Hune Mobility

🍟🎰 From Brussels to Vegas: When Motors Meet Microchips This week, two iconic events collided on the automotive and tech calendars: the Brussels Motor Show and CES in Las Vegas. While Brussels showcased European charm and innovation with Renault Group stealing the spotlight again (could the Twingo be the next Car of the Year?), CES took the industry into the future, with Honda flexing its tech prowess alongside AFEELA’s ambitious debut. Yet, not everything was smooth sailing, Mazda’s EV misstep in Brussels and AFEELA’s underwhelming updates left room for skepticism. Dive into this issue to explore how nostalgia and cutting-edge tech are reshaping the road ahead. 🗞️ And, of course, all the other news of the week! That’s our Mobility Brief, share it and subscribe! #automotive #mobility

⚠️ China’s EV market is charging ahead while the global industry taps the brakes! In 2024, China’s auto market proved once again why it’s the world’s heavyweight champion, with passenger vehicle sales up 5.3% and NEVs hitting a staggering 40.7% growth. What’s more, NEVs now represent 47.2% of all car sales, closing in on the 50% milestone! Key takeaways from this green wave: 🔋 Winners emerge: BYD, Geely, Xiaomi, and even Tesla hit record sales. For Tesla, this success offset declines in global markets, a true testament to the power of localization. 📉 Legacy struggles: General Motors, Toyota, and Volkswagen lost further ground to agile domestic competitors, highlighting the pressure to innovate, or be left in the dust. 💸 Price wars & subsidies: with subsidies up to $2,800 for NEVs and a government-led "cash-for-clunkers" program, affordability became a catalyst for adoption. 📉 China’s ability to balance consumer incentives, aggressive pricing, and a relentless push for electrification is reshaping the global automotive narrative. However, profitability in the region has taken a hit, with margins dropping to 4.4% amid extended price wars! 🚗 What does this mean for the global EV market? China’s success is inspiring, but with tightening margins and fierce competition, automakers must innovate smarter to stay ahead. 💬 Your turn: how can global players replicate this growth while maintaining profitability?

🎉 2025 is here, and while the world dreams of flying cars, we're still trying to figure out why legacy automakers can't develop a mobile app. Let's take a look at what's hot in the automotive industry this year! ⤵️ 📈 S&P Global Mobility predicts a 29.9% rise in EV sales to 15.1M units in 2025, with strong growth in Europe (+43.4%) and India (+117%). Despite a 0.4% dip in global vehicle production, EV momentum stays strong. 🇨🇳 Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo warns EU regulations could hike car production costs by 40%, delaying affordable EVs. He highlights the advantage of Chinese manufacturers and challenges for Renault’s strategy to attract partners. 🚁 Volocopter seeks bankruptcy protection to restructure amid financial struggles, echoing sector turbulence as rival Lilium secures last-minute funding. 🗞️ And, of course, all the other news of the week! That’s our Mobility Brief, share it and subscribe! #automotive #mobility

🥂 This is the final newsletter of 2024: 🚨 Oops! A massive data breach at Volkswagen Group exposed personal info from 800k EV owners, including GPS and vehicle status, thanks to a misconfigured cloud. Politicians, cops, and maybe even spies were caught in the mix. While no payment info leaked, this mess shows just how risky connected cars can be. Guess VW's cloud was too friendly! ⚡️ China’s EV sales are set to outpace gas cars in 2025, with 12M EVs expected to fly off the lot, doubling 2022 numbers. Traditional car sales could drop 30%. China is leading the EV revolution, hitting its 2035 goals a decade early! But with competition heating up, slower growth, and a potential price war, the market is entering a wild phase of change and consolidation. 🔌 Hyundai Motor Company (현대자동차) is giving free Tesla Supercharger adapters to owners of models like the Kona Electric, Ioniq 5, and Ioniq 6, enabling access to over 20,000 chargers across the US. The offer applies to vehicles purchased or leased before January 31 and extends to future models in the US. 🙏🏼 Huge thanks for your support this year! Here's to an amazing 2025 where we all achieve incredible things! #automotive #mobility #ev #newsletter

Ho ho ho! 🎅 Santa may be coming tomorrow, but your Mobility Brief is here tonight! 🛠 Nissan, Honda (and maybe Mitsubishi) aim to merge by 2026—but questions linger about the real synergies this alliance can deliver. 🏭 Volkswagen secures a major agreement with unions to keep German factories open—while saving €4 billion annually. ⚡ NIO makes an epic split—unveiling both the $100k+ ET9 luxury EV and its $20k Firefly compact EV during NIO Day 2024. NOT in your Brief this week: 🛷 Santa’s first software-defined sleigh expected this Christmas. 🎄 Santa and the Grinch—A merger of common sense? 🏚️ How to transform your chimney in a reindeer-swapping station Happy holidays, folks! See you next week! #nissan #honda #volkswagen #nio #ev #mobilitybrief

🚗 Renault electrifies its racing heritage with the 500hp R5 Turbo 3E, while DS Automobiles presents the luxurious, long-range DS N°8 electric sedan 🚦 Facing regulatory hurdles and after investing over $10B, General Motors is ending Cruise's robotaxi business, integrating its technology into broader AV efforts and shifting focus to its Super Cruise system 🔋 Stellantis and CATL are investing €4.1B in a Spanish EV battery plant targeting 50GWh capacity to power 700k vehicles daily with affordable lithium iron phosphate batteries, leveraging Spain's renewable energy and subsidies 🌍 And, of course, all the other news of the week: Zheng Gao joins Zoox, Mercedes-Benz USA partners with 4screen, Lucid Motors took a playful jab at Jaguar's controversial rebranding campaign and much more! 🗞️ That’s our Mobility Brief. Share it and subscribe!

🔥 Renault is back on the sports car scene with a bang—and it’s electric! Two years ago, at the 2022 Mondial de l’Auto - Paris, the Renault 5 Turbo 3E concept left us all dreaming. Today, those dreams just got a little more real. Renault has officially unveiled the production version of this wild electric homage to the iconic R5 Turbo, and it’s everything we could have hoped for (and more). Let’s talk about the specs: 💥 Over 500hp delivered through two rear motors. ⚡ 0 to 100km/h in just around 3 seconds. 🏎️ Carbon fiber body for reduced weight and optimized performance. 🚦 Bold white and yellow livery nodding to Renault’s glorious racing past. This isn’t just an EV, it’s a statement. The exaggerated body kit, the meticulous engineering, and the undeniable spirit of the original Turbo are all here, reimagined for a new era. Even the charging port is hidden in a rear air intake, because why not add some flair to functionality? Renault’s timing couldn’t be better. Launching this alongside the Prime Video series "Anatomy of a Comeback" (https://lnkd.in/eArNQ2Mw) feels like a deliberate nod to their own resurgence. It’s a reminder that this is a brand not just committed to electrification but also to reviving the passion and joy that made cars like the original Turbo so unforgettable. As someone who’s had the privilege of working with the Renault Group, I can honestly say this brings a smile to my face. It’s not just about cars, it’s about vision, bold moves, and the courage to create something extraordinary. Bravo to the Renault team! Looking forward to seeing this beast hit the streets, though we’ll have to wait until 2026 for that thrill. Fabrice Cambolive, Luca de Meo, Gilles Vidal, Hune Mobility Video credits: Renault Group / https://lnkd.in/e_wUkvFx

🧨 🚗 This time, it really is Mission Impossible for Cruise in the robotaxi industry. Maybe for the best? 🛑 GM has just announced it will stop funding Cruise’s robotaxi business and acquire the remaining 7% of the company’s shares, reallocating the team’s efforts toward integrating autonomous vehicle (AV) technologies into personal cars. ➡️ In other words, Cruise's staff will now be working on...Super Cruise, GM's in-house L2+ advanced system, to take it to the next level. GM deemed pursuing the robotaxi business aimless in the face of a competitive market and the immense funds required to scale back operations. It’s a bittersweet announcement for a pioneer that led AV commercial deployments just a year ago, only to face a major credibility crisis following an accident in San Francisco. In total, GM has invested a staggering $10 billion in Cruise, including $850 million as recently as... June. But a shift of paradigm that also reflects the AV industry trends, with tech providers increasingly turning to partners to commercialize trips (Uber, Lyft), manage fleets (Waymo with Moove) and even....buy the vehicles? (Tesla selling its Robotaxi) 🤔 Ultimately, it may be what inspired GM to refocus its strategy on its own cars, and maybe consider itself more of an AV provider than a robotaxi service provider. #av #autonomousvehicles #cruise #gm Hune Mobility

From Michel Barnier’s government hitting the brakes with a no-confidence vote to car buyers navigating a regulatory roundabout, it’s clear that political turmoil is spilling into the showroom. What does this mean for EV subsidies, penalties, and the industry’s future? Spoiler: there’s more drama here than a soap opera set in the Élysée. Dive into the details, and let me know what you think! Is the government’s stalled budget a pothole or a full-on crash for carmakers? 🚙 #automotive #politics #EV #industry #insights Antoine Armand

🎅🏻 Tesla delivers holiday cheer: software update brings new features 🛢️ aramco joins Renault Group and GEELY in €7.4B ICE JV (HORSE), acquires 10% stake for €740M 🔙 Stellantis reverses course: requests to rejoin European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) after Tavares' departure 🪫 NIO expands battery flexibility in Europe with monthly swaps between standard and long range options 🌍 And, of course, all the other news of the week: FORVIA new CEO, Waymo in Miami, Ampere & STMicroelectronics partnership and more! 🗞️ That’s our Mobility Brief. Share it and subscribe! #automotive #ev #mobility #newsletter