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IN TODAY’S REPORT

⚡ROUNDUP

Key headlines shaping the auto industry this week

⚙️ Corporate & Financial Moves

  1. Polestar reportedly planning a reverse stock split to remain listed on Nasdaq (Link)

  2. Lucid begins installing equipment at its Saudi Arabia factory, signaling progress toward local production (Link)

  3. JPMorgan says “Buy CATL’s Shenzhen stock, sell Hong Kong peer” amid valuation gap (Link)

  4. GM celebrates its best U.S. sales decade driven by EVs and SUVs (Link)

🔋 Batteries & Electrification

  1. Dongfeng plans to begin mass production of solid-state batteries by September 2026 (Link)

  2. BMW intensifies efforts to make solid-state batteries a production reality (Link)

  3. Porsche’s $8,000 wireless charger could redefine EV ownership convenience (Link)

  4. The automakers electrifying the fastest in the U.S. — EVs’ share of total sales surges (Link)

🤖 Autonomy & Software

  1. Abu Dhabi launches the region’s first commercial autonomous robotaxi operations (Link)

  2. VW and Rivian may license their zonal vehicle software to other automakers (Link)

  3. VW could also use Rivian’s software in future ICE vehicles (Link)

  4. InsideEVs podcast explores Rivian–VW joint venture details and strategy (Link)

  5. Tesla releases detailed safety report following Waymo co-CEO’s call for transparency (Link)

  6. Tesla is considering adding Apple CarPlay after all (Link)

  7. Volkswagen announces smartwatch integration for MyVW app users (Link)

🚗 Models, Launches & Market News

  1. BYD’s next-gen Han sedan spied with a redesigned 5.2-meter body (Link)

  2. Hongqi HS6 PHEV — world’s longest-range SUV — enters pre-sale at $25,200 (Link)

  3. Jeep’s PHEV reliability woes continue as issues worsen (Link)

  4. Chery attempts Range Rover’s “Dragon Challenge” but fails spectacularly (Link)

  5. Daimler’s truck brands consolidate under one commercial vehicle umbrella (Link)

  6. BMW ordered to pay $1.9 million after “soft-close” door injures owner (Link)

  7. Skoda celebrates 130 years — key milestones that defined the brand (Link)

  1. Ferrari and Porsche are backing away from the booming EV market — here’s why (Link)

  2. Gasgoo reports highlight ongoing trends in China’s automotive supply chain (Link)

  3. Additional Gasgoo insight: domestic EV component suppliers gain momentum (Link)

💼BRIEFING

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

  • EV sales volumes are rising rapidly, yet Ferrari and Porsche are scaling back aggressive EV commitments delaying electric models, prioritizing hybrids/ICE in the short-term.

  • The luxury/sports segment sees weaker EV demand in key markets (e.g., China), higher costs, and complexity in brand identity transformation from ICE to EV.

❝

Ferrari has finally shown the hardware for its first electric car, the Electtrica, with customer deliveries planned from late 2026. At the same time, it told investors that by 2030 only about 20% of its lineup will be full electric, with 40% hybrid and 40% still pure internal combustion, down from an earlier plan that gave EVs a 40% share. That cut was spelled out clearly when Ferrari revealed the Elettrica and its new targets at Maranello.

The reason why this strategy works in two folds is that

  1. For Ferrari’s purist customer base, those who want the brand to remain a petrol-guzzling supercar company, the electric lineup will represent only a small part of the overall identity. And if electric models don’t gain much traction, Ferrari can easily scale back production.

  2. However, if the electric lineup does take off, Ferrari’s commitment to capping production for the next few years will naturally create demand through manufactured scarcity. This would give the company room to raise prices while also covering the costs of building the necessary in-house capabilities and technology.

  • GM recorded over 2.7 million U.S. vehicle sales in 2024, its best since 2019, with strong performance across ICE, hybrid, and EV segments.

  • Even though EV sales are accelerating (GM’s EVs more than doubled year-on-year), the core business remains balanced across powertrains.

  • While headlines highlight EV disruption, the reality is that large legacy OEMs will continue navigating hybrid/ICE as part of their transition for some years

  • Volkswagen and Rivian’s joint venture (RV Tech) is designing a software/electronics architecture originally for EVs, but VW revealed it may apply it to its ICE models as well.

  • The architecture is being developed by ~1,500 engineers, signalling software and electronics are now central to vehicle strategy regardless of propulsion type.

  • Key brand-level findings (3rd quarter data):

    • Cadillac leads among major brands with 39.5% of its U.S. sales being EVs.

    • Audi follows at 38.6% EV share.

    • Next tier: Porsche (~19%), Volkswagen (~17.8%), Hyundai (~12%), Volvo (~11.8%), BMW (~10.6%), and Dodge (~10.6%) (noting Dodge is a surprise in this list).

  • On the auto-group level:

    • Volkswagen Group leads the pack with 24.0% of its U.S. total vehicle sales being EVs.

    • BMW Group sits at ~10.5% EV share.

    • General Motors and Hyundai–Kia both report around 9.4% EV share of their U.S. volume.

  • Tesla, Inc. is reportedly developing integration of Apple CarPlay into its infotainment systems, despite having resisted the feature for years.

  • Research indicates that about 30 % of potential car buyers consider the absence of CarPlay/Android Auto a deal-breaker, putting pressure on Tesla amidst slowing sales.

  • The proposed implementation: CarPlay would operate within a “window” of Tesla’s UI (rather than replacing it fully), and Tesla does not appear to be planning for Android Auto at this stage.

  • Chinese mobility technology firm ECARX Holdings Inc. has expanded its collaboration with Volkswagen Group, set to provide its Antora® computing platforms and Cloudpeak software for Volkswagen-brand models in Latin America.

  • The cockpit solutions will be integrated with Google Automotive Services (GAS), covering Google Maps, Google Assistant/Gemini voice assistant and the Google Play store. Entry-level models without full GAS will use the Antora® 500 hardware, while more premium models will adopt the Antora® 1000 platform.

  • The Antora® 1000 is based on a 7 nm automotive-grade “StarDragon No.1” SoC developed by SiEngine; the Cloudpeak software runs on Android Automotive OS and Linux, supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and is positioned as a high-modularity cross-domain cockpit platform.

  • According to Gasgoo Automotive Research Institute data, China’s passenger-vehicle exports in Jan-Sept 2025 grew significantly, with Belgium mentioned as a key gateway into Europe.

  • The data emphasises that Chinese brands are not only dominating domestically but accelerating their global export footprint and leveraging strategic European entry points.

  • Daimler Truck AG (formerly part of Daimler AG) owns several heavy-vehicle and semi-truck brands including Freightliner, Mercedes-Benz Trucks, BharatBenz, Fuso and Western Star.

Mercedes Benz Trucks

Freightliner Trucks

BharatBenz Trucks

Fuso Trucks

Western Star Trucks

📈MARKET SNAPSHOT

This week’s key movers in the automotive stock market

🐦AUTO BUZZ

Top posts, tweets, and videos from the automotive industry

💹FINANCIALS

A focused look at recent automotive company financials

Motherson Q2

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