans to start producing small electric cars in Spain from 2025. The report mention...
    Sim4CAMSens project receives UK grant to advance autonomous vehicle perception sensors
    The UK government announced that £18.5 million would be made available to UK businesses to improve the supply chain’s capacities for connected and automated mobility in the country, according to a report published by the Automotive Electronics Systems Innovation Network (AESIN) on September 7. The awards are a part of the Commercialising Connected and Automated Mobility: Supply Chain competition from the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV). AESIN is collaborating with partn...
    Mincer HD invests $70 million to build two plants in Hidalgo, Mexico
    UK-based auto-component maker, Mincer HD (MAT Holdings Inc.) plans to set up in Mineral de la Reforma, Hidalgo, Mexico, with an investment of $70 million. The fresh investment is likely to generate 350 direct jobs and 1,500 indirect jobs in the first stage, Mexico Now reported September 14. This was announced by Carlos Henkel Escorza, head of the Secretariat of Economic Development (Sedeco) of Hidalgo, who welcomed the UK company, which is a world leader in the engineering and manufacturing o...
    Denso to invest $63 million in Michigan, US, thermal plant
    Japanese supplier Denso announced an investment of $63 million in its Battle Creek, Mich., thermal manufacturing facility to retool production lines, accommodating product offerings that will support the electrification of vehicles in the years ahead, a company press release said on September 8. The announcement came on the second day of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer's visit to Japan. The governor announced the project win at Denso's Global Headquarters in Japan as part of her effor...
    Milton Keynes City Council and partners secure £2 million for autonomous shuttle services
    Milton Keynes City Council and its partners have successfully secured almost £2 million ($2.4 million) in grant funding to introduce an autonomous shuttle bus service initiative, known as the StreetCAV project, into the city by October 2024, according to a report published by National World Publishing on September 11. The abbreviation "CAV" represents "connected and autonomous vehicles." The fleet will range from single-seat autonomous vehicles to larger units comparable to traditional buses...
    Murata Manufacturing completes new R&D building at Sabae, Fukui
    According to a press release on September 13, Sabae Murata Manufacturing (in Sabae, Fukui Prefecture), a manufacturing subsidiary of Murata Manufacturing, has completed a new research and development (R&D) building that had been under construction on its premises since February 2022, and it held a ceremony to celebrate its completion on September 13. The new building will be used for developing plating technology suitable for making electronic components smaller, thinner, and lighter, as wel...
    GM invests in radar software developer Oculii
    General Motors (GM) has invested in radar software company Oculii, TechCruch reported on September 13. Although the exact amount was undisclosed, it is said to be in the millions. Oculii had recently closed a $55 million Series B investment round. The partnership could allow GM to use Oculii’s solutions to enhance Super Cruise, the automaker’s hands-free advanced driver assistance system. “When a company like GM says, this is great technology and this is something that we potentially wa...
    Autonomous driving startup Conigital raises £500 million in Series A+ funding
    Conigital has raised £500 million in Series A+ funding, according to a report by Tech.eu on September 11. The investment combines equity and debt. The company is currently developing a full-stack, lift-and-shift driverless vehicle platform called ConICAV. It can be applied in any vehicle type. “Following over a year of discussions, we're thrilled to secure an offer of £500 million in Series A+ funding. This monumental achievement signifies not only our unwavering commitment to transformin...
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