Trade News

LONDON -- Jaguar Land Rover's engineering boss, Nick Rogers, will leave the company at the end of the year, the automaker said.

Rogers, 53, has led JLR's engineering and research since 2015 during a 37-year career.

"It's been an honor to work with such an incredible team of people to engineer and launch some of the most desirable vehicles in the world," the UK-born executive wrote on LinkedIn. "Today, after almost four decades, it's time to hand over a stronger-than-ever technical team."

In a statement emailed to Automotive News Europe, JLR CEO Thierry Bollore thanked Rogers.

"Over the last decades, Nick has experienced, shaped and led so much of the Land Rover -- and the Jaguar Land Rover -- story. We wish him every success in the future," Bollore said.

Rogers' successor will be announced in the coming weeks, JLR said.

Rogers is leaving to "explore opportunities outside the automotive industry," the automaker said. No other details …

In the second installment of our March interview with Harry Cohen, the psychologist discusses the importance of gratitude and how to avoid "toxic positivity."

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General Motors said it bought a 25 percent stake in Pure Watercraft, valuing the electric boat startup at $600 million.

GM is offering $150 million in a combination of cash and payment-in-kind, which includes access to the automaker's components and assistance with manufacturing, in exchange for the stake, Pure Watercraft said Monday.

Founded in 2011, Seattle-based Pure Watercraft makes electric motors for boats powered by lithium-ion batteries and uses a plug-and-play design mechanism that allows for any boat hull to use its motors.

"Building upon GM's existing efforts to deploy our technology across rail, truck and aerospace industries, the combined expertise of these two enterprises should result in future zero-emissions marine product offerings," Dan Nicholson, vice president of GM's Global Electrification unit, said in a statement.

The carmaker in October outlined plans to double its revenue by 2030 and become the leader in U.S. electric vehi…

Tesla Inc is planning to spend more than $1 billion on its new vehicle factory in Austin, Texas, and plans to complete construction by the end of this year, public filings with a Texas state agency showed.

Filings submitted to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) on Friday outlined Tesla's spending on various manufacturing capabilities at its Austin factory. The company said it plans to complete construction of its general assembly, paint, casting, stamping and body shop facilities by Dec. 31.

The five facilities would have a combined square footage of nearly 4.3 million and cost a combined $1.06 billion, according to the filings.

Electric vehicle news outlet electrek first reported on the filings on Monday.

The TDLR regulates and licenses a broad range of businesses, facilities and equipment. The Tesla filings were made under the agency's architectural barriers project, which reviews and inspects projects to ensure they comply …

This week on "Daily Drive," we hear from psychologist and author Harry Cohen. In this segment from March 2021, Cohen shares his strategies for cultivating a positive mindset to help build and maintain strong relationships with employees.

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Can't wait to hear the next episode of "Daily Drive"? Subscribe through a podcast app to receive episodes days in advance. If you don't have a podcast app already, here are some options. 

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“Daily Drive” is available on the iTunes Store and through the ‘Podcast’ app pre-installed on all iOS devices. Click here to subscribe to "Daily Drive"

Android

“Daily Drive” is available on the Google Play store. Click here to subscribe to "Daily Drive"

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BERLIN -- Volkswagen Group's top leadership will meet on Tuesday to discuss the future of CEO Herbert Diess, who is likely to remain at the helm of the automaker despite tensions over his management style, sources said on Monday.

The meeting will be attended by the automaker's labor boss Daniela Cavallo, and by Wolfgang Porsche and Hans Michel Piech, who represent VW Group's major shareholder, the Porsche-Piech clan, sources with knowledge of the negotiations said.

It is not yet clear whether a final decision will be made at Tuesday's meeting. But any decision would come before a Dec. 9 supervisory board meeting to discuss VW's five-year spending plan, the sources said, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

The goal is to announce new board members alongside details on job prospects for employees and investment plans for the group as a package, the sources said.

Read more about VW board executive committee to discuss Diess’ future on Tuesday, report says

Electric vehicles still have less than 10 percent market share in Europe -- and are just a tiny fraction of worldwide sales -- but automakers and suppliers are already spending billions to develop solid-state batteries, the next generation of technology that promises faster charging, better energy storage and improved safety.

Automakers have offered various dates for when solid-state batteries will appear. The Chinese EV maker Nio has perhaps been the most aggressive, announcing that it will offer the technology by the end of 2022. 

Toyota and VW have invested heavily in solid-state batteries, and both say they will have vehicles with the technology on the road in 2025. Others are looking further ahead, including Stellantis (2026), BMW (2026), Daimler (2028), Renault-Nissan (after 2026) and Hyundai (no earlier than 2030).

Solid-state batteries will be a key driver in bringing down battery pack prices and making EVs both profitable and affordable. B…

The 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show, only the second major U.S. auto show to take place since the pandemic began, was again a showcase of electrification, new concepts and bold styling. And some automakers, notably Porsche, are still having fun with a combustion engine under the hood. Here are some highlights.

Though Kia's first vehicle on a dedicated EV platform, the EV6, isn't scheduled to arrive in U.S. dealerships until early 2022, the automaker is already hinting at its next electric crossover with the Concept EV9. Kia calls it "the clearest signal yet" of what might be its next EV, a three-row crossover. The Concept EV9 shares the Hyundai Seven concept's E-GMP architecture.

— Laurence Iliff

Hyundai's Seven concept previews styling elements and features the brand could bring to a three-row electric crossover, the Ioniq 7, in 2024. It features a loungelike interior, ultrafast charging and targeted range …

The battery in every gasoline or diesel vehicle today looks pretty much the same: It's a black box with two silver posts for the cables. Sure, there can be some minor differences inside, but automobile batteries haven't changed much for around a century.

Things are going to be very different as the electric vehicle era ramps up. Billions are being spent to improve battery safety, durability, power capabilities and charging times.

The battery is changing from being a cheaply replaced regular wear item into one of the most crucial parts of the vehicle.

It will be the battery that determines how far and how fast an EV can go on a charge. The battery will affect the sticker price when a vehicle is new and its value on the used-car market.

Unlike today's batteries, EV batteries will come in different shapes and sizes and have chemistries that vary, depending on the battery manufacturer, the brand of vehicle and the vehicle's mission.

A sports …