White House nears tariff relief for U.S. auto manufacturers after lobbying push The Trump Administration is poised to ease tariffs on the U.S. auto industry in a move that follows aggressive lobbying efforts by automotive OEMs. The Commerce Department is slated to announce a five-year extension for an arrangement that allows OEMs to reduce what they pay in tariffs on imported car parts, according to people familiar with the matter. Previously, th...

News  Updated at: 2025/10/18

Carney says Stellantis offered assurances on Brampton plant, dependent on USMCA On October 16, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters that the global head of Stellantis told him shortly before the company announced it would be moving planned production of the Jeep Compass to Belvidere, Illinois from its plant in Brampton, Ontario, that the company is looking at finding a new model to fill the idled Canadian plant, but that a decision ...

News  Updated at: 2025/10/18

VW to spread out tariff costs, add hybrids in Canadian market VW Canada will count on a number of redesigned models, hybrid powertrains and a balanced approach to tariff costs to augment growth in Canada amid tariffs and trade tensions, according to VW Canada President Edgar Estrada at an industry event in Toronto on October 14. Estrada said the company is already adapting certain models to include hybrid powertrains. “The investment has been a...

News  Updated at: 2025/10/18

GM Energy expands access to energy management products across U.S. On October 15, GM Energy vice president Wade Sheffer gave an accounting of the progress the wholly owned EV and electrification subsidiary has been capable of over the last 18 months, including •    Expanded operations to all 50 U.S. states•    30% month-over-month revenue growth since January•    5x increase in sales volume for charging and energy products since Janua...

News  Updated at: 2025/10/18

Toyota North America launches enhanced Toyota Audio Multimedia system On October 13, Toyota announced an enhanced version of the Toyota Audio Multimedia system that make its debut in the all-new 2026 RAV4, before rolling out to future models in the Toyota lineup. The Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) R&D and Connected Technologies team partnered with designers and software engineers at Toyota Connected North America (TCNA) to create this enhanced...

News  Updated at: 2025/10/18

Volvo Group sees North American trucking slump through 2026 amid tariffs On October 17, upon releasing its Q3 2025 results, the Volvo Group said that in Q3, its net sales had increased in Europe, while more difficult market conditions in North America and South America impacted sales negatively. Volvo said it expects trucking demand in North America to remain under pressure into 2026, as weak freight activity and President Trump's tariffs weigh o...

News  Updated at: 2025/10/18

Tesla prepares for Robotaxi expansion in other U.S. states Tesla first launched its Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, in late June, before expanded the service to the San Francisco Bay Area just a month later. Since then, it has not launched any public rides in any other states, but it has gained several approvals for early testing. In preparation for operation in new states, Tesla routinely lists job postings on its Careers website, which helps...

News  Updated at: 2025/10/18

Renault South Africa presents new-generation KWID model On October 16, Renault South Africa revealed the new-generation KWID, ahead of the model’s 10th anniversary in 2026. It is powered by a 1.0-litre Smart Control Efficiency engine, which uses low fuel i.e., 4.9L/100 km for the manual and 4.4L/100 km for the AMT version. Following Renault’s updated naming system, the trims have been renamed: Life becomes Evolution, Zen becomes Techno, and C...

News  Updated at: 2025/10/17

Stellantis partners with Pony.ai, China to launch level 4 robotaxi trials in Europe from 2026 On October 17, Stellantis signed a non-binding MoU with Pony.ai, China to speed up the development of robotaxi solutions in Europe. Through Pony.ai’s European division in Luxembourg, the partnership will combine Pony.ai’s autonomous driving software with Stellantis’ AV-Ready BEV (K0) platform for medium vans, creating safe and scalable urban mobili...

News  Updated at: 2025/10/17

Bengaluru, India based startup Flowatt secures funding to Expand Pay-per-use battery service for commercial EV fleets On October 15, 2025, Flowatt Battery Science Pvt Ltd, a Bengaluru-based deep-tech battery start-up, raised INR 22 million in a pre-seed funding round led by accelerator PedalStart. The funds will be used for technology optimisation, completing the proof-of-concept for its EV battery design, and building partnerships with insurers,...

News  Updated at: 2025/10/17

EKA Mobility, India secures investment from NIIF’s India-Japan Fund On October 17, 2025, the India-Japan Fund (IJF), managed by National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIF), invested USD 57 million in EKA Mobility. This funding will help EKA Mobility ramp up manufacturing capacity, strengthen R&D, improve supply chain infrastructure, and expand its reach in domestic and international markets. EKA Mobility, a subsidiary of Pinnacle...

News  Updated at: 2025/10/17

imec, Belgium, opens office in Germany to focus on advancements in automotive chiplet On October 16, imec inaugurated an office in the IPAI campus in Heilbronn, Germany, just months after unveiling plans for a new automotive chiplet innovation hub in Baden-Württemberg. imec’s Heilbronn hub is dedicated to cutting-edge chiplet design, advanced packaging, system integration, sensing, and (edge) AI – as part of imec’s broader Automotive Chipl...

News  Updated at: 2025/10/17

ElevenEs, Serbia, signs joint declaration of support for its battery manufacturing expansion On October 13, ElevenEs signed a "Joint Declaration of Support for the ElevenEs Battery Manufacturing Expansion" with representatives from the European Commission and the Development Agency of Serbia, in the presence of the President of the European Commission.  The signing ceremony took place at the first EU-Western Balkans Forum. The Joint Declaration ...

News  Updated at: 2025/10/17

Skygrid, US, joins SOAFEE SIG, UK, for vehicle-based AI infrastructure and SDV On October 13, Skygrid joined the SOAFEE Special Interest Group (SIG). Skygrid will collaborate with the SOAFEE ecosystem to help define the open, standards-based architecture needed to safely unlock the high-performance computing (HPC) power of parked, software-defined vehicles (SDVs). Skygrid’s mission is to transform the 95% of time that modern electric vehicles a...

News  Updated at: 2025/10/17

BASF Coatings partners with Xiaomi to deliver 100 exclusive colors for Xiaomi vehicles On October 17, BASF Coatings expanded its collaboration with Xiaomi to support the automaker’s plan to co-develop 100 car paint colors over the next three years. The initiative aims to drive innovation and personalization in automotive color design.  As Xiaomi’s coatings partner since 2023, BASF Coatings plays a pivotal role in this project. For the first ...

News  Updated at: 2025/10/17

Geely introduces plug-in hybrid crossover EX5 EM-i in Russia On October 16, Geely introduced the Geely EX5 EM-i, a D-SUV crossover, in Russia. This model will be the first plug-in hybrid in the brand's product line in Russia. It is built on the modern GEA (Global Electric Architecture) modular architecture.  Its naturally aspirated 1.5-liter engine produces 99 hp. The engine is paired with an 11-in-1 E-DHT (1DHT) transmission, which features a h...

News  Updated at: 2025/10/17

Axent Capital Partners, Switzerland, takes over Eissmann Group, Germany On October 14, Axent Capital Partners AG announced that it had taken over the German Eissmann Group. The takeover consists of the acquisition of the assets of Eissmann Automotive Deutschland GmbH, Bad Urach, which filed for insolvency in March 2024, as well as the acquisition of shares in the foreign subsidiaries. Eissmann Group supplies high-quality interior solutions for pr...

News  Updated at: 2025/10/17

Terranet, Sweden, signs evaluation agreement for BlincVision with autonomous vehicle industry company On October 16, Terranet announced that it has signed an evaluation agreement with a company active in the autonomous vehicle industry. As part of the agreement, BlincVision will be tested in demanding environments and under various weather conditions.  The partner develops an autonomous platform that can be integrated into existing vehicles, ena...

News  Updated at: 2025/10/17

Hinduja Group, India, and Egyptian minister discuss localization of vehicle industry in Egypt On October 16, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration, and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs, met with the Director of the Hinduja Group of Companies. The minister stated that the Egyptian government is interested in cooperating with foreign companies to attract more investment and localize the vehicle industry, particularly cars and buses, whether they...

News  Updated at: 2025/10/17

ChipSync, India, and Cortus, France, partner for tailored RISC-V automotive solutions in India On October 15, ChipSync, a leading innovator in connected car technology in India, and Cortus, a global fabless semiconductor leader specializing in RISC-V chips and AI inference chiplets, announced a collaboration to jointly develop next-generation electronic automotive and consumer solutions tailored for the Indian market. This partnership aims to red...

News  Updated at: 2025/10/17