Ford and Geely will share the Almussafes plant in Spain
Ford and Geely have agreed to form a joint venture to revitalize the Almussafes factory in Valencia, Spain. This partnership aims to secure the future of the plant by producing a new generation of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles starting in 2028.
The Ford facility has been operating at reduced capacity, sparking concerns about potential closures among the workforce. Under the new deal, Ford will hold a 66% stake in the joint venture, while Geely will own the remaining 34%. Operations are expected to merge within the first half of 2027.
The production line will feature a mix of vehicles:
▫️ Ford Kuga and the new Ford Bronco Sport
▫️ Two Geely electric models
▫️ One joint multi-energy model designed with Ford’s driving dynamics
Unlike recent collaborations where Geely partnered with Renault or Volkswagen to share platforms, this deal directly integrates Geely into an established Ford production site to prevent its obsolescence.
#Ford #Geely #Automotive
Xataka
Subscribe
Ford and Geely have agreed to form a joint venture to revitalize the Almussafes factory in Valencia, Spain. This partnership aims to secure the future of the plant by producing a new generation of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles starting in 2028.
The Ford facility has been operating at reduced capacity, sparking concerns about potential closures among the workforce. Under the new deal, Ford will hold a 66% stake in the joint venture, while Geely will own the remaining 34%. Operations are expected to merge within the first half of 2027.
The production line will feature a mix of vehicles:
▫️ Ford Kuga and the new Ford Bronco Sport
▫️ Two Geely electric models
▫️ One joint multi-energy model designed with Ford’s driving dynamics
Unlike recent collaborations where Geely partnered with Renault or Volkswagen to share platforms, this deal directly integrates Geely into an established Ford production site to prevent its obsolescence.
Empty factory space costs more to maintain than a shared production line.
#Ford #Geely #Automotive
Xataka
Subscribe
👍1
New metal foam cuts crash severity by 48%
Engineers have developed a new metal foam that absorbs kinetic energy so effectively it can reduce the severity of a car crash by 48%. 🚗
This material is built to sit inside a vehicle’s front rails. When a collision happens, the foam deforms, slowing down the impact forces before they reach the passengers. It provides a way to increase safety without the typical downsides of adding heavy armor or extra bracing.
➖ It keeps the vehicle's total weight low.
➖ It preserves fuel economy and battery range.
➖ It functions without requiring major changes to the overall frame design.
Traditional steel rails are rigid and heavy, meaning they often fail to dissipate energy as gracefully as this lightweight, porous foam does. It is a smart way to make vehicles safer without asking the driver to sacrifice efficiency.
#safety #innovation #automotive
Interesting Engineering
Subscribe
Engineers have developed a new metal foam that absorbs kinetic energy so effectively it can reduce the severity of a car crash by 48%. 🚗
This material is built to sit inside a vehicle’s front rails. When a collision happens, the foam deforms, slowing down the impact forces before they reach the passengers. It provides a way to increase safety without the typical downsides of adding heavy armor or extra bracing.
➖ It keeps the vehicle's total weight low.
➖ It preserves fuel economy and battery range.
➖ It functions without requiring major changes to the overall frame design.
Traditional steel rails are rigid and heavy, meaning they often fail to dissipate energy as gracefully as this lightweight, porous foam does. It is a smart way to make vehicles safer without asking the driver to sacrifice efficiency.
Physics doing the heavy lifting.
#safety #innovation #automotive
Interesting Engineering
Subscribe
👍3
PHEVs Emit 6 Times More Pollution Than Officially Stated
New 2024 data from the European Union reveals that plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) produce six times more carbon dioxide than official testing standards indicate. This is not just a minor calculation error; it means your typical hybrid car is far less eco-friendly than the marketing materials claim. ⚠️
The problem is getting worse as these vehicles age. Data shows that the gap between real-world emissions and controlled lab results is widening over time. The automotive industry lobby is currently working to block new regulations that would force them to report these higher, more accurate pollution figures.
Official government metrics, such as the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure, rely on controlled lab conditions that ignore real-world driving variables. These numbers are a stark contrast to the actual emissions recorded during daily commutes, which were marketed to buyers as a clean, low-pollution bridge to full electrification. Now, the real environmental impact of these cars is proving to be much higher than the figures touted at the time of purchase.
It is clear that the environmental promise of these hybrids does not match the reality of our daily commute.
#PHEV #Environment #Automotive
CleanTechnica
Subscribe
New 2024 data from the European Union reveals that plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) produce six times more carbon dioxide than official testing standards indicate. This is not just a minor calculation error; it means your typical hybrid car is far less eco-friendly than the marketing materials claim. ⚠️
The problem is getting worse as these vehicles age. Data shows that the gap between real-world emissions and controlled lab results is widening over time. The automotive industry lobby is currently working to block new regulations that would force them to report these higher, more accurate pollution figures.
The regulatory framework designed to track vehicle emissions is failing to account for how these cars perform in daily traffic, allowing them to remain on the road under false environmental pretenses.
Official government metrics, such as the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure, rely on controlled lab conditions that ignore real-world driving variables. These numbers are a stark contrast to the actual emissions recorded during daily commutes, which were marketed to buyers as a clean, low-pollution bridge to full electrification. Now, the real environmental impact of these cars is proving to be much higher than the figures touted at the time of purchase.
It is clear that the environmental promise of these hybrids does not match the reality of our daily commute.
The green label is coming off.
#PHEV #Environment #Automotive
CleanTechnica
Subscribe
❤1🤔1
Rivian Launches Autonomy+ for R1S and R1T
Rivian has rolled out its Autonomy+ system, allowing its electric vehicles to navigate between mapped points across the U.S. and Canada without constant human input. This new capability is arriving for the company's newest R1S and R1T models, marking a major step for the brand in the automated transport market.
This point-to-point system uses sensors to manage steering, acceleration, and braking while obeying traffic lights and stop signs.
When considering the price, Rivian will charge $49.99 per month or a one-time fee of $2,500. This places the system in direct competition with other automakers:
🔹 Tesla currently charges $99 per month for its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system.
🔹 Mercedes has set a price of $3,950 for a three-year subscription to its MB.Drive Assist Pro, which still requires the driver to keep at least one hand on the steering wheel.
It is a practical move toward letting cars handle the more tedious parts of a daily commute.
#Rivian #EV #Automotive
IEEE Spectrum
Subscribe
Rivian has rolled out its Autonomy+ system, allowing its electric vehicles to navigate between mapped points across the U.S. and Canada without constant human input. This new capability is arriving for the company's newest R1S and R1T models, marking a major step for the brand in the automated transport market.
This point-to-point system uses sensors to manage steering, acceleration, and braking while obeying traffic lights and stop signs.
The technology allows owners to input an address, sit back, and let the vehicle drive itself on mapped routes, changing the driver’s role to that of a supervisor.Rivian will also bring this system to its upcoming R2 SUV by the end of this year via an over-the-air update, which is simply a wireless software patch that adds new features to the car.
When considering the price, Rivian will charge $49.99 per month or a one-time fee of $2,500. This places the system in direct competition with other automakers:
🔹 Tesla currently charges $99 per month for its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system.
🔹 Mercedes has set a price of $3,950 for a three-year subscription to its MB.Drive Assist Pro, which still requires the driver to keep at least one hand on the steering wheel.
It is a practical move toward letting cars handle the more tedious parts of a daily commute.
The race for hands-free driving is clearly heating up.
#Rivian #EV #Automotive
IEEE Spectrum
Subscribe
Jaguar unveils its first new car in eight years
🚗
Jaguar has revealed the Type 01, an all-electric luxury four-door car priced around €165,000. 💶
The vehicle packs a powerful three-motor setup delivering 1,016 horsepower, taking you from zero to sixty in 3.2 seconds. ⚡
Measuring over 17 feet long, the car features a striking design inspired by classic 1940s styling to attract younger buyers.
#Jaguar #ElectricCars #Automotive
Subscribe
🚗
Jaguar has revealed the Type 01, an all-electric luxury four-door car priced around €165,000. 💶
The vehicle packs a powerful three-motor setup delivering 1,016 horsepower, taking you from zero to sixty in 3.2 seconds. ⚡
Measuring over 17 feet long, the car features a striking design inspired by classic 1940s styling to attract younger buyers.
#Jaguar #ElectricCars #Automotive
Subscribe
Chinese automaker Chery sets up German headquarters for its first electric car
🚗⚡️ The new 4.19-meter-long electric compact car from Chery packs a 41 kWh battery and 375 liters of boot space into a city-friendly body. Chery is establishing its German headquarters in Frankfurt to bring this model, the Chery Q, to the European market.
Earlier, the manufacturer announced several hybrid SUVs for Germany as its initial export push. The new battery-electric vehicle delivers 89 kW of power and includes a vehicle-to-load function.
Charging the battery from 30 to 80 percent takes 17 minutes. Market availability in Germany is scheduled to follow the rollout of the brand's hybrid vehicles.
#Chery #ElectricCars #Automotive
Subscribe
🚗⚡️ The new 4.19-meter-long electric compact car from Chery packs a 41 kWh battery and 375 liters of boot space into a city-friendly body. Chery is establishing its German headquarters in Frankfurt to bring this model, the Chery Q, to the European market.
Earlier, the manufacturer announced several hybrid SUVs for Germany as its initial export push. The new battery-electric vehicle delivers 89 kW of power and includes a vehicle-to-load function.
Charging the battery from 30 to 80 percent takes 17 minutes. Market availability in Germany is scheduled to follow the rollout of the brand's hybrid vehicles.
#Chery #ElectricCars #Automotive
Subscribe
❤1
BYD luxury electric sedan gets suicide doors and a gemstone grille 🚗🔥
Luxury cars are getting a dramatic new entryway as BYD equips its upcoming flagship sedan with doors that swing open nearly 90 degrees. BYD general manager Hu Xiaoqing confirmed on October 30 that the new Yangwang Altior will feature these suicide doors and a dot-matrix gemstone grille ahead of its debut in Dubai, UAE, around November 5.
The vehicle measures about 5,500 millimeters in length, putting it in the same size category as a Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class or Rolls-Royce Phantom.
Prices for the executive sedan are rumored to start around 2 million yuan, which translates to about $300,000. That sits well above the brand's current U7 electric sedan that starts at 658,000 yuan.
Promotional images also show the sedan charging at a BYD Flash Charge station, pointing to rapid energy replenishment alongside potential solid-state battery technology planned for upcoming high-end models.
#ElectricVehicles ⚡ #LuxuryCars ⚡ #Automotive
Subscribe
Luxury cars are getting a dramatic new entryway as BYD equips its upcoming flagship sedan with doors that swing open nearly 90 degrees. BYD general manager Hu Xiaoqing confirmed on October 30 that the new Yangwang Altior will feature these suicide doors and a dot-matrix gemstone grille ahead of its debut in Dubai, UAE, around November 5.
The vehicle measures about 5,500 millimeters in length, putting it in the same size category as a Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class or Rolls-Royce Phantom.
Prices for the executive sedan are rumored to start around 2 million yuan, which translates to about $300,000. That sits well above the brand's current U7 electric sedan that starts at 658,000 yuan.
Promotional images also show the sedan charging at a BYD Flash Charge station, pointing to rapid energy replenishment alongside potential solid-state battery technology planned for upcoming high-end models.
#ElectricVehicles ⚡ #LuxuryCars ⚡ #Automotive
Subscribe
BMW automated city driving
🚗 BMW will launch partially automated driving in urban environments starting in 2027, beginning in Germany.
The system handles steering and lane changes on local roads, using hardware already built into existing vehicle models.
#AutonomousDriving ⚡ #Automotive ⚡ #BMW
Subscribe
🚗 BMW will launch partially automated driving in urban environments starting in 2027, beginning in Germany.
The system handles steering and lane changes on local roads, using hardware already built into existing vehicle models.
#AutonomousDriving ⚡ #Automotive ⚡ #BMW
Subscribe