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Traditional automotive component manufacturers are intensifying investments in software capabilities and digital services as the industry's value migration threatens established business models built on mechanical engineering expertise. Bosch announced plans to double its automotive software workforce to 40,000 employees by 2027, acknowledging that software-defined vehicles fundamentally alter supplier economics. The German conglomerate reported that software and electronics

Volkswagen closed a production facility on home soil for the first time in its near nine-decade existence this week, halting operations at its Dresden factory as Europe's largest carmaker grapples with mounting financial pressures and collapsing market share in China. The last vehicle—a red ID.3 GTX signed by workers—rolled off the production line at the glass-walled "Transparent Factory" on Tuesday, bringing an end to 23 years of manufacturing at the showcase site on the ban

Benteler's electric shuttle subsidiary has missed key delivery milestones and failed to establish its promised U.S. manufacturing facility, raising questions about the automotive supplier's ability to execute its ambitious autonomous vehicle strategy ahead of planned 2026 deployments. Court documents filed in New York reveal that Holon Motors failed to deliver prototype vehicles by their May 2025 deadline and has yet to break ground on the Jacksonville, Florida production sit

European automotive manufacturers confront mounting pressure on multiple fronts, with the European Commission's anticipated support package now delayed amid fierce debate over the bloc's 2035 combustion engine phase-out. Brussels was expected to unveil comprehensive measures on December 10 to shore up the continent's struggling automotive sector, but Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas indicated the announcement could slip to mid-December or even January. The delay

European and American manufacturers are forging pragmatic partnerships to counter Chinese automotive dominance, with Ford and Renault announcing a comprehensive collaboration spanning electric vehicles and commercial vans whilst Stellantis pivots aggressively toward hybrid technology for the American market. Ford CEO Jim Farley declared the alliance represents a "fight for our lives" during Monday's Paris announcement, emphasising Europe as ground zero for competitive pressur

The European Commission could announce a package to support the local automotive sector, including a possible watered down version of its 2035 combustion engine phase-out, on December 16, an industry source briefed on the matter said. Brussels is so far planning to announce the package on December 10, but EU transport commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said earlier this week that the package could be delayed until January. The source said that December 16 was a target but c

Across all drive types, the European passenger car market grew by just 1.9 per cent year-on-year to around 11 million new registrations from January to October 2025. In contrast, the battery-electric vehicle (BEV) segment is developing far more dynamically: Europe (EU + EFTA + UK) recorded 2.02 million new registrations of battery-electric cars (BEVs) and a growth rate of 26.2 per cent compared to the same period in 2024. As a result, BEVs significantly expanded their market

Lyft’s recently announced collaboration with Benteler has been thrown into doubt after a legal claim from former Benteler partner Beep. Beep allege that Casper Benteler, a young heir to the Benteler Group, defaulted on repaying Beep’s $30 million loan on a similar autonomous EV project and that Benteler are violating an exclusivity agreement by going ahead with their plans with Lyft. In July, Lyft and Benteler Mobility announced plans to bring Holon’s self-driving shuttles

Investment in European electric vehicle manufacturing has slowed as the bloc now has the capacity to build more than double the number of EVs that consumers are buying, according to new research obtained by Europe Express . The findings come ahead of a December 10 package of proposals from Brussels aimed at supporting Europe’s struggling automotive sector and reassessing the planned 2035 phaseout of combustion engines. The ban has become increasingly contentious, with divisio

Cars across the UK and Europe are steadily getting longer, wider and heavier, a trend critics call “carspreading.” Consumers love big vehicles for their practicality, visibility and sense of safety, and SUV sales have soared from 13 percent of the European market in 2011 to nearly 60 percent today. However, many cities are now trying to curb their use, arguing that large cars create safety, environmental and infrastructure problems. Paris is leading this shift. In 2024, resid

Tesla privately cautioned the UK government that diluting electric vehicle regulations would depress demand for battery cars and jeopardise the country’s carbon reduction goals, according to documents released under freedom of information rules. In submissions to a government consultation earlier this year, obtained by the Fast Charge newsletter, the US carmaker said that maintaining strict zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) targets was “essential” to sustaining electric car sales.

Europe’s automotive industry enters December 2025 with an uncomfortable realisation: the continent’s most important manufacturing sector is no longer merely “transitioning”, it is contracting. The warning signs have been accumulating for years, but the latest figures confirm a structural shift that policymakers have been reluctant to acknowledge. Vehicle production in the EU has fallen from roughly 16 million units in 2018 to just over 11 million last year. Exports are down,