Today's Automotive Pulse
Waymo suspends driverless rides in Atlanta and Texas amid severe storms
Waymo announced a temporary suspension of its driverless‑car services in Atlanta, Georgia, and multiple Texas cities after a vehicle became stranded in flood‑water. The company said the pause is an "abundance of caution" as flash‑flood warnings, severe thunderstorms, hail and gusty winds threaten safety.
Also developing:
By the numbers: LTM Ltd acquires Randstad’s Europe and Australia units for $186M
Tariffs Deal Daimler a 99% EBIT Drop in North America
Daimler reported that U.S. tariffs fully impacted its North American operations in Q1 2026, slashing earnings before interest and taxes by about 99%. The Trucks North America unit saw non‑adjusted operating profit tumble 98.7% year‑on‑year to just €10 million (≈ $11 million). The sharp decline follows earlier forecasts that a near‑term recovery was unlikely. Daimler now faces a steep profit gap unless tariff pressures ease or cost‑saving measures take effect.
From Chargers to Code: Europe’s EV Infrastructure Pivot
European EV charging is evolving from hardware‑heavy deployments to software‑driven energy platforms, as investors chase recurring revenue models. Start‑ups raised roughly $3.9 billion in 2025, with $236 million already pledged this year. Geneva‑based AMP IT, founded in 2021, combines solar, storage and smart...
BYD Sub-Brand Linghui to Launch E9 Sedan on May 9
BYD’s new sub‑brand Linghui will launch the e9 sedan on May 9, targeting commercial mobility services. The e9, built on the BYD Han platform, offers two front‑mounted motor outputs (135 kW and 150 kW) and two range options (535 km or 605 km). It features...
Royal Enfield Expands Manufacturing Beyond Tamil Nadu for First Time
This marks a historic shift, as it is Royal Enfield’s first major manufacturing expansion outside of Tamil Nadu since it began Indian operations in 1955.
EU Rules May Stall VW's Affordable Luxury EV
Why the ERA might never make it to Europe: "an affordable, fully connected flagship of the upper class. But EU regulations, higher prices, and fear of competition within its own group could stop the XXL electric car." 🚨🚨🚨 #alwaysbecharging https://t.co/l6JCgSr1ke
Mercedes-Benz Accelerates Electric GLC Production in Bremen
Mercedes‑Benz is accelerating production of its all‑new electric GLC at the Bremen plant, using the large Hall 9 line that can assemble EV, hybrid and combustion variants side‑by‑side. The model logged the highest order intake of any Mercedes EV in Q1,...
Tesla Semi Hauls Fresh Cybercab Batch as Robotaxi Era Takes Hold
Tesla filmed a production Semi hauling a fresh batch of Cybercabs out of Gigafactory Texas, marking the first documented delivery of the autonomous two‑seater. The sighting follows recent drone footage of over 60 Cybercabs staged in the plant’s outbound lot,...
How Auto OEMs Are Battling Supply Shocks From West Asia War
Indian auto OEMs are scrambling to keep factories running as the West Asia war disrupts LPG supplies, labor availability, and logistics. Companies have instituted daily LPG stock checks across hundreds of vendors and shifted some processes to electric heating, cutting...
The Commercial Vehicle Show 2026: Electrification and Decarbonization Accelerate in the UK CV Industry
The Commercial Vehicle Show 2026 in Birmingham highlighted the UK’s shift from planning to action on vehicle electrification and decarbonisation. Exhibitors displayed mature electric light‑commercial vans and heavy‑goods trucks, with the Renault Kangoo E‑Tech achieving a 220‑mile range and a...
India-EU Announce ₹169 Crore Push to Develop EV Battery Recycling Technologies
India and the EU have launched a €15.2 million (≈$16.6 million) joint initiative to develop advanced recycling technologies for electric‑vehicle batteries. Funded through Horizon Europe and India’s Ministry of Heavy Industries, the programme will issue a call for proposals until September 15, 2026, targeting...
The Emergence Of Electronics Digital Twins For Software-Defined Vehicles
Electronics digital twins (eDTs) are emerging as the next‑generation virtual models for software‑defined vehicles, extending traditional digital twins to cover hardware, software, and AI interactions. By replicating the entire electronic architecture, eDTs enable virtual validation of advanced driver‑assist systems, over‑the‑air...
Volvo Global Sales Drop 10% Despite Rising EV Momentum
Volvo Cars reported global sales of 162,864 vehicles for February‑April 2026, a 10 percent decline versus the same period in 2025. Electrified models made up 48 percent of sales, with fully electric deliveries up 14 percent while plug‑in hybrids fell 12 percent. Europe remained...
UK Van Market up 6.8% in April as Pickups Slump
UK light commercial vehicle registrations climbed 6.8% in April to 21,716 units, led by strong demand for large vans. Medium and small vans fell 20% and 14.4% respectively, while pickup registrations plunged 57.4% after a benefit‑in‑kind tax change reclassifying double‑cab...
Poland April 2026: Audi Q5 Breaks Into Top 10
In April 2026 Poland’s passenger‑car market expanded 10.3% year‑on‑year, with 51,827 new registrations. Audi’s Q5 cracked the Top 10 for the first time, landing at #9 with 831 units. Volkswagen posted the strongest brand growth (+16.6%) while Hyundai, Mercedes and Hyundai...
NXP CoreRide Gains Vector Software Support for SDV Platforms
NXP’s CoreRide platform now includes Vector’s MICROSAR embedded software, creating a pre‑integrated solution for software‑defined vehicles (SDVs). The partnership delivers the CoreRide Z248 zonal reference system, combining real‑time compute hardware with Vector’s classic stack, configurator and system‑design tools. By aligning...
T-Systems Brings Ford’s Suppliers in Catena-X
T‑Systems has connected roughly 70 of Ford’s global suppliers to Catena‑X, the automotive industry’s trusted data ecosystem. The rollout supports tier‑1 suppliers of any size, offering end‑to‑end services from consultation to data exchange. Ford’s objective is to provide reliable, standardized...
Pirelli Shifts Cyber‑Tyre Production to US Amid Italy‑China Tensions
JUST IN: Pirelli will produce Cyber Tyres in the US after Italy restricts China influence.
Australia Has a New PHEV Ute Price-Leader: JAC Hunter Will Start Sub-$50K with 1000km Range and Competitive Towing and Payload...
JAC confirmed its Hunter plug‑in hybrid dual‑cab ute will launch in Australia mid‑2026 with a sub‑AU$50,000 starting price (about US$33,000), 3500 kg towing capacity and 915 kg payload. The model pairs a 2.0‑litre turbo petrol engine with dual electric motors for a...
Tech's Fine, Companies Risk Bans over Job Fears
I am not bearish on autonomous trucking technology, but I am bearish on autonomous trucking companies because of the pressure on politicians to ban the technology as it starts to threaten jobs.
Aeva Ships Atlas C-Samples to Daimler Truck NA
Aeva has shipped C‑sample units of its Atlas 4D LiDAR sensor to Daimler Truck North America and Torc Robotics for the autonomous Freightliner Cascadia. The Atlas sensor, built on FMCW technology, can detect objects up to 500 metres and simultaneously capture...
Toyota’s 30-Year Nürburgring Vision Opens Its Doors
Toyota opened its new Toyota Technical Center Shimoyama (TTC‑S) to media, showcasing a 5.3‑km test loop modeled after Germany’s Nürburgring. The facility brings roughly 3,000 designers, engineers and test drivers together in a three‑floor layout that links maintenance, data analysis...
Aeva Nearly Doubles Q1 Revenue to US$6.3m Record
Aeva reported a record first‑quarter revenue of $6.3 million, almost double the $3.4 million earned a year earlier. The company shipped production‑intent 4D LiDAR sensors to Daimler Truck and a top‑10 European passenger‑vehicle OEM, while expanding deployments in defense and industrial sectors....
Diodes Launches 32 Gbps ReDriver for Cockpits
Diodes Incorporated has introduced the PI3EQX32904Q, a four‑channel linear ReDriver delivering 32 Gbps bandwidth for next‑generation automotive smart cockpits. The device supports PCI Express 5.0, SAS4 and CXL, and is built on a 0.13 µm silicon‑germanium BiCMOS process to provide low jitter and high...
Opinion: We Must Price and Manage The Curb Before Robo-Taxis and Other AVs Scale Up
Autonomous vehicles are already cruising in 103 cities, adding about 6% more vehicle‑miles traveled as they idle, search for parking, or travel empty. Cities lack the tools to see, price, or ticket these robo‑taxis, creating a looming curb‑management crisis. The...
Volkswagen Reclaims China Lead as EV Demand Wanes
Narrative violation: Volkswagen becomes the #1 car maker in China again, as consumers move away from EVs https://t.co/AzvEY1nG1k https://t.co/8tXJvIvGa4
Works Ministry Launches an EV Charging System Installation Guidelines Book as Reference for Installers
Malaysia's Works Ministry unveiled a "Design and Installation Guidelines for Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Systems" to standardise charger deployment across the country. Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said the manual will aid contractors, designers, government bodies and station...
Canada Weighs Specific EV Caps for Tesla, BYD to Prevent Market Dominance
Canada is finalizing a low‑tariff quota that permits up to 49,000 China‑made electric vehicles annually, representing less than 3% of the country’s total new‑car market. The quota offers a 6.1% MFN tariff, a sharp cut from the previous 106.1% punitive...
Croatia April 2026: Opel Frontera up to Record 2nd Place
New car registrations in Croatia fell 5.8% year‑on‑year in April to 8,465 units, yet the year‑to‑date total stays 5.2% above the prior year at 25,203. Opel surged 82.1% YoY, climbing to second place among brands behind Skoda, and its newly...
Portable MSI EZgo Charger Delivers Reliable On‑the‑Go Power
Got an EV and dreamed of having a smart charger at your home or office? How about one for while you're on the road? The @MSIusa EZgo Portable J1772/NACS EV Charger neatly fits the bill, as I ascertained when I...
Rivian Mulls Domestic Lidar Production as Uber Pledges $1.25 B Robotaxi Deal
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe confirmed the company is in active talks to build lidar sensors in the United States, potentially with Chinese technology partners. The move coincides with Uber’s $1.25 billion commitment to deploy up to 50,000 Rivian R2 robotaxis, underscoring Rivian’s...
Hands-Free Driving On Icy 80km/H Roads
EU regulators are debating a bloc‑wide approval of Tesla’s Full Self‑Driving (FSD) system that would permit hands‑free operation on icy roads at 80 km/h. The Netherlands has already signed off, but a formal vote requires the backing of 55% of member...
Kodiak AI Inc (KDK) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Kodiak AI reported Q1 2026 results, announcing a $100 million equity PIPE that lifts cash to roughly $185 million and funds its scaling plan. The company expanded its driverless fleet to 28 trucks, delivering 15,600 loads and 23,500 paid driverless hours, while...
Chinese Automakers Race to Enter Canada, Here Are the EVs Likely Coming
Canada slashed the tariff on Chinese‑built electric vehicles from 100% to 6.1%, creating a quota for up to 49,000 units annually that will rise to 70,000 by 2030. BYD, Geely and Chery have begun hiring, scouting dealership sites and filing...
Tesla’s Trillion‑dollar Valuation Already Bets on Robotaxis
In the last four quarters, Tesla produced $3.86 billion in profit. The market cap of the company is $1.5 trillion. It’s hard to argue the market isn’t already giving Tesla significant credit for Robotaxi progress. As the service continues to...
Why Most Automation Programmes Plateau Between Cell and Line
A Tier 1 automotive supplier’s plants show robots meeting cell‑level targets while line‑level throughput improves only 4% over three years, far short of the 22% goal. The gap stems from an under‑scoped integration layer linking robotic cells, MES, ERP and WMS,...
Vienna’s Hydrogen Bus Failure Is A Warning To Transit Agencies
Vienna’s transit agency found seven of its ten newly delivered hydrogen buses out of service by May 2026 because the Portuguese OEM CaetanoBus could not provide ordinary spare parts such as door compressors and blind‑spot monitors. The buses, which entered service...
DTS AutoStage Is Now in 16 Million Vehicles, Xperi Reports
Xperi announced that its DTS AutoStage audio technology is now installed in 16 million vehicles spanning 13 automotive brands. The company’s Q1 2026 results showed a narrowed net loss of $7.8 million, down from $18.4 million a year earlier, while revenue held steady...
Rosswag Teams with Eplus3D to Boost German Metal AM Capacity
German metalworking firm Rosswag announced a partnership with Eplus3D to install the latter's latest metal powder‑bed fusion system at its German plant, expanding the company's additive‑manufacturing capacity. The move underscores accelerating adoption of metal AM in traditional manufacturing sectors.
Aurora Secures 500‑Truck Autonomous Deal with Hirschbach Motor Lines
Aurora Innovation announced a contract to supply 500 autonomous semi‑trucks to refrigerated‑freight specialist Hirschbach Motor Lines, with deliveries slated to begin in 2027. The deal expands Aurora’s Driver as a Service offering, letting Hirschbach own the hardware while paying for...
China's Domestic Auto Sales Flat Since 2018
Everything else aside, it’s interesting domestic auto sales in China have been basically flat since like 2018
Recall Exposes Tesla's Surprisingly Low Off‑Road EV Sales
Off-road EV faces recall over faulty brake rotors, but also reveals just how few Tesla actually sold. https://t.co/CjkKgBUPge
Onsemi Q1 2026 Revenue $1.513 Billion, Core Metrics Beat Expectations
onsemi reported Q1 2026 revenue of $1.513 billion, topping the midpoint of its guidance, with GAAP and non‑GAAP gross margins steady at 38.5%. GAAP operating margin fell to 3.5% while non‑GAAP margin held at 19.1%, and diluted EPS was $0.08 GAAP...
What's the Most Affordable Tesla EV?
In 2026 Tesla’s entry‑level Model 3 is the most affordable EV, with a base price of $39,990, keeping it under the $40,000 threshold. The slightly larger Model Y starts near $45,000, while older Model S and X variants remain well above $70,000. Federal...
Singapore's New Car Sales Shift From 94% Petrol to 6%
About Singapore 🇸🇬 “Pure Petrol ICE once accounted for 93.9% of new car sales in 2015 in Singapore, but has since fallen to 5.8%.”🍿 ⚡️⚡️⚡️ #alwaysbecharging @NatBullard https://t.co/n2ouiy9GtM
AUR’s “Driverless” Trucks Still Require Human Driver
Correction. This is what $AUR calls driverless when they use Paccar trucks. There is still a human sitting in that front seat per Paccar's requirement.
Nissan’s Canton Reversal Shows Where the EV Reset Hits First
Nissan has scrapped plans to turn its Canton, Mississippi plant into a battery‑electric SUV hub, opting instead for conventional and hybrid trucks and SUVs. The pivot reflects a broader reassessment of EV program assumptions across North America, as Ford, GM...
QNX May Be the Most Underpriced Control Point in Automotive Software
QNX is shifting from the visible infotainment layer to the safety‑critical control tier of modern automotive architectures. As manufacturers adopt centralized compute and mixed‑criticality designs, QNX enables multiple operating systems to coexist on shared hardware without compromising reliability. This deeper...
The FMC Elektron Is Now Beyond The Prototyping Stage
Francisco Motors Corp (FMC) is moving its Elektron electric crossover beyond the prototype stage by adapting a proven EV platform already operating in Turkey and the UAE. The company aims to launch a battery‑electric model with a target range of...
Tesla Unveils Mysterious Prototype at Giga Texas: Is the Model Y L Coming to America?
Tesla covered a mystery prototype at its Texas Gigafactory, sparking speculation that it is the long‑rumored Model Y L—a longer‑wheelbase version already sold in China. The shrouded vehicle sits between a standard Model Y and a Cybertruck, matching the Chinese model’s 4.98‑meter length...
First Fully Electronic Brakes Raise Safety Concerns
A fully electronic braking system is being built into a car for the first time — are we sure removing hydraulic brakes is a good idea? https://t.co/3pnt0ipyIz