Business
Europe accused of ‘mixed signals’ as it softens its 2035 EV mandate
In 2022, the European Union voted to impose a decisive vehicle emissions mandate banning the sale of all new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035, including hybrids. The legislation reflected the EU’s united effort toward mass electrification and a clean energy transition.
Now, less than a decade out from its 2035 combustion engine ban, Europe is getting cold feet about its EV mandate, with Brussels voting yesterday to revise the goal.
U.S. government endorses female crash dummy to close safety gap for female motorists
In the U.S., licensed female drivers outnumber licensed male drivers by about three million, and yet when it comes to safety features, the majority of vehicle testing is still carried out using outdated data and models designed to protect the average man.
According to government data, female drivers in the United States are 73% more likely to be severely injured in a car crash than their male counterparts, and are 17% more likely to die.
UK Government pledges to end overreliance on imports of critical materials used in EV manufacturing
In an effort to end overreliance on imports of critical materials, the UK Government has unveiled a new strategy to invest in the domestic production of the resources essential to critical industries such as automotive.
The Critical Minerals Strategy sets out the ambition to produce 10% of the UK’s mineral needs domestically and 20% through recycling by 2035.
GM urges supply chain to end reliance on China
In an effort to tackle the company’s reliance on Chinese markets, American automotive giant General Motors is urging its suppliers to remove Chinese parts from their supply chains.
Executives at the company have warned suppliers to rethink where they are sourcing raw materials and components used in the automotive manufacturing process, demanding that ties with China be dissolved as early as 2027.
The decision follows a recent escalation in U.S.–China trade disputes, which triggered a domino effect of tit-for-tat tariffs on Chinese and American goods.
China’s trade deal with the U.S. provides cautious optimism for automakers
China’s new trade deal with the U.S. is providing some much needed optimism for the auto industry after years of supply-chain turbulence. The agreement lowers tariffs and eases China’s export restrictions on rare-earth elements- critical materials for electric motors, sensors, and batteries- but major uncertainties remain.
The pact, signed in late October, maintains a 10 percent reciprocal tariff on Chinese imports and promises broader access to rare-earth minerals such as lithium, graphite, and dysprosium. Yet automakers are still waiting for clear guidance from U.S. Customs on when and how those rates take effect.
Elon Musk’s $1tn payday puts him firmly back in the driving seat at Tesla
News Elon Musk took to the stage on Thursday at Tesla’s annual meeting to raucous applause and chants of “Elon!” from shareholders gathered at the company’s Texas gigafactory. Behind him, lit in neon-purple lights, the words “Sustainable Abundance” glowed in a...
Lucid Motors accelerates towards autonomy, partnering with Nuro, Nvidia and Uber
News American automotive and tech company, Lucid Motors, is accelerating its move into the autonomous vehicle market with its high-tech Gravity crossover, forming a powerful alliance with Nuro, Nvidia, and Uber to challenge leaders such as Tesla and Waymo. With a...
Volkswagen develops AI chip to win back Chinese market
News German carmaker Volkswagen has announced plans to develop its first in-house chip for use in its next generation of smart driving vehicles for the Chinese market. VW will develop the AI chip as part of a joint venture between its software unit, Cariad, and...
Waymo’s self-driving taxis are coming to Detroit
News Waymo, owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet, is consolidating a foothold in the Midwest. This week, the company announced it will be moving to the Motor City, bringing its self-driving robotaxi service to Detroit. Detroit will be the sixth U.S. city to...
China eases restrictions on Nexperia chip exports
News In a move that could ease mounting pressure on the global auto supply chain, China has announced plans to grant export exemptions for certain semiconductor products made by Nexperia, the Dutch chip manufacturer caught in the crossfire of recent trade tensions....
GM promises “eyes-off, hands-free” autonomy by 2028
News While automakers such as Volkswagen and Stellantis battle it out in the autonomous ride-hail space, American multinational General Motors (GM) has shifted its focus to developing autonomous technology for personal vehicles. GM introduced its Super Cruise...
BYD’s bumpy quarter spurs global outlook
News China’s electric vehicle giant BYD is hitting a few speed bumps after years of seemingly unstoppable growth. The company, once the shining star of the EV boom and a formidable rival to Tesla, reported a sharp 33% drop in third-quarter profits, underlining the...
Meet Pull Systems, the AI company quietly saving manufacturers millions
By unifying fragmented Quality data, Pull Systems helps engineering teams act before failures become headlines. When manufacturers and suppliers talk about quality control, they typically focus on individual data sets, such as warranty claims and diagnostic...
Toyota commits $10 Billion to U.S. auto plants in landmark Japan–U.S. investment deal
News Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp. has outlined a plan to invest $10 billion in U.S. auto plants. On Tuesday, the U.S. government released a document detailing an investment framework between Japan and the United States. The factsheet contained plans for...
Nexperia supply warning casts a shadow over global supply chains
News Dutch chipmaker Nexperia has warned Japanese automotive customers that it may no longer be able to guarantee supply, heightening fears of new disruptions across the global auto industry. The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) confirmed that several...
Tesla profits fall by 37% despite strong sales
News On Wednesday, Tesla announced that its profits had fallen by 37%, to $1.4 billion, compared with the previous year. Despite the drop in profits, Tesla sold more cars between July and September than it did in the third quarter of the previous year. Many analysts...
Luxury carmakers struggle behind in the race to electrify
Feature The luxury car market has long been associated with speed, extravagance, and above all, the ‘roar’ of combustion engines. Dominated by automakers with legacies in high-end manufacturing, it is an area of the industry that has historically been slow to embrace...
Stellantis bets on the U.S. with $13 billion investment
News Stellantis, the automotive multinational behind Jeep and Fiat, has announced a $13 billion investment across four U.S. states - the company’s largest investment in more than 100 years of U.S. operations. The new venture is set to create 5,000 new jobs in Ohio,...
U.S. carmakers forced to adapt as China tightens restrictions on rare-earth materials
News Last week, China rolled out a new set of restrictions on its rare earth material exports, disrupting the global supply chain and plunging U.S. carmakers into further uncertainty. China, which processes around 90% of the world’s rare earth materials, has clamped...
Trump administration rolls back EV tax credit
News As of yesterday, the Trump administration’s overhaul of electric vehicle (EV) incentives has taken effect, ending the $7,500 federal rebate for EV buyers in the U.S. Trump’s “drill, baby, drill” approach to climate policy has resulted in a dramatic reversal of...
How U.S. states are shaping the future of autonomous travel
As autonomous vehicle (AV) technology hurtles towards wide-spread commercialization, the U.S. is proving that there is no single roadmap for AV success. Instead, the regulation of AVs represents an irregular patchwork where each state defines its own rules, timelines,...
Tesla makes a bid for UK energy
News Following news earlier this week that Elon Musk has been offered $29 billion in shares to remain at Tesla, the company has made the headlines once again this week. Tesla, valued at over $1 trillion, has announced its intentions to launch a household electricity...
Autonomous drones to deliver medication orders in Virginia
AI-powered autonomous delivery network Arrive AI is partnering with a Virginia-based courier company Go2 Delivery to deliver specialty pharmacy products. The medicine deliveries will be done using Go2 Delivery service drones to Arrive AI mailbox points across...
Volvo to be first carmaker to install Google Gemini in its vehicles
Volvo Cars has announced it will become the first automaker to install Google's Gemini platform in its vehicles. Both Google and Volvo demonstrated the launch of this tech together at The Android Show in a Volvo EX90. With Google’s upcoming launch of Google Gemini...
China deploys largest-ever fleet of autonomous mining trucks
Image: Huawei Chinese state-owned energy company Huaneng has launched operations of the largest ever fleet of unmanned autonomous electric mining trucks. 100 autonomous mining trucks have officially entered operation at the Yimin open-pit mine in Inner Mongolia,...
Archer selected as official air taxi provider of the LA28 Olympic Games
Electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft company Archer has been selected as the official air taxi provider for the Los Angeles 2028 (LA28) Olympic and Paralympic Games and Team USA. The California-based company will integrate its Midnight eVTOL...
Baidu robotaxis may be headed to Europe
Chinese tech giant Baidu has entered into talks to launch its autonomous taxi service in Switzerland and Turkey. Its autonomous vehicle division has been holding discussions with Swiss bus service provider PostAuto to potentially launch its robotaxi service app,...
Nissan to close 7 plants as CEO announces $4.5bn net loss
Nissan President and CEO Ivan Espinosa has announced the Japanese automaker will be closing seven of their auto plants as the company announces huge losses in their financial results briefing. On Tuesday, the auto giant's CEO reported a net loss of 670.9 billion yen...
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