-
First Country To Ban Sale of Gas Cars Doing Fine
In 2024, Ethiopia made history by becoming the first country in the world to ban the sale and import of new internal combustion-powered vehicles. The decision was based on several factors, but, surprisingly, environmental reasons were quite low on the list.
The major reason for this seemingly bizarre action was economics. As a poor country with no oil reserves, Ethiopia was importing US$ 4 billion of refined fuel every year – US$ 4 billion may not seem like a big number, but to a country whose total budget is only US$ 14 billion, it’s massive.
The second major reason behind the decision was the completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) which brings in massive amounts of energy to this energy poor country (it doubled the country’s generating capacity).
-
Tesla Committing Automotive Suicide
Guy Youngs Following its Q4 2025 financial update, Tesla appears to be pivotally shifting away from its identity as a traditional automaker. By phasing out the Model S and X to focus on ‘Transportation as a Service,’ leadership is betting heavily on an autonomous-first business model.
And instead of building on that success, expanding into new segments, addressing affordability, and competing with the flood of new EVs from legacy automakers and Chinese competitors, the company that revolutionized the auto industry is walking away from it.
-
India–Indonesia Auto Relationship Gains Strength
Aditya Kondejkar The evolving automotive relationship between India and Indonesia is increasingly defined by structured, government-linked procurement and industrial collaboration rather than routine export activity. Recent transactions involving Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Ashok Leyland signal a measurable expansion of India’s commercial vehicle footprint in Southeast Asia’s largest economy.
Indonesia’s infrastructure expansion, rural logistics formalization, and cooperative-based distribution programs have generated concentrated demand for light and medium commercial vehicles. Unlike fragmented retail-driven sales, these programs are characterized by bulk institutional procurement, creating predictable order pipelines and scale efficiencies for suppliers. Indian manufacturers, with established competencies in cost-optimized, durable vehicle platforms suited to emerging market operating conditions, have been able to secure sizeable allocations.
-
Tesla’s 2025 Europe Data Shows Total Bloodbath
Guy Youngs The data is in for Tesla’s full year 2025 in Europe, and frankly, it’s a bloodbath across most major markets. Every market in Europe showed a substantial decline (ranging from -4.1% to -66.9%). There’s a single exception, Norway, and Tesla can’t even count on this market in 2026 because the growth in Norway was caused by changing regulations for 2026, that brought forward car purchases into the last two month of 2025.
According to registration data compiled from major European markets, Tesla saw its total volume drop from roughly 326,000 units in 2024 to just over 235,000 in 2025. That is a staggering 27.8% year-over-year decline
The truth is that this is an impressive demand cliff by any standard that points to significant brand problems, which are due to a mix of Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, becoming highly toxic, and Tesla’s EV lineup becoming stale amid tougher competition.
-
Canada Cuts Tariff on Chinese EVs 100%
Jack Hao Canada has agreed to allow a maximum of 49,000 Chinese-made electric vehicles to enter the Canadian market annually at a most-favored-nation tariff rate of 6.1%.
This policy marks Canada’s termination of the 100% additional tariff measure on Chinese electric vehicles that had been in effect since October 2024, shifting instead to a tariff-rate quota system. Carney stated that this move aims to restore normalized levels prior to trade friction, with the relevant volume accounting for less than 3% of Canada’s new vehicle market sales.
High tariffs had caused electric vehicle prices to soar and limited options in the Canadian market. According to Statistics Canada data, new registrations of zero-emission vehicles declined significantly in the third quarter of 2025. This tariff adjustment is expected to bring more affordably priced electric vehicle models to Canadian consumers. It is projected that within five years, over 50% of Chinese electric vehicles imported to Canada will be priced below CAD 35,000 ($25,300 USD), offering consumers low-cost alternatives. Meanwhile, Canada expects that within three years, the agreement will drive Chinese enterprises to establish joint ventures in Canada, promote the development of the domestic electric vehicle supply chain, and create employment opportunities for Canada’s automotive manufacturing industry.
-
Ford Uses Revised Strategy for Success
Aditya Kondejkar Ford Motor Company’s decision to re-enter the Indian market marks one of the most closely watched developments in the auto industry this year. After exiting mass-market operations in 2021, due to persistent losses and an increasingly competitive environment, Ford’s return signals a significant strategic recalibration driven by changing market dynamics, India’s rising manufacturing relevance, and the company’s global EV transformation agenda.
Unlike the last decade—when Ford struggled with scale, cost structures, and a limited product pipeline—its new India plan is built around focused investments, platform sharing, premium positioning, and leveraging India as an export and engineering powerhouse.
Shifting from Mass-Market to Strategic Segments
Ford’s earlier struggle stemmed largely from competing in high-volume, price-sensitive segments dominated by Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, and later Tata and Kia. The new strategy avoids this path. -
Ford India Revises Strategy for Sustainable Success
Aditya Kondejkar Ford Motor Company’s decision to re-enter the Indian market marks one of the most closely watched developments in the auto industry this year. After exiting mass-market operations in 2021, due to persistent losses and an increasingly competitive environment, Ford’s return signals a significant strategic recalibration driven by changing market dynamics, India’s rising manufacturing relevance, and the company’s global EV transformation agenda.
Unlike the last decade—when Ford struggled with scale, cost structures, and a limited product pipeline—its new India plan is built around focused investments, platform sharing, premium positioning, and leveraging India as an export and engineering powerhouse.
-
Brazil, Colombia Renew 2026 Free Trade Quota
Fabio Ferraresi Brazil and Colombia have agreed to extend for 12 months the bilateral automotive quota allowing duty-free export of up to 50,000 Brazilian vehicles per year. The mechanism, which had expired in September, risked reinstating a 16.1% import tariff on Brazilian ICE and flex-fuel passenger vehicles entering the Colombian market from 2025 onward. From January to September 2024, Colombia remained Brazil’s third-largest automotive export destination, receiving 38,500 units (+55.2% YoY), below but close to the annual quota.
Source: Autodata Read The Article
TPI
PSR Truck Production Index
Free quarterly global commercial vehicle production report.
Alternative Power Report
The latest EV and power source news including batteries and fuel cells with analysis by PSR experts.
PowerTALK News
Stay informed each month with insights from Power Systems Research’s analysts working around the world as they identify and comment on important news items in the company’s monthly newsletter.
Subscribe View Archive
OE Link™ Offers
Global
Coverage
OE Link™ database provides OEM products, both On-Road and Off-Road, in 12 regions.
Current Reports
Download complimentary reports that show the type of information available from Power Systems Research.
PowerTALK News
Stay informed each month with insights from Power Systems Research analysts working around the world as they identify and comment on important news items in the company’s monthly newsletter.
Subscribe