These are backup power machines that generate electricity using a turbine. Data centers need them because if power goes out, they can’t just shut down.
A turbocharger is a device that helps an engine make more power by forcing extra air into it. In this story, the company is saying its turbo knowledge could also be used for power equipment for data centers.
UAW is a union that represents many auto factory workers in the United States. Here, it’s arguing that workers should be paid more and questioning the company’s profit claims.
A robotaxi is a self-driving car that you can summon like a rideshare. At first there may be a safety person in the car, but the goal is to run it with no human driver behind the wheel.
Rivian makes electric vehicles. Uber is investing in Rivian as part of its robotaxi plans, meaning Rivian cars could be used in autonomous ride-hailing fleets.
EV means electric vehicle. It’s a car that runs on electricity from a battery instead of using gasoline as its main power source.
Car
Premira EV
The Premira EV is an electric sedan. They say it’s sold under a different name in China and is meant for more premium buyers, with China-built production planned for export.
The Navara Pro is a Nissan pickup truck. Here they’re talking about a plug-in hybrid version that’s aimed at both personal buyers and businesses, and it’s being built in China for export.
A plug-in hybrid is a car that has both an electric motor and a gas engine. You can charge it by plugging it in, so you can drive some distance on electricity alone.
BYD Han is BYD’s flagship electric car name. Here, BYD is using social media to crowdsource the name for a new Han-branded model, and they’re advertising a very long driving range.
They talk about BYD using social media to let people vote on the name of a new flagship electric car. The goal is to create buzz and get attention before the car launches.
A humanoid robot is a robot that looks and moves more like a person, with arms and legs. The host is saying BYD might sell these robots through its car showrooms to attract more visitors.
LIVE
Speaker 1: This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry. While we sure didn't see this
one coming, Ford and borg Warner are getting a nice bump in their stock prices thanks to AI, or we should say because of the data centers that make AI possible.
Ford is up almost eighteen percent this year thanks to pivoting its Evy battery manufacturing to supplying battery storage for data centers, and borg Warner is up an astonishing seventy percent for making turbine backup generators for data centers. When
borg Warner's CEO Joe Fidul was on Autoline after Hours recently, he said they were able to tap into their ip on turbochargers to start making turbine engines. Morgan Stanley says
other suppliers including active Lear, Magna, and Vistion could also get into the data storage business. So who knows, maybe
the sleepy old auto industry could see US stock surge thanks to AI. The UAW is going after the former
American Axle because workers at one plant in Michigan cut their wages in half a decade ago to help the company through bankruptcy, and those workers are still earning a lot less than they did a decade ago, but American Axle now called DUC is not doing well financially. The
UAW says the company earned eight point four billion dollars in profits over that decade, but we're not sure where the union is getting its numbers. We went through ten
years of the company's annual reports and found that over that timeframe, Doubt posted only one point three billion dollars in operating profits and had net losses of five hundred and twenty million. The company also lost money in the
first quarter of this year. So while the UAW has
good reason to seek those higher wages, trying to portray DOUC as some kind of giant profit machine seems very Misli.
Uber and Chinese autonomous vehicle company we Ride are expanding into Europe for the first time. The two companies announced
they'll launch their robotaxi service in Madrid and are aiming to begin commercial operations within a year. The service will
initially have safety operators on board, but will eventually deploy hundreds of driverless cars when certain milestones are met. Uber
and we Ride also have operations in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and they plan to expand to fifteen cities globally by the end of the decade. But we Ride is just
one of many robotaxi bets that Uber is placed. Reuter's
reports that the ride hailing company has invested nearly five hundred million dollars into self driving startup Neuro. The two
companies partnered with Lucid to roll out thirty five thousand robotaxis, and they plan to begin tests this year then ramp up the service next year. Uber also invested over one
point two billion dollars into Rivian two robotaxis, and it has dozens of partnerships globally with other automakers and autonomous vehicle companies for robotaxi services, including way Mo, Wave Nissan.
By doing more.
Speaker 2: Performance that shines even in the rain, that's what really matters.
Rich don't pretends to tires, improved grip in wet conditions.
Speaker 1: Nissan could contract manufacture vehicles for Chinese automaker Cherry in the UK. The two companies signed a non binding understanding
that says Nissan will consider making Cherry brand passenger vehicles on one of two production lines at its Sunderland plant starting in twenty twenty seven, Nissan would still fully own the facility and employ all the people.
Speaker 3: At the plant.
Speaker 1: The Japanese automaker also sold Cherry a plant in South Africa, and it's hard to see how this new deal won't go through either. Last year, volume at the Sunderland plant
was down three percent to a little under two hundred and seventy five thousand units, even though it has the capacity to make about six hundred thousand vehicles a year, and that means Cherry could get access to the manufacturing volume that it needs to satisfy demand in Europe as well as avoid ev import tariffs. Last year, the Chinese
automakers sold more than one hundred and twenty thousand vehicles across the region, but expects that number to grow. Cherry
also has a joint venture in Spain at what happens to be a former Nissan plant to make models for its own brands, as well as rebadged vehicles for Evimotor's Ebro brand, and we're starting to see a lot more automakers in Europe share their unused plant capacity with Chinese companies.
Stillantis has deals with Leap Motor and Dong Fung and Ford is said to be in talks with gil and sticking with Nissan for moment. It's gearing up to launch
a couple of made in China vehicles for international markets.
On display at the Philippines Auto Show are the new Navara Pro plug and hybrid pickup truck and the Premira EV sedan, which will be sold in select global markets like the Middle East. The Premira is sold in China
as the N seven and is focused on a more premium buyer, while the Navara Pro will be sold to both retail and commercial customers. Both models are made in
China and shipments could start before the end of the year.
As we reported yesterday, the automakers that report sales on a monthly basis in the US had a good May, but not for the Automakers sold just under one hundred and ninety one thousand vehicles last month, which was down more than thirteen percent from a year ago. There really
weren't any bright spots for the automaker, which posted losses in all segments. Global Data reports that overall sales in
the US US hit one point four eight million vehicles in May, up point six percent, and that was mostly because of fleet sales, which were up two and a half percent compared to retail sales which were only up point two percent. But even though May sales were only
up slightly, it was the first monthly increase in sales in the US this year. And here's a pretty clever
marketing move. BYD is asking social media users on Webo
to choose the name for its new flagship car. BYD
narrowed the selection down to six names and it wants Webo users to make the final selection. The names all
have the word Han in them and range from Great Han to Han Ultra. So far, only a couple of
thousand people have voted, but it's generated a lot of publicity for the car, which is a four door electric with one thousand kilometers of range. And speaking of BYD,
it's jumping into the humanoid robot business and is even considering selling them at its car dealerships. And that's another
clever marketing move because it sure could generate a lot more showroom traffic. But that's a wrap for this show.
Don't forget to tune in to Autoline after Hours at three pm Eastern Time today and I hope to see you there.
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About this episode
Robotaxi ambitions and AI-driven infrastructure take center stage, with Uber and We Ride expanding into Europe and targeting Madrid commercial operations within a year. Legacy suppliers are also tied to the data-center boom, highlighted by BorgWarner’s surge from turbine backup generators. The show then pivots to China’s growing footprint in Europe and beyond, including BYD’s social-media naming campaign for a new flagship EV. Nissan’s potential UK manufacturing deal with Chery adds another layer to shifting production strategies.
- Sleepy Auto Industry Gets AI Boost - UAW Attack on Axle Supplier Seems Misleading - WeRide and Uber Announce 1st EU Service - Uber Places Big Robotaxi Bets - Chery Could Fill Nissan's UK Plant - Nissan Launching China-Made Vehicles Outside of China - Ford Has Rough May - Social Media Will Decide New BYD Car Name - BYD Getting Into Humanoids
