Podcasts about vw group

Gugs Mhlungu chats to Kumbi Mtshakazi, Resident motoring enthusiast, about Volkswagen's strategy to streamline its model range to remain competitive. They discuss what this means for consumers, how the rise of Chinese car brands is reshaping the market, and whether a simplified lineup can help VW maintain its competitive edge. Gugs Mhlungu gets you ready for the weekend each Saturday and Sunday morning on 702. She is your weekend wake-up companion, with all you need to know for your weekend. The topics Gugs covers range from lifestyle, family, health, and fitness to books, motoring, cooking, culture, and what is happening on the weekend in 702land. Thank you for listening to a podcast from 702 Weekend Breakfast with Gugs Mhlungu. Listen live on Primedia+ on Saturdays and Sundays from 06:00 and 10:00 (SA Time) to Weekend Breakfast with Gugs Mhlungu broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/u3Sf7Zy or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/BIXS7AL Subscribe to the 702 daily and weekly newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The guys are live from Baldwin Hills previewing Pebble Beach week, breaking down Jerry Seinfeld's Porsche collection hitting the Gooding and Company auction block, and exposing the CPR Classic fraud that landed its owner in federal prison with a $10 million restitution order. Plus: a 2027 Audi S5 review and spy footage of the new mid-engine Toyota MR2. ______________________________________________

The guys review the confusing Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS, drive the $34K Subaru WRX through Wales, and examine spy shots of a ducktail Porsche 911 GT3 mule. Plus: a Little League president steals $64,000 for BlueChew, a Florida woman gets a license plate that says SQUEEZE A**, and Seattle's favorite raccoon, Jimothy, earns his rightful place in internet history. ______________________________________________ GET THE SHEFFIELD SPORT SOLAR CERAMIC: https://sheffieldwatches.com

This week on the Kilowatt Half Hour, Vicky and Batch dig into the government's newly confirmed pay-per-mile scheme for electric cars, set to land at 3p per mile from 2028, and unpack what it really means for the cost of running an EV versus a petrol car (spoiler: home charging still wins).They also cover Volkswagen's bombshell restructuring plans, with up to 50,000 jobs at risk in Germany and a major shake-up of its model line-up and platform sharing across the VW Group.Plus: more highlights from Goodwood, first impressions of the DS No7, this week's leasing and used-car bargains (a Renault 5 for under £280 a month, and a Mini Electric for under £10k), and your comments and questions, including a listener's case for wanting 600 miles of range, and a brilliantly weird suggestion for testing whether car colour affects EV range.All that, plus your comments from across the Electrifying.com channels.

FOLLOW UP: UK GOVERNMENT CANS CAR PARK SOLAR CANOPIESAfter reviewing a consultation on new outdoor large car parks should be required to fit solar panel canopies the Government has decided to shelve the idea. Costs and differing site conditions were used as excuses, in the responses, to the concept. To read more, click this East Anglia Bylines article link here.VW NOW CONSIDERING 100,000 JOB LOSSESAccording to reports, Volkswagen Group is now considering doubling the job losses to around 100,000 and the shutting down of four German plants. Additionally they are considering spinning off the Volkswagen brand and the components division. If you wish to read more, click this Yahoo!News article link here.PORSCHE'S NEW STRATEGY EXPLAINEDThe CEO of Porsche, Michael Leiters has outlined the company's new strategy to investors, whilst asking for patience. Called Strategy 2035 it is hoped it will dramatically improve their fortunes as right now their profit margin is 1.1 percent. The strategy is targeting customers, cars to be offered and costs. For more on this story, click this CarScoops article link here.POLESTAR BANNED FROM SELLING CARS IN THE USPolestar has been banned from selling cars in the US, despite having a factory in country, due to the Connected Vehicle Rule which restricts Chinese (and Russian) linked hardware and software. It must be remembered that recently Volvo, their sister company, was granted a waiver of this rule. To read more, click this Auotcar article link here.FERRARI LOSE AND FIND NEW HEAD OF MARKETINGChief Marketing and Commercial Officer, Enrico Galliera, has left Ferrari after 16 years. He is to be replaced by Massimiliano Di Silvestre. This has occurred a few weeks after the launch of the Luce, which cause quite the stir. Click this Yahoo!Finance article link here for more.FORD REHIRING SOME ENGINEERS FIRED FOR AI THAT HAS FAILEDFord have had to eat some humble pie as it has rehired some 350 engineers it made redundant and replaced with AI. This has not worked out as the company has found the software failed. The company isn't retreating from its use, but instead is getting the engineers to train it. You can read more, by clicking this Futurism article link here.BMW OTA UPDATE BATTERY WARNINGBMW has told owners that they do not need to worry about a 12v battery warning, which has occurred to i3 and i4s following an over the air (OTA) update. The company stated that there is nothing wrong with the battery. To find out more, click this CarScoops article link here.If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Morgan Midsummer CoupeThe collaboration between Morgan and Pininafarina has produced more lovely work, this time in the form of the Midsummer Coupe. There is now a hard top version to compliment the roadster which we covered previously. Only nine will be built. Click this Motoring Research article link here, for more.Skoda PeaqSkoda has released the specifications for their second largest vehicle, the Peaq. An electric SUV, with the capability of seating seven, there are a couple of battery options and drive configurations, as we have come to expect from the VW Group. Prices start at £51,980 and as you move up through the trim levels, tops out at initially £58,280. Click this Top Gear article link here for the full details.Shell Triple 10 ChallengeShell has revealed a proof of concept, called the Triple 10 Challenge. They are aiming for 10km/kWh, a total lifecycle CO2 footprint of 10 tonnes and a maximum 10 minute recharge time. Click this CarScoops article link here to learn more.LUNCHTIME READS: AUDI 80 AT 60We are recommending a Nathan Chadwick article, on Hagerty, for your reading pleasure this week. He dives into the history of the 80 and how important the model was through a variety of iterations. Click this link here to read more.LIST OF THE WEEK: 116 YEARS OF ALFA ROMEOIt started as an art project, where Juanma Tastzien drew 31 Alfa Romeo models from their 116 year history. You can see five by clicking this link here, but we strongly recommend you sign up to his Creating Lightly newsletter because a) it is very good and enjoyable and b) you see the other 26 cars.AND FINALLY: LAP OF LE MANS IN 1956For the And Finally, we are pointing you towards a YouTube video that is the film of Mike Hawthorn taking a D-Type Jaguar around Le Mans in 1956, with a camera strapped to the car and he is commentating as he is driving it. Utterly wonderful. Click this link here to see how it was, back then.

FOLLOW UP: MOTABILITY PAUSES BLACK BOX USEMotability has announced that it will be pausing the ‘Drive Smart' scheme that included fitting a black box to cars owned by those under the age of 30 leasing a car from them. Unfortunately they are not cancelling it but will amend it and try again. This discriminates against disabled drivers rather than helping them be more independent and live as active a life as possible. Click this article link here, from Disability News Service, for more.FOLLOW UP: THE TREASURY REJECTED MINISTERIAL CALL TO DROP PUBLIC CHARGING VAT RATEThe Treasury Department stood firm in the face of calls, by ministers, to drop the VAT rate for public EV chargers to 5%. HMRC is appealing the tax tribunal that agreed it should be cut due to their own criterial making it clear it should not be charged at 20%. To read more, click this article link from Europe Says.GOVERNMENT EXTENDS FUEL DUTY CUTLast week the Government announced that it will be extending the fuel duty cut to the end of the year, thanks to the idiocy in the Middle East. Whilst this sounds like it should help people, there are lots of evidence that shows those who need such help the most are disproportionately affected in times like these meaning they stop driving. For personal car usage this helps only the wealthy, however in the wider transportation ecosystem this will help to keep some costs down and not add to the impact the crisis is already having. For more on the news item, click this article link from Transport News.STELLANTIS AND DONGFENG SIGN EUROPEAN DEALStellantis and Dongfeng have signed another deal, this time for the Chinese firm to build their cars in European factories with spare capacity. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.There is also a link to a Top Gear article here, that goes into detail about if Stellantis's new plan is in fact new, that we think you might find interesting.HAS KIA AND NISSAN FIXED THEIR VULNERABILITIES IN 2 YEARSTwo years ago, security researcher Neiko Rivera, found some shocking API vulnerabilities in Kia and Nissan apps that allows easy access to vehicles he did not own. He has now followed that up, to see if improvements have been made, some have but mostly not and there's new ones that are easily exploited and should wake the industry up (especially if combined with last week's story about the MyAudi app). Click this YouTube link to his talk explaining what he has done and found.On Thursday 4 June at 20:00 BST, we will be going live with a Q&A on our YouTube channel. We need your help though, send us your automotive and motoring related question you would like to hear us answer. To send one in use our Contact Page, linked to here, and put “Q&A” in the Subject Line so it does not get lost in all the spam, or any other way you can send a question to us.NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Ferrari LuceThe internet erupted this week following Ferrari revealing their first EV, the Luce. Designed by Jony Ive and Marc Newson, the finished product has caused quite the stir. The chaps discuss this and wonder what about it makes it a Ferrari. Click this EVO article link to read more.Mercedes-AMG GTLast week Mercedes-AMG revealed their electric four door car, which also garnered a lot of attention, most of it negative. There is some impressive sounding tech dotted around the car, but that does require one to want to see beyond the looks, which is a big ask. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more.Skoda EpiqNow for something more reflective of what people want at a price that can be afforded, the Skoda Epiq. From £24,090, this is the smallest electric SUV the brand offers. Expect typically VW Group interior with Skoda touches and decent exterior looks. Click this Motoring Research article link to read more.LUNCHTIME READ: IN DEFENCE OF LIGHTNESSFriend of the show, Nir Kahn, has written an interesting piece on predominately defence vehicles but the trap many fall into with fixating on one aspect and ignoring others meaning opportunities go begging to make a better product. To read more, click this LinkedIn article link here.LIST OF THE WEEK: 21 CHARMING ROVER SALOONSThis week Andrew takes a major psychological step forward and agrees to have a list that covers Rover. He has refrained for all this time because the worst car he has ever owned was a Rover and it has left deep, deep scars. Check out the Classic & Sports Car article link and see which you would have.AND FINALLY: ARTIST JAMES STEVENSJames takes classic and iconic moments in motorsport and others, but removes the background giving that moment even more pop and power. Check out this Classic & Sports Car article link to see more, including a link to his website. Wonderful work.

FOLLOW UP: FCA CONFIRM FINANCE MIS-SELLING REDRESSThe Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has confirmed the details for the redress scheme, following finance mis-selling to car buyers. Less people will be eligible to claim, as somehow they have deemed that dealer direct to manufacturer finance was not liable to the same issues as was found to be open to abuse. However, the average payout will be higher than expected, at £829. For more on this, click the Autocar article link here.JLR FIND A NEW STRATEGY CHIEFTata exec, Balaje Rajan, has become the chief strategy officer for JLR. This move indicates a tighter alignment with between the companies. We can expect more platform sharing plus electrification and software development being closer aligned. You can read more about this, by click the Autocar India article link here.JLR HALTS PRODUCTION AT SOLIHULLJLR has halted production at the Solihull plant, due to a problem with their supply chain, specifically one supplier. We do not know who the supplier is, nor what the part is. This pausing of production dovetails into a planned shutdown over the Easter period. Click this Business Maters article link here, to read more.£1B FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO HELP E-LORRIES AND E-VANSThe UK Government rolled out two initiatives to help the transition to zero emission lorries and vans. First is the Zero Emissions Truck and Van Grant, with the second being the Depot Charging Scheme. The aim is to assist with two of the major blocks for companies switching, costs to buy and lack of infrastructure. For more details, click this EV Powered article link here.AFEELA CANCELLED BY HONDA AND SONYThe joint-venture between Honda and Sony, called Afeela, has been cancelled following Honda's decision to can their 0 Series EVs. This is no real surprise as the project was going to use a lot of the 0 Series technology and platform. If you wish to read more, click this Top Gear article link here.VW TO RECALL NEARLY 100,000 EVS WORLD WIDEThe German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has stated that the VW Group must recall 94,031 ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo, plus Cupra Born vehicles, globally, built between 7 February 2022 and 23 August 2024. The vehicle batteries do not meet the agreed specification and might produce reduced driving range as well as there being a risk of fire. Click this electrive article link for more information.BRING A TRAILER COMING TO THE UKThe US auction site, Bring a Trailer, is coming to the UK. Last year the company $1.7 billion in sales and now sees this as the right time to bring their way of doing things to the UK classics market. For more on this story, click this link to a Motoring Research article.If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Dacia StrikerDacia has revealed what we are told is an estate, but it is not, its a crossover. Going up against the likes of the Skoda Octavia, it is aligned with the Bigster. Details are very thin on the ground, including what the interior looks like. Click this Autocar article to see more about this handsome looking car.Jeep Easter Safari ConceptsThat time of year has rolled around again where Jeep go off on an Easter Safari, in Moab Desert, with their tricked out cars. Always a treat to see what they have come up with, this year is no different. Click this Carscoops article to see more.Mika MinoThe Miko Mino is designed with the core philosophy of small and light. A collaboration between friend of the show Nir Kahn and Robin Hall, they are pursuing this core axiom with lazer focus. To find out more about this idea, click here for an EV Powered exclusive article.LUNCHTIME READ: THE AUTOMOBILE AS AN APPLIANCEDriven to Write provide the article we are recommending you read whilst enjoying your lunch this week. Often it is said, on this show, how cars are becoming appliances to most, but what if that idea was the basis for a concept that was explored? Find out more, by clicking this link here.LIST OF THE WEEK: THE 20 GREATEST WEDGESWe all like concept cars, but one way to make them much cooler is for one to be wedge shaped. Well, Top Gear are not content with that, how about 20 wedge shaped concept cars? Click this link to check out your options.AND FINALLY: HOW DIRTY IS THE A1?Listener's discretion is needed with this week's recommendation. Auto Shenanigins is asking the question many of us have wondered, why are there so many adult stores on the A1? Click this YouTube link to find out.

It's EV News Briefly for Saturday 07 March 2026, everything you need to know in less than 5 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show.Patreon supporters fund this show, get the episodes ad free, as soon as they're ready and are part of the EV News Daily Community. You can be like them by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/EVNewsDailyVW SHOWS WORKERS NINTH-GEN GOLF PLANVolkswagen has given Wolfsburg workers a first look at the ninth-generation Golf, expected to carry the ID Golf name and built on VW Group's new Scalable Systems Platform (SSP). From summer 2027, current combustion-engine Golf production shifts to Mexico, freeing Wolfsburg to retool for the ID Golf and an electric VW T-Roc successor.STELLANTIS CUTS ELECTRIC VAN PRICES TO DIESEL LEVELStellantis Pro One is running a European campaign until end of June that matches the purchase price of eight battery-electric vans to their diesel equivalents across compact and mid-size segments. The offer directly closes gaps such as the €7,150 difference between the Opel Combo Cargo Electric and its diesel counterpart, testing whether price parity alone will push fleets to commit.TESLA EYES 400-STALL SUPERCHARGER SITE IN YERMOTesla is planning a 400-stall V4 Supercharger station in Yermo, California on Interstate 15 between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, which would more than double the current record of 164 stalls. The site would be built in six phases as part of a wider retail hub called Eddie World 2, with Phase 1 delivering 72 stalls breaking ground in 2026.UBER BACKS POD HOME CHARGING SUBSCRIPTION FOR DRIVERSUber has partnered with Pod in the UK to offer drivers a home EV charger subscription for £25 per month over three years, with no upfront cost, a lifetime warranty, and potential cash rewards of up to £170 a year through smart charging. The offer arrives as Uber expands its Uber Electric category to eight new UK cities including Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds.BYD SURGES IN GERMANY AND UKBYD registrations surged 1,550% year-on-year in Germany in February to 3,053 vehicles, while also rising 83% in the UK to 2,154 units and tripling in Spain to 3,003 registrations. The gains come as BYD ramps up its first European plant in Hungary, built partly to sidestep EU tariffs on Chinese-imported EVs imposed in October 2024.NIO SHIFTS EUROPE TO DISTRIBUTORSNio is overhauling its European operations by switching from direct sales to a distributor-led model in Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden, while retaining direct sales only in Norway. The restructure, moving from a country-led to a function-led organisation, has already seen Nio Germany general manager David Sultzer step down.MILENCE OPENS 400 KW TRUCK CHARGING HUB IN GHENTMilence, backed by Volvo Group, Daimler Truck, and Traton, has opened a 400 kW HGV charging hub at the Volvo Trucks plant in Ghent, its fourth Belgian site, positioned on the TEN-T North Sea–Mediterranean freight corridor. A second phase will add Megawatt Charging System infrastructure, targeting charge times of 30 to 45 minutes for large HGV batteries.UK ADDED TO EU PLANS FOR EV PRODUCTION LIMITSThe European Commission's Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) will open EU manufacturing subsidies to up to 40 "trusted partner" nations including the UK and Japan, following lobbying by UK business secretary Peter Kyle after fears that Nissan's Sunderland plant could close under earlier exclusionary proposals. The IAA also targets lifting manufacturing's share of EU GDP from 14.3% to 20% by 2035, though US firms are expected to be excluded due to American public procurement restrictions.ETHIOPIA'S EV IMPORT SHARE JUMPS AFTER ICE BANAfter Ethiopia banned ICE vehicle imports in 2024 and cut EV import duties, EVs rose from under 1% to around 6% of all vehicle imports, surpassing the reported global average of roughly 4%. The government is driving electrification as energy sovereignty, aided by low electricity costs of around $0.10 per kWh and a tiered tariff structure that exempts domestically assembled EV kits from import tax entirely.ORBÁN'S BATTERY BET HITS A DOWNTURNHungary has attracted approximately €26 billion in foreign EV battery investment, mainly from South Korean and Chinese manufacturers, but battery output has fallen during a prolonged sector downturn weeks before the April 12 national election. The strategy faces additional political pressure after a news investigation into health and safety violations at Samsung SDI's factory undermined the narrative around foreign-capital-led industrialisation.QUEENSLAND PUSHES UNDER-16 BAN FOR E-MOBILITYA Queensland parliamentary inquiry has tabled 28 recommendations including a ban on under-16s riding e-bikes and personal mobility devices, prompted by 12 e-mobility deaths and over 6,300 emergency department presentations in the state last year. Key proposals also include requiring at least a learner car licence to ride, cutting footpath speed limits to 10 km/h, and reclassifying any device capable of exceeding 25 km/h as a motorcycle.

It's EV News Briefly for Monday 02 March 2026, everything you need to know in less than 5 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show.Patreon supporters fund this show, get the episodes ad free, as soon as they're ready and are part of the EV News Daily Community. You can be like them by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/EVNewsDailyBMW USA SHOP LEAK POINTS TO 2027 LINEUPA leak on BMW USA's online shop revealed two fully electric i3 sedan variants — the i3 40 xDrive and i3 50 xDrive — confirmed for the US in 2027, sharing the Neue Klasse platform with the iX3 and featuring Gen6 batteries, 800-volt hardware, and an iDrive X interior. The 2027 lineup also adds a first-ever iX4 coupe-SUV in two variants, an iX3 in three configurations launching in North America this summer, an electric iX5, and an i3 M60 alongside a full electric M3 positioned as the spiritual successor to today's M3 Competition.TESLA BERLIN RUNS HALF FULL AS UNION ROW SIMMERSTesla's Gigafactory Berlin produced 211,235 vehicles in 2024 against a stated annual capacity of 375,000 — a 56% utilisation rate — and output has since declined further, with the factory now reportedly running at around 40% capacity and BYD outselling Tesla in Europe in January 2026. Labour tensions are deepening ahead of works council elections, with IG Metall pursuing collective wage agreements similar to those at Volkswagen and BMW, while Tesla filed a criminal complaint against a union member and Elon Musk warned that "outside organisations" could hinder the site's ambition to become Europe's largest factory complex.T&E: LOCAL BATTERIES COULD CUT COST GAPA Transport & Environment report argues the EU can shrink the cost gap between domestically made and Chinese batteries from 90% to around 30% through scaled-up local production, with higher automation and lower scrap rates potentially cutting the gap to $14 per kWh by 2030 — equivalent to roughly €500 on an average EV. The findings align with the EU's forthcoming Industrial Accelerator Act, which targets ~70% local content thresholds for publicly supported EVs, though some carmakers warn this risks making batteries prohibitively expensive while T&E's Julia Poliscanova calls it "a sovereignty premium worth paying," particularly given China's export restrictions on critical minerals.TRIBUNAL BACKS 5% VAT ON SOME PUBLIC CHARGINGA UK tax tribunal has ruled against HMRC in a case brought by community charging operator Charge My Street, finding that a de-minimis clause in the VAT Act 1994 — capping "domestic" supplies at 1,000 kWh per month per customer — can qualify most neighbourhood charge points for the 5% reduced VAT rate rather than the 20% rate currently applied to public charging. The ruling is significant for drivers without off-street parking, though it also raises commercial complications, as many charge point operators have multi-year contracts priced on 20% VAT, and it opens the door to networks gaming the threshold by splitting sites or charger banks into separate "premises".ŠKODA OPENS €205M CTP BATTERY PLANT IN CZECHIAŠkoda has opened a €205 million (~$216M), 55,000 m² battery production facility at Mladá Boleslav, making it the Volkswagen Group's largest BEV battery system site and the first VW Group plant in Europe to manufacture cell-to-pack (CTP) systems at scale. The line produces over 1,100 battery systems per day — targeting up to 335,000 annually — and Škoda's switch to LFP cells has cut battery production costs by 30% compared to its previous MEB systems.MG CLOSES IN ON EUROPEAN FACTORY PLANMG has narrowed its European factory search to five countries, aiming to begin production by 2027 to circumvent the EU's 45% tariff on Chinese-built BEVs — a levy that caused MG's European BEV sales to fall 33% to 48,479 units last year, even as overall European sales rose 26% to 307,282 units in 2025. MG Europe head William Wang declared "it's time to build local," positioning the brand as a European marque rather than a Chinese import, as rivals BYD, Chery, and Leapmotor also race to establish European manufacturing footholds.CITROËN UPDATES C5 AIRCROSS PHEV FOR EURO 7Citroën has refreshed the C5 Aircross plug-in hybrid with a new 21.5 kWh battery (17.8 kWh usable), delivering up to 96 km (60 miles) of WLTP combined electric range — a 33% improvement over the outgoing model and ahead of rivals like the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4 (69 km) and Ford Kuga PHEV (64 km). Priced in the €40–50k range, Citroën positions the updated C5 Aircross as one of the most tax-efficient family SUVs in the mainstream segment across EU markets while still targeting Euro 7 compliance.CANADIAN TRIAL PEGS ELECTRIC SEMI SAVINGS AT $157,126A real-world Canadian trial by FPInnovations' PIT Group and Transport Canada tracked two commercial fleets over 12 months and more than 200,000 km of Montreal-area operations, projecting savings of $157,126 per truck over six years — described as the most comprehensive dataset of its kind outside controlled demonstrations. The study compared the Freightliner eCascadia (BEV) directly against the diesel Cascadia and found that despite the electric truck's higher purchase price, higher-than-expected maintenance costs, and lower residual value, a six-year saving still emerged and may prove conservative.DENZA D9 ELECTRIC MPV ARRIVES IN AUSTRALIADenza has launched the D9 electric MPV in Australia from A$85,990, powered by a 103.3 kWh Blade Battery with 200 kW DC fast charging, 11 kW AC charging, and V2L capability across both variants, all built on BYD's e-Platform 3.0 with a cell-to-body battery structure. The seven-seat, three-row cabin targets the premium end of the people-mover segment with nappa leather, open-pore white ash wood trim, a 14-speaker Dynaudio sound system, adaptive suspension, and second-row captain's chairs offering over 900 mm of legroom, massage, and individual screens.CHINESE CAR BRANDS SPLIT US BUYERSA Cox Automotive survey of 802 prospective US car buyers found the country almost evenly divided — 38% would consider Chinese brands if available, 39% would not — with Gen Z showing notably higher openness at 69%. Chinese brands remain locked out of the US market by high tariffs and software regulations, but cost pressure is a key driver of interest, with 68% of open buyers expecting lower prices against an average new car price of $50,000, while BYD has already surpassed Tesla in European EV sales.

We're back! After what can only be described as a full factory reset (call it a model-year upgrade with a light facelift), the Electrifying.com team returns with a jam-packed episode covering one of the busiest periods the EV world has seen in years.Ginny, Nicola and Vicky dive straight into what they've been driving – including the VW Group “triplets” (Epiq, Polo and Raval), the Mercedes CLA, EV of the Year contenders, the Skoda Elroq, Volvo EX60, Kia EV2, Polestar 4 and more. There's also talk of regen feel, buttons and switches (yes, really), and whether some new models genuinely feel different under the skin.In the news: Polestar makes headlines (again), BYD's mysterious boot space growth spurt, and the Government boosts the home charging grant to £500 – but is it actually enough to make a difference? The team breaks down what the changes mean for renters, landlords and drivers without driveways.Welcome to the Kilowatt Half Hour - your weekly podcast from the team at Electrifying.com Contact us at podcast@electrifying.comWatch this podcast at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3yQxluEm5c&list=PLFQ1iRNtDyJt9rr1UT0pHCeMuOvm-6b9Q Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shoot us a Text.Episode #1213: Today we're talking Scout's aggressive service-first launch strategy, Carvana's stunning rise past Detroit's giants as it joins the S&P 500, and Waymo's shift from polite AV to confidently assertive city driver.Show Notes with links:Scout Motors is doubling down on a factory-run service network as it preps for a 2027 U.S. launch, betting that premium, reliable service will become a differentiator in the direct-to-consumer EV space.Scout will open 25 brand-owned rooftops at launch, both “Studios,” where customers shop and interact with a sales adviser, and “Workshops,” where service is performed. 57 rooftops are planned in Year 2.The brand plans 15% more annual service labor capacity than projected need to stay ahead of demand and reduce wait times.Scout aims to staff 1,400 service bays with roughly 900 technicians within five years, backed by VW Group resources but operating independently.“The way we describe our retail operations is a digital-first experience built on a service-first infrastructure.” — Cody Thacker, VP Commercial Operations, ScoutCarvana's comeback is officially Wall Street-certified as the online used-car disruptor joins the S&P 500, marking a stunning rebound from near-bankruptcy to an $87B valuation that now eclipses Ford and GM.Shares have surged more than 8,000% since 2022 and nearly doubled in 2025 as demand rebounded and cost discipline kicked in.Carvana now trades at 57× forward earnings, massively outpacing Detroit's single-digit multiples.The company sold a record 155,941 units in Q3, driving 55% revenue growth and fueling analyst confidence in potential volume leadership over CarMax by 2026.Index inclusion on Dec. 22 is expected to trigger significant buying from funds tracking the S&P.Waymo's once overly-courteous robotaxis are getting a software personality shift in San Francisco—assertive, human-like driving that's raising eyebrows, improving flow, and occasionally bending rules.Riders report more aggressive lane changes, quicker merges, and tighter gaps—closer to how real-world urban drivers operate.The shift follows complaints that overly passive AVs caused congestion, got stuck behind obstacles, and struggled downtown.Recent incidents include an illegal U-turn, a lane-change with no signal, and even a tragic neighborhood cat strike—fueling debate over “too human” behavior.Waymo says more assertiveness is required to scale in busy cities, with updates teaching AVs to make “common-sense decisions” when laws conflict.Thank you to today's sponsor, Mia. Capture more revenue, protect CSI, and never miss a call or connection again with 24/7 phone coverage and texting (SMS) follow-up for sales, service, and reception. Learn more at https://www.mia.inc/Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.Get the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/ JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/

- Ram to Get 1st SUV in 2028 - BYD's Q3 Net Profit Plunges 33% - VW Group Posts €1.3 Billion Net Loss in Q3 - VW Wants to Share More Platforms - Kia Delays EV4 Launch in U.S. - Cadillac Boosts Celestiq Starting Price By $60,000 - Ford Revives Engine Plant in India - NEVs Account For 60% Of China Sales in October - Gasoline Use in China Drops Because Of EVs

- Ram to Get 1st SUV in 2028 - BYD's Q3 Net Profit Plunges 33% - VW Group Posts €1.3 Billion Net Loss in Q3 - VW Wants to Share More Platforms - Kia Delays EV4 Launch in U.S. - Cadillac Boosts Celestiq Starting Price By $60,000 - Ford Revives Engine Plant in India - NEVs Account For 60% Of China Sales in October - Gasoline Use in China Drops Because Of EVs

Chance Claxton is a serial entrepreneur, a brand builder. Her most recent works involves  axial flux motors, known as pancake motors. They are lighter weight, lower cost, and highly efficient electric motors. Her company, Orbis Elecric, has been working with the VW Group and other automotive OEMs to put these motors inside wheels. They can be positioned in two rear wheels or in all four wheels for high torque and high horsepower applications.Orbis is working in several verticals: The motors are also being employed in the refrigeration systems in refrigerated trucks, driving down costs and boosting efficiency. Recently, Orbis Electric has promoted its motors for cooling systems in AI data centers. Chance explains that this is a booming market, there are lots of eyes it. Thus there is great interest and fundraising capabilities in deploying this type of innovation and efficiency in that energy-intensve vertical.Ted delves into Chance's diverse career, unearthing lessons learned in her path of entrepreneurialism. She began with a company designed to make Italian lines of furniture easily accessible, a company aptly called Design Within Reach.They developed an online catalog and then managed manufacturers in Italy to deliver the products.For 13 years, Chance was at the helm of U Konserve. That company was and still is about packaging to avoid food waste. With kids in school, she thought there must be a better solution than disposable ziplock bags. This career aligned with her sustainability values. U Konserve known  for reusable containers and food wraps. It ultimately sold to a bigger company, teaching her about scaling up, and knowing when to step aside. It's all about timing she said more than once.Another job taught her when to throw in the towel. With a business partner/inventor, she decided to make the ultimate mask to protect from Covid. They were manufactured it in China. She was just about to release just as the requirements for masks in America were lifted! She called that venture a swing and a miss... all back to timing. Remarkably, she and that inventor went on to develop automotive breaks. Orbis Brakes has the goal of disrupting the $30 billion brake industry. Orbis makes an inside-out form of disc brake, a ring with lots of ventilation. The motor fits right inside; the wheel encompasses the whole system. Chance explains how the brakes not only cut material costs, but also reduce nano-particulate pollution.Orbis Electric is focused on the motors and how to commercialize them. She describes the two test vehicles supplied b by Volkswagen to prototype the in-wheel motor system, one being an ID4 modified in California and then extensively track tested. Her company is working to develop alternative magnet materials, decreasing costs while increasing the sustainability of products. Chance discusses raising capital, a big piece of the equation. It's not easy being a self-funded company, constantly working to balance opportunities and resources. Thus the current data center focus. You have to go where the money is... matching that with areas of huge potential. She describes how one-third of world's electricity is wasted by inefficient motors and their operation. Many are not "smart motors," they are running all the time even when not needed.The conversation ends with more advice and reflection: Timing, staying in lane, defining your path, sticking with it, and radically shifting if need be. She discusses passion, a key ingredient in being resilient, so critical for entrepreneurial paths... perhaps more important than eduction and specialization. And passion need not be singular... it can be applied in lots of different ways at different times. You can't know it all, she implores, but there's so much you can learn by rolling up your sleeves.

Ep116 - Welcome back to The Inevitable by MotorTrend—where we dig into the future of the automobile. Fresh off IAA Munich 2025, we compare BMW's Neue Klasse / iX3 with Mercedes-Benz GLC Electric, talk mega watt charging, battery design, interiors, and who's really leading right now.   Guest Kyle Conner (Out of Spec) joins us first, then Frank Markus and Ed go deep on Qualcomm x BMW tech from the show floor: zonal compute, ADAS that's less annoying, AR HUDs, and on-device vs. cloud AI agents. We also hit VW Group's software reset (Cariad → Rivian/Xpeng), the Polestar 5 reveal (and its pricing problem), plus Kyle's Autobahn run in a Lucid Air Sapphire to an indicated 204 mph. ***MotorTrend Software-Defined Vehicle Innovator Awards — nominations for the 2026 SDV Innovator Awards are open now.*** SUBMIT NOMINATIONS HERE: https://www.motortrend.com/sdvsurvey   Topics covered IAA Munich highlights & how the show has “become CES for Europe”- BMW Neue Klasse platform: 4695 cylindrical cells, cell-to-pack, pack-to-body, zonal architecture (“Heart of Joy” ECU) Mercedes GLC Electric: big battery, 2-speed rear unit, 330 kW DC—how it stacks up AMG prototype mega-charging (~1 MW burst) VW Group software pivot: Cariad's struggles, Rivian partnership, ID.1 single-ECU concept Polestar 5: specs vs. price, missing performance basics Lucid Sapphire at 200+ mph: stability and thermal takeaways ADAS/UX done right: AR HUD, driver monitoring that understands intent, Level 2→4 reality Agentic AI in cars: what can run on-device vs. in the cloud

Esta semana AUTOFM son Antonio R. Vaquerizo, José Lagunar, Javier Quilón, Alex Moya, Rubén Gómez, Pedro Martín (periodistas de COTY), Ignacio Palmer González, Director de Comunicación de Erum Vial y Domingo Ochoa, fundador y CEO de Spania GTA. Y hemos hablado de: Reto de los 400 km/h con el GTA Spano del español Domingo Ochoa: comenzamos con las emociones al límite. Mercedes rectifica: hablamos de cómo la marca salva a uno de sus modelos más importantes y su continuidad en el mercado hasta 2028. Kuroba Motor Leganés, el concesionario más grande de España y Europa de Mazda. Conexión en directo con Ignacio Beamud, presidente y CEO de Mazda España, y Héctor Igelmo, gerente del concesionario. Debate sobre la baliza obligatoria de señalización, con Ignacio Palmer de Erum Vial. Descubre la innovación del primer cono geolocalizado del mundo Porsche y los eléctricos: la marca da marcha atrás con sus futuros Boxster y Cayman, que seguirán siendo gasolina. VW Group y la movilidad eléctrica: modelos urbanos fabricados en Landaben, el VW ID.Cross Concept, el Skoda Epiq y el Cupra Raval. Sabías que… con Rubén Gómez: la curiosidad del día nos lleva al Volkswagen Beetle de 1959 y su cafetera integrada en el salpicadero. Sección AutoScout24 con Alejandro Moya: un repaso a vehículos de ocasión únicos como BMW Z8, Aston Martin DB4 y Audi RS2 Avant. Seguridad vial con Hyundai España: consejos y novedades en seguridad. Sección TOTALENERGIES con Antonio Fernández, mantenimiento Scania II. Escúchanos en: www.podcastmotor.es Twitter: @AutoFmRadio Instagram: autofmradio Twitch: AutoFMPodcast Youtube: @AutoFM Contacto: info@autofm.es

- Hyundai Battery Plant Raided by ICE - Tesla's U.S. EV Market Share at Lowest Level Since 2017 - Uber and Momenta to Test Robotaxis In Germany - Dongfeng Adopts Gigacastings - CATL Launches New Sodium-Ion EV Battery - VW, Skoda and Cupra Reveal New Small EVs - Mercedes Unveils New GLC - Avatr Shows Off Wild Sedan Concept - Porsche Develops New Hybrid for the 911

- Hyundai Battery Plant Raided by ICE - Tesla's U.S. EV Market Share at Lowest Level Since 2017 - Uber and Momenta to Test Robotaxis In Germany - Dongfeng Adopts Gigacastings - CATL Launches New Sodium-Ion EV Battery - VW, Skoda and Cupra Reveal New Small EVs - Mercedes Unveils New GLC - Avatr Shows Off Wild Sedan Concept - Porsche Develops New Hybrid for the 911

Die Volkswagen Group Innovation ist die zentrale Einheit für Forschung und Zukunftstechnologien im VW-Konzern. Die Mitarbeiter sind global verstreut, sitzen in Kalifornien genauso wie in Peking. Geleitet wird die Abteilung von Nikolai Ardey. Gemeinsam entwickelt sie markenübergreifende Neuerungen für Audi, VW, Porsche, Škoda & Co. Wie sieht die nächste Fahrzeuggeneration aus? Es geht längst nicht mehr nur um Motoren, sondern um Plattformen, Software und künstliche Intelligenz, sagt er im Podcast.Die Branche steckt in einer Transformation: Bis 2035 könnten mehr als 190.000 Stellen wegfallen, schätzt der Verband der deutschen Automobilindustrie. Auch der Volkswagen-Konzern verkleinert sich und kämpft. Im zweiten Quartal brach der Gewinn der Wolfsburger um mehr als ein Drittel ein. Tochter Porsche traf es noch härter: In Zuffenhausen ging der Gewinn um 91 Prozent zurück.Die Gründe sind vielfältig, der Wettbewerb hart. In diesem Umfeld muss Nikolai Ardey versuchen, die Zukunft zu orchestrieren: "Mein Job ist, alles an Innovationen zu bearbeiten, was synergetisch den Marken des Volkswagen-Konzerns hilft, damit das nicht alle mehrfach finanzieren oder tun."In den Mittelpunkt der Forschung rückt das digitale Innenleben des Autos. Sprachmodelle wie ChatGPT sind in neuen VW-Modellen integriert. "Wenn ihr die neuen Modelle fahrt, dann werdet ihr sehen, die verstehen euch schon richtig", sagt Ardey. Die Umsetzung habe vom ersten Entschluss bis zum Einsatz nur sechs Monate gedauert. "Das ist Rekordzeit."Die Zukunft? Ein persönlicher digitaler Begleiter: "Das Fahrzeug wird zum Partner, zum persönlichen Assistenten." Auch das autonome Fahren rückt näher, in Deutschland aber mit Sicherheitsfahrern. Das sei wichtig, um der Gesellschaft die Möglichkeit zu geben, "Vertrauen in die Technologie zu entwickeln."Fachkräftemangel? Der starke chinesische Wettbewerb? Ardey ist trotz aller Herausforderungen überzeugt: "Neues Spiel, neues Glück." Die deutschen Hersteller hätten auch dank künstlicher Intelligenz alle Chancen, sich auf dem Weltmarkt durchzusetzen.Sie haben Fragen für Frauke Holzmeier und Andreas Laukat? Dann schreiben Sie eine E-Mail an sotechtdeutschland@ntv.de Unsere allgemeinen Datenschutzrichtlinien finden Sie unter https://datenschutz.ad-alliance.de/podcast.html Wir verarbeiten im Zusammenhang mit dem Angebot unserer Podcasts Daten. Wenn Sie der automatischen Übermittlung der Daten widersprechen wollen, klicken Sie hier: https://datenschutz.ad-alliance.de/podcast.htmlAlle Rabattcodes und Infos zu unseren Werbepartnern finden Sie hier: https://linktr.ee/sotechtdeutschlandUnsere allgemeinen Datenschutzrichtlinien finden Sie unter https://art19.com/privacy. Die Datenschutzrichtlinien für Kalifornien sind unter https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info abrufbar.

President Trump tours renovations at the Federal Reserve and says costs have spiralled to $3.2bn at the site but Chairman Jerome Powell pushes back against the claims. LVMH suffers a larger-than-expected fall in Q2 sales as CEO Bernard Arnault announces plans to open a new factory in Texas. VW Group cuts its FY guidance following an almost-30 per cent plunge in operating profit in the second quarter. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After many moons of service the mobile terrarium / paint dump / dodgem, the VW Barrel of Eggs, is no more. And today's show is in tribute to that trusty steed.Currently lying in state, when it makes its final journey on the back of a low loader to the scrapheap make sure to line the streets of South London and doff your cap.Yes this is the only podcast to pay tribute to two different cars coincidentally manufactured under the auspices of the VW Group. Pushing boundaries and all that.But how will John handle the news?Despite so much time dedicated to such fun there is enough left over for some secondary fun on a bleak day. Can Elis hit a *true* return to Connecting form? Plus, there's a thrillingly competitive Made Up Game.A book of condolence has been opened up via elisandjohn@bbc.co.uk on email and 07974 293 022 on WhatsApp for all your automotive tributes.

FOLLOW UP: GERMAN COURT SENTENCES DIESELGATE EXECSOver nine and a half years after dieselgate first hit the news, a court in Germany has sentenced four ex Volkswagen Group executives for their part in the scandal. Two were given prison time, with the others being given suspended sentences. Former Group CEO, Martin Winterkorn, is still awaiting trial after several health issues. Click this article link from DW for more. FOLLOW UP: FRANCE CANS ZFES DUE TO COMPLEXITYFrench politicians voted to end low emission zones, as it was part of a wider proposal to make daily life in France more simple. Alan predicted this would be the case, as he had just bought passes for his cars. Statues are being erected in honour of the man bringing a better life to the ordinary people of France. They will know Alan Bradley's name and they will honour it! To read more, click this Connexion article link here. FOLLOW UP: STELLANTIS GET A NEW CEOAfter months of searching, Stellantis have named the ex-Jeep boss, Antonio Filosa, as the new chief executive officer. Also announced is that the leadership team for the 14 brands of the group will be confirmed next month. You can find out more, by clicking this Autocar article link here. APRIL UK CAR PRODUCTION THE WORST FOR 73 YEARSApart from 2020, which was hit by Covid lockdowns, April 2025 was the worst for production since 1952. SMMT suggests that the Easter date and reduced export demand is to blame. Obviously, the call went up to demand UK based incentives to encourage more to buy. Click this Autocar article link here, for more. TOYOTA BRINGING GR COROLLA PRODUCTION TO THE UKOn more positive production news, Toyota is bringing GR Corolla production to the UK. Expected production levels are yet to be announced. To read more, click this Autocar article link here. VOLVO CULLING MORE JOBSVolvo has announced big cuts at it's Swedish bases, with 2200 roles to be made redundant. On top of that, a further 800 jobs will go across the global network. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar article link here. VAUXHALL GETS A NEW BOSSSteve Catlin will be returning to Vauxhall, where he started his journey in the automotive journey, via Audi, Seat, VW Group and latterly Volvo UK where he headed up the Financial Services division. To read more, click this Car Dealer article link here. UK EV CHARGER PLANNING REQUIREMENTS REMOVEDLillian Greenwood, the Future Roads Minister, has announced that the requirements of planning permission for private and public chargers is to be removed. The hope is that this will help speed up the installation of chargers across the country. For more on this story,

Description:In this episode of Kilowatt, I discuss recent advancements in electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy, including a groundbreaking battery swap technology for semi-trucks by CATL, aimed at launching 300 stations in China by 2025. I cover Nikola Motors' auction of hydrogen trucks amid bankruptcy and Rivian's $1 billion investment from VW Group for their R2 and R3 models. The episode also addresses Tesla's Cybertruck trade-in values and regulatory scrutiny of the upcoming RoboTaxi service. I conclude with Tesla's trademark challenges and an upcoming interview with Clockwork Energy on DC fast charging innovations.Support the Show:PatreonAcast+Other Podcasts:Beyond the Post YouTubeBeyond the Post PodcastShuffle Playlist918Digital WebsiteCars With CordsTesla's Robotaxi LaunchSources: CATL's Semi battery swap stationsNikola Motors to auction off Hydrogen Semi TrucksVW Group invests another billion dollars into RivianRivian's R2 advancementsTesla begins taking Cybertruck trade-insNHTSA adjusts autonomous taxi rulesNHTSA has some questions about Tesla's RoboTaxi serviceTesla to have 10 to 12 RoboTaxis to startElon gives us some RoboTaxi newsRoboTaxi headed to Saudi Arabia Tesla denied RoboTaxi trademark*Show Art Created By Dall-eSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/kilowatt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FOLLOW UP: SUNDERLAND NISSAN FUTURE SECUREFrançois Bailly, who is head of planning for Nissan, in Europe, has stated that the Sunderland plant's future is “very safe” as they reveal images of the next Leaf and Juke EVs to be built there. However, the Qashqai EV is being delayed for market uncertainty reasons. To read more, click this Autocar article link here. US TO IMPOSE 25% TARIFFS ON IMPORTED CARS AND PARTSPresident Trump has announced tariffs on imported cars and parts, of 25%. This will increase the price of cars, to US consumers. This will also hit US based manufacturers, when the market is already struggling. Click this Autocar article to read more about the implications. Sam Lowe, who writes about EU and UK trade policy, has looked into the announcement and has explained some of the nuance that might be lost in the mainstream coverage. Click here to read his Substack post. Meanwhile, the UK Government is in “intense” negotiations with the US over these moves, hoping to avoid being hit. To read more, click this Autocar article link. UK SPRING STATEMENT REACTIONThe car industry has reacted to the UK Government's spring statement, and it is not happy. Seemingly, when the leaks made it clear they were going to remove benefits from those most in need, some in automotive land thought that there would be financial incentives for wealthy private buyers to get new shiny cars or for incoming taxes to be postponed. If you wish to read more, click this article link from Motor Trader. UK VEHICLE EXCISE DUTY CHANGES COME INTO FORCEThe UK Government's changes to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) came into affect on 1 April 2025. There is an inflationary increase to all levels, but additionally some cars previously exempt from VED as well as the Expensive Car Supplement, will now be covered. This includes electric cars and those first registered back in 2017. On top of all that there are changes to the van excise duty and pick ups. To find out more, click this article link from Ayvens, which explains all the issues well. JIM ROWAN LEAVES VOLVO Jim Rowan, the Volvo CEO for the last three years after moving from Dyson, has left the company with immediate effect. His replacement is the former CEO, Håkan Samuelsson, on a two year interim basis. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar link here. WAYNE GRIFFITHS LEAVES SEAT AND CUPRAMore changes to the heads of brands, this time, the surprise announcement that Wayne Griffiths is leaving the Seat and Cupra brands. He has managed to keep Seat relevant, in the face of the VW Group's inability to work out what to do with it, and brought Cupra from nothing into a rapidly expanding brand. To find out more,

FOLLOW UP: A CORRECTIONLast week, during the discussion on the Kia PV5 Andrew moved onto a matter that was tangentially related as it concerned the coverage of the Government announcing the extension of the plug-in grant for electric vans. However, in how he moved to that and the editing after, Andrew inadvertently gave the impression he was attacking the Professional Van outlet and their writers. That was not the intention and we apologise for how that segment came out. It has been removed.ASTON MARTIN CUTS JOBS IN COST SAVINGS PUSHAston Martin has cut 170 jobs as it looks to cut costs following a disappointing 2023. Hit by supply chain issues production was down and therefore so were deliveries to customers. The company is aiming for £25 million savings annually. To read more, click this link to a BBC News article. STELLANTIS PROFITS FALL 70%Stellantis has released information on their 2024 performance and it is bad. Net profits fell 70% on those of 2023. With an operating income down 80% for just the US market alone. Whilst in Europe it fell 63%. Much of the blame is put on an ageing line up, with much of the hope resting on the new cars coming out. If you wish to read more, click this AMOnline article link here. NISSAN CANCELS NIGHT SHIFT AT SUNDERLAND PLANTNissan has announced that it is cancelling one of the night shifts at the Sunderland plant, as it looks to save costs globally. Click this BBC News article link here, for more. SKODA TO SLASH WORKFORCE BY 15%Skoda is the latest brand to announce it is reducing it's workforce. 15% of the 41,000 employed positions will go through natural fluctuations, the company stated. For more information on this, click the link here for a Yahoo!Finance article.PORSCHE REPLACES BOARD MEMBERSPorsche has decided the fault of increased costs and sales falling, is due to the chief financial and the marketing and sales directors. They have been now replaced, with Jochen Breckner now in charge of finance and IT, whilst Matthias Becker will be heading up sales and marketing. To read more on this, click the Autocar link here. ITALIAN REGULATORS INVESTIGATE MISLEADING EV INFORMATIONThe Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) and the Italian financial police (Guardia di Finanza) are investigating BYD, Stellantis, Tesla and the VW Group over claims of misleading information regarding their electric vehicles. Driving range, battery degradation and warranty information are all being questioned. If you want to learn more, click this CarScoops article link here. LIVERPOOL TO GET 58 ELECTRIC DOUBLE DECKERSLiverpool City Region Combined Authority has ordered 58 electric double deckers, from Alexander Dennis.The Department for Transport's...

Shoot us a Text.With 2 days left in January, that means there are only 2 days left to get discounted tickets to ASOTU CON! Today, we're talking about VW potentially bringing manufacturing to the US to avoid tariffs, Honda planning to introduce a sub $30K EV in the US, and how iPhones can now text on the SpaceX Starlink satellite network.Show Notes with links:Volkswagen Group is exploring plans to build Audi and Porsche models in the U.S. if President Donald Trump imposes high tariffs on vehicle imports from Europe and Mexico. This proactive move aims to safeguard the brands from potential trade barriers that could significantly impact profitability.Unlike the VW brand, which already has U.S. production, Audi and Porsche models sold in the U.S. are currently imported, making them vulnerable to tariffs.VW's Chattanooga plant, which produces the VW Atlas and ID.4, has excess capacity and could be expanded for luxury models.Another option is VW's upcoming South Carolina plant for the Scout brand, which could also accommodate Audi production.A 10% tariff on European imports could reduce VW Group's profits by 5-10%, while a 25% tariff on Mexican imports could result in a 15% hit, according to Moody's.Honda is stepping into the affordable EV space with a sub-$30,000 electric vehicle that could hit U.S. dealerships as early as 2026. A third of Honda's global sales are EVs and it aims to boost its U.S. EV presence.The new EV will be locally built in Ohio, starting with battery production, to reduce costs.It will be a part of the new Honda 0 Series and will follow Honda's higher-end 0 Series SUV and sedan, expected to cost $50K–$60K.Honda sold over 33,000 Prologue SUVs last year, outperforming the Chevy Equinox and Cadillac Lyriq, despite sharing GM's Ultium platform.The affordable EV could compete directly with GM's next-gen Chevy Bolt, also slated for a 2026 launch at a similar price point.Apple's latest iPhone update gives T-Mobile users access to SpaceX's Starlink network, marking a new era of connectivity.iOS 18.3 introduces support for SpaceX and T-Mobile's direct-to-cell satellite texting, meaning text messaging via satellite in areas without cellular coverageThe feature was previously limited to select Android devices, including Samsung models.Beta testers have begun receiving texts confirming access to satellite messaging.Future updates aim to add voice and data capabilities for complete off-grid connectivity.Hosts: Paul J Daly and Kyle MountsierGet the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/ JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/ Read our most recent email at: https://www.asotu.com/media/push-back-email

The Cybercrime Magazine Podcast brings you daily cybercrime news on WCYB Digital Radio, the first and only 7x24x365 internet radio station devoted to cybersecurity. Stay updated on the latest cyberattacks, hacks, data breaches, and more with our host. Don't miss an episode, airing every half-hour on WCYB Digital Radio and daily on our podcast. Listen to today's news at https://soundcloud.com/cybercrimemagazine/sets/cybercrime-daily-news. Brought to you by our Partner, Evolution Equity Partners, an international venture capital investor partnering with exceptional entrepreneurs to develop market leading cyber-security and enterprise software companies. Learn more at https://evolutionequity.com

Nov. 19, 2024 | VW Group of America names new CEO; Trump's impact on AVs by Automotive News

Walter De Silva is a legend in automotive design. As former design chief for Audi and eventually the Volkswagen Group the Italian design icon created the Audi Singleframe Grill an helped rocket the four rings to the forefront during the 2000s and 2010s with cars like the R8, Q7, Mk2 TT and eventually touched nearly every other Audi, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Bentley, Volkswagen, SEAT, Skoda and more. We caught up with Walter and his son Alexandre at Monterey Car Week to recount his career at Audi and the VW Group, chat about his book Il Codice De Silva and some of his other new ventures.

The podcast begins with a review of July sales by Lei and then they both transition into a discussion about the upcoming important product launches and why they are important to those Chinese brands. They both transition the discussion over to the BYD partnership with Uber that was announced this week. They piggyback off this BYD discussion to also talk about the rumor that BYD will be entering the Canadian market which moves into a broader discussion on BYD and why they are the likeliest EV company to succeed long-term. Lei then moves into a discussion on how companies have begun to lay off staff at the tier 1s. The podcast ends with a deep dive on how the Rivian VW Group tie-up could lead to VW Group abandoning Cariad and a deeper discussion on how Stellantis and VW may have too many brands to manage. Tu also discusses the WSJ post about Tesla FSD in the US and how there's a lack of transparency in the US on whether or not it's causing the accidents that Tesla vehicles are involved in. They both compare FSD to some of the Chinese intelligent driving systems currently on offer by China EV Inc. Anything But LawDiscover inspiring stories and insights from entrepreneurs, athletes, and thought leaders.Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Tu and Lei unpack who they think could be the winners and losers from the recently announced EU tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and how they may react to tariffs being considered in other markets. Tu and Lei then look a bit forward to what they expect to see later this year as we get past summer and move towards the always exciting year-end sales dash including the impact some of the new vehicles scheduled to begin delivery will have on the competitive landscape.The discussion moves over to the VW Group investment and partnership announcement with Rivian as the two dissect how the partnership may work. Tu raises questions about both Cariad's and Scout's future place in the VW Group hierarchy now that they've effectively partnered with two strong EV startups in China and in the ROW - rest of the world. Lei spends a few minutes talking about his visit to NIO's Hefei factory and what he saw. The podcast ends with Lei giving his take on the new pilots being offered by WeRide and Baidu in Beijing from the Daxing airport to downtown.  

UK CAR FACTORIES HALVE CARBON EMISSIONSThe UK car manufacturing industry has managed to cut carbon emissions by half in the past 25 years. On top of which, water use has dropped significantly. This comes from the SMMT's 25th annual Sustainability Report. If you wish to learn more, click this AMOnline link here. JLR SALES INCREASEJLR, in the last quarter, saw their sales to dealers (wholesale) rise for the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. The reason being given is the new body shop opening at Solihull. The Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Defender made up 68% of wholesale numbers. Foreign markets such as China and particularly the US also grew. Click this Autocar article link to read more. They also announced that the Jaguar lineup will be cut down to just one model, due to lack of profitability. Only the F-Pace will be sold by the Jaguar brand until they announce their new models, aimed at the luxury market. If you wish to learn more, click this AMOnline article link here. RENAULT OFFERS EV CONVERSION TO MASTER OWNERSOwners of Master III vans are being offered a conversion to EV, by Renault in France. At a cost of €26,900 + tax the vehicles will have a maximum range of 124 miles. This is significant saving on a new electric van, but with a limited range. To read more about this, click here to go to an electrive article. AUDI MAY CLOSE BRUSSELS PLANTDue to a lack of sales, of the Q8 e-tron, the future of the VW Group plant in Brussels is under consideration, with the ultimate move being to close it and stop selling the model. Whilst Volkswagen Group has just announced it is investing heavily in Rivian, it has financial issue to sort as they and shareholders lower their earning expectation. Click this Reuters article link here to read more. US STUDY QUESTIONS SAFETY CLAIMS OF ADASA study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute (IIHS), in the United States, has questioned how effective some of the advanced driver assistance systems actually are and if they do mitigate road incident rates. This covers technology which claims to be partial automation, not crash avoidance such as automatic emergency braking. Their conclusion is that partial automation adds nothing when it comes to additional safety. You can ream more, by clicking this link from IIHS here. To read the TechRadar piece associated to this, click here. NEW CAR THEFT ATTACKS HIT HYUNDAI AND OTHERSWith the...

Tu and Lei begin this podcast with a quick download of the EU tariffs, who was slapped with what and who the winners are. They also take a step back to discuss who currently exports the most to the EU and how the tariffs may affect their quantities. They then move over to the rumored retaliation from the Chinese govt and who would feel free brunt of those retaliatory measures. Lei then moves the conversation over to Tu's EV car rental for his trip to California and Tu talks in details about the good, the bad and the ugly about his few days driving a Kia Niro EV. They close the podcast with a discussion on how the tariffs, both exporting to AND from, could affect VW Group's diverse set of brands, manufacturing bases and ultimately their long-term competitiveness. 

Mary Ann, Haje and Kirsten are back on the mic for this week's episode, which was is jam-packed with deals, hot topics, and the latest dramaaaaaa in the tech world. For Deals of the Week, Haje wanted to chat about Formation Bio, an AI-focused drug development startup that just raised a whopping $372 million in Series D funding, led by Andreessen Horowitz. Next, Kirsten broke down the surprising partnership between Volkswagen Group and Rivian and how its initial $1 billion investment could grow up to $5 billion. To wrap up our deals, Mary-Ann highlighted Nubank's acquisition of Hyperplane, an AI-for-banks startup. Moving onto our themes, Haje took us on a deep dive into the fediverse, a decentralized network of social media platforms like Mastodon, Threads, and even Trump's Truth Social. The fediverse has seen a surge in popularity, especially after Elon Musk acquired Twitter (now X). Mastodon, for example, has just about tripled its user base since Musk took over. The appeal lies in its decentralized nature, offering users more control and niche communities. Whether you're a photographer, a journalism enthusiast, or just someone fed up with traditional social media, the fediverse has something for you.Last but not least, we discussed the ongoing debate around DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) in tech in a more controversial segment. Scale AI's founder Alexandr Wang recently sparked a debate by advocating for MEI (Merit, Excellence, Intelligence) over DEI. This has drawn support from big names like Elon Musk and Palmer Luckey but also significant criticism.The stats are troubling: new women recruit levels in the U.S. data industry have dropped dramatically, and DEI-related job listings are down.Equity will be back on Wednesday with a new interview episode, so stay tuned!Equity is TechCrunch's flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod. For the full episode transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, check out our full archive of episodes over at Simplecast. Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. Bryce Durbin is our Illustrator. We'd also like to thank the audience development team and Henry Pickavet, who manages TechCrunch audio products.

VW Group invest $1 billion into EV startup Rivian as part of a software development deal that could expand to as much as $5 billion. The deal, which was announced Tuesday afternoon, sent Rivian's shares up more than 36% in after-hours trading. The two companies will create a joint venture focused on next-generation electrical architecture Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Description:In this episode of Kilowatt, we dive into the latest electric vehicle (EV) news with a focus on NIO's EL8 SUV launch in Europe and Ford's updates on autonomous driving and dealer certification programs. We also explore developments such as the investigation of the UAW President, GM's Ultium battery plant contract, Cruise's fine for an autonomous vehicle accident, Rivian's layoffs and partnerships with Volkswagen, and Volkswagen's integration of ChatGPT's voice assistant. Join us for a comprehensive discussion on the dynamic EV industry landscape.Support the Show:PatreonAcast+New Podcast:Beyond the Post YouTubeBeyond the Post PodcastNews:NIO EL8NIO EL8 SpecsNIO Power Swap Station 4.0NIO Q2 Delivery TargetFord Cancels Model e Dealership ProgramFord BlueCruise L3 Autonomous DrivingUAW President Under Federal InvestigationGM Ultium Battery Factory Rarifies Union ContractGM Cruise to Pay Maximum FineRivian Announced Another Round of LayoffsRivian and VW Group Partner on SoftwareVW Adds ChatGPT's Voice Assistant to ID.4 VehiclesSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/kilowatt. Support the show at https://plus.acast.com/s/kilowatt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the last Friday of the month as we pay tribute to a Ford leader who broke the mold. We also talk about a hot debate over legacy OEMs flirting with DTC models as well as consumer luxury purchases going on the rise. This morning we pay tribute to Don Petersen, a transformative leader who guided Ford through a critical phase in the 1980s.Petersen, who passed away at 97 on Wednesday was at his home near Detroit in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., his niece Laura Peterson told Automotive News in an email., was celebrated for prioritizing quality and innovation, dramatically boosting Ford's market share and profitability.Under his leadership, Ford introduced influential designs like the aerodynamic Taurus and Mercury Sable, shifting industry standards towards more customer-focused products.He was known for fostering a collaborative workplace, which contrasted sharply with the autocratic styles of previous Ford executives. But at times was also said to have had some passionate outbursts. Petersen also spearheaded strategic acquisitions, notably purchasing a controlling stake in Hertz and increasing Ford's investment in Mazda, which significantly expanded Ford's global footprint and technological capabilities."He insisted on teamwork and excellence in the name of customers and guided Ford through a period of revitalization," stated Ford Motor Co.A recent Automotive News editorial is highliging a hot topic we'll be discussing with the President's of NADA and several State ATA's on the main stage at ASOTU CON. Dealer associations are lobbying against direct sales models for new brands like VW Group's Scout and Honda's Afeela, pushing for adherence to traditional franchise systems amidst a slowdown in EV market growth.Tensions rise as dealers threaten to withhold service and parts for brands pursuing direct sales, fearing the impacts on their business model and the established relationships with legacy automakers.The advertisement by state dealer associations in Automotive News underscores a significant industry rift, as they urge legacy automakers to reconsider direct sales strategies that could bypass traditional dealerships."We believe there is a difference between a brand recently born and one seeded, nourished and grown under the protective arm of a legacy automaker," emphasizes the importance of maintaining traditional retail models for established brands.Despite economic inflation, the U.S. luxury goods market has seen a substantial 86% increase in purchase intent from 2021 to 2024, according to YouGov's latest survey.The survey reveals that 26% of respondents are likely to buy luxury items within the next year, a significant rise from 14% three years prior.Notably, 15% of Americans have actually purchased luxury goods over the past year, marking a 9% increase since 2021, with shoes, accessories, and beauty products leading the purchase categories.Shoppers between 35-44 were willing to shell out over $1,000 on their coveted purchases.Hosts: Paul J Daly and Kyle MountsierGet the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/ JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/ Read our most recent email at: https://www.asotu.com/media/push-back-email

It's the fourth Friday in March with one still to go as we talk about a new EV brand entering the US market. We also discuss the surprising cheapest lease in America right now, as well as a smooth stop for online retailer Vroom. Show Notes with links:There's going to be yet another new EV brand in town as Volkswagen Group's sporty, electric vehicle-focused Cupra brand is set to enter the U.S. by the end of the decade, debuting with two utility vehicles and leveraging VW Group's Mexican assembly plants for production.Cupra plans to introduce an electric Formentor crossover and a larger, unnamed electric crossover SUV to the U.S., using a new distribution model the company didn't articulateIn 2023, Cupra's sales surged by 51%, with Germany as its largest market, yet it eyes the U.S. for a bigger global footprint.Focused on "young, progressive customers," Cupra will target selected states, especially on the East and West coasts and the Sun Belt, using a novel distribution model.Current vehicles include the Tavascan, Born, Formentor, Leon, Leon Sportstourer, and AtecaCupra CEO Wayne Griffiths, emphasized readiness and market fit for their U.S. venture saying"We know it's always been a matter of being well prepared and doing it right if you go to the U.S.Hyundai's Ioniq 6 SE is now America's cheapest lease deal, offering a no-money-down lease for just $239 per month for 12k miles per yearHyundai has rolled out an unadvertised lease offer to dealers for the 2024 Ioniq 6 SE, making it available until April 1, 2024.Comparatively, the Ioniq 6 SE's effective cost of $249 a month undercuts the lease cost of vehicles like the 2024 Toyota Corolla LE in Southern California by over $100 monthly.While the offer applies to a 24-month lease with a 12,000-mile annual limit, it requires only the first month's payment upfrontCost of ownership may still have a few surprises for lessees as lessees as insurance costs for Ionic 6 might be higher than expectedIt looks like our friends at Vroom are coasting to a stop as they navigate the final lap of their ecommerce operations. Vroom's journey through the used-car retail market is drawing to a close, with the company anticipating a complete wind down by the end of Q1.Vroom has successfully sold off nearly all its used vehicle inventory as part of its strategy to wind down ecommerce operations and exit the used-car retail sector.Following the sell-off, Vroom has cleared its floorplan facility debt with Ally, boasting about $94 million in cash reserves as of February's end.The company is reducing its workforce to align with its scaled-down activities.CEO Tom Shortt expressed pride in the team's professionalism during this transition, focusing on an efficient and cost-effective wind-down process. Vroom now aims to leverage its remaining entities, United Auto Credit and CarStory, to enhance stakeholder value.Hosts: Paul J Daly and Kyle MountsierGet the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/ JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/ Read our most recent email at: https://www.asotu.com/media/push-back-email

Lei headed over to Germany for Porsche's Annual Press Conference so much of the podcast was dedicated to what Lei learned about during his visit and led to a broader discussion about Volkswagen Group and what Tu thought about VW Group's annual press conference and how important Porsche is to Volkswagen Group's global goals. After a detailed discussion on Germany's largest automaker and one of its most important brands, the discussion moved over to NIO and their reaching 40M swaps. Tu and Lei also talked a bit about NIO's mass market brand Onvo and how it'll be positioned alongside the NIO premium brand and the yet to be launched Firefly brand. The podcast ends with a discussion on not counting VW Group out just yet, although the mountain they need to climb to get back into the driver's seat in China seems insurmountable at this time. Tu also briefly discusses some of the initial quality challenges some BYD vehicles are having in the export markets, but doesn't see anything out of the ordinary or that shoud be cause for alarm just yet. BYD is new to those markets and their products will react to each of the climates differently but it's a learning process that should help them strenghthen the future quality and reliability of their global portfolio. 

It isn't Pi day if we don't mention it, and we are excited to ask Michael Wood what his favorite “pie” is. Today, we are all in the EV space chatting about broadening lineups for Hyundai, VW, and Jaguar.Hyundai is gearing up to expand its electric vehicle lineup with the IONIQ 9, a first-of-its-kind three-row electric SUV from the automaker. The IONIQ 9, Hyundai's first three-row electric SUV, follows the success of the IONIQ 5 and 6, with the IONIQ 5 ranking as the sixth top-selling EV in the US last year.Utilizing Hyundai's E-GMP platform, the IONIQ 9 promises exceptional space and performance, possibly offering more rear legroom than luxury competitors like the Cadillac Escalade.Set to start production in the first half of the year, with US sales expected in mid-2025, the IONIQ 9 will be manufactured at Hyundai's new EV Metaplant in Georgia, aiming to qualify for the $7,500 EV tax credit.The brand is expected to unveil the model in June.Volkswagen, once embroiled in the Dieselgate scandal, is now at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution, embarking on its most ambitious product launch to date on its way to a 100% EV future.VW's transformation into an EV powerhouse is marked by the announcement of over 30 new models across its brands, aiming for a record year in 2024."We will invest in our last-generation of ICE vehicles,” which are especially key for hybrids, board member and CFO Arno Antlitz said. Then, he said, “These investments are going to be phased out.”In 2023, the VW Group saw deliveries rise 10% globally with an operating profit of €22.6 billion (about $25 billion.)Jaguar is embracing an all-electric future with plans to exclusively produce electric vehicles by 2025, including luxury SUVs. This bold transition marks the end of the line for its internal combustion engine (ICE) models as Jaguar seeks a fresh start with a trio of new electric vehicles on a brand-new platform.Jaguar will discontinue all current ICE and EV models, including the I-Pace, by 2024 and 3 new electric vehicles, including SUVs, will replace the existing lineup, signaling a major shift towards sustainability and innovation.The introduction of a 600 bhp electric four-seat GT car, comparable to the Porsche Taycan, will kickstart Jaguar's new era, with indicative pricing around $127,000 and a range nearing 400 miles on U.S. EPA methods."The most powerful and impressive Jaguar ever produced" signals the brand's aim to compete in the high-performance electric sedan market against rivals like the Audi e-tron GT.Hosts: Paul J Daly and Kyle MountsierGet the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/ JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/ Read our most recent email at: https://www.asotu.com/media/push-back-email ASOTU Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/automotivestateoftheunion

It's EV News Briefly for Wednesday 13th March, everything you need to know in less than 5 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show. I'll be back later but Patreon supporters get the episodes as soon as they're ready AND ad free. You can be like them by clicking here. VW Group's Strong 2023 Performance and EV Milestones https://evne.ws/3ICFsJQ Hyundai Ioniq 5 N: Priciest and Most Electrifying Hyundai Yet https://evne.ws/3IyAOMC Trump Criticizes EV Policy, Warns Against Sole Focus on Electric Vehicles https://evne.ws/3ICFtNU Tesla Swiftly Resumes Grünheide Production After Outage https://evne.ws/3T9WGmy Xiaomi Enters China's EV Arena with SU7 https://evne.ws/3IwHXNI Dacia Spring: Most Affordable EV in the UK https://evne.ws/3T7UImw Nissan and Honda Scale Down China Production Amid EV Competition https://evne.ws/3IwI63I Beam Global Lands $1M UK MoD Contract for EV Charging Units https://evne.ws/3TgbgsT Volvo's New Investment Aims to Slash EV Charging Time by 30% https://evne.ws/3IAyAwp StoreDot and EVE Energy Join Forces for Fast-Charging EV Battery Production https://evne.ws/43gwJq6 Mercedes CEO Advocates for Lower EU Tariffs on Chinese EVs https://evne.ws/3TcdObr Airbus Introduces CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL for Urban Mobility https://evne.ws/43cZEeC

FOLLOW UP: CRUISE APPOINTS FIRST EVER SAFETY OFFICERIn a move that should have more people stunned, Cruise has announced their first every safety officer. Steve Kenner has worked at a number of places in the autonomous vehicle industry. Louise Zhang, who is a VP of safety and systems will remain in her role. Astonishingly. If you wish to learn more, click this TechCrunch link here. FOLLOW UP: FRENCH SUBSIDY FOR LOW INCOME HOMES HALTEDThe recently launched subsidy to help low income families into EV has already been halted, due to an overwhelming demand, according to French Government officials. They will be relaunching it in 2025. To read further, click this link to The Guardian article. GOVERNMENT U-TURN ON TAX OF DOUBLE-CABSIn a crazy few days, the UK Government went from declaring that double-cab pickup's tax category was going to change to that of a car, but still be classed as a light commercial vehicle (LCV) from 1 July 2024, to u-turning and saying no they wouldn't. This came around due to a court case where it was ruled that they have a dual purpose of carrying people and cargo, therefore cannot be classed as “primarily” transporting cargo. The reaction from the public was loud and angry. The blanket move, with what appeared to be very little thought on the use of these vehicles and who these changes would hit, was decried not just by management consultants, architects and dentists who would have to change their vehicle as the tax loophole closed, but by those who genuinely need a multipurpose vehicle. To see what the original issue was all about, click this link to a Professional Pickup article link here. If you wish to read about the u-turn and what that means, click this link here to a Broker News article. AUDI, PORSCHE AND BENTLEYS STUCK AT US PORTSThanks to Audi, Porsche and Bentley utilising components that are on the banned list, for the United States, their cars are sitting dockside waiting for replacement parts. The parts in question are claimed to have been sourced from companies operating in areas where forced labour is the norm, the Xinjiang province. VW Group claims it had no knowledge as it was part of a larger part and only found out due to information received. Click this Yahoo News article link if you wish to learn more. BMW LEAVES ONLINE STORAGE SET TO PUBLICA Microsoft Azure storage ‘bucket' run by BMW was mistakenly left with access set to public, rather than private. This meant that anyone could have accessed the huge amount of code, credentials, data and information held. This is very similar to what happened with Mercedes a couple of weeks ago. There is no knowledge if this data was accessed by unauthorised persons. BMW stress that there was no customer data held or at risk. If you with to learn more,

A developing story about VW Group cars stuck at US Customs with mysterious issues, Jonny has breaking news about classic car use in California, the controversy surrounding the 24 Hours of Daytona, Cjell Mone drops a custom hard-tail mountain bike with Spike to test, plus the GT3RS press car visits the SCR set and listener questions!

“One thing I can add is the awakening, the shaking up, the shaping up of the rest of the global auto industry from the Chinese is in full swing. The Chinese are coming. And if the Western automakers are prepared, they're going to have a much tougher moment than when they confronted the Japanese or the Koreans. The Japanese [and] Koreans, they're very successful. Let's say in the U.S., but this is a whole different issue - the geopolitical aspect. But you know, they're coming.” - Lei Xing Fresh out of the studio, Lei Xing, founder of AutoXing & co-host of China EVs & More, shared his insights into the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) market and its implications for the global EV market. Lei discussed his career journey and the inspiration behind covering the China EVs market through his podcast. He broke down the competitive dynamics between Tesla and BYD based on their current strategies for global market expansion and technological challenges. He shared his perspectives on whether Chinese EV makers can rinse and repeat the solar panel strategy against the rest of the automotive companies in the world. Last but not least, he shared the groundbreaking innovations at CES 2024 and emphasized the challenges and opportunities ahead for Chinese manufacturers and their vision for long-term success in the EV industry globally. Episode Highlights: [0:50] Quote of the Day #QOTD by Lei Xing. [1:21] Introduction: Lei Xing from China EVs & More. [8:60] China EVs and more podcast and their coverage. [10:17] Lessons learnt from Lei Xing's career journey. [11:40] Overview of the global EV landscape & China's market share in EVs. [15:27] The China smart EV makers after BYD. [20:15] The competitive advantage of Chinese EV makers. [23:26] How Tesla Invigorates the EV Competition in China. [24:36] The one thing that Lei Xing knows about China EV makers that very few do. [27:00] How Chinese EV makers are competing in the global market. [30:57] Can Chinese EV makers rinse and repeat the solar panel strategy to win the EV market? [32:50] How BYD emerged in the US since 2011. [37:21] Tesla vs BYD in AI, autonomous driving and robotics. [41:43] How Tesla is competing in China and other parts of the world. [46:40] Breakthroughs in EVs and self-driving cars at CES 2024. [51:14] The bet on hydrogen fuel cars by Japanese automotive makers. [53:14] Outlook for Chinese EVs in the 5-10 years. [56:33] Will China EVs go upstream to the hypercars against Ferrari? [58:03] What does success mean for Chinese EV companies in the next 5-10 years? [59:43] Closing. Podcast Information: Bernard Leong hosts and produces the show. Proper credits for the intro and end music: "Energetic Sports Drive" and the episode is mixed & edited in both video and audio format by G. Thomas Craig.

- U.S. 2023 Sales Hit 15.3 Million Units - VW Group EVs Outsell Tesla in EU - Tesla More Efficient Than BYD Selling Cars - UK Car Sales Best Since Covid Breakout - Is an OTA Really a Recall? - 33 U.S. Senators Warn OEMs Over UAW - China Auto Industry Misses Sales Goals - BYD's EVs Sell Well in Brazil - NACTOY Chooses Best Car, Truck, Utility

- U.S. 2023 Sales Hit 15.3 Million Units - VW Group EVs Outsell Tesla in EU - Tesla More Efficient Than BYD Selling Cars - UK Car Sales Best Since Covid Breakout - Is an OTA Really a Recall? - 33 U.S. Senators Warn OEMs Over UAW - China Auto Industry Misses Sales Goals - BYD's EVs Sell Well in Brazil - NACTOY Chooses Best Car, Truck, Utility

Join me for episode 354 of the Mobile Tech Podcast with guest Ben Bajarin of Creative Strategies -- brought to you by Mint Mobile. In today's episode, we share our top 5 phones of 2023, and discuss the Apple Watch Ban, Intel's latest Core Ultra chip, and Nubia's new Z60 Ultra flagship. We then cover news, leaks, and rumors from Samsung, Oppo, Redmagic, Nothing, the SAE, and Volkswagen... Happy holidays!Episode Links- Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tnkgrl- Donate / buy me a coffee: https://tnkgrl.com/tnkgrl/- Support the podcast with Mint Mobile: https://mintmobile.com/mobiletech- Ben Bajarin: https://twitter.com/benbajarin- My top five phones of 2023: https://www.threads.net/@tnkgrl/post/C1Fymgpy4rN- Apple Watch ban: https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/18/24006080/apple-watch-ban-series-9-ultra-2-itc-import- Intel Core Ultra: https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/14/23998215/intel-core-ultra-cpu-specs-availability- Samsung adds folding phones to self repair program: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_adds_new_devices_to_selfrepair_program_and_expands_to_30_more_countries_in_europe-news-60990.php- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra night-mode rumors: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s24_ultra_to_come_with_better_night_mode_ai_optimized_200_mp_photos-news-60967.php- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 24MP mode rumors: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_might_switch_the_galaxy_s24_ultra_to_capture_24mp_images_by_default-news-60954.php- Oppo Find X7 Ultra 1-inch LYTIA sensor confirmed: https://www.gsmarena.com/oppo_confirms_the_1inch_sony_lyt900_sensor_for_a_find_x7-news-60978.php- Oppo Find X7 leaks: https://www.gsmarena.com/oppo_find_x7_pops_up_in_render_along_with_specs-news-60942.php- Nubia Z60 Ultra: https://www.gsmarena.com/the_nubia_z60_ultra_packs_18mm35mm85mm_cameras_6000mah_battery_and_ip68-news-60959.php- RedMagic 9 Pro now global: https://www.gsmarena.com/nubia_red_magic_9_pro_goes_international_with_a_649_starting_price-news-60948.php- Nothing Phone 2a leaks: https://www.gsmarena.com/nothing_phone_2a_test_unit_leaks_with_photos_and_alleged_specs-news-60940.php- SAE approves NACS as standard J3400: https://electrek.co/2023/12/15/saes-nacs-certification-is-ready-and-itll-fix-every-ev-charging-problem-at-once/- VW Group finally adopts NACS: https://insideevs.com/news/701566/volkswagen-group-switch-to-nacs/

Lei starts this pod out with a brief history lesson about Vitesco which was spun off from Continental's powertrain business that had some roots at Siemens.Lei pivots to talking in detail about his time behind the wheel of the new-ish XPeng G6 including letting the City NGP function take over for parts of his journey. Tu then points out that as the price war has heated up, more and more complaints have arisen from customers who are purchasing these EVs. Tu takes a moment to differentiate between fails vs. (too) complicated design and how the latter can still be categorized as a fail. Lei moves on to a discussion about Xinzhou Wu, XPeng's head of Autonomous, leaving XPeng to join Nvidia in the US. Lei outlined the numerous reasons this could be and they all could've contributed to his leaving XPeng. The pod then shifts over to a discussion of Pony and Toyota co-investing $140M in autonomous vehicles. Toyota had already made an investment in Pony and this just deepens their partnership with Toyota hoping that Pony can be their ADAS / AV solution for China. Tu and Lei close out the podcast with a discussion of the rumor that Jetta was looking at LeapMotor to advance its EV situation by licensing their EV platform, similar to Audi's partnership with SAIC. If we are keeping score, that's three major deals for the VW Group with a Chinese partner if we include the VW + XPeng investment as well. 

Jonny explains how his dad retrieved a broken Avenger key. Also in this episode, drunk Olympics, the gunty cat 1 Series, scraping floorpans, scratching matt paint, the return of the boot cut, alternative superhero Nigel Mansilk, very thin facial hair, the unnecessary speed of Green Day, the ‘90s curtonian movement, the Stone Roses stealing back their second album, people who lose car keys, magnet fishing with Harry Metcalfe, losing track of VW Group cars, and Sophie Ellis-Bextor spoils a rhyme. patreon.com/smithandsniff Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.