automotive industry

VW, BMW, Mercedes each lose 30%+ in China sales

Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW Bayerische Motoren Werke AG each suffered sales declines of at least 30% in China during the second quarter of 2026, as local electric vehicle competitors continue to outpace Europe's legacy automakers in the world's largest car…

VW board blocks plan to cut 100,000 jobs, close plants

Volkswagen's supervisory board voted against CEO Oliver Blume's proposal to cut up to 100,000 jobs and close four German factories, with labor representatives defeating the plan 12 to seven at a meeting on Thursday in Wolfsburg, according to Reuters.

VW deliveries post steepest drop since 2022 as China sales plunge

Volkswagen Group reported an 8.6% decline in global deliveries in the second quarter of 2026, marking its steepest quarterly drop since mid-2022, as a deepening sales collapse in China offset gains in North America and Europe.

Global EV sales hit 2 million in June as Europe drives growth

Global demand for electric vehicles rose for a fourth consecutive month in June, reaching 2 million units sold worldwide and bringing year-to-date sales to 9.6 million, according to data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. The milestone was propelled by strong growth…

Volkswagen to cut model lineup by up to half in historic overhaul

Volkswagen announced on Thursday that it will slash its global vehicle lineup by as much as 50%, as the automaker pursues what analysts describe as the most far-reaching restructuring in its nearly nine-decade history. The decision came after a high-stakes…

Xiaomi unveils SkyNomad SUV series, its first hybrid EV line

Xiaomi on Wednesday announced SkyNomad, a new automotive product series focused on extended-range electric vehicles, marking the company's first departure from pure battery-electric cars as it pushes deeper into China's crowded EV market amid mounting pressure on its core smartphone…

China auto exports top 1 million in a month for first time

China's passenger vehicle market contracted sharply again in June, with retail sales falling 23.2% year-on-year to 1.6 million units, according to data released by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) on Wednesday. The decline marks a ninth consecutive month of…

BYD rolls out 17 millionth new energy vehicle in 82 days

BYD celebrated a production landmark on Tuesday when its 17 millionth new energy vehicle rolled off the assembly line at its Xi'an plant, with the milestone unit being the newly launched Seal 08 flagship sedan.

GM, VW and Renault now hand vehicle development to Chinese engineers

Global automakers are no longer using China merely as a low-cost factory floor. General Motors, Volkswagen, and Renault are increasingly handing vehicle development to Chinese engineers, leveraging the country's growing lead in electric powertrains and advanced software, according to Reuters…

Mercedes-Benz Q2 car sales fall 8% as China drops 30%

Mercedes-Benz reported an 8% decline in sales for its core car business in the second quarter of 2026, as the German automaker faces mounting pressure from Chinese rivals in one of its most important markets.

VW CEO Blume faces pivotal board vote on 100,000 job cuts

Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume is heading into what analysts describe as the biggest test of his leadership: a supervisory board meeting on Thursday, July 9, where he will seek approval for a restructuring plan that could eliminate up to 100,000…

Tesla shares rebound after record Q2 deliveries crush estimates

Tesla delivered 480,126 vehicles in the second quarter of 2026, the company announced on July 2, posting a 25% year-over-year increase that blew past Wall Street's consensus estimate by roughly 74,000 units. The result marked Tesla's best second quarter on…

EU-US trade hit record €875B in 2025, but auto exports plunged, study finds

Goods trade between the European Union and the United States reached a record €875 billion in 2025, but the headline figure conceals a sharp decline in European automotive exports to America, according to a study published Friday by the German…

Chinese automakers outsell Japanese rivals in Europe for first time

Chinese automakers outsold Japanese brands in Europe for the first time in May, a milestone that underscores the speed at which China's auto industry is reshaping global competition even as its domestic market contracts sharply.

Tesla’s China share drops below 30% despite record Q2

Tesla delivered 126,157 vehicles in China during the second quarter of 2026, accounting for just 26.28% of its global deliveries — the first time the figure has fallen below 30% since late 2020, according to CnEVPost data published Thursday. The…

Tesla Q2 deliveries crush estimates with 480,000 units

Tesla delivered 480,126 electric vehicles in the second quarter of 2026, the company announced on Thursday, blowing past Wall Street estimates and marking a 25% increase from the 384,122 vehicles delivered in the same period a year ago.

BYD set to reclaim global EV sales crown from Tesla in Q2

BYD reported 557,090 battery-electric passenger vehicle sales in the second quarter of 2026, a figure that will almost certainly surpass Tesla's quarterly deliveries and return the Chinese automaker to its position as the world's top seller of fully electric vehicles.

Ferrari and BMW switch to aluminum wiring as copper prices hit records

Ferrari and BMW Bayerische Motoren Werke AG are rolling out new models with aluminium wiring, joining Tesla and several Chinese electric vehicle makers in an industry-wide shift away from copper that could reshape demand for one of the world's most…

VW advisers push sale of Ducati, Lamborghini after Everllence deal

Volkswagen is facing mounting pressure to sell prized brands including Ducati and Lamborghini as its financial crisis deepens, with advisers pushing the automaker to capitalize on the momentum from its recent Everllence divestiture, according to a report in the Financial…

Volkswagen stock nears 15-year low on reports of 100,000 job cuts

Shares in Volkswagen AG fell nearly 2% on Monday to approach their lowest level since October 2010, after reports emerged that the automaker is preparing to eliminate up to 100,000 jobs and close four German factories in one of the…

Volkswagen to end Bosch self-driving partnership after €1.5B investment

Volkswagen plans to terminate its automated driving partnership with Bosch, ending a collaboration that absorbed roughly €1.5 billion without delivering competitive technology, according to a report by Germany's Bild newspaper on Sunday.

VW CEO plans to cut 100,000 jobs worldwide, report says

Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume is planning to eliminate up to 100,000 jobs worldwide over the coming years, according to a report by Manager Magazin published on Wednesday, marking a dramatic escalation of the German automaker's already sweeping restructuring campaign.

Chinese brands capture record 11.4% of Europe’s car market

Chinese automakers seized a record 11.4% of Europe's new-car market in May, according to data released Tuesday by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), as brands led by BYD, Geely, and SAIC continue to redraw the competitive landscape of the…

Toyota expands overseas production cuts to 100,000 vehicles amid Hormuz crisis

Toyota is scaling back overseas vehicle production by approximately 100,000 units through February 2027, according to reporting by Nikkei, as the automaker grapples with weakening demand and logistical disruptions tied to the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Electric vehicles hit 20% of EU car sales in 2026

The European Union's new car market grew for a fourth consecutive month in May, with battery-electric vehicles continuing to reshape the continent's automotive landscape, according to data released Tuesday by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA).

Toyota, Nissan warn Japanese buyers of US-built car defects

Toyota and Nissan are warning Japanese customers that vehicles built in American factories and exported to Japan may not meet the cosmetic standards typically expected in the domestic market. The disclaimers, published on the automakers' Japanese retail pages, flag potential…

BYD plans to bring Great Tang SUV to Europe by late 2026

BYD is preparing to bring its flagship Great Tang electric SUV to Europe as soon as the end of this year or early 2027, as the Chinese automaker looks to capitalize on record domestic demand for the seven-seat vehicle.

BYD launches flagship Datang SUV after record 150,000 preorders

BYD officially launched its Great Tang full-size electric SUV on Wednesday, June 17, confirming over 150,000 pre-orders — the highest pre-launch total for any single model in the Chinese automaker's history. The seven-seat flagship undercuts its own pre-sale pricing, starting…

VW CEO lays out sweeping restructuring at annual meeting

Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume used the automaker's annual general meeting on Thursday to lay out a sweeping plan for the future, warning shareholders that rising geopolitical tensions, fierce competition, and trade barriers demand faster and deeper changes at Europe's largest…

Bosch targets 1 billion euros in humanoid robot revenue

German industrial giant Bosch announced on Wednesday that it is stepping up investment in humanoid robotics, targeting an additional one billion euros in annual revenue from the sector as its traditional automotive business continues to face competitive and pricing headwinds.