Audi has reached an agreement with its dealers in Germany to introduce the agency model for direct sales of electric vehicles as of January 1st, 2024. After this date, dealers will only be allowed to offer BEVs to customers on behalf of Audi and will no longer buy them from the manufacturer for resale to end consumers. For customers, the so-called agency model means the end of dealer discounts, as sales partners will no longer have any decision-making power over the final price. The agreement does not apply to vehicles ...

Stellantis together with TotalEnergies and Mercedes-Benz yesterday inaugurated the Automotive Cells Company (ACC) gigafactory for battery production. Located in Billy-Berclau Douvrin, France, it is the first of three planned in Europe. With an initial production capacity of 13 gigawatt hours, set to increase to 40 GWh by 2030, the plant will make high-performance lithium-ion batteries with a minimal CO2 footprint. The first of three European production centers will be operational by the end of 2023. The gigafactory will contribute to Stellantis' goal of achieving a production capacity of 250 GWh ...

Autotorino has signed a contract to acquire the entire stake in Mercedes-Benz Roma from parent company Mercedes-Benz Italy. The signing came at the end of a selection process conducted by the Mercedes-Benz Group among existing players in the European automotive market. The deal involves the sale of the brand's six Roman offices, which will continue to rely on the work of the 380 employees currently on staff. Autotorino, already a Mercedes-Benz dealer in many northern Italian cities from Turin to Trieste, is now Italy's leading automotive retail group ...

With the debut of the new DB12, Aston Martin customers will be able to enjoy Bowers And Wilkins' new Surround Sound System for the first time, thanks to a new partnership between the two iconic British brands. In fact, the world's first Super Tourer will also be the first Aston Martin to offer (as an option) the new Surround Sound System, a bespoke system based on technologies and innovations found in the British company's speakers and audio products and designed to deliver a premium listening experience. Proprietary high-performance ...

The Canadian government and the provincial government of Bécancour, Quebec, will contribute a total of about half of the 600 million Canadian dollars (442 million US dollars) to the construction of the active cathode materials (CAM) plant for EV batteries by General Motors and the joint venture partner for the project, South Korean company Posco Chemical. The plant, announced in March 2022 will allow General Motors to add Canada to its growing North American EV supply chain that will reduce dependence on battery materials imported from Asia. The site ...

Omoda5 is ready to debut in Italy. The SUV will arrive in December in a gasoline version, and soon after it will also be available in a 100% electric variant. The SUV will be equipped with solid technological content. First the infotainment: Omoda5 is characterized by the presence of a large panel placed on the upper part of the dashboard occupying for a good part of the width of the cabin. This position is ideal to ensure that the driver and passengers can consult all the information without taking their ...

Europcar has signed an agreement with Nicolaus, active among Italy''s destination management companies, which provides dedicated mobility offers for the Group''s customers, employees and associates. Under the 'exclusive agreement, Europcar guarantees Nicolaus customers dedicated offers for car rentals in Italy, which can be booked during the booking process of their stay by contacting the Nicolaus phone booking directly. A flexible offer, with customers who can decide to book their car rental even after the booking of their stay: a special reservation page, which can also be reached from ...

Aehra has released the first images of the new electric sedan that will be unveiled as a world premiere at the next edition of MIMO, at the Monza racetrack on Friday, June 16th, at 10:00 am. Attractive, fluid, with a profile characterized by the almost total absence of edges, the sedan - like the SUV presented last November - allows the Milanese brand to bet on Made in Italy declined through an innovative design, which sums elements of supercars with others drawn from the world of sports and aeronautics. The result ...

Great Wall Motor is thinking about where to locate its first European plant looking at Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Xiangjun Meng, president of the Chinese automaker's European operations, told Automobilwoche. "We are currently looking at where and why the more experienced Asian automakers have established their European sites. East German states could be a possible choice. Alternatively, Hungary or the Czech Republic are also possibilities," Meng said. He added that East Germany's strengths include its "good labor and energy costs." "Other decisive factors for us are ...

35.3 billion euros were spent on car maintenance and repair in Italy in 2022, +23.4% compared to 2021 (28.6 billion). The data emerges from a study conducted by Autopromotec Observatory, according to which spending on car maintenance and repair has grown significantly compared to the previous two years, driven by the recovery of workshop activities (+17% vs 2021) and inflation. According to Istat data in 2022, prices for vehicle maintenance and repair activities grew by 4.1 percent year-on-year. To a small extent, spending was also influenced ...