Daily News
Francois Roudier
The Nexperia case: the EU caught between US injunctions and Chinese retaliation
Autoactu.com – Bernard Jullien – October 27, 2025
The Nexperia affair has exposed both Europe’s strategic vulnerability and its political dependence in the global semiconductor race. Originally a Philips subsidiary, Nexperia was sold in 2017 to Chinese investors and later acquired by China’s Wingtech. For years, the deal went unnoticed, but in October 2025 the Dutch government abruptly took control of Nexperia—citing governance concerns under an old Cold War law—after apparent pressure from the U.S., which had blacklisted Wingtech in 2024. The move provoked a fierce diplomatic reaction from Beijing and raised fears of major disruptions in Europe’s automotive supply chain, as Wingtech retaliated by blocking exports of semiconductors produced in its Chinese facilities. Nexperia supplies over 110 billion components annually, including key chips for automakers, and its global structure—with manufacturing split between Europe and Asia—made Europe particularly exposed. The Dutch justified their action by alleging financial siphoning and conflicts of interest by CEO Zhang Xuezheng (“Wing”), but observers see Washington’s geopolitical agenda as the real driver. The episode underscores Europe’s fragile sovereignty: its industries remain dependent on globalized, China-linked supply chains while following U.S. strategic imperatives. Beyond the immediate risk of chip shortages, the crisis highlights the urgent need for the EU to build a coherent industrial and investment policy to safeguard technological autonomy.
Toyota Posts Record First-Half Sales as US Offsets Japan, China
Bloomberg – Nicholas Takahashi – October 27, 2025, at 5:30 AM GMT+1
Toyota Motor Corp. maintained record global sales in the first half of its fiscal year, as strong U.S. performance offset weaker results in Japan and China. Including Daihatsu and Hino, global sales rose nearly 3% in September to 949,153 units, while production increased 9% to over 1 million vehicles. Despite market volatility in China and U.S. trade tensions stemming from President Trump’s tariffs, Toyota achieved record output and sales for seven consecutive months before slowing in August. During the period, total sales grew 5%, marking a record six-month performance. In September, Toyota and Lexus sales rose more than 14% in the U.S. but slipped 1% in China and 5% in Japan due to a Prius recall. In China, domestic automakers such as BYD continue to erode foreign brands’ market share, yet Toyota has regained some ground thanks to its affordable all-electric bZ3X and popular hybrid models. However, a shrinking domestic market and waning subsidies in China present ongoing challenges. Overall, Toyota’s steady global expansion underscores the company’s resilience amid geopolitical frictions, shifting consumer demand, and intensifying competition in electric and hybrid vehicle segments.
Philippine conglomerates offer inroads for China, Vietnam EV brands
Nikkei – YUKI FUJITA, October 27, 2025, 12:15 JST
Philippine conglomerates are partnering with Chinese and Vietnamese electric vehicle makers to accelerate EV adoption in a market long dominated by Japanese automakers. At the Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit in Manila, Chinese brands like BYD and Zeekr showcased new models, including BYD’s eMAX 9 DM-i hybrid MPV and Zeekr’s electric coupe. Major local players such as Ayala Corp. and SM Group are spearheading the shift by developing infrastructure and financing solutions. Ayala’s automotive arm, ACMobility, became BYD’s distributor in 2023 and plans to double its dealership network to 80 by year-end, while its Bank of the Philippine Islands offers buyer discounts. SM Group’s BDO Unibank recently partnered with Vietnam’s Vingroup to finance its Green GSM EV taxi fleet, operational since June. Alliance Global Group, another key player, opened a Tesla dealership and is installing chargers in its commercial sites. EV sales surged to nearly 30,000 units in the first seven months of 2025, representing 5% of new vehicles and surpassing 2024’s total. Although Japanese brands still hold around 70% of the market, their absence at the EV summit contrasted with the growing influence of new entrants. Ayala’s decision to end partnerships with Volkswagen and Honda underscores a strategic pivot toward the EV era.
Geely targets 100,000 UK sales in push to take on Tesla and BYD
Financial Times – Kana Inagaki in London, October 26, 2025
Chinese carmaker Geely plans to sell 100,000 vehicles annually in the UK within three years and is considering local production as part of its strategy to compete with Tesla and BYD in Europe’s second-largest electric vehicle market. The company will launch 10 electric and plug-in hybrid models, targeting a 5% UK market share—well above the roughly 2% held by Tesla and BYD each. Geely’s first UK model, the EX5 electric SUV, will start at £31,990 and rival Tesla’s Model Y. Head of Geely Auto UK Michael Yang noted that the UK remains an open and welcoming market for Chinese automakers, partly due to strong EV demand and the absence of tariffs. Geely may use its existing UK assets—LEVC, Lotus, and others—for local production and plans to hire 300 workers. Despite the UK government’s push to attract EV manufacturing, high energy and labor costs have deterred investment compared with Turkey, Hungary, or Spain. The UK aims to nearly double its annual vehicle production to 1.3 million by 2035, but struggles persist: Nissan is scaling back, and Jaguar Land Rover suffered a major cyberattack. Meanwhile, Chinese rivals like BYD and Chery are rapidly expanding, making the UK a critical foothold for Geely’s European ambitions.
https://www.ft.com/content/b232784b-9d84-4bad-b211-1e20732d68ae
USA: Destination fees surge as rising costs creep onto window stickers
Automotive News – Lindsay VanHulle – October 26, 2025, 11:00 AM
Automakers across the U.S. are sharply increasing destination charges—the nonnegotiable delivery fees added to every vehicle purchase—at the fastest pace in at least a decade. Chevrolet, Ford, and Ram recently raised these fees on their flagship pickups from $1,995 to $2,595, more than double what they charged ten years ago. According to Edmunds, average destination fees rose 8.5% in the 2025 model year, reaching $1,549—up 27% since 2021. Mass-market brands saw the largest hikes, averaging nearly 8%, compared to 3.6% for luxury makers. Factors driving the increases include inflation, rising transport costs for heavier vehicles, and new tariffs imposed by President Trump in April 2025. Analysts note that automakers use these fees to quietly pass on higher costs without directly raising sticker prices. Stellantis now has the highest average fee at $2,120, followed by Porsche, Ford, and GM, while BMW and Mercedes-Benz remain below average. Volkswagen, Mazda, Nissan, and Hyundai have all raised charges between $50 and $200 this year. Automakers justify the hikes as reflecting logistics and tariff costs, but the pattern underscores broader inflationary pressure in the auto sector. Destination fees, once a minor line item, have become a key lever for maintaining profit margins while keeping vehicle base prices competitive.
https://www.autonews.com/manufacturing/an-destination-fee-increases-1026
These abstracts represent the opinions of their authors and not of OICA. The in-extenso articles are available via the internet link by subscription as they cannot be legally distributed by OICA.
François ROUDIER
Other News
Explore more Daily News from across the automotive world.
Francois Roudier
October 28, 2025
Francois Roudier
October 17, 2025
**Automakers groups warns Nexperia chip supply issue could quickly disrupt production** Reuters — Oct 17, 2025
**Tesla’s European Regulator Says Door Safety a ‘Key Priority’** Bloomberg — Oct 16, 2025
**Why Skoda is sticking with combustion engines for small cars for the time being** Automobilwoche — Oct 16, 2025
**Horse power: Renault-Geely engine unit speeds up as EV shift stutters** Reuters — Oct 16, 2025
Francois Roudier
October 16, 2025
**Batteries, machines, rare earths: China tightens rules – what you need to know** Automobilwoche – Hans Evert, Micha Gebhardt, Frank Volk — Oct 15, 2025
CHINA tightens export licensing on select rare earths, magnets, processing equipment and high-density batteries, with extraterritorial reach. Automakers expect paperwork delays, not immediate shortages; Verband der Automobilindustrie (VDA) e.V. warns of supply risks. Licensing may take up to 45 working days, letting Beijing influence foreign cell-plant timelines and costs.
**Hyundai Pivots to Hybrids as It Unveils $5 Billion India Plan** Bloomberg — Alisha Sachdev — Oct 15, 2025
Hyundai Motor Company shifts hashtagINDIA strategy to hybrids, committing $5.1bn to 2030 for eight hybrid SUVs, five EVs, localized R&D/batteries, 26 models and flexible plants. Targets >15% share, premium mix, $11bn sales; electrified vehicles to reach 60% sales by 2030. Tarun Garg named India CEO in 2026.
**Norway proposes widening EV tax to include mass-market Tesla models** Reuters — Terje Solsvik, Nora Buli — Oct 15, 2025
NORWAY will phase out hashtagEV VAT perks: threshold cut to 300,000 kroner in 2026, full VAT in 2027; higher fossil-car levies maintain EV advantage. Impact hits Tesla Model Y prices. Government says incentives succeeded; EV association warns of rebound to combustion. Minority cabinet needs backing.
**BYD cars now generate over 100 million km of assisted driving data daily** CnEVPost — Phate Zhang — Oct 15, 2025
BYD logs ~110 million km of assisted-driving data daily; 1.7m vehicles now equipped. In September, 295,606 such cars sold (91.3% of China sales) across BYD, Denza, Fang Cheng Bao, Yangwang. “God’s Eye” A/B/C stack expands; Huawei Qiankun on select models. Data flywheel accelerates algorithm iteration.
**China’s power battery installations jump 39.5% YoY in Sept. 2025** Gasgoo — Oct 15, 2025
China installed 76 GWh of power batteries in September 2025 (+39.5% y/y; +21.6% m/m), led by LFP at 62.2 GWh (81.8% share). January–September reached 493.9 GWh (+42.5%). Output hit 151.2 GWh; sales 146.5 GWh; exports 26.7 GWh in September and 199.9 GWh YTD.
©️ François Roudier, OICA, October 2025
Francois Roudier
October 15, 2025
Francois Roudier
October 14, 2025
**Stellantis delays strategic plan as CEO faces US, EU regulatory hurdles** Reuters – October 13, 2025
Stellantis pushed its strategy reveal to H1 2026 as CEO Filosa navigates U.S. tariffs and the EU’s 2035 review. Imported vehicles facing 25% duties could cost ~€1.5bn in 2025. Shares fell then rebounded; timing updates expected before the Oct. 30 Q3 report.
lnkd.in/ejcsZWPz lnkd.in/ejcsZWPz)
**South Korea says it flagged Hyundai US investment plan concerns** Reuters – October 13, 2025 South Korea
Industry minister criticized Hyundai Motor Company www.linkedin.com/company/hyundai-motor-company/’s timing for boosting U.S. investments during sensitive tariff talks, calling it “deeply regrettable.” Hyundai plans $11.6bn in the U.S., targeting >80% local production by 2030 after a Georgia battery-plant raid, potentially weakening Seoul’s negotiating leverage.
lnkd.in/eMzJ-_T2 lnkd.in/eMzJ-_T2
**Spain the frontrunner for Chinese carmaker BYD’s third European plant** Reuters – October 14, 2025
BYD leans toward Spain for a third European factory, citing lower costs, cheap clean power, and strong infrastructure. Decision expected by year-end pending Chinese approval. Goal: localize all European production within three years to mitigate tariffs; Hungary and Turkey sites advance.
lnkd.in/eDNSfwqs lnkd.in/eDNSfwqs
**Turnaround in China not in sight for Germany’s premium manufacturers** Automobilwoche – October 13, 2025
EV-led price wars depress mix and margins. BMW holds volume with heavier discounts but guides to 5–6% margin; Mercedes, Audi, Porsche see sharper declines. Makers prioritize profitability, cut capacity, and pace launches; consolidation may precede recovery, possibly from 2027.
lnkd.in/esJ2yTJy lnkd.in/esJ2yTJy
**Tata Motors to Start Trading After Trucks, Buses Unit Spun Off** Bloomberg – October 14, 2025
Tata Motors begins trading without its commercial vehicles arm after demerger. A special pre-market sets the ex-CV price; brokers value the CV unit near €9.74bn. CV listing due within ~60 days; move aims to unlock value for JLR and EV businesses.
lnkd.in/en6dNuAH lnkd.in/en6dNuAH)
©️ François Roudier, OICA, October 2025
Francois Roudier
October 10, 2025
**Ferrari lifts the hood on EV tech in maiden electric car** Reuters – October 9, 2025
Ferrari previewed the Elettrica’s chassis/powertrain: 310 km/h, ≥530 km range, floor-integrated pack, engineered “electric Ferrari” sound; 75% recycled aluminum. First EV due 2026; second delayed to 2028. Fully electric share target cut to 20% by 2030.
**Germany’s car summit: purchase incentives for e-cars – struggle for position on the end of the combustion engine** Automobilwoche – October 10, 2025
Germany proposes €3bn buyer incentives and extending EV vehicle-tax breaks while pushing EU flexibility on the 2035 target (credits for PHEVs/range-extenders, small-EV “supercredits”). Verband der Automobilindustrie (VDA) e.V. says strict BEV-only path is unrealistic; Volkswagen Group’s Blume urges broader tax relief and investment credits.
BYD marks 14 millionth NEV milestone with delivery to Brazil’s Head of State **CarNewsChina – October 10, 2025**
BYD 14,000,000th NEV—a Song Pro hybrid—rolled off in Camaçari and was presented to President Lula. BYD pledged COP30 fleet donations, highlighted Brazil leadership, and celebrated “BYD Road.” It added 4 million NEVs in <1 year amid rapid South American expansion.
**Toyota’s Hino and Daimler Truck unit to consolidate Japan production** Nikkei – October 10, 2025
Toyota’s Hino Motors and Daimler Truck’s Mitsubishi Fuso will merge under Archion in April, consolidate plants (Nakatsu closing by 2028; Hamura to Toyota), and co-develop CASE tech. No layoffs planned. Post-deal, Japan’s truck market splits roughly 51% Isuzu-UD / 49% Hino-Fuso.
**Renault opens EV battery lab to identify tomorrow’s winning technologies** Automotive News Europe – October 9, 2025
Renault Group www.linkedin.com/company/renaultgroup/’s €40m Lardy Battery Cell Innovation Lab will prototype/validate cells for Renault, Dacia, Alpine and scout startups for Ampere. Roadmap: LFP for affordability, NMC for density, cobalt-free mid-term, lithium-metal anodes ~2030; target BEV breakeven 2025 and 40% cost cuts by 2028.
©️ François Roudier, OICA, October 2025
Francois Roudier
October 9, 2025
**ACEA demands EU eases ‘rigid’ 2035 petrol car ban** Financial Times – October 8, 2025
European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) urges revising the 2035 ICE ban: allow carbon-neutral fuels, five-year averaging, credits (small BEVs, scrappage, production CO2 cuts), and softer penalties. Says BEV uptake lags assumptions; NGOs warn this weakens certainty. Political pushback grows, notably from Germany.
**Tesla, Hyundai, Nissan offer cheaper EVs as China price war goes global**Nikkei – October 9, 2025
EV discounts spread: Tesla cuts U.S. prices post tax-credit repeal; Hyundai trims up to 20% and targets cheaper models globally; Nissan lowers Leaf in Japan. CATL scale pressures costs. Analysts foresee further cuts, consolidation, and restructuring.
**Stellantis: the first signs of recovery are on the horizon** Les Echos – October 9, 2025
Stellantis Q3 U.S. registrations +6%; Jeep +11%, RAM V8 relaunch strong. Incentives >$4,600 clear inventory; CO₂ rollback eases fines. Share price +~20% since Sept. 30. Still rebuilding lost U.S. share; Europe shows tentative uptick.
**China’s BYD expands South American footprint with Argentina EV launch** Reuters – October 8, 2025
BYD starts Argentina sales, leveraging 2026 tariff waivers (up to 50,000 EV/HEV imports). Launches Yuan Pro EV, Song Pro PHEV, Dolphin Mini EV (<$16k ex-tax). Low local EV penetration and improved credit may unlock demand.
**Solid state battery tech not a priority for North American manufacturers** Automotive News – October 8, 2025
Experts say mass solid adoption in North America is years away due to cost and manufacturing hurdles. GM standardizes on LFP/LMR/NMC; Ford continues R&D. China races ahead; semi-solid likely scales earlier. Silicon-enhanced graphite offers nearer-term gains.
©️ François Roudier, OICA, October 2025
Francois Roudier
October 9, 2025
**German Carmakers Get EV Tax Boost Before Summit With Merz** Automobilwoche – October 6, 2025
Germany will extend EV tax exemptions to 2035 while Merz pushes to soften the EU’s 2035 ICE ban. Ahead of a “car summit,” policymakers pair incentives with industry protection amid layoffs at Bosch/ZF and VW production cuts.
**Donald Trump imposing new 25% large truck tariff starting Nov. 1** Reuters – October 7, 2025
US will levy a 25% tariff on imported medium/heavy-duty trucks from Nov. 1, complicating USMCA interactions and exposing Mexico-made vehicles. Industry expects higher prices across commercial segments as companies seek carve-outs and guidance.
**Why Mercedes is relocating its production to Hungary** Automobilwoche – October 7, 2025
Mercedes-Benz AG expands Kecskemét: electric C-Class (from Q2 2026) and compact GLB (EV and hybrid), adding ~3,000 jobs. Standardized modules target 10% cost cuts; Hungary could produce 300k–400k units annually as German sites shrink.
**Philippine conglomerate Ayala steers toward EV shift in group auto business** Nikkei – October 7, 2025
Ayala ACMobility exits Honda/Volkswagen, doubles down on BYD, Kia, Isuzu, and nationwide charging. Sales surged in 1H25, led by BYD DM-i models and Kia Sonet, as the Philippines early-stage EV market heats up with new entrants.
**China bets on Europe for self-driving tech expansion** Reuters – October 6, 2025
Blocked in the U.S., Chinese AV firms (QCraft, DeepRoute, Momenta, WeRide, Baidu, Pony.ai) target Europe with testing, data centers, and partnerships. Europe fragmented rules limit Level-3+, but Brussels seeks harmonization as competition and security concerns grow.
©️ François Roudier, OICA, October 2025