Amazon and Stellantis set to join forces to roll out smarter and greener vehicles
Collaboration is on the cards for Amazon.com Inc and Stellantis NV as they announced their plans to develop cars and trucks equipped with Amazon software as well as plans to deploy electric vans made by Stellantis to be used on Amazon’s delivery network. This partnership will help Amazon to create a greater presence in the transportation industry whilst helping Stellantis to compete further with Tesla Inc.
The companies said they will work together to create software for the “digital cockpit” systems of Stellantis vehicles, which are set to be released in 2024. This technology will include Amazon’s Alexa for voice-controlled use, along with “navigation, vehicle maintenance, ecommerce marketplaces and payment services.”
The alliance will also help Stellantis to accelerate its development of new digital products and “upskill Stellantis’ global workforce”, which will help their efforts to meet Tesla’s ability to quickly release high-tech vehicles. Both companies will benefit from the agreement, as Stellantis will use Amazon as its “preferred cloud provider”, and Amazon will be the first customer for the automaker’s new line of electric vans in 2023.
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Supply chain strains may have peaked, according to a new index
According to a new measure introduced by the New York Federal Reserve, titled the Global Supply Chain Pressure Index, global supply chain troubles may have finally peaked. Supply chain pressures were blamed for causing widespread disruption to the flow of goods leading to high inflation, so this prediction is welcomed by many.
To measure the supply chain pressures, sets of indicators are used. For example, the first set of indicators measure cross-border transport costs. The Baltic Dry Index tracks the cost of shipping raw materials, and the Harpex Index tracks container shipping rate changes. Information surrounding the severity of delivery delays and order backlogs is also included.
The new tool shows that the global supply pressures are around 4.5 standard deviations above normal, however according to economists Gianluca Benigno and Julian di Giovanni, the numbers “have peaked and might start to moderate somewhat going forward.” The Biden administration will welcome this forecast, as they struggled to deal with the 6.8% increase in consumer inflation in November.
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Vietnamese EV producer announces plans to build U.S. battery plant
Vietnam-based automotive company VinFast has revealed that it will be building EV battery cells and packs in a new American manufacturing complex, according to its global chief executive. This announcement ties in with the fact that the automaker has pledged to transform into an all-electric producer by the end of the year, after it began selling electric vehicles in Vietnam at the end of 2021.
VinFast hope that their emergence into the U.S. market with their electric SUVs and a battery leasing model will be enough to attract attention from consumers and possibly tempt them away from the key players such as Tesla and General Motors. The company will initially assemble battery packs with cells sourced from its supplier at its U.S. complex before starting its own production there.
The automaker has previously mentioned plans to start producing electric cars in the United States in 2024, as well as looking at establishing an EV plant in Germany. In a statement, VinFast said that “the era of shipping cars around the world is over, especially since COVID-19. You must have the factory close to the market in order to win over your customers.”
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