Dürr Unveils Energy-Flexible Oven for Paint Shops
Dürr has launched the EcoSmartCure oven, a paint‑shop dryer that can operate on natural gas, electricity or hydrogen through its new Qflex technology. The system separates the heating module from the oven body, allowing fuel switches without structural changes. Two customer projects are already in industrial testing, and the oven is offered as a compact, single‑level unit for both new builds and retrofits. The Qflex platform will also be applied to Dürr’s existing EcoInCure model, extending centralized heating across its product line.
France Urges Renault, Stellantis to Keep Parts Sourcing Local
The French government is urging Renault and Stellantis to give preference to European parts suppliers, warning that industrial sovereignty requires a collective effort. Both automakers are deepening ties with China: Renault’s new Twingo E‑Tech will use a motor from Shanghai e‑Drive,...
Vector-Solectrix Tie-Up Targets ADAS, AD Validation
Vector Informatik and Solectrix have partnered to deliver a joint data‑replay solution that merges Vector’s CANoe and DYNA4 simulation tools with Solectrix’s proFRAME video capture platform. The integrated suite enables synchronized playback of camera data from both real‑world recordings and...
Hyundai Signs Hong Kong Hydrogen Ecosystem MoU
Hyundai Motor Group signed a memorandum of understanding with nine partners from Korea, Hong Kong, mainland China and France to create a full hydrogen ecosystem in Hong Kong by 2030. The agreement, announced at the International Hydrogen Development Symposium, covers waste‑to‑hydrogen production...
Scania to Supply 91 Electric Buses to VR in Sweden
Scania has secured a contract to deliver 91 battery‑electric buses to VR Sweden, the largest single EV bus order the OEM has executed in the country. The fleet, built on Scania’s Fencer f1 BEV platform, will begin operating in the Södertälje‑Nykvarn...
Subaru’s EBIT Collapsed in Q4, BEVs Now Postponed
Subaru’s fiscal 2026 operating profit guidance was cut to about ¥130 bn (~$936 m) after a steep EBIT drop to ¥40.1 bn (~$289 m) in Q4, a 90.1% decline from 2025. The collapse reflects mounting US tariffs and stricter emissions regulations that penalise models...
Honda’s Financial Recovery From EV Pivot Could Take Years
Honda’s fiscal 2026 results revealed a steep decline after the automaker scrapped several electric‑vehicle programs slated for North America. The cancellations generated an EV‑related loss of roughly ¥1.31 trillion (about $9.4 billion) in Q4 and pushed the full‑year operating result into a...
Xiaomi Cuts YU7 Wait Times From One Year to Two Hours
Xiaomi announced that its YU7 electric SUV can now be delivered within two hours of order, a dramatic reduction from the previous one‑year wait. The speedup follows rapid production scaling, including a new Wuhan plant that adds 150,000 units of...
Li Auto Launches All-New L9 with Global Rollout Planned
Li Auto began delivering its all‑new L9 flagship SUV in China on May 15, offering Ultra and Livis editions. The model features a third‑generation extended‑range powertrain with 420 km of pure electric range and a combined 1,650 km range. An International Exclusive version...
Platform Science Gets Canadian ELD Certification on CTP2
Platform Science has become the first telematics provider to earn Canadian electronic logging device (ELD) certification on Daimler Truck North America’s factory‑installed Common Telematics Platform 2 (CTP2). The certification lets fleets operating Freightliner and Western Star trucks equipped with CTP2...
VinFast Targets 1,100 Service Workshops Worldwide in 2026
VinFast announced at its Global Business Conference that it has signed memoranda of understanding with 29 after‑sales partners to expand its EV service footprint. The automaker, which already operates around 800 workshops worldwide—including 400 in Vietnam—aims to exceed 1,100 service...
BYD Looks to Acquire Third EU Plant, Stellantis on Shortlist
Chinese EV maker BYD is negotiating to acquire one or more under‑utilised European factories, with Italy’s Stellantis sites topping its shortlist. The move would complement BYD’s newly announced plants in Hungary and Turkey, both slated for mass production in late...
GM’s Ultium Ohio Plant in Limbo as US Battery Retreat Deepens
General Motors and LG Energy Solution have left the Ultium Cells plant in Warren, Ohio largely idle, with only a handful of workers returning on May 25 for preparatory tasks and no firm restart date beyond a vague 2026 horizon....
Mazda Trims EV Spend 20% as Global Hybrid Demand Surges
Mazda announced a 20% reduction in its EV investment, cutting spend to JP¥1.2 tr (≈$7.6 bn) through 2030 and postponing its first in‑house BEV launch to 2029. The automaker lowered its BEV sales target to 200,000‑250,000 units a year (about 15% of...
Wallbox Partners with Freenow on Taxi Charging
Wallbox has teamed up with Freenow by Lyft to provide electric‑vehicle chargers for taxi drivers and fleet operators across Europe. The partnership launches in Germany, France, the UK, Ireland and Spain, offering exclusive pricing on Wallbox’s Pulsar Max, Pulsar Pro...
Hyundai Launches XCIENT Fuel Cell Trucks in Canada
Hyundai Translead has begun commercial sales of its XCIENT Fuel Cell hydrogen trucks in Canada through Ontario‑based Breadner Trailers, converting the dealer into a dedicated hydrogen‑truck dealership. Eleven trucks are already in service on hydrogen‑mobility projects in British Columbia, including...
Solaris Launches Urbino 10,5 Electric Midibus
Solaris introduced the Urbino 10,5 electric midibus, a 10.5‑metre battery‑electric vehicle, at the Next Mobility Milano 2026 exhibition. The midibus seats 33 and can carry up to 85 passengers, offering one of the highest capacities in its class. Powered by...
China April Auto Sales Fall for Seventh Month, Exports Soar
China’s domestic passenger‑car market contracted for a seventh month in April, dropping 21.6% year‑on‑year to 1.4 million units. Export volumes surged 74.4% to 901,000 vehicles, with new‑energy vehicle (NEV) exports hitting a record 430,000 units, up 110% YoY. The decline is...
Panasonic’s 4680 Mass Production Pushed Back yet Again
Panasonic Energy has postponed mass production of its 4680 cylindrical battery cell for a second time, still awaiting a purchase order from its primary customer, likely Tesla. The original 2024 launch date slipped to March 2026, which was also missed,...
US Lawmakers Make Last-Ditch Push to Block Cave on China EVs
U.S. senators and representatives have introduced legislation to cement the Biden‑era ban on Chinese‑origin connected‑car hardware and software, making any reversal difficult ahead of President Trump’s upcoming summit with Xi Jinping. The Connected Vehicle Security Act would lock in data‑security...
Speed Ads Outpace Safety Messages, IIHS Study Finds
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that 43% of U.S. vehicle ads in 2018, 2020 and 2022 emphasized performance traits such as speed, power and traction, while only 8% highlighted safety. Performance‑themed ads rose from 14% to 19%...
Germany’s Subsidy Programme Prompts BEV Sales Uptick
German passenger‑car registrations show a clear uptick in battery‑electric vehicle (BEV) sales during March and April, according to data from the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA). The rise follows the rollout of Germany’s expanded EV subsidy programme, which...
Tariffs and Forex Lead to Significant Fall in Toyota Profit
Toyota announced fiscal 2025/26 results showing a 5.5% revenue increase to ¥50.7 tr (≈$338 bn), but operating income slumped 21.5% to ¥3.77 tr (≈$25 bn). Pre‑tax profit fell 19.7% to ¥5.15 tr (≈$34 bn) and net profit slipped 16.8% to just under ¥4 tr (≈$27 bn). The decline...
Handelsblatt: VW Considering Scout Motors IPO
Volkswagen is weighing an initial public offering or strategic stake sale for its U.S. truck brand Scout Motors, CEO Scott Keogh confirmed. Scout, revived from a historic nameplate, has already secured more than 170,000 pre‑orders, with the majority choosing extended‑range...
Toyota Steps up India Ambitions, Targets One Million Upa
Toyota is accelerating its India rollout by planning three new factories slated for completion by the early 2030s, which would lift its annual production capacity to over one million vehicles. Last year the automaker built roughly 152,000 cars under its...
Chery Tries to Crack Japan’s 95% Domestic Market Wall
Chinese automaker Chery has teamed with Japanese auto‑parts retailer Autobacs Seven to launch electric vehicles in Japan under a Singapore‑registered joint venture, with sales slated for 2027. As China’s largest vehicle exporter, Chery is opting for a measured entry, emphasizing...
Toyota Takes US$4.3bn Iran Hit as Disruptions Batter Industry
Toyota warned that the Iran‑Israel conflict will cost it about $4.3 billion in the current fiscal year, driven by higher aluminium, resin and rubber prices and logistics delays. The automaker is absorbing these cost spikes across its supplier network, further squeezing...
Tesla Model Y First to Pass NHTSA’s Eight-Point ADAS Test
Tesla’s 2026‑model Year Model Y became the first vehicle to clear all eight criteria of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s revamped Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) benchmark. The test suite adds four new evaluations—pedestrian automatic emergency braking, lane‑keeping assistance, blind‑spot...
Truck Industry Overview – 2026 Edition
Automotive World’s 2026 truck industry overview reports a modest 4% rise in global truck sales to 22 million units in 2025, driven largely by emerging markets such as India and Brazil. Operating margins slipped to an average 6.5%, reflecting higher material...
Mitsubishi Reins in 2026/27 Guidance Due to Middle East War
Mitsubishi Motors announced it is lowering its 2026/27 earnings guidance as the ongoing Middle East conflict threatens material and logistics costs. The company posted a net profit of ¥21.2 bn (about $152 m) for 2025/26, a 58.2% drop from the prior year....
Autoliv to Wind Down Türkiye Production by 2028
Swedish safety‑systems supplier Autoliv announced it will wind down production of airbags, seatbelts and steering wheels in Turkey, completing the shutdown by the first half of 2028. The move will affect roughly 2,200 workers and shift output to other EMEA...
Porsche to Shut Three Subsidiaries, Cut 500-Plus Jobs
German automaker Porsche AG announced it will wind down three subsidiaries—Cellforce Group, Porsche eBike Performance, and software developer Cetitec—as part of a strategic refocus on its core sports‑car business. The closures will affect more than 500 employees, with roughly 50...
Dauch Nearly Doubles Q1 Sales on Dowlais Deal
Dauch Corporation reported first‑quarter 2026 sales of $2.38 bn, nearly double the $1.41 bn a year earlier, after completing the Dowlais acquisition and rebranding from American Axle & Manufacturing. The deal added GKN Automotive and GKN Powder Metallurgy, driving the sales surge but also...
Kodiak Takes Autonomous Trucks to Canadian Forests
Kodiak AI is deploying its autonomous trucking system to West Fraser Timber's logging operations in Alberta, marking the company's first overseas rollout and entry into the timber sector. The pilot will transport raw timber from remote forest sites to West...
Tariffs Deal Daimler a 99% EBIT Drop in North America
Daimler reported that U.S. tariffs fully impacted its North American operations in Q1 2026, slashing earnings before interest and taxes by about 99%. The Trucks North America unit saw non‑adjusted operating profit tumble 98.7% year‑on‑year to just €10 million (≈ $11 million). The sharp...
Aeva Ships Atlas C-Samples to Daimler Truck NA
Aeva has shipped C‑sample units of its Atlas 4D LiDAR sensor to Daimler Truck North America and Torc Robotics for the autonomous Freightliner Cascadia. The Atlas sensor, built on FMCW technology, can detect objects up to 500 metres and simultaneously capture...
Toyota’s 30-Year Nürburgring Vision Opens Its Doors
Toyota opened its new Toyota Technical Center Shimoyama (TTC‑S) to media, showcasing a 5.3‑km test loop modeled after Germany’s Nürburgring. The facility brings roughly 3,000 designers, engineers and test drivers together in a three‑floor layout that links maintenance, data analysis...
Aeva Nearly Doubles Q1 Revenue to US$6.3m Record
Aeva reported a record first‑quarter revenue of $6.3 million, almost double the $3.4 million earned a year earlier. The company shipped production‑intent 4D LiDAR sensors to Daimler Truck and a top‑10 European passenger‑vehicle OEM, while expanding deployments in defense and industrial sectors....
Diodes Launches 32 Gbps ReDriver for Cockpits
Diodes Incorporated has introduced the PI3EQX32904Q, a four‑channel linear ReDriver delivering 32 Gbps bandwidth for next‑generation automotive smart cockpits. The device supports PCI Express 5.0, SAS4 and CXL, and is built on a 0.13 µm silicon‑germanium BiCMOS process to provide low jitter and high...
Tesla Rebounds in Europe During April, Chinese OEMs Close Gap
Tesla’s European registrations surged in April 2026, with double‑digit growth in France (112%), Sweden (111%) and Denmark (102%). The rebound follows a 28% YoY sales drop in 2025, driven by political backlash and an aging model lineup. BEV market share...
Toyota Stays Course on Fuel Cell Trucks with Hyroad Tie-Up
Toyota announced a partnership with Hyroad Energy to deploy 40 Class 8 fuel‑cell trucks in Southern California, using a bundled lease that includes vehicle, maintenance and hydrogen fueling. The trucks, acquired from Nikola’s 2025 bankruptcy auction, were purchased by Hyroad for...
Keysight and CATARC Open Joint EV Charging Test Lab
Keysight Technologies and China’s automotive testing authority CATARC have launched a Joint Innovation Laboratory for Charging Test Technology. The facility will evaluate electric‑vehicle charging systems against Chinese, European and North American standards, including China’s upcoming 2024 National Standard and the...
Geotab Integrates Polestar EVs Into MyGeotab Fleet Tool
Geotab has added Polestar electric vehicles to its OEM telematics network, allowing fleet operators to view factory‑connected Polestar data directly in the MyGeotab platform. The integration, available in North America, Europe and Asia‑Pacific, covers all Polestar models and eliminates the...
Paygasus and Enghouse Launch Joint Payment Platform
Paygasus and Enghouse Transportation and Public Safety have unveiled a unified payment platform that combines contactless fare collection, parking revenue management, and EV‑charging payment processing for North American transit agencies and municipalities. The cloud‑native solution consolidates all transactions into a...
Einride to Develop Swedish Dual-Use Tracked AV
Einride is co‑leading a three‑year initiative with Sweden’s National Road and Transport Research Institute and about 40 partners to build an autonomous tracked all‑terrain vehicle. The platform, powered by Einride Driver software, will move standard EU pallets of food and...
Honda Shows Zero-Emissions Tech at ACT Expo 2026
At the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, Honda announced it will begin offering its Mobile Power Pack e: (MPP) swappable battery for U.S. B2B product integrations starting in June. The portable battery is designed to reduce charging time, extend range, and...
Clean Energy Expands RNG Network with Six New Sites
Clean Energy Fuels has opened six renewable natural gas (RNG) stations along major freight corridors in California, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Michigan and Washington, expanding its North American footprint to more than 600 locations. The sites, positioned near distribution centers, feature...
Daimler Truck Marks 130 Years with Forward Campaign
Daimler Truck’s “130 Years of Forward” campaign does more than mark a birthday; it reframes a legacy that began with Gottlieb Daimler’s 1896 motorised truck into a narrative of climate‑focused innovation. By aligning its centennial celebration with a decarbonisation agenda,...
Ecobat Exits European Lead Market with Clarios Deal
Ecobat has sold its German and Austrian battery recycling and specialty lead operations to Clarios, completing its exit from the European lead market. The deal includes facilities at Freiberg, Braubach and Arnoldstein and follows earlier divestments in France, Italy and...
Knorr-Bremse Completes Travis Acquisition for CVS Push
Knorr‑Bremse has completed its acquisition of Travis Road Services International, adding a digital booking network to its Commercial Vehicle Systems (CVS) Service Platform. Travis links more than 3,500 service partners across 26 European countries, enabling fleets to find, book and...