Summary

• Gasoline price hikes from Iran conflict are hitting car market
• Early signs of rising interest in EVs amid gasoline-price surge
• Shifts in car-shopping patterns take sustained high prices, experts say

GUILDFORD, England/RICHMOND, Virginia, (Reuters) – The rising price of gasoline from the Iran war has triggered angst and uncertainty for carmakers, dealers and vehicle owners at the pump. For Martin Miller, it presents an opportunity.

Miller owns a ​used electric-car dealership southwest of London and logged his busiest Saturday ever one week after the war began on February 28 with the bombing of Iran by Israel and ‌the United States. The conflict has disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of global oil supplies are transported. Continue reading “Gasoline price hike from Iran war could push consumers toward EVs, hybrids”

MUNICH, Germany, (Reuters) – Prices are stabilising in China after a period of heavy discounting in the electric ​vehicle market, BMW sales chief Jochen Goller said ‌on Wednesday.

He was speaking after the German premium carmaker revealed its new i3 all-electric sedan, the latest launch on BMW’s ‘Neue ​Klasse’ technology platform, with which the company plans ​to overhaul its model lineup to catch up ⁠in a rapidly changing and tech-driven auto market. Continue reading “BMW eyes stabilisation in China with latest ‘Neue Klasse’ launch”

Summary

• GWM considers sharing or acquiring a plant in South Africa
• Talks held with Mercedes-Benz and Nissan for plant options
• GWM expands in plug-in hybrid vehicle market with Haval ​H6

JOHANNESBURG,(Reuters) – Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor (GWM)is weighing whether to share a ‌manufacturing facility with another carmaker in South Africa or acquire an existing plant if available and has held talks with Mercedes-Benz as it considers its options, regional executives said on Wednesday.

Chinese automakers seeking global growth have built more car factories in ​overseas markets to protect themselves as foreign regulators consider imposing measures against imports of Chinese-made vehicles. Continue reading “Great Wall Motor eyes plant options in South Africa”

(Reuters) – Billionaire Elon Musk said late on Wednesday that his companies ​SpaceX AI and Tesla expect to ‌continue ordering Nvidia chips at scale.

• Tesla is designing its fifth-generation AI chip to power ​its autonomous ambitions. The chips ​power Tesla’s autonomous driving systems, including ⁠the Full Self-Driving software.
• In a separate ​post on X, Musk said that the AI5 ​chip can be used for training in data centers but is primarily optimized for AI ​edge compute in humanoid robot Optimus and ​Robotaxi.
• The Tesla CEO also said that the company expects a wide ‌release ⁠of an update to its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software in a few weeks.
• Musk said last Saturday that Tesla’s Terafab project ​to make ​artificial ⁠intelligence chips will launch in seven days.
• Last month, SpaceX acquired xAI in ​an all-stock deal ahead of ​a ⁠potential blockbuster initial public offering for SpaceX later this year. This is Musk’s ⁠first ​post referring to the combined entity ​as SpaceX AI.

Continue reading “Musk says SpaceX AI, Tesla will keep ordering Nvidia chips at scale”

Source : PTI | As many as 85 under-construction national highway projects are facing a delay of over three years on account of multiple reasons, including legal and land acquisition issues, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

The government has undertaken various initiatives to prevent recurrence of delays and cost escalations, Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

Continue reading “85 under-construction national highway projects face delay of over 3 years”

Source : PTI | PepsiCo India on Wednesday announced the launch of an ‘EV Green Corridor’ on the Kosi-Pataudi (UP-Haryana) route to increase its green logistics network as part of efforts to reduce emissions across its supply chain.

The dedicated ‘EV Green Corridor’ on the Kosi-Pataudi route developed in collaboration with Kalyani Powertrain Ltd, an arm of Bharat Forge Ltd, will operate with eight 32-feet single-axle Re-Powered electric container trucks, the company said in a statement. Continue reading “PepsiCo India launches dedicated ‘EV Green Corridor’”

Marelli, a global technology supplier to the automotive industry, has developed with Amazon Web Services (AWS) next-generation, AI-driven System Test Generation (STG) Agent that automates one of the most critical and work-intensive steps in the validation process: the generation of system test cases from engineering system requirements. This marks a much-needed advancement in the validation cycle – as vehicle platforms are becoming increasingly software defined, engineering teams must manage large volumes of requirements, engineering data and system specifications while ensuring full consistency and traceability.

The STG Agent, developed with the expertise of the AWS Generative AI Innovation Center using Amazon Nova foundation models, Amazon Bedrock Knowledge Bases, and the Strands Agents framework, is a pioneering solution that helps Marelli to improve efficiency and boost consistency in how product features are validated against customer requirements. The new tool aims to reduce validation time and to achieve stronger alignment between system requirements and validated product behaviors. This may help vehicle makers to accelerate product development especially for software-defined vehicles and to deliver new functionalities with greater reliability. The solution is also designed for seamless integration with requirement management tools, supporting compatibility with existing automotive engineering workflows. Continue reading “Marelli and AWS pioneer AI-based system for validation of software-defined vehicle solutions”

• BYD India now operates 48 showrooms across 40 cities
• The new 9,000 sft spacious PPS BYD showroom at Moti Nagar can display 7 cars

New Delhi, India March 18, 2026 : BYD India, a subsidiary of BYD and the world’s No. 1 NEV (New Energy Vehicle) manufacturer, today announced the inauguration of its 48th showroom in India and sixth showroom in Delhi NCR, located in Moti Nagar. The new facility, the largest BYD showroom in India, has been launched in partnership with PPS Motors Pvt. Ltd., marking the sixth BYD showroom operated by PPS Motors apart from four service workshops in 3 states in India and further strengthening the brand’s retail presence in the region. Continue reading “BYD India expands national network to 48; PPS Motors inaugurates India’s largest BYD showroom in Delhi”

• Introductory price of INR 10.29 Lakh available via R-Pass pre-booking until March 31, 2026
• Flexible subscription options and a 7-year Renault Forever warranty
• Strong Hybrid bookings receive exceptional response; full 2026 allocation sold out

New Delhi: Renault India, the wholly owned subsidiary of Frech carmaker – Renault Group, today announced the launch of the all-new Renault Duster, with turbo petrol prices starting at INR 10.49 Lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) and dispatches now underway nationwide. Built on the advanced Renault Group Modular Platform (RGMP), the new Renault Duster has been developed with a clear focus on structural robustness, efficiency and future-readiness. Its true SUV proportions, best in segment approach and departure angles and high ground clearance reinforce off-road credibility while supporting everyday usability. Continue reading “New Renault Duster Launched in India; Turbo Petrol Price Starts at INR 10.49 Lakh, Dispatches Begin Nationwide”

PTI | All restrictions imposed in Delhi-NCR under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) have been revoked after a significant improvement in air quality, officials said on Monday.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said that owing to favourable meteorological conditions, the air quality index (AQI) of Delhi was recorded at 119 on Monday. Continue reading “All restrictions under GRAP in Delhi-NCR revoked as air quality improves significantly”

(Reuters) – Shares of Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), rose as much as 5% on Tuesday after Nvidia (NVDA.O), CEO Jensen Huang said ‌the South Korean company was producing Nvidia’s new artificial intelligence chips.

The news fuelled expectations that Samsung’s foundry division, which makes logic chips for customers including Tesla (TSLA.O), Apple (AAPL.O) and Samsung’s phone division, may be able to turn around as early as next year after posting ⁠billions of dollars in annual losses in recent years, analysts said. Continue reading “Samsung shares rise after Nvidia’s Huang flags tie-up on new AI chips”

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The U.S. government on Monday said electric vehicle maker Tesla (TSLA.O), and South Korea’s LG Energy Solution (373220.KS), had signed a supply agreement to ‌build a $4.3 billion lithium iron phosphate (LFP) prismatic battery cell manufacturing facility in Lansing, Michigan, with an expected production launch in 2027.

“American-made cells will power Tesla’s Megapack 3 energy storage systems produced in Houston, creating a robust ⁠domestic battery supply chain,” the U.S. Department of the Interior said in a statement on Monday. Continue reading “US government confirms Tesla and LG Energy Solution’s $4.3 billion battery deal”

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – A group of 20 state attorneys general said on Monday the Trump administration proposal to boost American parts and components in federally funded electric vehicle ‌charging stations would effectively make the $5 billion program unusable.

The attorneys general from states including California, Colorado, Arizona, New York, Virginia, Illinois and Michigan, said the U.S. Transportation Department proposal to hike so-called “Buy America” requirements from 55% to 100% would make it “impossible for manufacturers to achieve, frustrate congressional intent, and impair the public interest by slowing or halting federally funded EV ⁠charger deployment nationwide.”

Continue reading “Trump proposal would make $5 billion US EV charger fund unusable, Democrats say”

(Reuters) – Swedish automaker Volvo Cars (VOLCARb.ST), said on Monday it will discontinue the EX30, a ‌small electric SUV, and the EX30 Cross Country in the United States later this year.

While U.S. sales of the two models will end after the 2026 model year, the EX30 will remain available in other ⁠markets including Canada and Mexico, a spokesperson for the automaker said in a statement to Reuters.

Business Insider reported the decision earlier on Monday. Continue reading “Volvo to discontinue EX30 in US later this year”

(Reuters) – Germany’s top industrial union retained its stronghold on the works councils of factories belonging to Audi and parent company Volkswagen but lost some ground to a fringe far-right labour ‌group as the country’s automotive sector faces an uncertain future.

German automakers are battling to keep up with stiff competition from China and a rapidly changing sector with electric vehicles and software, while also navigating tariff pressures. Volkswagen alone is cutting 35,000 jobs by 2030.

Zentrum, a self-styled union affiliated ⁠with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, said late on Sunday that it had won its first two seats at Volkswagen subsidiary Audi, at the premium carmaker’s headquarters in Ingolstadt. Continue reading “Far-right labour group makes gains at Audi, VW but misses breakthrough”

Summary

• Uber and Nvidia to use DRIVE Hyperion platform for robotaxis
• Expansion planned across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia by 2028
• Partnership plans to start in Los Angeles, San Francisco early next year

(Reuters) – Uber Technologies (UBER.N) and Nvidia (NVDA.O) said on Monday they ‌will deploy a fleet of robotaxis powered by Nvidia’s autonomous driving software on the ride-hailing network, starting in Los Angeles and San Francisco in 2027 and expanding to 28 cities globally by 2028.

Robotaxis are rapidly expanding into more cities as companies race to commercialize autonomous ride-hailing, but Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O) Waymo remains the early leader while Tesla’s ⁠vast manufacturing scale and financial resources could reshape the competitive landscape. Continue reading “Uber, Nvidia plan robotaxi rollout in 28 cities starting next year”

(Reuters) – Drone maker AeroVironment (AVAV.O) said on Monday it has acquired Empirical Systems Aerospace, a producer of unmanned aircraft systems and advanced ‌air mobility platforms, in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $200 million.

ESAero will operate as a subsidiary of AeroVironment, reporting into its precision strike and defense systems group, which makes Kamikaze ⁠drones, or loitering munitions.

The deal unfolds against a backdrop of increased defense outlays and growing adoption of precision drones amid ongoing global conflicts, and follows AeroVironment’s $4.1 billion purchase of space and defense engineering firm BlueHalo in 2025. Continue reading “Drone-maker AeroVironment buys aerospace engineering firm ESAero in $200 million deal”

Source : PTI | The Maharashtra government has decided to make permits mandatory for passenger-carrying electric rickshaws and e-bikes to ensure uniformity in rules in the sector, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik announced on Friday.

The decision comes at a time when the transport department has said it would stop issuing new permits for autorickshaws (with yellow-and-black registration plates) in the state, and has temporarily suspended permits issued to three operators to use e-bikes. Continue reading “Maharashtra govt decides to make permits mandatory for commercial e-bikes, e-autos”

TOKYO, (Reuters) – Honda’s $15.7 billion writedown of its electric vehicle business is not just a painful reversal of its strategy for the U.S.; it also highlights more challenges to come from China, where it faces a widening technological gap.

On Thursday, Japan’s ​second-largest automaker said it would restructure its EV business – primarily in the U.S. – and write down the value of some Chinese ‌operations, a move that could amount to an estimated 2.5 trillion yen ($15.7 billion). It will also report its first annual loss in its nearly 70 years as a listed company, it said. Continue reading “Honda’s $15.7 billion EV writedown is painful, but China challenges loom down the road”

(Reuters) – Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Saturday that the company’s Terafab project to make artificial intelligence ​chips will launch in seven days.

Musk had said last ‌year that Tesla probably will have to build “a gigantic chip fab” to make artificial intelligence chips.

Tesla is designing its fifth-generation AI chip ​to power its autonomous ambitions, and Musk at ​the company’s annual meeting last year laid out potential ⁠manufacturing plans. Continue reading “Musk says Tesla’s mega AI chip fab project to launch in seven days”

(Reuters) – Australian graphite miner Syrah Resources said on Monday it agreed with Tesla to extend for a fourth time a ​deadline to resolve an alleged default under their ‌graphite supply agreement to June 1.

Tesla had previously issued a notice alleging that Syrah failed to meet an obligation to provide ​conforming natural graphite active anode material (AAM) samples from ​its Vidalia facility in Louisiana, according to the ⁠company. Continue reading “Australia’s Syrah, Tesla extend deadline to resolve alleged default in graphite supply deal”

BEIJING, (Reuters) – Volkswagen reclaimed car sales dominance in China, the world’s largest auto market, in the first two months of 2026 when Toyota ​also regained ground, both overtaking local electric vehicle champion BYD, ‌amid fading subsidies for greener cars.

VW’s Chinese joint ventures with FAW and SAIC held a combined 13.9% share of the country’s passenger vehicle market in sales ​terms, followed by Geelys 13.8% and a combined 7.8% from Toyota’s ​JVs with GAC and FAW, data from the China Passenger ⁠Car Association showed. Continue reading “Volkswagen reclaims top spot in China car sales, BYD falls to fourth as EV subsidies fade”

NEW YORK,(Reuters) – A U.S. judge on Friday dismissed a ​lawsuit accusing the automaker ‌Stellantis of defrauding shareholders by failing to disclose how it overloaded ​retailers with excessive inventory, ​known as channel stuffing, leading to ⁠short-term sales increases and ​long-term sales declines.

Stellantis, whose many ​brands include Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep and Peugeot, was accused in the ​proposed class action of making ​false and misleading statements about its ‌pricing ⁠power, inventory and margins in light of the channel stuffing, inflating its share price. Continue reading “Stellantis wins dismissal of shareholder lawsuit in US over ‘channel stuffing’”

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – Major auto trade groups urged the U.S. government to keep ​Chinese carmakers out of the country, according to a letter seen by Reuters, potentially ‌complicating President Donald Trump’splanned summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The groups raised “serious concerns about China’s ongoing efforts to dominate global automotive manufacturing and to gain access to the U.S. market. These actions pose a direct threat to America’s global competitiveness, national security, ​and automotive industrial base.” Continue reading “Auto groups urge Trump to keep Chinese carmakers out of US”

(Reuters) – Hyundai Motor said on Friday it is ​stopping sales of some new Palisade SUVs in the United States ‌and Canada and will recall them over an issue with power seats following an incident in which a two-year-old girl was killed in Ohio on March 7.

The automaker said ​sales of its 2026 model year Hyundai Palisade Limited and Calligraphy trims were halted ​because the second- and third-row power seats may not detect contact ⁠with an occupant or object as intended. It gave no details ​on the March 7 incident. Continue reading “Hyundai issues stop sale for some 2026 Palisade SUVs after fatal incident”

Source : PTI | Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday said that the rumours regarding disruption in the supply of domestic LPG gas, petrol and diesel in the state amid the ongoing West Asia conflict are completely baseless.

He assured that the supply of domestic LPG, petrol and diesel in Haryana is completely normal and continuing without interruption. Continue reading “Supply of LPG, petrol, diesel in state completely normal: Haryana CM”

Source : PTI | The ongoing war in West Asia is expected to significantly disrupt tyre exports, increase raw material costs, and create logistical challenges for the industry and would need urgent policy support to mitigate emerging challenges, the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) said on Thursday.

The tyre industry body said it has submitted a representation to the government highlighting the serious implications of the ongoing West Asia conflict for the Indian manufacturers. Continue reading “West Asia crisis may hit India’s tyre exports: ATMA”

Source : PTI | The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday gave its approval to the Mukhyamantri Gram Parivahan Yojana-2026, under which bus connectivity will now reach every village across the state.

The cabinet meeting was held on Tuesday at Lok Bhavan under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Continue reading “UP Cabinet clears scheme to extend bus connectivity to over 59,000 gram sabhas”

Monthly Performance: February 2026 | Production: The total production of Passenger Vehicles, Three Wheelers, Two Wheelers, and Quadricycle in February 2026 was 28,64,612 units

Domestic Sales:

• Passenger Vehicles2 sales were 4,17,705 units in February 2026.
• Three-wheeler sales were 74,573 units in February 2026.
• Two-wheeler sales were 18,71,406 units in February 2026.

Continue reading “Indian Auto Industry Performance in February 2026 | SIAM”

Summary

• Global EV sales down 11% to just over 1 million
• February sales down 32% in China, 35% in North America
• Europe up 21%, rest of world up 78%

(Reuters) – Global EV registrations fell 11% in February, dragged by ‌China’s largest sales drop since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, data by consultancy Benchmark Mineral Intelligence (BMI) showed on Friday.

As governments worldwide hit the brake on policies designed to encourage purchases of electric cars, China has pulled funding for auto trade-ins, while a tax exemption on EV purchases in the country expired ⁠at the end of last year. Continue reading “Global EV sales fall again in February”

Summary

• Rivian plans cheaper R2 variants by 2027, including a $45,000 model
• R2 launch variant offers 656 horsepower and 330 miles of range
• Rivian aims to compete with Tesla’s Model Y with R2 line

SAN FRANCISCO, (Reuters) – Rivian (RIVN.O) will begin delivering its more affordable R2 line of ‌SUVs this spring with a variant priced at $57,990 and roll out cheaper options by 2027, as the electric vehicle maker looks to widen its customer base and take on Tesla’s best-selling Model Y.

Shares of the company were down nearly 4%. Continue reading “Rivian to begin R2 deliveries with $58,000 launch variant this spring”

TOKYO, (Reuters) – Shares in Honda Motor (7267.T), closed down nearly 6% ‌in Tokyo on Friday after the automaker flagged its first annual loss in almost 70 years as a listed company, hit by up to $15.7 billion in restructuring costs ⁠tied to its electric-vehicle business.

Honda stock ended the day 5.6% lower at 1,368 yen, making it the second-largest decliner on the benchmark Nikkei 225 (.N225), and marking the company’s biggest one-day fall since early February 2025. Continue reading “Honda shares slide nearly 6% as automaker faces first annual loss”

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NHAI deploys 5100 women staff across 1140 NH toll plazas WAF Continue reading “WAF Auto News | The Auto World This Week (13th March 2026)”

March 2026, Ahmedabad: drivebuddyAI, a leading innovator in AI-powered driver safety and fleet intelligence, has been awarded a patent for its facial recognition system designed to operate reliably in dynamic in-vehicle environments. The innovation enables accurate identification of drivers inside the moving vehicle, enabling commercial fleets to ensure driver authenticity and driving hours compliance. Continue reading “drivebuddyAI Secures Patent for AI-based Facial Recognition”

SEOUL, (Reuters) – South Korea’s customs authorities said on Thursday that they would ramp up a crackdown ​on illegal car exports to Russia after discovering ‌a growing number of vehicles being sent to Russia via third countries such as China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Illegal vehicle exports from ​South Korea to Russia jumped more than five-fold to ​149.2 billion won ($100.78 million) last year compared to ⁠2024, when Seoul tightened export restrictions in response to ​Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Korea Customs Service said in a ​statement. Continue reading “South Korea pledges to accelerate crackdown on illegal car exports to Russia”

LONDON, (Reuters) – Elon Musk’s Tesla can soon start supplying British homes with electricity after it was granted ​a licence on Thursday, bringing a new competitor into ‌the market at a time of heightened worries over rising bills.

The country’s energy regulator Ofgem said Tesla Energy Ventures, a unit of Tesla had ​now been approved as an electricity supplier after ​a process which began last July. Continue reading “Tesla set to start supplying UK homes with electricity”

Summary

• BMW expects moderate decline in pre-tax earnings, stagnant deliveries
• Tariffs impact core EBIT margin, forecast at 4-6% in 2026
• China market challenges persist, sales slump 12.5% last year

BERLIN, (Reuters) – BMW sees little relief ahead with ongoing tariff costs and intense competition in China, warning on Thursday of a moderate decline in 2026 pre-tax earnings and a stagnation in deliveries of its cars.

BMW’s rivals Volkswagen and Mercedes ​also reported a weak 2025 dominated by trade barriers, falling China sales and electrification missteps as ​market demand for EVs diverges in key markets. Continue reading “BMW braces for another year of tariff and China struggles”

Summary

• Honda to lose as much as 570 billion yen this fiscal year
• Writedown is latest in industry grappling with EV transition
• US shares down about 8% in premarket trading

TOKYO, – Honda will fall to its first annual loss in almost 70 years as a listed ‌company, hit by up to $15.7 billion in restructuring costs at its EV business, it said on Thursday, as weaker-than-expected demand for the technology hammers automakers.

Under President Donald Trump, Washington has ended government support for EVs, forcing the likes of Ford and Stellantis to rethink their strategies and ​book hefty write-downs of their own. Continue reading “Honda flags first annual loss, hit by $15.7 billion EV charge”