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Every morning
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Volkswagen and Volvo warned that the escalating Iran conflict could suppress vehicle demand in the Middle East, a region projected to sell three million light vehicles in 2025, with Iran contributing roughly a third. Executives cited rising consumer anxiety and the likelihood of postponed purchases. The warning arrives as the global auto sector already grapples with uneven electric‑vehicle adoption, lingering US tariff effects, and a slowdown in China. Supply chains remain intact, but market activity in the region has essentially halted.
Posco Future M, the battery materials arm of South Korea’s Posco Holdings, has signed a strategic agreement with U.S.‑based Sila Nanotechnologies to co‑develop next‑generation silicon‑based anodes. Sila’s Titan Silicon anode, built from nano‑engineered silicon particles, promises substantially higher energy density...
Hyundai Motor Group’s Indonesian JV with LG Energy Solution, PT Hyundai LG Indonesia Green Power, has teamed up with Zhejiang Huayou Recycling to process both production waste and end‑of‑life EV batteries. The $1.1 billion Karawang plant, operational in 2024, will ship waste to Huayou’s local...
China’s passenger‑vehicle retail sales slumped 25% in February 2026, falling to 1.034 million units versus 1.385 million a year earlier. The decline was mirrored across all segments, with NEV sales plunging 32% and BEV sales down 35%. The slowdown reflects weaker consumer...
Chinese EV maker Xpeng has launched its new G6 electric coupe‑SUV across all UK retailers. The model features an 800 V electrical architecture and a lithium‑iron‑phosphate battery that can charge from 10‑80 % in about 12 minutes, delivering up to 326 miles WLTP...
European light‑vehicle production fell 3.9 % in 2024 while sales rose 4.6 %, breaking a decade‑long production‑sales alignment. Imports from China have surged, now accounting for 1.37 million vehicles in 2025 and projected to hit 1.53 million by 2030, especially in the economy segment....
SAIC Motor’s MG brand has begun local assembly of the S5 battery‑electric vehicle in Malaysia through a partnership with EP Manufacturing Bhd (EPMB). The Alor Gajah plant will assemble up to 2,000 units this year from imported CKD kits, leveraging...
Chinese EV manufacturer Nio has launched its Firefly compact battery‑electric vehicle in Thailand, the brand’s second Southeast Asian market after Singapore. The rollout was supported by a distribution agreement with Thonburi Blue Sky, the Thai importer that also handles Mercedes‑Benz....
Vietnam's wholesale vehicle market slipped 9% in February 2026, registering 15,665 units, a dip attributed to fewer working days during the Lunar New Year. Despite the monthly decline, the first two months of the year saw a robust 38% increase...
Chinese battery giant CATL posted a 42.3% jump in FY25 net profit, reaching 72.2 bn yuan ($10.44 bn). Operating revenue rose 17% to 423.7 bn yuan, driven by a 25.1% increase in EV‑battery sales, which now represent 74.7% of total revenue. The company...
India’s light‑vehicle market opened 2026 with a record‑breaking 522,000 units sold in January, a 13% month‑on‑month and 14% year‑on‑year rise. Passenger‑vehicle sales climbed 13% YoY to 448,000 units while light‑commercial volumes surged 19% YoY to 74,000 units. The surge was...
Bentley unveiled a limited‑edition Continental GTC convertible, co‑designed with musicians Anna Lapwood, Tina Guo and Sister Bliss, to mark International Women’s Day. The bespoke project, executed by Mulliner, showcases satin Peacock paint, Imperial Blue interior and bespoke stitching, underscoring Bentley’s...
Renault has made next‑generation C‑segment electric vehicles its top strategic priority, anchored by the new RGEV medium 2.0 platform. The 800‑volt architecture promises ultra‑fast 10‑minute charging and up to 750 km WLTP range, extendable to 1,400 km with a range extender. Built...
Hyundai Mobis has finished building a 50,000 sqm chassis‑modules plant near Kecskemét, Hungary. The facility will supply steering and braking systems to Mercedes‑Benz’s nearby assembly line, initially for the CLA, EQB and A‑Class electric and hybrid models. Production runs under a Just‑in‑Time/Just‑In‑Sequence...
Suzuki Motor Corp. has introduced the e‑Every, a battery‑electric mini commercial vehicle available as a minibus and delivery van in Japan. The model uses a 36.6 kWh lithium‑iron‑phosphate battery delivering up to 257 km of range and a 64 PS eAxle that surpasses...
Iran’s shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz has halted shipments of Japan’s used‑car exports that normally pass through the UAE’s Dubai Auto Zone hub. The UAE accounts for about 15% of Japan’s 2025 used‑vehicle exports, roughly 260,000 units, and the...
The Nissan Leaf was crowned the 2026 Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year (WWCOTY) after a vote by 86 female journalists from 55 countries. The award highlights the Leaf’s practical electric drivetrain, offering up to 386 miles on a 75 kWh...
BMW will embed NTT Docomo Business’s smart‑car connectivity platform in its next‑generation electric vehicles launching from 2026, beginning with the iX3 model in the Neue Klasse line. The solution relies on an embedded SIM that delivers stable, multi‑country mobile links, enabling real‑time...
Aptiv’s subsidiaries have launched a $1.5 bn private senior notes offering tied to the planned spin‑off of its Electrical Distribution Systems (EDS) unit. The notes, due in 2031 and 2034, will be held in escrow until the separation is finalized. In...
India’s Tata Motors and Stellantis have signed a memorandum of understanding to broaden their existing partnership into hybrid powertrains and lightweight engineering. The MoU targets development of engines and hybrid systems that meet the upcoming CAFE Phase III fuel‑efficiency standards, with...
Ampere, Renault Group's EV and software arm, has signed a Joint Development Agreement with Basquevolt to fast‑track lithium‑metal battery technology for future electric vehicles. The partnership leverages Basquevolt's polymer‑electrolyte cells, which promise a substantial jump in energy density, lighter packs,...
ARIA Sensing has partnered with Algorized to launch an AI‑driven ultra‑wideband radar platform, beginning with an in‑cabin child presence detection system for automotive OEMs and Tier‑1 suppliers. The solution merges ARIA’s HYDROGEN 4×4 UWB radar SoC—featuring 3‑D sensing, digital beamforming...
Hyundai Mobis is hosting a ten‑day technology showcase at its Arjeplog, Sweden winter testing ground, marking the site’s 20th anniversary. More than 100 engineers and purchasing managers from ten European and North American customers will evaluate demo vehicles equipped with upcoming...
A software-defined vehicle (SDV) shifts core vehicle functions from hardware to software, enabling centralized computing that can be updated over‑the‑air. This architecture lets automakers add features, improve performance, and meet safety regulations long after a car leaves the showroom. Leading...
Rivian will equip its upcoming R2 SUV with GSMA SGP.32‑enabled eSIM technology and 5G connectivity through a partnership with German security firm Giesecke+Devrient and telecom operator AT&T. The SGP.32 specification allows remote SIM provisioning, letting Rivian use a single hardware...
Tata Technologies has teamed up with UK‑based WITTENSTEIN High Integrity Systems to embed the SAFE RTOS operating system into its software‑defined vehicle (SDV) platform. The integration positions SAFE RTOS as a core safety layer for Tata’s automotive software stack, helping OEMs and...
HUBER+SUHNER is developing a 3D waveguide radar antenna for ADAS and autonomous driving. The antenna reduces signal loss, improves resolution and works in adverse weather. Operating at 77 GHz, the technology offers larger apertures, higher channel counts and better EMC integration...
Hyundai Motor Group has partnered with Idemia Secure Transactions to embed eSIM‑based connectivity across its Hyundai, Kia and Genesis vehicles. The IST Connectivity Manager, hosted on Microsoft Azure and GSMA‑certified, enables remote carrier switching and over‑the‑air updates. Deployment begins in...
Hyundai Motor Group announced a Won10tn ($6.97bn) five‑year investment in the Saemangeum reclaimed area of Jeollabuk‑do. The plan focuses on building an AI data centre, large‑scale water electrolysis for hydrogen, and a robot manufacturing hub, complemented by solar generation to...
Qualcomm Technologies and Tata Electronics have signed a partnership to produce Qualcomm Automotive Modules at Tata's new semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) facility in Assam, India. The $3 bn greenfield plant will integrate Snapdragon Digital Chassis system‑on‑chips into ready‑to‑deploy automotive modules...
Brazil’s foreign trade committee approved five‑year anti‑dumping duties on a wide range of Chinese steel products after a 2024 investigation revealed pricing below market levels. The duties range from US$323 to US$670 per ton for cold‑rolled coil and US$285 to...
UK heavy goods vehicle registrations fell 10% in 2025, with 40,504 new trucks added, marking a contraction across every quarter. The decline was most pronounced in box vans (-28.1%) and curtain‑sided trucks (-26.2%), while tractor units slipped 4.4% but rebounded...
South Korean module maker MCNEX and Valens Semiconductor have launched a new family of automotive front‑ and rear‑view cameras that deliver quad‑high‑definition (QHD) video using Valens’ VA7000 A‑PHY chipsets. The cameras transmit high‑resolution video over unshielded twisted‑pair (UTP) or low‑cost...
Suzuki Motor, through its corporate venture arm Suzuki Global Ventures, has invested in industrial‑robotics software developer Linkwiz. Linkwiz’s platform merges 3D scanning with robot control to automate visual inspection and other variable processes in automotive factories. The technology is already...
Infineon Technologies will equip BMW’s upcoming Neue Klasse platform with a suite of core semiconductors, including AURIX and TRAVEO microcontrollers, BRIGHTLANE Ethernet, OPTIREG power‑management ICs, and PROFET smart‑power switches and eFuses. The platform adopts a centralized, zonal E/E architecture featuring...
