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
Hyundai and TVS Motor Sign Joint Deal to Launch Electric Three‑Wheelers in India
Hyundai Motor Company and TVS Motor Company have signed a Joint Development Agreement to co‑develop and commercialize electric three‑wheelers in India and beyond. The partnership blends Hyundai’s human‑centric design with TVS’s proven electric platform, aiming to expand sustainable last‑mile transport in a high‑growth market.
Tornado Halts Parts Building at Rivian’s Normal, Illinois Plant, No Injuries Reported
A tornado struck Rivian Automotive’s Normal, Illinois factory on April 20, damaging Building 2, which stores parts for the upcoming R2 electric SUV. CEO RJ Scaringe confirmed no injuries and said the assembly lines remain operational while the damaged area undergoes inspection,...
Valeo to Expand Investment in Wuhan
Valeo announced a renewed commitment to its Wuhan operations, pledging higher investment in the local headlight factory and accelerating the rollout of new lighting, electrification and ADAS technologies. The Wuhan hub, which houses a 1,500‑engineer R&D center and a global...
NHTSA Releases First Comprehensive Robotaxi Crash Data, Waymo Leads with 697 Incidents
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a dataset of 825 reported autonomous‑driving system incidents, showing Waymo with 697 crashes and Tesla with 18. The figures expose stark differences in fleet exposure, injury outcomes, and companies’ willingness to disclose crash...
BMW Deploys Hexagon’s AEON Humanoid Robots on Spartanburg EV Line, Targeting 30,000‑Vehicle Scale
BMW announced a pilot of Hexagon Robotics' AEON humanoid robots on its Spartanburg, South Carolina, electric‑vehicle assembly line. The robots, which previously helped produce more than 30,000 vehicles, will now be tested in real‑time production and later rolled out to...
California Robotaxi Rides Surged by 500% in 19 Months
California’s autonomous‑vehicle rides exploded from under 200,000 in May 2024 to more than 1.2 million by December 2025, a 500% surge in just 19 months. The jump reflects rapid deployment by Waymo and other robotaxi operators across the state. Meanwhile, lawmakers passed AB1777,...
Volkswagen to Cut Production Capacity By 1 Million Cars a Year, CEO Oliver Blume Says
Volkswagen announced it will trim its annual production capacity by one million units, dropping from over 12 million to 9 million vehicles. The cut, driven by a shift toward higher margins and resilience, will affect both Volkswagen and Audi plants in Europe...
Samsung Electro-Mechanics Introduces 1000–1500 V MLCCs for EV Inverter and OBC Designs
Samsung Electro‑Mechanics has entered mass production of ultra‑high‑voltage multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) rated between 1000 V and 1500 V. The new 1210‑size parts deliver 1.2 nF to 33 nF with C0G or X8G dielectrics, offering near‑zero temperature drift from –55 °C to 150 °C. Designed for...
Porsche Unveils Future Formula E Racing Car: The 975 RSE
Porsche unveiled its Gen 4 Formula E contender, the 975 RSE, ahead of the 2026/27 season. The new car features permanent all‑wheel drive with a 250 kW front unit supplied by Lucid and a 350 kW rear powertrain, delivering a combined 600 kW (≈ 816 hp). A standardized...
1500km EV Battery Charges in Six Minutes, Ends Range Anxiety
You can now drive an EV from London to Barcelona on a single charge. Think about that: CATL just unveiled a battery with a 1,500km range that charges in 6 minutes That's: >Faster than a coffee break >Longer than almost any petrol tank >The...
UK Cuts Red Tape, Lets Curbside EV Chargers Install Freely
NEWS: UK is rolling out a rule allowing households without driveways to install pavement charging gullies without planning permission. Turns out one of the UK's barriers to really widespread EV adoption was ...bureaucracy. https://t.co/mgdzayOFPi
Mercedes-Benz Secures Multi-Year EV Battery Supply Deal with Samsung SDI
Mercedes‑Benz announced a multi‑year supply agreement with Samsung SDI to provide high‑energy nickel‑manganese‑cobalt (NCM) batteries for its upcoming electric models. The partnership, unveiled alongside the all‑new electric C‑Class in Seoul, includes joint development of next‑generation battery technology. Samsung SDI will supply its...
Aisin Contract Manufacturing Mazda 6-Speed Auto Transmission in US
Aisin announced it has started contract manufacturing of Mazda's new six‑speed automatic transmission at its Aisin Drivetrain, Inc. (ADI) plant in Crothersville, Indiana. The Indiana facility will produce the transmission for the North American market, leveraging Aisin's established drivetrain expertise....
Volkswagen Resets Its Sedan Design With Bold New EV
Volkswagen unveiled the ID. Unyx 09, a new electric sedan engineered with Chinese partner Xpeng, after a two‑year development cycle. The model is the second VW‑Xpeng collaboration and joins more than 20 electrified vehicles the group plans to launch in China...
CATL’s Latest LFP Battery Blows The Competition Out Of The Water
China's CATL unveiled its third‑generation Shenxing lithium‑iron‑phosphate (LFP) battery, capable of charging from 10% to 90% in just 6 minutes and 27 seconds. The pack retains over 90% of its original capacity after 1,000 ultra‑fast charging cycles and boasts an...
LG Innotek Secures Automotive Wi-Fi 7 Supply Agreement
LG Innotek has landed a $68 million supply deal to provide its automotive Wi‑Fi 7 communication module to an unnamed European parts maker, with mass production slated for 2027. The compact module, roughly one‑sixth the size of a credit card, supports a...
GIGM Unveils the Future of Mobility at GPC 2026 — INTEGRATO
GIG Mobility announced its GPC 2026 – INTEGRATO conference, set for April 23, 2026 in Lagos, to unveil an integrated mobility ecosystem that connects booking, travel, accommodation, transport, payments and logistics. The event will feature live product demonstrations and keynote sessions aimed...
Stagecoach South Grows Electric Bus Fleet
Stagecoach South announced the addition of 22 Yutong U11DD electric double‑deckers, slated for Service 1 and Service 20 routes across Blackwater Valley and Surrey. The buses feature purpose‑built electric chassis with 385‑kWh or 422‑kWh LFP batteries, delivering up to 503 km of range...
Deploying Autonomous Trucks at NASA Speed
Kelly Smith, lead systems engineer for autonomy at Kodiak Robotics, leverages 13 years of NASA experience to bring aerospace‑grade safety to autonomous trucks. The company applies Class A flight‑software standards, redundant computing and probabilistic risk assessment to its fleet operating in...
Tesla Is Supposed to Imminently Unveil Its New Roadster After Years of Delays
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that the long‑awaited next‑generation Roadster will be unveiled by the end of April 2026, nearly nine years after the 2017 prototype debut. The supercar’s production schedule has slipped repeatedly, now targeting 2027‑2028 after a series...
Logistics Giant Linfox Powers 16 EV Chargers, 2.3 MW
Electric vehicle uptake has spread much, much further than you'd think. This is a goEV site, for logistics heavyweight Linfox, 2.3MW total, 16 chargers. I think I'll start highlighting these cases every day, would that interest you? 📌 Laverton North (Melbourne), Australia. https://t.co/W3kj5PEXDx
Volkswagen Announces Voice AI in Its Chinese Cars From Later This Year
Volkswagen announced that all vehicles built on its China platform will feature AI-powered voice assistants starting in the second half of 2026. The in‑car agents, sourced from technology partners such as Tencent, Alibaba and Baidu, run on a locally trained...
Tesla Submits Plans for First Robotaxi-Only Supercharger Stations
Tesla filed permits for two private V4 Supercharger stations in Chandler and Mesa, Arizona, dedicated exclusively to its Robotaxi fleet. The Chandler site will host 56 stalls, while a second location in Mesa adds additional capacity, and neither will be...
Korean Charging Provider Chaevi Goes Public
South Korean EV charging firm Chaevi is launching a KOSDAQ IPO on April 29, targeting roughly €64 million (about $70 million) in new capital. The Daegu‑based company runs about 6,000 owned and 10,000 total DC fast chargers, and it manufactures and installs its...
Cybertruck Joins California Residential V2X Program, $4,500 Incentives
EVwire brief: Tesla and PG&E have enabled the Cybertruck to participate in a residential Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) program in California. ...with incentives of up to $4,500. Details: https://t.co/bvhXnPt1MI.
Hyundai Unable to Offset Middle East Sales Losses Amid Conflict – Report
Hyundai Motor disclosed that conflict in the Middle East and limited factory capacity are preventing it from fully offsetting lost vehicle sales in the region. CEO Jose Munoz highlighted the Middle East as Hyundai's highest‑margin market, yet noted that sales...
VinFast Adds 14 Distributors to Accelerate Philippine EV Scooter Launch
VinFast announced the addition of 14 new motorcycle distributors, bringing its Philippine dealer network to 19 partners as it prepares for a June 2026 launch of its electric scooter lineup. The move ties inventory to local logistics routes and underpins...
Massimo Group Names Quenton Petersen CEO, David Shan Moves to Executive Chairman
Massimo Group announced Quenton Petersen as its new chief executive officer, effective April 14, 2026, while founder David Shan will transition to the role of Executive Chairman. The leadership change aims to accelerate the company's push into AI‑enabled utility and...
2026 Nissan Leaf Video Review -- How Does New Leaf Stack Up?
The 2026 Nissan Leaf has been completely redesigned, offering a sportier look, larger dimensions, and a top‑range of 303 miles (488 km) on the base battery. Three trims—S+, SV Plus, and Platinum Plus—share a 214‑horsepower drivetrain, with the mid‑level SV...
First AI Driverless Trucks Deployed to Tackle Hong Kong Port Labour Shortage
Hutchison Port Holdings Trust has introduced Hong Kong’s first AI‑powered driverless trucks, deploying six electric autonomous vehicles at Kwai Tsing Container Terminal 4. Since their January launch, the fleet has moved over 8,000 containers, helping alleviate a chronic shortage of commercial‑vehicle drivers. The...
UK Has More EV Chargers Than Gas (Petrol) Nozzles
The United Kingdom now hosts over 118,000 public electric‑vehicle (EV) charging points, more than double the roughly 60,800 petrol‑pump nozzles available nationwide. The number of petrol stations has been falling for decades, stabilising at about 8,500 sites after a steep...
Toyota Still Sets the Standard for Supply Chain Resilience
Toyota remains the benchmark for supply‑chain resilience because it built risk management into its core operating system, not as an add‑on. After the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the automaker expanded visibility into lower‑tier suppliers with tools like the RESCUE database...
Tesla Full Self Driving (Supervised) Australian Style
A Queensland couple drove their 2026 Tesla Model 3 Long‑Range (85 kWh, 625 km range) on a 1,546 km round‑trip using hands‑free Full Self‑Driving (Supervised). The vehicle handled roundabouts, traffic lights, speed‑humps and highway merging without driver input, only intervening when needed. Four fast‑charging...
General Motors Names Commercial and Fleet Division GM Fleet—Again
General Motors has reverted its commercial‑vehicle unit’s name from GM Envolve back to GM Fleet, citing customer‑driven demand for clearer branding. The change does not signal a strategic overhaul; the division will continue offering a single‑point‑of‑contact model that bundles vehicles,...
Cottbus Deploys First Hydrogen Buses on Public Routes
Cottbusverkehr has begun testing four Wrightbus Kite Hydroliner fuel‑cell buses on regular city routes, marking the first hydrogen‑powered service in the area. A mobile hydrogen refueling station was commissioned this month to keep the buses running until a permanent depot is...
NavPrakriti to Invest over ₹100 Cr in Critical Minerals Refining Facility in Odisha
NavPrakriti, a lithium‑ion battery recycling firm, announced a investment of over ₹100 crore (approximately $12 million) to build a critical‑minerals refining facility in Odisha. The plant, slated to start operations in FY 2028‑29, will process up to 5,000 metric tonnes of end‑of‑life batteries each...
China's Great Wall Motor Seeks European Comeback with Launch of 10 New Cars
Great Wall Motor (GWM) announced a European comeback plan, targeting the launch of at least ten new models over the next two years. The lineup will span electric, hybrid, and conventional petrol vehicles, beginning with the Ora 5 in early 2026,...
Volkswagen Introduces Voice AI in China Cars
JUST IN: Volkswagen is launching voice AI in their China-market cars starting later this year.
Amazon Adding Heavy-Duty EV Trucks From Einride as It Spreads Bets on Freight Decarbonization
Amazon Relay is integrating 75 manually operated electric heavy‑duty trucks from Sweden’s Einride, expanding the retailer’s middle‑mile freight network. The trucks are expected to travel up to three million electric miles each year, powered by zero‑tailpipe emissions and managed with...
Blume: Volkswagen to Cut One Million More Units of Capacity
Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume announced a further cut of one million vehicles from the group’s global production capacity, lowering the target to nine million units per year from an original 12 million. The reduction follows a previous million‑unit cut in China...
Horse Powertrain Unveils Hybrid System for BEV Platforms
Horse Powertrain, the Renault‑Geely joint venture, unveiled the X‑Range C15 Direct Drive hybrid system at Auto China 2026. The modular unit combines a 1.5‑litre four‑cylinder engine, transmission, power electronics and two electric motors, allowing BEV platforms to be reconfigured as...
PG&E and Tesla Integrate Cybertruck Into V2G Programme
Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Tesla have added the Cybertruck to PG&E’s residential vehicle‑to‑everything (V2X) program, allowing bidirectional AC charging that lets the truck feed power to homes and the grid. The integration uses Tesla’s Powershare Gateway and Universal...
WRD 3.0 Secures Fourth Consecutive Win in China’s Urban Intelligent Driving Competition
WeRide Driving’s WRD 3.0 platform captured first place at the Wuhu round of China’s Second Urban Intelligent Driving Competition, edging out Horizon Robotics and XPeng by more than ten points. The win marks the system’s fourth consecutive victory, underscoring the strength...
Farizon Launches Sub-£30k V7E Electric Van with 204 Mile Range
Farizon, a Geely subsidiary, unveiled the V7E electric van at the Commercial Vehicle Show, pricing it from £28,000 (about $35,800) before VAT. The medium‑size van offers up to 204 miles of WLTP range, extending to 295 miles in city driving...
CHINA: Ford Chasing The Chinese, BYD Sealion 05 Launched and VW Eyes Oil Shock China Sales | 21 Apr 2026
The episode examines how global automakers are adapting to China's booming EV market: Ford’s CEO Jim Farley cites BYD as the benchmark for cost and supply‑chain efficiency, while BYD launches the Sea Lion 05 compact crossover with both plug‑in hybrid and...
OPmobility Reports Small Revenue Drop as Auto Industry Weakens
OPmobility posted a modest 0.4% drop in first‑quarter revenue to €2.83 billion ($3.34 billion), narrowly outpacing the 3.4% global auto‑production decline. The weakness was concentrated in Europe, where sales fell faster than regional vehicle output, while North America and Asia showed relative...
Hyundai CEO: Middle East Loss Not Easily Offset Elsewhere
Hyundai CEO José Muñoz warned that the Iran‑related conflict has stripped the automaker of its highest‑margin Middle East market, and the lost volume cannot be quickly shifted to other regions. Vehicles built for Gulf customers require unique equipment and certifications,...
Uber (UBER) Now Owns 11.5% of Lucid (LCID): It Gets Interesting
Uber Technologies has become a major shareholder of Lucid Group, holding 37.7 million Class A shares – an 11.5% stake – after a total $500 million investment. The funding is tied to an expanded robotaxi commitment that grew from 20,000 to at least...
Hyundai Glovis Expands US Logistics Footprint with New Hubs
Hyundai Glovis, the logistics arm of Hyundai Motor, opened two new U.S. facilities—a 12,000‑square‑metre multimodal hub near Los Angeles and a 69,000‑square‑metre integrated warehouse in Savannah. The LA centre sits 25 minutes from the port and airport, enabling rapid air‑sea...
Nissan Advances Solid-State EV Battery Towards 2028 Production
Nissan announced that its prototype all‑solid‑state battery pack has met key performance goals, featuring a 23‑layer cell stack and targeting mass production in fiscal 2028. The new pack promises roughly twice the energy density of conventional lithium‑ion cells, which could...