KPIT Technologies has announced it will acquire automotive benchmarking company Caresoft Global's carved-out Engineering Solutions business, which is especially focused on off-highway and truck and bus segments globally. Caresoft Global will continue to strengthen its Automotive vertical while partnering with KPIT to expand its benchmarking and cost reduction business into new areas such as software benchmarking, creating unique market differentiators, and jointly exploring downstream implementa...

UVeye, a leading company in AI-driven vehicle inspection technology, has recently announced a substantial funding round amounting to $191 million, elevating its total capital raised to $380.5 million. This funding, a mix of equity and debt, aims to support UVeye's rapid growth in response to the increasing global demand for its innovative vehicle inspection systems. The company is on the verge of scanning 1 million vehicles every month, indicating its strong position in the industry. The fund...

Hyundai Mobis has announced its plans to enhance its electrification business within the European market by establishing a new production facility in Novaky, Slovakia. This new plant, aimed at producing power electric (PE) systems, marks Hyundai Mobis' first European production base specifically for PE systems, integral components for electric vehicles. The announcement was made following the signing of an investment agreement with the Slovak government. This initiative also includes an inves...

As reported in a press release on April 25, Kongsberg Automotive (KA) has officially opened its upgraded plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, marking a significant milestone for the company. The plant represents an expansion and relocation from KA's earlier location in the region since 2018. The upgraded facility spans over 15,500 square meters and is equipped with advanced technologies to support the manufacture of flow control systems (FCS) products, including Raufoss Couplings and high-perform...

ZF plans a $500 million investment in its Gray Court, SC, facility, a company press release stated on Feb. 6. Offering everything from traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) to e-mobility technologies, for both passenger car and commercial vehicle applications, ZF Gray Court is officially the company’s first North American flex manufacturing facility. The plan opened in 2010, and it continues growth through the introduction of high-quality and highly advanced technologies fo...

Vitesco Technologies, a leading manufacturer of modern drive technologies and electrification solutions, is ready to start operations at its new state-of-the-art manufacturing and automated logistics center in Ostrava-Hrušov, Czech Republic, by the end of 2024. The new plant is a significant step in sustainable mobility and the evolution of the Czech automotive sector. The company said in the initial phase, nearly 150 individuals will be employed at the plant. This is projected to grow to ov...

According to a Reuters report dated Nov. 7, Japanese carmaker Nissan will invest 2.8 billion reais ($575.22 million) between 2023 and 2025 in its Resende plant in Brazil to produce two new sports utility vehicle (SUV) models, quoting the company’s global CEO, Makoto Uchida. Uchida added that the new generation of the Nissan Kicks will be one of the vehicles manufactured in Resende, which he said will become a hub for exports to other Latin American countries. The announcement came a day aft...

Purem by Eberspaecher, a global leader in exhaust technologies, and AAPICO Hitech Public Co. Ltd. (AAPICO) have opened their first plant in Rawang, Malaysia, marking an important milestone in their joint venture activities in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) market, a company press release said October 10. The new plant covers 4,000 square meters and produces exhaust gas aftertreatment systems, including hot ends with catalytic converters and manifolds, and cold ends such as...

Automotive engineering, test and development consultancy Horiba Mira has launched its new Driving Simulator Centre at its UK head office in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. It comprises of cutting-edge driver-in-the-loop simulator technology, supported by Horiba Mira's unique engineering service and consultancy, the company said in a press release on September 28. Horiba Mira has invested more than £4 million in the new facility to enable established automotive original equipment manufacturers, new s...

According to a Reuters report on September 21, Hota Industrial Manufacturing Co. Ltd., a leading supplier to electric-vehicle maker Tesla, is planning to invest $99 million to build its first plant outside of Asia in the US state of New Mexico, the Taiwanese company said September 20, citing greater emphasis on regional production in supply chains. Hota, which makes gears and other auto components primarily in Taiwan, said it would begin construction on the factory in Santa Teresa, NM, n...

US-based Eaton announced major investments in its North American manufacturing and operations to support the rapidly growing demand for its electrical solutions. To enhance capacities and serve its wider customers across different industries — including automotive — more than $500 million will be invested, with a majority of the investments to be completed in 2024 and 2025, the company said August 28. The company said investments in its Texas, US, and Wisconsin, US, facilities will i...

The German automotive component supplier Witzenmann GmbH has opened its newly expanded plant in Apaseo el Grande, Guanajuato, Mexico. With an investment of $14 million, this expansion includes the construction of a new warehouse, service areas and offices, which will allow the company to manufacture high-tech products of a new generation, increasing its production capacity by 100%, a news report in Mexico Now dated August 3 said. The new 3,500-square-meter building will generate 352...

South Korean company Woory Industrial Co. plans to open an $18 million plant in Georgia, US, to build heaters for electric vehicles, Associated Press reported June 8. The Georgia plant is Woory’s first US manufacturing location; it has existing plants in South Korea, China, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Slovakia and Mexico. According to the company, it has been developing electric heaters over the last 10 years with hopes of becoming a leader in the market. Heaters are needed in ...

Automotive forging-component supplier, Samtech is investing $19 million at its Mexico plant to increase production. The new investment will create 30 new direct jobs, a Mexico Now report dated June 13 said. Samtech's plant is located at PILBA Industrial Park in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico, on a 39,800-square-meter site, where it currently has a 5,500-square-meter plant with eight hot-forging lines of 3,000 metric tons for shaft and 1,200 metric tons for closed die. The current ...

Denso Corp., part of the Toyota Group that manufactures cooling, air-conditioning and windshield-wiper systems is planning to expand its operations at its plant in Guanajuato Puerto Interior, part of the municipality of Silao, Mexico, with an additional investment of $13 million, Mexico Now reported June 12. The proposed investment is the fourth expansion by the company and is likely to generate nearly 450 jobs. From this plant, Denso serves key customers such as Toyota...

In order to make road transport sustainable, Spain plans to float two tenders simultaneously by July 2023 to select two companies for local electric vehicle (EV) and battery production initiative, according to a report published by Reuters on March 27. The shortlisted companies will receive €2 billion in government funding to accelerate local EV and battery production ecosystem, the report said, citing a senior government official. The funds would be allocated from the EU pandemic reli...

Stellantis announced on March 31 that it plans to produce battery-electric light commercial vehicles (LCVs) at its Mangualde Production Center in Portugal, starting early 2025. The electric vehicles (EVs) scheduled for production at the said site include the Citroën ë-Berlingo, Peugeot e-Partner, Opel Combo-e and Fiat e-Doblò models, both in light commercial and passenger versions, Stellantis said, adding that Mangualde will become the first Portuguese plant to produce large-series fully...

OTICS USA will invest USD147 million to expand its manufacturing operations in Morristown, Tennessee, the state government announced in a press release on 2 March. OTICS USA will create 70 new jobs with the expansion. It will also see new business growth and increased fuel pipe production due to the construction of an additional 55,000 square feet of space at OTICS USA’s facility on Morristown. “We are very proud of the fourth expansion of our Morristown facility and excite...

General Motors (GM) is planning to manufacture new Ultium electric drive units at its St. Catharines Propulsion Plant in Ontario, Canada, the company announced in a press release on 20 February. The new investment into the plant would be expected to support around 500 jobs at the St. Catharines facility and enable the production of more than 400,000 EV drive units a year. “This is a time of historic transformation for our industry and with this significant investment, St. Catharines will pl...

Bosch Automotive Products (Suzhou) Co., Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bosch Group, plans to build research and development (R&D) and manufacturing facilities to design and produce core components for electric vehicles (EVs) and automated driving technologies, the company announced on 12 January 2023. The company said it has signed an investment agreement with Suzhou Industrial Park Administrative Committee, mainland China, in this regard. According to the agreement, the establish...

India’s leading sport utility vehicle (SUV) manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M) plans to invest INR100 billion (USD1.2 billion) on setting up an electric vehicle (EV) production facility in Pune, India, the company announced on 14 December 2022. The investment plan has also been approved under the Maharashtra Government’s industrial promotion scheme for EVs, M&M said in its official statement Wednesday. The planned investments will be made through M&M’s...

Europe’s largest carmaker Volkswagen plans to make an initial investment of about EUR460 million (USD482 million) to ramp up the electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing capacity at its Wolfsburg plant by 2025, the company said on 7 December 2022. The plan was announced by the CEO Thomas Schäfer on Wednesday at an event in Wolfsburg. “The investment is primarily earmarked for preparations to produce the new ID.3,” VW said in a statement Wednesday, adding that the compact elec...

Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motor plans to double its electric vehicle (EV) investments in Thailand as the company looks to expand its operations in the country, according to a news report published by Nikkei Asia on 15 November 2022. Great Wall Motor, which entered the Thai market about two years ago, had invested THB12 billion (over USD 344 million) to set up a plant to produce EVs. The said facility employs more than 3,000 people. Citing Narong Sritalayon, managing director of Great Wal...

German luxury carmaker BMW Group plans to prepare its component manufacturing unit in Steyr to produce electric drives in addition to diesel and petrol engines from 2025, the company announced on 2 December 2022. To this end, BMW plans to invest around EUR1 billion (USD1 billion) on its Steyr facility by 2030, it said. “Preparations are already in full swing,” BMW said in an official statement last week. Notably, BMW’s Steyr plant is the Group’s largest engine plant worldwide. The ...

Shanghai-based EV startup Aiways plans to set up a strategic EV assembly plant in Thailand with an investment of EUR40 million (USD42.16 million), the company announced on 2 December 2022. The said plant will be built by Aiways and its Thai partner Phoenix EV and the facility will be located at the Bio Hub Asia, which is an industrial zone situated in the Chachoengsao Province in Thailand. Aiways plans to locally produce the U5 and the U6 SUV models at the upcoming facility. According to the ...

Ford Motor Company plans to invest a total of GBP150 million (over USD182 million) at its Halewood plant in the UK to support its electrification strategy in Europe, the carmaker said on 1 December 2022. The fresh investment entails a further GBP125 million in its Halewood facility, on Merseyside increasing capacity by 70%, and another GBP24 million on supporting E:PRiME product development center, the company said. According to the company, the new commitment takes the total investment in en...

Ceer, a joint venture between Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. (Foxconn) and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), has signed a land purchase agreement for USD 95.6 million with Emaar, the Economic City, the company announced on 29 November 2022. The purchased land parcel, which is located at King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), will be used to develop Ceer’s manufacturing facility for electric vehicles (EVs). The site, located in Industrial Valley (IV) in close proximity t...

German auto component major Schaeffler has inaugurated a new center of competence in software and electronics development in Pune, India, the company announced on 28 November 2022. The new technology center will help the company expand its capabilities in the areas of developing software and electronic solutions for electric mobility and chassis applications. Schaeffler said that the newly opened competence center in Pune will be a strategically important part of its strong international rese...

Announcing its midterm management policy on 22 November 2022, Japanese vehicle manufacturer Mazda Motor Corporation disclosed that it plans to invest USD10.6 billion in developing electric vehicles (EVs). The company said it is also considering investing in battery production. Mazda’s midterm policy entails the vehicle manufacturer’s goals and milestones spread until 2030. One of these goals include Mazda raising its EV sales target to achieve up to 40% of its total global sales by 2030. ...

Japanese electric motor manufacturer Nidec Corporation is planning to invest about JPY100 billion (USD715 million) to build a production facility in Mexico, according to a news report published by Nikkei Asia on 18 November 2022. It said that Nidec’s planned facility in Mexico will produce propulsion systems for electric vehicles (EVs). The Kyoto-based company is currently producing e-axles in China and Europe but now plans to begin manufacturing drivetrain components in North America ahead...

Horizon Plus Company Limited, a joint venture between Thailand’s Arun Plus Company Limited and and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd (Foxconn), had organized groundbreaking ceremony for the electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing plant at the Rojana Nhongyai Industrial Park, Chonburi Province in Thailand, according to a media release issued by Foxconn on 12 November 2022. The planned facility is located on a plot of land area of over 500,000 square meters in the eastern part of Thailand. Hori...

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker BYD has signed a letter of intent (LoI) with the Government of the State of Bahia in Brazil to set up an EV manufacturing plant, according to a report published by the Brazilian news portal Automotive Business on 28 October 2022. The report stated that BYD plans to install three new assembly lines at a brownfield facility, which was earlier operated by Ford in Camacari. The Chinese automaker plans to invest BRL3 billion (over USD584 million) at the site, wh...

Canadian automotive supplier Magna International plans to invest more than USD500 million in expanding its operations across Michigan, the company announced on 25 October 2022. The company said that it plans to expand its existing facility in St. Clair and also open two new plants, in Shelby Township and in Detroit. Notably, Magna’s existing plant in St. Clair is being expanded for ramping up production of battery enclosures. Meanwhile, the new facilities in Shelby Township and De...

German luxury carmaker BMW Group plans to expand the production capacity of electric vehicle (EV) components at its Leipzig-based manufacturing plant, the company said on the sidelines of the Green Day organized at the BMW Group Plant Leipzig on 20 October 2022. To expand capacity, the carmaker plans to add another eight production lines to manufacture EV components at its Leipzig facility by 2024. Over the next year, the plant’s two existing battery module lines will be complemented by a f...

German luxury carmaker BMW Group plans to invest USD1.7 billion to manufacture electric vehicles (EVs) in the US, the company announced on 19 October 2022. “BMW Group Chairman of the Board of Management, Oliver Zipse, announced a USD1.7 billion investment in its US operations, including USD1 billion to prepare for the production of EVs at the company’s existing US manufacturing facility in South Carolina, and USD700 million to build a new high-voltage battery assembly facility in nea...

Japanese carmaker Honda Motor Company plans to establish a new electric vehicle (EV) hub in Ohio, US, where it is not only investing in upgrading its existing manufacturing plants to roll out EVs but also setting up an EV battery production unit under its joint venture (JV) with LG Energy Solution (LGES), the company announced on 11 October 2022. Besides investing USD3.5 billion with LGES in setting up 40-GWh battery Gigafactory in Ohio state, Honda plans to invest USD700 million in retooling...

Ford Motor Company has officially broken ground at BlueOval City, the carmaker’s largest and most advanced auto production complex in its 119-year history, the company said on 23 September 2022. As the construction work at the 6-square-mile mega campus has begun, structural steel is erected less than one year after Ford and SK On announced their USD5.6 billion investment to build all-new electric trucks and advanced batteries for future Ford and Lincoln vehicles in West Tennessee, it said. ...

General Motors (GM) plans to invest USD760 million at its Toledo, Ohio propulsion manufacturing operations to prepare the plant for production of electric vehicle (EV) drive units, the company announced on 23 September 2022. The American carmaker said that the drive units produced at its Ohio Propulsion Plant will be used in future Ultium platform-based battery electric trucks, including the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV and GMC Hummer EVs. Notably, the Toledo Propulsion Systems will ...

MAHLE Powertrain plans to invest USD4 million in setting up a new powertrain testing facility in Plymouth, Michigan, with an intent to help automakers in vehicle development amid the rapid shift to electrified vehicles, the company said on 16 September 2022. The company said that the new powertrain dynamometer facility will be capable of supporting full powertrain development, from the testing and calibration of individual drive components to the complete driveline systems of complex 4WD vehi...

EKPO Fuel Cell Technologies GmbH plans to significantly expand its operations in the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) market, China. The Germany-headquartered company, which is a joint venture (JV) between ElringKlinger and Plastic Omnium, has established a local subsidiary in China by signing a joint declaration with the local government of Suzhou (SND), it said in a media note issued on 6 September 2022. The signing ceremony was attended by the government representatives from SND as ...

Škoda Auto plans to launch at least three new all-electric models by 2026, the Czech carmaker announced on 30 August 2022. “Škoda Auto will have three new all-electric models on the market as early as 2026, with more to follow,” the company said on the sidelines of unveiling its new brand identity as part of its NEXT LEVEL – ŠKODA STRATEGY 2030. It further said that the Volkswagen-owned brand is targeting contribution of electric vehicle (EV) sales to more than 70% of its o...

US electric vehicle (EV) maker Tesla is expected to spend between USD6 billion and USD8 billion in 2022, 2023, and 2024, each, as the company looks to ramp up production at its new facilities in Texas and Berlin, a Reuters news report published on 26 July 2022 said. The report said that Tesla Inc has increased its capital spending plan by USD1 billion, citing a regulatory filing by the EV maker on Monday that also disclosed a second subpoena related to chief executive Elon Musk’s go-private...

Volkswagen has commenced the production of its all-electric ID.4 compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) in Chattanooga, Tennessee, US, the automaker said on 26 July 2022, adding that the model is VW’s first electric vehicle (EV) assembled in the United States. VW said that the consumers can expect ID.4 EVs to be delivered as early as October 2022. While the EV will be available in either rear-wheel- or all-wheel-drive 82 kWh battery form initially, the carmaker plans to launch a rear-wheel-dri...

British specialty chemicals company Johnson Matthey plans to build a GBP80 million (USD96 million) gigafactory at its existing site in Royston, UK, to scale up the manufacture of hydrogen fuel cell components, the company said on 18 July 2022. The company said that the proposed gigafactory will initially be capable of manufacturing 3GW of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell components annually for hydrogen vehicles. The planned facility will also be supported by the UK Government through...

Volkswagen Group Components plans to expand the production of electric vehicle (EV) components including the portfolio of battery systems, next generation steering systems and brakes, among others at its Braunschweig-based manufacturing plant, the company said on 15 July 2022. The company has also started preparing for the future SSP platform as well, it said on the sidelines of the Site Symposium on Friday last week. While the portfolio and capacity expansion are part of Volkswagen Grou...

Ford Motor Company’s Cologne-based manufacturing plant in Germany is being prepared to produce electric cars in Europe at a time when the assembly lines at the unit are idle on account of factory vacation, the automaker said on 15 July 2022.   The company said that the vehicle assembly lines at the Cologne plant are slated to remain idle until 1 August 2022 on account of factory vacation. However, vacation is being utilized by the company in retooling and expanding capacity to produce ...

Brussels-based materials technology company Umicore plans to invest in building a large-scale fuel cell catalyst plant in Changshu, China, the company announced on 7 July 2022. The said fuel cell catalyst plant in China is aimed at positioning the company as an early mover in securing opportunities in the fast-emerging fuel cell market in China. According to the company, the said plant will enable the accelerated transformation to hydrogen-based clean mobility, serving demand through to 2030....

POSCO International has started constructing an electric vehicle (EV) parts manufacturing facility in Mexico, according to a report published by The Korea Herald on 7 July 2022. The report said that the new facility, which is being built on a site located in Ramos Arizpe in the state of Coahuila in northeastern Mexico, While the company plans to inject about KRW160 billion (USD123.2 million) in the venture through 2030 to produce and supply electric motor cores, the report said that the inves...

MAHLE Powertrain has opened two new R&D facilities in Northampton, UK, further building upon its propulsion engineering capabilities, the company announced on 7 July 2022. It said that the purpose-built facilities allow MAHLE Powertrain to support its customers in the development and research of new vehicles, batteries, and hydrogen technologies. Notably, the new R&D facilities, which would be capable of conducting rigorous tests even under the most extreme simulated environmental con...