Today's Automotive Pulse
Volkswagen expands Rivian stake amid $1.75B fine risk
Volkswagen is increasing its investment in Rivian while facing potential fines of $1.75 billion over regulatory concerns. The move underscores the automaker's push into electric vehicles despite mounting compliance challenges.
Also developing:
By the numbers: LTM Ltd acquires Randstad’s Europe and Australia units for $186M
Kia Wants A Sports Sedan For The 'Gamer Generation'
Kia is developing a production version of its Vision Meta Turismo concept, an all‑electric sports sedan aimed at the younger “gamer generation.” Design chief Karim Habib describes it as an indirect successor to the Stinger, with a fastback variant already 90% production‑ready. High development costs are slowing progress, and Kia has not set a launch timeline, likely pushing sales beyond the next few years. The brand hopes the emotional design will win over buyers who are less interested in traditional ICE vehicles.
Ford's Electrified Vehicle Sales Dropped 31% in April From One Year Ago
Ford’s electrified‑vehicle sales slumped 31% in April 2026, with EV deliveries falling to 3,655 units and hybrids to 15,758. The F‑150 Lightning saw a 49% year‑over‑year drop, selling only 884 trucks, while Mustang Mach‑E sales slipped 9% to 2,670. Across...
Brazil April 2026: BYD and Geely Smash Records in Market up 21%
Brazil’s new light‑vehicle market surged 21% year‑on‑year in April, reaching 237,498 units and pushing year‑to‑date sales 17.3% higher than a pre‑pandemic baseline. Domestic leader Fiat held the top spot with a 19.2% share, while Volkswagen and Chevrolet also posted strong...
The Future of Autonomous Driving Runs on Living Maps
TomTom’s Vice President of Product Management, Mike Gilbert, outlined how the company’s "living maps" are evolving into continuously refreshed spatial intelligence platforms. By ingesting real‑time sensor feeds, AI models, and crowd‑sourced updates, the maps adapt instantly to road, traffic, and...
Kia Will Build Wild Stinger Successor - but Is Waiting for Costs to Drop
Kia plans to turn its Vision Meta Turismo concept into a production flagship, positioning it as the spiritual successor to the Stinger GT S. The electric four‑door super‑GT sits on a new platform and showcases the brand’s "Opposites United: Evolution"...
Affordable ANCAP: Two Budget Buys and a Famous EV Name Score Five Stars in the Latest Safety Tests
Australia’s ANCAP safety agency awarded five-star ratings to three of the market’s most affordable electrified models: BYD’s Seal 6 plug‑in hybrid sedan and wagon, MG Motor’s MG4 Urban hatchback, and Tesla’s six‑seat Model Y L. The BYD Seal 6 topped...
Heil and Autocar Supply Recology with Electric Collection Truck
Heil and Autocar have delivered a fully electric side‑loader truck to Recology for use in Issaquah, Washington. The vehicle merges Autocar’s E‑ACX all‑electric chassis with Heil’s RevAMP automated side‑loader body, creating a hydraulics‑free platform that maintains payload and range. Recology,...
EVs Overtake Petrol Engines Worldwide in April 2026
April 2026 was a massacre for the petrol engine >Norway: 98.6% EV share. There were only 31 new petrol cars sold in the entire country last month. The ICE engine is officially a museum piece. >Denmark: 94.4% of private buyers now choose...
China's Car Sales Slump 21% as Exports Surge 80%
1/4 According to Reuters, domestic car sales in China were down 21.6% year on year in April, even as car exports surged 80.2%. Everyone knows that domestic demand remains incredibly sluggish in China, but such sharp drops in domestic car... https://t.co/1pXBP8tJVw
China April Auto Sales Drop as War Hits Demand for Gasoline Cars
China's passenger vehicle sales slumped 21.5% in April, falling to 1.4 million units, the lowest April level since 2022. The decline was driven by a one‑third drop in gasoline‑powered car deliveries after the Iran oil shock disrupted fuel supply and pricing....
China's Car Sales Drop for Seventh Month in April, Exports Roar
China's passenger car market contracted again in April, with sales dropping 21.6% year‑on‑year to 1.4 million vehicles, marking a seventh straight month of decline. The slowdown was driven by weaker combustion‑engine demand and a 6.8% dip in electric‑vehicle and plug‑in‑hybrid sales,...
Chile Senate Pushes Draft Law to Redefine Strategic Role of Critical Minerals
Chile's Senate is debating a draft law that expands the definition of strategic minerals to include rare earths, lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite. The proposal seeks greater state oversight and incentives to boost domestic processing, a move that could reshape...
Schaeffler Appoints Zhao Chengmiao to Lead Key Account Management in China
Schaeffler announced that Zhao Chengmiao, a 2008 hire with deep ties to China’s top automakers, will head its key account management unit. The move is positioned as a catalyst for expanding the German supplier’s market share and sharpening its go‑to‑market...
Tesla Halts Model S/X Production, Shifts Fremont to Humanoid Robots in July
Tesla announced it will cease production of the Model S sedan and Model X SUV at its Fremont plant and convert the lines to mass‑produce its Optimus humanoid robot by late July. The pivot sparked a 4% share rise even...
Uruguay April 2026: Record Market, BYD #1, Chinese up 97.4% to 44.7% Share
Uruguay's light‑vehicle market posted a 25.8% year‑on‑year increase in April, selling 6,386 units – the strongest April on record. BYD surged to a 13.3% share, up 60.5%, and reclaimed the top spot, while Fiat fell to second with 10.4%. Chinese...
Port of Brunswick Reclaims Title as Nation’s Busiest Auto Terminal, Handles 779,000 Vehicles
The Port of Brunswick handled 779,000 automobiles and more than 53,000 heavy‑machinery units in 2025, reclaiming its spot as the United States' busiest auto terminal. The throughput surge comes as Georgia Ports Authority rolls out a $100 million fourth berth and...
Honda Suspends $15 Billion Canadian EV Plant Amid US Tariff Dispute
Honda Motor Co. announced it is suspending development of its planned $15 billion electric‑vehicle complex in Canada, blaming U.S. tariff policy and sluggish American EV demand. The indefinite pause adds to a wave of cancellations that threatens Canada’s EV supply‑chain ambitions.
Misrepresenting Self
This is not, I think, a responsible way to summarize the evidence on the safety benefits of self-driving cars https://t.co/SRHwi6cy2b
NHTSA Launches Formal Probe Into Avride Robotaxi Crashes in Texas
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a formal investigation into Avride’s automated driving system after at least 16 crashes involving its robotaxis in Dallas and Austin. The probe, which covers roughly 200 vehicles operating on Uber’s platform,...
Honda Is Bringing Mobile Power Pack E: Battery Swap Tech to the US
Honda unveiled its Mobile Power Pack e: (MPP) at the ACT Expo and announced a U.S. rollout for B2B customers as early as June 2026. The swappable‑battery system, already used in Honda’s electric lawn mowers, scooters and Yamaha‑partnered equipment, weighs just over...
Kodiak AI, Roehl Transport Start First U.S. Commercial Autonomous Freight Service
Kodiak AI and Roehl Transport began a four‑roundtrip‑per‑week autonomous freight operation between Dallas and Houston, marking the United States' first commercial driverless trucking service. The partnership leverages Kodiak’s AI‑powered driver and Roehl’s safety‑first culture to prove that autonomous freight can...
Indonesia’s EV Push Could Save $300 Bn and Cut 6 Bn Barrels of Oil by 2060
The International Council on Clean Transportation released a working paper showing Indonesia’s move to electric vehicles could reduce cumulative fuel consumption by 5.1‑6.7 bn barrels of oil equivalent and generate $255‑$321 bn in energy‑cost savings by 2060. The analysis links the shift...
Wealthy People Were the First to Buy Electric Vehicles. The Current Boom Risks Entrenching Inequality
Australia’s electric‑vehicle market is accelerating, but early adoption is heavily skewed toward affluent households. Research on New South Wales registrations from 2017‑2021 shows wealth as the strongest predictor, with each income tier roughly doubling EV uptake. About 85% of registrations...
Tesla, SpaceX and Intel Commit $55B to Terafab Fab Targeting Robotics AI Chips
Tesla, SpaceX and Intel have announced a $55 billion first‑phase investment in a joint semiconductor fab, Terafab, designed to produce 2‑nanometer AI chips for autonomous vehicles, humanoid robots and AI data centers. The venture, which could swell to $119 billion across all...
Does Chery’s Roster of Brands Provide More Opportunities in Canada?
Chery Automobile is entering Canada with a Volkswagen‑style multi‑brand portfolio that spans mainstream, premium, electric and commercial vehicles. The group will leverage the 2026 Canadian trade framework, which caps a 6.1% tariff on an initial quota of 49,000 units, to...
Copper's Biggest Rival Yet? New Carbon Nanotube Fibers Could Reshape Wiring for EVs, Drones and Aircraft
Spanish researchers at IMDEA Materials have demonstrated a scalable process for carbon‑nanotube (CNT) fibers that reach 24.5 MS m⁻¹ conductivity—about half that of copper but six times lighter. The breakthrough relies on gas‑phase intercalation of tetrachloroaluminate (AlCl₄⁻), which boosts conductivity more than...
250 EV Chargers Installed In Winnipeg
Powertec Electric, together with its solar sister company and partner New Flyer, has installed 250 electric‑vehicle chargers across Winnipeg’s multi‑family residential properties. The rollout fills a critical gap for apartment and condo residents who lack private home charging, offering a...
Lotus Sent Its First Batch Of 18 EVs To Canada. Is It Paving The Way For Geely?
Chinese automaker Geely, via its British subsidiary Lotus Cars, delivered the first batch of Chinese‑made electric vehicles to Canada, shipping 18 Eletre SUVs from Wuhan. The vehicles entered under a revised Canada‑China trade framework that lowers the tariff to 6.1%...
Supervised Is Not Autonomous, Autonomous Is Not Supervised
The UK’s May 7 local elections have shifted the political climate toward protectionism, putting Uber and Lyft’s planned deployment of Chinese‑made Baidu RT6 robotaxis in London at risk. Both firms have already shipped the RT6 units for mapping, but rising...
![[Gasgoo News]Stellantis, Leapmotor Expand Partnership; Huawei Digital Power, JAC Upgrade Cooperation](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://gascloud.gasgoo.com/production/2026/05/693f9b41-d4e8-4f27-801c-a590a83f08d8-1778424945.png)
[Gasgoo News]Stellantis, Leapmotor Expand Partnership; Huawei Digital Power, JAC Upgrade Cooperation
Stellantis announced on May 8 that it will broaden its strategic tie‑up with China’s Leapmotor, evaluating a new production line at the Figueruelas plant in Zaragoza for an all‑electric Opel C‑segment SUV, with a possible start as early as 2028. Leapmotor...
Uber CEO Calls Self-Driving Market a Trillion-Dollar Opportunity as Q1 Shows 25% Booking Growth
Uber chief Dara Khosrowshahi said the autonomous‑vehicle market could eventually be worth a trillion dollars, a view reinforced by the company's Q1 2026 earnings that posted 25% growth in gross bookings and a 44% jump in adjusted earnings per share....
Tesla's FSD Records Set to Plateau Until Competitors Catch Up
FSD Cannonball Run records are following the traditional pattern set by IC cars starting in 1915! A few pioneers (like @DavidMoss @BLKMDL3 and my team) optimizing to be first, then for temp/traffic/weather, then platform… BUT since @Tesla is the only platform that...
China's Clean‑tech Firms Target New Markets Amid Iran War Shock
China's suppliers of batteries, solar panels and electric cars are wooing new markets to capitalize on Iran war energy shocks https://t.co/92ERWN5SX9
Complaints over OTA Battery Locking Surge; MIIT Summons 8 NEV Makers
Consumer complaints about over‑the‑air (OTA) battery‑locking in China surged to more than 12,000 in March 2026, a 273% year‑on‑year jump. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) responded by summoning eight new‑energy vehicle (NEV) makers, launching investigations into three...
Build US Factories, Let Chinese EVs Boost Electrification
Allowing Chinese EVs to be sold in the United States would accelerate electrification Just require them to build factories in the United States to sell without any tariffs.
Hyundai Embraces Inevitable Future of Autonomy
Hyundai gets it. Autonomy is inevitable. Happy Mother’s Day. And subscribe to THE Autonomy Markets Podcast, on your favorite podcast player.
More Battery Electric Trucks Take To Australian Roads
Centurion has launched a fully off‑grid battery‑electric truck hub at Perth Airport, powering 30 eActros 300 trucks with 4.4 MW of rooftop solar, 10.3 MWh of storage and HVO backup. The $24 million (AUD $36 million) project was underpinned by $10.4 million in Australian Renewable Energy Agency...
Rumor: Xiaomi EV Plans Standalone Sub-Brand "Xuntian", First SUV Kunlun N3 to Launch in Second Half of Year
Xiaomi’s automotive division is set to launch a standalone sub‑brand called Xuntian, with its first extended‑range SUV, the Kunlun N3, slated for release in the second half of 2026. The vehicle will carry no Xiaomi badge, signaling a distinct market...
Hebei Automotive Industry Clusters at a Glance: Gasgoo Global Auto Industry Big Data
Hebei’s automotive sector is evolving into a multi‑layered cluster anchored by four specialized hubs—Baoding, Cangzhou, Shijiazhuang and Xingtai. Each hub leverages a dominant automaker, such as Great Wall Motor in Baoding and Beijing Hyundai in Cangzhou, to attract global Tier‑1...
Greenlane Expands Electric Truck Charging, Plans Chargers In Texas
Greenlane announced the rollout of high‑power electric truck charging stations in Texas, targeting Houston and Dallas along Interstate 45. Each site will host six to eight pull‑through lanes equipped with CCS connectors and megawatt‑scale chargers for Class 8 rigs. The rollout supports...
Autonomous Trucks Arriving, Manual vs Auto Debate Ends
Brother, we got autonomous trucks coming. I think the stick vs autonomous transmission horse ain’t coming back in the barn
Beijing Auto Show 2026 Unveils Dozens of Autonomous Vehicle Concepts and Pilots
The Beijing International Automotive Exhibition 2026 showcased 1,451 vehicles, featuring 181 world premieres and a wave of autonomous prototypes from Chinese makers such as XPeng, SAIC and Geely. The show highlighted AI‑native designs, map‑free logistics robots and the rapid commercialization...
Self-Driving Cars and Old Computers
Older autonomous vehicles face a looming software‑support crisis as hardware ages beyond the capabilities needed for new safety updates. Manufacturers may shift from active development to maintenance‑only patches, offer costly mid‑life hardware upgrades, downgrade features, or declare end‑of‑life, potentially disabling...
Ford Unveils $30,000 Electric Pickup to Win Price‑sensitive Truck Buyers
Ford announced a $30,000 electric pickup built on its Universal Electric Vehicle platform, aiming to attract cost‑aware buyers and revive its faltering EV sales. The low‑price strategy hinges on a 350‑person skunkworks team that cut weight by 15% and reduced...
Vauxhall to Launch Low‑Cost Electric SUV with Leapmotor, Production Set for Spain in 2028
Stellantis' Vauxhall brand announced a partnership with Chinese EV maker Leapmotor to develop a low‑price electric SUV, with production slated for the Figueruelas plant in Zaragoza, Spain, in 2028. The collaboration blends Leapmotor's battery and power‑train tech with Vauxhall's German...
Volvo Names Anders Bell CETO to Speed Software-Defined EV Development
Volvo Cars has appointed Anders Bell as chief engineering and technology officer, tasking him with fast‑tracking the company's software-defined electric vehicle platform. Bell outlined the organizational changes that enabled the acceleration during an interview on Automotive News' Shift podcast.
McLane Deploys Aurora’s Driverless Trucks, First Berkshire Long‑Haul Autonomy
McLane Company, a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary, has upgraded its Dallas‑Houston pilot with Aurora Innovation to fully driverless commercial operations. The rollout will use Aurora’s SAE Level 4 system and a new fleet of 200 Volkswagen‑built trucks, with the first vehicles expected...
Hyundai Mobis Expands EV Powertrain Lineup With New 160 kW PE System
Hyundai Mobis unveiled a new 160 kW Power Electric (PE) system aimed at mainstream electric vehicles, filling the gap between its existing 120 kW and 250 kW offerings. The modular unit combines motor, inverter and reduction gear in a compact package that is...
Scania, Unicon and Liebherr Launch Fully Electric Concrete Transport Solution
Scania, Unicon and Liebherr have unveiled a fully electric concrete transport solution in Denmark, pairing a battery‑electric Scania truck with an integrated electric mixer. The truck carries a 400 kWh battery delivering about 200 km of range, while Scania’s ePTO powers the...
Chery EVs Arrive in Canada Ready of Pre-Selling Preparations
Chinese automaker Chery has moved from planning to execution in Canada, positioning several camouflaged vehicles on Toronto streets for testing and certification. Approximately 150 units—including the Jaecoo J5 EV, Omoda 9 plug‑in hybrid, and an Exeed premium SUV—have arrived to populate...