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A new SEA Electric factory will be built in Morwell, Victoria, set to employ 500 workers manufacturing pure-electric vans and buses on a 20,000 square-metre site...
The decision to halt production on two of Holden's most important models comes as new boss Dave Buttner, a respected industry veteran with more than 30 years under his belt, works to reverse the company's sales slide. VFACTS figures up to the end of September show Holden registrations are down by nearly 17,000 vehicles compared to the same period in 2017, with the bulk of that – almost 10,000 cars – being the new Commodore...
Australia's automotive industry has received a boost this week, with Federal Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, Karen Andrews, announcing a $5 million investment to help graduate engineers kick-start their careers. While local manufacturing is no more, numerous vehicle manufacturers and other firms rely on Australian workers for automotive engineering, research and development, along with design...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack today announced the establishment of a new Office for Future Transport Technologies, launched through a $9.7 million investment...
Declining luxury car sales are linked to the cooling house market across Australia's major cities according to Audi's local arm, with the big three German carmakers seeing a notable dip in market share over the last few months. Audi’s sales in August were a down a significant 25.8 per cent on last year, BMW was down 12.2 per cent, and Mercedes-Benz was down 11...
New vehicle sales in Australia dropped 1.5 per cent on the same month in 2017, with new registrations totalling 95,221 units. Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria all recorded increases, while the rest of the nation – led by a 9.7 per cent drop for the Northern Territory – was down. Coming on the back of a July in which sales dipped 7...
The head of Honda's local arm says that whatever the brand might look to take leadership on in the Australian market, electrification won't be at the top of the list. Speaking with CarAdvice, Honda Australia boss Stephen Collins touched on a two-fold problem: the business case for hybrids isn't compelling, and, for now, full-electric models seem to be on the 'look but don't touch' list for our region...
General Motors (GM) has reinforced its commitment to Holden and Australia, with Mark Reuss, ex-Holden managing director and current vice president at GM, describing Australia as a "worthwhile place to do business". Speaking after announcing an extra $28 million in Holden funding and 150 new jobs in autonomous and electric vehicle development Down Under, Reuss said it's "really tough to win here", but stressed the fact General Motors is along for the ride...
General Motors (GM) has announced plans to make Holden a hub for engineering autonomous technology and electric vehicles, pouring an additional $28 million into local research and development, and promising 150 new engineering and design jobs. That takes the annual spend on research and design for Holden beyond $120 million, an increase of around 30 per cent, and will push the local design and engineering team to around 500 employees...
Holden has announced plans to cut around 60 jobs from its sales staff, amid a restructure of its sales and administration departments. The company has confirmed the employees were mainly be based at headquarters in Port Melbourne, and the cuts won't eat into its local design and engineering team...
A new Committee on Electric Vehicles has been formed in the Australian Senate, with the goal of lending "much needed momentum and leadership" to the push for electric cars Down Under. Headed by Tim Storer, Independent Senator for South Australia, the committee will explore the "economic, environmental and social benefits" widespread adoption of electric vehicles could offer for Australia...
The Takata airbag recall has become the largest automotive recall in history, affecting more than 100 million vehicles and nearly 20 automotive brands around the world. Among those are some four million vehicles in Australia. Globally, there have been 20 deaths linked to the scandal, and 230 serious injuries...
Volvo Car Australia has at last installed a new managing director, this week appointing company veteran and inaugural Polestar boss Nick Connor to the role. Connor replaces Kevin McCann, who resigned from the company in November, and McCann's temporary replacement as acting managing director, Stephen Connor (no relation)...
New vehicle industry peak lobby group, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), reported a 4.3 per cent increase in sales and registrations for January 2018 compared to the same month last year. VFACTS data released today recorded 88,551 sales for the first month of the calendar year...
A report from the Ministerial Forum on Vehicle Emissions has suggested adopting stricter fuel standards in Australia, including tighter controls on sulphur. Should they pass, proposed changes to the Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000 would make it easier for manufacturers to sell more efficient European cars reliant on higher-quality petrol than currently offered Down Under...
Australia appears likely to sign a revised Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, ending the five per cent import duty imposed on cars from Mexico and Canada in the process. The agreement, dubbed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, has been revived after a backflip from Justin Trudeau, Canadian Prime Minister, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland...
Representative body for Australia’s motoring industry, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), says it will not necessarily lobby government to apply subsidies encouraging the take-up of zero emissions vehicles...
Proposed changes to the Motor Vehicle Standards Act promise to bring low-volume hypercars to our roads, crack down on car resellers over missed recalls and punish dodgy dealers for misleading consumers. The planned tweaks, published today in an 'exposure draft' ahead of debate in Federal Parliament next year, are the biggest in 30 years...
Holden hopes a couple of big new investments into its Australian dealer network and proving ground will convince doubters that parent company GM is committed to its future. The newly fledged sales, marketing and development company announced it will co-fund a $150- to $200 million cash injection, with its franchise dealers, into its 200-site network...
With Australia’s big three vehicle manufacturers - Ford, Holden and Toyota - now all running as full importers after years of plant wind-downs, it’s a good time to look at aspects of the car-making business still in operation here...
