Manufacturing
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The Defense Production Act will be authorized to support lithium, nickel, cobalt, graphite, and manganese as needed for “large capacity batteries.”
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Ford commits $11.4B toward US electric truck factory, three battery plants
The manufacturing complex in Tennessee will make the next-generation F-150 Lightning and be Ford's biggest and greenest yet.
Bengt Halvorson -
GM plans $1B electric vehicle future for Mexico plant, UAW cries foul
Despite a push from the Biden administration to keep electric-vehicle EV manufacturing in the U.S., GM plans to make EVs and components south of the border.
Bengt Halvorson -
Nissan cuts carbon footprint with closed-loop aluminum recycling
Aluminum can help make vehicles lighter without adding CO2 footprint to manufacturing, Nissan shows with its closed-loop recycling.
Bengt Halvorson -
Will Lordstown Motors outsell electric trucks from GM, Ford, and Rivian?
Lordstown Motors, which bought a former GM plant in Ohio, aspires to build electric work trucks at a rate that could pass other electric pickups.
Stephen Edelstein -
Crisis could tighten material supply for EV batteries and clean energy, IEA warns
The supply of materials—and specifically minerals—could be tightened due to restrictions aimed at the coronavirus pandemic.
Stephen Edelstein -
GM was producing gasoline vehicles up until last year at a plant in Ohio. Lordstown Motors will soon use that plant for making electric trucks.
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Amid pandemic, cities woo Tesla over Cybertruck factory possibility
Several cities are reportedly already vying to be the home of the Cybertruck, but only one has so far been open about its offer.
Stephen Edelstein -
Audi plans to increase recycled materials in its mainstream vehicles
The German automaker says that the percentage of recycled materials will "rise considerably" in the coming years.
Stephen Edelstein -
Report: Cruise Origin electric self-driving shuttle will be made in Detroit
The former home of the Chevrolet Volt, among other vehicles, will assemble the Cruise Origin as well as GM's electric trucks and SUVs.
Bengt Halvorson -
Honda plans to buy more renewable energy than any other automaker
By buying more CO2 than any other automaker, Honda will cut its CO2 due to manufacturing by 60 percent.
Byron Hurd -
Polestar opens its own factory to build flagship plug-in hybrid
Polestar breaks farther away from Volvo with the opening of its own production base, a Chengdu facility that will make the Polestar 1 plug-in hybrid coupe.
Bengt Halvorson -
CEO Elon Musk revealed that the company has made more space to assemble its upcoming compact crossover in Fremont, California—although Nevada remains a possibility.
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Ahead of electric-car production, VW demands suppliers cut carbon emissions
As Volkswagen ramps up to build a new generation of mass-market electric vehicles in the aftermath of its diesel scandal, regulators and environmental groups will likely be paying close attention to their emissions—especially the emissions created in making them. The Financial Times, in a...
Bengt Halvorson -
Tesla Model 3 teardown underscores missed opportunities
Last year employee parking lots overflowed at Tesla’s Fremont, California, plant. By comparing the headcount of Tesla's factory at present versus historically, it’s easy to grasp why the facility has seemed so crowded. At its heyday, Toyota and GM needed 4,400 people at Fremont. Tesla...
Bengt Halvorson -
Inline-6 turbodiesel in 2019 Chevy Silverado pickup to be built in Michigan
The forthcoming diesel-powered 2019 Chevrolet Silverado will, without a doubt, thump with the Heartbeat of America. During the new truck's launch at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, GM product chief Mark Reuss hinted at a future announcement regarding the next-generation...
Mark Stevenson -
Carbon fiber from plants close to carbon-neutral? Scientists hopeful
When it comes to materials with the most promise in automotive applications, carbon fiber and graphene each rank high on the list. Unlike graphene, however, real-world carbon fiber applications exist today—and they're helping automakers reduce the weight of cars coming tomorrow. There's one...
Mark Stevenson -
Parts order for Tesla Model 3 cut by 40 percent starting in December: report
Relatively few auto-company CEOs would publicly mention sleeping on the roof of one of their factory buildings. But Tesla CEO Elon Musk is not like most other chief executives of auto companies. Most also don't break news via tweet, for instance. A tweet by Musk Thursday evening referred to the...
John Voelcker -
Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, announced that it will invest up to $1 billion to build electric SUVs and batteries in and around its assembly plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The plans, first reported reported Thursday in The Wall Street Journal (paywalled), represent a major expansion of electric-car manufacturing in the U.S. So far, Ford, General Motors, and Nissan produce either battery-electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles at U.S. plants. (The plug-in Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan is built in Canada.) CHECK OUT: Mercedes-Benz electric cars to arrive sooner as urgency...
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VW says it needs '40 gigafactories' for electric-car batteries by 2025
VW Group remains one of the world's three largest carmakers, along with Toyota and General Motors, but the German automaker foresees challenges ahead. Specifically, Volkswagen believes the industry will face a shortage of lithium-ion batteries if new investment is not made soon for additional cell...
Sean Szymkowski -
VW to cut environmental impact of carmaking by 45 percent
In the wake of its diesel emission scandal, Volkswagen has done its best to portray itself as a cleaner, more thoughtful automaker. Part of the damage control plot includes a slew of new electric vehicles to round out the German automaker's portfolio in the coming years. But, what about the...
Sean Szymkowski -
Nevada treasurer, Faraday's nemesis, turns eye toward Tesla tax-credit transfer
The state of Nevada has been fairly generous to startup electric-car makers that pledge to establish manufacturing operations within its borders. After offering a generous incentive package several years ago, the Silver State landed Tesla's lithium-ion battery "Gigafactory," which is now up and...
Stephen Edelstein -
Musk responds to Tesla line workers on wages, injuries, confidentiality
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has responded vigorously to an employee's claims of low wages and commonplace on-the-job injuries. In an email to employees and statements to media outlets, Musk denied the claims and accused the employee who made them of being a paid union agitator. Earlier this month, Jose...
Stephen Edelstein -
Will Tesla Model 3 be most 'made in America' car, beating Toyota Camry?
For some buyers, where a car is made can be as important as the qualities of the car itself. "Made in America" can be a powerful selling point, especially after a presidential election in which domestic manufacturing jobs were a hot-button issue. But in the age of globalization, U.S. automakers no...
Stephen Edelstein