Hey, Your Top Automobile News for January 29, 2021

Your Daily Automobile updates From Around The World [img] [img]( [The Automobile News]( [South Korea ups subsidies for eco-friendly cars to speed up green push]( Credit: Bangkokpost.com South Korea will offer up to 19 million won (515,000 baht) in subsidies to people who buy an electric car this year and up to 37.5 million won for a hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle to ensure more eco-friendly cars on the road as part of the country’s green push, according to the government’s expanded subsidy plan. The government said it aims to add 136,000 electric and hydrogen vehicles this year by upping its subsidy to 1.02 trillion won for 121,000 EVs, and to 365.5 billion won for 15,000 hydrogen vehicles, Pulse reported. This year’s target number of EVs and hydrogen vehicles is up by 21.4% and 49.2%, respectively, from a year ago, it added. [eco-friendly cars] The government will also install 31,500 EV charging systems and build 54 hydrogen stations across the country this year to provide a more convenient charging environment. The bold green car subsidy programme is a part of the South Korean government’s Green New Deal initiative unveiled in July to nurture renewable energy, green infrastructure, and green industrial sectors as the country’s new growth engines as well as to address air and water pollution. Hyundai Motor Kona and Kia Motors Niro are among the EV models to receive the largest subsidy benefit with up to 19 million won in total from the central and local governments. Up to 37.5 million won will be offered in subsidy to those who buy Hyundai Nexo hydrogen fuel-cell electric car. Under the government’s revised subsidy programme this year, buyers of an electric vehicle with a longer driving range per charge will get more in subsidies. The government will also differentiate subsidy levels by car price as those retailed between 60 million won and 90 million won will receive only a 50% subsidy, and expensive models priced over 90 million won will receive no subsidy. Subsidies for electric taxis, buses and trucks will also increase to support small business owners. [Credit: Bangkokpost.com]( The post [South Korea ups subsidies for eco-friendly cars to speed up green push]( appeared first on [TheAutomobileNews.com](. [Read Full Story]( [Elon Musk expects Tesla to lead the solar market soon]( - Elon Musk expects Tesla to lead the solar market after a ‘better’ integration of two key teams. - The company was heavily focused on building and producing Model 3 cars but can now turn more attention to solar, Musk said. Credit: Businessinsider.in Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, believes that the electric automaker will soon be the market leader in solar. [Tesla] During the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call on Wednesday, Musk said there were a few years where the company, including the team that works on solar, was devoted to building and producing Tesla’s Model 3, the company’s first mass-market vehicle. “Now we got a little more bandwidth, we’re putting a lot of attention on solar, and it’s growing rapidly,” he said. “So I think it will not be long before Tesla is, by far, the market leader in solar.” Tesla purchased SolarCity, a rooftop solar company company, in 2016. Once the leader in the industry, its installations have dropped in recent years. To regain its footing, Tesla needs to better integrate between Tesla Powerwall, a battery that stores solar energy for use, and Tesla Solar, according to Musk. Tesla Solar includes Tesla Solargalass Roof which is a solar energy system made up of tempered glass tiles containing solar cells. Musk said that he is confident that the company could integrate Powerwall and Tesla Solar before the end of the year. “We’re focused on reducing the amount of time and the complexity of the install, and we’re making great progress in that regard, and I think we’ll have something that’s really dialed in this year,” Musk said. Tesla has a number of competitors in the space. Earlier this year, the leading rooftop-solar company Sunrun said it would buy the second-largest installer, Vivint Solar. The combined company would control at least 15% of the market. Meantime, Eos Energy Enterprises is competing with the electric automaker in the battery-based electricity storage business as it enables users to store power produced by renewable energy, according to Barrons. Read More: Elon Musk says Tesla’s Cybertruck engineering is done and deliveries may start this year ‘if we get lucky’ Tesla also needs to achieve an industry-leading cost structure as part of its solar strategy, allowing the company to have an “industry-leading pricing,” according to Tesla’s CFO Zachary J. Kirkhorn. Kirkhorn added that the company now has a well-positioned cost structure. Tesla’s fourth-quarter earnings fell short of Wall Street’s expectations, as the electric automaker continued to grow its sales and turn a profit despite the coronavirus pandemic. The company posted revenue of $10.744 billion, compared to an expected $10.33 billion, and $0.80 (adjusted) per share, compared to an expected $1.01 per share. “Despite unforeseen global challenges, we outpaced many trends seen elsewhere in the industry as we significantly increased volumes, profitability and cash generation,” the company said in a press release. The electric automaker is expected to start delivering its electric semi-truck in 2021 and a “plaid” version of its Model X. [Credit: Businessinsider.in]( The post [Elon Musk expects Tesla to lead the solar market soon]( appeared first on [TheAutomobileNews.com](. [Read Full Story]( [GM Partnering With Navistar On Hydrogen Fuel Cell Semi Trucks]( General Motors Co. is partnering with Navistar Inc. to provide hydrogen fuel cells for a fleet of Navistar’s semi trucks, a move to further strengthen GM’s position in fuel cell development. A fleet of Navistar fuel-cell powered vehicles will have two GM Hydrotec fuel cell power cubes that each contain 300-plus hydrogen fuel cells as well as thermal and power management systems. J.B. Hunt Transport Inc. will pilot the trucks on dedicated routes in 2022. They are expected to be commercially available in 2024. To supply the hydrogen powering the fuel cells, Navistar is partnering with supplier One H2 Inc. Navistar claims the truck will get a target range of at least 500 miles and has a hydrogen fueling time of less than 15 minutes. The company collaboration is seen as a way to help make fuel-cell semis a reality faster.”There is a commitment here that all parties will play a strong role in developing the ecosystem solution,” Navistar CEO Persio Lisboa said on a call with media. “This is the beginning of something and we believe that many other customers will be able to join as we move along with the technology and the solution.” Lisboa said Navistar came to GM after “extensive research” for a fuel cell partner. GM’s 50 years in hydrogen fuel cell development, 3.2 million miles powered by hydrogen and its commitment to a zero-emissions future led Navistar to selecte the Detroit automaker, he said. Lisboa declined to disclose the financial relationship with GM, referring to it as “really a technology development partnership.” He also wouldn’t disclose how many orders the company has received for the trucks. Navistar is partnering and taking a minority stake in OneH2, the company that will supply hydrogen production, storage, delivery and safety. OneH2 with its affiliates plans to have a substantial hydrogen heavy truck refueling infrastructure by eventually incorporating more than 2,000 of the new Navistar trucks into its existing truck fleet. OneH2 uses production hubs to make hydrogen fuel that is transported by trailer to fueling sites located at industrial centers.”As you’re seeing everywhere in the world, the infrastructure for hydrogen is one of the most challenging goals that I think companies may have,” Lisboa said. “Once you have the infrastructure, then you’re enabling the technology.” Last year, GM signed a memorandum of understanding with startup Nikola Corp. to provide its Hydrotec fuel cell system for Nikola’s future semi-trucks. The deal was scaled down from a previously agreed partnership after Nikola was accused of making fraudulent claims about its technology and capabilities, causing its stock to plummet. Nikola and GM are still in negotiations. Credit : detroitnews.com [Read More]( The post [GM Partnering With Navistar On Hydrogen Fuel Cell Semi Trucks]( appeared first on [TheAutomobileNews.com](. [Read Full Story]( [2021 Tata Safari: A Close Look]( The 2021 Tata Safari has already been revealed, with the carmaker set to launch the SUV and begin accepting bookings for it on February 4. Tata has been working on the all-new Safari for quite some time now, and we have seen it in various stages of development; the last one being the Tata Gravitas showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo.With the Safari’s launch imminent, we decided we would put together all the details we have on the new three-row SUV. - Tata offers a 170hp, 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine. - It uses the Land Rover-derived Omega Arc platform. - It will be available in six trim levels – XE, XM, XT, XT+, XZ and XZ+ New Tata Safari: Exterior Design Let’s start with the design of the new Safari, which does have a few similarities to the smaller Harrier, with which it shares its platform. From the nose of the SUV till its C-pillar, there is little to distinguish between the Harrier and the Safari, save for the new front grille. Though beyond the C-pillar, the Safari differentiates itself with details such as the longer rear overhang than the Harrier (to accommodate the extra row of seats), the roof rails with chrome inserts carrying the Safari inscription, the stepped roof design (which harks back to the previous generation design), a larger rear-quarter glass (compared to the Harrier), a more upright rear section with a new tailgate and tweaked tail-lights. New Tata Safari: Engine And Gearbox Options Powering the second-gen Tata Safari is the same 2.0-litre Kryotec turbo-diesel engine as in the Harrier. It is also in the same state of tune as its smaller sibling as it produces 170hp and 350Nm. Tata offers the engine with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed torque convertor automatic gearbox. Due to the fact that the new Safari uses the Land Rover-derived Omega architecture (which was designed to incorporate a four-wheel-drive system), Tata could develop a 4×4 variant in the future. New Tata Safari: Interiors Styling And Layout Coming to the interiors of the Safari, the overall design and layout are largely the same as the Harrier. The biggest change is the three rows of seating. There are six-seat and seven-seat options on offer; buyer’s could opt for a bench-seat (7-seater) in the middle row or captain seats (6-seater). Another noteworthy change is new black and beige interior colour scheme, which makes the cabin look a touch more premium and upmarket. New Tata Safari: Features And Variants Tata will offer the new Safari in six main trim levels – XE, XM, XT, XT+, XZ and XZ+. At launch, the new Safari will only be available with an automatic gearbox potion in the XM, XZ and XZ+ trims. Besides this, the rest of the features available on the Safari will be very similar to those offered on the Harrier. The top-spec XZ+ trim will be well-kitted with front, side and curtain airbags, hill-descent control, terrain response modes, an electronic parking brake, 18-inch machined alloy wheels, Xenon HID headlights, an 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with iRA connected car tech, a 9-speaker JBL audio system, a 7.0-inch digital display in the instrument cluster, a 6-way power adjustable driver’s seat, beige leatherette upholstery, a panoramic sunroof and much more. Credit : autocarindia.com [Read More]( The post [2021 Tata Safari: A Close Look]( appeared first on [TheAutomobileNews.com](. [Read Full Story]( ------------------ Sponsored Content � � � ------------------ Connect with TheAutomobileNews on Facebook and Twitter [fb](  [tw]( ------------------ You received this email because you operate or create content for a website/service and based on your website it seemed like this could be important information to you and your users. 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