Sollers Group CEO Nikolay Sobolev anticipates a recovery in the Russian automobile market during the second half of this year. He projects the market to reach approximately last year's level in 2026, with a key factor for this revival being a reduction in the key interest rate.
Chinese carmakers are increasingly designing their own smart-driving chips, turning custom silicon into a key weapon in the EV tech war. Li Auto's new Mach M100 AI chip, tailored for autonomous driving, highlights this trend.
BYD saw a 232% surge in vehicle registrations in Germany in May, with one in seven plug-in hybrids sold coming from the Chinese automaker. The company aims to become the world's largest carmaker by volume within five years.
India's electric vehicle market is gaining momentum, driven by high fuel prices and upcoming regulations like CAFE-3. Despite a 25% market expansion and EVs crossing the 5% threshold, challenges in charging infrastructure and supply chain dependencies, particularly on China, persist.
Avtovaz CEO Maxim Sokolov forecasts the Russian automobile market to remain at 2025 levels, around 1.4 million units, by the end of 2026. Despite a conservative outlook, the company is operating successfully and has achieved a small profit by the end of May.
Sales of new premium cars in Russia increased by 13% year-on-year in April 2026, reaching 11,600 units. Voyah led sales, followed by BMW and Exeed, with premium cars making up 10% of the total Russian auto market.
U.S. lawmakers from both parties warn the White House against using the U.S. auto market as a bargaining chip in trade talks with China, citing risks to domestic manufacturing jobs and national security concerns over Chinese automakers and suppliers.
The question is when, not if, U.S. and European auto markets will open up to Chinese EV investment.
India's auto retail market showed broad-based strength in April with two-wheeler sales rising 14% year-on-year, outpacing passenger vehicles at 11%. Commercial vehicles grew 17% while three-wheelers surged 34%, indicating strong recovery in last-mile mobility. Electric two-wheelers captured 7.3% market share and electric cars 5.7%, though internal combustion engines still dominate overall volumes.
Hybrid cars are expected to reach 10% of total car sales in India by FY 2027, outselling EVs at 5%, as cost-conscious consumers shift from diesel to hybrids. Sales of hybrids surged nearly fourfold to 362,866 units in FY 2026, while EVs totaled 131,865 units. Japanese automakers Toyota and Maruti Suzuki dominate the hybrid market, with Tesla and BYD selling fewer than 7,400 combined since 2025 amid high import duties.
