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Continue reading “AI Premier League is here | MG Cybersters Invade Bglr Roads | VW’s Flash Red takes Kerala by Storm | E20 is here – Should you be Worried ? | Japan Exports lowest in 4 yrs, US Tariffs impact | US – EU Trade Deal Explained | What’s up at Lyft ? | Auto Makers line up at S Africa | WAF Yellow Plate Dialogues”

JSW MG Motor India’s luxury channel, MG SELECT, has officially handed over the first batch of the MG Cyberster, the brand’s all-electric roadster, to eight customers in Bengaluru.

The Cyberster, billed as the world’s fastest MG, brings supercar-level performance to the electric era. Equipped with a dual-motor setup generating 503 bhp and 725 Nm of torque, the two-seater convertible can accelerate from 0–100 km/h in just 3.2 seconds Continue reading “MG SELECT Delivers India’s First Cybersters In Bengaluru”

Reuters – Self-driving vehicle startup Nuro closed its late-stage funding round on Thursday, raising $203 million at a $6 billion valuation from new investors Uber (UBER.N), and Nvidia (NVDA.O), alongside returning backers.

The latest tranche of $97 million follows the $106 million announced in April, which included investors such as T. Rowe Price, Fidelity, and Tiger Global. Continue reading “Self-driving vehicle startup Nuro valued at $6 billion in late-stage funding round”

Source : PTI | TVS Motor Company on Thursday expanded its electric commercial vehicle range with the introduction of a three-wheeler for the cargo segment.

The company had forayed into the electric three-wheeler segment earlier this year with the launch of the King EV MAX to cater to the passenger segment. Continue reading “TVS expands electric 3-wheeler portfolio; drives in model to cater to cargo segment”

Source : PTI | JSW Group firm JSW Sarbloh Motors on Thursday said it has formed a joint venture with Tomcar USA for local production of the TX range of all-terrain vehicles in India.

Phoenix, Arizona-based Tomcar is a manufacturer of high-performance all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) designed for military, commercial, and industrial operations. Continue reading “JSW Sarbloh Motors forms JV with Tomcar USA for production of ATV in India”

• The new ‘Flash Red’ colour will be available exclusively on GT Line variants of both Taigun and Virtus
• This bold new shade adds a vibrancy to the dynamic designs of Virtus and Taigun, blending standout design with signature performance
•  Almost every second premium sedan being sold in Kerala is a Volkswagen Virtus with a current segment share of 49%
•  Volkswagen also celebrated festivities with its customers, delivering a 106 cars on the auspicious occasion of Chingam 1^st

Kochi: Volkswagen India announced the launch of a new ‘Flash Red’ colour option for Virtus and Taigun in Kerala. With the festive season commencing on the auspicious occasion of Onam, Volkswagen has introduced the new bold ‘Flash Red’ colour, Continue reading “Volkswagen India introduces new ‘Flash Red’ colour on Virtus and Taigun in celebration of Onam in Kerala”

Reuters – KKR (KKR.N), is the leading candidate to buy the Yokohama headquarters of automaker Nissan Motor (7201.T), and has offered around 90 billion yen ($609.80 million), a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

KJR Management, a real estate unit owned by KKR, submitted the highest bid but negotiations are ongoing, said the person, who declined to be named because the matter is not public. Continue reading “KKR is lead bidder for Nissan $610 million headquarters sale, source says”

Reuters – Mitsubishi Motors (7211.T), is recalling 91,697 Outlander and Outlander hybrid SUVs in the U.S. over risks of the rear hatch falling unexpectedly, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Thursday. Continue reading “Mitsubishi to recall over 91,000 US vehicles over rear hatch issues, NHTSA says”

Reuters – Hertz Global Holdings (HTZ.O), said on Wednesday its car sales unit was partnering with Amazon.com’s (AMZN.O), automotive retail platform, Amazon Autos, to sell pre-owned vehicles, sending the car rental company’s shares up 7% in early trading.

Shares of used-car retailers fell, with Avis Budget Group (CAR.O), down 6%, Carvana (CVNA.N), losing 4.2% and CarMax (KMX.N), shedding 1.4%. Continue reading “Hertz partners with Amazon Autos to sell used vehicles online”

Summary

• Epsilon targets US battery makers amid duties on Chinese imports
• Epsilon plans $650 million Carolina plant, operational mid-2027
• Seeks local buyers amid China dominance in graphite materials

Reuters – India’s Epsilon Advanced Materials is moving swiftly to close deals to supply critical components to Japanese and South Korean battery makers in the U.S., a top executive said, after Washington imposed anti-dumping duties on Chinese imports. Continue reading “US tariffs on Chinese graphite spark opportunity for India’s Epsilon”

Source : PTI | Environment ministry has set up a separate category on its online clearance portal to speed up approvals for mining projects involving critical minerals, a move aimed at boosting domestic supply of resources considered essential for clean energy and advanced technologies, the government informed Parliament on Monday.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, minister of state for environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said the mines ministry had in Feb requested faster clearances for such projects, following which the new facility was added to the Parivesh 2.0 portal on Mar 13. Continue reading “Faster approvals online for critical mineral: Centre”

Reuters – The U.S. Commerce Department said on Tuesday it is hiking steel and aluminum tariffs on more than 400 products including wind turbines, mobile cranes, appliances, bulldozers and other heavy equipment, along with railcars, motorcycles, marine engines, furniture and hundreds of other products.

The department said 407 product categories are being added to the list of “derivative” steel and aluminum products covered by sectoral tariffs, with a 50% tariff on any steel and aluminum content of these products plus the country rate on the non-steel and non-aluminum content. Continue reading “US hikes steel, aluminum tariffs on imported appliances, railcars, EV parts”

Reuters – Tesla (TSLA.O), must face a certified class action by California drivers who said Elon Musk misled them for eight years about the self-driving capabilities of his company’s electric vehicles.

U.S. District Judge Rita Lin said the common question of whether Tesla lacked sensors to achieve high-level autonomy plus its inability to “demonstrate a long-distance autonomous drive with any of its vehicles” justified group lawsuits by two sets of drivers who bought its Full Self-Driving technology package. Continue reading “Tesla drivers can pursue class action over self-driving claims, judge rules”

Summary

• July exports -2.6% yr/yr vs forecast -2.1%
• Drop largest since Feb 2021
• Imports -7.5% yr/yr vs forecast -10.4%
• U.S.-bound shipments down 10.1% yr/yr

Reuters – Japan’s exports posted the biggest monthly drop in about four years in July, government data showed on Wednesday, as the impact of U.S. tariffs intensified, raising concerns about the outlook for the export-reliant economy. Continue reading “Japan’s exports log biggest drop in 4 years as US tariff impacts intensify”

Reuters – Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng (9868.HK), on Tuesday forecast third-quarter revenue would double, betting on surging deliveries of its cars despite challenging economic conditions.

The Guangzhou, China-based company’s U.S.-listed shares rose over 4%. Continue reading “China’s Xpeng expects quarterly revenue to double on strong demand for its EVs”

Reuters – A Brazilian subsidiary of China’s ride-hailing company DiDi Global (92Sy.D), sued Chinese rival Keeta on Monday in a Sao Paulo court alleging trademark infringement and unfair competition, according to court documents seen by Reuters.

The lawsuit comes days after Keeta, which is entering the Brazilian market, sued DiDi’s Brazilian unit, 99, in Brazil, alleging its food delivery app 99Food was trying to restrict restaurants from working with more than two delivery platforms. Continue reading “Chinese firms in legal battle over Brazil food delivery”

Reuters – Tesla Inc (TSLA.O), started accepting orders for its new Model Y L in China on Tuesday with a starting price of 339,000 yuan ($47,184), its website showed, as it refreshes its line-up in the world’s largest auto market to battle growing competition.

Tesla first launched the Model Y in 2020 and it became the world’s best-selling car in 2023. The ageing model lost some sales momentum last year, hurt by competition from local rivals in China such as Xiaomi’s (1810.HK), YU7, while in other markets demand for electric vehicles has weakened. Continue reading “Tesla starts taking orders for its new Model Y L in China from around $47,200”

Reuters – Germany said on Monday that the United States would have to follow through on agreed lower tariffs on Europe-made cars before a wider agreement on trade can be finalised in writing.

“In particular, car tariffs must be reduced quickly as agreed. We are also aware of the considerable burden on the export-orientated economy. … Our role here is to continue to fully support the European Commission in this process,” a German government spokesman said in a press conference. Continue reading “Germany says written EU-US trade deal requires lower car duties”

Reuters – Tesla’s (TSLA.O) Model Y L is “coming soon”, the electric car company said on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Monday, having previously registered plans to introduce the new model in China.

The Model Y L is a six-seat version of its best-selling Model Y with a longer wheelbase. Tesla also shared a video of the new model in its Weibo post. Continue reading “Tesla says Model Y L is ‘coming soon’”

Source : PTI | In upcoming sweeping reforms, the GST on automobiles – currently in the highest tax bracket – will be restructured to resolve classification disputes related to engine capacity and vehicle size, ultimately benefiting the common man, according to government sources.

Presently, automobiles are taxed at 28 per cent, which is the highest GST slab. A compensation cess, ranging from 1 to 22 per cent, is levied on top of this rate, depending on the type of vehicle. Continue reading “Proposed GST rate tweaks on automobiles to end classification disputes”

Source : PTI | Mumbai Police have imposed challans on more than 10,000 vehicles with fines of over ₹ 1 crore for violation of traffic rules during the Dahi Handi festival in the city, officials said on Sunday.

The festival, held to mark the birth of Lord Krishna, was celebrated on Saturday wherein a large number of troupes comprising young men and women formed human pyramids to break dahi handis (pots of curd) suspended in the air with ropes. Continue reading “₹1 cr fines imposed on 10,000 vehicles in Mumbai for flouting norms”

(Reuters) – British motorists can now lease a Tesla (TSLA.O) electric vehicle for just over half of what they would have paid a year ago, The Times reported on Monday, citing industry sources.

Tesla has been forced to offer discounts of up to 40% to car leasing companies to shift more units, the report said. Continue reading “Tesla almost halves UK monthly lease fee as sales slump, The Times reports”

Summary

• Toyota leads South Africa’s new energy vehicle market with 67% share in 2024
• Local automakers propose policies to support industry
• Auto sector faces flat production and rising imports

GQEBERHA, South Africa, (Reuters) – Toyota plans to introduce three fully-electric models in South Africa in 2026, a senior executive said on Thursday, entering a nascent EV market where Chinese rivals such as BYD are already competing with European carmakers. Continue reading “Toyota to enter South Africa’s EV market with three models in 2026”

(Reuters) – Lyft said on Thursday its co-founders Logan Green and John Zimmer are stepping down from the ride-hailing services provider’s board, following the completion of a two-year transition plan.

Green and Zimmer began serving as the chair and vice chair of Lyft’s board in 2023 after stepping down as CEO and president, respectively, handing the reins to David Risher, who has been a board member since 2021. Continue reading “Lyft co-founders to step down from ride-hailing firm’s board”

Source : PTI | India has not halted oil purchases from Russia in response to the US President’s tariff threat and continues to buy based solely on economic considerations, said AS Sahney, Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the country’s largest oil firm.

Purchase volumes may fluctuate monthly based on the discounts offered on Russian crude grades like Urals. While discounts had previously reached as high as $ 40 per barrel, they have narrowed to just $ 1.5 late last month, resulting in reduced offtake. Discounts have since widened to about $ 2.70. Continue reading “No pause on Russian oil imports, India continues imports based on economic rationale”

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Continue reading “WAF Auto News | The Auto World This Week (15th August 2025)”

Summary

• VinFast to spin off R&D arm in $1.52 billion deal
• Founder Pham Nhat Vuong to buy shares in the R&D arm
• To lease back IP to VinFast as needed

(Reuters) – VinFast’s founder Pham Nhat Vuong has agreed to buy the EV maker’s research and development arm for $1.52 billion, his latest cash injection into the loss-making Vietnamese company as it strives to break even by the end of 2026. Continue reading “VinFast founder to inject another $1.5 billion in exchange for R&D assets”

Production: The total production of Passenger Vehicles, Three Wheelers, Two Wheelers, and Quadricycle in July 2025 was 26,98,519 units

Domestic Sales:

• Passenger Vehicles2 sales were 3,40,772 units in July 2025.
• Three-wheeler sales were 69,403 units in July 2025
• Two-wheeler sales were 15,67,267 units in July 2025

Commenting on July-2025 performance, Mr Rajesh Menon, Director General, SIAM said, “All vehicle segments posted stable performance in July 2025, though overall sentiments in the Passenger Vehicles segment has remained subdued so far which de-grew marginally by (-) 0.2%, as compared to July of 2024, posting sales of 3.41 Lakh units in July 2025. Three Wheelers posted their highest ever sales of July in 2025 of 0.69 Lakh units, with a growth of 17.5% as compared to July 2024. Two-Wheeler segment grew by 8.7% in July 2025, as compared to July 2024, with sales of 15.67 Lakh units. With the advent of the festive season beginning with Onam festivities in the latter part of August, the Indian Auto Industry remains cautiously optimistic for the demand momentum to pick up in the coming months.” Continue reading “Auto Industry Performance of July-2025”

Summary

• 12 company closures, 4,000 job losses in past 2 years
• Industry faces challenges from U.S. tariffs, low localization
• Domestic sales much lower than 2035 master plan

GQEBERHA, South Africa, (Reuters) – Low domestic sales of locally made cars, an influx of imports and low levels of local content have led to 12 company closures and over 4,000 job losses in the South African motor industry over two years, the trade minister said on Wednesday. Continue reading “South Africa’s auto sector hit by job losses and company closures”

Summary

• Port of Los Angeles imports up 8% year-on-year in July
• Many holiday goods are already in the US
• August imports relatively steady but down from a year ago

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – Ocean imports to the United States may have peaked in July after retailers raced to bring in goods from China and elsewhere to avoid potentially hefty tariffs on holiday-related products, logistics executives said on Wednesday. Continue reading “US container imports may have peaked in July, chief of busiest seaport says”

Summary

• Porsche SE and partners plan investment platform for defence sector
• German auto firms explore defence amid rising European military spending
• Volkswagen’s top shareholder cuts guidance, reflecting auto sector weakness
• Defence unlikely to become as material for Porsche SE as auto holdings, analyst says

(Reuters) – Volkswagen’s largest shareholder, holding firm Porsche SE said on Wednesday that it planned to deepen its involvement in the defence sector, while reaffirming its core focus on cars and industrial technology. Continue reading “VW shareholder Porsche SE eyes higher defence exposure as auto sector flails”

(Reuters) – Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover is recalling more than 121,500 vehicles in the United States due to cracked suspension knuckles in the front, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Wednesday.

The recall includes Range Rover and Range Rover Sport vehicles, NHTSA said. Continue reading “Jaguar Land Rover to recall over 121,500 US vehicles due to suspension knuckle issue, NHTSA says”

Source : PTI | Maruti Suzuki India on Wednesday said it has inked an initial pact with Punjab National Bank to offer enhanced inventory funding solutions for its dealer network across the country.

Maruti Suzuki and Punjab National Bank have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect.

Continue reading “Maruti Suzuki ties up with PNB to offer enhanced inventory funding solutions for dealers”

Summary

• Tariff uncertainty affecting car shipments to US, shipper says
• New 15% tariff not implemented yet, leaving higher rate for now
• Carmakers held back shipments in early Q2, volumes rose later

STOCKHOLM, (Reuters) – Europe’s car exporters are still struggling with uncertainty over U.S. tariffs despite last month’s trade deal, Wallenius Wilhelmsen , the operator of one of the world’s largest car-carrier fleets, told Reuters on Tuesday. Continue reading “Car shipper says US tariff haze still affecting auto trade flows”

Summary

• Truckmakers caught in crossfire between US, California
• US ends antitrust probe into California clean truck plan
• California governor, regulator not available for comment

(Reuters) – Four major truckmakers, including Daimler and Volvo, sued California to block the state from enforcing strict emissions standards that U.S. President Donald Trump declared void in June. Continue reading “Daimler, Volvo, other truckmakers sue California to block emissions rules”