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Major Aston Martin shareholder cuts stake in British carmaker

A top Aston Martin shareholder cut its stake in the British carmaker by nearly 5%, a regulatory filing showed on Monday. Italian private-equity firm Investindustrial Advisors Ltd disclosed a stake of 14.99% in Aston Martin as of May 29, compared with its previous stake of 19.92%. It was not immediately clear why the fund cut its stake.  Investindustrial is the company's second-biggest shareholder after Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, according to Refinitiv Eikon data. The 107-year old luxury carmaker in May posted a deep first-quarter loss after sales dropped by almost a third due to the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak. Aston Martin and the PE firm did not immediately respond to requests for comment. (Reporting by Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva) Related Video:

Aston Martin reboots its EV offensive with Mercedes-Benz technology

Mercedes-Benz will provide Aston Martin the technology it needs to enter the electric car segment, according to the British firm's top executive. Its first battery-powered model is scheduled to arrive in 2025 at the earliest. As we've previously reported, Mercedes will increase its stake in Aston Martin to 20% by 2023. In exchange, it will grant the company access to its hybrid and electric powertrains. It's a win-win situation: On one hand, Mercedes can leverage the benefits of economies of scale. On the other hand, Aston Martin (which is far smaller) is able to access turn-key technology without spending an exorbitant amount of money on development. Executives are consequently rebooting Aston Martin's on-again, off-again electrification offensive. Its first electric model will be built using Mercedes-Benz-sourced technology when it goes on sale in 2025 or 2026, according to Automotive News Europe. Company boss Tobias Moers (who ran Mercedes-AMG until earlier in 2020) clarified the platform will come from Germany, but there's no word yet on whether the motor and the battery will, too. However, he confirmed plans to resurrect the Lagonda name on an electric-only sub-brand have been canceled. "Lagonda has a different purpose for the future. Electric-driven cars are supposed to be Aston Martins," he said. Hybrids are in the pipeline, too, including a gasoline-electric version of the high-riding DBX. Engineers were previously developing the technology in-house, but the project could end up in the automotive ash heap now that more Mercedes powertrains are in the picture. Moers affirmed he hasn't decided which route to take yet. "We are still working on that [hybrid drivetrain], but now we have alternatives. It's too early to say," he noted. Aston Martin will release the mid-engined Valhalla in 2021, and the plug-in hybrid DBX will begin rolling off the production line in 2023. Several new models will make their debut that year, Moers promised a "product firework," and it's reasonable to assume most will be available with some degree of electrification. He predicted every fourth or fifth car Aston Martin sells in 2024 will be electrified in one way or another. Green blues Aston Martin's path to electrification hasn't been smooth. In 2015, it joined forces with China-based LeEco to build an electric variant of the Rapide, but it was forced to finish the project on its own after its partner canceled the deal due to financial issues.

Aston Martin and Gentex show off tri-camera rearview mirror system for CES

More screens and cameras are headed for Aston Martin vehicles this decade, as Gentex and Aston have just jointly revealed a new tri-camera rearview mirror system. The tech will be on display next week in a 2020 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show. This tri-camera mirror system is similar to other camera mirror systems on the market today, but there’s a twist. Instead of the whole rearview mirror being one big screen, there are two smaller screens flanking the center display. These two additional screens display a feed from cameras on the carÂ’s two side mirrors. Camera side view mirrors already exist in some cars like the Audi E-Tron and Lexus ES in other markets, but the integration is different. Instead of replacing the side mirrors with tiny camera modules, Aston Martin is keeping the mirrors and simply adding a single camera to each one. Also, instead of displaying the side camera feeds near the A-pillars, itÂ’s routed into the small screens in the mirror itself. Gentex calls it the CMS (camera monitoring system), and while Aston Martin doesnÂ’t specify which models will get it, weÂ’re told to expect it on “future Aston Martin vehicles.” One of the aspects of this system Gentex stresses is that itÂ’s weather foolproof. Even if salt, snow or rain clouds/blocks one of the cameras, the traditional mirrors are still there to be used as a backup. Vehicles that use camera mirrors exclusively are engineered to make sure the view isnÂ’t inhibited, but Gentex doesnÂ’t want to take any chances with this system. The rearview mirror can function like a normal auto-dimming mirror, too, even though that camera is unlikely to become blocked from its placement just above the rear window. The biggest advantage we see in this setup is that one glance upward can give you a full idea of whatÂ’s going on behind and beside you. ItÂ’ll require some time in the driverÂ’s seat to decide if itÂ’s too much information and too many screens in one spot. WeÂ’ll reserve final judgement when it reaches that point. Since relying solely on camera mirrors is still not allowed in the U.S., this hybrid system might be the best way to take advantage of the tech. ThereÂ’s no timeline on production readiness, but anyone in Las Vegas going to CES can see it in action.