Latest news with #AutomotiveNewsEurope
RTÉ News
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- RTÉ News
Stellantis boss urges adoption of smaller, cheaper, Japanese-style 'kei' cars
Europe needs to develop smaller and cheaper vehicles in the style of Japan's so-called "kei cars", Stellantis Chairman John Elkann has said, as high prices, which he blamed on regulation in the region, weigh on consumer demand. Kei cars are urban vehicles traditionally sold in Japan with size and engine restrictions, enjoying lower tax and insurance costs. Elkann said the European equivalent could be called the "e car". "There's no reason why if Japan has a kei car, which is 40% of the market, Europe should not have an e car," he said at an Automotive News Europe conference in the Italian city of Turin, the home of Fiat, now part of Stellantis. Elkann and Renault CEO Luca de Meo last month urged the European Union to lighten the regulatory burden for smaller cars by introducing different rules for models of varying sizes. For example, some safety features such as sensors detecting whether a driver is falling asleep or an SOS button are required on cars from the smallest ones up to larger SUVs, with a disproportionate impact on the cost of vehicles used mainly for short city journeys. Elkann noted that in 2019 there were 49 models sold in Europe for less than €15,000 versus just one now. In 2019 a million cars were sold below that price level compared to fewer than 100,000 now, he added. "If you actually look at the cost increase... that has primarily been driven by regulation," Elkann said. "If you actually look at our engineers, more than 25% just work on compliance. So no value added," he added. Fiat has a tradition of making small, affordable cars, from the "Topolino" of pre-war years to the famous "600" and "500" of the 1950s and 1960s, which helped Italians to take to the roads and turned Fiat into a European giant. Elkann is still steering Stellantis, as newly-appointed CEO Antonio Filosa formally takes the job later this month. Filosa, an Italian national, led Fiat Chrysler and Stellantis' operations in South America, before being appointed head of the automaker's North American market last year. Elkann said Filosa was the right choice in an automotive industry that is shifting from global to "multi-regional". "The experience that Antonio had running Argentina, running Brazil, running South America, and recently running North America is very much in phase with how the world is going between regulations, tariffs, and how you ultimately navigate that constructively with political forces," he said.
TimesLIVE
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
John Elkann says Europe needs small, affordable cars like Japan's 'kei cars'
Europe needs small and affordable cars such as Japan's 'kei cars', Stellantis chair John Elkann said on Thursday, as high prices, which he blamed on regulation in the region, weigh on consumer demand. Kei cars are urban vehicles traditionally sold in Japan with size and engine restrictions, enjoying lower tax and insurance costs. Elkann said the European equivalent could be called the 'e-car'. 'There's no reason, if Japan has a kei car, which is 40% of the market, Europe should not have an e car,' he said at an Automotive News Europe conference in Turin, Italy, the home of Fiat, now part of Stellantis. Fiat has a tradition of making small, affordable cars, from the 'Topolino' of pre-war years to the famous '600" and '500" of the 1950s and 1960s, which helped Italians take to the roads and turned Fiat into a European giant. Elkann noted that in 2019 there were 49 models sold in Europe for less than €15,000 (R266,622), vs just one now. In 2019 a million cars were sold at that price level compared with fewer than 100,000 now, he added.
Reuters
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
Europe needs small, affordable cars like Japan's 'kei cars', Stellantis chairman says
TURIN, Italy, June 12 (Reuters) - Europe needs small and affordable cars like Japan's so-called 'kei cars', Stellantis ( opens new tab Chairman John Elkann said on Thursday, as high prices, which he blamed on regulation in the region, weigh on consumer demand. Kei cars are urban vehicles traditionally sold in Japan with size and engine restrictions, enjoying lower tax and insurance costs. Elkann said the European equivalent could be called the "e car". "There's no reason why if Japan has a kei car, which is 40% of the market, Europe should not have an e car," he said at an Automotive News Europe conference in the Italian city of Turin, the home of Fiat, now part of Stellantis. Fiat has a tradition of making small, affordable cars, from the "Topolino" of pre-war years to the famous "600" and "500" of the 1950s and 1960s, which helped Italians to take to the roads and turned Fiat into a European giant. Elkann noted that in 2019 there were 49 models sold in Europe for less than 15,000 euros ($17,400), versus just one now. In 2019 a million cars were sold at that price level compared to fewer than 100,000 now, he added. "If you actually look at the (cars') cost increase... that has primarily been driven by regulation," Elkann said. Elkann is still steering Stellantis, as newly-appointed CEO Antonio Filosa formally takes the job later this month. Filosa, an Italian national, led Fiat Chrysler and Stellantis' operations in South America, before being appointed head of the automaker's key North American market last year. Elkann said Filosa was the right choice in an automotive industry that was shifting from being global to being "multi-regional". "The experience that Antonio had running Argentina, running Brazil, running South America, and recently running North America is very much in phase with how the world is going between regulations, tariffs, and how you ultimately navigate that constructively with political forces," he said. ($1 = 0.8625 euros)
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
VW's troubled Cariad software unit has turned the corner, CEO Peter Bosch says
BERLIN — Volkswagen Group's troubled software division, Cariad, has put its problems behind it, CEO Peter Bosch told Automotive News Europe sister publication Automobilwoche. Bosch said the unit has entered a new phase of delivery and focus, marked by a string of key software launches and a break from past missteps. 'When you take on a task that everyone knows is difficult, you don't do it expecting constant applause,' Bosch said. 'But we delivered. The cars are here, costs have been significantly reduced, and we have broken new technological ground.' Cariad was launched in 2020 with ambitions to become the 'second SAP,' a multinational German software company, but it soon became a symbol of delay and dysfunction within VW Group. VW Group CEO Oliver Blume moved Bosch from his job as production chief at Bentley to Cariad, tasking him with fixing the division that was hit by overspending and delays in developing advanced software. Cariad's problems delayed the launches of Porsche's full-electric Macan and the Audi Q6 E-tron. A new software platform intended to enable Level 4 autonomous driving was pushed back to the end of the decade. Sign up for the Automotive News Europe Segment Analysis newsletter, a monthly in-depth look at a segment of the car market, including sales and market share data When Bosch arrived in summer 2023 from Bentley, Cariad's reputation was in tatters. Since then, Bosch, a former Oliver Wyman consultant, has led a broad reorganization. He realigned development processes with the group's brand structure, slashed costs and pushed for tighter control of code. His actions include ending over-reliance on external system suppliers. Bosch said the traditional outsourcing model does not work for modern automotive software. 'In software, with its fast development cycles, we have to work directly on the code,' he said. 'Our employees know, write, understand, and change the code — even via over-the-air updates.' VW's long-term goal is a fully software-defined vehicle architecture with centralized computing and proprietary code. 'We now do a lot ourselves, faster and more cost-effectively,' Bosch said. 'We must master the code.' Cariad contributed software to 14 models released in 2024. Bosch said that in April, nine of the 10 top-selling electric vehicles in Germany were VW Group models equipped with Cariad software. The company has overhauled its workforce structure, introduced agile delivery units and reduced management layers. Artificial intelligence tools were deployed throughout development, and insourcing has replaced expensive outsourcing in many areas. But Bosch is careful not to frame the turnaround as complete. 'Our current architectures are competitive, but they are still based on a supplier model,' he said. For the development of highly automated driving systems, Cariad is working with supplier Robert Bosch as a development partner. It is also working with VW Group's joint venture partner, EV startup Rivian, and VW's Carizon joint venture in China with Horizon Robotics. Also in China, Cariad is developing the Volkswagen China Technology Co. with domestic automaker Xpeng. 'Here, we have acquired a software license from Xpeng for the Chinese architecture, or CEA for short, but are now responsible for the code ourselves — with more than 10 million lines so far,' Bosch said. More than 500 Cariad employees in China are writing code tailored to local driving conditions and regulatory expectations. 'They know the culture and requirements inside out,' Bosch said. In North America and Europe, while some Cariad engineers have transferred to the joint venture with Rivian, Bosch said it's mainly staffed by Rivian personnel. 'The joint venture was founded by Rivian and the Volkswagen Group, not by Rivian and Cariad,' he said. Cariad now focuses on crossfunctional technologies such as cloud infrastructure, advanced driver-assist systems and infotainment, which Bosch said makes more sense for innovation and cost control. 'We are now significantly cheaper per vehicle in the cloud than the competition,' he said. The localization push extends beyond software: In China, development, design and production must all be local to meet consumer expectations and regulatory demands. 'The one-size-fits-all approach no longer works,' Bosch said. In Shanghai, for example, Cariad's advanced driver-assist system stack was tuned to maintain proximity to other vehicles in ways tailored to dense urban traffic. Despite those adaptations, Cariad remains focused on software sovereignty. 'It is important to us that we write the code ourselves and retain technological control,' Bosch said. As VW Group pursues modern, centralized architectures, Bosch said he envisions shorter development cycles and greater flexibility. 'This allows many systems to be networked more efficiently,' he said. 'We can bring functions into the car even faster, including some we don't even know about when we start development.' Cariad's evolution is occurring as legacy automakers, VW Group included, struggle with declining profits and sales, the threat of tariffs from the U.S., and Chinese automakers that continue to eat into market share in Europe and in China. In March, VW announced 1,600 Cariad workers would be laid off this year. Bosch said transformation requires restructuring and while roles such as creating specifications may be eliminated, more coders will be needed to replace them. Bosch said Cariad's central task is to ensure the software success of the entire company by creating economically viable solutions that benefit the group. Cariad's benchmark is the big picture — contributing to the software expertise and innovative strength of VW Group. 'We have financial goals — and we achieved them last year,' he said. 'The more vehicles on the road with Cariad software, the more revenue we generate.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Lynk & Co turns to PHEV with 200 km electric-only range in bid to end sales slump
GOTHENBURG, Sweden — Geely subsidiary Lynk & Co is looking to reverse a steep sales slump in Europe with the addition of the 08, a midsize SUV that can drive 200 km (124 miles) in electric-only mode. Lynk & Co's sales of its two-model lineup, the 01 compact SUV and 02 compact hatchback, through April were down 33 percent to 1,653, according to figures from market researcher Dataforce. The plug-in hybrid electric vehicle will be aimed at car buyers reluctant to switch to full electric. 'For plug-in hybrid customers, we think the long electric range will stand out as a clear upgrade,' Lynk & Co CEO Nicolas Lopez Appelgren told Automotive News Europe during a driving event for the 08 here May 13. 'EV drivers, on the other hand, may see it as a more practical option given the current state of charging infrastructure. And for high-end petrol buyers, the similar price point could make switching to a plug-in hybrid an easy decision.' Until recently, the electric-only range on most PHEVs was less than 100 km — and in many cases only about 50 to 60 km. Several automakers debuted long-range PHEVs with bigger batteries — the 08's pack is 39.6 kilowatt-hours — toward the end of 2024 ahead of a Jan. 1 deadline that increased emissions ratings for the technology to better reflect real-world use. At the same time, some Chinese brands launched PHEVs in Europe, notably BYD, to avoid EU tariffs on battery-electric vehicles made in China. PHEV sales were up 32 percent in April, according to Dataforce. The bestselling model last month was the BYD Seal U, followed closely by the Volkswagen Tiguan and Volvo XC60. Sign up for the Automotive News Europe Focus on Electrification newsletter, a weekly wrap-up of the latest electric vehicle news, including interviews and global EV sales data. Lynk & Co also will avoid the higher tariff on the China-made 08. The midsize SUV enters a part of the segment that has seen huge growth this year, with overall sales of models with PHEV powertrains up more than 200 percent to 51,823 after four months. Seven of the 10 top-selling PHEV midsize SUV are new to the niche. Another limiting factor for PHEVs was the time it took to replenish the batteries, often several hours using AC charging. PHEVs with longer ranges offer DC fast charging, which for the 08 means it's possible to boost the batteries to 80 percent from 10 percent in about 30 minutes at 85 kilowatts. Using AC charging at 11 kW means charging to 100 percent take four and a half hours. The 08 offers a combined 345 hp of power from its four-cylinder gasoline engine and electric motor. The 08's cockpit is dominated by an iPad-like touchscreen in the center of the dashboard, below which is an inductive pad to provide wireless charging for up to two smartphones. Built-in car sharing, integrated Wi-Fi, a specially designed Harman Kardon sound system, and advanced driver-assistance features — from park assist sensors to driver monitoring — are included. Customizable 'modes' are also available. They include a 'relax mode,' with soothing music and sunshades, and a 'pet mode' that turns on the climate control system and displays a message informing passersby that the pet is safe from freezing or overheating and that the owner is aware it is inside the vehicle. The 08 comes in two trims, Core and More, with the More package offering larger wheels, heated rear seats and an upgraded Harmon Kardon sound system. Target buyers: Range-anxious families What's good: Having an electric-only range of 200 km What's bad: Constant warnings from the driver-assistance systems that are likely to force more people to turn them off Launch date: June 2025 Starting price: €55,995 in Germany ($63,500) Platform: CMA Evo Built: Yuyao, China Annual production forecast: 6,000 in 2025, 12,000 in 2026 Lowest CO2 emissions: 23 g/km
