Tesla’s Christmas Update, Aramco Invests in Horse, Stellantis (re)-Joins ACEA, Nio Launches Flexible Upgrade in EU

?? This Week In The Mobility World

???Appointments (& resignations)

• Still in shock with Carlos Tavares departure? A few nuggets from Les Echos, who depicts its last days at the helm of the transatlantic carmaker: in a nutshell, a break-up that has been decided in a little bit more than a week, surprising Tavares himself, and ultimately driven more by the strain caused by his management style than by Stellantis’ financial performance.
• By the way: no, Luca de Meo “is not looking for” Stellantis’ CEO role, as he is says he’s happy at Renault where he still has “job to do”.
• Forvia has named Martin Fischer as its next CEO, succeeding Patrick Koller in March 2025. Under Koller’s leadership, Forvia shifted towards more technology-focused solutions and now operates with 150k employees and €27B in revenue. Fischer takes the helm at a critical time, as the company faces major restructuring, including plans to cut 10k jobs by 2028.

????♀? Job cuts

• After a two-hour strike last Monday involving 100,000 Volkswagen workers, the IG Metall union has announced a repeat action, this time doubling its duration. Scheduled on the same day as the fourth round of tense negotiations between Volkswagen and its unions, the strike aims to pressure the automaker’s leadership, whom the union accuses of planning to “put letters of termination under the Christmas Tree.”

?? Factories/Manufacturing/Recalls

• GM has sold its Ultium Cells battery plant in Lansing, Michigan, to JV partner LG Energy Solution (LGES) amid slowing EV demand and uncertainties over US clean energy incentives. The two companies, partners since 2019, have invested billions in battery factories in Lansing, Spring Hill, and Lordstown. GM is shifting focus to new prismatic battery cells, which offer better energy density and longer lifespan than the current pouch cells.
• BYD’s footprint goes beyond EVs, as BYD assembles over 30% of Apple’s iPads. With a workforce of over 100k, BYD plays a crucial role in Apple’s supply chain, supplying components like the titanium frame for iPhones.
• Just ten months after system installation began, BMW Group Plant Steyr shipped its first electric engine to Debrecen, Hungary, where it will be used in Neue Klasse test vehicles. The plant in Steyr has been supplying the sixth-generation electric engines to Munich since September and recently started sending them directly to Debrecen.

???Tech

• Tesla’s Christmas update has arrived, once again showcasing the automaker’s software prowess to delight its customers during the holidays. Highlights include a native Apple Watch app, customizable charge levels for route planning, drive/reverse autoshift added to Model 3, pedestrian/vehicle alerts while reversing, a weather radar overlay in the navigation system, traffic updates without a subscription, and, of course, the essential “fart on contact” feature. In short: a bundle of new features to enjoy this holiday season—a feeling legacy automaker customers have likely never experienced with their vehicles.
• The convergence between Google Maps and Waze is reaching a new level, as the former now integrates the crowd-sourced incident reports from the latter. It’s the first cross-compatible feature between Waze and Maps since their teams both merged as one team inside of Google 2 years ago.
• ?Hasta pronto, Miami! Waymo will bring its autonomous driving technology and all-electric Jaguar I-PACE fleet to the city in early 2025, in partnership with Moove. Together, they will offer ride-hailing services via the Waymo One app starting in 2026. This collaboration will first launch in Phoenix, where Moove will manage the fleet, and later expand to Miami. A new approach for Waymo who begins to clearly separates the role between tech, fleet management and service platform.

• Uber and WeRide have launched their autonomous ride-hailing service in Abu Dhabi, the first outside the US and China. The service will operate in key areas like Saadiyat Island and Yas Island, with plans to expand. Initially, AVs will have safety operators, with a fully driverless service planned for 2025.

???New Car Reveals

• Jaguar has finally revealed its Type 00 Concept during the Miami Art Week. Radically different, Jaguar is betting on stepping away from its current customer base to attract a new one—a necessary approach given recent sales figures. However, it’s still far from clear how this will materialize in practice, aka, an actual production model. For now, it remains quite abstract, with this concept’s bold colors failing to disguise its angular, minimalist lines—somewhere between the fridge-like design of a CyberTruck and the neutral-aggressiveness of a generic HotWheels car. Exuberant yet sober. That said, Jaguar has succeeded in breaking out of indifference through its bold communication, as evidenced by its concept making the BBC’s homepage upon announcement. In that sense, mission accomplished.

• VinFast has officially launched its compact electric SUV, the VF6, in France, aiming to attract buyers with highly competitive pricing. Starting at €33,990, the VF6 offers a range of up to 410km (WLTP) with its entry-level Eco trim, powered by a 150 kW motor and a 59.6 kWh LFP battery. Designed by Torino Design and featuring a sleek illuminated V grille, the VF6 is tailored for European markets. However, despite this strategic expansion, VinFast faces significant challenges on the international stage. Its ambitious early push into global markets, marked by heavy spending and initial missteps in the US and Europe, has led to modest sales and diminished visibility. The company reported €773M in losses for Q2 2024, a 40% increase compared to the same period in 2023. In Europe, only 174 units of the VF8 were registered by the end of September, with 76 of those in France… What if the VF6 was the vehicle of last chance?

• Last week, we presented the first images of the new fragrance DS n°8, find out more on December 12.

?? EVs

• Amid political turmoil in France, with a no-confidence vote looming after Prime Minister Michel Barnier invoked Article 49.3 to pass the 2025 social security budget, MG Motor France has launched a major clearance campaign highlighting significant discounts on its electric models. Facing declining sales and unsold stock, the company appears to be taking advantage of existing inventory to bypass the upcoming stricter bonus eligibility rules. Discounts include the MG4 Standard, reduced from €26,990 to €21,900, and the MG ZS EV Comfort, now priced at €23,990 instead of €33,990, offering customers up to 26% savings compared to the new eco-bonus threshold.

• Ampere has secured a multi-year deal with STMicroelectronics for the supply of silicon carbide power modules. This partnership focuses on developing power and cooling systems for inverters, enhancing the efficiency of Ampere’s future electric motors. The collaboration will see this advanced power system integrated into Ampere’s next-generation electric vehicles, including both 400-volt and 800-volt models, offering faster charging and longer range.
• Stellantis and Zeta Energy are partnering to produce lithium-sulfur batteries for EV by 2030. These batteries offer improved energy density, lighter weight, and faster charging (50% quicker) at half the cost of current lithium-ion batteries. Made with recycled materials and sulfur, they will be produced in Zeta’s gigafactories with a local supply chain in Europe and North America.
• Nio has launched a flexible upgrade service in several European markets, allowing users to switch between standard-range (75 kWh) and long-range (100 kWh) batteries depending on their needs, during a simple battery swap. Customers can choose the battery size on a monthly basis, making it easier to adapt for shorter daily commutes or longer trips. This flexibility, part of Nio’s Battery-as-a-Service offering, is already available in Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. The service was initially successful in China and is now being expanded in Europe, providing users with greater control over their vehicle's range while keeping costs manageable.
• Stellantis has quickly moved on from Carlos Tavares. While he had exited the European lobby with great fanfare, disagreeing with their stance about EU policies, the interim leadership has announced that the group has requested to rejoin the ACEA, which is currently lobbying for what Tavares was against, according to its Paris Automotive Summit discourse, a softening of the CAFE 2025 regulations.
• Volkswagen Group announced a review of its sales model for European markets, as the slower shift to EVs has prolonged the need to manage two parallel sales systems: an agency model for EVs and an indirect model for other drivetrains. This complexity challenges the organization, prompting consideration of a temporary return to indirect sales for EVs to simplify operations. Results of this evaluation, conducted with retail partners, are expected by the end of Q1 2025.

?? EV Infrastructure Updates

• Rivian has opened its first EV charging station to non-Rivian vehicles in California’s Joshua Tree National Park. This marks a shift from its previous policy of exclusive access to Rivian R1T and R1S owners. Rivian also plans to adopt Tesla’s NACS and retrofit existing stations with software and hardware updates to support other brands.

• ADEO, in partnership with Mobilize, has launched the LEXMAN connected charging station, available in France since September and expanding to Spain, Portugal, and Italy by month’s end. Manufactured in France, it supports all electric and hybrid vehicles with power configurations from 7.4 kW to 22 kW. Integrated with the ENKI app, it allows users to optimize charging schedules and energy consumption.

???Investment/Financial/Legal

• Aramco is finally officially joining Renault Group and Geely in their ICE technology joint-venture, Horse Powertrain. The Saudi company announced it acquired 10% for €740M, valuing the company at €7.4B as Renault Group and Geely will each retain 45% of the JV.
• A Delaware judge has upheld her ruling striking down Elon Musk’s multibillion-dollar pay package, citing issues with transparency and board influence. Despite shareholder approval, the judge ruled that the process lacked proper disclosures. This complicates compensation for Musk, especially as his attention is divided among other ventures like xAI. The judge granted $345M in legal fees to the shareholder who brought the case.
• GM, once thriving in China, now faces significant challenges, including a $5B restructuring of its JVs amid slowing market growth, rising local competition, and declining sales. GM's Chinese market share has plummeted from 14% in 2018 to 6.8% in 2024, with vehicle sales dropping nearly 20% this year. Despite these setbacks, strong North American profits have buoyed GM's stock. The company aims to regain profitability in China next year but faces fierce competition and a price war among local brands like BYD and NIO.
• The hydrogen utility vehicle manufacturer Hyvia, a Renault JV with 110 employees based in Flins, is considering bankruptcy due to a weak market. Hyvia has declared insolvency and is likely heading toward liquidation, confirmed by labor unions. Renault and Hyvia spokespeople stated that all options are being explored, citing slow development of hydrogen mobility systems and insufficient industry support.
• On November 29, the Vesoul commercial court ordered the liquidation of Gaussin, a French hydrogen-focused commercial vehicle maker. Despite its ambitious projects, including partnerships with Amazon, Aramco, its revenue fell by 37% amid internal turmoil, including a judicial recovery attempt and leaves about 60 employees jobless.

See you next Monday!