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Supplier Denso to build plant in China

Japanese automotive supplier Denso Corp will invest around 2 billion yuan ($290.3 million) to build a plant in Nansha district of Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong province, sources with the district said last Monday. Covering about 100,000 square meters, the plant will consist of auto part manufacturing workshops, a quality monitoring center, and a warehousing and distribution center to produce auto electronic components. Construction on the project, located in Huangge Township, will start on June 28. It is expected to become operational in 2021 and achieve mass production in 2022.

Law relaxed for self-driving cars in Japan

Stuck in traffic on a Japanese highway? If you're in a self-driving car you might be able to kick back with a sandwich and check your phone under new legislation in the country. The law, passed Tuesday to relax current restrictions on autonomous vehicles, takes effect next year ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. Few immediate details about the new rules were made available, but Jiji Press agency said it would come into effect in May and apply only to limited circumstances. The law would allow drivers in certain situations to use a smartphone behind the wheel as their vehicle drives itself, as long as they are able to switch to manual driving immediately in case of emergency, the agency said.

UK car output crashes on plant shutdowns

British car output almost halved in April as factories imposed shutdowns in the face of Brexit uncertainty and other sector-wide headwinds, industry data showed Thursday. The nation's car production nosedived 44.5 percent from the same month last year to 70,971 vehicles, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. April was the eleventh successive monthly decline amid softening demand for cars in major international markets, in particular for high-polluting diesel vehicles in Europe. Carmakers also idled their factories to avoid possible supply disruption if Britain had indeed left the European Union. The April Brexit deadline has now slipped to October.

Ferrari accelerates its move into hybrid cars

Ferrari presented a luxury car with a difference on Wednesday, which is a hybrid model that can cruise silently through city streets on electric power as well as hitting a top speed of 340 km per hour. Fitted with a 1,000 horsepower engine developed from Formula One, the new 4WD SF90 Stradale hybrid sports car was displayed at the company's historic base in Maranello, near Modena, in northern Italy. Chief Executive Louis Camilleri described the new car as "astounding, fast and completely revolutionary". As well as offering the traditional thrill of high speed and performance, the new car permits 25 km of electric-only power, allowing drivers to leave home quietly and pass through city centers free of noise or dirty emissions.

Germany extends EV incentives by 2020

The German government is extending its incentives to buy electric cars by 18 months until the end of 2020. The program was supposed to expire at the end of June, but demand for electric cars has remained disappointing. It is backed by a 1.2 billion-euro ($1.3 billion) fund, half financed by the federal government and half by the auto industry. Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said "we need continuity in support" for electric cars. The incentives will continue at their current level: buyers of purely electric cars will receive 4,000 euros and people buying plug-in hybrids will get 3,000 euros. Altmaier said applications for the incentives have been rising "but more slowly than we had hoped."

Motoring - Agencies

(China Daily 06/03/2019 page19)