UK automaking at risk as Jaguar Land Rover looks elsewhere for batteries

BMW CEO Oliver Zipse last month said crossover production will come to Mexico, without revealing specific plans.

 Robert Bosch signed a partnership deal with WeRide, a China-based autonomous driving technology provider, to develop software enabling autonomous driving functions for passenger vehicle makers in the world's No. 1 market. 

Automakers such as Rolls-Royce that already were struggling to source chips are now also grappling with disruptions stemming from China’s efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, as well as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The deal includes a $45 million investment from mobility tech company Geely Holding Group, lidar sensor maker Luminar Technologies and automotive company Lotus Technology.

Speaking at Renault Group’s annual general meeting, CEO Luca de Meo said one outcome of the project would be to “correct the group’s valuation.” Other automakers are considering similar plans to keep up with Tesla and other "electric native" automakers.

Herbert Diess said he sees "clear improvement" in semiconductor supplies and expects global production to recover this year as shortages linked to the war in Ukraine stabilize.

The open-top version of the Maserati MC20 supercar has a top that can retract in 12 seconds, and glass roof that can change from clear to opaque.

Christopher Moore, a former director of Autopilot at Tesla, who had joined Apple in August, will lead Luminar’s software team to develop autonomous safety features integrated with its lidar.

Helping Ford to debut the Bronco has been a major challenge for Webasto.

BMW will use the new center to produce battery cell samples for batteries that will be used in its Neue Klasse (New Class) electric drivetrain architecture.