On June 13, Ford CEO Jim Farley said the company is struggling with supplies of rare earth magnets that are essential to car production and already forced a shutdown of production of its Explorer SUV at its Chicago plant for a week in May. Farley said that the supply of the critical components has been trickling out

On June 10, Ford of Canada CEO Bev Goodman said that the company’s CAD 3-billion project to retool its Oakville Assembly Complex is “well in the works” despite tariffs hanging over the North American auto industry, though “it will be late 2026 before we see trucks rolling off the line”. 
Ford said crews poured the fo

On June 12, Ford Europe unveiled the new Ranger Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) — the first Ranger with a gasoline-electric hybrid system that works on-road and off-road. It comes in three versions: Stormtrak launch edition, the rugged Wildtrak, and the high-spec XLT. 
The model comes with a five-seat Double Cab and a tough, p

On June 12, U.S. President Trump warned he may soon hike auto tariffs further, arguing that could push OEMs to speed U.S. investments.
"I might go up with that tariff in the not too distant future," Trump said at a White House event. "The higher you go, the more likely it is they build a plant here."
OEMs, in the mea

China has granted temporary export licenses to rare-earth suppliers of the Detroit 3 automakers, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Suppliers to General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis got clearance for some rare earth export licenses on June 2, one of the two sources said. At least some of the licenses are

On June 12, Ford started the mass assembly of vehicle drive battery packs in three different sizes for exclusive use in Ford’s new generation of electric vehicles, the Ford Explorer and Ford Capri, with both vehicles built at the Cologne Electric Vehicle Center.
The new facility has 180 newly installed robots weld, w

According to the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA) report issued on June 11, automobile sales (including imported vehicles of non-VAMA manufactures' sales) in Vietnam were up 13.2% year-over-year to 29,210 units in May. CKD volume was 13,800 units and CBU volume was 15,410 units.
VAMA members (20 ma

Three Japanese OEMs recently announced their May 2025 new car sales results in China.
Toyota sold 144,900 units in May, up 6.8% year-over-year (y/y) and achieving growth y/y for 4 consecutive months. Year-to-date (YTD) sales volume totaled 680,000 units, up 7.5% y/y. Specifically, FAW Toyota electrified models and TN

On June 11, General Motors announced plans to invest about USD 4 billion over the next two years in three of its domestic manufacturing plants to increase U.S. production of both ICE and electric vehicles. The new investment will give GM the ability to assemble more than two million vehicles per year in the U.S. in p

On June 2, Wassym Bensaid, Rivian’s chief software officer and co-head of the Rivian-VW joint venture since November 2024, commented on usage of Rivian-initiated technology in future VW Group products. The partnership is limited to the software stack and the network interconnect, specifically Rivian's zonal architect

On June 10, EcoPro BM said it will suspend construction on its CAD 1.2 billion battery materials plant in Bécancour, Quebec, in “early June,” as U.S. tariffs and slowed EV uptake stall investment in electrification projects across North America.
South Korea-based EcoPro described the construction halt as temporary, b

OEMs built 358,209 light vehicles in Mexico in May 2025, resulting in a 2.0% decrease compared to the 365,644 units built in the same month of 2024, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI).
OEMs with production increases in May included GM with an increase of 14.8% to 77,252 units; Nis

OEMs with manufacturing operations in Mexico exported 301,112 light vehicles in May 2025, a 2.9% decrease compared to the 310,051 units shipped in May 2024, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI).
OEMs with increased exports in May included Toyota with a 29.6% increase to 28,410 units

On June 9, General Motors said it slightly more than doubled its EV sales this year compared with the first five months of 2024, while its share of the EV market in the U.S. also doubled.
Across all brands, GM sold 62,830 electric vehicles from January to May of 2025, with the Chevrolet brand comprising 37,620 of tho

On June 6, the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) has released a 10-point plan for climate-neutral mobility ahead of EU talks in Brussels. The plan urges policymakers in Berlin and Brussels to create the right conditions for long-term success in electric mobility and to support flexibility and innova

On June 3, JAECOO revealed the new J5 SUV for the South African market. It’s a smaller, more affordable option for buyers wanting a premium SUV experience. Despite its compact size, the J5 offers the same luxury, safety, and convenience.
It features a 1.5-litre gasoline engine which generates output of 115 kW and 230

On June 6, Stellantis announced the launch of Circular Autopeças, a new brand for its remanufactured and reused parts line in South America, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable and affordable mobility.
While the global identity SUSTAINera remains in place, the regional rebranding reflects a strategy focused on

On June 4, Bridgestone Americas introduced the Turanza EverDrive, a new all-season touring tire built for sedans, CUVs, and minivans. Backed by an 80,000-mile limited warranty, the longest in Bridgestone’s lineup, the EverDrive is designed for long-lasting performance, comfort, and confident handling in wet, dry, and

On June 6, multiple sources reported that the Director-General of the Nigerian Automotive Design and Development Council announced plans to start producing plastic automotive parts locally, leveraging the country’s access to affordable petroleum by-products. He also revealed that 12 universities, two from each of Nig

The Associacao Nacional dos Fabricantes de Veiculos Automores (ANFAVEA) announced that Brazilian vehicle sales (including trucks and buses) increased 16.2% YOY to 225,710 units in May 2025.
Vehicle sales in May consisted of 167,547 passenger cars; 47,059 light commercial vehicles; 9,161 trucks; and 1,943 buses.
Of th