Assembly Plant Trends: China Gains, NA Losses, India Rises
Automotive World’s 2026 assembly plant database shows Chinese automakers expanding 6.6% in 2024‑25, with BYD, Geely, Chery and SAIC posting double‑digit growth. The gains came at the expense of legacy foreign brands, as BMW and Mercedes‑Benz volumes in China fell 13.1% and 21.2% respectively, and Honda’s Chinese output dropped 16.4%. North American production also slipped, highlighted by Ford’s Canadian output plunging 99.5% after the Edge shutdown and a $3 bn Oakville retool, while Nissan, Stellantis and Tesla recorded double‑digit declines. Conversely, India’s auto output rose 6.6% to 6.74 million units, driven by Volkswagen’s 150% surge to 326,000 vehicles, signaling the country’s emergence as a growth market and export hub.
Global Vehicle Assembly Plant Database – 2026 Edition
The 2026 edition of the Global Vehicle Assembly Plant Database compiles production data for nearly 60 vehicle groups, 140 brands and about 1,100 models worldwide. It lists every automaker group with light‑vehicle output above 500,000 units per year and also...
Changan Begins Brazilian Production of Uni-T SUV
Chinese automaker Changan, together with Brazil's Kawa Group, started production of the Uni‑T SUV at its Anápolis plant, kicking off a $950 million investment phase from 2026‑2028. The new phase brings Changan’s total committed capital in Brazil to $1.52 billion and supports...
Wayve, Uber, Waymo Line up for UK Self-Driving Pilot
The UK Department for Transport has opened applications for operators to launch self‑driving taxi, bus and private‑hire services, marking the first legislation permitting commercial autonomous passenger transport on public roads. Applicants must secure rigorous safety and cyber‑security approvals and obtain...
Volvo Group, Eicher Form India Financing Venture
Volvo Financial Services and Eicher Motors will create a 50:50 joint venture to offer financing, leasing and related services to commercial‑vehicle customers in India. VFS India will issue new shares to Eicher in exchange for up to INR 7.5 bn (≈US$75 m) equity....
VinFast Rolls Out VF MPV 7 at Indonesia’s Subang Plant
VinFast has begun local production of its VF MPV 7 electric people‑mover at the Subang plant in West Java, Indonesia, less than six months after the plant’s inauguration. The Subang facility, a $1 billion investment, aims to scale capacity to 350,000 vehicles...
Xpeng Takes 90.1% of Erajaya’s EV Manufacturing Arm
Chinese EV maker Xpeng has acquired a 90.1% stake in PT Era Industri Otomotif (EIDO), the manufacturing arm of Indonesia’s PT Sinar Eka Selaras. The transaction, effective May 13 2026, involved Xpeng investing roughly US$8.6 million for a controlling interest, while SES retains...
From Mechanical to Mechatronic: How Automation Is Reshaping Seat Manufacturing
Vehicle seats have evolved from simple mechanical parts into complex mechatronic systems that combine structures, electronics, pneumatics, and safety components such as airbags. This shift drives steep variant proliferation and just‑in‑time production pressures, forcing manufacturers to adopt intelligent automation. Recipe‑driven...
Watercycle and Cylib Sign MoU on Graphite Recovery
Watercycle Technologies and German recycler cylib have signed a non‑binding memorandum of understanding to jointly recover graphite and lithium from battery recycling streams. Watercycle will assess buying graphite from cylib’s Aachen demonstration plant starting in 2026, with the aim of...
Michelin Debuts Universal Tyre Digital Twin for SDVs
Michelin unveiled a universal tyre digital twin, a software‑only platform that transforms vehicle data into real‑time tyre‑state recommendations without any tyre‑mounted sensors. The solution evaluates pressure, wear, load, grip and driving conditions, enabling features such as maximum‑grip alerts, aquaplaning prevention...
MINI Aceman SE Joins Electric Line-Up in Australia
The MINI Aceman SE has arrived on Australian roads, expanding the brand’s electric portfolio alongside the MINI Cooper and MINI Countryman. The compact crossover delivers 160 kW (218 hp), 330 Nm of torque and a WLTP‑rated range of up to 405 km from its 49.2 kWh...
Škoda Epiq Launches as First Car on New MEB+ Platform
Škoda Auto unveiled the Epiq, the first model built on Volkswagen Group’s new MEB+ electric‑vehicle platform and the brand’s inaugural front‑wheel‑drive EV. The compact crossover will be priced to match the gasoline‑powered Kamiq in many markets, offering three powertrains: two...
Hyundai Mobis Hosts 5th Mobility Day in Silicon Valley
Hyundai Mobis hosted its fifth Mobility Day in Sunnyvale, drawing about 400 participants—more than twice the 2025 attendance. The event broadened its theme to robotics and physical AI, inviting startups, investors, and OEMs beyond the traditional automotive space. Engineers from...
HERE Launches Location Reasoning for Agentic AI
HERE Technologies introduced Location Reasoning, a new product that links its extensive map and live traffic data to AI models via a structured execution layer. The service translates spatial queries into deterministic workflows, drawing on 68 million km of road data and...
Rohm Scales Power Supply Tools for Automotive SoCs
Japanese chipmaker Rohm has begun mass production of a configurable automotive power‑supply platform that pairs its BD968xx‑C series PMICs with the BD96340MFF‑C DrMOS driver. The solution targets system‑on‑chips used in ADAS, driver‑monitoring and in‑vehicle cameras, offering a 2.7‑5.5 V input range...