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
EV Tax Change to Save Drivers £425 on Mid-Range Models
UK drivers of mid‑range electric vehicles will save £425 ($531) annually after the government raised the luxury‑car tax threshold from £40,000 to £50,000. Dick Lovett analysis shows 475,836 registrations since April 2025 now fall below the new limit, delivering a five‑year saving of £2,125 ($2,656) per vehicle and more than £200 million ($250 million) nationwide. The change exempts models such as the BMW iX1, Audi Q4 e‑tron and Tesla Model Y at standard specs, while higher‑trim versions may still incur the charge. Industry observers say the move widens consumer choice in the growing mid‑market EV segment.
JAMA’s Seven Key Priorities for the Japanese Automotive Industry
Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) released an updated seven‑point priority agenda aimed at bolstering Japan’s automotive sector amid supply‑chain strains, decarbonisation pressures, and rapid tech adoption. The plan calls for secure sourcing of critical components, a multi‑pathway route to carbon...
Drivers Expect Self Diagnosing Cars and Five Minute Charging
A BYD survey of 2,000 UK drivers shows that nearly half expect cars to self‑diagnose faults before they occur, while over a third anticipate five‑minute electric‑vehicle charging becoming commonplace by 2035. Expectations are strongest among plug‑in hybrid owners and younger...
Nearly Two Thirds of Dealers Are Expecting European OEM Exits
A recent Startline Used Car Tracker of 61 UK used‑car dealers shows 62% expect at least one major European OEM to disappear by the mid‑2030s. The dominant worry, cited by 40% of respondents, is the steep cost of electrification, while...
EV Range Now Exceeds Weekly Mileage, Data Shows
Close Brothers Motor Finance’s analysis shows the average UK electric vehicle now offers nearly 300 miles of range, far surpassing the typical 141‑mile weekly mileage of drivers. Despite this technical advantage, nearly three‑quarters of motorists travel under 150 miles per...
Volvo Trucks Drives Electrification Forward: New Electric Trucks with up to 700 Km Range Set a Technology Benchmark
Volvo Trucks unveiled the FH Aero Electric, a battery‑electric long‑haul truck capable of up to 700 kilometers on a single charge. The model uses a new e‑axle that integrates dual motors and a transmission, freeing space for a larger battery and...
Leapmotor Accelerates European Growth With Record March 2026 Performance
Leapmotor posted more than 11,000 vehicle registrations in March 2026, a 31% rise from February and a 754% jump year‑over‑year, giving it a 3.2% share of the European BEV passenger‑car market. The brand vaulted to second place among private‑buyer BEV...
Construction Begins on New NSW Electric Bus Manufacturing Facility
Construction has begun on Foton's 6,000‑square‑metre electric bus plant in Nowra, NSW. The facility will support the Transport for NSW Zero Emissions Bus program by delivering 128 electric buses and a line of battery‑electric trucks. It will scale the workforce...
Wedotv and 3SS Team up for FAST Channel Integration in Connected Cars
Wedotv has entered the in‑car entertainment space through a partnership with 3 Screen Solutions (3SS), integrating a curated selection of its FAST channels into the 3Ready automotive platform. The deal brings localized content for the UK, Italy, DACH, Benelux, Nordics...
Infineon Adopts RISC-V for Automotive MCUs, Raising Questions for Hyundai Motor Roadmap
Infineon Technologies, the world’s leading automotive MCU supplier, announced a new family of RISC‑V‑based microcontrollers to join its AURIX line. The move targets software‑defined vehicle (SDV) functions such as zonal controllers, while legacy power‑train and body applications will stay on...
South Africa March 2026: Record Market, BYD and Tata Now Share Figures
South Africa’s new‑vehicle market posted a record 58,060 units in March 2026, marking a 17.3% year‑on‑year increase and the 18th consecutive month of growth. Toyota remained the market leader with a 22.9% share, while the VW Group reclaimed second place...
Mercedes Designer Sounds The Alarm: 'Nobody Is Buying' Wagons Anymore
Mercedes’ head of exterior design, Robert Lešnik, warned that demand for wagons has evaporated, prompting the brand to scrap plans for an electric C‑Class estate. While the combustion‑engine C‑Class wagon will persist, the EV version is unlikely to materialize as sales...
Emerging Nations Power 80% EV Growth
New IEA data: EV sales in emerging markets surge 80% in 2025 >India: EVs up 75% to record 2.3m EV units sold >Indonesia: 125% increase >Viet Nam: EVs hit staggering 40% share of new car sales >Thailand: EV share of new sales hit 21% >Latin...
VW Debuts Four Premieres at Auto China 2026
Volkswagen Group announced at Auto China 2026 that it will launch 20 new smart electric vehicles in China this year, aiming for 50 electrified models by 2030. The company unveiled four global premieres: the ID. AURA T6 midsize electric SUV, the ID. UNYX 09...
Cellcentric Launches 375 kW Truck Fuel Cell System
cellcentric introduced the BZA375, a 375 kW heavy‑duty fuel‑cell system weighing under 500 kg, at Hannover Messe 2026. The single‑module design replaces the twin‑stack BZA150, delivering 20% lower hydrogen consumption and 40% higher power density. It fits 13‑litre diesel engine bays, targets...
“It Should Not Be Rushed:” Bowen Says Road User Charge Will only Happen “when It Is Ready”
Australian climate minister Chris Bowen cautioned that a road‑user charge for electric vehicles will only be introduced when the policy framework is ready, rejecting calls for an immediate tax. Motoring groups have floated a 3 c per kilometre levy, roughly $400...
Apple to Soon Let You Unlock and Start Tata Car Directly From Your iPhone or Apple Watch: Report
Apple is set to extend its Car Key digital‑key feature to Tata’s electric vehicles, adding the Indian automaker to an internal list of supported models. The functionality will let iPhone 11 or later and Apple Watch Series 6 or later users...
EnergyX Starts First U.S. Direct Lithium Extraction Plant in Texas
EnergyX has commissioned the United States' first direct lithium extraction (DLE) plant at its Texas site, aiming to prove the technology at commercial scale and cut reliance on imported lithium. The modest‑capacity pilot marks a tangible move toward a homegrown...
Infineon Retains Top Automotive Chip Supplier Position for 6th Consecutive Year
Infineon Technologies retained its position as the world’s leading automotive semiconductor supplier in 2025, marking a sixth consecutive year at the top. The firm held a 12.8% global market share, slightly down from 13.2% in 2024, while expanding its automotive...
Waymo and Waze Launch Pilot to Map Potholes via Robotaxis
Waymo has teamed with Waze to feed pothole data from its driverless fleet into the navigation app, launching a pilot in five U.S. metros that has already logged roughly 500 road defects. The free‑to‑city service aims to improve infrastructure monitoring...
Waymo’s Atlanta Robotaxi Jam Revives San Francisco Blackout Concerns
Waymo’s autonomous Jaguar I‑PACE robotaxis caused a three‑vehicle traffic jam in Atlanta over the weekend, mirroring a December blackout that forced a one‑day service halt in San Francisco. The incidents highlight operational vulnerabilities when traffic signals fail.
If Labor Cares About Fairness, It Will Cut EV Subsidies
Australian electric vehicle sales surged in March, reaching a record 15,839 units – a 42% jump from February – and EVs made up 14.6% of all new car sales in February. The primary catalyst has been the Fringe Benefits Tax...
Canada March/Q1 2026: Ford Motor (+14.4%), Stellantis (+14.6%) Shine, Sales Down -4.4%
Canada's new light‑vehicle market contracted 8.2% YoY in March, with Q1 volume falling 4.4% to 406,000 units, the lowest SAAR since September 2025. Despite the downturn, Ford Motor posted a 14.4% gain, selling 70,541 units and leading the OEM ranking,...
Mercedes-Benz and BMW Halt Level 3 Deployments in Europe Over Cost and Demand Concerns
Mercedes-Benz and BMW announced they will not roll out their Level 3 Drive Pilot and Personal Pilot systems on new European S‑Class and 7 Series models, blaming steep development costs and tepid demand. The OEMs are redirecting resources to advanced Level 2 Plus...
EVs Are Driving Cleaner Automotive Supply Chains — Here’s How
The new Lead the Charge Auto Supply Chain Leaderboard shows that EV manufacturers are outpacing gasoline‑car makers in battery recycling, low‑carbon steel and aluminium use, and responsible mineral sourcing. Tesla disclosed detailed emissions hotspots in its battery chain, while Mercedes,...
Jeep Wagoneer S Skipping 2026 Model Year, Should Return for 2027
Jeep announced that the all‑electric Wagoneer S will not be produced for the 2026 model year, with a planned comeback in 2027. The pause allows the brand to upgrade battery performance, software and overall capability. When it returns, the SUV...
Sweden Starts 200‑Unit Bidirectional EV Charger Pilot to Boost Grid Flexibility
Vattenfall, Energy Bank and Volkswagen have launched a trial of 200 bidirectional electric‑vehicle chargers across Sweden. The chargers can both charge cars and feed electricity back into the grid, offering a potential new income source for owners and added flexibility...
Ford CEO Farley Says Tesla Is Not Who to Look at for EV Expertise
Ford CEO Jim Farley told listeners on the Rapid Response podcast that American automakers should look to Chinese rivals, not Tesla, for the next wave of affordable electric vehicles. He highlighted BYD’s cost structure and manufacturing expertise as the benchmark...
The Cost of Exposure Just Went Up
Volkswagen announced it will cease production of the ID.4 electric SUV at its Chattanooga plant, redirecting capacity to higher‑margin internal‑combustion SUVs as U.S. EV demand falls short. PPG disclosed a global price increase of up to 20% for paints, coatings...
Togg Maintains Turkish Market Leadership, Expands In Germany Confident Of Diaspora Support
Turkey’s electric and hybrid vehicle sales topped 51% of new‑car registrations in Q1 2026, with state‑backed Togg remaining the market‑share leader. The automaker launched in Germany in September 2025, leveraging the Turkish diaspora to generate organic demand and avoid heavy...
Tesla Q1: Guidance Is More Important Than Results
Tesla’s Q1 2026 earnings are expected to deliver adjusted EPS of $0.33, aligning with consensus, but the company projects a cash‑burn of $1.96 billion, markedly higher than analysts anticipate. Full‑year guidance has been trimmed, with revenue now forecast to fall 6%...
MG4 Range Reshaped for Australia: Big and Small Batteries Gone, but Keen Pricing Retained
MG has refreshed its Australian MG4 lineup, dropping the 51 kWh and 77 kWh variants in favor of a single 64 kWh battery model and a high‑performance XPOWER version. The Essence 64 starts at $39,990 AUD (≈$26,000 USD) and the XPOWER at $47,990 AUD (≈$31,600 USD), representing...
Royal Enfield Launches The Flying Flea, Its First Electric Motorcycle
Royal Enfield unveiled the Flying Flea C6, its first electric motorcycle, marking a shift from a century of combustion engines. The bike weighs just 124 kg, packs a 15.4 kW motor and a 3.91 kWh battery, and offers a claimed 154 km range (about...
Whistleblower Challenges Donut Lab’s Solid‑State Battery Claims
Lauri Peltola, chief commercial officer at Nordic Nano, filed a criminal complaint accusing Donut Lab of overstating its solid‑state battery’s energy density and lifespan. The allegation, backed by internal emails, questions the company’s readiness for mass production and puts its...
BZ4x Time Attack Is Toyota Racing Prototype
Toyota unveiled the bZ Time Attack Concept, a purpose‑built EV that pushes the bZ4X platform beyond 300 kW (over 400 hp) without new hardware. The vehicle is a stress test, recalibrating inverter behavior, battery discharge limits, and thermal thresholds to explore sustained...
Used Car Inventory Continues to Tighten, But Prices Drop Only Slightly
Used‑car inventory hit its lowest level since 2019, falling 5.9% year‑over‑year to 1.95 million units on dealer lots. Despite the squeeze, average listing prices rose only 0.7% in March to $25,390, a modest increase partly driven by tax‑refund spending. Daily sales...
Flemish Transport Agency Deploys Its 1,000th Electric Bus
Flemish transport agency De Lijn has deployed its 1,000th electric bus, marking a milestone in its transition from diesel. In 2025 the agency ordered over 650 e‑buses and aims for 3,800 electric buses by 2035, supported by a €400 million ($436 million)...
Everrati Brings Its EV Propulsion Expertise to Next-Gen Unmanned Vehicles
Everrati Automotive, a UK firm known for converting classic cars to electric, is extending its propulsion expertise to unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The company will focus on supplying advanced electric motors, battery packs and software...
An EV Sales Surge Is Building—But Not because of Oil Prices
The surge in electric‑vehicle (EV) sales is now driven by falling battery costs rather than high oil prices. Battery pack prices have dropped 93% since 2010 and are approaching the $100 per kWh threshold that analysts view as the tipping...
Electromobility in Germany Is Growing: Fuel Prices and Expansion of Charging Infrastructure Shape the Market Environment
Germany's electromobility market kept expanding in Q1 2026, with public charging points surpassing 200,000 and installed capacity exceeding nine gigawatts. Rising fuel prices and EU CO₂ fleet limits are driving EV demand, though a price premium of about 16% remains for...
Hyundai Ioniq 3 2026: Price, Specs, Availability
Hyundai unveiled the Ioniq 3, a compact electric hatchback designed for urban use with a class‑leading 0.263 drag coefficient and up to 308 miles WLTP range. It rides on a 400‑volt E‑GMP platform, enabling 10‑80% DC charging in about 29 minutes, and offers...
Tesla FSD Guides Cyclist Across Busy Palm Springs Road
Coming up to a CV/Link crossing in Palm Springs (a 52-mile multi-purpose trail along the Whitewater River to Coachella) with a blinking light signifying they wanted to cross this relatively busy road. Tesla's FSD recognizes it, and lets the biker...
Tesla Still Updates 14‑Year‑Old Cars With Software
No other company supports old cars like Tesla. 14 years old and still getting software updates
As EV Load Grows, Utilities Use Managed Charging to Harness Flexibility, Lower Costs
U.S. utilities are scaling active managed‑charging (V1G) programs to smooth EV load, deferring costly grid upgrades. Automakers such as GM, Ford and Rivian partner with aggregators like EnergyHub, WeaveGrid and ChargeScape to give utilities real‑time control over charging. State regulators...
Only 7% FSD, yet Cyberbeast Hits 87%
This is the lowest FSD percentage I've seen anywhere on @fsd_database Just 7%... but then he also has a Cyberbeast at 87% 😂 @JC70769 https://t.co/HlLlN4v2WH
China’s Auto Export Surge Defies EU Tariffs
The second China shock isn't going to go away on its own, or with half measures -- China's auto exports to Europe, for example, have clearly reaccelerated (even with the narrowly targeted CVDs against battery electric imports) 1/ https://t.co/pdaadEXUrD
Honda Considers an Analog Spin for Software-Defined Vehicles
Honda Motor Co. is teaming with Texas‑based semiconductor maker Mythic to co‑develop an analog compute‑in‑memory system‑on‑chip for its upcoming software‑defined vehicles. The partnership leverages Mythic’s memory‑centric architecture, which the company claims can deliver up to 100 times the energy efficiency of...
Ford Announces Budget EV to Compete with Tesla
Ford CEO confirms affordable EV to rival Tesla Model Y and Model 3 Read on EVwire: https://t.co/FugjL3OJuU https://t.co/ygQgcEpz2T
Toyota: RAV4 EV Isn't Happening Anytime Soon
Toyota confirmed it has no immediate plans to launch a fully electric RAV4, with chief engineer Yoshinori Futonagane saying the model hasn’t received serious consideration. The automaker is pursuing a multi‑energy strategy, spreading battery‑electric, hybrid, and gasoline powertrains across its...
What Tesla Reveals About Vertical Integration in Supply Chains
Tesla’s supply‑chain strategy pivots from broad outsourcing to selective vertical integration, pulling in‑house battery cell production, software development, and a Texas lithium refinery while still partnering for some components. The 2025 annual report shows manufacturing across three continents, a global...