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Mercedes-Benz SA starts production of new C-Class, in talks about deepening of East London harbour

By: Irma Venter 9th July 2021 Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) has started production of the new C-Class, the W206, at its East London plant, in the Eastern Cape. Production will include a plug-in hybrid, starting in the fourth quarter of the year. →

UAE’s DP World makes R12.7-billion offer to acquire Imperial

By: Irma Venter 8th July 2021 Global infrastructure-led supply chain solutions provider Dubai Ports World (DP World) has made a R12.7-billion offer to acquire 100% of Imperial, the JSE-listed logistics and market access specialist. The United Arab Emirates-based group is offering R66 a share (cash) to acquire all outstanding... →

Image of an Imperial Logistics warehouse

Volvo sets sights on 1 000 km EV range

By: Irma Venter 6th July 2021 Volvo Cars says it aims to achieve 1 000 km of “real driving range” on a battery electric vehicle (EV) later this decade. As the Swedish car maker rapidly moves towards becoming a fully electric car company, the company says it aims to tailor its future batteries to the needs of its customers,... →

The concept Recharge electric vehicle

Tracker launches new addition to fleet management system

By: Irma Venter 5th July 2021 Tracker has introduced a new addition to its fleet management system, Tracker Dashboards & Analytics. The dashboards provide “a holistic, real-time overview of fleet performance, categorised in terms of key performance indices, safety, utilisation, behaviour and trips”, says the company. →

Merc Trucks launches electric Actros; etrucks also planned for SA

By: Irma Venter 5th July 2021 Mercedes-Benz Trucks will start series production of its first battery-electric truck in Germany in October. The electric Actros (eActros) is destined for urban heavy-duty distribution haulage markets. →

Michelin appoints AIME region president

By: Schalk Burger 5th July 2021 Tire manufacturing multinational Michelin has appointed Gaganjot Singh as Michelin Africa, India and Middle East region president. He succeeds Marc Pasquet and will be based out of Pune, India. →

GM moves to source lithium in US for its EV batteries

By: Mariaan Webb 5th July 2021 US-based auto giant General Motors (GM) has struck a deal to secure local and low-cost lithium for its electric vehicle (EV) batteries. The company has announced a multi-million-dollar investment in unlisted Controlled Thermal Resources’ (CTR’s) Hell’s Kitchen project, in California, giving it... →

Naspers invests R42m in WhereIsMyTransport

By: Irma Venter 2nd July 2021 Naspers has announced a R42-million investment in Cape Town-based WhereIsMyTransport. The investment is part of a R201-million funding round led by Naspers Foundry, Cathay AfricInvest Innovation Fund and SBI Investment. →

Demand for platinum and palladium in auto sector set to rise as regulations tighten

By: Simone Liedtke 2nd July 2021 Platinum demand from the automotive sector is expected to be 25% up on 2020, reaching almost three-million ounces this year, World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC) research director Trevor Raymond says, partly attributing the projected increase to the Euro 6d and China 6a emissions regulations... →

Former Mahindra SA boss returns as KLT Automotive SA CEO

By: Irma Venter 2nd July 2021 Former Mahindra South Africa (Mahindra SA) boss Ashok Thakur has been appointed CEO of KLT Automotive and Tubular Products South Africa (KLT Automotive SA). Thakur, 60, has been involved in international business in Africa for the past 25 years. →

Quarter-four completion for R135m solar carports project at Ford’s Silverton plant

By: Irma Venter 2nd July 2021 The 13.5 MW, R135-million solar carport project at Ford South Africa’s Silverton assembly plant, in Pretoria, should be completed in the fourth quarter of this year, says Uhuru Energy CEO Mark Kaplan. The project forms part of a larger programme – Project Blue Oval – to develop an integrated... →

Commission’s automotive aftermarkets guidelines now effective

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 1st July 2021 The Competition Commission’s Guidelines for Competition in the South African Automotive Aftermarket have become effective as of July 1. The final guidelines were issued on January 29 and are available on the commission’s website. →

Port delays, slow vaccine rollout threatening to dent consumption – Naamsa

By: Irma Venter 1st July 2021 New-vehicle sales increased by 20.2% in June, to 38 030 units, compared with the same month last year. According to Naamsa | The Automotive Business Council, an estimated 32 847 units of this number, or 86.3%, were dealer sales, with 7.6% going to the vehicle rental industry, 2.2% to government... →

Mercedes-Benz South Africa starts production of new C-Class

30th June 2021 Mercedes-Benz South Africa in June started production of the new C-Class, the W206, at its East London plant, in the Eastern Cape. Tasneem Bulbulia attended the launch. →

Mercedes-Benz South Africa starts production of new C-Class

Local tyre manufacturers driving more sustainable practices

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 29th June 2021 The South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference (SATMC) and its members Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear and Sumitomo Rubber SA are leading the way in improving the industry’s impact on the environment, SATMC highlights. It notes in a statement that the industry is currently focussing on four... →

AAAM aims to fast-track auto sector agreement under the AfCFTA

By: Irma Venter 29th June 2021 The African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM) plans to fast-track the development of bilateral automotive subsector agreements between a core group of countries under the larger AfCFTA agreement. This will be done with the support of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)... →

Dave Coffey

Opinion: Power shift and what it means for South Africa’s automotive industry

29th June 2021 In this opinion article, Deloitte Africa’s Dr Martyn Davies argues that South Africa will have to adapt to the technological shift under way in the automotive sector if it hopes to maintain and further grow its domestic automotive manufacturing industry. →

Wind an energy storage game changer – association

By: Anna Moross 25th June 2021 Wind energy is important in driving potential demand for energy storage, says nonprofit organisation South African Wind and Energy Association (SAWEA) CEO Ntombifuthi Ntuli. →

KLIPHEUWEL WIND FARM The demand particularly pertains to . . . the hybridisation of wind energy, which allows for electricity to be generated from two or more sources with storage

Company provides energy storage for hospital

By: Anna Moross 25th June 2021 Solar energy company SustainSolar has completed the supply of its battery energy storage system to the Cecilia Makiwane Hospital in East London, in the Eastern Cape. →

BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE The aim of the project – successfully completed at the end of March this year – is to alleviate healthcare pressure at the hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic

Toyota’s Van Zyl warns of ramifications of EU’s Green Deal on South African exports

By: Irma Venter 25th June 2021 Europe’s Green Deal is not just a vision or idea, but a well-funded policy that is being implemented, and that is set to have a wide-ranging impact on South African exports, says Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) executive chairperson Dr Johan van Zyl. Van Zyl stepped down as Toyota Motors Europe... →

uYilo Kick Start Fund opens for 2021 applications

By: Irma Venter 25th June 2021 The uYilo Kick Start Fund has opened for applications for 2021, with successful companies or entrepreneurs to receive up to R1-million in grant funding, aimed at assisting promising e-mobility projects to reach commercialisation. The uYilo eMobility Programme first provided Kick Start funding to... →

Nissan SA kicks off Navara production, exports to start in third quarter

By: Irma Venter 25th June 2021 Nissan South Africa has started production of the new Navara pick-up at its Rosslyn plant, with the first local customers to receive their double-cab units this month. The plant is currently operating on one shift, producing 134 units a shift, excluding overtime, and including Navara, NP200 and... →

Mazda to launch new BT-50 bakkie in SA in July

By: Irma Venter 24th June 2021 Mazda Southern Africa will launch the all-new Mazda BT-50 bakkie in the local market in July. The pickup launched in the international market in June last year already. →

Mercedes-Benz SA starts production of new C-Class, in talks about deepening of East London harbour

By: Irma Venter 24th June 2021 Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) has started production of the new C-Class, the W206, at its East London plant, in the Eastern Cape. Production will include a plug-in hybrid, starting in the fourth quarter of the year. →

The new C-Class

Macro-economic study, sectoral road maps required for SA’s NEV transition

By: Irma Venter 22nd June 2021 Government’s efforts to advance the use and production of new-energy vehicles (NEVs) in South Africa must include a macro-economic impact study, as well as sectoral road maps detailing how and when electro-mobility should be achieved. This is according to Intelligent Transport Society South... →

VWSA produces its 400 000th current generation Polo

By: Irma Venter 21st June 2021 Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) celebrated a production milestone on Monday, June 21, when the 400 000th unit of the current Volkswagen Polo rolled off the production line in Kariega. With the completion of this unit, the plant had produced a total of 61 635 Polos and 10 373 Polo Vivos this... →

Used-car availability, pricing may start improving early next year – InspectaCar

By: Irma Venter 21st June 2021 The availability of used-car stock may start improving in the next six months-plus, as rental companies defleet and consumers increasingly return to the new-car market, trading in their current vehicles, says InspectaCar CEO Pertunia Sibanyoni. Rental companies only recently started to acquire... →

Pertunia Sibanyoni

Ford’s sound experiment highlights risk of using headphones while on the move

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 18th June 2021 A new sound experiment commissioned by automaker Ford shows that people listening to music on headphones are, on average, more than four seconds slower to identify potential road hazards than when not listening to music. “Sound plays a vital role in our ability to understand our environment – we... →

Mitsubishi Motors South Africa appoints new MD

By: Irma Venter 18th June 2021 Mitsubishi Motors South Africa (MMSA) has announced the appointment of Thato Magasa as its new MD. Magasa succeeds Pedro Pereira, who led MMSA since 2015. →

Thato Magasa

Payment24 introduces vehicle biometrics to fast-track refuelling – pay by car not by card

By: Irma Venter 18th June 2021 Fuel management and payment solutions specialist Payment24 has launched FastLane, bringing contactless, cardless and secure fuel payments to the market. FastLane is described as ‘biometrics for the vehicle’. Payment24 says the system instantly identifies any vehicle enrolled in the system as it... →

Nolan Daniel and Shadab Rahil

Dealers’ body warns of warranty pitfalls as new aftermarket guidelines take effect

By: Irma Venter 18th June 2021 Consumers have to be aware that taking their vehicle to an independent service provider (ISP) while it is still under warranty may result in some segments of that warranty being voided, should the work, or the part fitted, not be up to standard, cautions National Automobile Dealers’ Association... →

Hino SA upgrades its 300-Series truck range

By: Irma Venter 18th June 2021 Hino South Africa (SA) has upgraded its 300-Series medium truck range, while adding some new features and realigning the model mix. The range now offers 13 derivatives, with a body and payload capability of between 3 390 kg and 5 950 kg, basically covering the 2.5 t, 3 t and 4 t markets. →

New-vehicle sales outpacing forecasts, says association

By: Irma Venter 18th June 2021 New-vehicle sales are continuing to outpace forecasts as the South African automotive industry recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic, says the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA). According to Naamsa | the Automotive Business Council, 38 337 new vehicles were sold in the domestic... →

Nissan SA trains technicians for new Ghana plant

By: Irma Venter 18th June 2021 Twelve Ghanaian technicians have wrapped up three months’ training at the Nissan Rosslyn plant on the assembly of the new Navara pick-up, in anticipation of the opening of a Nissan plant in their home country next year. The first Navara pick-ups for customers are expected to start rolling off the... →

BMW kicks off recycling initiative for tungsten production tools

By: Irma Venter 17th June 2021 German car maker BMW says it is making raw materials considered to be so-called ‘conflict minerals’ a special focus of its sustainability strategy. This includes ores where mining or trading is often associated with violations of environmental and social standards. →

Volkswagen seeks partners for battery materials race

By: Reuters 16th June 2021 Volkswagen is in talks with suppliers to secure direct access to raw materials for electric vehicle (EV) batteries via partnerships, one of its board members told Reuters on Tuesday. The world's second biggest carmaker is trying to exert more control over key components in its supply chain such... →

VW CEO chides G7 Leaders for failing to set coal phase-out date

By: Bloomberg 15th June 2021 Volkswagen’s CEO criticized Group of Seven (G7) leaders for failing to set a firm date to phase out coal power, saying it’s senseless to let electric vehicles run on dirty energy. “That’s not enough, @G7. Disappointing outcome,” VW CEO Herbert Diess tweeted Tuesday. “We need to exit coal much... →

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