OCTO and VW Group Info Services Partner on Fleet Data
Telematics firm OCTO has partnered with Volkswagen Group Info Services to feed OEM vehicle data from six VW Group brands into its fleet management platform. The integration delivers mileage, fuel use, electric‑vehicle status and alerts without extra hardware, covering the EU market. OCTO will use the data for maintenance, theft protection, damage management, driver‑behavior and e‑mobility services, all GDPR‑compliant. The deal aims to boost efficiency and sustainability for fleet operators.
Micro, AMFI and CEiiA Partner on Turin Microcar Venture
Micro, Automotive Micro Factory Italy (AMFI) and Portuguese engineering firm CEiiA have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop and manufacture micro electric vehicles. AMFI’s Turin facility will become the production hub for CEiiA’s BEN microcar, while both companies will...
Mercedes-AMG Confirms New GT3 and GT Black Series
Mercedes‑AMG announced a new GT3 customer racer and an even more extreme GT Black Series, both built on the Concept AMG GT Track Sport platform. The road‑legal Black Series will serve as the homologation model for the upcoming GT3, ensuring compliance with FIA regulations....
GM: A Once Global Giant Is Retrenching to Its Domestic Core
General Motors has trimmed its global footprint, now concentrating production of roughly five million vehicles a year in North America and Asia. The company divested its European operations to PSA in 2017 and has shuttered plants in Australia, India and...
GWM Hunts South Africa Factory After Losing Out to Chery
Great Wall Motor (GWM) is intensifying its South African strategy after losing the Nissan Rosslyn plant to rival Chery. Holding roughly 5 % of the market and ranking sixth in sales, GWM sees local manufacturing as a lever to improve cost...
Iran Conflict Dampens Demand for Luxury Cars in MENA Region
Luxury car manufacturers are halting shipments to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) as the ongoing war in Iran creates logistics and safety challenges. Ferrari, Bentley and Maserati announced pauses in deliveries during the week of March 16, 2026, citing...
Transnoriega Takes 27 Actros Trucks in Mercedes-Benz Fleet Deal
Daimler Truck España delivered 27 Mercedes‑Benz Actros 1853 LS GigaSpace ProCabin trucks to Transnoriega, raising its Mercedes fleet to 49 units. The ProCabin model features an extended front end and aerodynamic design promising up to 3% fuel savings and lower...
2027 Volkswagen Atlas Teased with Premium Interior Update
Volkswagen has unveiled a teaser for the 2027 Atlas, showcasing a premium‑focused interior with ambient lighting strips and a new dot‑matrix speaker grille. The three‑row SUV, a strong seller in the U.S. since its 2023 debut, will be formally revealed...
New Mercedes-Benz GLB Adds 48-Volt Hybrid to European Lineup
Mercedes‑Benz has introduced the combustion‑engine GLB lineup in Europe, equipped with a 48‑volt mild‑hybrid system across five grades. The new models combine a 1.5‑litre turbocharged four‑cylinder engine with a 22 kW electric motor integrated into an eight‑speed dual‑clutch gearbox, delivering 100‑140 kW...
Hesai Brings LiDAR to E-Scooters as Per-Unit Costs Plummet
Hesai has slashed LiDAR prices to about $200 per unit, enabling its FTX blind‑spot sensor to be fitted on Niu Technologies' new NXT2 e‑scooter. The partnership marks a turning point for affordable perception technology, previously limited to high‑end EVs and...
Renault Group Presents futuREady Plan to Supplier Network
Renault Group unveiled its futuREady strategic plan to its supplier network, placing ESG performance at the core of procurement. The TRUST‑ready pillar will consolidate the supplier base, increase volumes with top partners and involve them early in component development. More...
DeepRoute.ai Presents 40B VLA Model for Scalable Autonomy
DeepRoute.ai unveiled a 40‑billion‑parameter vision‑language‑action (VLA) foundation model at Nvidia GTC 2026, compressing the autonomous‑driving data‑processing cycle from over five days to roughly 12 hours per iteration. The model simultaneously drives, analyzes events, and critiques trajectories, automating high‑value training data...
DS Automobiles Launches N°7 with up to 740 Km EV Range
DS Automobiles unveiled the DS N°7, the brand’s first model renewal and successor to the DS 7 compact SUV. The flagship E‑Tense Long Range version delivers up to 740 km WLTP range from a 97.2 kWh battery produced at the ACC Gigafactory in northern...
SABIC Launches ADAS and EV Materials at PIAE 2026
SABIC unveiled three new specialty compounds at PIAE 2026 aimed at ADAS thermal management, recycled exterior parts, and EV battery structures. The LNP Konduit WTF2C replaces die‑cast aluminium in ADAS radar housings, delivering weight savings and design flexibility. LNP Elcrin SLX2373RCC and SLX2375RCC...
Scalvy and Valeo Validate Modular EV Power Architecture
Scalvy and Valeo have completed a concept evaluation of Scalvy’s distributed Power Neuron architecture for electric‑vehicle powertrains under WLTC laboratory conditions. The modular platform achieved a peak inverter efficiency of 98.3 % at 10,000 RPM, kept motor temperatures below 62 °C and power‑device...
Toshiba Releases AEC-Q101 Photocoupler for EV Power Systems
Toshiba introduced the TLX9920 photocoupler, a photovoltaic‑output device designed for automotive solid‑state relays (SSRs). It delivers 5,000 Vrms isolation, an 8 mm creepage distance, and operates from –40 °C to 125 °C. Qualified to AEC‑Q101, the component targets high‑voltage applications such as battery‑management systems,...
Innodisk and Aetina Demo Heavy Vehicle AI Safety at GTC 2026
Innodisk and its subsidiary Aetina showcased a heavy‑vehicle safety platform at Nvidia GTC 2026 that merges surround‑view perception with AI‑driven driver monitoring on the Jetson AGX Orin. The solution stitches eight GMSL2 camera feeds via a custom capture card, delivering real‑time...
AiDEN Auto and Volvo Trucks Tackle Poland SENT Compliance
AiDEN Auto partnered with Volvo Trucks to launch an in‑cab solution that satisfies Poland’s SENT (System for Electronic Transport Supervision) regulation, which mandates electronic monitoring of certain goods. Developed through Volvo Group’s CampX innovation arena, the system moved from concept...
Tier IV Starts Level 4 Autonomy Tests Across Three Continents
Tier IV has released hardware‑agnostic Level 4 autonomous‑driving software stacks through the open‑source Autoware platform, offering both hybrid perception‑planning and fully end‑to‑end configurations. The company began real‑world validation tests across three continents, deploying a Toyota JPN Taxi in Tokyo, a Hyundai Ioniq 5...
Peugeot Launches Turbo 100 Engine for 208 and 2008
Peugeot unveiled the Turbo 100, a new 1.2‑litre three‑cylinder petrol engine featuring a variable‑geometry turbocharger, 350‑bar direct injection and Miller‑cycle combustion. The power unit delivers 101 hp and 205 Nm, debuting in the 208 in March 2026 and the 2008 in May 2026. Development included...
Stellantis Marks 50 Years of Orbassano Safety Center
Stellantis celebrated the 50th anniversary of its Orbassano Safety Center near Turin, a facility that has performed more than 24,000 crash tests since 1976. The 110,000‑square‑metre centre can certify vehicles against over 175 international safety and technology standards and runs...
Opel Combo Electric Is Stellantis Vigo’s 17-Millionth Vehicle
Stellantis' Vigo plant in Spain has produced its 17‑millionth vehicle, an Opel Combo Electric, marking the first Opel model built at the facility. The electric van features a 100 kW motor, 50 kWh battery and up to 334 km WLTP range, and joins...
Lotus Tech Gains UN R171 ADAS Certification in Europe
Lotus Technology has become the second automaker worldwide to secure UN Regulation No. 171 (UN R171) certification, allowing its Eletre hyper‑SUV to offer a Highway Navigation Pilot (HNP) function across Europe via OTA update from June 2026. The certification makes the Eletre the...
BMW I3 Cuts Supply Chain CO2e Emissions by a Third
BMW announced that its upcoming i3 sedan will slash supply‑chain carbon‑dioxide‑equivalent emissions by roughly one‑third compared with industry averages. The vehicle incorporates about 30% secondary materials, including high‑recycled‑content aluminium and PET plastics, and its Gen 6 battery cells emit 33% less...
Rerouting the EV Journey: What Merits a Change of Plan?
The UK’s Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which escalates from 22% EV sales in 2024 to 100% by 2035, is facing industry pushback after the 2024 compliance data revealed reliance on credits and steep consumer discounts. Automakers and the Society...
Volvo Group Profile and Production Forecast to 2030
Automotive World projects Volvo Group will lift annual production to roughly 2.5 million units by 2030, driven by a strong push into electric commercial vehicles. The forecast assumes a 30% share of electric trucks in total sales, backed by a €15 billion...
Uber and Motional Launch Robotaxi Service in Las Vegas
Uber and autonomous‑driving firm Motional have launched a commercial robotaxi service in Las Vegas, deploying all‑electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 vehicles that can be summoned through the Uber app at no additional charge. The service is initially available at several designated zones...
Volkswagen Begins Production of ID.Unyx 08 with Xpeng in Hefei
Volkswagen has begun series production of the ID.Unyx 08, a fully electric full‑size SUV co‑developed with Chinese partner Xpeng, at its Anhui plant in Hefei. The model, featuring 800‑volt ultra‑fast charging, L2 ADAS and OTA updates, is tailored for Chinese consumers...
Marelli’s ZCU Recognised for E/E Architecture Simplification Role
Automotive supplier Marelli’s Zone Control Unit (ZCU) earned the Engineering Product of the Year award at the 2026 Digital Engineering Awards in Boston. Built on the EliteZone platform, the ZCU consolidates multiple ECUs into a single cross‑domain unit, offering gigabit...
Gridserve Expands Electric Freightway with Four New eHGV Hubs
Gridserve announced four new electric heavy‑goods‑vehicle (eHGV) charging hubs in the North West, East Midlands and South East, raising its confirmed or under‑construction sites to eleven across England. The new locations—Moto Knutsford North, Moto Medway East, Markham Vale Electric Forecourt...
ZF and SiliconAuto Take Embedded Award 2026 for I/O Chip Design
ZF Friedrichshafen and SiliconAuto captured the Embedded Award 2026 in the SoC/IP/IC Design category for their jointly engineered I/O interface chip paired with SiliconAuto’s XMotiv M3 microcontroller. The solution demonstrated live at Embedded World 2026, showcasing the first real‑time sensor acquisition...
Automotive World Magazine – March 2026
The March 2026 Automotive World roundup highlights a wave of profit pressures across major OEMs, with Ford’s $8 bn EV‑related loss and Stellantis posting its first annual net loss. European manufacturers such as Mercedes and Volkswagen are cutting costs amid low volumes...
Beyond Trade Policy: What the BIS Connected Vehicle Rule Really Demands From Automotive Software Teams
The U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security’s Connected Vehicle Rule, effective March 2025, focuses on software provenance rather than merely restricting Chinese or Russian components. It requires manufacturers to file Declarations of Conformity backed by defensible documentation that proves where each...
EREVs May Be Interim Tech, but It’s a Long Interim
Extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) combine electric drive with an on‑board ICE generator, delivering up to 1,000 miles of total range while offering 100‑200 miles of zero‑emission travel. China has validated the model, selling roughly 2.4 million units in 2025 and expanding...
Allison and DTNA Expand Partnership for M2 106 Plus Truck
Allison Transmission and Daimler Truck North America have broadened their collaboration by adding two fully automatic gearbox options to the Freightliner M2 106 Plus medium‑duty truck. The 3414 Regional Haul Series transmission, paired with a Cummins X10 diesel, will start production in...
Continental Tyres Chosen by All Top 10 EMEA EV Makers
Continental announced that its original‑equipment tyres equipped all ten of the highest‑volume electric‑vehicle manufacturers in the EMEA region for 2025, extending its reach to 17 of the top 20 global EV makers. The company credits early investment in low rolling...
Honda Earns EPA ENERGY STAR at Seven US Plants in 2025
Honda announced that seven of its U.S. manufacturing facilities earned the EPA ENERGY STAR certification for 2025, recognizing superior energy efficiency. The Marysville and East Liberty Ohio plants marked their 20th consecutive year of certification, while other sites in Indiana,...
Kapsch TrafficCom Integrates TomTom Data Into EcoTrafiX
Kapsch TrafficCom has integrated TomTom’s floating‑car data into its EcoTrafiX traffic‑management platform, delivering live traffic flow, incident alerts, and multimodal movement insights. The partnership eliminates the need for additional roadside hardware and reduces customisation effort for city and road‑authority projects....
TomTom CEO Shake-Up as Mapping Pioneers Depart
TomTom announced a sweeping leadership overhaul as co‑founder and CEO Harold Goddijn will step down in April 2026, with chief revenue officer Mike Schoofs slated to take the helm. Chairman Alain De Taeye and co‑founder Corinne Vigreux are also exiting, coinciding with a...
Quintauris and eSOL Partner on RISC-V Automotive Software Integration
Quintauris and eSOL have announced a partnership to embed eSOL’s real‑time operating system into Quintauris’ RISC‑V automotive platforms. The joint effort targets production‑ready solutions for advanced driver assistance systems, vehicle‑control functions and zonal architectures. By offering a consistent software foundation,...
Marelli Targets Brazil, India and EMEA with New Engine Control Units
Marelli has introduced a new generation of port‑fuel‑injection (PFI) engine control units (ECUs) that cater to gasoline, flex‑fuel and CNG powertrains. The product line is offered in three region‑specific variants for Brazil, India and the broader EMEA market, each designed,...
What Next for Chrysler and Alfa Romeo NA Following CEO Exit?
Christine Feuell, the chief executive of Chrysler and Alfa Romeo North America, resigned abruptly on March 5, citing personal reasons. Stellantis appointed Matt McAlear as her successor, giving him immediate control of both Chrysler and Alfa Romeo NA while he continues to...
WeRide and Geely’s Farizon Prepare to Scale AV Production
WeRide and Geely’s Farizon have signed an expanded agreement to deliver 2,000 next‑generation Robotaxi GXR units beginning in Q3 2026, boosting WeRide’s global fleet to over 2,600 vehicles by year‑end. The GXR runs WeRide’s Gen8 autonomous system with a 600‑metre...
Mercedes-Benz Settles Case over Alleged US Union-Busting
Mercedes‑Benz settled an NLRB case over alleged union‑busting at its Alabama plant, agreeing to post a notice that it will not threaten closure, relocation, benefits loss, or surveillance of workers. The settlement closes the fallout from a May 2024 vote...
What’s Steering Toyota’s “Fund the Future” Mandate?
Toyota has dramatically expanded its venture arm, Toyota Ventures, to accelerate its shift from a traditional carmaker to a broader mobility provider. Since 2017 the unit’s assets under management have risen from $100 million to over $800 million across six funds, backing...
Tier IV Tests Level 2+ Semi-Trailer Truck in Japan
Tier IV, in partnership with Yamato Transport and Mitsubishi Fuso, finished a proof‑of‑concept for long‑haul autonomous trucking in Japan. The trial used a Level 2+ semi‑trailer to cover roughly 2,000 km between Tokyo and Osaka, with a 100‑km segment on the Shin‑Tomei Expressway...
TomTom Names New CEO as Co-Founder Steps Down
TomTom announced that co‑founder Harold Goddijn will step down as Chief Executive Officer at the Annual General Meeting on 16 April 2026 and move to the Supervisory Board. The Supervisory Board has nominated Chief Revenue Officer Mike Schoofs, who joined TomTom in...
Nissan Previews E-Power Range at Bangkok Motor Show
Nissan Thailand will present its complete e‑Power lineup at the 47th Bangkok International Motor Show, running from 5 March to 5 April. The exhibit includes the Serena e‑Power MPV in a new limited‑edition Beige Cashmere Gold colour, the X‑Trail e‑Power equipped with...
Valeo to Showcase In-Cabin Tech at SXSW 2026
Valeo will showcase a suite of in‑cabin and lighting technologies at SXSW 2026, highlighted by the production‑grade Racer gaming system now installed in the Renault Filante. The Racer leverages ADAS sensors to blend real‑world driving data with gameplay, a collaboration with holoride...
Bloomberg: Momenta Targets US$1bn Hong Kong IPO
Momenta, a Chinese autonomous‑driving technology firm valued over $5 bn, has confidentially filed for a Hong Kong initial public offering targeting at least $1 bn in proceeds. Backed by automotive giants such as Toyota, GM and Mercedes‑Benz, and tech investors like Tencent,...