Author: Jonathan Collins

Holon, the autonomous electric shuttle subsidiary of the Benteler Group and Tasaru Mobility Investments, has appointed Markus Schlitt as its new CEO and Managing Director, effective May 1, 2025. Schlitt succeeds Henning von Watzdorf, who is in discussions about assuming a new management role at Benteler. Holon was founded in 2022 by Benteler as part of its push into autonomous electric vehicles, and von Watzdorf led the company since August 2023. In 2024, Saudi Arabian investor Tasaru Mobility Investments joined the venture, providing essential funding for the development of the Holon Mover. The vehicle, now rebranded as the Holon Urban,…

Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) is reviewing its plan to sell 1.5 million electric vehicles annually by 2026 as uncertainty rises in the global auto industry, particularly in the wake of new U.S. tariffs targeting Chinese-made good. Despite reporting strong overall sales of more than 10.2 million vehicles, including its Lexus brand, during the fiscal year, the world’s largest automaker sold only 145,000 fully electric vehicles—just over 1% of its total output. That figure falls short of the global average, where electric vehicles accounted for about 14% of auto sales in 2024. See also: Toyota Fears China Will Dominate Hydrogen Vehicles…

Tesla has commenced deliveries of the updated Model Y in Australia, marking a significant milestone for the electric vehicle manufacturer. The first deliveries are scheduled for Thursday in Sydney, with the new Model Y variants being available for customers. The updated Model Y comes in two primary configurations. The single-motor rear-wheel-drive (RWD) variant is priced from $58,900 before on-road costs and offers a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 5.9 seconds. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive (AWD) variant, starting at $68,900 before on-road costs, provides faster acceleration, reaching 100 km/h in just 4.8 seconds. https://twitter.com/TeslaAUNZ/status/1920666998561964411 In addition to improved performance, the AWD variant…

Toyota expects a significant decline in profits for the current financial year, forecasting a 20% drop in operating income. The company cited the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the ongoing weakness in the U.S. dollar as key factors that will weigh on its financial performance. In its latest forecast, Toyota predicts operating income for the year ending March 2026 will total 3.8 trillion yen ($26 billion), down from 4.8 trillion yen in the previous year. The company highlighted the adverse effects of global trade disruptions, particularly tariffs, which have been eating into profits. See also: Toyota bZ4X and…

Vietnamese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer VinFast is preparing to shut down all its showrooms and service centres across Europe by the end of this week, in what appears to be a significant shift in strategy as the company moves away from its direct sales model, according to a report by German news outlet Elektroauto-News.net. The outlet, citing two internal sources, reported that around 90% of VinFast’s European staff were informed of their dismissal in early May. An internal meeting held on 2 May reportedly confirmed a timeline that includes a showroom shutdown on 9 May and severance agreements to be…

Uber and Chinese autonomous vehicle technology company WeRide announced plans to expand their commercial robotaxi service, aiming to introduce the service to 15 additional cities within the next five years. This expansion follows the launch of a commercial robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi just five months ago. The expansion will include several cities across Europe. Under the partnership, WeRide’s robotaxi services are made accessible through the Uber app, following a similar model to Uber’s existing collaboration with Waymo. See also: Uber, Momenta to Launch Robotaxi Services in Europe Starting 2026 In these partnerships, Uber manages the network routing and fleet…

Xpeng has reached a significant milestone with the production of the 50,000th unit of its P7+ electric sedan, five months after the model’s launch. The company shared the achievement on Weibo, highlighting the continued success of one of its best-selling vehicles. Launched on November 7, 2024, the P7+ has quickly gained traction in the electric vehicle market, with the 10,000th unit rolling off the production line just 20 days after the initial release. Since then, demand for the mid-to-large-size electric sedan has surged, contributing to the company’s strong delivery numbers. See also: Everything You Should Know About the Xpeng P7+…

Japanese chipmaker Rohm has introduced a new compact silicon carbide (SiC) power module for electric vehicles, designed to improve performance, reliability, and integration in onboard chargers. The HSDIP20 package incorporates the company’s fourth-generation SiC MOSFETs and is targeted at high-power automotive applications such as power factor correction (PFC) and DC/DC conversion. The module, which measures 38 x 31.3 x 3.5 mm, integrates four or six MOSFETs into a single package and is available in configurations supporting 7 to 22 kW power levels. According to Rohm, the HSDIP20 achieves industry-leading current density, allowing for faster EV charging while reducing the mounting…

Swiss charge point operator Avia Volt has acquired competitor Plug’n Roll, a subsidiary of energy provider Repower, adding 2,345 charge points to its network. The deal, retroactively effective from 1 April 2025, significantly expands Avia Volt’s footprint in Switzerland, including 500 public charge points previously operated by Plug’n Roll. In a statement, Avia Volt confirmed that all Plug’n Roll customers will be integrated into its existing network. “Existing Plug’n Roll contracts and business processes will be reviewed and, where necessary, adapted. The changeover is carried out transparently and with clear communication to all affected parties,” the company said. The acquisition…

GAC Aion, the electric vehicle brand under Chinese automaker GAC Group, unveiled a new Level 4 autonomous electric vehicle at the Shanghai auto show, developed in partnership with DiDi Autonomous Driving. The model is scheduled to enter production by the end of 2025, with initial demonstrations planned for 2026. The autonomous vehicle is based on the GAC Aion V’s “T-Rex” variant and integrates DiDi’s latest autonomous driving technologies. The platform includes a total of 10 LiDAR sensors—four of which support long-range detection up to 200 meters—alongside six blind-spot LiDARs offering 360-degree coverage within a 10-centimeter radius. The sensor suite is…

BYD (HKG:1211), China’s largest new energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturer, has broken ground on its first passenger car plant in Cambodia, as part of a broader strategy to expand production capacity across Southeast Asia. A groundbreaking ceremony for the facility—Cambodia’s first NEV production plant—was held on April 28 in the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone, Chinese state-run media China News Service reported. The event was attended by Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol, Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wenbin, and Preah Sihanouk Province Governor Mang Sineth. The plant, with a total investment of $32 million, will cover an area of 12 hectares.…

Li Auto has unveiled updated versions of its Li L6 SUV and Li Mega MPV at the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show, with improvements in smart-driving technology but no change in the starting prices. The company has commenced pre-sales for both models, focusing on enhanced autonomous driving features and additional options for customers. The updated Li L6 extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) is available in two variants: the Pro and Max models. The starting prices for these variants remain the same as the previous versions, with the Pro priced at RMB 249,800 ($34,240) and the Max at RMB 279,800. See also: Li…

South Korea has inaugurated its largest electric vehicle fast-charging hub at the Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX) in Goyang, about 20 kilometres northwest of Seoul, as part of the country’s efforts to expand EV infrastructure. The new hub was developed by Water, a fast-charging network unit of Brite Energy Partners, and is capable of simultaneously serving up to 46 electric vehicles. The installation includes 14 chargers with 100 kW output and four 200 kW chargers in Zone A, along with five 100 kW chargers in Zone B. All units are dual-gun chargers, enhancing throughput capacity. See also: China’s Elecq to…

Helm.ai, a developer of AI software for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving, has introduced Helm.ai Driver, a vision-only neural network designed for real-time path prediction. The system, which supports Level 2 to Level 4 autonomous driving in both highway and urban environments, operates solely using camera-based inputs, eliminating the need for HD maps, Lidar, or additional sensors. The Helm.ai Driver uses the company’s Deep Teaching™ methodology, which allows the system to learn complex driving behaviors such as navigating intersections and avoiding obstacles without explicit programming. This enables the neural network to replicate human-like driving patterns, improving its…

Saudi Arabia’s state-owned oil company Aramco has signed a joint development agreement with China’s BYD to collaborate on new energy vehicle (NEV) technologies, the company said on Monday, marking a significant step in the kingdom’s shift toward cleaner transportation. The agreement, signed through Aramco’s technology arm Saudi Aramco Technologies Company (SATC), aims to improve vehicle efficiency and reduce emissions as Saudi Arabia accelerates its plans to transition to electric mobility. See also: BYD Files Sealion 06 SUV for Regulatory Approval in China with BEV and PHEV Variants “Aramco is exploring a number of ways to potentially optimise transport efficiency, from…

Tesla has postponed the production launch of its long-awaited affordable version of the Model Y SUV in the United States, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Initially expected to begin in the first half of the year, the global production of the lower-cost Model Y, codenamed E41, will now be delayed by several months, with new targets ranging from the third quarter of 2025 to early 2026. While the exact reason for the delay remains unclear, Tesla had promised to introduce affordable vehicles to boost its sales, which have been under pressure due to market saturation and rising competition.…

Lotus has officially started production of its long-awaited electric hypercar, the Evija, nearly five years after its initial 2020 target. The $2.3 million quad-motor vehicle represents the brand’s most ambitious performance project to date. While it’s unclear if any customers have received their vehicles, British automotive publication Top Gear recently had the opportunity to drive a production-spec model, offering the first independent impressions of the vehicle’s on-track and on-road performance. Originally hailed as a technological halo model for Lotus’ electrification strategy, the Evija boasts a 70-kilowatt-hour battery and a claimed total output of over 2,000 horsepower delivered through four electric…

Uber is inviting customers in Atlanta to join a waitlist for its upcoming robotaxi service with Waymo, the Alphabet-owned self-driving car unit, as the companies prepare to launch autonomous rides in the city this summer. The move marks the next phase of the “Waymo on Uber” partnership, which began rolling out in Austin earlier this year. In a joint statement on Tuesday, the companies confirmed that users in Atlanta will soon be able to hail Waymo’s fleet of autonomous Jaguar I-PACE electric vehicles through the Uber app. See also: Waymo’s Draft Privacy Policy Suggests Use of Rider Data, Interior Camera…

The UK’s national road authority, National Highways, has added 58 new electric vehicles to its operational fleet, marking another step in its push to reduce emissions. The delivery includes 18 Toyota Proace Electric vans and 40 Toyota bZ4X electric SUVs, in line with the agency’s target of transitioning all non-traffic officer light vehicles to electric by 2027. The Proace Electric, a medium-duty electric van, offers a range of up to 205 miles depending on battery size, and includes features such as the ‘Smart Cargo’ system for enhanced load capacity. While the specific battery configuration chosen by National Highways was not…

The European Union is considering a proposal to classify carbon fiber as a hazardous material, a move that could have sweeping consequences for the automotive and aerospace industries. If passed, the amendment would require automakers to gradually phase out the lightweight, high-strength material starting in 2029. The proposed change comes as part of a revision to the EU’s End-of-Life Vehicles Directive, which governs recycling and environmental standards for scrapped cars. Lawmakers argue that carbon fiber, widely used for its strength-to-weight advantages, could pose health risks if airborne filaments come into contact with human skin. This marks the first time a…