Automotive News Europe Podcast

Automakers and suppliers don't feel properly prepared to defend the forthcoming wave of software-defined cars against hackers, according to a recent study. Capgemini's Jean-Marie Lapeyre explains why that is very encouraging.

BorgWarner wants 25 percent of its total global revenue by 2025 to come from supplying EVs by 2025, up from 5 percent now. A key contract with BMW has the company on track to reaching the tough target, top exec Arnaldo Iezzi says.

Henrik Fisker says that to make the startup electric car maker that carries his name different from VW and BMW it needed to develop its vehicles in record time. The aim is to make sure models such as the new Ocean are as high tech as any consumer electronics product on the market.

TomTom Automotive Managing Director Antoine Saucier says the supplier's close partnership with VW Group's software arm, Cariad, means a navigation system update could take place in as little as an hour.

The chip crisis has put automakers in an unfamiliar position. They can't get enough semiconductors to keep their assembly lines running. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares blames Tier 1s for the problem, but supplier expert David Opsahl says that position is "off base."

Mate Rimac likes to say that VW, Porsche and Hyundai have invested hundreds of millions of euros in his education. He plans to use what he has learned to create new-generation Bugattis "without spending billions."

Magna Steyr vice president of sales and marketing Kurt Bachmaier explains why working with startups has been so beneficial to the contract manufacturer's relations with BMW, Mercedes and Jaguar.

ZipCharge says 40 percent of EV owners can't replenish their battery packs at home. Company co-founder Jonathan Carrier says these folks usually have to use the public infrastructure -- which costs much more -- creating an inequality gap that the mobility startup wants to remedy.

Aiways turns 5 years old this year, but its head of overseas operations, Alexander Klose, believes it already has an advantage over its much more experienced rivals in Europe. He plans to leverage the Chinese startup's electric-only credentials to reach five-digit sales figures in the region this year.

Finnish renewable materials company Stora Enso says it has found a way to replace the graphite used in lithium ion batteries with lignin, which it extracts from trees. Lauri Lehtonen, who is head of innovation at the company's biomaterials division, explains the process and outlines the potential benefits for automakers.

A Tesla Model Y shuts down its lane-keeping assistant as a punishment and a navigation system upgrade that takes hours to complete then sets a course to a road that has been closed for years. These are some of the lows from new in-car technology experienced by the Automotive News Europe team this year. There were, however, some big winners with the team, which gave top marks to current adaptive cruise control systems.

VW Group's connectivity partner, Cubic Telecom, is helping the automaker transition toward having software-defined cars. Punitha Sinnapan, the supplier's vice president automotive design and innovation, sees 2024-25 as a pivotal period for this game-changing shift.

Nvidia head of automotive Danny Shapiro says that in two years there will be vehicles on the road that can drive themselves much of the time. He explains why those same cars will actually get better at the task as they get older.

Turning cars into connected smart devices is forcing a dramatic re-think within the automotive industry. Continental's head of architecture and software, Michael Huelsewies, is one of the people leading this transition.

VW executive and author Nari Kahle has a passion for mobility, particularly solutions that are inclusive, affordable and help improve lives.

Volvo Cars subsidiary Lynk & CO's lineup in Europe consists of one car, the 01, which is only available in blue or black and is almost never sold. Lynk & CO CEO Alain Visser explains why the radically simple offer has been hugely successful.

The vehicle supply constraints caused by the chip crisis have led to "fairly spectacular" financial results for many of Europe's listed car retailers. Steve Young, who is managing director at dealer specialist ICDP, explains why this positive trend has less than a 50 percent chance of continuing.

Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson says that to challenge Tesla the Swedish automaker needs to talk less and do more. He also explains why making autonomous vehicles a reality will require a completely different mindset.

Mobileye executive Johann Jungwirth has spent the last decade as a leader in the push to launch full-autonomous cars. He says that a very special person has been a driving force behind his desire to make the technology a reality.

Secondmind CEO Gary Brotman explains how the machine learning specialist is helping Mazda untangle some complicated powertrain challenges so that the automaker can build greener cars in less time.

Automakers' average customer retention rate for new cars is about 25 percent, says Automotive Transformation Group CEO Christian Erlandson. He explains how his company's digital tools and techniques have helped more than double that number.

Magna Europe President Günther Apfalter says the chip crisis will cause volatility until early 2022, but he is already seeing positive signs for the region. The shortage, however, isn't the only trouble spot he is monitoring.

Nio Vice President of Design Kris Tomasson, who held top styling jobs at BMW and Coca-Cola before joining the Chinese startup, gives a detailed tour of the EV brand's first sedan, the ET7.

Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath shares how the 4-year-old EV maker is building brand loyalty and discusses the company's path toward profitability.

The rapid shift to online sales means that automakers and dealers need a way to safely and effectively accept digital payments. Helping them make that shift is Nikhita Hyett, who is managing director for Europe at online payment specialist BlueSnap.

Continental Head of Automotive Manufacturing Sami Krimi explains why he believes the move to Industry 4.0 should make shortages such as the current microchip crunch a thing of the past.

Han Hendriks is leading Yanfeng's work on the smart cabins that are poised to change the way we travel in the future. This major shift is one of the reasons why he calls this the industry's "most exciting decade" in a long time.

Vitesco Technologies is using the remaining time before its stock listing to show investors some of its key future products, which have already won big orders, CEO Andreas Wolf said. The powertrain supplier's boss explains how Vitesco plans to maintain its positive momentum.

The European Union's proposed tougher tailpipe rules have put the combustion engine's future in doubt in the region. Automotive News Europe Associate Publisher and Editor Luca Ciferri outlines what this means for the automotive industry.

Harman's Android Automotive-compliant in-vehicle app solution, called the Ignite Store, allows automakers to choose non-Google products for key features. Fiat Chrysler will be the first automaker to use Harman's app store. More customers will follow in 2022, Ignite Store executive Daniel Zloczower said.

The Goodwood Festival of Speed in England returned after a one-year hiatus caused by the pandemic. ANE Correspondent Nick Gibbs shares the event's highlights and explains what Goodwood's success means for upcoming auto shows.

Seat-making giant Adient is doing more than keeping pace with key megatrends such as the move to electrified and autonomous cars. Andreas Maashoff, Adient's director of design and technology for Europe, provides details on the supplier's "floating seat," which offers Star Trek-level comfort, safety and entertainment features.

Frank Stephenson has not slowed down since leaving supercar maker McLaren. The longtime car stylist, who has also led the creative teams at Ferrari, Maserati and Mini, started his own design company in 2018 because he wanted a new challenge, which includes designing vehicles that are set to race on the moon this year.

The Peugeot 308 is the biggest European launch of 2021 for the French automaker's new parent, Stellantis. Agnes Tesson-Faget led development of the compact hatchback, which gets a sleeker body and adds a plug-in hybrid variant to help it increase the pressure on the segment's longtime leader, the Volkswagen Golf.

The Polestar 2, thanks to Google's Android Automotive system, allows app developers to create an unlimited number of features and services for the car. Anya Ernest, who is an explorative design specialist, is responsible for in-car apps at Polestar. She talks about which apps are gaining a following and shares what she would love a third-party developer to add.

With its BMW contract manufacturing deal due to run out in 2023, VDL Nedcar is looking for the right customer -- or customers -- to fill the pending void. CEO John van Soerland is talking with a wide range of startups in China and the U.S., likening the process to a familiar fairy tale. He explains what is being done to ensure the Dutch company has a happily ever after ending to the quest.

Europe's tougher CO2 rules have made calculations of emissions figures more crucial than ever to automakers. JATO Dynamics CEO David Krajicek explains how the data specialist is tracking this essential information.

Demand for French tech company Vulog services has surged since last autumn. Current customers include VW Group and Hyundai and more are set to follow, causing CEO Gregory Duconge to predict that shared mobility will thrive in the post-COVID-19 world.

Traffic information and navigation software specialist TomTom plans to maintain its dominate position in Europe despite growing competition from Google. TomTom Automotive Managing Director Antoine Saucier explains how.

The new Dacia-Lada business unit aims to maintain each brand's value-for-money promise by sharing an architecture, a move that should keep prices down. However, Dacia-Lada CEO Denis Le Vot says that affordable doesn't mean boring.

Capgemini executive Sebastian Tschödrich explains why a third of car buyers that took part in a recent study would switch from their preferred brand to a different brand due to sustainability.

Volvo executive Hanna Fager says the automaker's new parental leave policy is an investment in attracting a diverse, dynamic group new employees as well as retaining its most talented people.

InoBat Head of Business Development Jonathan Carrier says the startup will stand apart from rivals by quickly bringing new battery technologies to market.

The European supplier industry is coping with challenges ranging from the pandemic to the chip shortage. Despite this, Sigrid de Vries, who is the secretary general at European supplier organization CLEPA, says members remain positive about 2021.

Volta Trucks CEO Rob Fowler explains how the EV startup aims to make the delivery of good in cities cleaner and safer without sacrificing on profitability.

Vitesco Technologies CEO Andreas Wolf says that Continental's soon-to-be-spun-off powertrain division is ready to prove detractors wrong. The biggest challenge he foresees for the company is keeping pace with strong demand for its portfolio of products for hybrids and full-electric vehicles.

Geely Executive Vice President of Design Peter Horbury is concerned that some auto designs are getting hit with the "ugly stick," especially in Asia. He explains why.

Magna Steyr President Frank Klein talks about how the Austria-based contract manufacturer is able to balance the needs of customers ranging from BMW, Jaguar and Toyota to Sony and EV maker Fisker.

Key details on the Automotive News Europe Podcast by Automotive News Europe