Short Torque

End of the road for Volvo diesel-fueled engines

Volvo Cars said on Tuesday that it will end production of diesel models by early 2024 as it heads toward becoming an all-electric carmaker. "In a few months from now, the last diesel-powered Volvo car will have been built, making Volvo Cars one of the first legacy carmakers to take this step," the Swedish company said in a statement. Majority owned by Geely, Volvo has committed to going fully electric by 2030. While a majority of the cars it sold in Europe were diesel as recently as 2019, and in 2022 they made up just 8.9 percent of Volvo's sales. In August, 33 percent of Volvo's sales were fully-electric or hybrid models.

Nio launches its first smartphone

Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio launched its first mobile phone on Thursday, in hopes that better software and connectivity will boost the appeal of its EVs in the competitive market in China. Nio CEO William Li, a big driver of the project, unveiled the Nio Phone in Shanghai, saying that the phone had more than 30 car-specific functions and had broken new ground with connection technologies. The Android device uses Qualcomm processors and features a 6.81-inch display and a 50-mega-pixel camera. Nio has begun reservations for the phone, which is priced from 6,499 yuan ($890) and will only be sold in China. The launch of the Nio Phone, the first car-specific phone to be sold by a Chinese startup, highlights the advanced state of EV technologies in the world's biggest auto market.

Fury over UK's delay to net zero carbon targets

Automakers, which have invested billions on electric vehicles, slammed Britain's move to delay a 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars, saying it would disrupt supply chains and slow the transition to greener cars. Following weeks of speculation over the key net zero pledge, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday he would push back the ban by five years to 2035, with the aim of easing the financial burden on households. South Korean carmaker Kia, which has plans to launch nine EV models in Britain over the next few years, said it was disappointing to see a change in a policy the industry was working and investing toward. "Today's announcement ... alters complex supply chain negotiations and product planning, whilst potentially contributing to consumer and industry confusion," a Kia spokesperson said.

US autoworkers and bosses miles apart

United Auto Workers members rallied against Detroit automakers in multiple US states on Thursday afternoon as Friday's deadline loomed for a threatened expansion of the union's strikes. The seven-day standoff is fueling worries about prolonged industrial action that could disrupt production and ripple through the supply chain and dent US economic growth. The UAW earlier this month launched unprecedented, simultaneous strikes at one assembly plant each of General Motors, Ford and Chrysler parent Stellantis. Around 12,700 workers are on strike as a result of the UAW's coordinated US action out of the union's 146,000 members who work at the Big Three.

Thailand's automotive production down in Aug

Thailand's auto production fell in August as manufacturing for the domestic market and local sales dropped despite a surge in exports, data showed on Thursday. Auto manufacturers produced 150,657 vehicles in the Southeast Asian nation last month, down 12.27 percent year-on-year, due to a major decline in pickup truck production and last year's high comparative base as semiconductor supplies improved, according to the Federation of Thai Industries. The country's finished car exports surged 19.41 percent year-on-year last month to 87,555 units due to higher shipments to Australia, the Middle East and Europe.

Agencies - Motoring