Daily brief
Automotive & Business Brief — 5 October 2026
Europe capex vs cost-out: Renault signals >€10bn for France (conditional). Mercedes reopens buyouts. Bosch Nürnberg −900 and two more German sub-tier closures/cuts. Policy calendar: EU Auto Package (2035 at 90%) committee vote slips ~2 weeks.
Executive Snapshot
- Europe capex vs cost-out: Renault signals >€10bn for France (conditional). Mercedes reopens buyouts. Bosch Nürnberg −900 and two more German sub-tier closures/cuts. Policy calendar: EU Auto Package (2035 at 90%) committee vote slips ~2 weeks.
Top Developments
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Renault: >€10bn for France over five years — conditional on stability
Europe
CEO François Provost (France Inter, 3 Oct): after €13bn invested in France over the last five years, Renault will reinvest “more than €10bn” in EVs and more affordable cars over the next five — “if the social and political context allows”. France = ~20% of activity, ~40% of staff; he warned instability would hit suppliers.
Companies Renault
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Mercedes: buyout scheme back from December — first time for senior executives
Europe
Mercedes confirmed (30 Sep) it will relaunch voluntary severance for indirect areas in Germany (admin, R&D, production planning), expected from December; covers tariff staff and, for the first time, senior managers. Direct production excluded; double voluntariness. No headcount target given. Also: up to four office days/week (29 Sep). dpa (5 Oct): conflict with works council escalating. Schiebe’s two-plant threat still has no named site.
Companies Mercedes-Benz
Sources
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German supplier attrition: Bosch Nürnberg −900, Breyden foundry closes, MoldTecs cuts
Europe
Bosch (28 Sep): ~900 of ~1,800 jobs at Nürnberg by end-2029 (ICE-dependent site); compulsory layoffs ruled out only to end-2027. Breyden (2–3 Oct): Ueckermünde iron foundry (brake castings) closes end-2026, ~290–320 jobs, citing Asian price pressure. MoldTecs (29 Sep, in self-administration): Sonneberg −124 of ~330 by end-2027.
Companies Bosch
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EU ‘Auto Package’ (2035 CO₂ at 90%): Transport Committee vote slips ~2 weeks
Europe
The TRAN vote on the Commission’s Auto Package, set for 5 Oct, was pushed back by about two weeks because centre-right/centre groups need more time (Spiegel via electrive, 2 Oct). Plenary still pencilled in for November. The package sets 2035 at −90% vs 2021 (offsets via green steel/e-fuels), a 2030–32 averaging period and super-credits for EVs under 4.20 m. The 100% rule stays law until amended.
Sources
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September registrations: Italy +9.9%, France +11.6% (BEV 41.7%), Spain +10.2%
Europe
Italy 139,356 (+9.9%; hybrids 50.7%, BEV 7.6%, PHEV 11.1%; YTD +8.7%). France 156,629 (+11.6%; BEV 65,243 = 41.7% share, +107.5%; petrol −39%, diesel −62%). Spain 93,858 (+10.2%; BEV+PHEV 34%; YTD 912k, +6.7%). The EU-wide ACEA September release is still to come.
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Maserati: JAC officially confirms three-way talks with Huawei and Stellantis
Global
In a Shanghai exchange filing (30 Sep), JAC confirmed cooperation talks with Huawei and Stellantis. Nothing binding is signed and the scope is undefined. Milano Finanza (1 Oct, sources): two EVs (mid-large SUV + large GT); an SKD set-up with bodies from Hefei and interiors/final calibration in Italy, likely Cassino. Price of Huawei L3 ADAS and cost-sharing are still in dispute. Maserati plan due at a December Investor Day.
Companies Stellantis, JAC, Huawei
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Rosenberger GFC®: automotive fibre-optic connector, >50 Gbps over 40 m
Global
Launched 1 Oct: Glass Fiber Connector, IEEE 802.3cz-compliant, >50 Gbps up to 40 m; expanded-beam design; ISO 24581 plus ISO 8092 / DIN 70214 (USCAR-2/LV 214 successor); OM3/OM4. Protocol-independent (Ethernet, PCIe); built for automated high-volume assembly. Targets central-compute ↔ zone-controller backbones and cameras/displays.
Companies Rosenberger
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China: September retail −29% YoY (1–27 Sep); NEV −20%
Asia
CPCA: passenger-car retail 1.258m in 1–27 Sep (−29% YoY, +1% MoM); NEV retail 827k (−20%; 65.7% share). Wholesale 1.474m (−30%). YTD retail 12.97m (−22%). Partly a high base from the subsidy-rush in Sep 2025.
Sources
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US Q3: Toyota closes on GM; Hyundai–Kia near Ford; Tesla deliveries −2%
Americas
GM 670,974 (−5.5%; smaller EV market, discontinued models). Toyota 633,223 (+0.6%; electrified 57.4%). Ford 507,395 (−6.6%) just ahead of Hyundai Motor Group 506,200 (record, hybrids +35% at Hyundai). Honda +9.3%. Tesla Q3: 486,532 delivered (−2.1% YoY), 464,391 built.
Companies Toyota, General Motors, Hyundai Motor, Kia, Ford, Tesla, Honda
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US trade calendar: USMCA 2027 review consultation opens; ROO survey due 16 Oct
Americas
USTR (2 Oct) opened public comments for the 2027 USMCA joint review; comments and hearing requests due 12 Jan 2027. USITC’s mandatory ROO questionnaire for US vehicle producers (Inv. 332-608) is due 16 Oct; its report goes to Congress by 1 Jul 2027. ITA’s Section 232 auto-parts inclusion process runs a two-week request window every October.
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Hyundai Wia starts Slovak plant in Martin (EV parts for Kia EV2/EV4)
Europe
Mass-production ceremony 30 Sep: capacity 800k CV joints + 280k coolant modules/yr; HVAC modules next. €26.77m industrial + €4.6m tech-centre capex to 2029; €8.9m state aid. Staff 115 → ~400 by 2030. Avg production wage ~€2,800 (minister).
Companies Hyundai Motor, Kia
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first reported 3–5 Sep
Africa
Morocco cable/harness adjacency: Xinhongye–ACOME Tangier JV; Akwel adds Casablanca
Wuxi Xinhongye (80%) and ACOME (20%) plan a Tangier JV for wire, cable, harnesses and connectors: €10m registered capital, ≤~$32m investment, not yet signed, needs CN/MA approvals (recap 2 Oct). Akwel bought free-zone land for a new Casablanca plant (makes junction-box housings and HV cable brackets among other parts) while closing Varberg (SE) and cutting French jobs (H1 sales −18.7%).