🚚Autowist Report 120

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Key headlines shaping the auto industry this week

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

✅ Swedish freight tech firm Einride reached a $1 billion valuation following new funding, underscoring investor confidence in autonomous electric trucking.
✅ The company operates Level 4 autonomous pods and connected logistics systems already in limited commercial use across Europe and the U.S.
✅ Einride’s platform combines AI-driven route optimization and remote fleet control, aiming to reduce logistics emissions.
✅ Recent expansions into the U.S. and Middle East have opened new growth markets.

✅ Mercedes-Benz and Athos Silicon announced a collaboration to define next-gen autonomous computing chip standards for Level 3–4 vehicles.
✅ These chips will support real-time perception, sensor fusion, and vehicle control for Mercedes’ future autonomy roadmap.
✅ Athos Silicon brings semiconductor expertise, while Mercedes provides ADAS integration and validation environments.
✅ The first production-ready chips are expected around 2027, aligning with Mercedes’ SDV rollout.

🔍 The playbook they are trying to replicate is that of Tesla’s by trying to achieve vertical integration in the stack. But Mercedes will have to fight out the “internal legacy” to actually achieve the playbook.

✅ Porsche unveiled a China-exclusive infotainment system at the 2025 World New Energy Vehicle Congress in Haikou, marking a major step in its “In China, For China” strategy. The system was developed primarily by Porsche’s local R&D team with technical input from PATEO, a longtime partner specializing in connected vehicle technologies.
✅ It introduces a large language model-powered voice assistant (DeepSeek integration) and 3D vehicle control interface, enabling more intuitive and emotionally engaging human-vehicle interaction. Navigation now uses Amap, and the system supports both Apple CarPlay and Huawei projection, ensuring compatibility with Chinese smartphone ecosystems.
✅ The chipset has been upgraded to eliminate lag, while the passenger display features physical anti-peep protection to prevent distraction. Passengers can download local entertainment apps directly from an in-car app store integrated with China’s digital ecosystem (music, video, radio).
✅ Engineers confirmed that the system’s hardware is market-specific, with uncertain backward compatibility for older models such as the Taycan. For now, the software is confirmed for the Taycan GTS and Macan 4 Sportline, with rollout slated for mid-2026.
✅ The system maintains Porsche’s hallmark driver-centric philosophy while enhancing personalization and digital integration tailored to Chinese users’ habits.

🔍 Porsche’s China-specific PCM system underscores how global luxury automakers are localizing digital experiences to meet the expectations of Chinese consumers, positioning infotainment, AI, and voice interfaces as new frontiers of brand differentiation in the world’s most tech-savvy car market.

Here is a video from the new Curved Screen infotainment unveiled last week for the 2026 Cayenne

✅ Stellantis has teamed up with Portuguese platform B-Parts to expand its used and remanufactured parts program across Europe.
✅ The initiative supports the company’s circular economy strategy, promoting reuse and sustainability in aftersales operations.
✅B-Parts expected to offer 500,000 parts in the UK market within the next 12 months
✅ Customers will gain direct online access to certified used parts sourced from dismantled vehicles.
✅ Stellantis aims to reduce lifecycle emissions and offer affordable repair options for older models. The partnership also improves parts availability amid supply chain constraints.

🔍 Strategically this is a really sound move. Used parts have been the ignored part of the value chain by OEMs, as it was less lucrative than selling brand-new spare parts to its customers. However, I believe there is value to be captured in this segment. As a car owner, it would be great to know that the longevity of parts available on the market extends beyond what the OEM is ready to offer with the help of these used car parts platform.

✅ Tesla is adding V2L functionality to the Model Y, allowing owners to power appliances and devices directly from the car’s battery.
✅ The feature will be enabled via software update, aligning Tesla with capabilities already offered by Hyundai, Kia, and BYD.
✅ V2L could play a key role in emergency use cases and outdoor applications. Owners and analysts have long requested this feature as part of Tesla’s energy ecosystem vision.
✅ The update will roll out first in China and then globally.

🔍 Give the users what they want. This is a feature that is a much lower hanging fruit than fully autonomous cars. And the Tesla community have been vocal about this feature for a while now. The fact that Tesla is able to roll this out merely with a software update is definitely the aspect that is making Tesla such a valuable automaker. They have figured out the SW stack to achieve this at scale, way before any of the incumbents had a clue of how to solve this. This is ultimately their competitive advantage, which is rightly priced into the stock price of Tesla these days, with a PE ration in the 200’s

✅ Volkswagen reported that the ID.4 ranked as its third best-selling model globally in Q3 2025.
✅ The EV trailed only the Tiguan and Golf, marking the company’s strongest quarter yet for all-electric vehicles.
✅ VW delivered over 175,000 EVs during the period, up 16% year-over-year.

✅ Rivian confirmed it will deliver fewer vehicles in 2025 compared to 2023, as production realignment and supply constraints hit output.
✅ The company cited ongoing factory upgrades and “selective slowdown” to integrate new models and cost optimizations.
✅ R1 platform updates and the upcoming R2 lineup are stretching resources.
✅ Despite the dip, Rivian expects higher margins due to improved material efficiency.
✅ Investors remain cautiously optimistic following VW’s $1B investment earlier this year.

✅ Multiple automakers, including VW, Hyundai, Porsche, and BMW, are reintroducing physical controls for key functions after customer pushback on touchscreens.
✅ Drivers complained about distraction and usability issues with purely digital dashboards.
✅ Carmakers are adopting a hybrid approach, combining tactile controls with software customization.
✅ The shift reflects growing awareness that safety and ergonomics must come before design minimalism.

✅ A viral video shows a Xiaomi SU7 EV moving without a driver, prompting safety concerns and online scrutiny.
✅ Xiaomi confirmed it was a software malfunction, not an autonomous feature, and is issuing an immediate fix.
✅ The incident occurred days after the company boasted of record deliveries, putting it under intense public pressure.
✅ Regulators in China have reportedly requested further data from Xiaomi on system safeguards.

🔍 Highlights the sensitivity around vehicle autonomy and software trust, especially for tech entrants transitioning into automotive manufacturing.

✅ GM reported its strongest quarterly sales in 10 years, with total Q3 deliveries up 11% year-over-year.
✅ Growth was led by SUVs and a sharp increase in Ultium-based EV sales, including the Equinox and Silverado EV.
✅ GM reaffirmed plans to expand hybrid offerings alongside EVs to capture both segments.
✅ Executives highlighted the importance of margin discipline amid an uncertain pricing environment.

🔍 Demonstrates that diversified lineups: SUVs, hybrids, and EVs together are emerging as the most resilient model for large automakers.

✅ China’s EV market showed mixed results in September: NIO +64%, XPeng +100%, Leapmotor +96%, while BYD fell 6% year-over-year.
✅ Xiaomi tripled its deliveries, continuing rapid scaling from a low base.
✅ The shift reflects increasing competition in the mid-tier EV segment, where price cuts dominate.
✅ Smaller brands are benefiting from localized incentives and viral marketing.
✅ Analysts note that BYD’s slowdown may indicate market saturation in its core domestic segment.

✅ Chinese officials reaffirmed that the nation aims to remain the world’s top EV exporter, even amid EU tariff pressures.
✅ The government pledged continued support for battery supply chains and port infrastructure to sustain exports.
✅ Automakers are urged to improve quality and safety to counter Western scrutiny of low-cost EVs.
✅ Trade analysts expect Chinese EVs to reach 30% of global export share by 2027.
✅ Domestic brands are diversifying into new markets in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.

This week’s key movers in the automotive stock market