SRE Boosts Electromobility: The Week in Automotive

Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) aims to accelerate electrification in the country by strengthening the US-Mexico relationship. It is also reinforcing ties with Bolivia to collaborate on the exploitation of lithium and the production of EVs.

Meanwhile, Canada’s Government partnered with Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz to ensure access to essential materials to manufacture EV batteries. Automakers are also leveraging the opportunities that the metaverse offers, with Nissan introducing its Sakura on Virtual Reality (VR).

Ready for more? This is The Week in Automotive!

Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Promote Electrification

The second stage of the US-Mexico Task Force for the Electrification of Transportation aims to push forward the region’s electromobility transition. SRE is working to develop cross-border electric transportation capabilities and create closer ties between Mexico and the US. The initiative aims to gather resources from three key players: governments, the industrial sector and academia from both sides of the border. Learn more about it here.

Volkswagen, Mercedes to Buy Materials for EVs from Canada

Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz signed a memorandum of understanding with Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz to secure access to lithium, nickel and cobalt, critical materials to build the batteries used in electric vehicles (EV). The agreement will allow Canada to secure its place in the supply chain of both companies. “The supply of battery raw materials and the production of precursor and cathode materials with a low carbon footprint will allow for a fast and sustainable ramp-up of battery capacity – a key lever for our growth strategy in North America,” said Herbert Diess, Chief Executive, Volkswagen. Read the whole story here.

Potencia Industrial’s First Quantum E4s are Ready

Two weeks after the announcement of the alliance between Quantum and Potencia Industrial, the first EVs produced by this partnership are ready. The Quantum E4 aims to be the least expensive EV in the Mexican market and it will offer over 100 km of autonomy. Mexico’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard visited Potencia Industrial’s plant to see the final EV. “Potencia Industrial SA de CV in Iztapala is the main Mexican producer of electric engines; it exports all over the world. Good news: they are already producing utilitarian vehicles of 20 tons and also for passengers,” tweeted Ebrard. Learn more about it here.

Ford to Cut 3,000 Jobs in India, North America

Ford announced that it is cutting 3,000 salaried and contract jobs from its global workforce to reduce expenses as it transitions towards software-driven electric vehicles. The cuts mostly affect the US, Canada and India, and will affect 2,000 salaried openings and 1,000 agency jobs. The cuts are part of the company’s Ford+, which aims to cut US$3 billion in structural costs by 2026 while also investing in hybrid and electric vehicles. “Building this future requires changing and reshaping virtually all aspects of the way we have operated for more than a century. It requires focus, clarity and speed,” said Jim Farley, CEO, Ford Motor. Read the complete story on MBN.

Nissan Sakura Can be Driven in the Metaverse

Nissan presented its Sakura vehicle on a VR exhibition within the metaverse. The Nissan Sakura Driving Island allows VRChat users from all over the world to experience a virtual driving experience and even pretend to charge the EV. The digital EV was based on real data from the physical world, so it provides a precise representation of the driving experience. There is an increasing number of automotive brands investing in the development of metaverse platforms, which can streamline and optimize supply chain management, shorten design processes and enable a designing collaboration environment, as reported by Emergen Research. Learn how automakers are entering the virtual world here.

Heavy Vehicle Retail Sales Grow by 10 Percent in July: AMDA

The Mexican Association of Automotive Distributors (AMDA) reported a 10.83 percent year-over-year increase on retail sales of heavy vehicles in July 2022, reaching a total of 3,029 units, according to data from the Administrative Registry of the Automotive Industry of Heavy Vehicles published by INEGI. Despite this positive trend, Guillermo Rosales, Executive President, AMDA, highlights that pre-COVID-19 pandemic sales are still to be recovered. Read more about it here.