SE Asia Braces for Boom in EVs

Southeast Asia is scrambling to prepare for a major shift in its car markets from piston to battery power, the Financial Times says.

Nissan Adds Amazon Alexa Telematics

Nissan Motor Co. is the latest carmaker to add compatibility for Amazon.com’s popular Alexa voice-enabled personal assistant in its vehicles.

Daimler Outlines EV Battery Production Plan for U.S.

Daimler AG says it will build capacity in Alabama to assemble enough batteries to deliver at least 10 gigawatt-hours of energy for its electric vehicles per year.

Toshiba Touts Ultra-Fast-Charging Battery

Japan’s Toshiba Corp. says its next-generation SCiB lithium-ion battery uses a new material that doubles the anode capacity to allow for much faster recharging times.

PSA Brings Mobility Services App to U.S.

This week PSA Group expanded its Free2Move mobility services platform to the U.S.

Honda to Shutter Sayama Plant in Japan

Honda Motor Co. says it will close its 53-year-old Sayama assembly plant in Japan in 2022 and transfer the facility’s operations to the company’s 4-year-old Yorii factory nearby.

Uber Board Approves Moves to Curb Power of Ex-CEO Kalanick

The 11-member board of ride-hailing service Uber Inc. unanimously approved a $1 billion-plus investment by Japan’s SoftBank Group Inc. and several governance changes that would trim the power of former CEO Travis Kalanick.

Australian Auto Industry Near Extinction as Toyota Closes Plant

Toyota Motor Corp. shut down its assembly plant in Melbourne, Australia, today, bringing the country’s auto industry another step closer to extinction.

Poll Says Hacking is Biggest U.S. Worry about Self-Driving Cars

U.S. drivers are split on their comfort level with autonomous cars, but three out of four worry about hackers taking control of the vehicle, according to a study by global insurance company American International Group.

U.K. Launches Battery Research Institute

The U.K.’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is teaming with seven universities to form the Faraday Battery Institute.