David Jolley Web Correspondent for Automotive News Europe [email protected] +49 89 5795 9137 See All Staff Page Recent Stories Battery startup plans UK's first Gigafactory near Aston Martin's SUV plant Britishvolt aims to start building the 30 gigawatt-hours factory in the second quarter of 2021 and begin production in 2023. BMW extends production break in Europe, N. America BMW will idle production until the end of April because it expects a further decline in demand while dealerships remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ford cuts Fiesta production on falling UK demand Ford's factory in Cologne, Germany, will build fewer Fiestas this year because of weaker demand for the small hatchback in the UK. VW concept points to future electric wagon The production version of the VW ID Space Vizzion concept will launch in 2021. The wagon will come in different versions for North America, Europe and China. Opel sales expert will head LCV growth push Belgian national Pascal Martens is tasked with boosting Opel's light commercial van sales. BMW names new production chief, human resources head BMW said it is freshening its top management with younger talent with the appointments of Milan Nedeljkovic as production chief and Ilka Horstmeier as head of human resources. Frankfurt show's future in doubt, report says Automakers are discussing a new concept for the Frankfurt auto show that would place more emphasis on mobility concepts rather than new cars, a German business paper reported. Daimler, VW, ZF, Bosch expand e-plants as electrification push intensifies In total, Automotive News Europe's E-Car and Component Map identifies 84 sites producing electrified vehicles, batteries and components in the region, up from 61 last year. This is a clear indication that the industry is moving rapidly toward electrification as it seeks to meet tough EU emissions goals. Former Opel CEO Forster will chair Hella's shareholder committee The appointment of the former GM and BMW veteran is expected to be announced at the company’s annual general meeting next month. VW will add softtop version of the T-Roc The T-Roc Cabriolet will be the first convertible in Europe’s fast-growing small SUV segment. Aiways tests U5 electric SUV on marathon trip from China to Germany The journey will take two U5 SUVs through the Gobi Desert, Kazakhstan and Russia. Engineers will test everything from the 'E-Drive' powertrain through to the chassis settings and steering characteristics. VW wins copyright case over Beetle design Volkswagen won a copyright case brought by the daughter of designer Erwin Komenda, who helped to style the original VW Beetle. Mercedes taps Russia chief for China in wider shuffle Mercedes has named Jan Madeja, formerly the brand's head of Russia, as its new sales boss in China as part of a wider management shuffle. Madeja succeed Nicholas Speeks, who will become CEO of Mercedes' U.S. operations, and Holger Suffel succeeds Madeja in Russia. Former Opel CEO Forster joins autonomous tech company Vayavision's board Carl-Peter Forster, a former Opel CEO and a BMW veteran, has joined the advisory board of Vayavision, an Israeli developer of autonomous vehicle technology that plans to expand in Europe. German startup plans to build solar car at former Saab plant German startup Sono is teaming up with National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) to build the first series production solar -powered electric car at Saab's former plant in Sweden. Load More
David Jolley Web Correspondent for Automotive News Europe [email protected] +49 89 5795 9137 See All Staff Page