Samsung Will Build EV Battery Plant in Hungary

Samsung SDI Co. says it will spend 400 billion won ($358 million) to erect a factory near Budapest, Hungary, to make batteries for electric vehicles.

Quanergy Acquires “People-Tracking” Software for Lidar Technology

Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Quanergy Systems Inc. has acquired Raytheon Co.’s Otus “people-tracking” software to team with its own lidar sensors for autonomous vehicle systems.

Volvo to Hire 400 Engineers for Autonomous Car and Electrification Programs

Volvo Car Group plans to add 400 engineers over the next year to help develop next-generation technologies related to automated driving, electrification and safety.    Most of the new hires will be software engineers.

Great Wall Moves Ahead on Russian Factory Despite Market Collapse

China’s Great Wall Motor Co. is pressing ahead with construction of an assembly plant in central Russia in spite of the country’s collapsing car market, Automotive News China reports.

U.S. Owners of VW Cheater Diesels Opting for Buyout

Nearly half of the 475,000 owners of Volkswagen AG vehicles fitted with diesel engines that evaded emission laws are opting to have the company buy back rather than fix their cars, Bloomberg News reports.

Former Airbnb Exec Hired to Launch Google’s Autonomous Car Program

Google Inc. has hired former Airbnb executive Shaun Stewart to help commercialize its self-driving car program.

Electrically Improving Powertrains

Electrically Improving Powertrains

The good news about downsized powertrains is that they can provide greatly improved fuel efficiency compared to larger engines. The not-so-good news for many drivers of cars with these smaller engines under the hood is that they can lack performance.

Teaching Self-Driving Cars to Drive

NVIDIA Corp. has been making interactive graphics processors for years. Now it’s working with more than 80 carmakers and suppliers to bring fully autonomous vehicles to market.

Faurecia Eyes Interiors for Autonomous Vehicles

Faurecia SA’s xWorks innovation center in Holland, Mich., is working on several different approaches to making tomorrow's vehicle interiors more flexible and comfortable to support new driver-assist systems and ride-sharing services.

VW Reaches Tentative Diesel Settlement with U.S. Dealers

Volkswagen AG told a U.S. District Court in San Francisco today that it has reached an agreement in principle to compensate its VW-brand dealers in the U.S. for the financial impact of the company’s diesel emission cheating scandal.