This Month
The company behind this $24,000 SUV just had its best month
Chinese carmakers accounted for four of the top-selling 15 brands in Australia in May, as more people become less worried about where their vehicles are built.
Global factory shutdown warnings over China’s rare earth ban
German carmakers became the latest to warn China’s export restrictions threaten to halt production and rattle their economies as China-US trade tensions rise.
Piastri wins Spanish Grand Prix – and says it was just what he needed
The Australian driver said winning Sunday’s event was a saviour after losing out to McLaren teammate Lando Norris over the previous two weekends.
May
Ford enlists Trump tax officials in billion dollar ATO brawl
The Trump administration has taken an aggressive stance against global taxation deals, and the ATO is embroiled in similar fights with ExxonMobil and PepsiCo.
Ares is designated driver at Quadrant’s MotorOne as $350m refi lands
Street Talk understands the Sydney buyout fund wants to trade its bank debt for a $350 million-plus unitranche loan.
Eagers Auto loses exclusive rights to sell fast-growing BYD brand
Top car dealership group agrees to a new five-year sales deal with BYD, but the Chinese EV maker can now also appoint other retailers.
Eagers execs’ share loans too profitable to go unnoticed
One of the world’s biggest proxy advice firms has taken aim at Eagers. But the drive-by misses the point: management’s alignment with shareholders is good.
IAG gets regulator tick to buy automobile club insurer in Queensland
The ACCC said Suncorp, Allianz, QBE, Youi, Auto & General and Hollard would compete with IAG after it buys RACQ.
Volvo boss ready to take on Chinese electric truck rivals
Martin Lundstedt, who runs the $90 billion Volvo Group, says tariffs have brought hesitancy from US buyers, but he’s making sales in Australia with Linfox.
Toll road operator Atlas Arteria warns sovereign risk soaring
Privatised motorways around the world are under threat from governments that are reclaiming control and handing them back to taxpayers.
Insurance Australia Group goes west with $1.35b RAC buy
IAG will add The Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia to its brand portfolio after striking a similar deal in Queensland six months ago.
BYD selling six times more vehicles than Tesla in Australia
Toyota’s HiLux ute is the top-selling vehicle in Australia for the first time since late 2023, while Elon Musk’s car company is on the slide.
The companies that are winners and losers from Labor’s landslide victory
Winners include healthcare diagnostics, vehicle financiers, and developers. Mortgage insurers, fuel suppliers, and automotive firms may face challenges.
April
Trump to sign order granting some auto tariff relief, White House says
Officials confirmed a report that companies paying motor vehicle levies would no longer be charged other taxes, such as on aluminum and steel.
The most stunning reveal (among many) at the giant Auto Shanghai show
Financial Review motoring writer Tony Davis finds a myriad of new brands and developments as China aims to fill every niche in the automotive world.
Finding someone to fix your EV is hard, and may be about to get harder
Australia is short at least 7000 electric vehicle technicians and industry leaders warn proposed occupational licensing could exacerbate the repair bottleneck.
Tesla car sales in Australia plummet 53pc in March
A downturn in Tesla vehicle sales in Australia is mirroring the rest of the world, with the BYD brand making strong headway.
This time it’s different. How tariffs are slamming Asia’s carmakers
The greatest threat is not the tariffs themselves – it is the uncertainty they inject into a capital-intensive, globally dependent industry.
My day inside the world’s most hated car
Journalist Saahil Desai drove around Washington, DC, in a Tesla Cybertruck. In the town that Elon Musk is tearing apart, he didn’t go unnoticed.
March
BYD overtakes Tesla to secure pole position in EV race
The Chinese electric carmaker’s latest full-year financial results reveal the extent of this power shift, with it surpassing the $US100 billion revenue mark.