Manufacturing

Subaru of America announced that its 2023 Subaru Solterra will make its U.S. debut at the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show on November 17. The auto manufacturer will be streaming the premiere of its first all-electric SUV live. More information on the upcoming event can be found here: https://www.subaru.com/solterra-ev

Falling Czech car production in September reduced industrial output at the end of the third quarter amid plant shutdowns due to the global chip shortage, Reuters reported, citing the statistics office. The report said output fell for a second consecutive month and drove the trend of lower output in central European economies heavily reliant on

Former Hella lighting chief Christian Paeschel has joined Varroc Lighting Systems as CEO. He replaced Stephane Vedie who departed last September. Paeschel was previously head of sales for Hella’s automotive lighting division. He has 20 years’ experience in the automotive industry, particularly in lighting and electronics, and his career focused on strategic development and sales.

BMW i Ventures, the venture capital unit of the BMW Group, has announced a strategic investment in Upstream Security, a tech startup which aims to accelerate the development of innovative automotive cybersecurity technologies and promote strategic connected vehicle cybersecurity projects. Israel-based Upstream is described as a data management platform purpose-built for connected vehicles, delivering automotive

BMW of North America and California Bioenergy (CalBio) have announced an expanded collaboration to include Bar 20 Dairy, a farm based in Kerman, California, as the automaker works with dairy farms on renewable energy. The project intends to power EVs in the state using biodigester technology to capture methane from manure to generate electricity for

Demand for used battery electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles continued to grow in the third quarter of 2021, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Reflecting recent trends in both the new and used markets, transactions rose by 56.4% and 43.3% to 14,182 and 14,990 respectively. The number of used

Stellantis-owned mobility platform ‘Free2move’ has issued a new brand identity and logo. Stellantis says the new identity of Free2move reflects its brand’s DNA, which is to “simplify mobility for all its customers”. This brand’s evolution is a new step after five years of continuing growth. The company says the new Free2move signature reaffirms its brand’s

Makoto Uchida Although Nissan has been forced to cut volumes due to shortages of key components, it has also benefited from higher margins on sales and has raised its profit forecast for the current fiscal year. Operating profit in the quarter ended September 30 was 63.4bn yen, which compares with a loss of 4.8bn yen