(Reuters) – Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Tuesday that the production of its Optimus humanoid robots had been affected by China’s export restrictions of rare earth magnets.
He said China wants assurances that its rare earth magnets are not used for military purposes, adding that the automaker is working with Beijing to get an export license to use rare earth magnets. Continue reading “Musk says Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robots affected by China’s export curbs on rare earths”
Summary
(Reuters) – Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Tuesday he would cut back significantly the time he devotes to the Trump administration from next month and spend more time running his many companies. Continue reading “Musk, facing criticism and falling Tesla sales, to cut back DOGE work”
SHANGHAI, (Reuters) – China’s Nio said on Tuesday it would launch its Firefly electric vehicle in Europe in the third quarter, later than initially forecast, after it underestimated challenges involved in sales and service network expansions in the region.
The company unveiled the Firefly brand in December as a rival product to Mercedes-Benz’s Smart and BMW’s Mini and said at the time it would launch it in Europe in the first half of this year. Continue reading “China’s Nio delays Europe launch of Firefly EV to third quarter”
Summary
(Reuters) – Tesla investors will be eager to ask CEO Elon Musk two pressing questions when the electric vehicle maker reports results on Tuesday: when will the affordable vehicle launch, and is the robotaxi plan on schedule? Continue reading “Tesla’s affordable EV, robotaxis in focus after Musk backlash, competition hurt demand”
SHANGHAI, (Reuters) – China’s CATL on Monday launched a new brand for its sodium-ion batteries, Naxtra, which it said would go into mass production in December, and a second generation of its fast-charging battery for electric cars.
CATL became the first major automotive battery maker to launch a sodium-ion battery in 2021. Unlike other battery materials, sodium is cheap and abundant, and the chemistry has the potential to reduce fire risks in EVs, experts have said. Continue reading “China’s CATL launches new sodium-ion battery brand”
Summary
SHANGHAI, (Reuters) – More than 70 Chinese and international automotive brands will showcase more than 100 new or refreshed models at the Shanghai auto show this week, intensifying already cutthroat competition in the world’s premier market for electric vehicles and hybrids. Continue reading “At China auto show, EV makers to grapple with autonomous-tech crackdown, launch Tesla ‘killers’”
WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Monday sued Uber Technologies, accusing it of signing up some Uber One subscribers without their knowledge and making deceptive claims about the service.
The service costs $9.99 a month and offers discounts on fees associated with Uber’s ride-hailing and food-delivery apps. Continue reading “FTC accuses Uber of misleading subscribers”
(Reuters) – Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company Tesla has agreed to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the estate of a man who was killed in 2021 after his Tesla crashed and caught fire near Dayton, Ohio.
Tesla and lawyers for the estate disclosed the settlement in a filing on Monday in federal court in San Francisco but did not reveal its terms. Continue reading “Tesla settles wrongful death lawsuit claiming sudden acceleration in Ohio crash”
Source : PTI | Hyundai Motor India on Monday said SUVs accounted for 68.5 per cent of its overall sales in the last fiscal year, registering a growth of 8 per cent as compared with the 2023-24 fiscal year. The company expects the SUV contribution to cross 70 per cent in one year.
For FY25, the automaker reported sales of 7,62,052 units as compared with 7,77,876 units in FY24.
Its domestic sales stood at 5,98,666 units while export shipments were at 1,63,386 units in the last fiscal year. Continue reading “SUV contribution rises to 68.5 pc of overall sales in FY25: Hyundai”
Summary
Solutions like the Pixel Rear Lamp, Near-Field Ground Projection, and the Thin Lit Line Headlamp define new frontiers in terms of intelligent interaction between vehicles and car design
Marelli, a global technology partner to the automotive industry, will showcase its latest automotive lighting innovations at Auto Shanghai 2025, from April 23 to May 2 at the Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Center. At the booth characterized by the theme “Fast Forward. Forward Fast.” – located in Hall 1.2H, Stand 1BF009 – the highlights of Marelli’s innovations in automotive lighting technology will be the world’s first OLED TFT applied to the Pixel Rear Lamp, the Near-Field Ground Projection technology, and the revolutionary Thin Lit Line Headlamp. These solutions define new experiences for smart mobility and promote the evolution of automotive lighting through co-creation with customers. Continue reading “Marelli Showcases Forward-Looking Lighting Technology at Auto Shanghai 2025”
Driving the future of automotive excellence with 250 patent filings and 148 design applications
Tata Motors, India’s leading automobile company, has achieved a significant milestone in FY25 by filing 250 patents and 148 design applications — it’s highest-ever in a single year. These filings encompass a broad spectrum of product and process innovations, aligning with key automotive megatrends such as Connectivity, Electrification, Sustainability, and Safety (CESS), as well as emerging technologies like Hydrogen-Based Vehicles and Fuel Cells. Additionally, they cover various vehicle systems, including battery, powertrain, body and trim, suspension, brakes, HVAC, and emission control. The company also filed 81 copyright applications and secured 68 patent grants during the year, bringing its total granted patents to 918. Continue reading “Tata Motors Sets New Record with Highest Patent Filings in FY25”
SEOUL, (Reuters) – South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group said on Monday that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Posco Holdings for cooperation on its planned U.S. steel plant.
Posco will make an equity investment in Hyundai Motor Group’s steel factory project in Louisiana, the group said in a press release. Continue reading “South Korea’s Hyundai, Posco agree to cooperate on US steel plant”
Source : PTI | West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said she will lay the foundation stone for a 1,600 MW super/ultra-supercritical thermal power plant at Salboni in Paschim Medinipur district on April 21 to be developed by JSW Energy Ltd.
The Rs 16,000 crore project, comprising two units of 800 MW each, was awarded to JSW Energy through a competitive bidding process conducted by the West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd (WBPDCL). The greenfield thermal power plant is scheduled for commissioning within five years. Continue reading “Mamata Banerjee to lay foundation stone of JSW’s 1600 MW Salboni power plant on April 21”
Source : PTI | New Delhi: Automobile exports from India rose by 19per cent to over 53 lakh units in the last 2024-25 fiscal year driven by robust demand for passenger vehicles, two wheelers and commercial vehicles in the overseas markets.
Overall exports last fiscal stood at 53.63 lakh (53,63,089) units as compared with 45 lakh (45,00,494) units in 2023-24 fiscal ending March 31, 2024. Continue reading “Auto exports rise 19%, cross 53 lakh units in FY25”
Summary
DETROIT, (Reuters) – General Motors’ Buick was on a roll. Sales for the once-stodgy brand were up 39% in the first quarter with a refreshed lineup of compact SUVs including the Envision, Encore GX, and the Envista, its top-selling SUV for under $30,000. Continue reading “Buick finally had cars Americans wanted to buy – then came tariffs”
Summary
TOKYO, (Reuters) – Toyota is considering producing the next version of its top-selling RAV4 SUV in the United States, three people familiar with the matter said, becoming the latest automaker to rethink supply chains to lessen the hit from U.S. tariffs on imported vehicles. Continue reading “Exclusive: Toyota weighs adding US production of new RAV4 in response to tariffs, sources say”
Summary
NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Volvo Group plans to lay off as many as 800 workers at three U.S. facilities over the next three months due to market uncertainty and demand concerns in the face of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, a spokesperson said on Friday. Continue reading “Volvo to cut up to 800 US jobs as Trump’s tariffs bite”
Summary
(Reuters) – Ford Motor said on Friday it has halted shipments of its SUVs, pick-up trucks and sports cars to China, as it starts to face the heat from retaliatory tariffs that have seen vehicles face taxes as high as 150%. Continue reading “Ford halts shipments of vehicles to China amid tariffs”
Summary
SAN FRANCISCO/NEW DELHI/SEOUL (Reuters) – Tesla’s long-awaited plans for an affordable car include a U.S-made, stripped-down version of its best-selling electric SUV, the Model Y, but the production launch has been delayed, three sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Continue reading “Exclusive: Tesla to delay US launch of affordable EV, a lower-cost Model Y, sources say”
(Reuters) – Tesla has settled a racial discrimination lawsuit by a Black female employee who claimed a manager at its Fremont, California, plant sometimes greeted workers by saying “welcome to the plantation” or “welcome to the slave house.”
Raina Pierce, who installed latches on car doors, and the automaker led by billionaire Elon Musk agreed to a settlement proposed by a mediator, according to a joint filing on Thursday in San Francisco federal court. Continue reading “Tesla settles Black employee’s lawsuit alleging pervasive harassment”
(Reuters) – Tesla faces a proposed class action claiming it speeds up odometers on its electric vehicles so they fall out of warranty faster, saving Elon Musk’s company from having to pay for repairs.
The plaintiff Nyree Hinton alleged that Tesla odometer readings reflect energy consumption, driver behavior and “predictive algorithms” rather than actual mileage driven. Continue reading “Tesla speeds up odometers to avoid warranty repairs, US lawsuit claims”
Source : PTI | West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said she will lay the foundation stone for a 1,600 MW super/ultra-supercritical thermal power plant at Salboni in Paschim Medinipur district on April 21 to be developed by JSW Energy Ltd.
The Rs 16,000 crore project, comprising two units of 800 MW each, was awarded to JSW Energy through a competitive bidding process conducted by the West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd (WBPDCL). The greenfield thermal power plant is scheduled for commissioning within five years. Continue reading “Mamata Banerjee to lay foundation stone of JSW’s 1600 MW Salboni power plant on April 21”
WAF THINK TANK
Why India needs to Save Blusmart ? WAF
What to Do When a Car Service Centre Overcharges You CarPhD Continue reading “WAF Auto News | The Auto World This Week (18th April 2025)”
Source : PTI | The government has cut the supply of lower-cost APM gas to city gas distributors such as Indraprastha Gas Ltd, Mahanagar Gas Ltd, and Adani Total Gas Ltd, by up to 20 per cent, replacing the shortfall with more expensive fuel. GAIL (India) Ltd, the state-owned nodal agency for gas supply, has intimated about a cut in supply of gas from legacy fields, called Administered Price Mechanism (APM) gas, the three city retailers said in separate stock exchange filings.
The production of APM gas, which is currently priced at USD 6.75 per million British thermal unit, is declining at the rate of 9-10 per cent annually as recovery from old and ageing fields falls. Continue reading “Govt cut cheaper APM gas supply to CNG retailers IGL, MGL, Adani Total Gas”
Source : PTI | Hero MotoCorp on Thursday said it will suspend production at four of its plants from April 17 to April 19 in order to undertake short-term supply alignment. The company will utilise the period to carry out maintenance activities at the facilities.
“We would like to inform you that production will be temporarily paused from April 17 to 19, 2025, at four of our manufacturing plants, Dharuhera, Gurugram, Haridwar, and Neemrana, as we navigate a short-term supply alignment,” the country’s largest two-wheeler maker said in a statement. Continue reading “Hero MotoCorp halts production at 4 plants to navigate supply alignment”
Source : PTI | Czech auto major Skoda Auto India needs to have a higher share in the group’s overall exports with a better planning even as it remains “committed” to more overseas shipments from the country, a top company official has said. Skoda Auto India, which on Wednesday rolled out the second generation luxury 4X4 full-size SUV Kodiaq in the country with a starting price of Rs 46.89-lakh, also said that the domestic market is far from a trend where people chose electric car as the only car in the family and that there must be a certain period in transitioning from one type of fuel to another type.
“We need to fight more for the export (as) the main export is still because of the Volkswagen brand. But we have opened a lot of new markets,” Petr Janeba, Brand Director at Skoda Auto India, told PTI. Continue reading “Skoda India says it needs to increase share in group’s overall exports with better planning”
(Reuters) – Ford Motor is recalling more than 148,000 vehicles in the United States as part of two recalls, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Thursday.
The automaker will recall 123,611 vehicles due to a fluid leak that could reduce braking performance and increase stopping distance. This affects certain 2017–18 Ford F-150, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator models. Continue reading “Ford recalls more than 148,000 vehicles, NHTSA says”
TOKYO, (Reuters) – Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard is to step down from Nissan’s board of directors, the Japanese automaker said on Thursday, as the company tackles its declining performance.
Senard, who served as Nissan’s vice chairman, will resign at the end of the annual general meeting of shareholders scheduled for June, a company statement said. Continue reading “Renault chairman Senard to step down from Nissan’s board”
SEOUL, (Reuters) – Hyundai Motor plans to temporarily suspend production of some of its electric vehicles (EVs) in South Korea due to slow demand and U.S. tariffs, Yonhap news agency reported on Thursday, citing unnamed industry sources.
The South Korean automaker is expected to halt operations on some production lines from April 24-30 at its Ulsan complex, where it makes Ioniq 5 and Kona electric vehicles, Yonhap said. Continue reading “Hyundai to suspend EV production in S Korea due to slow demand, US tariffs – Yonhap”
Summary
SHANGHAI, (Reuters) – China is banning automakers from using the terms “smart driving” and “autonomous driving” when they advertise driving assistance features, and it will tighten scrutiny of such technology upgrades. Continue reading “China bans ‘smart’ and ‘autonomous’ driving terms from vehicle ads”
Summary
NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – Indian electric cab service BluSmart, seen as a rival to Uber, suspended services on Thursday, two days after the country’s market regulator alleged its co-founder misused funds at an affiliate company and bought a luxury apartment with money allocated for electric vehicles. Continue reading “India’s BluSmart, rival of Uber, suspends operations after co-founder probed”
Summary
TOKYO, (Reuters) – Japan’s exports rose for a sixth straight month in March, data showed on Thursday, as the threat of sweeping U.S. tariffs drove Japanese companies to ramp up shipments while sparking concerns about the outlook of the country’s export-reliant economy. Continue reading “Japan’s exports expand in March as US tariffs feared to hit economy broadly”
Summary
MILAN, (Reuters) – Ferrari has been preparing for years for electrification, starting with Formula One powertrains, as it nears the launch of its first fully electric (EV) model in October, Chairman John Elkann said on Wednesday. Continue reading “Ferrari prepared for years for its first EV, chairman says”
DETROIT, (Reuters) – Volkswagen confirmed Wednesday that it is joining the growing group of automakers committing to keeping prices steady to ease car shoppers’ concerns around tariffs.
Automakers have provided stability, and even deep discounts, to consumers amid worries that tariffs will drive up prices on dealer lots. In a flurry of announcements earlier this month, U.S. and foreign-owned carmakers offered a variety of deals or price assurances, looking to capitalize on a surge of nervous shoppers hoping to clinch a deal. Continue reading “Volkswagen to keep vehicle prices steady through May”
Summary
(Reuters) – Californians further soured on Tesla in the first quarter, pulling down the electric-vehicle maker’s registrations by 15% as backlash against Elon Musk’s company intensified in the state that has embraced EVs most across the United States. Continue reading “Tesla registrations slump 15% in EV-loving California”
(Reuters) – Ford Motor may raise prices on its new vehicles if U.S. President Donald Trump’s auto tariffs continue, according to a memo sent to dealers on Wednesday that was reviewed by Reuters.
The Dearborn, Michigan, automaker offered deep discounts across its lineup starting earlier this month through June 2. The program will continue, but pricing on new models produced in May and beyond may change, the memo said. Continue reading “Ford Motor may hike prices if Trump’s auto tariffs persist, memo says”
Source : PTI | Ace cricketer Mahindra Singh Dhoni-backed aerospace startup Garuda Aerospace on Wednesday said it has raised Rs 100 crore in its series B funding round from Venture Catalysts. The fresh funds, raised at a valuation of USD 250 million, will significantly enhance the company’s capabilities in producing drone systems, Garuda Aerospace said.
The funds will also be allocated to scaling up the platform’s current production facility and fast-tracking the completion of an R&D and testing centre dedicated to advanced defense drone design, it said. Continue reading “Garuda Aerospace raises ₹100 crore in series B funding from Venture Catalysts”
Source : PTI | Diversified engineering firm Greaves Cotton Ltd on Monday announced the appointment of Parag Satpute as its new Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer. He succeeds Arup Basu, who resigned from the position of Managing Director of the company, and whose employment contract will come to an end on the close of business hours of May 9, 2025, the company said in a statement.
In his new role, Satpute will oversee the strategy and operations of Greaves Engineering, Greaves Retail, Greaves Technologies, and Excel Controlinkage Pvt Ltd, the company said. Continue reading “Greaves Cotton appoints Parag Satpute as managing director & Group CEO”
Source : PTI | European auto major Skoda Auto Volkswagen India on Monday said while it does not support the new reciprocal tariff imposed by the Trump Administration, which have now been paused for 90 days on non-retaliating countries, the move may open up opportunities for the industries in the long term. Earlier, the group, which is battling a ₹11,000-crore tax show cause notice for alleged customs duty fraud related to the import of cars as completely knocked down units, rolled out the all-new Volkswagen Tiguan R Line at an introductory price of ₹49 lakh.
“Of course, we do not support the (reciprocal) tariffs but at the same time there are a lot of discussions about opening up the economy even in India through bilateral trade or free trade agreements,” Piyush Arora, Managing Director at Skoda Auto Volkswagen India told PTI here at the launch event.
Source : PTI | Mobility firm Atul Auto’s subsidiary Atul Greentech has joined hands with battery maker Amara Raja for development and supply of electric vehicle batteries and chargers, a statement said on Tuesday. The collaboration aims to develop and supply LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery packs and chargers for electric vehicles (EVs), it said.
The partnership also extends to development of cells, including advanced chemistry cells for Atul Greentech’s upcoming offerings in line with India’s vision of “Atma Nirbhar Bharat”, the statement said. Continue reading “Atul Greentech ties up with Amara Raja for EV batteries, chargers”
