On March 19, President Donald Trump received Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the White House where they announced new initiatives.
Following the first tranche of three major Japanese investments worth USD 36 billion under the 2025 U.S.-Japan Strategic Trade and Investment Agreement announced in February 2026,

While some Japanese OEMs are exporting a few models from their U.S. factories to Japan in efforts to help trade relations between the two countries, they will be sending them to a market that drives on the other side of the road from where they are built in the U.S.
Toyota is sending three models over to Japan. In tw

On March 18, Toyota USA highlighted the Production Engineering (PE) team that work ats the Toyota Production Engineering and Manufacturing Center (PEMC) in Georgetown, Kentucky, which serves as the bridge between design and development and the production process. Most of PE’s 1,274 team members work at the PEMC, thou

On March 18, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it was widening an earlier probe to the examine the Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature in 3,203,754 vehicles in the U.S.  Affected models include 2016-2026 Models S and X, 2017-2026 Model 3, 2020-2026 Model Y, and 2023-2026 Cybertruck

Tesla Robotaxis have not yet been deployed outside of Austin, Texas, where safety drivers sit in the front passenger side while delivering passengers, or the San Francisco Bay Area, where safety drivers sit behind the steering wheel, but a new city may be in the process of receiving the Model Y taxis.
A parking lot f

On March 19, Hyundai Motor America (HMA) announced it is recalling 61,093 2026 Palisade and 2026 Palisade Hybrid vehicles equipped with a Limited or Calligraphy trim package following the recent death of a child in Ohio. 
The U.S. National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that the 2nd and 3rd row power seat

On March 20, San Jose, California-based Lyten announced its intent in establishing a Lyten Industrial Hub in Poland. In 2026, Lyten will conduct a feasibility study to assess manufacturing requirements for Lyten products, private and public partnerships, and the necessary energy and utility infrastructure. The indust

On March 17, Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG) announced it has executed a commitment letter in respect of senior secured project debt to support the construction, development and commissioning of the Phase-2 Matawinie Mine, identified as a major project of national interest by the Government of Canada.
Export Development

On March 20, 2026, Charge_iN, a joint venture between Mahindra and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), signed an agreement to set up electric-vehicle charging stations at HPCL fuel pumps across India. HPCL operates over 24,400 fuel retail outlets and more than 5,400 EV charging points under the HP e-Charg

On March 19, ZF Steering Gear (India) Limited announced that it has completed an internal transfer of leasehold rights for its factory premises at Plot No. E-3/2, MIDC Supa Parner Industrial Park, Ahilyanagar (Ahmednagar), Maharashtra. The leasehold rights over the factory building, earlier held by NexSteer Systems P

On March 20, Ultraviolette partnered with Bolt.Earth to roll out a nationwide network of interoperable Type-6 DC fast chargers for light electric vehicles, including electric two- and three-wheelers. Type-6, codified by the Bureau of Indian Standards as IS 17017 (Part 2/Section 6) and internationally as IEC 62196-6,

On March 20, Lexus India launched the ES500e, its first Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) for the Indian market, for INR 9 million. It is powered by a 74.68 kWh lithium-ion battery that delivers up to 252 kW of output, all-wheel drive, and a claimed 0–100 km/h time of about 5.5 seconds with an ARAI-certified driving ran

On March 19, the General Secretary of UGT FICA, Mariano Hoya, urged the Spanish government to activate the social safety net to protect jobs, manufacturing operations, and the supply chain.
He highlighted growing concern at major manufacturing centers like Renault and Nissan in Castile and León. Mr. Hoya called Rena

On March 20, Nissan and Motability Operations announced a strategic partnership to explore Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology using the new Nissan LEAF, aiming to help EV drivers reduce electricity and overall driving costs.
The Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology can help reduce pressure on the power grid during peak tim

On March 19, Toyota introduced the all-new Toyota C-HR+, which will be available for purchase across Europe starting March 2026.
The new C-HR+, built on Toyota’s eTNGA platform, comes with two battery options and both front- and all-wheel drive configurations. The new C-HR+ models are equipped with high-capacity lith

On March 19, Volga unveiled its first model, the VOLGA K50, a premium crossover designed to offer high comfort and reflect a strong, modern image. The sale of the new premium crossover is schedule to start in summer 2026.
The new K50, built on a high-tech D-segment platform, is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged

On March 19, Vianode, an advanced battery materials company, and Ateios Systems, a US-based battery component supplier, signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the supply of high-performance synthetic anode graphite to support Ateios’ advanced electrode platform, with phased deliveries planned for use in various battery

On March 20, multiple sources reported that Stellantis suspended van production from March 20 to March 22, 2026, at its Vigo plant. The operations are expected to resume on the night of March 22, 2026.
The halt is likely due to production adjustments or a shortage of components, although the exact reason has not been

On March 19, Trustonic and VicOne extended their strategic partnership with the launch of a new and advanced layered defence solution to significantly boost automotive cybersecurity.
VicOne’s xCarbon Intrusion Detection or Prevention System (IDS/IPS) is combined with Kinibi, Trustonic’s Execution Environment [TEE]. I

On March 19, multiple sources reported that during a meeting between Renault Spain and the labor union, Renault proposed a new industrial plan for Spanish plants. It includes five new models, three for the Palencia plant (two electric and one hybrid vehicle) and two for the Valladolid plant (hybrid vehicles). This pl