Verizon’s 5G and LTE networks will be plugged into KDDI’s Global Communications Platform to provide connectivity for new BMW, MINI, and other BMW Group vehicles made for the US market. It will serve up cellular connectivity directly to BMW Group vehicles, powering BMW Connected Drive and other digital infotainment, remote, app and telematics services. Verizon’s has an existing relationship with KDDI, which provides IoT services through its platform to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in “demanding” industries. The platform enables a “programmable connected experience” for BMW Group, we’re told, which is supposed to give it control of the connectivity and data packets going through Verizon’s 5G network. The service is available for all newly manufactured BMW Group vehicles in the US, and the vehicles are the first to be connected to Verizon’s 5G Standalone for Connected Vehicles offering, which uses its 5G core and 3GPP Release 16 industry standards for 5G standalone, we’re told. "Verizon is committed to delivering seamless connectivity for customers. Our collaboration with BMW Group and KDDI prioritizes innovation and capability to advance the connected experience for drivers across the US,” said Kyle Malady, CEO, Verizon Business. Satoshi Oishi, President & CEO, KDDI America added: "At KDDI, we are honored to support BMW Group’s next generation connected vehicle services with our Global Communications Platform. With over two decades of experience in connected car telecommunications, we understand the critical importance of performance and reliability. Together with BMW Group and Verizon, we are committed to delivering an exceptional connected driving experience to customers across North America." Connectivity is becoming commonplace on new car models. Last month rival US operator AT&T extended its partnership with EV maker Rivian which involved expanding the content offering on its infotainment platform. Rivian’s new motor, the R2, is described as a software-defined vehicle (SDV), and
Jul 9, 2026 · via telecoms.com
Hyundai Motor Philippines launches the refreshed Staria. With a starting price of P 1.999-million, it now sports a hybrid powertrain as well as elevated comfort and connectivity features. Distinguished by its futuristic design, the new Staria Hybrid has been updated with new 18-inch alloy wheels, a revamped front grille, and distinctive cube projection LED headlamps. More importantly, under the hood, the 2027 Staria now sports a 1.6-liter turbo hybrid engine with a 1.48-kWh battery. Combined, it makes 245 horsepower (180 horsepower from the combustion engine and 73 horsepower from the electric motor) and a torque of 367 Nm (265 Nm from the gasoline engine). The electric motor is mounted in line to a 6-speed automatic with cruise control allowing it to move on electric power alone at varying speeds, including highway cruising. It also helps it achieve a best-in-class fuel efficiency of 17.7 km/L. Also, thanks to its HEV powertrain, the Staria now gains e-Motion Drive which bundles two suites of tech: e-Comfort Drive and e-Dynamic Drive. The former has e-Ride which minimizes vehicle shake when crossing speed bumps by controlling the motor further improving its comfort and stability. The latter has e-Handling which controls drive torque to maintain optimal traction during turns, e-EHA which maximizes evasion performance, and e-Traction which enhances vehicle grip and cornering stability. The 2.2-liter Smartstream Diesel is carried over unchanged in the Staria Cargo variant. Elsewhere, the refreshed Staria, in the Premium and Premium Plus variant, is the first Hyundai model to be equipped with Bluelink—Hyundai’s advanced Connected Car Service platform. The Bluelink system supports online voice recognition, supporting users to send and receive text messages while keeping their focus on the road. Using a smartphone app, it also keeps owners informed of their vehicle status, diagnostics, and health reports, while also enabling remote control
Jul 9, 2026 · via carguide.ph
Safer cars, safer roads: New rules take effect European roads are among the safest in the world, but the number of deaths and injuries from road accidents is still too high. Thanks to the EU’s General Safety Regulation, many safety systems have already been mandatory for all newly registered cars and vans since 2024. Starting on 7 July 2026, these vehicles will now be subject to even more advanced safety requirements. All new passenger cars and vans across the EU must now have these life-saving systems: - Advanced emergency brake detecting pedestrians and cyclists - Advanced driver distraction warning system to keep drivers focused - Better forward vision - New tests for worn tyres to ensure safer performance - Expanded safety glass area to protect pedestrians during accidents Manufacturers were given more time to develop these more technically demanding features, which is why the legislation was rolled out in multiple phases. The long-term EU goal is to move as close as possible to zero fatalities in road transport by 2050, which it calls Vision Zero. These new mandatory requirements will help the EU achieve this. Moreover, they will help to better protect pedestrians and cyclists, address crashes caused by driver distraction, and encourage widespread adoption of advanced driver-assistance systems. For more information
Jul 9, 2026 · via eeas.europa.eu
Drivers who have been in a car accident can now have their vehicles, depending on make, help file a claim with their insurance company. The technology is available to Toyota and Lexus drivers with State Farm insurance and allows them to instantly share crash data from their vehicles, speeding up the claims process. State Farm, the largest auto insurer in the country, and its partner Connected Analytic Services, a Toyota affiliate, will let eligible customers with 2020 or newer Toyota and Lexus models authorize a one-time transfer of crash data after an accident using the State Farm app. This feature is part of a larger trend in the insurance industry, in which companies use connected-car technology to verify crashes, send help faster, and settle claims more quickly. However, it comes after a series of high-profile controversies over connected-car data, including FTC allegations that General Motors collected and sold drivers’ location and behavior data without obtaining adequate consent. Different from telematics programs “Our service helps make the claims process easier by providing faster insight into what happened and what needs to happen next,” Jennifer Megargell, State Farm vice president of property and casualty claims, said in a news release announcing the program. State Farm says this new service is only for handling claims, unlike conventional telematics programs that constantly monitor driving behavior. If customers give clear consent through the Claims Hub in the State Farm app after an accident, claims representatives can access information from the vehicle, including: - Direction of travel - Vehicle speed - Point of impact - Crash location displayed on a map State Farm says it accesses only data from the specific date and time of the accident. It then uses this information to resolve that claim and doesn’t use it to set a driver’s future rates
Jul 9, 2026 · via swiowanewssource.com
NHTSA cites a pattern of robotaxis blundering into fires, blocking ambulances and ignoring flares, and gives developers until month’s end to explain how they will fix it. In a two-page letter addressed simply to “Driverless Automated Driving System Developers,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s administrator, Jonathan Morrison, told the industry that a recurring failure had become impossible to ignore — autonomous vehicles that do not know how to behave around police officers, firefighters and paramedics. The agency said it had documented multiple instances of driverless cars driving into active emergency scenes and blocking the paths of ambulances and firefighters, or failing to recognize and respond to basic safety conditions like flashing lights, flares, smoke, fire and traffic cones. In the letter, Mr. Morrison did not mince words about what that means for the technology’s credibility. “An AV that cannot safely interact with first responders is a danger to the general public,” he wrote. A pattern the agency says it can no longer treat as background noise The letter arrives after months of scattered but mounting incidents involving robotaxi fleets, most of them operated by Waymo, the Alphabet-owned company that has become the most visible face of driverless ride-hailing in American cities. Local media in Texas reported that a Waymo vehicle in Dallas partially blocked a route fire trucks were using to reach a burning apartment building in late May. Other videos have circulated showing Waymo vehicles blocking an ambulance and driving through an active police scene. Both NHTSA and the National Transportation Safety Board are now investigating separate incidents involving Waymo vehicles, including one in which the cars passed stopped school buses with their lights activated, in violation of Texas law, and another from January in which a self-driving Waymo struck a nine-year-old girl in a Santa Monica school
Jul 9, 2026 · via autoconnectedcar.com
The learnings in this blog post are based on the session, “How Mercedes turns Teamwork Graph into an AI advantage”, presented at Atlassian’s Team ’26 conference. You can check out this session and others on demand. Foundation models have become astonishingly capable over a very short period. At the beginning of this decade, they could barely look up facts online. Today, they can produce work that would take a human engineer more than an hour, and the pace of improvement has been exponential, especially over the last 18 months. And yet, something strange is happening. When you ask individual users whether AI tools have helped them, more than 50% say “yes”, that they’ve actually saved time and effort. But when you zoom out and ask companies whether they’ve seen dramatic improvements to their business, 96% report that they have not. The technology is there, but unlocking the enterprise-level value has been stubbornly difficult. Now, Mercedes-Benz’s recent experience proves the harder enterprise challenge is not whether AI can generate output; it’s whether that output can connect to the messy reality of work across tools, teams, data, and decisions. The real bottleneck isn’t the model Work inside organizations depends on collaboration, so when enterprise AI treats it like an individual activity, it will always fall short of its promise. The average large enterprise runs over 367 SaaS applications, since often multiple teams use their own tools and follow their own rituals. When teams need to collaborate, people find themselves navigating unfamiliar interfaces, reconciling different planning cycles, and chasing down context scattered across a dozen systems. Goals developed in isolation can leave teams rowing in opposite directions, even when everyone has the best intentions. “You have to use at least 11-plus tools to accomplish a task, or even more — like, I don’t
Jul 8, 2026 · via atlassian.com
Why electric cars cost more to insure - and what's being done about it It's hot and bright beneath the high intensity lights in a cavernous crash and safety testing laboratory, hidden away in a business park outside Newbury. A siren blares and a disembodied voice counts down: "Three, two, one." A small white car trundles into view, rolls across the floor, and bumps into a barrier set against the wall. As crash tests go, this one is hardly spectacular. There is no torn metal or flying glass. At just 6mph, it replicates the kind of annoying prang you might well get in a car park or at a traffic light. But raise the slightly bent bonnet to look underneath, and it's a different story. This is an electric vehicle (EV) – a Dacia Spring – and the hidden damage is significant. As senior test engineer Sean Hoad points out, the high-voltage charging port, mounted at the front of the car is badly broken, as are components it's attached to. "This is all one big unit, meaning we can't just replace the front charge port. We have to replace the charger itself, the inverter, and some of the cabling," he explains. Repairing all of that, he says, would cost about £4,000, and there is other damage to consider as well, so the chances are an insurer would not bother getting it fixed. "It's more than likely this car would be written off," he adds. Thatcham Research, which works on behalf of the insurance industry, is carrying out tests like this to understand why EVs typically attract higher insurance premiums. On average, it says, EVs cost 30% more to repair than petrol or diesel models, and it takes 14% longer to fix them. This then feeds through to the insurance price.
Jul 8, 2026 · via bbc.com
This illegal alien has been deported THREE times WASHINGTON – The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer asking North Carolina officials to not release from jail a criminal illegal alien charged with causing a car crash that killed a 6-year-old girl in Pitt County. According to local reporting, the crash occurred on July 3 when a truck ran a stop sign and struck an SUV. The driver of the SUV was a mother who had her two children with her, ages 6 and 4. The mother and the 4-year-old were taken to the hospital with serious injuries, while 6-year-old Calli Toler was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim: 6-year-old Calli Toler The driver of the truck was Jaime Santiago Corona, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, who was arrested and charged with death by vehicle, failure to stop for a stop sign, careless and reckless driving, and driving while license is revoked. His criminal history includes convictions for driving under the influence of liquor and obstructing police. The suspect: Jaime Santiago Corona “This monster caused a car crash that killed a 6-year-old girl, and injured a mother and a 4-year-old,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “He had previously been deported THREE times, and has a criminal history for driving under the influence of liquor. This tragedy was 100% preventable. Our prayers are with Calli Toler and her family. DHS lodged a detainer requesting this criminal illegal alien not be released from jail and allowed on our roads again.” Santiago had illegally entered the United States at unknown dates and locations THREE times before, and was deported in 2019, 2023, and 2024. He illegally entered the United States for a FOURTH time at an
Jul 8, 2026 · via dhs.gov
WASHINGTON – Today, Senators Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) introduced the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026 to defend the American auto industry from the existential threat of predatory Chinese automobiles by banning them and their connected components from the American market. This bill would prohibit the import, sale, and operation of vehicles manufactured in China—or any other country of concern—and ban the use of Chinese-developed connected vehicle technologies, such as software, and data systems on American roads. “The American auto industry is the backbone of the American industrial economy, we cannot afford to make the same mistakes globalists have made for decades and see these great American companies devastated by predatory and massively subsidized Chinese state enterprises hellbent on the destruction of our economy,” said Senator Moreno. “As Europe, Mexico, and others allow their markets to be overrun by Chinese predators, the U.S. must act before it’s too late. The answer is simple: Chinese vehicles can never be allowed into the U.S. market—the fate of the American auto industry and countless autoworkers depends on it.” “Chinese cars are a serious threat to America’s national security and Michigan’s economic security,” said Senator Slotkin. “Chinese cars are surveillance packages on wheels, with the ability to collect on American citizens and sensitive sites. The Chinese Communist Party’s playbook of heavily subsidizing their product, underselling the competition, and then having a monopoly over that sector puts Michigan’s auto industry and our millions of workers at risk. We need to act now, and get this right. I look forward to continued work on this bill with Senator Moreno, our workers, our manufacturers and anyone else to stop Chinese vehicles from ever coming into the United States.” “Our national and economic security relies on a strong US auto industry,” said UAW President Shawn
Jul 8, 2026 · via moreno.senate.gov
Drivers who have been in a car accident can now have their vehicles, depending on make, help file a claim with their insurance company. The technology is available to Toyota and Lexus drivers with State Farm insurance and allows them to instantly share crash data from their vehicles, speeding up the claims process. State Farm, the largest auto insurer in the country, and its partner Connected Analytic Services, a Toyota affiliate, will let eligible customers with 2020 or newer Toyota and Lexus models authorize a one-time transfer of crash data after an accident using the State Farm app. This feature is part of a larger trend in the insurance industry, in which companies use connected-car technology to verify crashes, send help faster, and settle claims more quickly. However, it comes after a series of high-profile controversies over connected-car data, including FTC allegations that General Motors collected and sold drivers’ location and behavior data without obtaining adequate consent. Different from telematics programs “Our service helps make the claims process easier by providing faster insight into what happened and what needs to happen next,” Jennifer Megargell, State Farm vice president of property and casualty claims, said in a news release announcing the program. State Farm says this new service is only for handling claims, unlike conventional telematics programs that constantly monitor driving behavior. If customers give clear consent through the Claims Hub in the State Farm app after an accident, claims representatives can access information from the vehicle, including: - Direction of travel - Vehicle speed - Point of impact - Crash location displayed on a map State Farm says it accesses only data from the specific date and time of the accident. It then uses this information to resolve that claim and doesn’t use it to set a driver’s future rates
Jul 8, 2026 · via fwbusiness.com
Polestar is clearing its remaining US inventory with discounts of up to $25,000, packaging its forced departure from the market as an upbeat marketing push it calls the “Summer of Clarity Event.” The Sweden-based brand, majority-owned by China’s Geely, is running the incentives through the end of July, after which it can no longer sell new cars in the US under a federal ban. A banner across Polestar‘s US site sums it up: “Get up to $25,000 off a new Polestar 4 cash purchase or finance at 0% APR. Available until July 31.” The campaign ranks among the largest single discounts seen in the US EV market, where incentives have grown as demand cooled and the federal tax credit was removed, though few rival a $25,000 cut on one model. The company disclosed in a June 25 filing that the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security had declined to grant it authorization under the Connected Vehicle Rule, which bars manufacturers owned or controlled by China from selling connected vehicles in the US from the 2027 model year. The Cash Incentive The deepest savings come from the “Polestar Clean Vehicle Incentive,” a discount off the sticker price reserved for cash buyers. Polestar is offering $25,000 off the 2026 Polestar 4 and $23,000 off the 2025 Polestar 3, cuts that push both models to prices normally associated with mainstream EVs rather than the premium segment they compete in. The rear-motor Polestar 4 drops to about $32,800, and as low as $31,400 on the configurator, from a starting price near $57,800 — a reduction of more than 40% on a 272-horsepower, roughly 310-mile luxury crossover, leaving it near the price of a mid-trim Toyota Camry. The dual-motor Polestar 4, with 544 horsepower and about 280 miles of range, falls to between
Jul 8, 2026 · via eletric-vehicles.com
England’s dramatic World Cup win over Mexico did not just keep fans awake into the early hours of Monday morning. According to INRIX data, it also appears to have changed the shape of the next morning’s commute. The Round of 16 match at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca was already a punishingly late fixture for British viewers, with kick-off scheduled for 1am BST on Monday 6 July. Thunderstorms and lightning around the stadium delayed the start by a further hour, pushing kick-off back to 2am BST and turning a late night into an all-nighter for many England fans. England went on to beat Mexico 3-2, with the match drawing record overnight audiences for the BBC of 9.1 million views despite the lateness of the hour. The timing immediately prompted national discussion about what Monday morning would look like. Ahead of the game, media coverage focused on whether fans could take the day off, arrive late, or request flexible working, while the TUC called on employers to show flexibility where possible. The following morning, school attendance data suggested a visible football effect too, with estimates that around 332,000 fewer pupils were in school than the previous Monday. INRIX observed a similar pattern on the roads. Across a number of English cities, AM rush-hour traffic was notably lighter than normal, with average speeds rising as fewer vehicles competed for road space. In the Monday morning peak, INRIX recorded traffic speeds approximately 4 mph faster than usual in Leeds and Newcastle, 3 mph faster in Birmingham and 2mph better in Manchester and London. “Major sporting events often reshape travel behavior, but this was a particularly clear example,” said Nathan Nekrews, Data Analyst at INRIX. “The match finished at exactly the wrong time for the morning commute. The result was a quieter rush hour across
Jul 8, 2026 · via inrix.com
Polestar, the Swedish electric vehicle brand with deep ties to China’s Geely Holding, has been told by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security that it will not be allowed to sell 2027 model year and newer vehicles in the United States under the federal Connected Vehicle Rule. That does not mean every Polestar suddenly disappears from America, and it does not mean current owners are stranded on the side of the road with a very expensive Swedish paperweight. Polestar says it will continue to sell existing stock of the Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 in the U.S., and the company says it will continue to support customers, including access to its service network. That is the good news, such as it is. The bad news is that, as things stand now, Polestar cannot sell 2027 model year and newer vehicles here unless something changes with the federal government’s position. The issue is not crash safety, emissions, recalls, battery fires, or whether Americans are ready to buy another electric vehicle with no rear window. The issue is national security and connected-vehicle technology. Modern vehicles are rolling computers. They collect data, communicate through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cellular connections, and in some cases satellite technology. Federal officials have been concerned for some time that vehicles tied to China or Russia could potentially collect sensitive information on American drivers, locations, infrastructure, or allow remote access to vehicle systems. The Connected Vehicle Rule was adopted in January 2025 under the Biden administration and has been kept in place under the Trump administration. It applies to passenger vehicles under 10,001 pounds and begins with model year 2027 for covered software. The rule prohibits sales of connected vehicles by manufacturers owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of China or
Jul 8, 2026 · via carpro.com
With Hyundai myQ Connected Garage, drivers gain a new level of convenience and peace of mind. Hyundai owners can verify if their garage door has been left open and close it remotely. Whether drivers are in their driveway or hundreds of miles away, drivers can monitor and manage their garage door access through the vehicle's touchscreen display for added awareness and convenience. Key features include: - Custom Geofencing: Conveniently automatically open or close a garage door based on a paired vehicle's proximity, ensuring seamless arrival and departure. Drivers can also close a garage even when the vehicle's backup camera takes over their screen. - Personalized Driving Experience: Tailor a garage door's operational settings to best fit the driver's lifestyle while on the move. This includes choosing a preferred distance for either automatic or prompted open and close, in addition to a valet mode which disables the service to protect the vehicle owner's home and privacy. - Multiple Garage Doors, Multiple Locations: Drivers can monitor and control one or more compatible garage doors linked to their myQ account from their Hyundai's touchscreen display. - Close Door Reminder: If the auto close feature is interrupted, drivers receive a 'close door reminder' on the vehicle's touchscreen within their chosen timeframe. "This new integration with myQ's Connected Garage reflects our focus on delivering intuitive, reliable technology that supports customers throughout their ownership journey," said Manish Mehrotra, Chief Information Officer at Hyundai Motor North America. "By integrating award-winning connected features into our vehicles, we're creating a more seamless, convenient experience customers can depend on every day." "Hyundai myQ Connected Garage seamlessly integrates simple and secure smart access technology into drivers' daily routines," said Kiel Fitzgerald, Vice President, Sales Strategy & Operations at Chamberlain Group. "Our partnership helps more drivers stay easily connected to their home's
Jul 8, 2026 · via prnewswire.com
The Swedish electric vehicle brand Polestar will begin selling a Korean-built version of its new Polestar 4 SUV in South Korea next year, marking the first time a Polestar vehicle produced at Renault Korea’s Busan plant will be offered to domestic consumers. Polestar announced on Tuesday that the new Polestar 4 SUV will make its global debut on Sept. 2. The new model is derived from the Polestar 4 coupe currently on the market. Unlike the coupe, which eliminated the rear window as part of its distinctive design, the SUV adopts a conventional rear window and traditional SUV styling. The rear-wheel-drive version offers a driving range of up to 630 kilometers on a single charge under European certification standards, while the dual-motor model delivers up to 544 horsepower. The SUV is expected to become the first Polestar vehicle manufactured in South Korea and sold in the domestic market. Since September 2025, Polestar has produced the Polestar 4 at Renault Korea’s Busan plant for export to overseas markets, including the United States and Canada. Vehicles sold in South Korea, however, have so far been imported from the company’s plant in Hangzhou, China. Industry observers have long questioned why Polestar did not sell locally produced vehicles in the domestic market. The company had previously cited lower production costs and stronger price competitiveness as reasons for supplying Korean customers with China-built models. Analysts said the shift in strategy reflects changing conditions in North America. The United States plans to restrict the import and sale of vehicles equipped with connected-car technology linked to China beginning in 2027, a move expected to reshape Polestar’s North American sales strategy and production allocation at its Busan factory. An industry official said assigning the new SUV to Busan production for the domestic market would help improve plant utilization
Jul 8, 2026 · via pulse.mk.co.kr
Drivers who have been in a car accident can now have their vehicles, depending on make, help file a claim with their insurance company. The technology is available to Toyota and Lexus drivers with State Farm insurance and allows them to instantly share crash data from their vehicles, speeding up the claims process. State Farm, the largest auto insurer in the country, and its partner Connected Analytic Services, a Toyota affiliate, will let eligible customers with 2020 or newer Toyota and Lexus models authorize a one-time transfer of crash data after an accident using the State Farm app. This feature is part of a larger trend in the insurance industry, in which companies use connected-car technology to verify crashes, send help faster, and settle claims more quickly. However, it comes after a series of high-profile controversies over connected-car data, including FTC allegations that General Motors collected and sold drivers’ location and behavior data without obtaining adequate consent. Different from telematics programs “Our service helps make the claims process easier by providing faster insight into what happened and what needs to happen next,” Jennifer Megargell, State Farm vice president of property and casualty claims, said in a news release announcing the program. State Farm says this new service is only for handling claims, unlike conventional telematics programs that constantly monitor driving behavior. If customers give clear consent through the Claims Hub in the State Farm app after an accident, claims representatives can access information from the vehicle, including: - Direction of travel - Vehicle speed - Point of impact - Crash location displayed on a map State Farm says it accesses only data from the specific date and time of the accident. It then uses this information to resolve that claim and doesn’t use it to set a driver’s future rates
Jul 8, 2026 · via insurify.com
Geely-owned Lotus has become the first Chinese manufacturer to export EVs to Canada under the country’s new tariff-quota framework, shipping 18 Eletre SUVs built at its Wuhan plant. The vehicles were loaded onto a ship in May and are due to be delivered in Montreal later this month. While China-built EVs are not new to Canadian roads, with brands such as Tesla, Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus already importing China-built EVs, this marks the first commercial use of the EV trade deal agreed between Canada and China earlier this year. This replaces Canada’s previous 100% tariff on China-built EVs with a 6.1% import tariff, though this is limited to the first 49,000 EVs imported each year. However, by year five of the agreement, this cap will rise to 70,000 EVs per year. The lower rate transforms the Eletre’s prospects in the Canadian market. The electric SUV now starts at 119,900 Canadian dollars, marking a near halving in price compared to its price before the China-Canada agreement. The small shipment gives Geely a way to test logistics, retail operations, and regulatory procedures ahead of any higher-volume entry, whether under its own badge or through other brands under its umbrella such as Zeekr. More than 2,900 Chinese-produced EVs arrived in Canada during May, the first month of imports under the new rules, though most of those are understood to be Shanghai-built Teslas. Other Chinese EV manufacturers, such as BYD and Chery are also eyeing up the Canadian market, as this new 6.1% tariff will also allow these manufacturers to be competitive on price against other vehicles already sold in Canada. While the coast is now clear for Chinese EV manufacturers to sell into Canada, cross-border politics may yet prove a barrier to sales. Last month, the neighbouring US denied Polestar authorisation to sell
Jul 8, 2026 · via electricdrives.tv
Liked this AI Summary? The Centre has asked automobile manufacturers and auto component makers to carry out a comprehensive audit of the software and electronic systems powering connected cars and electric vehicles (EVs), including commercial vehicles, amid rising cybersecurity concerns, Business Standard reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The Ministry of Heavy Industries has issued an advisory to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA). While the advisory urges companies to review their cybersecurity systems, it does not specify a deadline for completing the audit. The move comes days after the government directed Apple and Google to remove three mobile applications: BAT-BMS, Lossigy and Epoch-i-ion, from their app stores after they were allegedly misused to remotely disable electric vehicles by exploiting vulnerabilities in battery management systems. As per Business Standard, the ministry has asked manufacturers to examine battery communication interfaces, eliminate weak authentication mechanisms, remove unsecured default settings and secure over-the-air (OTA) software update pathways to reduce cyber risks. The advisory also urges automakers to work with the ministries of road transport and highways, and electronics and information technology to strengthen cybersecurity protocols at the manufacturing stage. It describes the recent hacking incidents as a "critical security vulnerability" requiring coordinated action across the automotive industry. The government's primary concern is understood to be connected cars, where internet-enabled features and remote access capabilities are becoming increasingly common. The three apps that were removed from Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store are designed to monitor battery parameters such as charge levels, temperature and battery health. However, videos circulating on social media allegedly showed users exploiting the apps to remotely disable electric vehicles by accessing their battery management systems via Bluetooth. According to the report, if low-cost lithium battery packs are deployed
Jul 8, 2026 · via moneycontrol.com
Damion Smy Australia to trial AI-powered traffic lights for the first time 5 Hours Ago News Editor Lexus is further sweetening its already-generous customer experience program in Australia, extending its complimentary Encore suite of incentives from three to five years. It’s part of a shake-up of Lexus’ aftersales ownership program, which also sees Lexus’ capped-price service program, vehicle warranties, and Lexus Connected Services subscriptions rolled under the Encore banner. There remain three tiers: Lexus Encore Signature, Lexus Encore Platinum, and Lexus Encore Elevate. The perks offered under each of these programs remain largely the same. Looking for your next car? We'll help you research and compare so you choose with confidence. Buyers of the LBX, UX, NX, RX, GX, ES and RZ get a five-year complimentary subscription to Lexus Encore Signature. This includes: It also includes five years of complimentary access to the wider Lexus Connected+ suite of connected services, which includes the ability to use the Lexus Connected smartphone app to remotely control the lights, locks, climate control, and windows, plus track your stolen vehicle. This is over and above the standard suite of Lexus Connected services, which are free for the life of the vehicle or until the sunset of the 4G or 5G network, and include functions like SOS emergency calling and automatic collision notification. Encore Platinum is for free for five years to buyers of the LC, LS, LX and LM. It includes all the Encore Signature elements, plus: There’s also Lexus On Demand, which allows owners to borrow another Lexus product for up to four times over the five-year period, for up to eight days at a time. If you don’t have an active Lexus Encore subscription, you can also pay for a one-year subscription to Encore Elevate for $1899 regardless of which Lexus model
Jul 8, 2026 · via carexpert.com.au
Fiat is betting that American drivers are ready for something smaller, slower and unapologetically cute. The Italian automaker announced this week that its Topolino — a compact, low-speed electric vehicle already popular in Europe — has officially landed in the United States, marking Stellantis’ first foray into the domestic micromobility market. A New Kind of Fiat for a New Kind of Driver The Topolino isn’t trying to compete with highway-ready EVs. Instead, it’s aimed at a different lifestyle entirely: gated communities, beach towns, resort developments and neighborhoods where a full-size car feels like overkill. Fiat brand CEO Olivier Francois framed the launch as more than a product introduction, describing Topolino as representing a new chapter defined by purpose rather than size, and positioning it as a reminder that mobility can still feel joyful and simple. That philosophy shows up in the vehicle’s design. With 14-inch wheels wrapped in vintage-style covers, a symmetrical body silhouette, LED lighting and hinged windows that pop open rather than roll down, the Topolino leans hard into retro Italian styling cues. Buyers can choose between two variants: the standard Topolino, which includes a panoramic sunroof and windshield defrost, or the breezier Topolino Dolcevita, which swaps in a roll-back soft-top, door rope detailing and dedicated “Dolce Vita” badging. The Numbers Behind the Novelty Underneath the retro exterior sits a genuinely modern electric powertrain. The Topolino runs on a 5.4-kWh lithium-ion battery, delivers a range of up to 46 miles, and recharges fully in about five hours on a standard 2.3 kW AC connection. Top speed is capped at 19 mph out of the box — squarely in golf-cart territory — though Fiat says owners will be able to unlock street-legal status later this summer through an optional Low Speed Vehicle conversion kit that bumps the top speed
Jul 8, 2026 · via autoconnectedcar.com