Energy/Automotive News Roundup 20 October, 2023| WTI Crude stands at $89.98/bbl, Brent at $92.82/bbl
London, 20 October, 2023, (Oilandgaspress): – U.S. oil refiners have reportedly increased output of diesel, heating oil and jet fuel for winter but are struggling to turn a profit because gasoline margins have fallen over 80% since the summer driving season ended.
Toyota Motor North America, Inc. (TMNA) today announced it has reached an agreement with Tesla, Inc. to adopt the North American Charging Standard (NACS) on its battery electric vehicles (BEVs) beginning in 2025. In line with Toyota’s vehicle electrification strategy that offers a plethora of options for electrified powertrains, Toyota and Lexus customers will have convenient access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers across North America.
Toyota will incorporate the NACS ports into certain Toyota and Lexus BEVs starting in 2025, including the all-new, three-row, battery-electric Toyota SUV that will be assembled at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK). Additionally, customers owning or leasing applicable Toyota and Lexus vehicles equipped with the Combined Charging System (CCS) will be offered access to an adapter to enable NACS charging starting in 2025.
Dedicated to delivering a seamless charging experience, whether at home or in public, Toyota aims to provide convenience no matter where customers choose to charge their vehicles. Through the Toyota and Lexus apps, customers have access to an extensive charging network, comprising over 84,000 charging ports in North America, including level 2 and DC fast chargers. With NACS, customers will have access to more charging options, especially DC fast chargers, allowing greater confidence to travel to even more destinations. Read full article
Delta, a global leader in power and thermal management solutions launched its new brand value proposition, ‘Realizing an Intelligent, Sustainable and Connecting World’, at CEATEC 2023 in Japan. The showcase integrates IoT-based smart energy-saving solutions to enable the pillars of people-centric smart societies, such as green data centers, advanced surveillance, and e-mobility. For green data centers, especially those supporting AI applications, Delta’s innovative Air-Assisted Liquid Cooling (AALC) solution offers up to 2.5 times more efficient thermal management than traditional air-cooling systems. The new VORTEX cloud-based surveillance system is an ideal solution to enhance the safety in cities, while Delta’s smart energy solutions foster ubiquitous charging infrastructure for EVs, e-scooters and e-bikes. Delta’s green Data Center Infrastructure Solutions, connecting Building Automation Solutions, sustainable Transportation Solutions, 8K Display Solutions, and high-efficient Power and System at CEATEC 2023, are echoing the Japan Commission’s “Society 5.0” policy, which balances economic development with solutions to social issue to realize human-oriented environment. Held from Oct 17 to 20, CEATEC 2023 is Japan’s leading technology exhibition with over 500 exhibitors and more than 80,000 visitors expected. The 2023 edition will be held at the Makuhari Messe, Chiba. Delta’s exhibition booth is located at booth A101, Advanced Technologies area. Read full article
Equinor’s positive safety trend continues. The number of serious incidents per million hours worked is still declining at the end of the third quarter, measured over the past 12 months. At the end of the third quarter of 2023 the serious incident frequency per million hours worked (SIF) was 0.3, which is equivalent to the level we saw at the end of the second quarter, and down from 0.4 in the first quarter. Serious injuries are also included in the serious incident frequency. The total recordable injury frequency (the number of injuries per million hours worked, TRIF) is 2.4 for the past 12 months per the third quarter, down from 2.5 in the second quarter. Ten oil and gas leaks have been recorded during the past 12 months. Oil and gas leaks are classified by the severity of the leak rate. Read full article
DS IRIS SYSTEM, available across the entire DS 3, DS 4, DS 7 and DS 9 range, is now enriched with ChatGPT AI to enable users to enjoy a revolutionary conversational experience onboard the vehicle, ensuring the access to useful information and the ability to complete a multitude of tasks. Thanks to the integration of this new feature, the DS onboard voice recognition system takes on a new dimension by becoming a digital assistant devoted to the travel experience. What if you were to ask DS IRIS SYSTEM it what you could visit during an afternoon in Bordeaux, to list the most beautiful works kept at the Louvre Museum, to invent a quiz on your favourite subject, or even to create a children’s story? All these ideas, and much more, can now be topics of conversation with your DS. Indeed, integrated into DS IRIS SYSTEM, ChatGPT offers a whole new dimension for interaction between the driver and the vehicle. To use it, simply speak to DS IRIS SYSTEM by saying “OK IRIS” or by pressing the special button on the steering wheel. Voice interaction then starts safely, without you taking your eyes off the road or hands off the wheel. ChatGPT is a generative artificial intelligence model. This technology uses language models to understand and generate a natural and fluid interaction. By learning from huge amounts of data, ChatGPT can answer an impressive variety of questions and provide accurate and relevant information. DS Automobiles inaugurates “SoundHound AI powered by ChatGPT” pilot phase within Stellantis to assess the customer experience for the first 20,000 requests. The integration of ChatGPT with DS IRIS SYSTEM is offered at no extra cost over a six-month period, if the subscription is taken out between 19 October 2023 and 29 February 2024 on DS 3, DS 4, DS 7 and DS 9. This feature, which can be instantly activated remotely through the DS Services Store, is available on all DS models equipped with DS IRIS SYSTEM and can be accessed in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy, in each of the languages of these countries. Read full article
Toyota, the worldwide mobility partner of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), will use fuel cell converted coaches to provide transportation to over 5,000 visitors as part of its guest programme during the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024. After the Games, the hydrogen coaches will complete their full use cycle, providing service for public and private customers inside the Ile de France region as a legacy of Paris 2024.
Toyota will supply GCK – a group of industrial companies offering technological solutions to accelerate the decarbonisation of transport – with hydrogen fuel cell modules to convert ten used Iveco coaches into zero tailpipe emission electric vehicles. The converted coaches will be purchased by B.E. Green – a French company providing carbon-neutral transportation services – who will introduce the hydrogen vehicles into its existing fleet after use at the Games. The first converted long-distance coach with the Toyota fuel cell module was presented today at the RNTP Transport Event in Clermont-Ferrand, France.
During conversion, the diesel engine and gearbox in the front of a coach are replaced with a 370kW electric motor, batteries, and a Toyota TFCM2-B fuel cell module. With this innovative approach and collaboration, Toyota has demonstrated the flexibility of its fuel cell modules and the potential of converting traditional transport into zero tailpipe emission vehicles. Read full article
The HySE (Hydrogen Small mobility & Engine technology) research association will enter our hydrogen engine vehicle, the HySE-X1, in the “Mission 1000” Challenge of the “Dakar 2024” (Dakar Rally*1) set to be held in Saudi Arabia from January 5 to 19, 2024.
Mission 1000 is a new part of the Dakar Future Program, an effort aimed at urging automakers to develop next-generation carbon-neutral powertrain technologies like hydrogen engines and electric or biofuel hybrids. HySE’s entry in Mission 1000 will be the hydrogen engine-equipped HySE-X1. It will be driven in some of the harshest environmental conditions in what is considered the world’s toughest motorsport, providing an excellent opportunity to study how the hydrogen engine will perform in such conditions. This will allow us to easily identify potential issues with small mobility*2 that are yet unknown, and to accelerate the establishment of baseline hydrogen engine technology. In addition, by participating in the world-renowned Dakar Rally, we can promote HySE’s presence and initiatives, thereby working to further build a global and cross-industry network for the realization of compact hydrogen mobility. The HySE-X1 that will contest the event is based around a chassis built by HySE partner HySE-X1 Mockup image for illustration purposes only company Overdrive Racing (Belgium)3 with a modified layout to accommodate a hydrogen fuel tank and fuel supply system. Powering it is the hydrogen-powered-engine for motorcycles that HySE is currently using in our research activities. Hydrogen refueling and maintenance will be performed by Overdrive Racing. Read full article
TOYOTA will be exhibiting at the JAPAN MOBILITY SHOW 2023, to be held from Thursday, October 26 to Sunday, November 5*1, with a booth themed “Let’s Change the Future of Cars―Find Your Future.” In this second announcement of models to be exhibited at the booth, Toyota unveils the KAYOIBAKO, a concept model that embodies a mobility future with the freedom to lead the life you want, anywhere, anytime. Toyota’s booth will showcase how the KAYOIBAKO can cater to customer needs, from business to pleasure.
Exhibit model
KAYOIBAKO
Main features
The word kayoibako refers to configurable shipping containers for safely and efficiently transporting parts and products between facilities, sized to eliminate waste and able to meet diverse needs with changeable inserts. Adopting this approach, the KAYOIBAKO is a new compact space concept that represents the future of mobility.
Toyota sought to create a “quality base unit” of mobility through a commitment to interior/exterior packaging and affordability. With an “ultra-expandable” design that allows tailoring to suit different roles, this battery electric vehicle (BEV) can support a diverse range of applications. Read full article
The Malay Vehicle Importers and Traders Association of Malaysia (Pekema) has announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China Dongfeng Motor Industry Imp. & Exp. Co., Ltd. (DFMIEC), representing Dongfeng Motor Corporation (DFMC). This will see the launch of Dongfeng’s first right-hand drive new energy vehicle (NEV) in Malaysia sometime in the middle of next year.
The model in question is the DONGFENG S31, which is a compact electric vehicle (EV) that recently made its debut in China. Malaysia will be the first RHD market for the S31, which will also be a CKD model as localization is in the pipeline.
The EV is built on Dongfeng’s Quantum Architecture No. 3 and features a single electric motor with a maximum output of 163 PS (161 hp or 120 kW) – some Chinese media outlets claim 95 PS (94 hp or 70 kw), with power supplied by a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery with an energy density of 157 Wh per kg. The S31 is said to be able to gain 200 km of range with just eight minutes of charging.
Data from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) reveal the five-seat S31 to measure 4,030 mm long, 1,810 mm wide, and 1,570 mm tall with a wheel of 2,660 mm. Images from MIIT also show a range of wheel designs, and reports from China state the S31 will be available with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for up to Level 2 semi-autonomous driving. Read full article
China’s Dongfeng Motor Group (0489.HK) and Stellantis (STLAM.MI) said on Thursday the automakers will expand their vehicle and component export business through an asset sale to capture the burgeoning China auto market better. Under the asset transfer deal, state-owned Dongfeng will buy land use-rights and buildings in Wuhan and Xiangyang from Dongfeng Peugeot Citroën Automobile (DPCA), its joint venture with Stellantis, for 1.71 billion yuan ($233.69 million). Stellantis has agreed to continue producing Peugeot and Citroen cars with Dongfeng in the China plants and exporting Peugeot 4008 and Peugeot 5008 models to ASEAN countries, and Citroen C5X model to Europe.(Reuters) Read full article
Tesla (TSLA.O) on Wednesday joined General Motors (GM.N) and Ford (F.N) in being cautious about expanding electric vehicle (EV) production capacity, citing economic uncertainties and underscoring fears of a slowdown in demand. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he was worried that higher borrowing costs would prevent potential customers from affording its vehicles despite substantial price cuts, and that he would wait for clarity on the economy before ramping up its planned factory in Mexico. (Reuters) Read full article
Isuzu Motors Limited and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced that they will exhibit the GIGA FUEL CELL, a fuel cell (FC)-powered heavy-duty truck currently being co-developed by the two companies, at the Isuzu Group booth at the JAPAN MOBILITY SHOW 2023. This will be the first time the GIGA FUEL CELL will be shown to the general public. The Japan Mobility Show will be held from Saturday, October 28 to Sunday, November 5, 2023 at Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo Japan.Isuzu and Honda believe that FC technology, utilizing hydrogen as fuel resulting in no CO2 emissions, will be effective to achieve carbon neutrality of heavy-duty trucks which are required to achieve high-efficiency transportation (with the capability for long-distance driving, large load capacity, quick refueling). The two companies are currently planning to start demonstration testing of a prototype model on public roads before the end of the current fiscal year (ending March 31, 2024) and introduce the production model to the market in 2027 by fully leveraging the technology, experience and knowledge gained through the joint research. The GIGA FUEL CELL model on display at the Japan Mobility Show adopts the Lowdeck 8×4 rigid truck configuration, which is a typical configuration for trucks used for intercity transportation. Read More
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars announced that Torsten Müller-Ötvös is to retire as its Chief Executive Officer on 30 November 2023. He will be succeeded by Chris Brownridge, currently Chief Executive Officer of BMW UK.
Torsten joined Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in 2010, making him the company’s longest-serving Chief Executive since Claude Johnson, the man known as ‘the hyphen in Rolls-Royce’. Under Torsten’s leadership, Rolls-Royce has been transformed from an automotive manufacturer to a true luxury house, revered worldwide for its exquisite motor cars, unparalleled Bespoke capabilities and deep understanding of the needs, tastes and desires of its international clients.Chris Brownridge joins Rolls-Royce Motor Cars from his current role as Chief Executive Officer of BMW UK, a position he has held since 2021. Read More
Rolls-Royce announced plans for a simpler, more streamlined, organisation in the next phase of its multi-year transformation. The new structure will create a more agile business that is better able to serve customers and continue to create and maintain world-class products. It will help Rolls-Royce build enhanced capabilities in key areas such as procurement and supply chain management, ensuring they are as strong as the company’s engineering and technical excellence.
The changes being proposed will also remove duplication and deliver cost efficiencies. Our tight management of costs and headcount through 2023 has ensured that we have minimised the overall reduction in headcount. It is estimated that 2000-2500 roles will be removed globally. Rolls-Royce currently employs 42,000 people worldwide.
Focused on core business capabilities, Engineering Technology & Safety will come together as a single team across the group, responsible for product safety, engineering standards, process, methods and tools. It will also enable engineering talent and technology to be used more effectively across the business. It will be led by Simon Burr, currently Director – Product Development and Technology, Civil Aerospace, who is joining the Executive Team with immediate effect. Grazia Vittadini, Chief Technology Officer, will be leaving the business in April 2024. We would like to thank Grazia for her contribution to the company.
The proposals include creating a new enterprise-wide procurement and supplier management organisation to support the consolidation of group spend, leverage scale and develop consistent best in class standards. As well as delivering savings, a greater focus on these key areas will lead to improvements in customer service, reducing supply chain delays. Enabling functions, such as Finance, General Counsel and People will also be brought together across Rolls-Royce, standardising activity and providing shared support to capture synergies and scale to achieve greater effectiveness. Read More
MINI is launching a global “Digital First” campaign developed by the MINI creative team and the agency Anomaly. The new brand environment presents a distinctive new design and a new visual language to the public. MINI is launching the campaign for the new MINI family , which celebrates the new all-electric MINI Cooper and the new MINI Countryman. The global 360° campaign, which in addition to digital, also includes TVC, Print, OOH and Social, takes place in a new visual world that gives MINI a completely new face. It was developed by the MINI creative team in Munich and the marketing agency Anomaly.
Full of joy, always unconventional and full of ideas, the MINI is an automotive legend that inspires throughout generations. The new MINI family was presented in September 2023 — with innovative technology, typical MINI driving pleasure, unmistakable design, a new digital experience and the promise of being a purely electric brand by 2030.
The new MINI Cooper Electric combines locally emission-free mobility and an electrified go-kart feeling. As a newly re-invented icon with a completely new drivetrain, the new Cooper E and SE remain true to their roots and classic design features. The largest MINI model, the new MINI Countryman, is versatile and powerful and, with its wide range powertrains, is suitable both for the city and for more demanding terrain. Read More
Kia Corporation has unveiled three new small- to medium-sized electric models at the brand’s annual Kia EV Day in Korea, reaffirming its ambitious global strategy to lead and accelerate the ‘EV revolution’. During the event, the brand presented its vision of ‘EVs for all’ and strategy to expand its EV model line-up significantly and rapidly. Having successfully established itself as an electric vehicle brand with the launch of the EV6 and EV9, it has illustrated how it is now broadening its model line-up further with three new small- to medium-sized electric models that offer more people greater options and access to EVs.
The presentation featured the debut of the EV5, a compact electric SUV for millennial families, as well as the introduction of two concept models. The Kia Concept EV3 aims to deliver the Kia EV9’s benefits in a compact SUV, while the Kia Concept EV4 reimagines electric sedans with a striking design. In addition to unveiling the lineup, the event showcased Kia’s EV strategy, aimed at improving customer convenience, reliability, and addressing common concerns, including charging infrastructure.
“Kia is keenly focused on providing solutions to the concerns that continue to cause hesitation when it comes to making an EV purchase. We will meet customer expectations by offering a full line-up of EVs at various price points and improve charging infrastructure availability,” Ho Sung Song, President and CEO, said. Read More
Supernal, Hyundai Motor Group’s (HMG) Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) company, Hyundai WIA, a global automotive and aerospace parts manufacturer and Mecaer Aviation Group, an Italy-based global aeronautical company, announced today a partnership to design and manufacture landing gear systems for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles. Hyundai WIA specializes in mass manufacturing and precision machine tools, while Mecaer is experienced in designing and building aerospace-grade landing gear systems. The three partners are collaborating to improve the safety and overall performance of eVTOL vehicles by addressing weight, structural efficiency, energy absorption and electronic system integration in the landing gear design and manufacturing process.
“Our collaboration with Hyundai WIA and Mecaer is a testament to Supernal’s commitment to innovation and the highest standards of safety, design and manufacturing for Advanced Air Mobility,” said Jaiwon Shin, president of Hyundai Motor Group and CEO of Supernal. “This partnership unites our collective strengths and expertise to deliver aerospace-grade eVTOL landing gear in record time and ensure their scalability and sustainability. These types of automotive and aerospace strategic alliances are key to the growth and success of our emerging industry.”
The partnership is critical to Supernal’s efforts to pioneer high-scale production processes that will meet future demands of the AAM industry. The collaboration will support the business model—and streamline manufacturing—by incorporating state-of-the-art materials and efficient assembly technologies. Read More
Tennis icon Rafael Nadal has reaffirmed his commitment to sustainable electrified mobility, collecting the keys to Kia’s flagship EV9 – the brand’s first three-row seat electric SUV – at a handover ceremony during #TheIcon event at IFEMA, Madrid, Spain.
Kia’s #TheIcon event immersed guests in a stunning 360 visual interactive experience, uniting three icons – the Kia EV9, an iconic all-electric SUV; Rafael Nadal, an icon of sport; and #TheIcon Court, a reimagined court that pushes the boundaries of traditional tennis. In line with his longstanding global partnership with Kia and continued commitment to promoting sustainable mobility, Nadal received the Kia EV9 GT-Line in Ocean Blue Matte at the event. The pioneering EV9, which spearheads Kia’s transformation into a sustainable mobility solutions provider, will be added to his personal collection along with the EV6 for use. “To achieve all these milestones in my career to date, I’ve had to constantly evolve. It is the only way to progress,” said Nadal. “I am fortunate to have Kia as a partner who shares this mindset, and the EV9 is the latest step in the brand’s evolution toward becoming a global leading EV provider. I can’t wait to embark on my next journey of electrification with this stunningly-designed, high-tech SUV.”
Kia continues to challenge the norm in the mobility industry, and the introduction of #TheIcon court disrupts the traditional tennis landscape by digitally reimagining the 148-year-old court. Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam winner, took to the innovative interactive court to test his skills across a variety of ‘game modes’ and competed against his primary coach, Carlos Moya, on a series of unconventionally shaped courts. Read More
| Oil and Gas Blends | Units | Oil Price US$/bbl | Change |
| Crude Oil (WTI) | USD/bbl | $89.98 | Up |
| Crude Oil (Brent) | USD/bbl | $92.82 | Up |
| Bonny Light | USD/bbl | $93.57 | Down |
| Saharan Blend | USD/bbl | $93.66 | Down |
| Natural Gas | USD/MMBtu | $2.96 | Down |
| OPEC basket 19/10/23 | USD/bbl | $93.63 | Downp |
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OilandGasPress Energy Newsbites and Analysis Roundup | Compiled by: OGP Staff, Segun Cole @oilandgaspress.
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