Today's Automotive Pulse
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Rivian rolls out R2 EV for 2026 launch
Rivian unveiled its R2 model slated for a 2026 release, detailing specifications and pricing aimed at a broader consumer base. The company is banking on the R2 to elevate its brand to a household‑name status comparable to Tesla.
Global Light Vehicle Production – April 2026 Update
Automotive World released its April 2026 update of the Global Light Vehicle Production dataset, covering more than 50 automaker groups, 140 brands and roughly 1,400 models. The release provides actual 2025 production figures and a forward‑looking 2026 forecast, downloadable as an Excel file. The data set tracks monthly output across regions, vehicle segments and power‑train types, reflecting the latest shifts toward electric models and post‑pandemic supply‑chain normalization. Analysts can now compare year‑over‑year trends and assess the impact of emerging mobility technologies.
CAFE-3 Shake-Up: Govt Set to Ease Norms for Small Cars; Crucial April 16 Meet to Seal Final Rules
India is poised to soften its Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency‑3 (CAFE‑3) standards for entry‑level cars while tightening limits for larger SUVs. A high‑level meeting on April 16 will bring together MoRTH, MoP and MHI secretaries with OEMs to lock in the...
Low Inventories, Income-Tax Refunds Raising Used-Vehicle Values
Cox Automotive's Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index jumped 6.2% in March to 215.3, translating to a seasonally adjusted average wholesale price of $19,692—the highest since May 2023. The rise is fueled by record‑low used‑car inventory, measured at just 37 days...
Low Inventories, Income-Tax Refunds Raising Used-Vehicle Values
Cox Automotive’s Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index rose 6.2% in March 2026 to 215.3, translating to a seasonally adjusted average price of $19,692, the highest since May 2023. The surge is driven by record‑low used‑car inventory—just 37 days of supply—and...
Webinar: Why Axial Flux Motors Are Powering the Hybrid Shift
Turntide Technologies will host a free webinar on May 19, 2026 to explain how axial‑flux motors are becoming the catalyst for the hybrid shift across on‑highway, off‑highway, marine and industrial equipment. The session argues that hybrids are no longer a stop‑gap but...
Daimler Buses to Introduce Mercedes Conecto in Germany From 2027
Daimler Buses will roll out the Mercedes Conecto in Germany starting mid‑2027, targeting private‑sector city operators. The model will be built through a manufacturing partnership with Turkey’s Otokar, adding production capacity and flexibility. Positioned alongside the Citaro, the Conecto offers...
Kia Plans to Launch U.S. Pickup Truck by 2030
Kia announced it will launch a midsize, body‑on‑frame pickup truck in the U.S. by 2030, including hybrid versions produced domestically. The move supports its goal of reaching 1.02 million U.S. vehicle sales and a 6.2 % market share by that year, up...
How, Exactly, Has Trump Gone After EVs?
The Trump administration and Congress have dismantled the federal framework supporting electric vehicles. A 2025 tax bill stripped away the $7,500 new‑EV credit, the $4,000 used‑EV credit, and commercial incentives, while also removing penalties for fuel‑economy violations. Simultaneously, EPA rescinded...
Arteco Expands Low-Conductivity Coolant Options for EV Indirect Cooling Systems
Arteco has expanded its Freecor EV Milli coolant line with two patented formulations—Freecor EV Milli 20 (Si‑OAT) and Freecor EV Milli 30 (P‑OAT)—completing a three‑product portfolio for indirect cooling in battery electric vehicles. All three MEG‑based coolants maintain electrical conductivity below 100 µS/cm, satisfying China’s GB 29743.2 and ASTM D8566 standards....
Tesla's China Sales Slump As Stock Nears Two-Month Losing Streak
Tesla’s March retail deliveries in China fell 24% year‑over‑year despite a 47% month‑on‑month rise, highlighting the market’s seasonal volatility. The Shanghai Gigafactory offset the domestic slowdown by shipping 29,563 vehicles abroad, a 529% increase from a year earlier, with the...
BYD Opens Denza Z9 GT EV Orders in Europe at over 3X the Price
BYD launched its luxury Denza Z9 GT EV in Europe, positioning it against premium rivals like Porsche. The shooting‑brake offers a WLTP range of up to 599 km and is equipped with the new Blade Battery 2.0 and Flash Charging that can...
Nominations Announced for the 2026 ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle International Awards
The ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle International Awards have released their shortlist, inviting AAVI subscribers to vote on nominees across five categories until May 1, 2026. Winners will be announced at a live ceremony on June 24 during the ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Technology...
Tesla Cracks Down on FSD Hacking Devices, Remotely Shuts Down Access
Tesla has begun remotely disabling Full Self‑Driving (FSD) on vehicles equipped with unauthorized CAN‑bus hack modules that bypass regional software locks. The €500 devices, popular in Europe, South Korea, China and Turkey, unlock FSD where regulatory approval is pending, prompting...
60 Tesla Cybercabs in Outbound Lot – Will Tesla Make 1000+ Cybercabs in April or May?
Tesla is gearing up for mass production of its Cybercab autonomous vehicle, with 60 units already positioned in outbound lots in Texas. Analysts estimate that if the company can build an average of 40 Cybercabs per day, output could exceed...
Opel & Peugeot Face Long Delivery Times for Long-Range EVs
Stellantis’ Opel and Peugeot brands are facing delivery delays of up to two years for their long‑range electric models, including the Opel Grandland and Peugeot e‑3008/e‑5008. Customers paying roughly €5,000 (about $5,400) for the larger 97 kWh battery will not receive...
Tesla's Unconfirmed Entry‑Level Model Likely 2028 Debut
Reuters reports $TSLA is in early development for a new entry-level vehicle, roughly 5% smaller than the Cybercab. It reportedly has NOT received a green light yet, and no timing was given. My first reaction was click bait. My take: We’ve...
Tesla FSD Anticipates Pedestrian, Prevents Near Miss
I got thanked for nothing. Tesla's FSD did a good job anticipating this pedestrian's movements and desire to cross the street. I might not have seen them in time and the pedestrian even hesitates slightly to make sure it was...
Food and Fuel on the Go: BYD and KFC Join Hands for 'Nine-Minute' Drive-Thru EV Charging Stations in China
BYD has teamed up with KFC in China to roll out nine‑minute drive‑thru EV charging stations that let drivers refuel and eat in under ten minutes. The sites use BYD’s second‑generation Blade battery, which can reach 97% charge in nine...
Tesla Reportedly Adds China's Sunwoda to Global Supply Chain to Drive Down Battery Costs
Tesla has added China’s Sunwoda Electric Vehicle Battery Co Ltd as its fifth global battery supplier, integrating Sunwoda’s third‑generation LFP cells into vehicles built at its Shanghai plant for export markets. The partnership follows a new model where Tesla purchases...
First, Tesla Canceled the Model 2—Now It's Working on a New Small EV
Tesla is reportedly developing a brand‑new, sub‑compact electric vehicle measuring about 168 inches (4.3 m) in length, distinct from the Model 3 and Model Y. Sources say the car would be produced in China, which would subject any U.S. imports to a 100 percent...
Tesla CEO Elon Musk Says Next FSD Release Is the One We’ve Been Waiting For
Tesla CEO Elon Musk highlighted upcoming point releases for Full Self‑Driving (FSD) version 14.3, promising incremental polish to existing capabilities. He also announced version 15, which will run on a large AI model with roughly ten times more parameters than...
Automotive Supplier Magna to Sell Lighting and Rooftop Businesses
Magna International is selling its lighting and rooftop‑systems businesses in three separate deals, splitting North American, South American and Chinese lighting to one investor and European lighting plus rooftop systems to another. The two units generated about $1.1 billion in 2025...
Stellantis Italy Output up 9.5% but Recovery Still Fragile
Stellantis reported a 9.5% year‑on‑year rise in Italian vehicle production in Q1 2026, delivering 120,366 units, with passenger‑car output jumping 22% thanks to the hybrid Fiat 500 and the new Jeep Compass. The recovery is uneven; the Cassino plant saw a 37.4%...
Nio Starts ES9 Pre-Sales with Aggressive Pricing, Seeking to Replicate ES8 Success
Chinese EV maker Nio has launched pre‑sales for its flagship SUV, the ES9, with a starting price of 528,000 yuan ($77,230), roughly 31% lower than its ET9 sedan counterpart. The model, featuring a 5‑nm Shenji NX9031 driving‑assist chip, SkyRide chassis...
40 New EV Chargers & Solar Power Launched In LA Area
Rove has opened a new EV charging hub in Costa Mesa, California, featuring 40 fast chargers powered partially by 400 on‑site solar panels. The facility offers amenities such as free Wi‑Fi, a lounge, and proximity to a beach and Orange...
71,482 EV Fast Chargers Operating In The US Now
The U.S. now hosts 71,482 public DC fast EV chargers spread across 15,031 locations, according to the DOE’s Alternative Fuels Data Center. Those fast ports are part of a broader network of 274,665 public charging points, which also includes roughly...
BMW Canada Integrates Tesla Superchargers and Shell Recharge in Dashboards
BMW Canada has woven the Shell Recharge network and Tesla Superchargers into its My BMW and MINI apps, giving owners a unified charging interface for Canada and the United States. The integration adds over 30,000 public chargers and routes Tesla’s NACS...
300kW Flat Charging up to 80% SoC
To call the charging of this vehicle amazing Would be underselling it 300kW flat at 80% SoC🌶️🌶️🌶️ #alwaysbecharging ⚡️ https://t.co/5WGrQxhETj
Mercedes‑Benz Korea Unveils Five Ultra‑Limited Maybach & AMG Models, 82 Units
Mercedes‑Benz Korea announced five ultra‑exclusive Maybach and AMG editions, capping sales at 82 units across the country. Prices range from roughly $74,000 for the CLA 45 S Final Edition to $275,000 for the Maybach SL 680 Monogram Series, underscoring a...
BYD Leads OTA Race with 200 Updates Annually
Freshness is king: BYD reigns with 200 vehicle software updates a year Concept pioneered by Tesla is taken to next level by Chinese automakers https://t.co/09xM5CEok3 via @NikkeiAsia
Mercedes Q1 Sales Down in Tough ‘Transition Year’ for China Business
Mercedes‑Benz reported a 6% drop in global Q1 sales to 419,400 vehicles, driven by a 27% plunge in China. While Europe saw a 7% rise and the United States a 20% increase, the Chinese slump outweighed these gains. The decline...
Persistence Market Research Forecasts EV Battery‑management‑system Market to Hit $24.9 Bn by 2033
Persistence Market Research, a leading management‑consulting and market‑research firm, projected the global electric‑vehicle battery‑management‑system market will reach $24.9 bn by 2033, driven by a 19.4% CAGR. The forecast highlights Asia‑Pacific’s 45% revenue share, North America’s fastest growth, and a shift toward...
Tesla (TSLA) Reportedly Developing New Smaller, Cheaper EV After Killing Model 2
Tesla is reportedly engineering a new compact electric SUV that will be priced well below the current Model 3, targeting the sub‑$34,000 segment. The vehicle, slated for production at the Shanghai plant, will be shorter and lighter than the Model Y, featuring...
RoboSense Q1 2026 LiDAR Sales Jump 204% YoY, Robotics Segment Surges 1,459%
RoboSense announced that it shipped 330,300 LiDAR units in the first quarter of 2026, a 204.1% year‑on‑year increase. Robotics‑focused LiDAR sales leapt 1,458.8% to 185,500 units, surpassing the ADAS segment for the first time, underscoring rapid scaling of autonomy hardware.
Japan’s Mighty Carmakers Are in Serious Trouble
Japanese automakers are confronting a crisis, highlighted by Honda’s announcement that it will record its first net loss since 1957 for the fiscal year ending March 2026. CEO Mibe Toshihiro took personal responsibility, slashing his own salary and that of...
76 Chargers, 9 MW: An EV Truck Hub Opens Where US Freight Runs
EV Realty opened its flagship electric‑truck charging hub in San Bernardino, California, featuring 76 high‑power ports delivering 9 MW, enough for over 200 medium‑ and heavy‑duty trucks daily. The site supports both CCS and the emerging megawatt charging system (MCS), offering up...
Cylib to Take Part in Sodium-Ion Battery Recycling Project
Aachen‑based Cylib has joined the 25‑partner SIB:DE Entwicklung consortium to create market‑ready large‑format sodium‑ion battery cells and develop recyclable solutions. The three‑year project, funded with €14.5 million (about $15.8 million) by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Research, will run from March 2026 to February 2029. Cylib...
Advanced iBGA Image Sensor Encapsulation
DELO introduced a PFAS‑free encapsulation material designed for automotive image sensors used in advanced driver‑assistance and autonomous systems. The formulation delivers low warpage, fine‑pitch flow control, and automotive‑grade reliability, addressing the harsh temperature, vibration, and moisture conditions of vehicle environments....
ENC Secures Place on Washington State Cooperative Transit Bus Contract Covering Diesel to Electric Models
ENC has secured a position on the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services (DES) statewide transit bus contract, giving more than 30 regional agencies access to its heavy‑duty bus lineup. The award spans eight categories, covering clean diesel, CNG, diesel‑electric...
Cyngn Accelerates Autonomous Vehicle Adoption in 2026
Cyngn reported a surge in commercial activity as its autonomous vehicle platform moves from isolated pilots to multi‑vehicle, multi‑workflow deployments across enterprise sites. In 2025 the company tripled DriveMod Tugger bookings and added customers such as G&J Pepsi, Coats and Vann...
Politics Derails US EV Industry, Leaving Factories Idle
With big losses mounting, big investments getting canceled, and big factory sites sitting empty, EVs have quickly become a case study in how politics thwarts US industrial policy. My latest @opinion piece surveys the very predictable wreckage: /1 https://t.co/SkFZCTtenA
International Business Briefs | China’s Car Sales Keep Falling as Fuel Prices Jump
China’s passenger‑car market contracted for a sixth straight month in March, with sales falling 15.2% year‑over‑year to 1.67 million units as higher fuel prices curb demand for gasoline models and EV incentives wane. South Korean automaker Kia trimmed its 2030 electric‑vehicle...
Detroit's Great Divide: Two Titans, Two Paths to Profit
Stellantis is betting on a 21% stake in China’s Leapmotor to import a proven, low‑cost EV platform, a move reflected in its forward P/E of 3.26 and a 9.93% dividend yield. Ford, by contrast, leans on the cash‑generating Ford Pro...
Ather Energy Doubles Retail Footprint to 700 Outlets in FY26
Ather Energy announced that it now operates 700 Experience Centres across India, more than doubling its retail footprint from the previous year. The expansion, driven by aggressive entry into central and non‑metro markets, lifted its national two‑wheeler market share to...
How Predictive Maintenance Is Driving the Third Wave of Fleet Technology
Predictive maintenance is the centerpiece of the fleet industry's third wave of technology, leveraging richer vehicle data and software‑defined architectures to shift from reactive repairs to proactive, insight‑driven operations. Modern platforms access hundreds of internal signals, enabling remote diagnostics, over‑the‑air...
Tesla Confirms Plans for 14‑foot Affordable Model
NEWS: Tesla's smaller, affordable model plans are still alive, Reuters claims. Their sources say Tesla started talking to suppliers about a new model that'll be shorter, lighter, and much cheaper (well duh). They say it's 14 feet in length (MY is 15.7) https://t.co/6WB6iCkwKF.
How California Fleets Are Tackling $7 Diesel With Electric Trucks
Diesel prices in California have surged past $7 per gallon, a 55% increase since early 2026, prompting carriers to confront soaring fuel surcharges that jumped 20% in just two weeks. In response, many fleets are accelerating purchases of battery‑electric trucks,...
Eicher Motors Launches Its First Electric Motorcycle, Flying Flea C6, at ₹2.79 Lakh
Eicher Motors, the parent of Royal Enfield, unveiled its first electric motorcycle, the Flying Flea C6, priced at ₹2.79 lakh (≈$3,360) ex‑showroom. Bookings open on April 10 in Bengaluru, with deliveries slated for late May 2026, and a battery‑as‑a‑service option available for...
Tesla Changing Course? Reportedly Working On Cheap Compact SUV
Tesla is reportedly developing a compact SUV that would be smaller than the Model Y and priced below the current $37,000 base of the Model 3. The vehicle is expected to be built at Tesla’s low‑cost Shanghai factory, though a production timeline...
Mercedes-Benz Q1 BEV Sales Rise by 11 per Cent
Mercedes‑Benz Group delivered 50,400 battery‑electric vehicles in Q1 2026, marking an 11% year‑over‑year increase. The surge was led by the all‑electric CLA, which boosted BEV sales in Europe by 34% and in Germany by 36%. New electric GLC orders set...