Author: Central Desk

The Thai auto industry is under growing strain from international trade measures, rising competition from Chinese automakers, and stricter environmental and safety regulations, according to a new report from Kasikorn Research Center (KResearch). The think tank urged industry stakeholders to accelerate adaptation to maintain competitiveness amid rapid market shifts. Dr. Rujipan Assarat, Assistant Managing Director at KResearch, said that while Thailand exports a limited volume of vehicles to the United States, Washington’s Section 232 import tariffs could have far-reaching consequences. “These tariffs may indirectly impact Thai exports as Japanese and South Korean automakers redirect supply to other markets, heightening competition…

Ford Motor Company will invest ₹3,250 crore (about $370 million) in India to revive its Maraimalai Nagar plant near Chennai, marking a major step toward strengthening India’s role in its global manufacturing network. The move comes despite policy pressures from the Trump administration urging U.S. firms to prioritize domestic production. The investment, formalized through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu government, will focus on retooling the idle facility to produce next-generation engines primarily for export markets. Reports indicate that these engines will not be supplied to the United States but to other global destinations as part of…

Dubai’s National Industries Park (NIP) is set to host one of the region’s largest automotive refurbishment centers under an AED 55 million ($15 million) partnership between DP World and Cars24. The 220,000 sq. ft. solar-powered facility will generate over 200 jobs and handle more than 100,000 vehicles annually. Construction is scheduled to begin in November 2025, with operations expected to start by August 2026. The new center will serve growing demand from electric vehicle manufacturers and Chinese original equipment makers, providing multi-brand refurbishment, pre-delivery inspection, after-sales servicing, and export preparation. Each vehicle will undergo over 140 inspection points, Dubai RTA…

Nissan Motor India has reached a major export milestone, with the company surpassing 1.2 million vehicle shipments from its Indian operations. The achievement reinforces India’s growing importance as a strategic export hub for Nissan across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Oceania. The 1.2 millionth export unit, a New Nissan Magnite B-SUV bound for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, was ceremonially flagged off by Saurabh Vatsa, Managing Director of Nissan Motor India, at Kamarajar Port, Ennore, Tamil Nadu. The company highlighted that this milestone aligns with its ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ vision, reaffirming India’s central role…

German automotive supplier ZF has partnered with Chinese technology company Horizon Robotics to develop advanced driver assistance systems supporting Level 3 autonomous driving. The collaboration combines ZF’s high-performance ProAI computing platform, which delivers up to 1,000 trillion operations per second (TOPS), with Horizon’s Journey-6P processors to create a robust computing foundation for real-time driving scenarios. The integrated system is expected to debut in a new vehicle platform from a Chinese automaker in 2026, entering mass production across multiple models. Although the manufacturer’s name remains undisclosed, the technology is designed to meet both international Level 3 automation standards and China’s ‘Navigate…

Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh to discuss expanding cooperation beyond automobiles into next-generation energy sectors, reaffirming the South Korean automaker’s growing strategic presence in the Middle East. During their meeting, Chung expressed Hyundai’s commitment to deepening collaboration in renewable energy, hydrogen, Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), and nuclear power as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative. “We look forward to expanding collaboration in future energy sectors, including renewable energy, hydrogen, SMR, and nuclear energy,” Chung said, underscoring the Group’s long-term commitment to the kingdom’s diversification and giga projects. The meeting…

Stellantis has announced a major collaboration with NVIDIA, Uber Technologies, and Foxconn to jointly develop and deploy Level 4 (driverless) autonomous vehicles for global robotaxi services. The initiative marks a crucial step in Stellantis’ global robotaxi strategy and follows its recent partnership with Pony AI to test autonomous vehicles in Europe, positioning the company to play a key role in the future of safe and sustainable mobility. The partnership will leverage Stellantis’ global vehicle engineering and manufacturing strength, NVIDIA’s AI and autonomous driving software, Foxconn’s electronic and system integration expertise, and Uber’s ride-hailing operations to introduce a new generation of…

Renault has confirmed the return of its iconic Duster SUV to the Indian market, with the new-generation model set for unveiling on January 26, 2026. The original Duster, first launched in India in 2012, sold over 200,000 units locally and pioneered the country’s B+ SUV segment, which now accounts for nearly a quarter of all passenger vehicle sales. The new Duster will be assembled at Renault’s Chennai facility, marking the activation of the automaker’s fifth industrial hub outside Europe, following existing production bases in Latin America, South Korea, Turkey, and Morocco. The move aligns with Renault’s International Game Plan 2027,…

Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) nearly 40-day global production halt following a major cyberattack has exposed critical vulnerabilities in the automotive industry’s digital infrastructure. The disruption, which reportedly cost the British automaker around £2 billion ($2.67 billion) in lost revenue, has triggered widespread concern across the global automotive sector about the security of interconnected production systems. Experts say the incident should serve as a wake-up call for automakers to review and fortify their cybersecurity frameworks. The increasing integration of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT), systems that manage both office networks and factory operations, has created new attack surfaces that…

The fourth edition of the EV Auto Show Riyadh will take place from October 27 to 29 at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center, showcasing the latest electric vehicle models, local manufacturing developments, and workforce training initiatives. Recent research highlights a major shift in consumer interest, with 40% of Saudi consumers now considering purchasing an electric vehicle within the next year, up from less than 1% two years ago. The event will host more than 120 exhibitors from 35 countries, featuring the newest electric and plug-in hybrid technologies. Among the main attractions will be the Saudi debut of the…