For years, the global EV industry has been characterized by a persistent trend to diversify its manufacturing footprint beyond China. As automotive manufacturers struggle to survive the procurement battle, the fault lines stemming from a concentrated market have proved difficult to escape, with critical battery materials remaining overwhelmingly concentrated among Chinese suppliers.

A Middle East war-driven oil squeeze is rippling beyond fuel stations and into Europe's auto repair network, with global implications for drivers, suppliers, and carmakers. Shell's engine oil shortage has prompted Volkswagen Group to review a contract worth millions of euros, reviving memories of the pandemic-era chip crisis.

Faraday Future used its annual 919 launch event on September 19 to complete what it calls "Robot World 2.0," unveiling nine new embodied AI (EAI) devices and four industry productivity solutions, putting an all-new Futurist humanoid on sale, and pricing a Master Mini from US$9,990. The lineup spans humanoids, quadrupeds, and mobile manipulators in large, medium, and small sizes, which the company claims is the widest range of device forms of any US robotics company.

Foxconn is expanding its global electric vehicle footprint through partnerships with German commercial vehicle brand Quantron and intelligent driving technology company HyperView. The group will serve as the industrial manufacturing partner for Quantron China's truck and bus platforms, producing next-generation zero-emission commercial vehicles for international markets.

BYD is planning four factories in Europe over the long term as it works to meet local manufacturing rules and expand its customer base. The Chinese electric vehicle maker wants three vehicle assembly plants and one EV battery plant, according to company adviser and former Fiat Chrysler executive Alfredo Altavilla.

German commercial vehicle company Quantron and China's Hongjing Drive have formally agreed to establish a joint venture, Quantron China, to develop a China-Europe technology and industrial platform for next-generation zero-emission commercial vehicles. Foxconn will serve as the industrial manufacturing partner for truck and bus platforms, supporting their international deployment.

Thailand is preparing to abandon the subsidy-led policy that made it Southeast Asia's fastest-growing electric vehicle market, replacing it with a tax structure built to penalize carmakers that import rather than build. Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said the excise tax on fully imported EVs could rise to around 30%, from 10% today — the first time the government has attached a number to the levy.