GM to Invest over $150m in Saginaw Casting Facility in US
General Motors announced a $150 million investment in its Saginaw Metal Casting Operations to equip the plant for sixth‑generation V‑8 engine block and head production. The upgrade will run alongside existing fifth‑generation V‑8 output, with the new engines slated for launch in 2027 to power full‑size pickup trucks. The spend is part of GM’s broader $5.5 billion 2025 investment program and follows a $500 million allocation for its Flint Engine plant. The move secures over 300 jobs and reinforces Saginaw’s role in the U.S. automotive supply chain.
JD Power Holds Its 2026 US Light Vehicle Sales Forecast at 16.3m Units
JD Power reaffirmed its 2026 U.S. light‑vehicle sales outlook at 16.3 million units, despite geopolitical tension in the Middle East and rising fuel costs. Demand remains solid, reflected in March 2026 retail sales of 1.12 million vehicles, the year’s highest month. The...
Leapmotor Launches A10 (B03X) in China
Leapmotor, the Stellantis China joint venture, unveiled the A10 (global B03X) as the first model on its new A‑platform, targeting mainstream markets with premium features. The SUV boasts a 505 km CLTC range, dual Qualcomm 8295/8650 chips, LiDAR‑enabled ADAS and a...
Volvo Cars Set to Become Lynk & Co’s Sole Importer in Europe
Volvo Cars and Geely Auto have signed a memorandum of understanding that would make Volvo the exclusive importer of Lynk & Co vehicles in Europe. The deal would see Lynk & Co sold and serviced through Volvo’s existing dealer network,...
Honda to Shift Thousands of Engineers to Revived R&D Unit – Report
Honda Motor will re‑establish Honda R&D as an independent unit in April, moving several thousand engineers back into a separate research entity. The decision reverses a 2020 consolidation that aimed to speed execution but left the company lagging behind Chinese...
The ‘Doorman Fallacy’: Status Signaling in an SDV Future
The article introduces the “Doorman Fallacy,” warning against replacing roles that provide intangible value with purely functional technology. It argues that as software‑defined vehicles (SDVs) and autonomous fleets become ubiquitous, traditional status cues tied to vehicle technology will erode. Consequently,...
The Five Controls Driving Good Outcomes in Collections
In 2026 collections teams face higher complaint volumes and tighter regulatory scrutiny, making auditability as critical as repayment rates. The industry shift is from adding more tools to building disciplined controls that ensure consistent, explainable actions across channels. Five essentials...
JSW Motors Partners Dassault Systèmes to Boost Design and Manufacturing
JSW Motors, the new‑energy vehicle arm of India’s JSW Group, has signed a long‑term strategic partnership with Dassault Systèmes. The automaker will adopt the DELMIA 3DExperience platform, including CATIA and ENOVIA, to digitize vehicle design, engineering and manufacturing. The collaboration also...
Kia to Launch 13 BEV Models Globally by 2030
Kia Corporation announced a plan to roll out 13 new battery‑electric vehicle (BEV) models worldwide by 2030, aiming to counter the current slowdown in global EV demand. The strategy includes expanding production outside South Korea to key regions such as...
Tata Motors, BMW Among Automakers Set to Raise Prices in India
Tata Motors, BMW, Audi and other automakers will raise vehicle prices in India next month as material and logistics costs surge amid Middle‑East tensions and a weakening rupee. Tata plans up to a 1.5% hike for commercial vehicles and a...
Mobileye Announces US OEM Win for Driver Monitoring System (DMS)
Mobileye announced that a leading U.S. automaker will integrate its Driver Monitoring System (DMS) with the EyeQ6L system‑on‑chip, targeting production start in 2027. The deal expands an existing ADAS program to span millions of vehicles across multiple models and model...
Xpeng Sets up Standalone Robotaxi Unit
Xpeng has launched a standalone robotaxi business unit that will coordinate product definition, integration, R&D testing and daily operations. The division aims to begin real‑world passenger trials in the second half of 2026, with fully autonomous, safety‑operator‑free rides expected by...
SAIC MG Announces ‘Semi-Solid-State Battery’ for Fitment This Year
SAIC’s MG brand unveiled its SolidCore Battery, a semi‑solid‑state pack slated for mass production and European vehicle fitment by the end of 2026. The technology promises longer range, faster charging, superior low‑temperature performance and enhanced safety through a solid electrolyte...
Plant Owned by a Hyundai-Kia Engine Parts Supplier Destroyed by Fire
A major fire at Anjeon Industrial's engine valve plant in Daejeon killed 14 people, injured 60, and destroyed much of the facility. The plant, which supplied Hyundai Motor and Kia with roughly 70 million engine valves per year, is now offline....
ASEAN LV Market Set to Decline in 2026 Despite Strong January Sales
ASEAN light‑vehicle (LV) sales are projected to dip 1% YoY to 3.20 million units in 2026, despite a 31% surge in January driven by strong performance in Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. The Philippines remains the outlier, with LV demand weakening as...
BorgWarner Secures Its First 48V Electric Cross Differential Order in China
BorgWarner announced it has secured its first 48‑volt electric cross‑differential (eXD) program with a Chinese OEM, marking the debut of the technology in its global portfolio. The eXD integrates with the vehicle’s 48 V electrical architecture to dynamically manage torque between...
NXP Unveils Third-Generation RFCMOS Automotive Radar Transceiver
NXP Semiconductors introduced the third‑generation RFCMOS automotive radar transceiver TEF8388, an 8‑transmit/8‑receive (8T8R) device capable of supporting imaging radar sensors with up to 576 antenna channels. The chip maintains power consumption comparable to legacy 3T4R solutions while offering scalable configurations...
Posco, Molten to Collaborate on Graphite Production for Battery Anodes
Posco Future M and U.S. start‑up Molten Industries have signed an agreement to produce high‑purity graphite for battery anodes using methane‑derived pyrolysis. Molten’s process splits methane into hydrogen and graphite via resistive heating, and a pilot plant already operates in...
Philippine Vehicle Sales Fall 8% in February
New vehicle registrations in the Philippines dropped 8% in February 2026, falling to 35,842 units from 39,164 a year earlier. The decline follows a 10% drop in January and reflects a broader slowdown in economic growth, with GDP growth slowing...
Big Efficiency Gains Seen From Autonomous Trucking
Aurora Innovation released a Steer Group report showing autonomous freight already contributes $3.3 billion to the U.S. trucking sector and supports 17,000 jobs. The analysis projects the autonomous trucking segment will generate $70 billion of GDP by 2035, delivering $9.4 billion in annual...
LG, GM to Make LFP ESS Batteries in Tennessee, Recall 700 Laid Off Workers
General Motors and LG Energy Solution’s Ultium Cells will convert its Spring Hill, Tennessee plant to produce lithium‑iron‑phosphate (LFP) battery cells for stationary energy‑storage systems, investing $70 million in the retooling. Production is slated to start in the second quarter of...
China to Double Size of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Fleet by 2030
China’s central government announced a target of over 100,000 fuel‑cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) by 2030, more than double the roughly 40,000 on the road today. By the end of 2025 the country operated 574 hydrogen refuelling stations capable of dispensing...
Hesai Joins Nvidia Halos AI Systems Inspection Lab
Hesai Technology has joined Nvidia’s Halos AI Systems Inspection Lab, the first ANSI‑accredited facility for testing AI‑driven physical systems. The partnership obliges Hesai to evaluate its LiDAR platforms against a unified framework covering functional safety, cybersecurity and AI compliance. Hesai,...
Bentley Posts Healthy Operating Profit Again
Bentley reported a seventh straight year of profit, posting €216 million operating profit for 2025 despite a 5% drop in vehicle deliveries. Revenue slipped only 1% to €2.6 billion, helped by higher‑margin bespoke options and strong Bentayga sales, including the new Bentayga...
Kia and TotalEnergies Extend Global Partnership Through 2031
Kia Corporation and TotalEnergies have renewed their global partnership with a five‑year agreement that extends cooperation through 2031. Under the deal, TotalEnergies will continue supplying its Quartz engine oils to Kia’s worldwide dealer network, supporting vehicle maintenance and performance. The...
How the Automotive Markets in the US and Europe Are Changing
Automotive manufacturers are navigating a rapid shift from combustion engines to electric vehicles, with global EV sales projected to rise from 14.7 million in 2025 to 17.4 million in 2026. In the United States, California accounts for roughly 35% of EV registrations,...
Posco to Invest in Global Artificial Graphite Anode Plant in Vietnam
South Korea's Posco Future M announced a KRW 357 billion ($239 million) investment to build an artificial graphite anode plant in Thai Nguyen, Vietnam. The facility will initially target 55,000 metric tons of annual capacity, scaling up in phases as orders materialize, with...
Mitsubishi Fuso Sets up Global Engineering Hub in India
Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation has inaugurated the Fuso Tech Centre India (FTCI) in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, creating a 2,847 m² global engineering hub. The centre consolidates product development, cost engineering, IT, digital solutions and procurement under one roof, and features...
BYD Explores Canada Plant and Potential Legacy Automaker Buyout
Chinese EV giant BYD is weighing the construction of a wholly‑owned plant in Canada, a market that recently lifted tariffs on up to 49,000 Chinese‑made EVs per year. The company also left open the option of acquiring a legacy automaker,...
Subaru-Infineon Partnership to Intensify OEM Competition in ADAS
Subaru and Infineon announced a joint development of an ADAS‑focused ECU built around Infineon’s AURIX TC4x microcontroller. The partnership targets a redesign of Subaru’s EyeSight system, adding six 500 MHz TriCore cores, ASIL‑D safety compliance, and hardware accelerators for radar and...
Middle East Crisis Adds Pressure on Global Automotive Sector
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...
Posco, Sila to Collaborate in Next-Gen Battery Technologies
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-LGES, Huayou in Battery Recycling Partnership in Indonesia
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 PV Retail Sales Plunge 25% in February
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...
New Xpeng G6 Now at UK Retailers Nationwide
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 and Sales Decouple as Chinese Imports Take Off
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....
EPMB Launches Local Assembly of MG S5 BEV in Malaysia
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...
Nio Enters Thai Market with Firefly BEV
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 Vehicle Market Declines 9% in February – VAMA
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...
CATL Net Profit Rises 42.3% in FY25 on EV Battery Demand
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 Opens 2026 with Record January Sales
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 Is Drawing a Younger Customer and Pursuing Automotive Enthusiasts
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 Prioritises Next-Gen C-Segment EVs
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 Completes New Chassis Modules Plant in Hungary
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 Launches E-Every in Japan
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...
Hormuz Closure Halts Japan’s Used-Vehicle Exports via UAE Hub
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...
Nissan Leaf Chosen by the WWCOTY as the Supreme Winner of 2026
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 Selects NTT Docomo for Smart-Car Connectivity in EVs
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 Subsidiaries Begin $1.5bn Notes Offering for EDS Spin-Off
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...
Tata Motors, Stellantis Explore Hybrids, Lightweight Tech Under MoU – Report
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...