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
Tesla Wants To Vacuum The Hot Air Out Of Cars To Improve Range
Tesla has filed a patent for a cabin‑cooling system that uses vacuum suction to pull hot‑air pockets into the HVAC loop, cutting HVAC power draw by up to 7.4% (about 127 W on a 104 °F day). The method activates only where temperature sensors detect excess heat, aiming to reduce the typical 18% range loss from air‑conditioning on hot days. While still a patent, the concept illustrates Tesla’s focus on efficiency gains without larger batteries or aerodynamic changes, potentially adding measurable mileage per charge.
Honda to Shelve $11bn Canada EV Plant as Demand Sputters
Honda Motor announced it will freeze its planned electric‑vehicle factory in Canada, a project valued at roughly $11 billion CAD (about $8 billion USD). The decision follows a slowdown in U.S. EV demand and a strategic pivot toward hybrid models for the...
Chinese EVs Pull Into the Lead
Chinese automaker BYD surpassed Tesla in 2025 to become the world’s largest seller of fully‑electric vehicles, even though Tesla reclaimed a narrow lead in pure‑EV sales in early 2026. BYD’s dominance extends when hybrids are counted, keeping it ahead of...
VTNA to Begin Taking VNL Electric Orders by End of 2026
Volvo Trucks North America announced it will begin taking orders for its flagship VNL Electric Class 8 tractor by the end of 2026, a year later than the original 2025‑early‑2026 target. The delay is linked to a cooler political climate for battery‑electric...
Balancing Truck Safety with Fleet ROI & Tech
At the ACT Expo, top executives from Cummins, Mack Trucks, International Motors and Volvo Trucks highlighted a rapid shift toward software‑defined trucks, emphasizing connectivity, AI and over‑the‑air updates. Mack’s OTA compliance surged from 35% to 88% in four months, while...
Self‑driving Trucks Could Cut Grocery Prices and Boost Safety
Autonomous trucking company Aurora is starting to put sponsored articles in sites like Axios stating that autonomous trucks will lower grocery bills and increase safety. "Autonomous trucks — trucks that operate without a driver — could lower shipping costs, helping reduce...
Tesla Begins Factoring International Designs in Full Self-Driving Visualization
Tesla’s Spring Update 2026.14 introduced region‑specific vehicle visualizations to its Full Self‑Driving (FSD) system, adding European cab‑over semi‑truck models alongside the traditional North American long‑nose trucks. The change appears automatically for all European owners and does not require an additional...
Tesla Rebounds in Europe During April, Chinese OEMs Close Gap
Tesla’s European registrations surged in April 2026, with double‑digit growth in France (112%), Sweden (111%) and Denmark (102%). The rebound follows a 28% YoY sales drop in 2025, driven by political backlash and an aging model lineup. BEV market share...
Teslas And Hybrids Were Some Of The Fastest-Selling Used Cars In March
The iSeeCars study of 6.7 million one‑to‑five‑year‑old used cars shows EVs and hybrids dominated March 2026’s fastest‑selling inventory. Tesla’s Model X led the pack, spending just 25.6 days on the lot, while the Lexus RX350h and Honda Civic Hybrid followed closely. Used...
Ford Future Models: 2026-2036
Ford is committing $2 billion to revamp its Louisville Assembly plant for the first stage of its Universal Electric Vehicle Architecture (UEVA). The debut model, likely named the Ranchero, will be a mid‑size electric pickup unveiled in 2026 and built using...
Tesla Adds New In-App Feature to Solve the Used EV Market’s Biggest Headache
Tesla has added a new in‑app feature that automatically generates a digital "Certification of Repaired HV Battery" whenever a high‑voltage battery is repaired or replaced. The certificate is stored permanently in the vehicle’s Service History tab and can be downloaded...
Audi Is Adding An 8th SUV To Its Lineup To Satiate America’s Unending Lust For Gigantic SUVs
Audi’s U.S. sales fell 16 percent last year and deliveries dropped 36 percent in Q4, driven by higher tariffs and the loss of the federal EV tax credit. To halt the decline, the brand announced the Q9, a full‑size SUV slated for...
Norway's April New Cars: 99% Pure Electric
In Norway in April, a total of 11,103 new cars were registered. 87 run on diesel. 31 have gas engines. 20 are plug-in hybrids. 8 are gas full hybrids. 5 are diesel hybrids. 10,952 are pure electric. https://t.co/ClvEP6Pdd7
Elmos Semiconductor Boosts FY26 Outlook After 41% Q1 Profit Surge
Elmos Semiconductor SE lifted its fiscal‑2026 guidance after reporting a 41.2% jump in Q1 net income to €26.2 million and a 20.2% rise in sales to €152.5 million. The German firm said accelerating demand for automotive semiconductors and a “significant growth opportunity”...
Tesla Reigns Supreme in the Heaviest EV Market on Earth
In Q1 2026 Norway’s EV market reached a near‑total conversion, with battery‑electric vehicles accounting for 97.9% of new registrations. Tesla led the pack, selling 5,406 Model Y units and 2,010 Model 3s, together outpacing the next five best‑selling non‑Tesla models combined. Generous...
Volvo Trucks Adds Electric PTO to VNR Electric Semi Lineup
Volvo Trucks introduced an all‑electric power take‑off (ePTO) for its VNR Electric Class 8 trucks. The ePTO lets the trucks run auxiliary equipment directly from the traction battery, eliminating the need for a diesel generator. California’s Caltrans is among the first...
Hendrickson Launches New ELECTRAAX E-Axle for Class 6-7 Buses and Trucks
Hendrickson, in partnership with Driventic, has launched ELECTRAAX, a fully integrated electric drive axle for Class 6‑7 school buses, delivery trucks and other last‑mile commercial vehicles. The unit combines axle, single‑speed gearbox, motor and inverter into a single housing, achieving up...
Nissan to Shut Production Line at Sunderland in Cost-Saving Move
Nissan will shut one of the two production lines at its Sunderland plant, consolidating Leaf, Juke and Qashqai output onto a single line. The move is part of a Europe‑wide cost‑cutting program that will eliminate 900 jobs, though no positions...
VinFast Scales Up In Asia As MPV 7 Electric 7-Seater Debuts In The Philippines
VinFast officially launched its MPV 7 electric 7‑seater in the Philippines on May 4, pricing the battery‑included model at roughly $24,642 and offering a battery‑subscription option starting at $20,113. The vehicle targets the country’s MPV segment, which accounts for about 20% of...
Not Just Cars: Watch The Robotic Shift At Auto China 2026
Auto China 2026 highlighted a shift from vehicle‑centric AI to "Physical AI," where the same intelligence platform powers cars, humanoid robots and other machines. XPeng unveiled its Iron robot, built on the Vision‑Language‑Action stack used for driver assistance, while Xiaomi...
The First Modern Car Without Hydraulic Brakes Is Headed to Production
Brembo unveiled Sensify, a fully electronic brake‑by‑wire system that eliminates traditional hydraulic fluid and components. The plug‑and‑play solution can be embedded in a vehicle’s zonal architecture or added to existing platforms, and it is designed to support advanced driver‑assistance and...
Over 800 New EV Chargers May Be Coming To Philadelphia
Philadelphia announced a public‑private partnership, ChargePHL, to install over 800 electric‑vehicle charging stations citywide within a decade, with some estimates reaching 1,000. The rollout averages about 80 new chargers per year and awaits City Council approval in June. Officials highlight...
UK Repair Shops May Risk Losing Insurance without EV Training
Independent garages in the UK face a growing insurance hurdle as insurers increasingly refuse coverage to workshops lacking EV‑trained technicians. With more than two million electric vehicles on British roads, the frequency of high‑voltage repairs is rising, exposing untrained staff to...
Euler Motors FY26 Revenue More than Doubles to ₹402 Crore
Euler Motors reported FY26 revenue of ₹402 crore (about $48 million), more than doubling year‑over‑year. The surge was driven by 7,576 EV units sold, a 181% increase, with the four‑wheel Turbo EV 1000 accounting for 2,084 units and securing roughly 25.9% of the segment....
Nissan's New Solar Tech Adds 11 Miles of Free Range Every Day
Nissan unveiled solar‑enhanced versions of its Ariya crossover and the kei‑car Sakura, showing that integrated photovoltaics can add measurable range each day. In sunny Barcelona the Ariya gains an average of 11 miles, with lower but still notable boosts in...
Honda Will Keep Its Core Models Around Even Longer
Honda announced it will keep several core models in production through the end of the decade, extending the current Odyssey minivan, HR‑V crossover, and Accord sedan. A next‑generation Odyssey is slated for a March 2030 launch, while the Accord may shift...
UK Passes Two Million EVs as Market Share Hits 26%
The United Kingdom has officially crossed the two‑million mark for registered battery‑electric vehicles, underscoring rapid e‑mobility adoption. In April, 39,084 new BEVs were logged, representing 26.2% of all new car registrations and a 59.1% year‑over‑year increase. Despite this momentum, the...
Toyota Merges Four Distinct Campaigns in EV Push
Toyota is launching a multipart advertising push that merges four separate creative campaigns to promote its all‑electric lineup. The effort, handled by Burrell, Saatchi & Saatchi, Intertrend and Conill, targets diverse audiences including EV skeptics, small‑business owners, Asian American and...
Path to Scale: 4 Critical Fixes ZEVs Need for TCO Parity
Commercial trucking’s shift to zero‑emission vehicles (ZEVs) is stalled by policy uncertainty and financing gaps, despite manufacturers offering battery, fuel‑cell, and renewable‑fuel options. Industry leaders at the ACT Expo identified four critical fixes—stable policy and funding, operational mastery via AI,...
Ford’s April 2026 Sales Tumble 14.4% YoY to 178,667 Vehicles
Ford sold 178,667 vehicles in April 2026, a 14.4% year‑over‑year decline from 208,675 a year earlier. The drop spans EVs, hybrids and its core truck and SUV lines, underscoring pricing pressure and a post‑tariff buying‑spree slowdown. Analysts and Ford executives...
BlackBerry Jumps 2.9% as QNX Automotive Software Fuels Turnaround Optimism
BlackBerry (BB) closed at $5.58, up 2.95%, after market coverage highlighted momentum in its QNX automotive software unit. Trading volume surged to 50.6 million shares, more than three‑fold its three‑month average, underscoring heightened investor interest in the company's turnaround narrative.
Schaeffler AG Q1 Profit Falls 28% to €60M Amid Revenue Dip
Schaeffler AG announced a 28% drop in first‑quarter profit to €60 million ($65 million), with earnings per share falling to €0.06. Revenue also slipped 2.7% to €5.764 billion ($6.22 billion), underscoring pressure on Europe’s automotive supply chain.
Ferrari Beats Forecasts Ahead of EV Launch
Ferrari posted a 3% rise in Q1 revenue to €1.85 bn ($2.0 bn) and modest profit gains, while confirming its 2026 guidance of €7.5 bn ($8.2 bn) revenue and at least €2.22 bn ($2.4 bn) operating profit. Deliveries slipped 4.4% to 3,436 units, but the order...
Volkswagen Launches Fully Automated 'Gamechanger' Production Line at Wolfsburg
Volkswagen Group has begun testing a fully automated production system, code‑named Gamechanger, at its Wolfsburg headquarters. The initiative combines AI‑driven robotics, megacasting and “unboxed” manufacturing to slash costs and help the automaker meet its goal of producing affordable electric vehicles...
What’s Inside Mahindra Auto’s Aggressive FY27 Playbook
Mahindra & Mahindra outlined an aggressive FY27 roadmap centered on SUV and electric‑vehicle growth, aiming for mid‑to‑high‑teen percent sales expansion. The automaker will boost monthly production capacity by 4,000 units to 68,500 by FY27 and add another 14,000 units later...
New-Vehicle Sales Continue to Soar, but Exports in Third Monthly Decline
South Africa’s new‑vehicle market posted its strongest April in 13 years, with domestic sales up 13% year‑on‑year to 47,979 units. Dealer sales accounted for 91.1% of the market, while passenger‑car volumes rose 14.3% and light‑commercial‑vehicle sales grew 9.7%. Exports slipped 4%...
Nissan Completely Abandons Plans for EV Production in Mississippi
Nissan has fully scrapped its plan to build electric vehicles at the Canton, Mississippi plant, a move that follows a year‑long postponement after U.S. federal EV incentives expired. The company had intended to launch two battery‑electric crossovers—one under Nissan and...
Chanani Launches New Venture to Develop EV Charging Hubs Across Southern California
Chanani Group has launched CM EV Services to develop electric‑vehicle charging hubs across Southern California. The venture partners with Motive Energy’s Sustainable Solutions division, which will act as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) provider for the initial sites. The first three...
LOCO3 Project Advances Recycling of Long Carbon Fiber/Nylon Waste for Automotive
The Thermoplastic Composites Application Center (TPAC) is steering the Low‑CO2 Composite Components (LOCO3) project from 2025 to 2027 to prove industrial‑scale recycling of long‑fiber carbon‑fiber/nylon waste for automotive use. Partnering with Turkey’s BaX Composites and the Dutch firm Spiral RTC,...
California Fleets Order 60 Tesla Semi Trucks via Forum Mobility
Two California logistics firms have placed a combined order for 60 Tesla Semi trucks through electric fleet services provider Forum Mobility. Big F Transport will receive 40 units and Nica Container Freight Line 20, with all trucks slated to charge at Forum's...
Europe May Not Be Ready For Tesla FSD Yet. Regulators Still Want Answers
Tesla’s Full Self‑Driving (FSD) system received formal approval for public road use in the Netherlands, marking the first European endorsement of the technology. Regulators in Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway have raised safety concerns, focusing on the system’s tendency to...
China's Carmakers Chase 'Yaris Moment' To Ignite Overseas Growth
Chinese automakers are accelerating a shift from cheap, domestically‑focused models to vehicles engineered specifically for export markets, a strategy dubbed the “Yaris moment.” Companies such as BYD, Chery, SAIC’s MG, and Hongqi have unveiled Europe‑oriented hatchbacks, SUVs and pickups aimed...
Mahindra Eyes 15% Electric SUV Penetration Ahead of CAFE 3 Norms
Mahindra & Mahindra aims for a 13%‑15% electric‑SUV revenue share by March 2027, ahead of India’s CAFE 3 fuel‑efficiency standards due in 2028. In Q4 FY26, EV SUVs accounted for 9.6% of its total SUV sales, with the share climbing above 11%...
Toyota Stays Course on Fuel Cell Trucks with Hyroad Tie-Up
Toyota announced a partnership with Hyroad Energy to deploy 40 Class 8 fuel‑cell trucks in Southern California, using a bundled lease that includes vehicle, maintenance and hydrogen fueling. The trucks, acquired from Nikola’s 2025 bankruptcy auction, were purchased by Hyroad for...
New EV Tax Could Cost Economy Billions, Association Warns
The UK government plans to roll out a mileage‑based electric Vehicle Excise Duty (eVED) in April 2028, charging three pence per mile for EVs. BEAMA, representing energy‑infrastructure firms, warns the policy could shave up to £4.8 bn ($6.1 bn) from the economy in...
How Utilities Are Using EVs as Grid Assets | Q&A with ChargeScape CEO Joseph Vellone
Utilities are increasingly treating electric vehicles as grid assets through vehicle‑to‑grid (V2G) programs. Sunrun and Baltimore Gas & Electric debuted the nation’s first V2G power plant in Maryland, allowing Ford F‑150 pickups to feed electricity back into the grid. PG&E,...
Commercial Vehicle Dealer eStar Acquired by OEM-Owned Group
Daimler Truck Own Retail Europe has entered the UK market by acquiring award‑winning eStar Truck & Van, adding six North West locations to its direct retail network. The sites—Knowsley, Stoke‑on‑Trent, Deeside, Trafford Park and Skelmersdale—cover a key logistics corridor linking...
UK Electric Car Sales Leap ‘Could Be Hit by Iran War Inflation and Energy Price Rises’
UK battery‑electric vehicle (BEV) registrations jumped 59.1% in April, pushing total electric car registrations past the two‑million mark. BEVs accounted for 26.2% of all new car sales, still short of the 33% share required by the zero‑emission mandate. The surge...
Toyota and Abdul Latif Jameel Motors Conduct Hydrogen Bus Trial in Saudi Arabia
Toyota and its Saudi distributor Abdul Latif Jameel Motors completed a public hydrogen‑fuel‑cell bus trial in Yanbu from April 19‑23, coinciding with the Yanbu Flower Festival. The trial used CaetanoBus’s H2.City Gold, equipped with Toyota’s second‑generation 60 kW fuel‑cell stack, five...
Ikarus Secures 150-Bus Electric Order in North Macedonia Tender (via Electrobus Europe)
Hungarian bus maker Ikarus, through its Electrobus Europe joint venture with China’s CRRC, secured a contract to deliver 150 battery‑electric buses to North Macedonia, the largest electric order in its history. The deal includes 75 fast‑charging stations and allocates 100...