Automotive News

Buick Electra E4 goes on sale in China

Buick launched sales of its second Ultium platform-based electric vehicle, the Electra E4, this week in China, as General Motors continues to expand its lineup of EVs in a key market. The electric coupe, available in two- and all-wheel-drive versions, is priced from 189,900 yuan ($26,448) to 259,900 yuan, GM’s China unit said. It is 4,818 mm long, 1,912 mm wide and 1,581 mm tall, with a 2,954 mm wheelbase. The two-wheel variant, installed with a 65 kWh battery pack, can drive up to 530 kilometers on one charge. A permanent magnet synchronous motor in the front generates a maximum…

Automotive News

Ford, GM, Volvo exhaust supplier Wescast closing Ontario foundry, Unifor says

Wescast Industries, a Tier 1 automotive supplier of exhaust manifolds, has informed Unifor of its intention to close its foundry in Wingham, Ont., where it has operated for more than 120 years, the union said May 29. Unifor said the closure will devastate workers, families and the community of Wingham, about 190 kilometers northwest of Toronto. About 250 members of Unifor Local 4207 work at the facility. “Wescast and its overseas owners are turning their backs on the foundry’s dedicated workforce and the community that has supported them for generations,” Unifor National President Lana Payne said. “The Wingham foundry closure…

Automotive News

Polestar 3 electric crossover delayed again

Polestar now expects 2023 global sales volumes of 60,000 to 70,000, compared with its earlier forecast of about 80,000 units. Polestar delivered 51,491 units last year. “Given the tougher economic climate, it is difficult for us to compensate for the absence of the Polestar 3 volumes with an incremental Polestar 2 volume,” Polestar CFO Johan Malmqvist said on an earnings call Thursday. “That, coupled with high market uncertainties, led us to call down the volumes.” Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath said the volume forecast adjustment would also help the automaker protect the profit margin on the Polestar 2. “We are intent…

Automotive News

BMW Q1 earnings: Higher margins for the car business

BERLIN — BMW AG reported a higher earnings margin for its cars segment, with a rise to 12.1 percent in the first quarter from 8.9 percent a year earlier. BMW benefited from continued stable pricing for both new and used cars, it said in a statement on Thursday. The automaker attributed a drop in first-quarter earnings before tax to 5.1 billion euros ($5.65 billion) from 12.2 billion last year to the impact of last year’s full consolidation of its Chinese joint venture, BMW Brilliance Automotive. The company kept its outlook unchanged in the face of ongoing high costs and rising…

Automotive News

Quebec toughens ZEV sales mandate, frustrating automakers

Quebec Environment Minister Benoit Charette announced April 21 that the province was “accelerating” the yearly percentage of ZEVs that must be sold until the goal of 100 per cent is reached in 2035. The current Quebec sales mandates are already more aggressive than the proposed federal mandates and the new provincial targets widen that spread significantly. For example, the federal ZEV target for 2027 is 23 per cent, the current mandate in Quebec is 34 per cent and the newly proposed mandate is 43 per cent. For the 2030, the federal target is 60 per cent, the current Quebec target…