Author: Central Desk

DeepRouteai, a Chinese autonomous-driving technology company, is on track to equip more than 200,000 production vehicles with its autonomous driving platforms by the end of 2025. The company reported that it held nearly 40% of the market in the third-party urban autonomous driving supplier segment in October, underscoring its accelerating commercial reach. Announced during the Guangzhou Auto Show, the milestone marks a significant step in DeepRouteai’s shift from research and development to large-scale commercialization. The company expects deployments to grow rapidly, targeting one million vehicles in 2026. DeepRouteai currently holds the second-largest market share in China’s mainstream SUV segment, with…

Another fire broke out Thursday morning at a key Novelis aluminum plant in Oswego, New York, one of Ford Motor’s most critical suppliers, intensifying concerns over the automaker’s already strained production outlook. The plant provides aluminum sheet metal used in the bodies of Ford’s F-Series pickup trucks, the best-selling vehicles in the United States, and a major contributor to the company’s earnings. Industry analysts estimate that the facility accounts for roughly 40% of the U.S. auto industry’s aluminum sheet supply. This is the second major incident at the plant in just over two months. A late-night fire on September 16…

The Netherlands has suspended its administrative order involving Nexperia, the semiconductor company owned by China’s Wingtech Technology, in a step analysts view as an initial thaw in economic tensions that have threatened chip supplies critical to the global automotive industry. Analysts said the move should be followed by a complete withdrawal of the order and practical measures to restore confidence and stability in the global semiconductor supply chain. Nexperia, headquartered in Nijmegen in eastern Netherlands, has been at the center of a months-long dispute that strained bilateral ties. China on Thursday again called on the Netherlands to work toward a…

Penske Automotive Group, one of the world’s largest automotive and commercial truck retailers, announced the acquisition of Longo Toyota and Longo Lexus in El Monte, California, Lexus of Stevens Creek in San Jose, California, and Longo Toyota of Prosper in Prosper, Texas, a rapidly growing suburb of Dallas. The newly acquired dealerships retailed more than 28,000 new and used vehicles in 2024 and are expected to contribute approximately 1.5 billion dollars in estimated annualized revenue. Longo Toyota has been the top-volume Toyota dealer in the United States for 58 consecutive years. Longo Lexus has been the number-one Lexus dealer in…

Panasonic Automotive Systems has joined the Open Invention Network (OIN), a global open source patent mutual-use organization. OIN was created to protect open source software and now includes more than 4,000 corporate members worldwide. Member companies participate in a royalty-free cross-licensing framework covering patents related to the Linux System, under which they agree not to assert patent rights over core Linux and related open source technologies. Panasonic Automotive Systems has been consistently contributing to multiple open source software communities, including Automotive Grade Linux, as part of its long-term efforts to advance OSS technologies. The company has played a key role…

Germany’s automotive Industry is entering one of its most difficult phases in decades, squeezed by global competitors, rapid shifts in technology, and a slowing domestic economy. Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes, once the pillars of German industrial success, are reporting falling profits and weakening demand across Europe and China, while Chinese electric vehicle makers move aggressively into global markets. Automobile output in Germany has already fallen from 5.6 million units in 2017 to about 3.4 million in 2024, with further declines expected. The sector represents around one-fifth of Germany’s industrial production and roughly 6% of GDP when the supply chain is…

Jaguar Land Rover is navigating a difficult period as weak global demand and the lingering effects of a severe cyber-attack weigh heavily on performance. The Tata Motors-owned luxury carmaker saw demand shrink in key markets, particularly China and Europe, while tariffs and production losses further pressured its second-quarter results. PB Balaji, Group Chief Financial Officer at Tata Motors, said global demand remains difficult and warned that China continues to be a concern from a retail-volume perspective. He added that rising tariffs in the United States add more pressure, creating a challenging outlook for JLR. The company is still recovering from…

Tesla is undertaking one of the most significant supply-chain shifts in its history as it works to remove China-made parts from vehicles produced in the United States. The move reflects the deepening geopolitical pressure surrounding U.S.–China trade and technology ties, and it challenges a production network that has long relied on China’s scale, logistics, and cost advantages. According to people familiar with the matter cited by The Wall Street Journal, Tesla began phasing out components sourced from China earlier this year. The company is replacing them with parts manufactured in Mexico, Southeast Asia, and several European countries. Executives and suppliers…

Stellantis brought together more than 80 technology and manufacturing partners at its Factory Booster Day to showcase over 100 new innovations aimed at improving efficiency, reducing downtime, and advancing AI-driven digital transformation across its global production network. Anna Valeria Anllo, Head of Global Innovation for Vehicle Process Engineering, said the event represents the culmination of a year-long effort to identify manufacturing challenges directly from plant managers and shop-floor teams. These needs are then shared with supplier networks, and the most promising solutions are selected for presentation to develop proof-of-concept projects in the following year. “We collect all our biggest challenges…

Officials planned to establish what is expected to become the world’s largest and most technologically advanced automotive marketplace. The Dubai Auto Market will cover 22 million square feet and is designed to handle more than 800,000 vehicles a year, creating a new global hub for automotive trade, re-export, and related services. The development will include more than 1,500 showrooms, clustered workshop zones, warehouses, multi-storey parking, a convention center, a hotel, an auction house, and dedicated retail and dining spaces. The project is being developed by DP World, chosen for its global logistics network and experience operating large-scale trade and industrial…