Today's Automotive Pulse
Volkswagen expands Rivian stake amid $1.75B fine risk
Volkswagen is increasing its investment in Rivian while facing potential fines of $1.75 billion over regulatory concerns. The move underscores the automaker's push into electric vehicles despite mounting compliance challenges.
Also developing:
By the numbers: LTM Ltd acquires Randstad’s Europe and Australia units for $186M
Hon Hai, Poland Firm Evaluate Potential EV Production, R&D Hub
Taiwanese manufacturing giant Hon Hai (Foxconn) has formed a strategic partnership with state‑owned ElectroMobility Poland (EMP) to evaluate establishing an electric‑vehicle production and R&D centre in Poland. The joint effort focuses on leveraging Foxtron Vehicle Technologies' EV platforms and engineering expertise alongside EMP's local market knowledge. Preliminary discussions point to Jaworzno in southern Poland as a potential site. The collaboration follows EMP's unsuccessful talks with Chinese automakers, positioning Foxconn as a key technology partner in Europe’s EV ecosystem.
Top Users Log Thousands of Miles, Near‑Perfect Autonomy
Top Self-Driving Users This Week on @fsd_database Most Miles 1. @TheWis65 — 3,403 miles 2. @TesLatino — 2,040 miles 3. Brandon P — 1,995 miles 4. @JamaicanTesla — 1,453 miles 5. @ap3xdriver — 1,260 miles 6. @n3ilch3 — 1,247 miles 7. @DavidMoss — 1,206 miles 8. @Kourafas —...
Tactility Is the New Tech: Why Buttons Are More Premium than Pixels
The article argues that premium automotive brands are reverting to physical buttons and dials as a status signal, countering the industry’s screen‑heavy trend. While mainstream manufacturers adopt touchscreens for cost and regulatory reasons, luxury makers like Rolls‑Royce, Bentley, Bugatti and...
China’s Crackdown Will Squeeze Debt‑laden Carmakers
1/6 SCMP: "Beijing’s tighter oversight of vicious price competition in the automotive sector is expected to increase borrowing pressure on mainland carmakers and accelerate the exit of weaker, debt-laden players amid softening consumer demand, according to S&P Global Ratings." https://t.co/jlaxAjpD2B
Fuel‑price Spikes Boost Demand for Cheap European EVs
Demand for affordable EVs is soaring in Europe as the fuel price increases caused by the Middle East conflict spur lower-income households to go green https://t.co/Oe6DZ6COyC
BYD to Launch 2026 Seagull on May 11 as First Entry-Level EV Equipped with LiDAR
Chinese automaker BYD will launch the 2026 Seagull on May 11, positioning it as the first A00‑class micro‑EV equipped with a roof‑mounted LiDAR sensor. The updated model boosts motor output to 60 kW, extends its range to 505 km and will be priced...
The Road to Safer Mobility: How Connected Car Data Can Transform Road Safety
Connected‑vehicle ecosystems, powered by telematics and V2X communication, are reshaping road safety as highways—only 2.3 % of India’s road network—account for over 36 % of traffic fatalities. V2X enables real‑time data exchange between vehicles, infrastructure and pedestrians, enhancing driver awareness and enabling...
Chery UK Nears 7% Market Share Following Strong April Growth
Chery International UK’s three‑brand portfolio—OMODA, JAECOO and CHERY—recorded a combined 6.73% share of the UK car market in April 2026, edging close to the 7% milestone. JAECOO posted the strongest performance with 2.60% share and 3,877 registrations, followed by OMODA...
Chinese EV Makers Deny Being Summoned by Regulators over Battery Capacity Locking
Chinese EV manufacturers including BYD, Xpeng and Nio have publicly denied regulator summons over alleged over‑the‑air battery‑locking, labeling the claims as fabricated AI‑generated lists. They announced plans to pursue legal action against the rumor‑mongers. State media had earlier reported a...
MG Reveals New Small Electric SUV with “Liquid-Solid State Battery”
MG, a SAIC brand, teased the 4X, a compact electric SUV in China featuring a novel liquid‑solid state battery. The vehicle is expected to launch in the next few months with a base price under A$22,000 (≈$14,500 USD) and a larger...
An Electric Citroën 2CV for Less Than £15,000? I’m Drooling
Citroën is developing an electric version of its iconic 2CV, priced under £15,000 (approximately $19,000). The model is intended to revive the “people’s car” concept that once revitalized Europe’s post‑war auto market. A prototype is slated for debut at the...
At Under $49,000, Volkswagen’s ID.Buzz Might FINALLY Be Priced Right
Volkswagen has begun advertising its all‑electric ID.Buzz minivan for under $49,000, with dealer listings as low as $48,365—roughly $15,000 below the original MSRP. The price drop comes as VW announced it will not produce a 2026 model for the U.S.,...
How Euler Motors Zoomed In On Electric Cargo, Laid Out Its Growth Blueprint
Euler Motors, founded in 2018, has raised $229 million and now commands roughly 22% of India’s electric cargo‑vehicle market. After proving demand with three‑wheelers for logistics giants, it launched the HiLoad EV in 2021 and expanded into four‑wheel commercial EVs, which...
How Legacy Car Companies Are Skewing Debate and Slowing Transition to Electric Cars
According to a University of Sussex and Fraunhofer Institute survey of 74 German automotive managers, 61% of firms are rapidly advancing toward electric vehicles while 39% lag behind, distorting public debate. The study warns that weakening the EU’s 2035 internal‑combustion‑engine...
Why Is Honda Still Suspending $15 Billion EV Factory in Canada?
Honda has placed its $15 billion electric‑vehicle factory in Canada on indefinite suspension, citing steep U.S. tariffs and sluggish American EV demand. The pause, originally framed as a temporary delay, now appears permanent as the automaker pivots to hybrids for its...
Tesla AI Vision Auto‑deploys Airbags, Cutting Injury Risk for Free
Tesla AI Vision deploys airbags before impact, which greatly reduces risk of injury or death. This comes for free on all new cars.
Mercedes‑Benz China Deploys OKR System and Plans to Shut Low‑Efficiency Production Lines
Mercedes‑Benz China will roll out an Objectives and Key Results (OKR) framework at its Shanghai R&D hub, with Beijing following, while consolidating or closing inefficient assembly lines at its Beijing plants. The moves are part of a broader cost‑reduction drive...
BMW Opens $2.2 B AI‑Driven Car Plant in Hungary, Powered by 5G
BMW announced the launch of a €2 billion ($2.2 bn) AI‑driven automotive factory in Debrecen, Hungary. The plant, billed as the world’s first AI‑run car factory, relies on a hybrid public‑private 5G network to connect more than 1,000 robots and deliver next‑generation...
Xpeng’s G6 Receives 20,000 Upgrades in Under a Year
In less than a year, Xpeng updated its Tesla-rivaling G6 model with over 20,000 incremental developments and I’ve driven it https://t.co/SYYWr5kgQK
REALLY Quick Charge with Range Energy Electric Trailer at ACT Expo 2026
Range Energy showcased its production‑ready electric semi‑truck trailer at the ACT Expo 2026. The battery‑powered eTrailer can cut fuel consumption by up to 70% and double as on‑demand grid storage. After a multi‑year winter testing program, the company validated performance...
Tesla Sees ‘Many Thousands’ of Semis Being Built in 2026
Tesla announced it will build "many thousands" of Class 8 battery‑electric Semis before the end of 2026, with a long‑term goal of 50,000 units per year. The first Semi rolled off the high‑volume Reno line in late April, and the company...
China’s Electric Concrete Mixer Boom Is A Warning To Slow Heavy Truck Markets
Battery‑electric ready‑mix concrete trucks have exploded in China, moving from under‑2% market share in 2021 to nearly 44% of new mixer sales in 2024 and projected 70% by 2025. In Q1 2026, 5,125 new‑energy mixers were sold, 99.5% of which were...
Tesla Scales Unsupervised Robotaxis, Wisk Doubles Fleet, Meta Aspires to Build the Android of Humanoids
Tesla has expanded its unsupervised robotaxi program to Dallas and Houston, bringing the fleet to over 36 vehicles across Austin, Dallas and Houston and eliminating chase cars. Wisk Aero doubled its Gen 6 eVTOL test fleet and completed the first uncrewed...
Standard Lithium (SLI) Initiated at Outperform as Evercore Highlights DLE Progress
Evercore ISI analyst Eric Boyes initiated coverage of Standard Lithium Ltd. (SLI) with an Outperform rating and a $4.75 price target. The firm’s direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology, demonstrated in Arkansas’s Smackover Formation, achieved over 95% lithium recovery and 99%...
Solid Power (SLDP) Q1 Revenue Falls, But EV Battery Milestones Keep Growth Story Alive
Solid Power reported Q1 2026 revenue of $3.1 million, a roughly 50% year‑over‑year decline after the SK On line‑installation agreement hit its final milestone and closed the associated revenue stream. Net loss narrowed to $13.0 million, or $0.06 per share, helped by a...
SES AI (SES): Revenue Up 929% in a Year and Cantor Still Sees More Room to Run
SES AI Corp., a lithium‑metal battery developer, posted Q1 FY2026 revenue of $6.7 million, up 47% from the prior quarter and 929% year‑over‑year to $21 million. The surge was powered by its Energy Storage Systems (ESS) segment and a new three‑year North...
Compnow Adopts 29 Teslas, Boosting Sustainability and Tech Culture
Compnow, Australia's largest privately owned IT company, now operates 29 Tesla Model 3s. “When we decided to retire our old fleet of vehicles, Tesla gave us a direction that really ticked all the boxes from a sustainability footprint, also in...
Questioning Uber’s Choice of Crash‑Prone Self‑Driving Partner
“Which of the self-driving companies did Uber dispatch to us? Was it one of the brands that keeps crashing?”
Congressional Push‑And‑Pull Over USMCA Threatens Trade Flows Ahead of July Deadline
U.S. lawmakers and Canadian officials are locked in a heated debate over the renewal of the US‑Mexico‑Canada Agreement, with a July 1 deadline to decide the pact’s fate. Critics warn that a breakdown could raise tariffs on autos, oil and gas,...
China’s Two-Wheel EVs Now Feature CarPlay Integration
Smarter Rides: China’s Two-Wheeled #EVs Get CarPlay Integration by @XueJia24682 #Automotive #Transport #Technology #Innovation https://t.co/txtdI8AYwa
Geely Unveils Software‑Defined Vehicles at Auto China, Shifts to Digital‑First Marketing
Geely used Auto China to debut its Galaxy Light concept and a new off‑road electric architecture, framing the rollout as a software‑defined vehicle platform rather than a spectacle. The Hangzhou‑based maker positioned the launch as a digital product strategy aimed...
Zagreb Launches Europe’s First Commercial Robotaxi Service with Uber and Pony.ai
Zagreb has become the first European city to operate a commercial robotaxi service, deploying a fleet of 10 autonomous vehicles in partnership with Uber and Chinese driverless firm Pony.ai. The service, priced at €1.99 per ride, began on April 8...
Automakers Have Only Themselves To Blame For Losses On EV Investments
U.S. automakers disclosed tens of billions in losses tied to electric‑vehicle investments, with Stellantis, Ford, Honda and GM reporting a combined $67 billion shortfall. The financial pain followed the expiration of the federal EV tax credit and coincided with aggressive lobbying...
Podcast: Tesla Semi and 4680 Battery, BMW iX3 Price, Rivian R2 Pickup, and More
The Electrek podcast highlighted several key EV developments, including Tesla’s confirmation of two battery sizes for the Semi—822 kWh and 548 kWh—and ongoing performance issues with its 4680 cells. Rivian’s CEO teased the upcoming R2 pickup and R2X SUV, while BMW opened...
Toyota And Honda See Sharp Declines In Profit Amidst Iran War Pressures, Spiking EV Costs
Toyota warned that operating income for the fiscal year ending March 2027 will fall to ¥3 trillion (about $20 billion), well under analyst forecasts of ¥4.6 trillion and last year’s ¥3.8 trillion. The Iran‑related supply‑chain shock is inflating aluminum, resin and shipping costs, shaving...
Cupra Raval
Spanish‑born Cupra has turned into a core VW Group brand, outselling Seat three‑to‑one in the UK in 2026. The new Cupra Raval, the first of four super‑mini EVs on the MEB+ platform, arrives with a sport‑tuned chassis, 10 mm wider tracks...
Tesla’s Latest Recall? Wheels May Fall Off Cybertrucks
Tesla announced a recall of 173 rear‑wheel‑drive Cybertruck Long‑Range trucks after discovering that the wrong grease on lug nuts can loosen them, allowing brake‑rotor stud holes to crack and potentially detach the wheel hub. The defect could cause wheels to...
Volvo Criticizes In-Car Subscriptions: 'You Shouldn't Nickel-And-Dime Customers'
Volvo has launched production of the EX60, its first electric vehicle built in Sweden, while investing over $1 billion in megacasting and cell‑to‑body technology at the Torslanda plant. The company assembles battery packs in‑house from Chinese cells, allowing tighter cost control...
The Beginning of American Motors Corporation: Ep1: The Last Independent Automaker
The documentary "The Last Independent Automaker" chronicles how Nash‑Kelvinator merged with Hudson in 1954 to form American Motors Corp., the biggest U.S. corporate merger of its era. George Romney, recruited from Packard, coined the term “compact car” and refocused AMC...
Spain, Another Chinese Automaker Setting Up Base?
Chinese automaker Geely is in talks to acquire a portion of Ford's No. 3 assembly line at the Almussafes plant in Valencia, aiming to start local production of one of its models. The deal would be a partial takeover, lowering upfront...
Sitan Semiconductor, Changelight Form Partnership, Deepening Micro-LED Industry Chain Collaboration
Xiamen‑based Sitan Semiconductor and Changelight have signed a strategic partnership to create a vertically integrated micro‑LED supply chain for automotive displays. The collaboration links Sitan’s CMOS driver and module‑packaging expertise with Changelight’s sapphire epitaxy and chip production, targeting die‑to‑die and...
NXP, Hangsheng Deepen Strategic Cooperation
NXP Semiconductors and Shenzhen Hangsheng Electronic have signed a Strategic Cooperation MoU 2.0, deepening a 30‑year partnership focused on smart cockpits, intelligent driving and secure connectivity. The agreement will establish joint technology innovation centers in Shenzhen, Yangzhou and Chengdu to accelerate...
New Vision's 2025 Revenue Reaches 667 Million Yuan, Up 15.4% Year-on-Year
New Vision reported 2025 revenue of ¥667 million (approximately $93 million), a 15.4% year‑on‑year increase. HUD sales topped 840,000 units, with its AR‑HUD line CyberVision surging 226.6% and accounting for 21% of total sales. The company added 14 projects from six new...
Huayou Cobalt: Proposes to Acquire 100% Equity in Atlantic Lithium for $210 Million
Huayou Cobalt announced a $210 million deal to acquire 100% of Atlantic Lithium, securing the Ghana‑based Ewoyaa lithium project. The asset contains 36.8 million tonnes of JORC‑compliant resources at an average 1.24% Li₂O grade, equating to roughly 1.13 million tonnes of LCE. The...
Focusing on Embodied Intelligence, Hangsheng Signs Another Major Partnership
Shenzhen Hangsheng Electronics (HSAE) signed a strategic cooperation framework with Zhuojun Holding Group, while its subsidiary Hangsheng New Energy entered a similar agreement with Yimaike. The three firms will collaborate on intelligent cockpits, the embodied economy, and market‑supply‑chain synergy, leveraging...
Samsung Reveals Next-Gen Stretchable Display
Samsung Display unveiled a stretchable microLED instrument cluster at SID Display Week 2026, delivering a world‑leading 200 PPI resolution—about 67 percent higher than its 120 PPI predecessor. The panel uses a novel bridge structure that doubles pixel density while preserving electrical performance during...
Join Our Webinar on EV Li-Ion Batteries
IDTechEx will host a live webinar on May 14, 2026, focusing on emerging lithium‑ion cell chemistries, pack trends, and evolving supply chains for electric‑vehicle batteries. Presenter Daniel Parr, a technology analyst, will examine battery requirements, compare chemistry advantages, and discuss...
How to Train Your Trucker
Werner, a major fleet operator, deployed a high‑fidelity 18‑wheel tractor‑trailer simulator at a trade show to train new hires on the nuances of heavy‑duty driving. The immersive rig replicates steering, braking, seat‑belt feedback and visual cues, revealing how even experienced...
100 Free EV Chargers Installed In Saudi Arabia
Lucid Motors has installed 100 free public electric‑vehicle chargers across Saudi Arabia, joining a growing network of complimentary charging points at malls, workplaces, and supermarkets. The rollout leverages billions of dollars of Saudi Public Investment Fund backing and aligns with...
Ampeco Teams up with Plugsurfing on Roaming for eMSPs
Ampeco has partnered with Plugsurfing to add a managed roaming solution for eMSPs across Europe. The integration uses a single Roam‑OCPI interface, giving eMSP customers access to over one million charging points in 28 countries. The managed roaming option joins...