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Khabre desk
Recent reporting, analysis and explainers from the Mobility Transport desk.
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BMW plans to introduce navigation-guided SAE Level 2 driver assistance for urban driving in Germany in 2027. The system is designed to assist with turns, lane changes, right-of-way situations and roundabouts while the driver remains responsible.
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Toyota and Waymo plan to begin testing and validating an autonomous bZ4X fleet in Japan in 2027. The companies describe this as an initial test phase, with deployments in the UK and other Waymo-serviced markets planned for later years.
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Waymo and Toyota plan to test and validate a fleet of autonomous Toyota bZ4X vehicles in Japan in 2027. They say later deployment is planned for the UK and other markets where Waymo operates.
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BMW Motorrad has announced the F 450 RR, a 420 cc supersport motorcycle rated at 35 kW (48 hp) and weighing 177 kg ready to ride. It combines a six-speed gearbox and supersport-specific chassis with four equipment variants.
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Toyota and Waymo plan to begin testing and validating an autonomous bZ4X fleet in Japan in 2027. Toyota will assemble the vehicles and integrate Waymo’s autonomous-driving hardware at its Takaoka plant.
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Honda and Mitsubishi Motors signed an MOU to develop a Honda pickup based on the Mitsubishi Triton. Sales in the ASEAN market are scheduled for 2028.
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GM has outlined an upcoming EV platform combining lithium manganese-rich batteries, revised electric drive units and a new computing architecture. The company says the changes are intended to improve range per unit of energy and simplify vehicle development and manufacturing.
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BMW says the third-generation M Motorsport frame will be standard on the M 1000 RR from model year 2027. It is around 1.3 kg lighter than the previous frame, with revised wall thicknesses intended to tune stiffness and flexibility.
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BMW says its new iX5 60 xDrive reached charging power of up to 460 kW in a demonstration with IONNA and Alpitronic. The company quotes a 22-minute 10–80% charge for the 141 kWh battery, but says the demonstration hardware is not commercially available in the US today.
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Waymo says it is preparing a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in the Region of Madrid, with first riders targeted for 2027. Its initial work will use manually driven vehicles before technical validation with trained local specialists.
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Honda Racing Corporation has named Fabio Quartararo and Diogo Moreira for factory team Honda HRC, and Johann Zarco and David Alonso for Honda LCR in 2027. The lineup will compete in a season that brings an 850 cc engine limit and extensive technical-rule changes.
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Waymo says it will begin preparing its autonomous ride-hailing service in Toronto, starting with manually driven vehicles and local road mapping. The company’s goal is to welcome its first riders in 2028.
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Waymo says it will begin mapping and testing in Toronto as it prepares a fully autonomous ride-hailing service. The company aims to welcome its first riders in 2028.
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Waymo says it will begin manually driven mapping and testing in Toronto as it prepares an autonomous ride-hailing service, with first riders targeted for 2028. Element Fleet Management will provide fleet services and support local hiring.
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Volvo Cars and NVIDIA are expanding their partnership to develop automated-driving technology for future Volvo cars. The first use is planned for a next-generation model, with the companies naming NVIDIA Hyperion, Halos OS and Alpamayo Stack.
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BMW Group has begun series production of its Gen6 high-voltage batteries in Shenyang, China, the third site in its global production network for the battery generation. The company says the cylindrical cells offer more than 20% higher energy density, while charging speed and range increase by up to 30% compared with the previous cell generation.
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Mahindra has launched the XUV 3XO ZNG in India, a turbocharged CNG-petrol SUV priced from ₹9.99 lakh ex-showroom. The company says it produces the same 82 kW and 200 Nm in either fuel mode.
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Waymo says anyone in San Antonio, San Diego and Tampa can now hail a fully autonomous ride through its app. The service includes San Antonio International Airport.
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Hyundai held the all-new TUCSON’s world premiere in New York on October 1, presenting its design, next-generation hybrid system and Pleos Connect experience. The announcement describes the technology goals but gives no performance figures.
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Toyota has launched a new Sora hydrogen fuel-cell route bus, jointly developed with Isuzu. Toyota reports a range above 300 km and a full-flat passenger floor, with range and refuelling figures based on company measurements.
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Toyota has unveiled the Land Cruiser FJ prototype, a compact four-wheel-drive addition to its Land Cruiser range. The company plans to launch it in Japan around mid-2026.
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BMW has presented the Concept 7 Protection, a luxury-sedan concept with discreet protection designed for selected handgun threats. The company positions it below its higher-protection vehicles and says it could expand the BMW Protection portfolio.
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Northeastern researchers tested 21 vehicles from 19 brands and found personal information, including VINs, email addresses and location data, in data shared with third parties. The findings came from vehicle-app traffic that researchers could decrypt; encryption prevented them from inspecting data sent by the cars themselves.
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Waymo says anyone in Houston can now use its app to request a fully autonomous ride. The company says more than 100,000 riders from its interest list had used the service since it opened in February.
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Waymo says it has closed its first debt financing: a $5 billion term loan. The company plans to use the capital to support expansion of its autonomous ride-hailing service in the United States and internationally.
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Honda has named its next-generation hybrid system Honda Hybrid and says global launches will begin in 2027. The company plans 15 models using the system by the end of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2030, primarily in North America.
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Germany says Tesla has offered to rename its FSD driver-assistance system as Tesla Assisted Driving while European approval discussions continue. The ministry says drivers must remain attentive and responsible for vehicle control.
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BMW unveiled an extensively updated 7 Series on 22 April 2026, adding Neue Klasse technology to its luxury sedan. The company says fully electric versions will offer more than 720 km of WLTP range.
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BMW has announced an all-wheel-drive version of the M2, pairing its 480 hp straight-six engine with the rear-biased M xDrive system. Production is scheduled to begin in August 2026, ahead of a market launch in late summer.
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Hyundai announced the IONIQ brand’s launch in China and unveiled the VENUS sedan concept and EARTH SUV concept at an event in Beijing. The company says China-specific production models and an electrification strategy will be detailed at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition.
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Waymo says its analysis found that sober drivers’ fatal-crash risk at night was 3.1 to 3.9 times the daytime risk. A separate analysis of US fatal crashes found that safety risks often overlap rather than arise from human behaviour alone.
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BMW has announced the iX3 M60 xDrive, a dual-motor electric SUV rated at 450 kW (612 hp) and up to 754 km of provisional WLTP range. Orders are due to open at the end of January 2027, with production scheduled to begin in spring 2027.
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Mercedes-Benz says steer-by-wire is now orderable for the new EQS saloon in all EQS markets. In Germany, the option costs €2,975 including VAT and includes rear-axle steering with up to 10 degrees of steering angle.
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BMW Group has begun testing an 18-tonne truck powered by a hydrogen combustion engine in logistics operations at its Leipzig plant. The field trial will examine how the truck performs on longer routes and in three-shift operations.
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Waymo is launching a San Francisco Bay Area program that rewards riders with $2.85 in Waymo Cash when a Waymo trip and a public-transit journey made with a linked Visa card occur within two hours. The company will also lease 40 Caltrain station parking spaces for staged vehicles.
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Honda plans to exhibit a VR-based virtual ride-sharing experience, EV charging equipment and resource-circulation technologies at Japan Mobility Show Bizweek 2026. Its dynamic wireless charging technology is still being prepared for further demonstration tests.
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Honda, Taisei and Taisei Rotec have developed underlying technology for roads that wirelessly transfer power to EVs while they are moving. The companies plan further durability and power-transfer tests, with public-road demonstrations scheduled from Japan’s FY2027 onward.
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Hyundai says the all-new Tucson premiered in New York on October 1, 2026. The SUV features a next-generation hybrid system, Pleos Connect infotainment and the Gleo AI in-vehicle agent.
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Mahindra reported 114,874 vehicle sales, including exports, in September 2026, up 15% year on year. Domestic utility-vehicle sales rose 14% to 64,092, and the company reported more than 1 lakh billings of its Electric Origin SUVs since launch.
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BMW says its Munich plant will build the fully electric BMW M3, which it describes as the first high-performance model to use BMW M Neue Klasse technology. The announcement comes as the site prepares to switch to exclusively fully electric vehicle production from 2027.
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California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1246 into law on September 30, 2026. By July 1, 2028, it will require changes to remote-driver rules, incident response and reporting, and allow local penalties when an autonomous vehicle obstructs emergency operations for more than 30 minutes.
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The UK registered 99,199 new battery-electric cars in September 2026, up 36.3% year on year, according to preliminary SMMT figures. Battery-electric vehicles made up 26.2% of registrations in the first nine months, below the 33% share set for 2026.
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BMW says the X3 M50 xDrive’s 3.0-litre petrol engine will rise to 326 kW (443 hp), with a 0–100 km/h time of 4.4 seconds. A separate, optional Black Package adds exclusive styling and interior details from December 2026.
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BMW Group has outlined plans to reshape its vehicle range by region, use AI more widely and reduce management structures. It is targeting an Automotive Segment EBIT margin of 3–5% in 2028, with a return to 8–10% by the start of the next decade.
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DKSH Hong Kong is deploying Lenovo infrastructure and services for a robotic parking system at an unnamed Asia-Pacific transport hub. The project is underway, with the system’s passenger and operational benefits expected after it becomes operational.
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BMW Group says its newly opened Irlbach-Straßkirchen plant has begun series production of sixth-generation high-voltage batteries, initially supplying the Munich factory for the new BMW i3. The company plans for the site to become a central battery supplier to its German vehicle plants.
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BMW Motorrad has presented the F 450 R, a 420 cc naked bike rated at 35 kW (48 hp) and weighing 175 kg ready to ride. It pairs an A2-class engine with a road-focused chassis, standard rider-assistance systems and four equipment variants.
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BMW says its 2027 electric i3 50 xDrive will start at $61,500 in the US, $4,400 below the gasoline M350 xDrive. That comparison is between the electric model and the gasoline range-topper: the entry-level 330 starts at $49,900.
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BMW’s autumn 2026 update adds electric iX5 and iX3 variants, raises the X3 M50’s output and introduces new digital features. The company also describes a high-pressure casting process for lighter M5 wheels.
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Mercedes-Benz says it will present six model premieres at the Paris Motor Show, including the all-electric VLE. The company says the VLE will seat up to eight and have a range of more than 700 km under WLTP testing.
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BMW’s new 3 Series introduces the all-electric i3 Neue Klasse alongside petrol models with 48V mild-hybrid technology. The i3 50 xDrive is rated for up to 912 km of WLTP range, while the range also includes the six-cylinder M350 xDrive.
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The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finalized fuel-economy standards for passenger cars and light trucks through model year 2031, and heavy-duty pickups and vans through 2035. The agency projects the rule will save fuel and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
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Mercedes’ preview for the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix describes Baku as a circuit where long straights, heavy braking and tight street sections make energy management and precision important. The team lists the 6.003 km race as 51 laps, with the Grand Prix scheduled for Saturday at 15:00 local time.
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Joshua Dürksen completed a two-day Formula 1 test in Mercedes’ 2025 W16 at Portimão, covering 187 laps and 875 kilometres. Mercedes describes him as the first Paraguayan to drive a modern F1 car.
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BMW says its all-electric i3 will serve as the lead vehicle for the elite men’s race at the 2026 Berlin Marathon. The company lists a range of up to 906 kilometres, but says the figure is provisional.
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Lexus is expanding sales of its 20.63-metre LY 680 luxury yacht beyond Japan. The yacht is scheduled to be exhibited at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show from October 28 to November 1, 2026.
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NIO agreed to issue a 30% stake in its battery-swapping and charging subsidiary, NIO Power, to a Geely Holding Group subsidiary in exchange for a battery-swapping company and RMB640 million. The proposed transaction values NIO Power at approximately RMB16 billion and is subject to regulatory clearances and customary closing conditions.
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Mercedes-Benz says its electric GLC has been named German Premium Car of the Year 2027. The award jury cited the vehicle’s overall concept and balanced, comfortable driving character.
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Tesla says it has launched high-volume production of its Semi at a factory designed to produce 50,000 trucks a year. The company also describes changes to the truck’s battery, drivetrain, steering and thermal systems.
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A study published by Johanna.be says Tesla FSD (Supervised) exceeded the 30 km/h limit in 55% of tested Brussels segments. It also reports incorrect speed-limit displays and rule violations in other low-speed settings.
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BMW says it is extending its sustainability measures across the electric and combustion-engine versions of the new 3 Series. The company reports increased use of secondary materials and lower supply-chain emissions, alongside production coordinated across four Bavarian sites.
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Waymo says its autonomous vehicles were involved in 82% fewer injury-causing crashes than human-driver benchmarks across more than 270 million miles in five US cities. The company estimates that 841 injury-causing crashes were prevented.
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Mahindra says its Charge_iN network now has 50 live locations and 200 charging points across India. Its first station under a collaboration with HPCL is operating on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway.
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BMW says its Gen6 high-voltage battery received a technology award at the 2026 World New Energy Vehicle Congress in China. The battery combines cylindrical cells, a cell-to-pack design and BMW-developed energy-management hardware and software.
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Waymo says teens aged 13–17 can hail fully autonomous rides across 50 square miles of Nashville when linked to a parent or guardian’s account. The company lists trip-status sharing, automatic receipts and specially trained Rider Support agents among the account features.
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Mahindra Last Mile Mobility has been selected as one of 15 finalists for The Earthshot Prize 2026, in the Clean Our Air category. The company reports that its electric vehicles have travelled more than 9 billion kilometres.
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Mahindra has launched the Thar OG, a new version of its three-door SUV, with introductory ex-showroom prices starting at ₹10.32 lakh. Deliveries are scheduled to begin on 11 October 2026.
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Hyundai says its Pleos Connect infotainment system is debuting in the AZERA, with the all-new ELANTRA expected to bring it and the Gleo AI assistant to Korea in the second half of 2026. The system is part of the company’s broader software-defined vehicle plans.
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Mercedes-Benz has introduced two home-charging services in Germany that schedule electric-vehicle charging around Day-Ahead electricity prices and expected renewable-energy availability. One service works with an existing dynamic tariff, while the other includes a tariff from The Mobility House Energy and rewards eligible smart-charging sessions.
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Toyota plans to begin producing extended-range electric vehicles in China in spring, expanding its battery-electric lineup in the world’s largest EV market.
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Matisse Lismont and Ignacio Montenegro secured the Silver Cup, Sprint Cup and Overall titles in the GT World Challenge Europe with Team WRT’s #30 BMW M4 GT3 EVO. The titles were clinched at Zandvoort with two race events still remaining.
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BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team won the 2026 FIM Endurance World Championship after taking the Bol d’Or at Le Castellet with its M 1000 RR. The team finished four points ahead of YART Yamaha in the final standings.
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Mercedes-Benz says three new S-Class sedans have travelled more than 50,000 kilometres across six continents and 140 locations. The convoy is now making a second crossing of Europe before returning to Stuttgart in October 2026.
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Mahindra has expanded the XUV 3XO REVX range with the new REVX EDGE and REVX EDGE (O), priced from ₹9.39 lakh ex-showroom. The company has also added a petrol automatic option to the REVX M(O).
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Joby Aviation says an aircraft equipped with its autonomy system flew 3,199 miles from California to North Carolina with no control inputs from its onboard safety pilot. The remotely supervised flight included autonomous taxiing, takeoff, route navigation and landing.
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Mercedes-Benz has started serial production of the new GLA at its Rastatt plant in Germany. Electric versions are already being built, while 48V hybrid versions are scheduled to follow later in 2026 on the same flexible production line.
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Sunwoda says its mass-produced flash-charging battery can reach 80% state of charge in 10 minutes. The company also lists claims for low-temperature performance, safety and a one-million-kilometre lifespan.
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Slate says its electric vehicle is projected to deliver 205 miles with the standard battery pack. The company is prioritising a lighter, efficiency-focused design, while EPA-estimated figures remain pending.
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Mercedes-Benz has opened orders in Germany for the C 300 4MATIC electric, an all-wheel-drive sedan with an 85 kWh usable battery and up to 690 km of WLTP range. German prices start at €52,900 excluding VAT for business customers and €62,951 including VAT for private customers.
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The 10th BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy has begun in Romania, bringing 13 teams together for six days and around 1,500 kilometres across Carpathian terrain. The event uses teamwork and practical riding challenges rather than outright speed to determine performance.
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Schubert Motorsport won the latest Nürburgring Endurance Series race with the BMW M4 GT3 EVO. FK Performance Motorsport also moved into contention for titles in the ADAC GT Masters and ADAC GT4 Germany.
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George Russell led FP1 and Kimi Antonelli led FP2 at Madrid’s new 5.414-km Madring. Mercedes said high tyre degradation and a difficult overtaking environment shaped its preparation for Sunday’s 57-lap Spanish Grand Prix.
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MINI has released new images of the Cooper S 5-door in Nanuq White. The five-seat hatchback uses a 150 kW/204 hp four-cylinder petrol engine and has a listed WLTP fuel consumption of 6.8 l/100 km.
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Mercedes-AMG scored a DTM podium at the Sachsenring and recovered from 28th on the grid to finish fifth at Suzuka. The DTM and Intercontinental GT Challenge titles will now be decided at their final rounds.
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Mercedes-Benz Vans is presenting the electric VLE shuttle and a new van architecture at IAA Transportation 2026. The company is also expanding Mercedes-Benz PRO into an integrated platform combining vehicles, software, charging, finance and service.
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Toyota’s GAZOO Racing has launched the GR KART, a 215cc entry-level racing kart designed for children and adults to share. It is priced at ¥385,000 in Japan and is intended exclusively for closed-course driving.
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CSL and Adbri have begun operations of MV Yampu, a 125-metre battery-powered self-unloading bulk carrier serving an Australian limestone route. Its batteries are recharged in port, enabling battery operation around 40% of the time, while the companies expect annual diesel use to fall by more than 500,000 litres.
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Porsche is offering optional wireless charging for the new-model-year Cayenne Electric, transferring energy at up to 11 kW with about 90% efficiency. The update also adds automatic electric doors and expanded personalisation options.
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The FAA says pilots reported 4,470 laser strikes against aircraft in 2026, down 24% from the same point last year. The agency continues to warn that laser illumination can distract or temporarily blind pilots.
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The FAA’s SMART platform uses AI to combine airline schedules, weather, airport capacity and airspace constraints. It is designed to give controllers and aircraft operators a shared view for planning routes and departure times before flights begin.
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Lucid and Bolt have announced a partnership to develop and deploy at least 25,000 autonomous vehicles across European cities. The planned fleet will use a vehicle platform designed for SAE Level 4 autonomy and is expected to use NVIDIA Hyperion.
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Waymo says it is working with Singapore’s Ministry of Transport and Land Transport Authority to prepare an all-electric autonomous ride-hailing service. The company plans local operations in the coming months, a readiness phase in 2027 and an intended public launch through the Waymo app in 2028.
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Tesla Charging says its first Accordion Supercharger is a factory-preassembled design for sites where charging equipment must sit between parking spaces rather than behind a curb. The company says each truck shipment carries 16 stalls and installation is 20% cheaper.
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Waymo, Nihon Kotsu and GO have agreed to prepare a commercial fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Tokyo for 2027. The launch depends on regulatory approvals and further validation of the technology and operating model.
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Volkswagen has presented the Mission Efficiency, a near-production electric-car prototype with a claimed record drag coefficient of 0.158. On a 1,278.36-kilometre route, it recorded 6.89 kWh/100 km excluding charging losses.
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BMW will introduce a BMW Maps view that combines navigation, the vehicle’s surroundings and driver-assistance information in one 3D display from October 2026. The feature will initially be limited to BMW vehicles with Operating System X and compatible assistance systems in selected markets.
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Waymo has opened its first public autonomous ride-hailing service in Las Vegas, covering a nearly 24-mile area. The rollout uses Ojai vehicles powered by the company’s sixth-generation Waymo Driver and will expand across Clark County in stages.
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Lexus has unveiled a prototype new NX SUV with a next-generation hybrid system, updated styling and longer electric-driving capability. The model is scheduled to reach global markets from the end of 2026.
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Lyft and Waymo say Nashville riders can now be matched with fully autonomous Waymo vehicles through the Lyft app. The service initially covers parts of central Nashville and will share a dynamically managed fleet with the Waymo app.
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Zurich Airport has begun operating two automated employee shuttles without a safety driver onboard. The Level 4 pilot is monitored from a remote cockpit on a defined airport route.
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Amazon has received the first 27 Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 battery-electric heavy trucks in Germany from an order of more than 200. More than 50 are planned for Amazon’s German transportation network by the end of 2026.
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Mercedes-AMG has announced the hand-built CLE 646 Spezialanfertigung, a 30-unit performance coupé based on the CLE 53 with a 646 PS twin-turbocharged V8, rear-wheel drive and extensive track-focused modifications.
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BMW M and BMW Motorrad have announced a nine-model 100 Jahre Nürburgring edition comprising six cars and three motorcycles, with special design packages and BMW's claimed M Ignite pre-chamber ignition in the M2, M3 and M4.
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The Boring Company says a $3 billion UAE-led Series D is intended to support more than 150 kilometres of planned UAE tunnel infrastructure and expand its Loop projects.
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BMW says iX5 Hydrogen prototypes are undergoing integrated testing while a third-generation fuel-cell system moves toward prototype assembly and future series-production preparation.
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Toyota reintroduced the Land Cruiser 70 in Japan on November 29, 2023, combining its traditional ladder-frame off-road layout with a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel, automatic transmission and updated safety equipment.
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RGNT’s Street Series includes the Street Scrambler alongside the Street Classic, with a starting price of €9,495 and claimed specifications including 135 km/h top speed, 3.9-second 0–100 km/h acceleration and a long-range battery option.
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Waymo says its fully autonomous vehicles were involved in substantially fewer serious-injury, airbag-deployment and injury-related crashes than human drivers in the same operating areas and period, based on more than 220 million miles.
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BMW says the Neue Klasse will expand standard active-safety equipment across several model series, including a system that can delay opening a door when a cyclist, vehicle or other road user approaches.
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Toyota has launched a completely redesigned Hilux in Japan with a 2.8-litre diesel engine, part-time 4WD, revised chassis and suspension hardware, expanded safety functions and connected services.
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Honda says it has become the first company to receive the highest five-star rating in the FIA Road Safety Index after an assessment covering operations in 17 countries, including India.
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BMW says it is expanding consent-based, event-triggered collection of camera, environmental-sensor and driving-dynamics data from suitably equipped customer vehicles in EU member states to develop driver-assistance and semi-automated-driving functions.
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Nissan and Honda will jointly define specifications for core ECUs, an in-vehicle operating system, middleware and vehicle-control software intended for their next-generation software-defined vehicles from fiscal year 2029 onward.
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Google and Cathay Pacific used AI forecasts, satellite imagery and weather data to guide small altitude changes on more than 80 flights, with Google estimating a roughly 40% reduction in contrail warming impact.