How MG’s MIAS 2026 Lineup Previews A Global Tech Overhaul
At the 2026 Manila International Auto Show, MG Philippines unveiled a tech‑focused lineup that marks a clear shift from its value‑oriented image. The brand debuted vehicles equipped with the new SolidCore semi‑solid‑state battery and a three‑speed hybrid transmission that leverages real‑time terrain detection. The flagship G50 plug‑in hybrid offers 95 km of electric range and a total 1,415 km range, acting as a bridge to future EVs. These launches align MG’s global engineering overhaul with the Philippines’ climate and road conditions.
History Rhymes, and China Is Listening
Waymo launched public robotaxi service in Orlando and Miami, adding highway rides in Miami. Uber deepened its commitment to autonomous fleets with a $200 million infusion into Lucid and a plan to acquire at least 35,000 Lucid‑built robotaxis, part of a...
What's the Deal with Robotaxi Remote Assistants?
The piece examines the emerging role of remote assistants in robotaxi fleets, clarifying that they are not full‑time tele‑drivers but intervene on specific safety‑critical decisions such as school‑bus passes or traffic‑light verification. It outlines a detailed taxonomy that categorises six...
Tesla Is Pushing Robotaxi Features to Owner Cars with Spring Update
Tesla’s Spring 2026 software update (v2026.14+) adds a fully interactive rear‑seat navigation map to its consumer models, a feature previously limited to the Robotaxi fleet. The map lets back‑seat passengers view and control the route in real time while the...
Waymo Opens Orlando Service, But Who Will Take Mickey Mouse to the Parks?
Waymo launched its autonomous ride‑hailing service to the public in Miami and Orlando, marking its first U.S. market expansion beyond the Bay Area. The company is still vying for a Disney World contract, with rival Glydways also in the running....
2026 Beijing Auto Show to Feature 1,451 Vehicles and 181 Premieres
The 2026 Beijing Auto Show will run April 24‑May 3, featuring a record‑breaking 380,000 sq m exhibition space across two venues. Organizers say 1,451 vehicles will be on display, including 181 world premieres and 71 concept cars. International marques such as BMW,...
These Fatal Tesla Autopilot Crashes Can Tell Us a Lot About Self-Driving Tech
Tesla’s Autopilot, launched in 2015 and expanded to all models by 2019, has been linked to multiple fatal crashes over the past decade. Notable incidents include a 2016 Florida crash where the driver ignored wheel‑hand alerts, a 2021 California Model X...
Infiniti Officials Pondering Move Away From Alpha Numeric Vehicle Names
Infiniti is weighing a shift away from its two‑decade‑long alphanumeric naming scheme as Nissan executives voice frustration with the confusing model tags. The change is being discussed alongside the launch of the new QX65 SUV at the Tennessee plant. Nissan...
ADG 4/17: No Island Unto Itself
South Korea’s National Pension Service (NPS) announced it will drop the long‑standing 15% ceiling on foreign‑currency hedging for its overseas assets, using that figure as a baseline and allowing higher hedges when needed. The NPS oversees roughly $1 trillion in assets,...
Zeekr Expands Hybrid Lineup with 8X Launch Starting at $48,370
Zeekr, Geely’s premium EV brand, launched the 8X plug‑in hybrid SUV at a limited‑time price of ¥329,800 (≈$48,370), a 12.5% cut from its pre‑sale level. The midsize SUV offers a pure‑electric range of up to 410 km and a combined range...
Canada Trade Minister Meets BYD, Xpeng During China Visit to Pitch EV Investments
Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu met with BYD, Xpeng and GAC in Guangzhou to discuss how Chinese electric‑vehicle makers can enter the Canadian market under a newly‑implemented quota that allows up to 49,000 EVs per year to be imported...
Seres Joins BMW, Mercedes in China Premium Charging Joint Venture
Seres Group has taken a 33.3% equity stake in Ionchi, the premium high‑power charging joint venture previously owned equally by BMW and Mercedes‑Benz in China. The three‑way partnership will accelerate the rollout of ultra‑fast public chargers, aiming for at least...
BYD Reaches 16 Millionth NEV Production Milestone with New Denza D9
BYD rolled its 16 millionth new‑energy vehicle (NEV) off the line on April 17, just 120 days after the 15 million mark. The milestone unit is the first second‑generation Denza D9 MPV, priced between 389,800 yuan and 489,800 yuan (approximately $57,000‑$71,000). The D9 features BYD’s...
VW's Jetta Brand Previews Jetta X Concept Ahead of Apr 21 Debut
Volkswagen’s Jetta brand unveiled the Jetta X concept ahead of its April 21 media debut, signaling a push into electrified SUVs or crossovers. The brand recently launched a new, more autonomous company in Chengdu to accelerate R&D and market decisions. FAW‑Volkswagen Jetta...
Tesla’s Golden Era Is No Longer a Tagline
Tesla has begun rolling out its dedicated Robotaxi service and started production of the steering‑wheel‑less Cybercab at Giga Texas. The first unit left the line on February 17, 2026, and volume production is slated for May, with a target cycle...
Waymo Means Way Mo’ Cars, According To Uber Docs
Uber’s investor briefing downplays Waymo as a threat, arguing that autonomous taxis increase overall ride‑hailing demand rather than cannibalize existing trips. The company cites growth in Austin, Atlanta and San Francisco where Waymo’s presence coincided with higher Uber ride volumes. Uber’s...
EV Announcements Have Dried Up Enormously, Even Tesla’s — The Trump Slump Is Real
After years of frequent EV press releases, announcements in the United States have sharply dried up, a trend the author attributes to the Trump administration's hostile stance toward clean‑tech and the rollback of federal incentives. Legacy automakers have begun canceling...
Geely Recalls 1,473 Polestar 4 EVs in China over Battery Thermal Runaway Risk
Geely Auto is recalling 1,473 Polestar 4 electric vehicles in China because the 86 kWh battery packs may experience increased internal resistance that could trigger thermal runaway under extreme conditions. The affected units were built between November 16 2023 and May 24 2024, and the recall...
This US EV Market Share Chart Is Quite Lame
Cox Automotive’s latest Kelley Blue Book report shows U.S. electric‑vehicle (EV) sales fell 7.8% quarter‑over‑quarter to 216,399 units in Q1 2026, leaving EVs at a flat 5.8% share of total vehicle sales. The year‑over‑year decline eased to 27%, but the market...
Renault Master E-Tech Confirmed for Australia: Electric Full-Size Van Arriving to Fight Ford E-Transit and Mercedes-Benz eSprinter
Renault announced that the next‑generation Master van will be offered in a fully electric version in Australia, with deliveries slated for June 2026. The Master E‑Tech is powered by an 87 kWh battery that Renault claims delivers over 400 km of WLTP range...
Honda Is Determined To Sell More EVs In The US, One Way Or Another
Honda’s Fastport venture has teamed with Third Lane Mobility and micromobility operators Bird and Spin to launch the eQuad, a four‑wheeled, pedal‑powered cargo EV designed to run inside a standard 48‑inch bike lane. The eQuad leverages Honda’s Mobile Power Pack with...
QOTD: Did Wealthy Buyers Kill Small Cars?
Economist Clifford Winston argues that affluent buyers and protectionist policies have accelerated the demise of affordable small cars in the United States. He notes automakers, especially the Detroit Three, prioritize higher‑margin SUVs and luxury trucks because they are cheaper to...
Tesla Continues Slow Increase of Unsupervised Robotaxi in Austin – Now 13 Unsupervised
Tesla has expanded its unsupervised robotaxi fleet in Austin to 13 vehicles, up from a steady 8‑10 for the past two months. Three additional units were added in the last ten days, and the company projects roughly 20 unsupervised cars...
BorgWarner Scrapped Its EV Strategy. Here's What the Replacement Looks Like
BorgWarner abandoned its ambitious EV drivetrain plan, which had targeted over $10 billion in eProduct revenue by 2027. By early 2026 the company recorded more than $1.2 billion in impairments, exited the EV‑charging business and consolidated its North American battery footprint. Under...
ByteDance Bringing Doubao AI to Car Cabins in New Tech Rivalry
ByteDance is building a smart‑cabin solution for cars using its Doubao AI large‑language model, partnering with Chinese automaker Seres and investing roughly $14.7 million. The company will run a 30‑billion‑parameter model on Nvidia Thor Z chips housed in an external computing box,...
Volkswagen Group Still Heavily Highlights EVs in Global Quarterly Report
Volkswagen Group’s Q1 2026 global report placed electric vehicles at the forefront, dedicating roughly half of its narrative to BEV performance. The automaker delivered 200,000 battery‑electric vehicles, an 8% year‑over‑year decline, yet recorded a 12% growth in Europe, pushing BEV share...
Elli Mobility Provides Charging Services for the Vatican’s Electric Fleet
Vatican City has partnered with Elli Mobility, Volkswagen Group’s energy brand, to equip its expanding electric vehicle fleet with a charging card and a digital fleet‑management platform. The arrangement gives Vatican drivers access to more than one million public chargers...
Kia PV5 Pricing Confirmed: Cheapest EV Van yet Achieves Price Parity with Toyota HiAce and Other Dirty Diesels
Kia confirmed the PV5 Cargo S will launch in Australia in late May with a base price of AU$55,990 (about US$36,900) plus on‑road costs, making it the nation’s cheapest electric van. The price sits just above the cheapest diesel Toyota...
QNX May Be the Most Underpriced Control Point in Automotive Software
QNX is shifting from a visible cockpit OS to the invisible safety‑critical control layer that coordinates multiple operating systems on a single, centralized vehicle computer. This deep‑stack role makes it harder to replace as automakers like BMW, Volkswagen and Stellantis...
Tesla Intertwines FSD with In-House Insurance for Attractive Incentive
Tesla has linked its Full Self‑Driving (Supervised) suite to its in‑house insurance, launching Safety Score 3.0 that automatically awards a perfect 100 score for every mile driven with FSD enabled. The update removes penalties for brief manual interventions, allowing drivers...
Tesla Finalizes AI5 Chip Design, Elon Musk Makes Bold Claim on Capability
Tesla announced that its AI5 chip has completed the tape‑out stage, clearing the final hurdle before mass production. Elon Musk clarified that the existing AI4 hardware already delivers safety performance superior to human drivers for Full Self‑Driving, so AI5 will...
Whatever Happened To The Affordable Car?
The average price of a new car in the United States has risen to about $50,000, roughly double the inflation‑adjusted cost of a 1950s vehicle. Consumers now pay for extensive safety equipment, advanced electronics, and comfort features that increase manufacturing...
Stellantis Weighs Dongfeng Partnership for Europe and China Production, Report Says
Stellantis is in advanced talks with state‑owned Dongfeng Motor to grant the Chinese automaker access to underutilized factories in Europe, while Dongfeng would assemble selected Stellantis brands in China. The discussions include a possible equity stake or investment by Dongfeng...
South Korea March 2026: BYD Breaks Records Again, Renault Filante in Top 10
South Korea’s light‑vehicle market posted a 10.2% year‑on‑year increase in March 2026, moving 164,393 units. Kia retained the lead with a 34.3% share, while Hyundai slipped to 31.3%. Tesla’s Model Y exploded 3,691% YoY, securing the top foreign‑brand spot, and BYD...
BSCB Featured in French Weekly Auto Plus
BSCB’s automotive sales data was featured in the April 3 issue of France’s weekly Auto Plus, appearing as the magazine’s opening article. The piece lists the top‑three best‑selling vehicles in 23 global markets for full‑year 2025, spanning regions from South Africa to...
BYD Launches Yuan Pro DM-I Hybrid SUV in Mexico
Chinese automaker BYD introduced the Yuan Pro DM‑i plug‑in hybrid SUV in Mexico on April 10, highlighting its 1,045 km combined NEDC range and advanced smart features. The launch underscores BYD's push into Latin America, a market with limited plug‑in hybrid...
BYD Sub-Brand Linghui Launches E7 Sedan, Targeting Ride-Hailing Market with Flash Charging
BYD has launched Linghui, a new sub‑brand focused on commercial vehicles, with its first model, the e7 sedan, priced from 95,800 yuan ($14,050) to 115,800 yuan ($17,000). The midsize electric sedan offers up to 550 km of range and features BYD’s flash‑charging technology...
On the Effects of Artificial General Intelligence on Transport
The article explores how Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) could transform transport by eventually automating all modes—from cars and trucks to trains, planes, and ships. In the near term, humanoid robots may act as interim operators, allowing legacy fleets to stay...
Amazon Autos Expands to Chevrolet, Jeep, Kia, Mazda, and Subaru as Its New Car Buying Service Grows to 130+ Cities
Amazon Autos has broadened its vehicle‑buying platform to include Kia, Mazda, Subaru, Chevrolet and Jeep, expanding the service to more than 130 U.S. cities. The program, which debuted with Hyundai in late 2024, lets shoppers browse inventory, arrange financing and complete...
Tesla Full Self-Driving Shows Stunning Maneuver in Europe to Silence Skeptics
Tesla’s Full Self‑Driving (FSD) system earned its first European public‑road approval in the Netherlands and quickly demonstrated the technology on narrow rural routes. In one clip the software steered onto a bike path to bypass a tractor that blocked half...
DOE and Argonne Join GM, Stellantis and MathWorks to Launch EcoCAR Innovation Challenge
The U.S. Department of Energy and Argonne National Laboratory have launched the 15th EcoCAR Innovation Challenge, selecting 20 universities to design advanced electric and hybrid vehicles. General Motors and Stellantis are co‑sponsoring the competition, each providing a distinct vehicle platform...
Urbanists Hate Cars. Should They Hate Electric Robotaxis?
Forbes argues that while urbanists traditionally oppose personal cars, the rise of electric robotaxis could reshape that stance. Autonomous, electric fleets promise to cut private vehicle ownership, lower emissions, and improve road utilization. However, critics warn that robotaxis might increase...
Winter EV Driving: Range and Elevation Lessons From A 20"+ Snow Storm
In a recent VWIDTalk podcast, hosts Jan and Wes dissected real‑world EV performance during a ski‑trip that involved a 4,000‑foot climb and more than 20 inches of snow. Starting at 100% charge, the vehicle’s range prediction of 199 miles fell...
Traton Group Plans 2028 Rollout of New Vehicle Platform
Traton Group announced that its new software‑defined vehicle platform, Traton One OS, will be rolled out across all new trucks from 2028. Developed with Applied Intuition, the OS provides unified data access, predictive‑maintenance analytics, and adaptive middleware to enable future...
Waymo Launches Sixth-Generation Robotaxi System
Waymo announced that its sixth‑generation robotaxi system is now operational, featuring a streamlined sensor suite that lowers per‑vehicle cost. The new platform relies on 17‑megapixel cameras and a reengineered short‑range lidar capable of centimeter‑scale detection of vulnerable road users. Waymo...
WeRide Launches Fully Driverless Robotaxi Service in Dubai
WeRide and Uber have rolled out a fully driverless, fare‑charging robotaxi service in Dubai’s Umm Suqeim and Jumeirah districts, accessible through the Uber app. The launch follows a supervised trial that began in December 2025 and a driver‑less trial permit granted by...
DOT Moves to Clear Regulatory Path for Vehicles Without Steering Wheels
The U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing to strip federal vehicle standards that mandate human controls, clearing a path for fully autonomous cars and trucks. NHTSA is fast‑tracking Amazon‑owned Zoox’s request to operate up to 2,500 purpose‑built robotaxis without steering...
Renesas Scalable Automotive SoC Design Using Arteris NoC
Renesas has integrated Arteris FlexNoC interconnect IP into its next‑generation Gen‑5 R‑Car automotive SoCs. The NoC fabric links Arm CPU clusters, GPUs and neural‑processing accelerators, delivering scalable bandwidth and deterministic QoS for advanced ADAS and autonomous‑driving workloads. Power consumption drops...
China’s Car Sales Drop 22% as Consumers Await subsidies...China’s Q1 GDP Growth Estimated at 4.8%...Brazil Official Fired for Adding BYD...
China’s wholesale passenger‑vehicle sales plunged 22% year‑on‑year to 4.2 million units in Q1 2026 as buyers wait for deeper subsidies and price cuts. A Caixin poll estimates China’s GDP grew 4.8% YoY, buoyed by exports and fiscal stimulus despite soft domestic...
GAC-Backed Greater Bay Claims Breakthrough in Solid-State Batteries with New Prototype Roll-Out
Greater Bay Technology, backed by GAC, unveiled its all‑solid‑state A‑sample cells, claiming energy densities between 260 Wh/kg and 500 Wh/kg and fast‑charging rates of 2C‑3C. The composite electrolyte design passed nail‑penetration, crush and thermal‑shock tests, demonstrating fire‑free operation. The company says the...