Latest news with #Chinese-owned
Time of India
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
France orders extra 800,000 cars off the road over Takata airbag scandal
France is ordering an extra 800 ,000 cars with Takata airbags to be taken off the road, two weeks after a woman died in the northeastern town of Reims from injuries related to a faulty airbag. The move is the latest twist in the auto industry's biggest-ever product recall, eight years after the company at the centre of the crisis - Japan's Takata Corp - filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States and Japan. After her 2014 Citroen C3 was hit by a truck, the woman in Reims died after she was struck by a metal piece expelled by an airbag that was ejected from her car, the Reims prosecutor's office said. Citing the incident, French transport minister Philippe Tabarot said late Tuesday that all cars with the technology should be recalled, no matter how old they were. He also ordered all manufacturers to tell drivers in Corsica and other overseas departments to stop driving vehicles with the Takata airbags, whatever their production year, until they are repaired, and issued the same order for all cars with such equipment produced until 2011 in mainland France. The government had previously said vehicles built between 1998 and 2019, from 30 brands, could potentially be recalled. According to a ministry estimate based on carmaker data, the expanded recall will bring the total to 2.5 million. Within that total, the ministry has doubled the number of compulsory recalls - or so-called "stop drive" orders - to 1.7 million. French government spokesperson Sophie Primas said on Wednesday the expanded recall was being undertaken out of an abundance of caution. Takata, which was mainly acquired by a Chinese-owned, U.S.-based company, said at the time of its bankruptcy filing that it had recalled or expected to recall about 125 million vehicles worldwide by 2019. Representatives for Takata's new owner were not immediately available to comment.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
Volvo XC60 overtakes iconic 240 as brand's best-ever seller
The Volvo XC60 SUV has now surpassed 2.7 million global sales, earning it the title of the "best-selling Volvo ever" and overtaking the iconic Volvo 240 that debuted in the 1970s. Since the original debuted in 2008, the XC60 has been a vehicle of numerous achievements for the now Chinese-owned Swedish brand – including becoming the first global Volvo model to be produced in China, and winning 2018 World Car of the Year. The current second-generation XC60 also was a driving force behind Volvo's plug-in hybrid push, and was Europe's best-selling PHEV in 2024. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Some 2,685,171 Volvo 240s were produced across a single generation between 1974 and 1993, across the company's Gothenburg and Kalmar factories in Sweden, as well as Ghent in Belgium. The final example rolled off the Gothenburg production line on 5 May, 1993, 15 years before the first Volvo XC60 first went into production. Now, the XC60 is assembled at the Torslanda plant in Gothenburg as well as Chengdu, China. The latter is where the XC60 for Australia has been sourced from for a number of years. While the XC60 and 240 are worlds apart in terms of their design, both have had safety front of mind (or chassis). The Volvo 240 was advanced for its time in offering front and rear crumple zones, as well as a reinforced passenger compartment. It was also among the first cars in the world to incorporate enhanced side impact protection, which later evolved into the company's patented Side-Impact Protection system. The 240's child booster cushion in 1978 was also a world-first innovation. Decades later the XC60 was the first car to standardise low-speed autonomous emergency braking, something that is now commonplace across the industry and around the world. The XC60 also introduced 'Oncoming Lane Mitigation' in 2017 which steers you back into your lane if the vehicle drifts into oncoming traffic. "Growing up in Sweden in the 1980s, the Volvo 240 was the iconic family car – you could spot one in almost every driveway," said Susanne Hägglund, head of Global Offer at Volvo Cars. "Today the XC60 has taken over that position in two ways. Not only as the family favourite, but also becoming our all-time top-seller, which in itself is the ultimate proof point of a successful car." Last year Volvo registered 1905 new XC60s in Australia, down on 2023's figure of 2542. While the most popular Volvo of all time, the XC60 trails the XC40 on today's yearly sales charts – 3142 v 1905 in Australia in 2024. For model year 2026 the Volvo XC60 has been given a facelift, headlined by the implementation of the company's latest user infotainment interface, in addition to subtle design changes and new personalisation options. Prices in Australia have only risen slightly, with the range now starting from $74,990 before on-road costs which is $1000 more than before. A pair of mild-hybrid petrol as well as two plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variants makeup the local lineup, all featuring standard all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission. To read more about the 2026 Volvo XC60 range, click here. MORE: Explore the Volvo XC60 showroom Content originally sourced from: The Volvo XC60 SUV has now surpassed 2.7 million global sales, earning it the title of the "best-selling Volvo ever" and overtaking the iconic Volvo 240 that debuted in the 1970s. Since the original debuted in 2008, the XC60 has been a vehicle of numerous achievements for the now Chinese-owned Swedish brand – including becoming the first global Volvo model to be produced in China, and winning 2018 World Car of the Year. The current second-generation XC60 also was a driving force behind Volvo's plug-in hybrid push, and was Europe's best-selling PHEV in 2024. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Some 2,685,171 Volvo 240s were produced across a single generation between 1974 and 1993, across the company's Gothenburg and Kalmar factories in Sweden, as well as Ghent in Belgium. The final example rolled off the Gothenburg production line on 5 May, 1993, 15 years before the first Volvo XC60 first went into production. Now, the XC60 is assembled at the Torslanda plant in Gothenburg as well as Chengdu, China. The latter is where the XC60 for Australia has been sourced from for a number of years. While the XC60 and 240 are worlds apart in terms of their design, both have had safety front of mind (or chassis). The Volvo 240 was advanced for its time in offering front and rear crumple zones, as well as a reinforced passenger compartment. It was also among the first cars in the world to incorporate enhanced side impact protection, which later evolved into the company's patented Side-Impact Protection system. The 240's child booster cushion in 1978 was also a world-first innovation. Decades later the XC60 was the first car to standardise low-speed autonomous emergency braking, something that is now commonplace across the industry and around the world. The XC60 also introduced 'Oncoming Lane Mitigation' in 2017 which steers you back into your lane if the vehicle drifts into oncoming traffic. "Growing up in Sweden in the 1980s, the Volvo 240 was the iconic family car – you could spot one in almost every driveway," said Susanne Hägglund, head of Global Offer at Volvo Cars. "Today the XC60 has taken over that position in two ways. Not only as the family favourite, but also becoming our all-time top-seller, which in itself is the ultimate proof point of a successful car." Last year Volvo registered 1905 new XC60s in Australia, down on 2023's figure of 2542. While the most popular Volvo of all time, the XC60 trails the XC40 on today's yearly sales charts – 3142 v 1905 in Australia in 2024. For model year 2026 the Volvo XC60 has been given a facelift, headlined by the implementation of the company's latest user infotainment interface, in addition to subtle design changes and new personalisation options. Prices in Australia have only risen slightly, with the range now starting from $74,990 before on-road costs which is $1000 more than before. A pair of mild-hybrid petrol as well as two plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variants makeup the local lineup, all featuring standard all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission. To read more about the 2026 Volvo XC60 range, click here. MORE: Explore the Volvo XC60 showroom Content originally sourced from: The Volvo XC60 SUV has now surpassed 2.7 million global sales, earning it the title of the "best-selling Volvo ever" and overtaking the iconic Volvo 240 that debuted in the 1970s. Since the original debuted in 2008, the XC60 has been a vehicle of numerous achievements for the now Chinese-owned Swedish brand – including becoming the first global Volvo model to be produced in China, and winning 2018 World Car of the Year. The current second-generation XC60 also was a driving force behind Volvo's plug-in hybrid push, and was Europe's best-selling PHEV in 2024. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Some 2,685,171 Volvo 240s were produced across a single generation between 1974 and 1993, across the company's Gothenburg and Kalmar factories in Sweden, as well as Ghent in Belgium. The final example rolled off the Gothenburg production line on 5 May, 1993, 15 years before the first Volvo XC60 first went into production. Now, the XC60 is assembled at the Torslanda plant in Gothenburg as well as Chengdu, China. The latter is where the XC60 for Australia has been sourced from for a number of years. While the XC60 and 240 are worlds apart in terms of their design, both have had safety front of mind (or chassis). The Volvo 240 was advanced for its time in offering front and rear crumple zones, as well as a reinforced passenger compartment. It was also among the first cars in the world to incorporate enhanced side impact protection, which later evolved into the company's patented Side-Impact Protection system. The 240's child booster cushion in 1978 was also a world-first innovation. Decades later the XC60 was the first car to standardise low-speed autonomous emergency braking, something that is now commonplace across the industry and around the world. The XC60 also introduced 'Oncoming Lane Mitigation' in 2017 which steers you back into your lane if the vehicle drifts into oncoming traffic. "Growing up in Sweden in the 1980s, the Volvo 240 was the iconic family car – you could spot one in almost every driveway," said Susanne Hägglund, head of Global Offer at Volvo Cars. "Today the XC60 has taken over that position in two ways. Not only as the family favourite, but also becoming our all-time top-seller, which in itself is the ultimate proof point of a successful car." Last year Volvo registered 1905 new XC60s in Australia, down on 2023's figure of 2542. While the most popular Volvo of all time, the XC60 trails the XC40 on today's yearly sales charts – 3142 v 1905 in Australia in 2024. For model year 2026 the Volvo XC60 has been given a facelift, headlined by the implementation of the company's latest user infotainment interface, in addition to subtle design changes and new personalisation options. Prices in Australia have only risen slightly, with the range now starting from $74,990 before on-road costs which is $1000 more than before. A pair of mild-hybrid petrol as well as two plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variants makeup the local lineup, all featuring standard all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission. To read more about the 2026 Volvo XC60 range, click here. MORE: Explore the Volvo XC60 showroom Content originally sourced from: The Volvo XC60 SUV has now surpassed 2.7 million global sales, earning it the title of the "best-selling Volvo ever" and overtaking the iconic Volvo 240 that debuted in the 1970s. Since the original debuted in 2008, the XC60 has been a vehicle of numerous achievements for the now Chinese-owned Swedish brand – including becoming the first global Volvo model to be produced in China, and winning 2018 World Car of the Year. The current second-generation XC60 also was a driving force behind Volvo's plug-in hybrid push, and was Europe's best-selling PHEV in 2024. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Some 2,685,171 Volvo 240s were produced across a single generation between 1974 and 1993, across the company's Gothenburg and Kalmar factories in Sweden, as well as Ghent in Belgium. The final example rolled off the Gothenburg production line on 5 May, 1993, 15 years before the first Volvo XC60 first went into production. Now, the XC60 is assembled at the Torslanda plant in Gothenburg as well as Chengdu, China. The latter is where the XC60 for Australia has been sourced from for a number of years. While the XC60 and 240 are worlds apart in terms of their design, both have had safety front of mind (or chassis). The Volvo 240 was advanced for its time in offering front and rear crumple zones, as well as a reinforced passenger compartment. It was also among the first cars in the world to incorporate enhanced side impact protection, which later evolved into the company's patented Side-Impact Protection system. The 240's child booster cushion in 1978 was also a world-first innovation. Decades later the XC60 was the first car to standardise low-speed autonomous emergency braking, something that is now commonplace across the industry and around the world. The XC60 also introduced 'Oncoming Lane Mitigation' in 2017 which steers you back into your lane if the vehicle drifts into oncoming traffic. "Growing up in Sweden in the 1980s, the Volvo 240 was the iconic family car – you could spot one in almost every driveway," said Susanne Hägglund, head of Global Offer at Volvo Cars. "Today the XC60 has taken over that position in two ways. Not only as the family favourite, but also becoming our all-time top-seller, which in itself is the ultimate proof point of a successful car." Last year Volvo registered 1905 new XC60s in Australia, down on 2023's figure of 2542. While the most popular Volvo of all time, the XC60 trails the XC40 on today's yearly sales charts – 3142 v 1905 in Australia in 2024. For model year 2026 the Volvo XC60 has been given a facelift, headlined by the implementation of the company's latest user infotainment interface, in addition to subtle design changes and new personalisation options. Prices in Australia have only risen slightly, with the range now starting from $74,990 before on-road costs which is $1000 more than before. A pair of mild-hybrid petrol as well as two plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variants makeup the local lineup, all featuring standard all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission. To read more about the 2026 Volvo XC60 range, click here. MORE: Explore the Volvo XC60 showroom Content originally sourced from:
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
France orders extra 800,000 cars off the road over Takata airbag scandal
France is ordering an extra 800,000 cars with Takata airbags to be taken off the road, two weeks after a woman died in the northeastern town of Reims from injuries related to a faulty airbag. The move is the latest twist in the auto industry's biggest-ever product recall, eight years after the company at the centre of the crisis — Japan's Takata Corp — filed for bankruptcy protection in the US and Japan. After her 2014 Citroën C3 was hit by a truck, the woman in Reims died when she was struck by a metal piece expelled by an airbag ejected from her car, the Reims prosecutor's office said. Citing the incident, French transport minister Philippe Tabarot said on Tuesday that all cars with the technology should be recalled, no matter how old they were. He also ordered all manufacturers to tell drivers in Corsica and other overseas departments to stop driving vehicles with the Takata airbags, whatever their production year, until they are repaired, and issued the same order for all cars with such equipment produced until 2011 in mainland France. The government had previously said vehicles built between 1998 and 2019, from 30 brands, could potentially be recalled. According to a ministry estimate based on carmaker data, the expanded recall will bring the total to 2.5-million. Within that total, the ministry has doubled the number of compulsory recalls — so-called 'stop drive' orders — to 1.7-million. French government spokesperson Sophie Primas said on Wednesday the expanded recall was being undertaken 'out of an abundance of caution'. Takata, which was mainly acquired by a Chinese-owned, US-based company, said at the time of its bankruptcy filing that it had recalled or expected to recall about 125-million vehicles worldwide by 2019.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
From WhatsApp to TikTok: App bans that have swept US government devices
Meta Platforms ' WhatsApp messaging service has been banned from all devices issued by the US House of Representatives. A memo sent to House staff on Monday explained that the "Office of Cybersecurity has deemed WhatsApp a high risk to users due to the lack of transparency in how it protects user data, absence of stored data encryption, and potential security risks involved with its use." But WhatsApp isn't the only app banned on US government devices over privacy and security concerns. Here are a few others that have faced a similar fate: TikTok by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 40세 넘고 PC만 있으면? 이 게임 완전 내 거임! Hero Wars 플레이하기 Undo Back in 2022, CNN reported that TikTok was banned from electronic devices managed by the US House of Representatives. An internal notice to White House staff described the Chinese-owned app as a 'high risk to users due to a number of security risks.' In 2023, the Biden administration took it further by banning TikTok from all devices used by federal employees. Live Events The app's troubles, however, weren't restricted to just government devices. More recently, President Donald Trump extended the deadline for a possible nationwide ban for the third time, aiming to push TikTok into American ownership. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories DeepSeek In March, Reuters reported that the Trump administration was considering a ban on the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek from US government devices, citing national security concerns. Earlier in January, the US Navy advised its members not to use the platform, as did space agency NASA, which blocked access to DeepSeek on its systems. Then, in March, the US Commerce Department followed in their footsteps as well. ChatGPT In 2023, The Verge reported that House Chief Administrative Officer Catherine L Szpindor said lawmakers and staff were only allowed to use the paid version of ChatGPT, known as ChatGPT Plus, due to its stronger privacy protections. 'No other versions of ChatGPT or other large language models AI software are authorised for use in the House currently,' Szpindor wrote in a memo.
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Business Standard
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Apple's China supply chain remains strong despite focus on India, SE Asia
China still enjoys dominance in Apple's key supply chain segments, even as the global tech giant's share of electronics manufacturing in the country has dropped from around 70 per cent to 50 per cent over the last seven years amid increasing focus on India and Southeast Asia, a report by a US-based public policy think-tank American Enterprise Institute (AEI) said. According to the report, key supply chain segments, such as printed circuit boards, printing and packaging, molded and mechanical components, and especially precision manufacturing remain predominantly in China, leaving scope for policymakers in countries like India to focus on attracting investment from its suppliers in such manufacturing capabilities. Interestingly, despite this dominance, Chinese-owned firms generally only play a role in lower-value segments of the supply chain. Many of the higher-value components— even those made in China— are produced in factories owned by Japanese, Taiwanese, or US firms, the report said. It indicated that the monopoly of China in electronics manufacturing for Apple is declining over the years. The assembly of all components into a device— the final step in the production process— is referred to as electronics manufacturing or assembly. 'Beginning in 2018, Apple began to shift its electronics manufacturing footprint, presumably driven by the 2018 US tariffs on China. Before 2018, around 60–70 per cent of electronics manufacturing locations were in China, including nearly all final assembly of key devices like iPhones. Today, by contrast, around 50 per cent of Apple facilities are in China, with increased factory share in India and Southeast Asia,' the report said. Of the 17 companies conducting electronics manufacturing in Apple's supply chain, only two are Chinese. Of the 34 electronics manufacturing facilities reported in China, only three are operated by Chinese firms. The report suggests that policymakers in India and countries in Southeast Asia seeking to attract investment and upgrade their manufacturing capabilities have substantial scope to continue attracting suppliers of companies like Apple, in not only basic assembly, but also some of the other component categories. 'The fact that many of these China-based factories are owned by foreign firms facilitates potential supply chain shifts. Moreover, as western electronics firms face higher tariffs, they are looking for more diversified production locations,' it said. The report is authored by Chris Miller, a non-resident senior fellow at the AEI, and Vishnu Venugopalan, a fellow at Harvard University and an Indian Administrative Service officer. It added that the assembly process for devices like phones often only cost around $10, a tiny fraction of its price. Hence, if tariffs lead to a shift in electronics manufacturing, shifting final assembly from China to a different country — without any other changes in its supply chain – will have minimal impact. Interestingly, the US major has diversified the battery ecosystem, which was solely dependent on China and South Korea till 2018, to multiple other countries. 'Today, however, it procures battery components from five different regions, including India and Southeast Asia. While over half of Apple's battery component sourcing locations remain in China, more than 40 per cent of locations are now outside China, representing a significant shift in Apple's production footprint. Notably, the concentration of China-based manufacturing facilities is greater than the share of Chinese firms. As of 2023, there were firms headquartered in Taiwan, South Korea, and Germany in Apple's battery supply chain—more non-Chinese firms (five) than Chinese (four)," it stated. The connectors and cables category involve some low-end products and some that require more high-end, specialty chemicals. 'The enduring position of Japan-based manufacturing in this category illustrates the higher-end manufacturing involved in certain components. Other segments, however, have seen a substantial shift from China to India and the 'other' category, mostly Southeast Asian countries,' it added. Of the nine companies producing products in this category, only one is Chinese. Other firms in this category with China-based manufacturing are American, Taiwanese, or Japanese — companies like Amphenol (US), Japan Aviation Electronics Industry (Japan), Furukawa Electric (Japan), and Hirose Electric (Japan).
