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Africa
Inaugurated 1 Oct in Béja industrial zone: 60,000 m², TND 270m spent so far (TND 140m buildings, TND 130m equipment), heading to ~TND 300m. Staff 2,600 today, 3,500 in 2027, 6,000 in 2028, ~7,500 in 2029. Béja 1 mainly serves ICE programmes; Béja 2 leans to EV harnesses for several German OEMs. Both sites together employ ~8,500 now and target ~14,000+ by 2029, with combined sales near TND 1.5bn. Plant manager calls it the largest production unit in Tunisia.
Companies Kromberg & Schubert
Source: African Manager · WMC / TAP · La Presse de Tunisie
Europe
Study by EY for ACEA (released ~30 Sep) assessed ten inputs. Supply concentration is the top risk (4.6/5). Five inputs carry outsized risk: semiconductors, wiring harnesses, NdFeB magnets, silicon and tungsten. Semiconductors, wiring harnesses and magnets stand out as the most critical, because they are both high-risk and hard to do without. Electrification raises competition for these inputs (AI, data centres, defence) by about 15%. EY: the bottleneck is processing capacity, qualified suppliers and skills, which take more than a year or two to build.
Source: EY/ACEA executive synthesis (PDF) · Euronews (30 Sep)
Global
In an Automotive World interview (5 Oct), FORVIA HELLA said its iConF semiconductor e-fuse merges protection, switching, current sensing and diagnostics into one software-configurable part. Combined with zonal architecture, it cites a potential ~25% reduction in wiring-harness weight, from shorter runs and conductors no longer sized for rare worst-case peaks. First series use is in 2028 with a global premium OEM (order and Analog Devices partnership announced in January). Early demand is expected in EVs, premium cars and 48V platforms.
Companies Forvia
Source: Automotive World (5 Oct) · FORVIA HELLA PR (Jan)
Europe
Internal notes (5 Oct): the Mioveni vehicle plant stops on Fri 9 and Mon 12 Oct to match output to orders (ZF estimates almost 3,000 cars, ~€60m). A voluntary-departure programme runs 5–20 Oct, decisions 21–23 Oct, exits 1 Nov, with RON 45k–210k net by tenure. It is explicitly linked to reduced activity, automation and robotics, and to Renault’s futuREady plan. Context: the future electric Dacia goes to Slovenia and a C-segment model to Turkey.
Companies Renault, ZF
Source: Ziarul Financiar · Financiarul
Europe
Announced 5 Oct: body shop, paint and assembly idle Tue 6 to Fri 9 Oct; press and plastics keep running for other plants. Cassino builds Alfa Giulia/Stelvio and Maserati Grecale. Fiom says the plant has worked ‘little more than 50’ days in 2026 and warns a Maserati deal with JAC/Huawei could turn it into a ‘screwdriver factory’. National unions–Stellantis meeting in Rome on 15 Oct.
Companies Stellantis, JAC, Huawei
Source: Rai TGR Lazio · Milano Finanza · Il Fatto Quotidiano
Europe
Germany (VDA/KBA): 256,774 registrations (+9%); BEV 88,599 (+95%, 34.5% share); BEV+PHEV share 45.3%; private buyers 40.3% thanks to the EV subsidy. Production 392,200 (flat; YTD 3.03m, −4%, 15% below 2019). Domestic orders +4%, foreign orders −16%; German OEMs’ domestic BEV orders +79%. UK (SMMT, final 5 Oct): 350,536 (+12%); BEV 99,201 (28.3%); PHEV +55.5% to 17.0%; YTD BEV share 26.2% vs 33% mandate.
Source: VDA · tagesschau · SMMT
Asia
Joint letter to von der Leyen (5 Oct): a diversification instrument against over-dependence, and a tool that would let the Commission quickly cut a country’s single-market access in extreme cases unless a qualified majority blocks it. No country is named, but the timing points at China. Šefčovič is in Beijing Thu–Fri; analysts expect ‘a few crumbs’. Further EU trade instruments are due to leaders in December; Beijing has warned it would respond.
Source: DW · POLITICO Europe · RFI / AFP
Europe
the Guardian (5 Oct) says the UK government is now reviewing whether to impose tariffs on Chinese car imports to strengthen its case for inclusion in the EU Industrial Accelerator Act. Brussels wants a level playing field with its duties of up to 45%. No decision or timetable has been set. Chinese brands are selling strongly in the UK (Jaecoo 7 was September’s best-seller).
Companies Chery
Source: The Guardian · Auto Express
Europe
Joint letter (5 Oct) as EU institutions start negotiating the extension of the carbon border levy to downstream goods. Parliament and Council positions would add hundreds of CN codes. The industry asks to extend only where carbon-leakage risk is proven, to use fewer precursors, review de-minimis thresholds and set feasible deadlines. It wants the aluminium threshold kept at 50 t (not cut to 5 t), default values that do not penalise scrap and recycled aluminium, and no double carbon cost on steel and aluminium.
Source: ACEA · CLEPA
Asia
Toyota Motor Thailand suspended its Samrong, Ban Pho and Gateway plants 5–10 Oct, citing flood-hit suppliers and parts deliveries in Samut Prakan, Chachoengsao and Chon Buri; the restart date may move. Honda has also stopped vehicle production in Thailand. The Federation of Thai Industries puts preliminary damage above THB 1bn.
Companies Toyota, Honda
Source: Bangkok Post · S&P Global Mobility
Global
Valeo (1 Oct): system Tier-1 for Nissan’s next-generation ProPILOT, integrating Wayve’s AI Driver with an ADAS domain controller. Applied Intuition (6 Oct): Vehicle OS for Honda’s centralised SDV platform and for Nissan’s next-generation software platform. LG (6 Oct): integrated cluster plus infotainment cockpit for Renault’s New Trafic E-Tech, Renault’s first series SDV, with fewer components. Handelsblatt (30 Sep): VW’s Cariad (~4,300 staff) plans to cut about 1,000 more jobs as VW reorganises development and uses AI.
Companies Valeo, Nissan, Honda, Renault, Volkswagen
Source: Valeo PR · Applied Intuition (Honda) · Applied Intuition (Nissan) · LG PR · Handelsblatt
Americas
SITIAVW has called the 6,000+ workers at Cuautlancingo to a personal, secret ballot on 15 Oct (04:30–18:00) on the 2026–28 contract revision: a 13.16% overall increase over 24 months. The separate Taos component-shortage stop runs 5–9 Oct.
Companies Volkswagen
Source: El Popular · Milenio
Europe
The National Security Committee questioned former foreign minister Péter Szijjártó on 5 Oct for about 2.5 hours about his role as BYD’s head of external relations and the ~HUF 70bn state support for Szeged plant infrastructure granted under the previous government. Fidesz members of the committee said no national-security risk emerged; the inquiry continues. Szijjártó says the support was within normal limits. Szeged vehicle assembly remains planned for Q4 2026 after test production began early this year.
Companies BYD
Source: Világgazdaság · Anadolu Agency