Porsche announced on Monday the expansion of its electric-vehicle lineup. A month after revealing its Taycan Turbo and Turbo S, Porsche debuted its “entry-level model,” the Taycan 4S.
Taycan 4S pricing starts at $103,800 — a steal compared to the $150,900 Taycan Turbo or $185,000 Turbo S, but far less accessible than other EVs on the market.
Porsche is owned by Volkswagen AG.
How The 4S Compares In The Series
The Taycan 4S comes in a Performance Battery version (79.2 kiloWatts per hour) and a Performance Battery Plus version (93.4 kiloWatts per hour), each of which is less powerful than the original models. The 4S delivers up to 420 kiloWatts (630 horsepower) compared to the Turbo’s 500 kiloWatts and the Turbo S’s 560.
DETROIT, Sept 19 (Reuters) – Electric vehicle startup Rivian Automotive LLC got a big boost from one of its investors on Thursday when Amazon.com announced it was ordering 100,000 electric delivery vans.
Before Rivian has even begun commercial production at its factory in Normal, Illinois, the Amazon order rocketed it to the forefront of electric vehicle makers.
Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos said in Washington that as part of the online retailer’s plan to be carbon neutral by 2040 it would order the electric vans from Rivian, with deliveries starting in 2021. The goal is to deploy all the vehicles by 2024.
Rivian, a potential rival to Silicon Valley’s Tesla Inc, unveiled its electric R1T pickup and R1S SUV last November, but had piqued Amazon’s interest earlier. Bezos personally reached out to Rivian CEO R.J. Scaringe last summer to express interest in an investment, sources previously said.
Plymouth, Michigan-based Rivian, founded in 2009, has raised close to $1.9 billion from investors, including a $700 million February round led by Amazon.
The deal solidifies Rivian’s place among EV builders, said Sam Fiorani, a vice president with Auto Forecast Solutions. “It helps boost the image of the (Rivian) brand,” he said.
Rivian aspires to be the first to produce a mass market electric pickup. It intends to begin selling its R1T by the end of 2020, a target that has not changed with the Amazon deal in place, said Rivian spokeswoman Amy Mast said.
Traditional U.S. automakers Ford Motor Co, a Rivian investor, and General Motors Co, as well as Tesla, are pushing to develop their own electric pickups.
The Amazon vans, under the exclusive deal, will be built at Rivian’s plant, a former Mitsubishi factory in Normal, Illinois, Mast said. The first vehicles will be delivered in 2021 and 10,000 should be on the road by late 2022, she said. The vehicles will be serviced by Rivian.
Scaringe has described the Rivian vehicle’s platform as a skateboard that packages the drive units, battery pack, suspension system, brakes and cooling system all below wheel height to allow for more storage space and greater stability due to a lower center of gravity.
Amazon is looking to speed packages to shoppers’ doorsteps regardless of spikes in consumer demand or shortages of delivery personnel. Last year, Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz said Amazon had become the biggest customer of its Sprinter vans, securing 20,000 vehicles for delivery contractors.
Ford invested $500 million in Rivian in April with plans to use the Rivian EV platform to build a new vehicle in North America. Details of that vehicle were not disclosed. Ford is not involved in the Rivian deal, Mast said.
Cox Automotive Inc, the owner of the Autotrader online automobile market and the Kelley Blue Book car valuation service, invested $350 million in Rivian this month. The companies will explore partnerships in digital retailing, service operations and logistics.
Other backers include Saudi auto distributor Abdul Latif Jameel Co, Sumitomo Corp of Americas and Standard Chartered Bank.
Amazon’s reputation and the contract size would raise Rivian’s status with potential customers and investors, Fiorani said. It also offers the advantage of not having to chase buyers or ship vehicles all over the country.
(Reporting by Ben Klayman in Detroit; Editing by David Gregorio)
FILE PHOTO: Supercar Hongqi S9 is unveiled next to FAW Group Chairman Xu Liuping at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, Germany. September 10, 2019. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Chinese suppliers and manufacturers have stepped up their presence at the Frankfurt auto show, capitalizing on a strong position in electric technologies forced on European carmakers by regulators seeking to curb pollution.
Though the number of exhibitors has fallen to 800 in 2019 from 994 in 2017, Chinese automakers and suppliers now make up the biggest foreign contingent, with 79 companies, up from 73.
Several European and Japanese carmakers including Fiat , Alfa Romeo, Nissan and Toyota have skipped the show as the industry cuts costs.
Europe’s automakers face multibillion-euro investments to develop electric and autonomous cars, forcing them to rely on Chinese companies for key technologies such as lithium ion battery cell production, an area where Asian suppliers dominate.
German firms are striking major deals with Chinese suppliers to help them meet stringent EU anti-pollution rules, which were introduced in the wake of Volkswagen’s 2015 emissions cheating scandal.
“All carmakers face the challenge that they will have to fulfill fleet consumption targets,” Matthias Zentgraf, regional president for Europe at China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology, told Reuters.
Zentgraf said he expected further supply deals to be struck in Europe this year following agreements with BMW and Volkswagen.
Daimler on Wednesday said it had chosen China-backed Farasis Energy to supply battery cells for its Mercedes-Benz electrification push.
Farasis is building a 600 million euro ($663 million) factory in east Germany, close to where Chinese rival CATL is erecting a 1.8 billion euro battery plant.
SVOLT Energy Technology, which was carved out of China’s Great Wall Motor Co, told Reuters it would start building battery cells in Europe at a new 2 billion euro plant in 2023.
TIPPING POINT
Chinese companies are also giving Europe more attention since the United States and China embarked on a global trade war, which has resulted in tariffs.
“We put Europe up in priority,” said Daniel Kirchert, chief executive of Chinese electric car maker Byton.
“We are at a tipping point” for acceptance of electric vehicles in Europe, Kirchert, a former BMW executive, added.
Byton has taken its prototype vehicles on road shows in Europe, and received expressions of interest from 20,000 customers, he said. In electric vehicle hot spots, such as Norway and the Netherlands, “we see a very positive response.”
Byton plans to export vehicles from its factory in Nanjing, to Europe in 2021, Kirchert said, adding that exporting to the United States would be a challenge if Washington and Beijing did not resolve their trade war.
He said Byton still hoped to launch in the United States in 2021, but tariffs would threaten the company’s goal of selling vehicles at a starting price of about $45,000.
“We decided no matter what” Byton will launch in the United States, even at a higher price, he said.
China’s Great Wall Motor may consider building car manufacturing facilities in the European Union once its sales there hit 50,000 units a year, its chairman told Reuters at the show.
German carmakers have been forced to accelerate electrification plans after the EU imposed a 37.5% cut in carbon dioxide emissions between 2021 and 2030 in addition to a 40% cut in emissions between 2007 and 2021.
PSA Group Chief Executive Carlos Tavares used the show to step up criticism of Europe’s aggressive approach toward emissions limits.
“The word dialogue has become meaningless in Europe,” he said, referring to the requirements placed on the auto industry.
“Politicians can decide rules without any discussion with industry,” he told journalists on the sidelines of the show.
Electric cars made up only 1.5% of global sales last year, or 1.26 million of the 86 million passenger vehicles sold, JATO Dynamics said.
If carmakers fail to meet the 2021 targets they could face a combined 33 billion euros in fines, analysts at Evercore ISI have estimated.
They also estimate it will cost the auto industry an aggregate 15.3 billion euros to comply, assuming a 60 euro cost per gram to reduce CO2 emissions for premium carmakers and 40 euros per gram of CO2 reduction for volume manufacturers.
(Writing by Edward Taylor; Editing by Mark Potter)
A woman cleans the prototype of a Chinese car at the IAA Auto Show in Frankfurt, Germany, Monday, Sept. 9, 2019. The IAA officially starts with media days on Tuesday and Wednesday. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Electric carmaker Tesla <TSLA> is scouting out locations for a possible factory in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany’s most populous state, daily Rheinische Post reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter.
First inspections have taken place, the paper said.
Tesla spokespeople in Europe were not immediately available for comment.
Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said in a tweet in April that the company was “considering” building a factory in Germany.
Last year, Musk said Germany was a leading choice in Europe to build a Gigafactory, adding “the German-French border makes sense, near the Benelux countries”.
NRW, Germany’s most populous state, shares borders with the Netherlands and Belgium.
Tesla is also looking at the German state of Lower Saxony, which shares a border with the Netherlands, its Economy Minister Bernd Althusmann said earlier this week.
(Reporting by Christoph Steitz; Editing by Frances Kerry)
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – German auto maker Daimler AG <DAIGn.DE> plans to build Mercedes Benz-branded heavy trucks in China by revamping truck plants owned by its local joint venture, according to a document seen by Reuters and two sources familiar with the matter.
The plan will deepen the alliance between Daimler and its Chinese truck JV partner, Beiqi Foton Co Ltd <600166.SS>, and comes after the purchase of a 5% stake in Daimler last month by its Mercedes Benz passenger car partner, Beijing Automotive Group Co Ltd (BAIC), Foton’s parent group.
“Localization of Mercedes Benz-branded trucks had been planned years before, so it has nothing to do with BAIC Group’s recent stake purchase in Daimler,” one source said.
In 2016, Daimler’s then head of its truck business told German media that it planned to make Mercedes Benz-branded Actros heavy trucks in China by the end of the decade. No details of the plan has since been reported or announced.
Under the plan, Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive (BFDA) will add Actros to its production lines which are mainly used to make Auman trucks, the joint venture’s sole truck brand, the sources said.
The JV plans to revamp its No.3 plant, which will have an annual capacity of 60,000 heavy trucks, and expand capacity at its No.2 plant to 100,000 units from 60,000 now, according to a document on the JV’s website. The value of the investment was not known.
The No.3 plant will build both Actros and Auman trucks, said the sources, who declined to be identified because the plan had not been made public.
Daimler’s office in China did not immediately respond to phone calls seeking comment. Foton declined to comment.
All Mercedes Benz trucks currently sold in China are imported and priced significantly higher than domestically made Auman trucks.
Founded in 2012, the truck joint venture sold just over 100,000 units in China last year. Daimler is seeking to further develop its truck business with Foton, but the lack of a solid supply chain in China remains an obstacle, the sources said.
“One of the biggest challenges is to build up a good local supply chain, as many heavy truck components for Mercedes Benz trucks cannot be locally sourced for now,” the second source said.
China’s heavy truck market has fared better than the overall auto market this year, thanks to a growing e-commerce industry and improvements in traffic and logistics infrastructure.
China sold 732,000 heavy trucks in the first seven months this year, down 1.4% from the same period a year earlier, while the overall auto market dropped 13.5%.
Other major heavy truck makers in China include FAW, Dongfeng and Sinotruk.
(Reporting by Yilei Sun and Brenda Goh in Shanghai; Editing by Miyoung Kim and Darren Schuettler)
Two-tone interior in Bespoke Saddle Tan/Black Amber
Aniline leather-trimmed seats with Alcantara® door inserts
PLANO, Texas (August 14, 2019) – A style icon since its introduction three years ago, the Lexus LC 500 adds another layer of sophistication this year with the introduction of the limited-edition 2020 Inspiration Series.
Blending the sensational lines of the LC 500 with a classic color palette, this new limited-production LC aims to evoke a more refined, mature coupe without giving up any of the modern performance, technology and style that makes it so desirable.
The transformation starts with its distinctive Nori Green Pearl paint, an exclusive Inspiration Series color for the LC. Subtle in its depth of color, yet eye catching at a glance, the distinctive shade of green complements every angle of the LC’s stunning design. A set of 21 -inch, two-tone wheels complete the look that elevates the LC’s style profile to another level.
The interior of the LC Inspiration Series is equally striking thanks to a two-tone color scheme that highlights the exceptional design and craftsmanship found in every LC. The 10-way power adjustable seats are trimmed in aniline leather, the softest, highest-grade leather available in the Lexus lineup. The rich Bespoke Saddle Tan color is unique to the Inspiration Series and is complemented by a slightly darker shade of Alcantara® trim on the door panels that adds a soft, inviting feel to the cabin.
In contrast with the tan seats, dark Black Amber leather trim is used on the steering wheel, dashboard, center console and doors. Brown stitching ties the darker leather trim together with the seats in addition to highlighting the fanatical precision of each stitch.
The finishing touch for each 2020 LC 500 Inspiration Series is a custom sill plate that marks the limited-edition nature of each car. Drawing from the geometric shapes found in the rear brake lights, the laser cut plates function as a subtle reminder of this car’s rarity every time you open the door.
There are no mechanical changes to this LC 500, so its naturally aspirated, 5.0-liter V8 delivers the same 471 horsepower as every LC that has come before it. The 10-speed automatic transmission sends power to the rear wheels through a standard limited slip differential that allows for a 0-to-60mph time of just 4.4 seconds.
Limited to just 100 units in the U.S., the 2020 LC 500 Inspiration Series goes on sale this fall. Pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date.
DETROIT (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co said on Monday it would invest $50 million upgrading a Chicago facility to partially assemble hybrid electric SUVs and vehicles for police use, creating 450 jobs.
The plant currently modifies vehicles for police use. That work will be transferred to a nearby facility.
After retooling, the new production line will later this year start partially assembling hybrid versions of the Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle and the luxury Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring SUV.
It will also partially assemble the Police Interceptor SUV.
On Friday, Ford said it would lay off about 200 workers in September at a Canadian manufacturing plant in Oakville, Ontario, with more layoffs possible in January, because of slowing sales of the sedans that the plant manufactures.
Overall, U.S. new vehicle sales are expected to fall this year, although pickup trucks and SUVs remain more popular than traditional passenger cars.
Last week, Ford also kicked off talks on a new four-year contract with the United Auto Workers union, with job security, healthcare costs and the use of temporary workers expected to be major sticking points.
(Reporting by Nick Carey; Editing by Peter Cooney)
LONDON (Reuters) – Jaguar Land Rover (TAMO.NS) is making a multi-million pound investment to build electric vehicles in Britain, in a major boost for the UK government and a sector hit by the slump in diesel sales and Brexit uncertainty.
Britain’s biggest car company, which built 30 percent of the UK’s 1.5 million cars last year, will make a range of electrified vehicles at its Castle Bromwich plant in central England, beginning with its luxury sedan, the XJ.
“The future of mobility is electric and, as a visionary British company, we are committed to making our next generation of zero-emission vehicles in the UK,” Chief Executive Ralf Speth said on Friday.
The announcement gives a boost to Britain’s automotive sector hit this year by Honda and Ford’s (F.N) plans to close factories.
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has highlighted the dangers of a no-deal Brexit and the need to maintain frictionless trade with the European Union, echoing warnings from the industry that just-in-time production could be hit by customs delays and additional bureaucracy.
But it has signed a deal with workers at the Castle Bromwich factory to go from a five-day to a four-day working week with the same amount of hours which should allow the plant to operate more efficiently.
Three of JLR’s four European car plants are in Britain, giving it limited capacity elsewhere on the continent.
The other, in Slovakia, only opened last year and is still being ramped up with other models allocated there.
“We are making this investment because the ongoing Brexit uncertainty has left us with no choice, we had to act, for our employees and our business,” JLR said.
“We are committed to the UK as our home and will fight to stay here but we need the right deal.”
Both candidates to replace Prime Minister Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, have both said they are prepared to take Britain out of the EU on Oct. 31 without a deal, although it is not their preferred option.
Brexiteers have argued that the EU’s biggest economy Germany, which exports hundreds of thousands of cars to Britain ever year, would do its utmost to protect that trade
Friday’s announcement comes after a turbulent few months for Jaguar which announced around 4,500 job cuts earlier in January and posted a 3.66 billion pound ($4.5 billion) loss in 2018/19.
The carmaker is undergoing a turnaround designed to offer an electrified option to all of its new models from 2020 as it seeks to move away from its reliance on diesel vehicles which are being increasingly shunned by buyers.
Jaguar also called on the government to bring giga-scale battery production to the country so that Britain is not left behind in the rush to produce low and zero-emissions vehicles and technology.
Britain’s business minister Greg Clark said the government was doing all it can to meet that goal.
“We are determined to realize that ambition,” he said.
($1 = 0.7952 pounds)
Reporting by Costas Pitas; editing by Michael Holden and Jane Merriman
FILE PHOTO – A car hangs on the wall of Jaguar’s Castle Bromwich manufacturing facility in Birmingham, Britain, November 17, 2016. REUTERS/Darren Staples
WASHINGTON – Amtrak will introduce a series of enhancements on the Auto Train during the next six months. This train offers daily, non-stop service from Lorton, Va. (near Washington, D.C.), and Sanford, Fla. (near Orlando). Customers can skip I-95 and travel with their vehicles, including cars, vans, SUVs, motorcycles, and even small boats or jet-skis.
Customers in the Sleeping Car will notice enhancements such as upgraded towels and bed linens and other pleasantries in each room. The dining car will feature a new menu and the addition of complimentary wine to the dinner service. This complimentary dinner service will become an exclusive amenity to Sleeping Car customers beginning on Jan. 15, 2020.
Amtrak will also expand the availability of every Sleeping Car accommodation — Roomette, Bedroom, Family Bedroom and Accessible Bedroom — to meet the demand for this class of service.
Coach customers will continue to take advantage of low fares and can choose from new dining options with the debut of the Cross-Country Café. Beginning on Jan. 15, 2020, the new menu will offer more meals, snacks and beverages for sale. At that time, Coach class tickets will no longer include complimentary dinner service. Coach customers will receive a complimentary continental breakfast prior to arrival at the Amtrak stations in Lorton, Va., or Sanford, Fla.
For all customers, food trucks will be on-site in Lorton, Va., and Sanford, Fla., to offer a variety of dining options before their journey begins.
“These upgrades represent an investment in improving the travel experience on this one-of-a-kind train,” Amtrak President and CEO Richard Anderson said. “Our continued success depends on increasing customer satisfaction by upgrading sleeping accommodations, keeping Coach as an affordable option and providing more choice in food options in the station and onboard.”
By the start of 2020, customers can take advantage of additional offers to travel on the Auto Train:
Share Fares will be available for travel with up to three companions. The discount will be up to 70% for a group of four and apply to select departures
The Oversized Vehicles fare will be available for minivans, full-size pick-up trucks and SUVs with three or more rows. This option will allow customers to pack more into their vehicle.
Amtrak Guest Rewards Select Executive members will receive a complimentary priority offload coupon as part of their tier member benefits.
Southbound Auto Train heading over Neabsco Creek in Woodbridge, VA.
FILE PHOTO: A Fiat Chrysler Automobiles sign is seen at the U.S. headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan,
TURIN, Italy (Reuters) – Fiat Chrysler plans to invest 700 million euros ($788 million) in an electric makeover of its iconic Fiat 500, a top executive said on Thursday, as the automaker seeks to move on from its failed bid to merge with France’s Renault.
FCA’s chief operating officer for Europe, Middle East and Africa, Pietro Gorlier, announced the investment – the Italian-American company’s biggest single bet on an electric vehicle – at its Mirafiori plant in Turin, northern Italy.
“The plan is confirmed,” Gorlier told reporters, when asked if FCA’s investment in electric vehicle technology would remain unchanged after its $35 billion plan to merge with Renault, an electric car pioneer, collapsed last month.
He said FCA would invest the 700 million euros to build a new production line at Mirafiori to turn out 80,000 of the new 500 BEV, its first battery electric vehicle to be marketed in Europe after a smaller, initial foray in the United States.
Production will start in the second quarter of 2020, with capacity to be expanded later, Gorlier said.
The 500 compact car is one of the group’s most famous models, launched by then Fiat in the late 1950s and quickly becoming a symbol of Italian urban design.
The 700 million euros investment is part of a plan announced last year to invest 5 billion euros in Italy up to 2021.
In abandoning its merger offer for Renault, FCA blamed French politics for scuttling what would have been a landmark deal to create the world’s third-biggest automaker.
($1 = 0.8878 euros)
(By Giulio Piovaccari; Editing by Mark Bendeich and Mark Potter)
