The Auto World

Hakan and Berrin Can of Warendorf, Germany, today took delivery of their shiny, new Ford Mustang Mach-E. But it wasn’t just any example, theirs was the 50,000th Mustang Mach-E ever delivered. The car was presented to the young couple at the Ford-Autohaus Ebbert GmbH dealership in Gütersloh, in the north-west of Germany. The couple say they transitioned to the new EV because of a new addition to their family. “My wife and I chose the Mustang Mach-E because we have needed a family-friendly car since the birth of our son Nesim,” said Hakan. “We were particularly impressed by the design, the generous space and the overall technical package. I am convinced that electric vehicles are the future.” Read: Ford Mustang Mach-E Powers Up With Cheaper, Faster-Charging LFP Batteries Clearly in a hurry to get their newborn to daycare, the couple didn’t opt for just any Mustang Mach-E, instead they went for the high-performance GT model . The EV delivers 480 hp (358 kW/487 PS) and 634 lb-ft (8...

Thousands of 2023 BMW 8-Series, 2-Series, and Z4 models have been recalled in the United States because of an issue related to the digital key function. A notice issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ( NHTSA ) states that the software coding of the electronic control unit in charge of the digital key function means that even when the digital key is removed from the vehicle, it may still be possible to close the vehicle’s windows and roof systems. An investigation from BMW first uncovered an issue with the digital key system on January 18, 2023 and it was quickly concluded that certain aspects of the software may not have been coded as intended for the U.S. market. Read: BMW To Recall 15,000 iXs And X1s Over Airbag That May Deploy Incorrectly A total of 3,193 vehicles are involved in the recall. These consist of 414 BMW 8-Series models from the 2023 model year, namely 840i, 840i xDrive, M850i xDrive, and M8 models, built between October 18, 2022 and Febru...

The United States will become home to an expansive new battery recycling plant after prominent recycler Li-Cycle entered into a conditional commitment for a $375 million loan from the U.S. Department of Energy Loan Programs Office. Li-Cycle will open the doors to its $485 million processing facility in Rochester, New York later this year having already secured the necessary funds to do so. It will then use the loan to expand the company elsewhere. Li-Cycle confirmed in a press release that the loan has a 12-year term and an interest rate matching the 10-year U.S. Treasury rate. “$375 million will now supercharge Li-Cycle here in Rochester, with 270 good-paying jobs, to become one of America’s largest suppliers of recycled materials for batteries ,” Senator Charles Schumer said. “Last year, I stood alongside Li-Cycle’s powerhouse workforce and promised I would push to deliver federal funding to spark more growth, and now thanks to the investments I secured in the Inflation Reduction...

Wanna make more money for your car brand? Make (and sell) more cars. That seems pretty obvious advice, but it might not be the best advice. While some automakers clearly believe that growing market share really is the way to grow their bank balances, others take a different tack, focusing on making cars with big profit margins. That comparison is made by Brian Finkelmeyer, an industry analyst at Cox Automotive, who contrasts the fortunes of the Hyundai Group of companies with Stellantis, two organizations with opposing strategies. Finkelmeyer likens Hyundai (including Kia and Genesis) to GM in the 1960s when The General’s brands collectively held a 50 percent market share thanks to smart application of platform and engineering sharing principles. Obviously Hyundai doesn’t have close to that kind of market share, but it is growing its share and has posted an 11 percent sales increase since 2019. Prior to the pandemic Stellantis was outselling Hyundai Motor Group by more than 55,000...

Since 2017, the Kia Stinger has been the brand’s flagship performance model but with the South Korean car manufacturer now embarking on an electric future, it’s time to bid farewell to the Stinger. To pay tribute to the car, Kia has produced an entertaining video that shows the Stinger in all its glory alongside the EV6 GT which, according to Kia, will continue the Stinger’s legacy and act as the brand’s new range-topping performance model. The video starts off by showing a Stinger and an EV6 GT parked while overlooking the ocean. They are shown communicating with each other, boasting of their performance attributes and explaining all of the prestigious awards that they have won. Read: Kia Ending Production Of The Stinger With Limited Tribute Edition The duo then head out and take to a circuit. Both the Stinger and EV6 GT are shown being pushed to their limits, drifting around corners and switching positions along the track’s main straight. They end their on-track dance with...

Volkswagen fans from around the world were left distraught earlier this month when the legendary Wörthersee GTI festival was cancelled with little prospect of it make a comeback. The celebration of all things GTI had been held at Austria’s Lake Wörthersee since 1982, but the borough of Maria Wörth recently announced that it wouldn’t be staging the show in future because it wanted to safeguard the local ecosystem and recognize the damaging effects of climate change. But now Volkswagen , the company responsible for creating the GTI, and the show’s sponsor since 2006, has stepped in to save the day, and it’s come up with the perfect venue: its own Wolfsburg HQ. “Our GTI fans are of great importance to Volkswagen,” said VW board member, Imelda Labbé. “For this reason, after the GTI Meeting at Lake Wörthersee was unfortunately cancelled, we decided pretty quickly to offer the GTI fan community in Wolfsburg a new home for the event.” Related: VW Golf And GTI Will Live On As EVs, Next-...

Hyundai unveiled the facelifted i10 earlier today and it appears the Kia Picanto will also benefit from a freshening. Spied undergoing testing in Europe, the facelifted Picanto is heavily disguised but will feature an updated front end.  Details are hard to make out, but we can see ‘stacked’ headlights and daytime running lights that recall the pre-facelift Telluride. We can also expect a redesigned grille as well as an updated front bumper.  The latter is peeking through the camouflage and we can see a modified intake as well as what appears to be slimmer air curtains. Driven: The Kia Picanto GT Line Is Quite A Little Charmer The styling changes continue further back with updated wheels and a revised rear end.  The latter is heavily camouflaged, but we can get a glimpse of new LED taillights that feature a pixel-like design.  They should be joined by a new bumper and an updated hatch. Spy photographers didn’t snap interior pictures, but changes could echo ...