Automotive News. Curated from across the open web and key dark web sources. Stay informed.
A Tesla driver told the California Highway Patrol the car was in Full Self-Driving mode when it struck a pedestrian on I-80 in Vallejo, and a second vehicle then failed to stop. The incident adds to scrutiny of Tesla's driver-assist system and raises liability questions as FSD-equipped vehicles share public roads.
Atlas Stamping Manufacturing is targeted by thegentlemen.Victim Description: atlasstamping.com Atlas Stamping Manufacturing Corp. is a US metal stamping company founded in 1971 in Richardson, Texas, producing precision stamped parts for automotive, aerospace, electronics, medical and industrial customers. With around 50 to 200 employees and estimated revenue of 5 to 20 million dollars, it operates a full-service plant offering progressive and transfer die stamping, deep draw, forming, welding and assembly. Its own tool and die shop designs and maintains all stamping dies in-house, giving full control over quality and lead times. Press capabilities range from 30 to 400 tons handling materials from thin foil to quarter-inch thick steel, aluminum and specialty alloys. The company has served the Dallas-Fort Worth industrial market for 54 years with ISO 9001 quality systems and PPAP compliance for OEM clients.Victim’s Country: USDiscovered: 31 Oct 2026, 15:30 SGT
Trade Union Co is targeted by thegentlemen.Victim Description: tradeunionco.com tuc-dxb.com Trade Union Co. is a family-owned automotive spare parts wholesaler and retailer founded in 1960 in Beirut, Lebanon, with over 65 years of experience serving customers across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas. The group operates through its Beirut headquarters and The Trade Union International LLC in Dubai, a 5000 square meter global re-export hub established in 2007 with offices also in Germany, Russia and Nigeria. With over 150 employees and 20 plus international aftermarket brands including Bosch, Mahle, ZF and Sachs, it supplies parts for European, Japanese and American passenger and commercial vehicles. Led by CEO Walid El Bissani and Head of Strategy Tarek Jamil, the company is a member of NEXUS Automotive International, the world's largest automotive distribution community. It regularly exhibits at Automechanika Dubai and Frankfurt, showcasing its growing brand portfolio and global logistics network.Victim’s Country: USDiscovered: 31 Oct 2026, 15:25 SGT
FPT Software is targeted by thegentlemen.Victim Description: fptsoftware.com FPT Software is the largest IT services company in Southeast Asia, founded in 1999 in Hanoi with 1.34 billion dollars in revenue and over 33,000 employees across 31 countries. It serves 1,100 clients including 130 Fortune Global 500 companies across automotive, banking, healthcare and energy, with Japan as its largest international market. Its AI-first strategy uses the FleziPT platform delivering 30 percent productivity gains, with AI and data services growing 60 percent in 2026. In 2025 it signed a record 256 million dollar AI transformation deal and secured 26 projects above 10 million dollars. Strategic partnerships span NVIDIA, Microsoft, SAP, AWS and OpenAI. Key strengths are unmatched scale from Vietnam, deep AI capabilities and a 152,000 strong education talent pipeline.Victim’s Country: VNDiscovered: 31 Oct 2026, 15:22 SGT
Bi Link is targeted by thegentlemen.Victim Description: bi-link.com Revenue $380.2 Million Bi-Link US precision manufacturer founded in 1961 (HQ Bloomingdale, IL), making metal stampings and injection-molded plastics with in-house tooling and assembly for automotive, medical, wireless, and consumer electronics OEMs. It owns plants in Shanghai, Nanning, Mexico (Juárez), and a new Vietnam site (2024), offering prototype-to-production under one roof. Revenue isn't reliably public — broker estimates range wildly from ~$10M to $50M, but a TaiPEX filing suggests ~$5M+/month after consolidation. The critical development: in October 2025 family owners agreed to sell the company to Taiwan-listed Donpon Precision, closed and consolidated from Jan 2026. Despite the site still claiming "family-owned", control is now Donpon's, and long-time CEO Tom Harris has exited. Certifications (ISO 9001, ISO 13485, IATF 16949) support real OEM work (e.g. Teleflex via a 3D Systems case)Victim’s Country: USDiscovered: 31 Oct 2026, 15:18 SGT
Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates unveiled a dedicated driverless vehicle testing zone. The facility gives AV developers a sanctioned environment for trialing autonomous vehicles, positioning the emirate as a regional hub for autonomous mobility testing and deployment.
Tesla expanded its robotaxi fleet while Rivian raised delivery guidance on R2 demand and Ford advanced low-cost EV plans, per a Stocktwits roundup. Tesla's robotaxi fleet growth signals continued scaling of commercial autonomous ride-hailing, while the broader EV moves shape the competitive landscape AV platforms depend on.
California lawmakers and drivers are pressing regulators to tighten oversight of autonomous vehicles operating on public roads. The pressure reflects growing public and legislative scrutiny of robotaxi safety and accountability as AV deployments expand across the state.
XPeng secured citywide robotaxi approval in Guangzhou, its home city, allowing it to operate autonomous ride-hailing across the entire municipality. The approval strengthens XPeng's position in China's robotaxi race alongside Baidu and WeRide and signals expanding regulatory acceptance of city-scale driverless operations.
Ras Al Khaimah launched an autonomous vehicle testing hub and expanded its RoboTaxi trials, according to Gulf News. The UAE emirate is positioning itself as a regional proving ground for self-driving technology, adding to Gulf state competition to attract AV deployments and investment.
Kodiak Robotics is lining up freight fleets to prepare for driverless trucking operations on U.S. highways. The move positions Kodiak to transition from supervised autonomous testing to commercial driverless freight, a milestone for the autonomous trucking sector.
NHTSA proposed updates to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards governing lighting requirements for autonomous vehicles. The rulemaking targets how AVs signal intent and visibility without human drivers, a regulatory step needed before driverless vehicles can scale nationally in the US.
Italy backed EU-wide approval of Tesla's Full Self-Driving system after minister Matteo Salvini spoke with Elon Musk. The endorsement could accelerate regulatory movement toward harmonized approval of Tesla FSD across European Union member states.
Tesla's robotaxi fleet in Texas surpassed 1,000 vehicles, while analyst Grayson Brulte argued comparisons with Waymo are apples to oranges given differing operational models. The milestone underscores Tesla's rapid scaling in Texas but leaves open questions about safety data and service scope versus established operators.
Cox Automotive confirmed suspicious activity on its VinSolutions dealer management platform, now contained, with a limited subset of dealers to be notified directly. Cox stated no ransomware, no platform disruption, and no impact to other Cox Automotive systems, though a leak-site listing by Scarlett Group remains unconfirmed. The incident affects dealership customer and sales data handled through VinSolutions. Dealers should monitor for notification, review vendor security terms, and prepare for potential data exposure while the investigation continues.
A Tesla dashcam captured a Zoox robotaxi involved in an accident, with questions raised over fault attribution. The incident adds to scrutiny of Amazon-owned Zoox as it expands driverless testing, and highlights how third-party footage shapes public and regulatory perception of AV safety.
Waymo selected the Toyota bZ4X as its next robotaxi platform, with deployment starting in Japan in 2027. The partnership marks Waymo's first major expansion into Japan and pairs its autonomous driving system with Toyota's electric vehicle hardware, broadening its international footprint beyond the US.
Researchers found that connected vehicle vulnerabilities increasingly originate in external cloud services and backend APIs rather than in the vehicles themselves. The findings affect telematics platforms and cloud-dependent connected-car features across multiple automakers. Because cloud backends often expose vehicle control and data functions, weaknesses there can scale across entire fleets. The implication is that OEMs must extend security testing and monitoring to third-party cloud infrastructure and API integrations.
Marti Technologies launched a partnership with CalmCar to begin autonomous vehicle testing in Türkiye. The collaboration pairs a Turkish mobility platform with a Chinese perception-systems supplier, signaling AV development spreading into emerging markets beyond the US, China and Europe.
South Korean authorities are cracking down on Tesla owners who unlocked restricted Full Self-Driving features using imported hardware from Europe and China, with fines up to $15,000 and possible prison sentences. The enforcement underscores regulatory friction over region-locked AV software and unauthorized activation.
The UK government launched a consultation on improving cybersecurity for public electric vehicle charge points. The Department for Transport identified risks including direct attacks on chargers and manipulation of charge points to compromise other parts of the charging network. The consultation affects public EV charging infrastructure operators and manufacturers across the UK. It signals forthcoming regulatory requirements for charger security, and stakeholders face a deadline to respond before rules are finalized.
Tesla asked an Australian Senate inquiry to fast-track the country's driverless car law by two years and support an autonomous vehicle trial in 2027. The push reflects industry pressure on Australia to modernize AV regulation and avoid falling behind other markets.
Tier IV and Australia's NTRO opened autonomous bus trials to transit operators, testing whether automation can fill gaps left by retiring bus drivers. The trials position autonomous shuttles as a labor-shortage solution for Australian public transport and give operators direct exposure to deployment.
AutoCrypt demonstrated real-world vehicle hacking at the 2026 Connected Mobility Alliance General Assembly in Incheon, South Korea, showcasing its security verification technology. The demonstration underscores growing regulatory and industry focus on automotive cybersecurity as connected and autonomous vehicle architectures expand attack surfaces.
Waymo plans to extend its San Diego robotaxi service to the La Jolla neighborhood, expanding its Southern California footprint. The expansion signals Waymo's continued scaling of driverless ride-hailing beyond its core markets into new urban zones.