Automotive Weekly
This information that follows is taken from sources including The Car Connection, Autoweek, Green Car Reports, and other industry sources.
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SUVs reign supreme
SUVs aren't just popular; they are the backbone of the current U.S. car market. According to the Q1 2025 Experian Automotive Consumer Trends report, SUVs accounted for a staggering 62.8% of new, retail vehicle registrations in the past 12 months. The segment has enjoyed a long stretch of market dominance thanks to their widespread appeal among diverse consumers. There are currently 114.58 million SUVs on the road, which is roughly 42% of all vehicles in the U.S. In the past 12 months, 7.94 million new SUVs were registered. When it comes to specific brands, Toyota takes the crown for SUV market share, claiming 10.1% of new registrations, followed closely by Honda at 9.6% and Chevrolet at 9.5%.
Source: Digital Dealer
Nissan seeks to delay supplier payments to free up cash
Nissan Motor has asked some suppliers to allow it to delay payments to free up short-term funds, according to several emails and a company document reviewed by Reuters, as the troubled Japanese automaker scrambles to boost cash. New CEO Ivan Espinosa, who took over in April, has unveiled plans to shed around 15% of Nissan's global workforce and close seven plants as he targets 500 billion yen ($3.4 billion) in cost cuts over the next two years.
Source: Reuters
Shocker about 3D printing
Bryce Currie estimates he's spent at least 48 weeks of his life on his signature bus tours of the assembly and powertrain plants he oversees around the U.S. But Currie, who's been Ford Motor Co.'s top manufacturing executive since 2023, says a recent stop on a four-day swing through the automaker's Ohio plants plants shocked him. Currie said most of the roughly 50 passengers on the bus — including plant managers, hourly workers, finance analysts and human resources staffers — knew nothing about the 3D printing techniques workers at the Sharonville Transmission Plant had implemented to save the automaker some $3.3 million.
Source: Automotive News
China rare earths flow again, but not freely
The threat of mass shutdowns across the automotive supply chain is fading as Chinese rare earth magnets begin to flow, though automakers and suppliers say production plans still face uncertainties and a continued risk of shortages. European suppliers have received enough licenses to avoid the widespread disruptions predicted earlier this month, but hundreds of permits remain pending, said Nils Poel, head of market affairs at supplier association CLEPA. The rate of issuance is "accelerating" and has risen to 60 percent from 25 percent, he said, but cases where the end users are based in the United States, or where products move through third countries like India, are taking longer or not being prioritized. "Overall the feeling is that we probably will still have production in July and that the impact will be manageable," he said.
Source: Reuters via Automotive News
This electric semi is now in series production
MAN Trucks is now building its electric models alongside ICE versions, but they still face a few hurdles
In 2020, electric semi trucks still seemed like something that would happen only once most passenger cars were EVs themselves. But five years later, there are multiple truck makers with not one but several electric models in their lineups, while charging plazas are being built just for electric trucks.
And another truck maker has just joined them in full-scale production. At its Munich plant, MAN Trucks has kicked off series assembly of its electric models, after a pilot batch were completed in 2023. The battery-electric trucks themselves are being built alongside their diesel variants, with MAN having built and launched an eMobility Center at its Munich site in the summer of 2021. And the pace of assembly is impressive. "Maximum production capacity currently stands at around 100 trucks per day, regardless of the drive type. It takes around eight hours to manufacture a truck," the truck maker notes.
The trucks themselves feature six modular nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) batteries adding up to 534 kWh, sourced from the company's separate plant in Nuremberg. These give the trucks a range of up to 310 miles, though an optional seventh pack can dial that range up to 460 miles. Power consumption, meanwhile, averages 97 kWh per 62 miles. Even before series production kicked off, MAN completed 200 pre-series trucks and delivered them to customers, with the trucks having already covered some two million kilometers in customers' fleets.
Now, the truck maker has orders for 700 more. "The production of electric or diesel trucks on a single line can be flexibly adapted to market developments, and the vehicles can be built exactly in the order in which they are ordered by customers," says MAN Executive Board Member for Production Michael Kobriger. The truck maker is also investing €1 billion this decade to convert its plants to electric models, having already spent €400 million on development over the last few years.
Source: Autoweek
BC Transit is purchasing 66 new nova bus and new flyer electric buses
Part of its zero-emission fleet expansion
The buses will go into service in nine communities across British Columbia: Chilliwack, Kamloops, Kelowna, the Regional District of Nanaimo, Nelson, Powell River, Sunshine Coast, Victoria and Whistler. "Innovation in our public transit system helps us create a greener future for everyone," says minister of transportation and infrastructure Rob Fleming in a news release.
"As we start to electrify our transit fleet more people will be able to make cleaner transportation choices affordably. The communities of B.C. will soon be seeing new electrical infrastructure for their transit needs."
Quebec-based bus manufacturer Nova Bus will provide 33 LFSe+ 40-foot long-range buses. Meanwhile Winnipeg's New Flyer will supply 33 Xcelsior CHARGE NG 40-foot battery electric transit buses. The buses will arrive gradually, starting in early 2025. The order will be complete by mid-2026. In the next two years, BC Transit will install 134 new electric bus charging points to support the electric fleet.
BC Transit will confirm the bus allocations to each community as the project progresses.
Followup to the Proterra setback
The purchase news comes just a few months after BC Transit lost an initial order for 10 electric buses from the now-bankrupt bus manufacturer Proterra. In 2023, Proterra filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy and its transit business was subsequently purchased by Phoenix Motors. A subsequent court decision found that there were no contractual obligations between BC Transit and Phoenix. "As a result, BC Transit did not receive its first 10 electric buses from Phoenix Motors. BC Transit also did not provide any payment for the buses in question, as was consistent with the payment milestones of the contract," says BC Transit in a statement to Electric Autonomy.
To procure the latest round of electric buses, Nova Bus and New Flyer "submitted detailed proposals through the Request for Supplier Qualification and these proposals were evaluated following public procurement processes," says BC Transit.
More electric buses to come
More orders are also on tap. By the end of 2026, BC Transit aims to integrate 115 battery-electric buses into its transit fleet. An investment totalling $395.5 million from the government of Canada's Zero Emission Transit Fund and the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program is supporting the plan. As well, there are additional contributions from the province and local government partners. BC Transit has been committed to its electrification plans since the launch of its Low Carbon Fleet Program in 2019. The program's objective is to strategically replace buses with models equipped with greenhouse gas (GHG) reducing technology. BC Transit's electrification plans align closely with the GHG reduction targets outlined in the B.C. government's CleanBC roadmap. "Electrification of our fleet is a significant part of our plan to reduce GHG emissions and ensure a cleaner and healthier future for everyone," says Erinn Pinkerton, president and chief executive officer for BC Transit. "With other active procurements underway and work advancing on charging infrastructure designs in communities, it's an exciting time for BC Transit and our partners."
Source: Electric Autonomy Canada
Toyota delays EV SUV to focus on gas-powered grand highlander
Toyota is delaying its U.S. electric vehicle (EV) production timeline by more than a year, shifting plans to build a new electric SUV from Indiana to its Georgetown, Kentucky, plant. Production of this model will begin in 2028, following another three-row EV now set for late 2026. The change frees up capacity to increase the output of the gas-powered and hybrid Grand Highlander SUV, one of Toyota's fastest-selling models. The decision comes amid softening EV demand and looming uncertainty over federal tax incentives. Toyota's move underscores a shift toward meeting near-term customer demand for hybrids and gas-powered SUVs rather than pushing forward with less predictable EV volume. For dealers, this means focusing on models that are moving quickly off lots, like the Grand Highlander, while preparing for a longer and more measured EV rollout. With federal EV incentives potentially being eliminated, Toyota's flexible approach may help stabilize dealer profitability and inventory management in a volatile market.
Source: CBT News
Hyundai, KIA slash EV prices by up to $17k globally
Hyundai and Kia are rolling out aggressive global discounts on electric vehicles and SUVs, with incentives reaching nearly $17,000 in some markets. The widespread promotions follow the introduction of new 25% U.S. tariffs on imported vehicles and signal the Korean automakers' push to drive sales volume in other regions. The cuts apply to top-selling models like the IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6, and EV9, and include attractive lease offers and bonus perks, such as home charging equipment. For dealers, these sweeping promotions highlight both a growing urgency from Hyundai and Kia to stimulate global EV demand and potential pricing pressure in the U.S. market. With U.S. tariffs reshaping international sales strategies, Hyundai and Kia are ramping up domestic production while holding the line on prices, at least temporarily.
Source: CBT News
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