⛵Autowist Report 115

Top insights and analysis that is moving the needle in the automotive industry

✅ Rolls‑Royce is investing £300 million to expand its factory—not to increase volume, but to grow its Bespoke division.

✅ The strategy focuses on ultra‑luxury customization, catering to clients who want one‑of‑a‑kind configured vehicles.

✅ Even with its all‑electric Spectre and Cullinan SUV, the brand prefers exclusivity over sales numbers.

🔍 Highlights a shift in ultra‑premium automotive strategy: prioritizing personalization and exclusivity over mass production to preserve brand heritage and margins.

✅ Apple previewed a refreshed CarPlay interface with improved usability and customization, featuring sharper graphics and widget support via iOS 26.

✅ Updates include smaller, less intrusive notifications, emoji tapbacks, and dynamic Light/Dark mode UI.

✅ CarPlay Ultra, offering integrated instrument cluster control, is currently exclusive to Aston Martin but expected to roll out to more brands.

🔍 Marks a notable evolution in in-car digital experiences, escalating expectations for deeply integrated, customizable infotainment platforms.

✅ Samsung is partnering with Infineon and NXP to develop 5nm process automotive chips, geared for high-performance vehicle computing.

✅ Leverages Samsung’s strengths in memory and foundry capabilities, with emphasis on enhanced security and real-time processing.

✅ Aims to meet demand for chips in smart vehicles, including autonomous and connected car systems.

🔍 Reflects the surge in automotive-grade semiconductor demand, as chipmakers consolidate efforts to support the rise of AI-powered vehicles.

✅ A Stellantis executive cautions that their upcoming "Slate" electric pickup risks losing its budget pricing perception as specs and features grow.

✅ Concerns center on maintaining affordability while delivering on increasingly advanced EV expectations.

✅ Highlights the struggle of reconciling cost constraints with feature-rich electric vehicle demands.

🔍 Emphasizes the challenge automakers face in balancing affordability with technological enhancements in the mass-market EV segment.

✅ Geely’s founder, Li Shufu, warns that the global auto market is in serious overcapacity, prompting Geely to pause new plant construction.

✅ Citing intense competition, particularly price wars in China, he notes automakers are increasingly seeking opportunities overseas.

✅ Geely plans to leverage existing facilities, including Renault's plant in Brazil, rather than expanding current capacity.

🔍 Signals a global auto market correction, with manufacturers adopting more selective asset utilization and slowing capacity expansion amid shifting demand.