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
Will Electrifying the UK’s Heavy-Duty Trucks Require More Vehicles Overall?
Researchers at Heriot‑Watt University are using real DHL fleet data to simulate the electrification of heavy‑duty trucks on the London‑to‑East Midlands Airport corridor. The digital‑twin model examines how heavier batteries and longer charging stops could force hauliers to increase vehicle counts to move the same freight volume. Scenarios range from 10% electric trucks by 2030 to a fully electric fleet by 2050, testing depot and motorway charging strategies. Findings aim to guide UK freight operators and policymakers on scaling zero‑carbon logistics.
150 New Fast EV Chargers To Use 100% Renewable Energy
Despite a slowdown in U.S. electric‑vehicle sales, Rivian is expanding its public charging footprint with more than 150 new DC fast chargers slated for Caruso‑managed properties in Los Angeles. The chargers will be powered 100% by renewable sources—solar and wind—ensuring each...
Volvo Cars Aims to Retain Premium Pricing as US Tariffs Pile on Pressure
Volvo Cars reported a sharp decline in U.S. plug‑in hybrid sales, down 49% year‑over‑year, after the removal of a $7,500 federal tax credit. Overall U.S. sales fell 32% and first‑quarter operating profit dropped 16% to 1.6 billion Swedish crowns ($173 million), though...
Volkswagen ID Polo Prototype Review
Volkswagen’s ID Polo prototype marks the brand’s push into the sub‑£30,000 electric hatchback market, built on the new MEB+ platform and sharing chassis work with the Cupra Raval. It offers two battery options—a 37 kWh LFP pack delivering about 186 mi and a 52 kWh...
JSW Motors Ramps up Supplier Network Ahead of New Energy Vehicle Launches
JSW Motors held its first supplier partner conference and technology showcase at its Bidkin plant, gathering over 100 component makers. Co‑organized with the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India, the event emphasized supply‑chain readiness, localisation and next‑generation new‑energy‑vehicle (NEV) technologies...
Q1: ACEA Reports 40% Growth in Electric Trucks in the EU, Highlights Strong E-Bus Market
European commercial‑vehicle registrations jumped in Q1 2026, with trucks up 10.7% to 81,766 units and buses up 24.5% to 10,964. Electric trucks gained a 40.1% YoY increase, lifting their market share to 4.4%, while electric buses reached a 21.8% share. France...
Paccar, Volvo CEOs See Production Picking up From Q1 Pace
Volvo Group and Paccar CEOs said production rates are picking up after a weak first quarter, but they differ on how many build slots will be available in the coming months. Volvo idled U.S. plants 25‑30% in Q1 and plans...
MAN Results in Q1 2026: Revenues at €3.3 Billion (Growing 8%), Bus Segment up 6%
MAN Truck & Bus posted Q1 2026 revenue of €3.3 billion (≈$3.6 billion), an 8% year‑on‑year rise, driven by a 14% jump in vehicle sales to 23,600 units. The bus segment delivered 1,462 units, up 6%, while electric vehicle deliveries surged 44% to 540...
Tesla’s Cybercab Is Finally Real—But Is It Enough?
Tesla has begun production of its long‑awaited Cybercab, turning the robotaxi concept into a physical product. The move arrives just days after an earnings report that highlighted a slowdown in Tesla's core EV business and underscored its AI ambitions. While...
Skoda Auto Partners with CSC Grameen eStore to Expand Reach in Smaller Towns
Škoda Auto India announced a partnership with the Common Services Centre (CSC) Grameen eStore to reach customers in semi‑urban and non‑metropolitan markets. The collaboration lets buyers in smaller towns explore and initiate enquiries for the Kylaq, Kushaq and Slavia models through CSC’s...
What to Expect at ITS America 2026: Tech, Cybersecurity and the Future of Transportation
The ITS America Conference & Expo returns to Detroit June 9‑12, 2026 under the “Empowering Innovation” theme. Organized by Rx Global and ITS America, the four‑day event will spotlight connected, automated and data‑driven transportation technologies. A dedicated Cybersecurity & Data Zone and...
Congress Seeks to Prevent China From Building Cars in the US. Good Idea?
Congress is drafting legislation to prohibit Chinese automakers from building vehicles in the United States and from selling cars that enter via Mexico or Canada. Chinese brands such as Geely, BYD and Great Wall already have a foothold in border...
Leapmotor B03 Primed as Cut-Price VW ID Polo Rival for 2027
Leapmotor is set to unveil its new electric supermini, the B03 (marketed as the A05 in China), in May 2024, with a UK launch planned for early 2027. The B03 will sit on Leapmotor’s entry‑level A platform, sharing architecture with...
Oslo Implements New AC Charging Pricing Model
Oslo, home to the world’s highest EV concentration, has replaced its time‑based public AC charging fees with a consumption‑based model effective April 22. Drivers now pay for the kilowatt‑hours consumed, a service surcharge based on the city’s spot electricity price, and...
Oman Q1 2026: Toyota up to 49.5% Share
Oman’s new‑car market contracted 6.1% year‑on‑year in Q1 2026, delivering 17,354 units. Toyota’s sales held steady (+0.4%) and its share rose from 46.3% to 49.5%, edging close to half the market. Hyundai posted a modest 2.2% gain, while Nissan surged 53%...
Robotaxis, AI Manufacturing and Next-Gen Mobility on the Rise
The automotive tech sector is accelerating toward autonomous mobility, AI‑driven manufacturing, and new fuel blends. Intel’s 14A chip wins Tesla as its first major customer, underscoring the race for in‑vehicle computing power. Indian firms are exploring E85 flex‑fuel and AI‑enabled...
Leopard 8 Drone Edition: First Car with Integrated Drone
Leopard 8 #Drone Edition: The World’s First Smart Car with a Built-In Vehicle-Mounted Drone System by @tweetciiiim #EmergingTech #Technology #Innovation https://t.co/sX1VldumXa
Artificial Intelligence in the Real Economy: A Visual Guide
Financial Times launched a visual explainer series on artificial intelligence’s role in the real economy, beginning with a deep‑dive into robotaxis. The guide highlights how AI‑driven perception, routing and fleet management have moved autonomous vehicles from pilot projects to rapid...
Geely Taps Volvo’s EU Plants to Propel Regional Expansion
Geely announced it will expand production of its brands at Volvo Cars' European factories rather than build new plants, leveraging spare capacity in Sweden, Belgium and Slovakia. The move addresses China's severe automotive overcapacity and avoids the 28.8% import tariffs...
EU Project Team Aims to Significantly Reduce Onboard Charger Size Using GaN Chips
The EU‑funded HiPower 5.0 consortium is developing a 22 kW onboard charger that occupies just four litres, a third of the volume of current 12‑litre designs. The size cut is driven by bidirectional gallium‑nitride (GaN) switches supplied by Infineon, which combine the...
Tesla Rolls Out FSD Lite to HW3 Model S/X Globally, Offers Trade‑In or Upgrade
Tesla announced a global rollout of its FSD V14 Lite software for Model S and Model X vehicles equipped with legacy Hardware 3 (HW3). Owners will receive either a discounted trade‑in or a hardware swap at new micro‑factories, a move...
Where Sustainability Becomes Design – Not Compromise
Polestar is redefining electric‑vehicle design by embedding sustainability into every material and process rather than treating it as a marketing add‑on. Since 2020 the company has lowered emissions per sold car by 31% while expanding global sales to more than...
Robotaxi Growth Unfazed by Subsidies, Legislation Hinders Only
an interesting aspect of the robotaxi market is that the progress is not at all dependent on incentives & subsidies, which usually causes cycle distortions in the broader EV market. Legislation can be inhibiting, but not pushing
Volkswagen Reveals New Details for Entry-Level ID. Polo EV
Volkswagen unveiled the ID. Polo, an entry‑level electric version of its best‑selling Polo, priced from €24,995 (about $27,200) in Germany. The model offers up to 282 miles WLTP range on a 52 kWh battery, three power outputs and two battery sizes, with DC...
Fully-Electric Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe to Be Revealed on May 19
Mercedes‑AMG will unveil its first fully electric GT 4‑Door Coupe on May 19, expanding the brand’s performance lineup into the EV arena. The model draws heavily from the GT XX concept, which boasted a 1,322‑horsepower tri‑motor architecture and an estimated 223 mph...
Mercedes’ Car Division Earnings Lag Behind the Group
Mercedes‑Benz Group’s automotive division reported a near‑5% revenue decline in Q1 2026, falling to €31.6 bn (≈$34.5 bn). The dip was driven by a 27% plunge in Chinese sales, cutting volume by 29,500 units year‑over‑year. Europe and North America posted 7% and 16%...
Nissan Sets Out New Strategy as Global Sales Continue to Fall
Nissan unveiled its "Nissan Vision" strategy to halt a near‑40% drop in global sales since 2019 and streamline operations. The plan concentrates on its three biggest markets—Japan, the United States and China—while trimming under‑performing plants and model lines. Nissan aims...
BEVs Now Make up Nearly 5 per Cent of UK Cars
The UK’s electric‑car stock surged 34.7% in 2025, reaching 1.8 million units and representing 4.9% of the passenger‑car fleet – roughly one in every 20 cars. Total vehicle numbers rose to 42.5 million across cars, vans, buses and trucks, with zero‑emission vehicles...
ATMA Seeks Policy Support to Address Supply Chain Worries
India’s Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) has asked the government to broaden customs‑duty relief for key tyre inputs as volatile crude prices and shipping bottlenecks push costs higher. The association welcomed a temporary exemption on synthetic rubber and certain resins...
The Business Of Used EV Retailing - Report Now Published
The UK automotive market is rapidly shifting toward electric vehicles, and a new report from Automotive Management, sponsored by Black Horse, details how dealers can profit from the burgeoning used‑EV segment. With nearly 2 million EVs on UK roads—most younger than five...
China Halts New Robotaxi Licenses After Baidu Failures
* @elonmusk's phone rings* China: "hey Elon, you know the thing we did where you came in as the first-ever solo foreign automaker to jumpstart our EV industry?" Elon: "yes I recall your welcome" China: "what if we did this again, but with......
Honda’s Global Vehicle Output Falls 5% in March
Honda Motor Co. reported a 4.8% drop in global vehicle output in March 2026, producing 313,259 units versus 328,944 a year earlier. Production in Japan rebounded, rising over 9% to 66,750 vehicles, while overseas output fell 8% to 246,509 units....
BYD Hikes ADAS Price 21% as AI Demand Triggers DRAM Shortage
BYD announced a 21% price increase for its God’s Eye B ADAS, raising the option from roughly $1,450 to about $1,680 per vehicle starting in May. The hike targets select models across the Dynasty, Ocean, and Fang Cheng Bao lineups, while customers who...
BYD First Quarter Profit Falls 55.4%
Chinese EV maker BYD posted a 55.4% year‑on‑year plunge in Q1 net profit, falling to 4.08 bn yuan ($596 m) as revenue slipped 11.8% to 150.22 bn yuan ($22 bn). Operating profit more than halved to 4.70 bn yuan ($686 m) and cash flow from operations...
Used EV Sales Surge as Fuel Prices Rise, Says Indicata
Used electric vehicles captured a record 9.8% of the UK used‑car market in April, up from 7.4% in March, as soaring fuel prices pushed buyers toward electrics. Stock levels fell sharply, with Market Days’ Supply dropping to a historic low...
Jaecoo 8
Chinese automaker Jaecoo has introduced the Jaecoo 8, a full‑size plug‑in hybrid SUV priced at £47,500 (≈ $60,300) for the Executive trim. The flagship delivers 422 bhp, 0‑62 mph in 5.8 seconds, and an 83‑mile electric‑only range from a 35.5 kWh battery. With a combined WLTP...
Iraq Q1 2026: Sales Down -33.3%, Jetour (+23.9%) Island of Growth
Iraq’s new‑car market contracted sharply in Q1 2026, falling 33.3% year‑over‑year to just 29,765 units. Kia led the decline with a 41.4% drop, slipping to a 24.5% share, while Toyota fell 32.8% but stayed just ahead of Kia. Nissan proved resilient,...
More V4 Fast Chargers Needed on I‑5 Corridor
Love these high speed V4 chargers. Not enough of them on I-5 between Los Angeles and San Francisco https://t.co/JTgBsJaiFP
Paccar: Demand Improving Despite Cost Volatility
Paccar reported a 10.0% operating margin in Q1 2026, the first rise after nine quarters of decline, yet it remains 1.9 points below the prior year. Revenue fell 8.9% and deliveries dropped 17.5%, highlighting mixed results. CEO Preston Feight called the performance...
How Long Will CAN Stick Around As Rival Networks Speed Up?
Automotive Ethernet is emerging as the backbone for software‑defined vehicles, delivering multi‑gigabit bandwidth, deterministic timing and security that legacy CAN/LIN cannot provide. Yet CAN, LIN and FlexRay persist because they are low‑cost, proven, and deeply embedded in existing ECUs and...
Bahrain Q1 2026: Market Down -18.4%, Haval up to #3 Brand
Bahrain’s new‑car market contracted 18.4% year‑on‑year in Q1 2026, with total registrations slipping to 7,463 units. Despite the downturn, Toyota expanded its share to 37%, while Jetour more than doubled its footprint to 11.7% and Haval rose to the #3 spot...
China Suspends New Robotaxi Permits After Baidu's Wuhan Outage, Report Says
China has suspended the issuance of new robotaxi permits after a mass outage of Baidu’s Apollo Go fleet in Wuhan. The incident on March 31 left several autonomous vehicles stalled on busy overpasses, prompting a safety review by three regulatory agencies. The...
JLR and Aston Martin Scramble US Shipments Amid Mounting Debt
#AML https://t.co/qGxGz3EY3z Debt continues to rack up as per & it now looks like there’ll be race every quarter between JLR & Aston Martin to see who can get there cars over to US fastest at the start of every quarter...
Mercedes-Benz Partners with Liquid AI to Power Next-Gen In-Car Intelligence
Mercedes‑Benz has entered a multi‑year partnership with Liquid AI to embed the startup’s on‑device Liquid Foundation Models into its upcoming MBUX 3 and 4 infotainment systems. The technology runs locally on vehicle hardware, delivering faster, more reliable voice interactions while...
Australian EV Body Calls for “Universal Levy” On Vehicles Rather than a “Lazy Tax” On Electric Cars
The Australian Electric Vehicle Association (AEVA) rejected proposals for an electric‑vehicle‑only road‑user charge, urging instead a universal “mass × distance” levy applied to all road‑going vehicles. AEVA argues that a flat charge would unfairly burden small EVs while heavier vehicles cause greater...
Indonesia’s Huafei to Cut MHP Output on Sulphur Costs
Huafei Nickel Cobalt, the Indonesian arm of China’s Huayou, will place half of its mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP) capacity into temporary care and maintenance from 1 May due to sharply higher sulphur costs and sustained high plant utilisation. Granular sulphur prices have...
Mazda Updates 2026 Mazda2 Hybrid for European Market
Mazda has refreshed its 2026 Mazda2 Hybrid for Europe, adding driver‑monitoring cameras as standard and expanding equipment on the entry‑level Prime‑Line. New exterior paint options—Charcoal Grey, Sky Grey and Fern Green—join the lineup, while higher trims receive full LED headlights...
Vector Deepens NXP Tie-Up on Software-Defined Cars
Vector is expanding its collaboration with NXP Semiconductors by providing embedded software and system integration for the CoreRide platform, a foundation for software‑defined vehicles. The partnership has produced the CoreRide Z248 zonal reference system, which NXP says is ready for series‑production...
Janus Electric Builds Export Revenue and Fleet Footprint After Business Reset
Janus Electric Holdings (ASX:JNS) recorded its first US export revenue after delivering two truck conversion kits to Los Angeles in the March quarter. The company now operates 28 converted trucks—26 in Australia and two in the US—covering over 650,000 km...
Calls to Revive Jersey Driverless Car Plans
Jersey’s government shelved draft driverless‑car legislation after spending roughly £35,000‑£40,000 (about $45,000‑$51,000) on its development. EVie, an electric‑car‑hire firm, is urging officials to adopt a policy that permits autonomous‑vehicle trials to generate safety and usage data. Environmental advocates argue that...