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6 days ago | 
automotiveworld.com | Stewart Burnett
Iveco Bus has opened a new Prototype & Testing Center at its Vysoké Mýto facility in the Czech Republic, doubling its workspace to 4,100 square meters to accommodate prototypes up to 18 meters long. The state-of-the-art facility will support development across all propulsion types including internal combustion engines, battery-electric, and fuel cells.
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6 days ago | 
automotiveworld.com | Stewart Burnett
Senior Tesla executives were alarmed when Elon Musk publicly denied cancelling plans for a US$25,000 electric vehicle last year—despite having already killed the project internally—according to a new report in Reuters. Previously, the outlet had reported the project’s cancellation, leading Musk to call its reporters “liars”, leaving executives confused as staff had been informed several weeks prior that the Model 2 project was shelved.
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6 days ago | 
automotiveworld.com | Stewart Burnett
May Mobility has partnered with Japan’s Itochu Corporation to accelerate global deployment of driverless vehicles through tele-assist technology. May Mobility will lean on Bellsystem24, an Itochu portfolio company specialising in customer experience and outsourcing solutions, to provide a faster, more scalable, and more ‘autonomous’ alternative to typical teleoperations.
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6 days ago | 
automotiveworld.com | Stewart Burnett
Tesla has no plans to manufacture its electric vehicles (EVs) in India despite the country's new EV policy designed to attract foreign automakers, said Heavy Industries Minister HD Kumaraswamy on 2 June. While the automaker is currently gearing for its long-expected market launch over the summer, local production is not part of its immediate strategy.
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6 days ago | 
automotiveworld.com | Stewart Burnett
US electric vehicle (EV) maker Rivian is exploring a high-yield bond sale of up to US$2bn, with JPMorgan Chase leading the potential transaction to partly refinance debt maturing in 2026. Early pricing discussions suggest yields around 10%, with the deal possibly launching next week, though sources told Bloomberg that the transaction remains under discussion and may not proceed as planned.
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6 days ago | 
automotiveworld.com | Stewart Burnett
Rivian is rolling out software update 2025.18 to employees ahead of public release, introducing a range of new features including multi-factor drive authentication and a comprehensive energy app for R1S and R1T models. The update, first spotted by Riviantrackr on 30 May, brings significant charging improvements across all battery pack variants, with Gen 2 vehicles (those made in 2025) receiving enhanced charge rates and reduced 10-80% charging times.
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6 days ago | 
automotiveworld.com | Stewart Burnett
Elon Musk is actively lobbying members of Congress to establish federal regulations for autonomous vehicles (AVs), according to a new report in Bloomberg. The Tesla boss and his representatives are focusing their efforts on the Autonomous Vehicle Acceleration Act, introduced back in May by Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis, and pushing for either expedited passage or a more comprehensive bill before Congress's recess in July.
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6 days ago | 
automotiveworld.com | Stewart Burnett
GAC joins BYD and other Chinese OEMs turning to Latin America as prospects turn dim in North America. By Stewart Burnett Chinese state-owned automaker GAC is planning vertical integration of its supply chain in Brazil as part of a wider push to boost its presence in the region. The timeline for this in by 2030, according to a new report in Nikkei, and will also see the region serve as a production hub for international sales.
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1 week ago | 
automotiveworld.com | Stewart Burnett
Stellantis and Amazon will continue to work together, but not on the SmartCockpit software project. By Stewart Burnett Amazon and Stellantis are in the process of “winding down” their SmartCockpit software partnership which intended to transform the driving experience, the companies confirmed to Reuters on 28 May. The project serves as the latest example of legacy automakers struggling to build expertise on software-defined vehicles, even extended to Silicon Valley partnerships.
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1 week ago | 
automotiveworld.com | Stewart Burnett
Geely Chairman Li Shufu pledged to continue investing in, and producing, traditional combustion engines (ICE) while advancing electric vehicles, and also rejecting price battles in favour of competition on technology and quality. In an internal video address now made public, Li expounded Geely's “two-legged strategy” of developing both smart electric vehicles and conventional ICE and hybrid powertrains.
