Mercedes-Benz's electrification strategy in China is currently facing a severe stalemate. Weighing heavily on the financial results is the commercial flop of the CLA electric sedan: launched at the end of 2025 with massive technological investments – including the integration of ByteDance's artificial intelligence – the vehicle recorded minimal sales in the first months of 2026, prompting executives to evaluate a production halt to clear existing stock. The slowdown has also hit the traditional internal combustion engine segment, historically a main pillar for the brand: in May, Mercedes' total sales ...

The sector is experiencing a period of major upheavals that highlight a market divided between the race towards electrification and autonomous driving, and strategies aimed at cost containment and supply chain stiffening. Volkswagen, a symbol of the German transformation, seems determined to abandon a crucial partnership with Bosch, investing in its own plan. On the other hand, the UN approves safety regulations and global standards that could facilitate the spread of driverless vehicles, with the contradiction of a European regulatory framework that still needs to be translated into concrete practices ...

Following the success of last year - which involved over 3,000 people along 50,000 km - Brembo's Xtraordinary Tour returns in 2026 with a broader, more extensive, and international format. The itinerant event aims to bring the brand closer to customers and stakeholders through experiential activities, networking, and entertainment directly on the territory. The third edition of the tour includes 40 stops in Europe, covering key markets such as Italy, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The main novelty of 2026 is the ...

The collaboration between two historic French brands, Lacoste and Alpine, gives birth to an exclusive partnership that combines automotive performance and stylistic elegance. The partnership materializes in a capsule collection of clothing and in a one-off for collectors: the "Beware of the crocodile - Alpine Lacoste A290 Rallye". Based on the radical and 100% electric technical platform of the A290 Rallye - a compact and agile version designed for amateur competitions - this one-off reinterprets the rally codes. The exterior features widened tracks, an imposing spoiler, visible carbon elements, and a white-blueish livery ...

The global expansion of Waymo's autonomous transportation services takes a decisive step towards Europe. The Alphabet group's division (Google) has officially registered a new legal entity in Germany with the aim of preparing for the continental market entry with its robotaxis. The company, named Waymo Germany, obtained formal approval on June 15th and established its headquarters in Munich, within Google's offices. According to the German business register, the new division will focus on offering ride-hailing services through autonomous vehicles and providing infrastructure and technical support to third-party ...

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has initiated the bureaucratic process to eliminate the requirement for manual braking controls in vehicles designed exclusively for autonomous driving. The proposed revision of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards aims to remove the need to install brake pedals and levers on vehicles equipped with automated driving systems. The regulatory update will allow manufacturers to forgo the individual special exemptions previously required for testing. Brake spacing requirements will still apply to all categories, but compliance will be measured using new specific test ...

Dallara and Conflux Technology have launched a joint project to develop an advanced heat exchanger for future endurance vehicles with internal combustion engine running on liquid hydrogen. The initiative is part of the ACO roadmap for the 24 Hours of Le Mans by 2030, aiming to provide teams with a validated technical platform. The focus of the preliminary study is an evaporator that transforms cryogenic liquid hydrogen into gas for injectors. By leveraging Conflux's additive manufacturing, the two partners aim to create complex internal geometries to overcome critical system ...

The current Chief Legal Officer of the Renault Group, Quitterie de Pelleport, has been appointed Secretary General starting from July 1st. The establishment of the position of Secretary General reflects the belief that sustainable performance is based on rigorous governance and the collective ability to anticipate and accompany major transformations - regulatory, industrial, environmental, and social - in order to enhance the Group's resilience and support its development in a constantly evolving environment. Under de Pelleport's leadership, the General Secretariat brings together the following roles and activities: Legal Department, Audit ...

Aston Martin is gearing up to play a leading role at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2026 (9-12 July), where it will dynamically preview its new and most powerful family of production models called the "S" series. The British manufacturer will line up a trio of high-performance models on the famous English hill climb: the DB12 S, the Vantage S, and the DBX S SUV. The flagship of the fleet will be the DB12 S, a Super Tourer powered by a non-hybrid twin-turbo V8 engine capable of delivering 700 hp ...

The World Forum of UNECE (the UN Commission for Europe) unanimously approved the first global regulatory framework for the homologation and safety of fully autonomous vehicles. The measure harmonizes rules for about 60 countries - including the European Union, United States, China, Japan, Canada, and United Kingdom - effectively eliminating the fragmentation of local laws that has so far hindered the expansion plans of manufacturers and robotaxi fleets. The new regulation establishes that the performance of the driving software must equal or exceed that of an "attentive and competent" human driver. To ...