South Korea’s Ssangyong Motor Co defaulted on a $55m loan on Tuesday. Mahindra & Mahindra bought the nearly-insolvent SUV manufacturer in 2010 and has been looking to sell it.

New car sales in Europe dropped by 14% in November on the heels of stricter coronavirus restrictions.

The EU Court of Justice ruled this week that Volkswagen’s use of emissions defeating software violated EU rules. The ruling may have broad ramifications for other automakers as many of them may use similar engine functions known as thermal windows.

Honda recalled 1.79m vehicles worldwide in four different campaigns. The issues are faulty power window switches, software updates, and possible defective front driveshafts.

Hyundai is taking an 80% stake in robotics maker Boston Dynamics to expand factory automation and design autonomous cars.

GM will invest in its Tonawanda, New York engine plant, and Parma, Ohio metal stamping plant to expand truck production.

Britishvolt will now build its electric car battery factory in Blyth, Northumberland, instead of Wales. The facility will be the UK’s first gigaplant.

South Korea’s JinTech will open an interior components facility in West Point, Georgia. The company will support Kia, Hyundai, and GM.

Chinese EV battery maker CATL is planning to build a $5b battery pack plant in Indonesia. The plant will start production in 2024.

Arrival Ltd, an electric bus and van startup, will begin producing vehicles next year. The company has built two “micro-factories” that favor aluminum chassis, composite bodies, and structural adhesive over stamping, welding, and painting.

Toyo has broken ground on a new tire production plant in Indjija City, Serbia. Production will begin in 2022.

Porsche has joined Siemens Energy in a project that aims to create climate-neutral synthetic electro-fuels at a wind power plant in southern Chile. The resulting fuel would be 90% less carbon-intensive and is compatible with existing infrastructure and cars.

Alliance for Automotive Innovation has outlined proposals for policies that provide incentives for R&D, tax credits, and ease export controls to drive the transition to EV and autonomous vehicles.

Deloitte has shared findings from its 2020 Chief Procurement Officer Flash Survey.

IHS investigates automotive cash flow losses as they relate to country risk: Pandemic premiums: Estimating country risk

Webasto’s reported Europe to Michigan tooling delays have delayed production of the Ford Bronco.

India’s ACMA is monitoring the shortage of semiconductors for automotive production. Last week Bosch noted the issue in a regulatory filing.

The Chinese auto industry was the first to be affected by the chip shortage. Semiconductor manufacturers planned for a more moderate recovery and are unable to keep pace with demand.