Tesla

Tesla tore down its Fremont, California Model S/X assembly line in just 46 days, closing out 14 years of production that began with the Model S in 2012. The freed floor space is being converted into an Optimus humanoid robot line that Tesla wants scaled to roughly a million units a year, with full-scale output targeted for late July or August 2026.

China has approved new rules requiring physical buttons or switches for safety-related vehicle controls, reversing the touchscreen-only trend led by Tesla and Chinese EV makers. The rules take effect July 1, 2027.

Jetta is a Volkswagen brand that exists only in China. AUDI (SAIC) is a separate venture from the Audi with the rings. smart is half Geely, Denza is now entirely BYD, and Leapmotor is part Stellantis. Which car brands in China are joint ventures, why the arrangement exists at all, who holds which half, and which brands exist only inside a venture.

America's car industry comes down to a few big names, and not all of the 'Big Three' are American-owned. Here is who owns what: GM, Ford, the Europe-based Stellantis behind Jeep and Ram, Tesla and the EV newcomers, and the familiar names that are now owned abroad.

New-energy vehicles took a record 64.4% of China's retail car sales in July 2026, even as NEV retail itself fell 2% year on year - the seventh straight monthly decline. The record came from combustion collapsing faster than EVs are growing.

The UK's new-car market grew 9.2% in the first half of 2026, but the standout was the Jaecoo 7 - a Chinese SUV that only reached UK showrooms in 2025, and already the country's third best-selling car.

In May 2026 not a single petrol or diesel model made China's top 10 - the first time combustion cars have vanished from the list. It says less about an EV boom than a fuel-car collapse.