an important milestone for the joint venture’s ongoing development work”. As winter testing is reportedly now complete, and per the terms of its 50/50 joint venture, the Volkswagen Group will invest another USD 1 billion in Rivian. If delivered as before, it will be a USD 1 billion convertible note that will convert into an equity stake at a later date. When the partnership was created in 2024, the VW Group announced it would invest USD 5.8 ...

News  Updated at: 2026/03/28

EU-Mercosur agreement to start from May 1, 2026 On March 23, the European Union notified the Mercosur countries of the instrument of provisional application for the EU-Mercosur interim Trade Agreement (iTA). By sending its “note verbale” to Paraguay, the legal guardian of the Mercosur treaties, the European Commission has taken the final procedural step required for provisional application. The iTA will provisionally apply from May 1, 2026, b...

News  Updated at: 2026/03/24

dent and CEO of Vector Japan, to learn about the company's business strategy in software development, including SDV development support, and cooperation examples. The company aims to transform into a software ecosystem provider by providing its comprehensive Software-Defined System (SDS) solution. (Note: Vector Japan is the Japanese subsidiary of Vector Informatik.) Q1.  Including support for SDV development, how do you envision 2026 unfoldin...

News  Updated at: 2026/03/23

vehicles sold in Europe originated in China, a figure that is set to rise to 1.53 million units by 2030. This will cement China’s position as Europe’s largest single source of imported vehicles by far, even as a sizable proportion of Chinese manufacturing transfers to Europe. It is important to note that not all European markets are bound by EU tariff policy: the UK and Russia, for example, are under no obligation to adopt EU measures. Indeed...

News  Updated at: 2026/03/23

at the end of March 2028. The new models will be transferred to Nissan Motor Kyushu Co., Ltd. (Nissan Motor Kyushu, Kanda Town, Fukuoka Prefecture) after the Oppama Plant establishes the necessary know how for ensuring quality and improving efficiency. With sluggish sales of the currently produced Note and Note Aura, the company also aims to improve the plant’s operating rate. The all-new Kicks is a compact five-passenger SUV and is scheduled ...

News  Updated at: 2026/03/18

ers by Retail Sales - Maker February 2026(1,000 units) y/y 1 Geely 145 -19.3% 2 BYD 89 -56.9% 3 FAW-VW 79 -20.0% 4 Changan Auto 69 -14.7% 5 Chery 57 -35.1% 6 SAIC-VW 57 -15.7% 7 GAC Toyota 42 -0.4% 8 Tesla China 38 42.7% 9 SAIC-GM-Wuling 34 -49.8% 10 BMW Brilliance 33 0.6% Note: Data in the table refer to sales volumes of passenger cars including sedans, SUVs, MPVs, and minivans. From a CPCA press release...

News  Updated at: 2026/03/16

U.S. auto sales fall 2.6% in February; Iran and U.S.-Israel conflict becomes new concerns Note: Some figures were updated on March 25. The number of new vehicles sold in the U.S. in February 2026 (preliminary figures including estimates for GM/Stellantis/Tesla, etc.), aggregated by MarkLines as of March 4, was 1,190,508 units, down 2.6% from the same month last year. February had 24 selling days, the same as a year earlier. Light vehicle seasonal...

News  Updated at: 2026/03/04

to its strong presence in the high-volume, entry-level segment, bolstered by a solid reputation for quality and service. For Proton to close the gap, it may need to re-enter the MPV segment or introduce a budget-friendly seven-seater SUV to compete with Perodua’s Alza and Aruz. It is important to note that Proton ended sales and production of the Exora MPV in early 2024. Furthermore, Proton’s goal for 30% of sales to also come from electrifie...

News  Updated at: 2026/03/02

January motorcycle production in Thailand down 10.5% On February 24, 2026, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) announced that motorcycle production in January 2026 reached 201,007 units, down 10.5% YoY, comprising 166,394 CBUs and 34,613 CKDs. Note: The January 2025 figures (total, CBUs, and CKDs) have been revised from previously reported numbers. The updated figures are 224,589 units in total, including 177,822 CBUs and 46,767 CKDs. Motorcy...

News  Updated at: 2026/02/24

ject to section 232 actions (no stacking) In addition, Trump has directed the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to use its section 301 authority to investigate “certain unreasonable and discriminatory acts, policies, and practices that burden or restrict U.S. commerce”. Of note, Trump said the U.S. will “continue to honor its legally binding Agreements on Reciprocal Trade. The United States expects the same commitment ...

News  Updated at: 2026/02/24

CCCEU welcomes EU acceptance of Volkswagen's EV price undertaking On February 10, the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU (CCCEU) took note that the European Commission accepted Volkswagen (Anhui)'s price undertaking for exports of battery electric vehicles, allowing the relevant model to be exempted from countervailing duties provided that the minimum import price conditions are met. The CCCEU Automotive Working Group has recently held a technic...

News  Updated at: 2026/02/13

ssenger Car Makers by Retail Sales - Maker January 2026(1,000 units) y/y 1 Geely 210 -12.6% 2 FAW-VW 132 -3.5% 3 BYD 94 -53.0% 4 SAIC-VW 90 -9.3% 5 Changan Auto 82 -33.3% 6 Chery 79 -40.3% 7 FAW Toyota 65 8.3% 8 GAC Toyota 64 0.3% 9 HIMA 58 65.5% 10 BMW Brilliance 51 -3.9% Note: Data in the table refer to sales volumes of passenger cars including sedans, SUVs, MPVs, and minivans. From a CPCA press release...

News  Updated at: 2026/02/13

Proton’s January 2026 group sales soar to 19,833 units, best month in 15 years Announced on February 3, 2026, Proton began 2026 on a high note, recording group sales of 19,833 vehicles in January, its best monthly sales in 15 years. This represents a 35.3% MoM increase and a 100% YoY jump from January 2025. Proton’s market share for the month is estimated at 30.6%, the highest since January 2012. The growth was driven by the 2026 Proton Saga,...

News  Updated at: 2026/02/06

tomotive World (AW) 2026 was held from January 21 to 23, 2026. During the show, MarkLines conducted exclusive interviews with several companies. At the Vector Japan booth, we interviewed Ms. Makiko Tobe, Director of the Marketing Communications Department at Vector Japan and booth representatives. (Note: Vector Japan is the Japanese subsidiary of Vector Informatik.) The company is dedicated to providing solutions that simplify work with comple...

News  Updated at: 2026/02/05

[AW 2026 Exclusive Interview] Astemo Cypremos : Advancing Toward Mobility Services Beyond the SDV The Automotive World (AW) 2026 was held from January 21 to 23, 2026. During the event, MarkLines conducted exclusive interviews with several companies. At the Astemo Cypremos booth, we interviewed President and CEO Takeshi Mitamura, along with booth attendants. (Note: Astemo Cypremos is a wholly owned subsidiary of Astemo responsible for software and...

News  Updated at: 2026/02/05

U.S. auto sales flat in January; Toyota, Honda, Nissan post gains Note: Some figures were updated on February 10. The number of new vehicles sold in the U.S. in January 2026 (preliminary figures including estimates for GM/Stellantis/Tesla, etc.), aggregated by MarkLines as of February 4, was 1,104,953 units, roughly flat year over year (down 0.2%). January had 26 selling days, one more than a year earlier. Light vehicle seasonally adjusted annual...

News  Updated at: 2026/02/04

2026, Honda Malaysia reported total vehicle sales of 72,301 units in 2025, securing an 8.8% share of the overall market. The automaker also maintained its position as the leading brand in the non-national passenger vehicle segment for the 12th straight year. Honda Malaysia ended 2025 on a resilient note, supported by healthy demand across its current range, continued growth in hybrid adoption, and deeper engagement with customers.  The HR-V, Cit...

News  Updated at: 2026/02/04

wheels or more, consisting of (i) 122,123 passenger vehicles (up 74.7% YoY) (including 118,725 private passenger cars and 3,398 vehicles registered for other purposes), (ii) 662 pickup trucks and vans, (iii) 133 buses, and (iv) 416 trucks. Meanwhile, electric motorcycles accounted for 24,163 units. Note: Starting with the December 2025 figures, MarkLines’ monthly e-mobility registration news in Thailand will now mention all types of electric ve...

News  Updated at: 2026/01/29

. What are the characteristics of the Gradient Softening Component, one of the highlights of the company's booth? A1. The strength of gradient softening technology lies in its ability to reduce the impact penetration of hot-stamped items. At the Automotive World 2025, infrared softening technology (Note) was exhibited. It became apparent that demand is growing to reduce intrusion levels in response to the shift towards electric vehicles. Hot-stam...

News  Updated at: 2026/01/28

id labor shortages. Thailand has begun groundwork through public–private cooperation, led by the Connected and Autonomous Vehicle (CAV) Proving Ground in Rayong under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, enabling SAE Level 3–5 autonomous testing. However, analysts note that Thailand remains unprepared, with key challenges including infrastructure readiness, incomplete regulatory frameworks, traffic behavior, and...

News  Updated at: 2026/01/20