LONG BEACH, CA—Toyota and Hino are working on a joint project to develop a Class 8 fuel cell electric truck.

PALO ALTO, CA—Tesla Inc. has agreed to acquire ATW Automation, which builds battery and transmission assembly lines for major automakers like BMW and Daimler.

DETROIT—General Motors is ramping up its electric vehicle production plans.

Sales of electric vehicles (EVs), particularly plug-in hybrids and full battery electrics, are growing faster than expected, according to a study released earlier this year by the Boston Consulting Group.

COEUR d'ALENE, ID–KORE Power, a leading developer of battery cell and energy system storage technologies, recently announced that it is building a large-scale battery cell manufacturing facility that will open in early 2021 and create an estimated 18,000 direct and indirect jobs.

The electrification of automotive powertrains has accelerated as the world's automakers come to the realization that traditional ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles can no longer keep pace with stringent global emissions requirements, especially those in Europe.

From lightweight plastics to advanced battery components, OEMs will have to balance cost and performance as future vehicles undergo material changes.

Automakers are scrambling to build a new generation of vehicles that are intelligent, connected and electrified. That’s forcing engineers to rethink how traditional assembly lines and production processes function.