Volkswagen on Wednesday (Nov. 27) said that it will close its exiting plant in China's Xinjiang region after the company and its Chinese partner agreed to sell the asset to a Shanghai government-owned buyer, two people familiar with the issue said.&nbsp;

The German automaker had a joint venture assembly plant in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang.&nbsp;

Moreover, it also had two test tracks in the region, maintaining the largest and most visible presence in Xinjiang of any multinational company.&nbsp;

Volkswagen and SAID will now sell the plant to Shanghai Motor Vehicle Inspection Certification (SMVIC), a subsidiary of the state-owned Shanghai Lingang Development Group, the sources said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/cost-cutting-necessary-after-decades-of-structural-problems-volkswagen-ceo-773100">Also read:&nbsp;Cost cutting necessary after 'decades of structural problems: Volkswagen CEO</a>

The company's presence in the country had attracted condemnation from human rights groups&nbsp;that alleged abuses, including mass forced labour in detention camps in the region.&nbsp;

Beijing, however, denies these claims. The Chinese government has also put pressure on global companies to keep doing business in Xinjiang.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;China slammed for treatment of Xinjiang Uighurs

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Earlier in September, the Ministry of Commerce began investigating whether PVH, the corporate parent of the clothing brands Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, had taken "discriminatory measures" for not buying products from Xinjiang.&nbsp;

Notably, for Volkswagen, the only issue was not just the political liability but also because it was losing money as it was designed to make gasoline-powered cars. But China has now swiftly adopted electric vehicles in the last four years.&nbsp;

Moreover, half of the cars sold in China are now either battery-electric or plug-in hybrid cars.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Volkswagen on Wednesday (Nov. 27) said that it will close its exiting plant in China's Xinjiang region after the company and its Chinese partner agreed to sell the asset to a Shanghai government-owned buyer, two people familiar with the issue said.

Volkswagen on Wednesday (Nov. 27) said that it will close its exiting plant in China's Xinjiang region after the company and its Chinese partner agreed to sell the asset to a Shanghai government-owned buyer, two people familiar with the issue said. The German automaker had a joint venture assembly plant in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang. Moreover, it also had two test tracks in the region, maintaining the largest and most visible presence in Xinjiang of any multinational company. Volkswagen and SAID will now sell the plant to Shanghai Motor Vehicle Inspection Certification (SMVIC), a subsidiary of the state-owned Shanghai Lingang Development Group, the sources said. Also read: Cost cutting necessary after 'decades of structural problems: Volkswagen CEO The company's presence in the country had attracted condemnation from human rights groups that alleged abuses, including mass forced labour in detention camps in the region. Beijing, however, denies these claims. The Chinese government has also put pressure on global companies to keep doing business in Xinjiang. Watch | China slammed for treatment of Xinjiang Uighurs × Earlier in September, the Ministry of Commerce began investigating whether PVH, the corporate parent of the clothing brands Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, had taken "discriminatory measures" for not buying products from Xinjiang. Notably, for Volkswagen, the only issue was not just the political liability but also because it was losing money as it was designed to make gasoline-powered cars. But China has now swiftly adopted electric vehicles in the last four years. Moreover, half of the cars sold in China are now either battery-electric or plug-in hybrid cars. (With inputs from agencies)

Volkswagen to close China's Xinjiang plant amid concerns for human rights abuses

Toyota is hitting the gas on profits! The Japanese automaker has raised its full-year forecast, thanks to soaring sales of hybrid vehicles and a boost from the weaker yen.

Toyota surges past expectations

After a dangerous TikTok trend led to indiscriminate stealing of cars in the US, particularly of the Hyundai and Kia models, the city of New York is suing the South Korean carmakers.&nbsp;

The city accused the automakers of negligence and creating a public nuisance by selling vehicles that are too easy to steal. New York argued that the carmaker did not install anti-theft devices called immobilizers on most of their cars between 2011&nbsp;and 2022, making it easy to steal them.&nbsp;

“In electing profits over safety and deviating from industry norms by not including engine immobilizers as a standard safety feature, defendants created and maintained a public nuisance,” read the filing submitted to the US&nbsp;District Court in the Southern District of New York.

“This case is a clear example of what happens to public safety when car manufacturers choose not to include standard anti-theft technology in their cars,” the filing added.

“Making sure cars are not easy to steal protects both property and the public by keeping dangerous drivers in stolen vehicles off the roads,” it said

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/hyundai-kia-software-upgrade-to-83-million-vehicles-562681">WATCH |&nbsp;Hyundai, Kia: Software upgrade to 8.3 million vehicles</a>

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&nbsp;

<h2>‘Explosion’ of car thefts&nbsp;</h2>

Through the lawsuit, the City aims "to hold the two companies accountable". It added that number of stolen Hyundais and Kias doubled last year, followed by an "explosion of thefts" in the first four months of 2023 with 977 reported thefts, compared to 148 in the same period last year.&nbsp;

“This represents a roughly 660% increase in thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles as compared to those same months in 2022, when there were only 148 such thefts,” it said.

Notably, Hyundai is the parent company of Kia but the two companies operate separately. The uptick in thefts was reported after a TikTok challenge surfaced last year wherein&nbsp;Kia and Hyundai cars which still use mechanical keys and not electronic systems were targetted by clout-chasing influencers.&nbsp;

The lack of anti-theft measures made the cars more vulnerable to larceny. The challenge egged the users on the app to take advantage and steal the cars using minimal tools. The thieves took videos of them stealing the cars and posted them on the ByteDance-owned platform with the hashtag&nbsp;“Kia Boys”.&nbsp;

New York City has joined the likes of&nbsp;Baltimore, Cleveland, Milwaukee, San Diego, and Seattle to have sued the South Korean automaker.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
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After a dangerous TikTok trend led to indiscriminate stealing of cars in the US, particularly of the Hyundai and Kia models, the city of New York is suing the South Korean carmakers.

After a dangerous TikTok trend led to indiscriminate stealing of cars in the US, particularly of the Hyundai and Kia models, the city of New York is suing the South Korean carmakers. The city accused the automakers of negligence and creating a public nuisance by selling vehicles that are too easy to steal. New York argued that the carmaker did not install anti-theft devices called immobilizers on most of their cars between 2011 and 2022, making it easy to steal them. “In electing profits over safety and deviating from industry norms by not including engine immobilizers as a standard safety feature, defendants created and maintained a public nuisance,” read the filing submitted to the US District Court in the Southern District of New York. “This case is a clear example of what happens to public safety when car manufacturers choose not to include standard anti-theft technology in their cars,” the filing added. “Making sure cars are not easy to steal protects both property and the public by keeping dangerous drivers in stolen vehicles off the roads,” it said WATCH | Hyundai, Kia: Software upgrade to 8.3 million vehicles × ‘Explosion’ of car thefts Through the lawsuit, the City aims "to hold the two companies accountable". It added that number of stolen Hyundais and Kias doubled last year, followed by an "explosion of thefts" in the first four months of 2023 with 977 reported thefts, compared to 148 in the same period last year. “This represents a roughly 660% increase in thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles as compared to those same months in 2022, when there were only 148 such thefts,” it said. Notably, Hyundai is the parent company of Kia but the two companies operate separately. The uptick in thefts was reported after a TikTok challenge surfaced last year wherein Kia and Hyundai cars which still use mechanical keys and not electronic systems were targetted by clout-chasing influencers. The lack of anti-theft measures made the cars more vulnerable to larceny. The challenge egged the users on the app to take advantage and steal the cars using minimal tools. The thieves took videos of them stealing the cars and posted them on the ByteDance-owned platform with the hashtag “Kia Boys”. New York City has joined the likes of Baltimore, Cleveland, Milwaukee, San Diego, and Seattle to have sued the South Korean automaker. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

New York too sues Hyundai, Kia for making ‘too easy to steal’ cars, ‘explosion’ of thefts 

South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co on Friday told shareholders that it would divest its controlling stake in a major Alabama auto parts plant where Reuters last year documented children as young as 12 were working. In a February&nbsp;24 letter to shareholders from Hyundai Chief Executive Jaehoon Chang, the company said recent audits at 29 of its direct suppliers across Alabama made it confident they are “now in full compliance with underage labour laws.”

The audits began last August&nbsp;after Reuters first reported on the issue, and were conducted by an outside law firm that reviewed documents and did on-site inspections. Hyundai provided a copy of the letter to Reuters.

Hyundai also told investors that it was implementing extensive new corporate measures, including a training programme for its parts suppliers to begin next month in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Labour (DOL), to prevent future child labour violations. DOL did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hyundai’s pledge to its shareholders comes after a 2022 Reuters investigation showed several suppliers to the automaker’s massive Montgomery, Alabama vehicle plant used underage migrant workers to make parts for its popular U.S.-made cars and SUVs.

One of the plants where children worked, SMART Alabama LLC in rural Luverne, Alabama, is a direct Hyundai subsidiary. According to Hyundai’s financial statements from last year, the automaker controls a 72 per cent stake in SMART.

Also watch: Hyundai admits to hiring under-aged children

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Chang wrote that Hyundai was “in the process of divesting its ownership interest in SMART” but it would ensure “that the economically important jobs in the Luverne, Alabama community are preserved.”

Hyundai’s letter did not say when the transaction would be completed or identify a buyer or the form a divestiture would take. Since the early 2000s, the metal stamping plant has made chassis parts for hundreds of thousands of Hyundai vehicles per year.

State and federal investigations

Following Reuters’ first story on child labour at SMART last July, as many as 10 Hyundai suppliers in Alabama have been under investigation by state or federal authorities for child labour violations, Reuters reported in December.

One of the plants was inspected last August and authorities found and removed several children from the factory floor, later issuing penalties to the plant operator and a third-party staffing firm who recruited them. “The use of underage labour at a supplier or any operation is unacceptable, and we are committed to making sure non-compliance never happens again,” Chang wrote in the letter. “This is a zero tolerance issue.”

As Reuters reported earlier, many of the underage workers who found their way into the Alabama auto parts plants were recruited by third-party staffing agencies, a process that can allow big corporations to turn a blind eye to the illegal employment of minors.

In the shareholder letter, Chang reiterated that Hyundai was “discouraging” suppliers from relying on such staffing agencies in the future. He wrote that staffing firms who hired children to work at Hyundai supplier plants had provided false employee documentation. In the future, however, Hyundai and its supply chain partners must do more to ensure children are never put to work in their factories, the letter said.

“Ultimately, the responsibility is with Hyundai to make sure all our suppliers understand and meet our high global workforce standards,” Chang wrote.

U.S. and Alabama law prohibit people under age 16 from working in industrial factory settings, and anyone under 18 is prohibited from working in particularly dangerous roles in automotive plants, such as driving forklifts or operating metal-cutting and stamping machines.

Earlier this month, 33 members of Congress urged DOL to seek strong and swift penalties against those responsible for child labour in the Hyundai supply chain.

&nbsp;

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South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co on Friday told shareholders that it would divest its controlling stake in a major Alabama auto parts plant where Reuters last year documented children as young as 12 were working.

South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co on Friday told shareholders that it would divest its controlling stake in a major Alabama auto parts plant where Reuters last year documented children as young as 12 were working. In a February 24 letter to shareholders from Hyundai Chief Executive Jaehoon Chang, the company said recent audits at 29 of its direct suppliers across Alabama made it confident they are “now in full compliance with underage labour laws.” The audits began last August after Reuters first reported on the issue, and were conducted by an outside law firm that reviewed documents and did on-site inspections. Hyundai provided a copy of the letter to Reuters. Hyundai also told investors that it was implementing extensive new corporate measures, including a training programme for its parts suppliers to begin next month in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Labour (DOL), to prevent future child labour violations. DOL did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hyundai’s pledge to its shareholders comes after a 2022 Reuters investigation showed several suppliers to the automaker’s massive Montgomery, Alabama vehicle plant used underage migrant workers to make parts for its popular U.S.-made cars and SUVs. One of the plants where children worked, SMART Alabama LLC in rural Luverne, Alabama, is a direct Hyundai subsidiary. According to Hyundai’s financial statements from last year, the automaker controls a 72 per cent stake in SMART. Also watch: Hyundai admits to hiring under-aged children × Chang wrote that Hyundai was “in the process of divesting its ownership interest in SMART” but it would ensure “that the economically important jobs in the Luverne, Alabama community are preserved.” Hyundai’s letter did not say when the transaction would be completed or identify a buyer or the form a divestiture would take. Since the early 2000s, the metal stamping plant has made chassis parts for hundreds of thousands of Hyundai vehicles per year. State and federal investigations Following Reuters’ first story on child labour at SMART last July, as many as 10 Hyundai suppliers in Alabama have been under investigation by state or federal authorities for child labour violations, Reuters reported in December. One of the plants was inspected last August and authorities found and removed several children from the factory floor, later issuing penalties to the plant operator and a third-party staffing firm who recruited them. “The use of underage labour at a supplier or any operation is unacceptable, and we are committed to making sure non-compliance never happens again,” Chang wrote in the letter. “This is a zero tolerance issue.” As Reuters reported earlier, many of the underage workers who found their way into the Alabama auto parts plants were recruited by third-party staffing agencies, a process that can allow big corporations to turn a blind eye to the illegal employment of minors. In the shareholder letter, Chang reiterated that Hyundai was “discouraging” suppliers from relying on such staffing agencies in the future. He wrote that staffing firms who hired children to work at Hyundai supplier plants had provided false employee documentation. In the future, however, Hyundai and its supply chain partners must do more to ensure children are never put to work in their factories, the letter said. “Ultimately, the responsibility is with Hyundai to make sure all our suppliers understand and meet our high global workforce standards,” Chang wrote. U.S. and Alabama law prohibit people under age 16 from working in industrial factory settings, and anyone under 18 is prohibited from working in particularly dangerous roles in automotive plants, such as driving forklifts or operating metal-cutting and stamping machines. Earlier this month, 33 members of Congress urged DOL to seek strong and swift penalties against those responsible for child labour in the Hyundai supply chain. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Hyundai set to divest Alabama subsidiary over child labour revelations

Tesla will stop allowing video games to be played on its vehicle screens while cars are moving. The move follows an announcement by US' NHTSA.

Tesla to stop allowing video games to be played on its vehicle screens

Honda Motor Co expects to ramp up production of business jets as part of its plan to expand in the growing industry, the head of the Japanese automaker&#39;s aircraft operations said in the United States.

The firm hoped to produce 80 business jets annually by March 2019, from up to 36 currently, Honda Aircraft Company CEO Michimasa Fujino told reporters at its plant in Greensboro, North Carolina.

&quot;By the end of the 2018 financial year (in March 2019), we&#39;d like to be near full production of around 80 units,&quot; he said.

The company began deliveries of its $4.5 million jets in December and says it has received around 100 orders so far, mainly from customers in North America and Europe.

Honda is Japan&#39;s first automaker to develop and market aircraft globally. Its luxury jets seat up to seven people and have engines mounted above the wings, enabling roomier cabins, reduced noise and higher fuel efficiency.

The jet competes with similar-sized aircraft produced by Cessna, Bombardier Inc and Embraer SA.

Honda Aero Inc, which jointly developed the jet&#39;s HF 120 engine with General Electric Co, currently procures all of its parts from outside suppliers, but company President Atsukuni Waragai said it would begin producing a number of parts in-house from next March.

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Japan's first automaker Honda plans to ramp up production of its $4.5 million luxury jets and begin in-house production of a number of parts

Honda Motor Co expects to ramp up production of business jets as part of its plan to expand in the growing industry, the head of the Japanese automaker's aircraft operations said in the United States. The firm hoped to produce 80 business jets annually by March 2019, from up to 36 currently, Honda Aircraft Company CEO Michimasa Fujino told reporters at its plant in Greensboro, North Carolina. "By the end of the 2018 financial year (in March 2019), we'd like to be near full production of around 80 units," he said. The company began deliveries of its $4.5 million jets in December and says it has received around 100 orders so far, mainly from customers in North America and Europe. Honda is Japan's first automaker to develop and market aircraft globally. Its luxury jets seat up to seven people and have engines mounted above the wings, enabling roomier cabins, reduced noise and higher fuel efficiency. The jet competes with similar-sized aircraft produced by Cessna, Bombardier Inc and Embraer SA. Honda Aero Inc, which jointly developed the jet's HF 120 engine with General Electric Co, currently procures all of its parts from outside suppliers, but company President Atsukuni Waragai said it would begin producing a number of parts in-house from next March. (Reuters)

Honda plans to produce 80 business jets annually by March 2019

The Tesla electric car driving in semi-autonomous mode when it crashed and killed its driver, was speeding just ahead of impact with a tractor-trailer, a preliminary probe showed yesterday. 
 
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said its preliminary findings showed the Tesla was traveling at 19 kilometres per hour ahead of impact, but noted that investigators have not yet completed an analysis of the crash data or assigned a cause for the fatal collision. 
 
The car was driving in excess of the posted speed limit of 65 miles per hour before the crash. 
 
&quot;All aspects of the crash remain under investigation,&quot; the NTSB said in a statement on its review of the May 7 fatality, which raised concerns about the safety of the rapidly growing field of autonomous driving technology. 
 
The NTSB said the driver was using the advanced driver assistance features called Traffic-Aware Cruise Control and Autosteer lane keeping assistance. 
 
It was also equipped with automatic emergency braking that is designed to automatically apply the brakes to reduce the severity of or assist in avoiding frontal collisions. 
 
Tesla earlier this month acknowledged the crash and said its sensors failed to pick up the white side of the truck against a brightly lit sky. 
 
With the truck crossing the divided highway, the impact sheared off the top of the car and killed the driver. 
 
Some reports said the driver may have been watching a DVD at the time, ignoring Tesla`s warning to remain vigilant while using the Autopilot system. 
 
Tesla said the Autopilot system, introduced last year, is not a fully autonomous system and that drivers are cautioned that they need to be at the wheel and in control. 
 
The system allows the vehicle to automatically change lanes, manage speed and brake to avoid a collision. The system may be overridden by the driver. 
 
Backers of autonomous driving say that despite the Tesla fatality, the technology is likely to eliminate a large percentage of accidents, which are attributed mainly to human error. 
 
Most major automakers are also looking at autonomous cars. 
 
BMW has announced that it is joining forces with US computer chip giant Intel and the Israeli technology firm Mobileye to develop self-driving cars, aiming for fully automated driving in production cars by 2021. 
 
South Korea`s Kia has pledged to produce a self-driving car by 2020 and General Motors plans to test the technology with ridesharing giant Lyft. 
 
Google has driven its autonomous cars some 2.4 million kilometres with only some minor dust-ups 
 
(AFP)

The car was driving in excess of the posted speed limit of 65 miles per hour before the crash

The Tesla electric car driving in semi-autonomous mode when it crashed and killed its driver, was speeding just ahead of impact with a tractor-trailer, a preliminary probe showed yesterday. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said its preliminary findings showed the Tesla was traveling at 19 kilometres per hour ahead of impact, but noted that investigators have not yet completed an analysis of the crash data or assigned a cause for the fatal collision. The car was driving in excess of the posted speed limit of 65 miles per hour before the crash. "All aspects of the crash remain under investigation," the NTSB said in a statement on its review of the May 7 fatality, which raised concerns about the safety of the rapidly growing field of autonomous driving technology. The NTSB said the driver was using the advanced driver assistance features called Traffic-Aware Cruise Control and Autosteer lane keeping assistance. It was also equipped with automatic emergency braking that is designed to automatically apply the brakes to reduce the severity of or assist in avoiding frontal collisions. Tesla earlier this month acknowledged the crash and said its sensors failed to pick up the white side of the truck against a brightly lit sky. With the truck crossing the divided highway, the impact sheared off the top of the car and killed the driver. Some reports said the driver may have been watching a DVD at the time, ignoring Tesla`s warning to remain vigilant while using the Autopilot system. Tesla said the Autopilot system, introduced last year, is not a fully autonomous system and that drivers are cautioned that they need to be at the wheel and in control. The system allows the vehicle to automatically change lanes, manage speed and brake to avoid a collision. The system may be overridden by the driver. Backers of autonomous driving say that despite the Tesla fatality, the technology is likely to eliminate a large percentage of accidents, which are attributed mainly to human error. Most major automakers are also looking at autonomous cars. BMW has announced that it is joining forces with US computer chip giant Intel and the Israeli technology firm Mobileye to develop self-driving cars, aiming for fully automated driving in production cars by 2021. South Korea`s Kia has pledged to produce a self-driving car by 2020 and General Motors plans to test the technology with ridesharing giant Lyft. Google has driven its autonomous cars some 2.4 million kilometres with only some minor dust-ups (AFP)

Driver was speeding before fatal Tesla Autopilot crash, finds probe

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