Oct 24, 2026 · Auto & Mobility Daily Digest
Today's auto and mobility briefing for October 24, 2026, with summaries, links, and commentary.
I. Policy and Rules
1. South Korea: paid driverless robotaxi pilot targeted for Gwangju in 2028 (Policy / South Korea)
Summary:
Yonhap reported that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport discussed autonomous-driving rules on October 23 at the Regulatory Rationalization Committee in the presidential office. It plans to license "autonomous driving service operators" responsible for remote monitoring, passenger safety, crash response, and cybersecurity, alongside coexistence measures with the taxi industry and accident-liability guidelines. The ministry aims to finish legal revisions next year and start a driverless robotaxi pilot in the demonstration city of Gwangju in 2028. Yonhap Infomax quoted Park Jun-hyung, director general for mobility and automotive policy, as saying the budget for 3,000 demonstration vehicles is before the National Assembly, with 200 vehicles this year and 2,800 more next year, and that Hyundai will set up a mass-production line for those vehicles at its Ulsan plant. Vehicles without a driver's seat would be allowed to leave pilot zones for depot transfers or charging under a standing rule rather than a case-by-case regulatory sandbox. Operators would have to store data in Korea and obtain a separate permit to transfer it abroad, and automakers' cybersecurity management systems would be tightened. Formal safety standards are to follow UNECE rules; before those standards are in place, a business-to-business performance certification is to start at the end of this year.
Links:
- Yonhap — Robotaxi commercialization in Gwangju in 2028 and a service-operator license
- Yonhap Infomax — Regulatory overhaul aimed at driverless robotaxis in 2028
Commentary:
2028 is the target for the Gwangju pilot after the legal rewrite, and the 3,000 vehicles still depend on the parliamentary budget.
2. United States: scope of the 50% additional duty on Canadian auto-related goods changes on October 30 (Tariffs / United States, Canada)
Summary:
The White House published a presidential proclamation that further changes which Canadian products pay the additional duty imposed to offset what the administration calls Canadian discrimination against U.S. motor-vehicle commerce. Products in Annex I, Part A, will no longer pay the 50% ad valorem duty imposed under Proclamation 11048, while products in Annex I, Part B, will be brought under that duty. The rate stays at 50% and applies on top of Section 232 duties. The changes cover goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on October 30, 2026. GOV.HOUSE reported on October 24 that this is the second scope change in seven weeks, after Proclamation 11065 of September 8, and that the rate remains at the statutory ceiling.
Links:
- White House — Further modifying the scope of Canadian products subject to the additional motor-vehicle duties
- GOV.HOUSE — Product list redrawn for the 50% Canada auto duty
Commentary:
The 50% rate is unchanged; October 30 changes which Canadian products are added to or removed from the list, and this digest does not invent tariff codes beyond the annexes named in the proclamation.
3. World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference: 57,000 km of open test roads and L2 on more than 70% of new passenger cars (Intelligent vehicles / China)
Summary:
A Xinhua wrap published on October 24 said the 2026 World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference, held in Beijing's Yizhuang from October 21 to 23, released a set of industry figures: 57,000 kilometers of roads open for testing and demonstration, cumulative test mileage above 220 million kilometers, L2 combined driver assistance on more than 70% of new passenger cars, and the first batch of conditional L3 models already in on-road pilots in designated areas. Guo Shougang, director-general of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's Equipment Industry Department I, said the second batch of access pilots is underway and that scenario use will be expanded in a steady, orderly way. Seven national standardization committees, covering automobiles, intelligent transport, communications, traffic management, geographic information, smart cities, and road transport, signed a cooperative framework on connected-vehicle standards. Horizon Robotics founder Yu Kai cited a driver-assistance program, developed with Bosch, for Suzuki vehicles aimed at millions of users in India.
Links:
Commentary:
The 57,000 kilometers, 220 million test kilometers, and L2 fitment rate above 70% are cumulative figures released at the conference; L3 remains a designated-area pilot, and the second access batch is still in progress.
II. Autonomous Driving
4. Tesla: public robotaxi safety page shows 3.1 million miles without a safety monitor through October 18 (Robotaxi / United States)
Summary:
Tesla's robotaxi safety page reports 3.1 million autonomous miles with no safety monitor in the vehicle from January 22 through October 18, 2026, including 862,000 miles after dark, 113,000 in rain, and 575,000 in rush hour. Miles by city are listed as 2,118,015 in Austin, 608,130 in Dallas, 225,964 in Houston, 61,053 in Orlando, 53,117 in Tampa, and 46,262 in Miami. The page counts zero people injured by a robotaxi, zero robotaxi airbag deployments, and zero pedestrians or cyclists hit in collisions where the robotaxi made first contact. It says the tally includes only crashes reported to NHTSA under the standing general order while no safety monitor was aboard, and that miles and events with a safety monitor are excluded. Tesla says two events were not counted as injuries: an SUV was struck by another vehicle and then redirected into a robotaxi waiting at a stop sign, an occupant of the other vehicle was taken to hospital, and nobody in the robotaxi or the SUV was hurt; in another case a rider claimed injury after the car drove over a pothole, and the investigation found no injury associated with the event. Using 2024 Texas police data, the page estimates that human drivers would have had about 9.1 injury collisions over the same Texas mileage. Las Vegas, Jacksonville, Phoenix, and San Antonio are listed as coming soon, with no dates. When the page was checked on October 24, its live mileage estimate, based on the fleet's current pace, read 3,552,793 miles.
Links:
- Tesla — Robotaxi Safety Report
- CyberCab.News — Tesla publishes a safety report and names four new cities
Commentary:
The 3.1 million miles and the three zero counts run through October 18, and injuries are counted only when the robotaxi made first contact; 3,552,793 miles was the live estimate read on October 24 and will change as the fleet drives.
5. Madrid: Waymo says road driving starts within days, while Uber and WeRide may test 20 more vehicles (Robotaxi / Spain)
Summary:
Telemadrid reported on October 24 that Alphabet's Waymo will drive electric vehicles in Madrid, Alcobendas, and Getafe within the coming days to adapt to local traffic, with an aim of offering driverless passenger service in 2027. The report said the company announced on October 20 that preparations had begun and that it hopes to carry its first passengers next year, after local validation and permits. Separately, Uber, WeRide, and fleet operator AVOMO have authorization to test another 20 autonomous vehicles. The Spanish traffic authority's permit runs from September 4, 2026, through September 3, 2028. The alliance said it hopes to start commercial operations before the end of 2026 once preparations and operating and regulatory requirements are complete; specialists will be aboard at the start, and riders would request cars through the Uber app. The same report said Bolt has announced it will enter the field next year.
Links:
Commentary:
Waymo's driving in the coming days is for adapting to local roads, and driverless passenger service in 2027 remains a target; the 20 Uber and WeRide vehicles are in a permitted test, with specialists aboard at the start.
III. Electric Vehicles, Batteries, and Supply Chains
6. Seat: Martorell EV line drops Friday and Monday shifts over a cell shortage (Supply chain / Spain)
Summary:
La Vanguardia reported on October 24 that Seat scheduled stoppages on Line 1 at Martorell, where the Cupra Raval and Volkswagen ID.Polo are built, because battery cells were unavailable. The Catalan news agency confirmed that all three assembly shifts stopped on Friday and that all three Monday shifts will also stop. The body shop halted overnight from Thursday into Friday and resumed on Friday morning. The company called it a one-off supply problem and said it hopes to resume normal work on Tuesday, October 27. CCOO spokesperson Rafael Guerrero said there was no clear arrival date for the cells and that the stoppage could last longer. Unions estimated that the scheduled interruptions affect about 1,900 vehicles. La Vanguardia said the line, launched in June, is still ramping and is approaching 1,000 vehicles a day. The news agency cited an earlier company figure of capacity for 1,200 cars a day and a plan to build 60,000 to 70,000 by the end of 2026. PowerCo, Volkswagen Group's battery subsidiary, supplies the cells, which are packed at a workshop on the Martorell site with about 500 workers, capacity for about 1,200 packs a day, and an investment of about 300 million euros. The plant's two combustion lines continue to run. Recent Seat material cited by La Vanguardia says the Raval has taken more than 51,000 orders since April.
Links:
- La Vanguardia — Seat halts EV production at Martorell
- Beteve — Seat stops shifts for lack of battery cells
Commentary:
About 1,900 vehicles is the union estimate of output lost to the scheduled stoppages; nearly 1,000 a day describes the current ramp, while 1,200 a day is the capacity the company has previously stated.
7. Volkswagen: further India EV investment paused pending a business plan with JSW (Investment / India)
Summary:
Bloomberg reported on October 24 that people familiar with the matter said Volkswagen Group has halted further investment in its India electric-vehicle program until a potential partnership with Sajjan Jindal's JSW Group has a clearer business plan. Design work is complete, and once talks close the company could move faster with a low-cost EV architecture first developed for China. Those people said Volkswagen is considering bringing a version of the architecture known as CMP 21 to India, but that more Indian components and local production would be needed to make the cars competitive. Representatives of Volkswagen and JSW did not respond to requests for comment. The companies said last month that they were exploring a venture to develop, build, and sell combustion, battery-electric, plug-in hybrid, and hybrid passenger vehicles in India and for export. Bloomberg also wrote that Volkswagen currently sells no battery-electric passenger cars in India under the Volkswagen or Skoda brands, and that India's vehicle-registration data showed electric passenger-vehicle sales nearly doubled in September to more than 35,000. The report placed the pause in a global cost-cutting drive in which the company is seeking to cut investment by about 15% and has outlined plans to eliminate tens of thousands of jobs.
Links:
- Mint via Bloomberg — Volkswagen freezes India EV investment
- ETAuto — Volkswagen pauses India EV investment during JSW talks
Commentary:
This is a pause in further spending as described by people familiar with the matter, and the company has not announced a cancellation of the India EV plan; the roughly 15% investment cut and the tens of thousands of jobs are the global cost program Bloomberg describes as context.
8. CATL: Firefly's 60 kWh pack confirmed as Qilin, with the original 42 kWh pack from Sunwoda (Battery / China)
Summary:
CnEVPost reported on October 24 that CATL said on Weibo the same day that Nio's Firefly uses its Qilin battery for the newly launched 60 kWh pack, with a CLTC range of 560 km. Firefly announced the larger option on October 23. The original 42 kWh standard-range pack is supplied by Sunwoda, uses LFP cells, and is rated at 420 km CLTC. The new 60 kWh pack uses NCM cells, adds 140 km of range, and the manufacturer says battery dimensions and curb weight are unchanged. Qilin is a CATL product line introduced in 2022, with a third generation unveiled in April this year. The Weibo post did not say which generation Firefly uses or give a charging rate. For new buyers the purchase price starts at 136,800 yuan with the battery, or 79,800 yuan under the rental plan with a monthly fee of 599 yuan. Owners who bought the car outright can pay 17,000 yuan for a permanent upgrade at least one year after the invoice date.
Links:
Commentary:
Both 560 km and 420 km are CLTC range ratings; the new point on October 24 is the supplier split between CATL's Qilin and Sunwoda, and the Qilin generation was not specified.
IV. Markets and New Models
9. Chinese NEV exports to Brazil: 337,104 vehicles in the first eight months, up 159.4% (Market / Brazil, China)
Summary:
A Xinhua report carried on People's Daily Online on October 24, datelined October 23, quoted Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association, on Chinese automakers adding production in Brazil and gradually changing how they export. CPCA data showed China exported 337,104 new-energy vehicles to Brazil in the first eight months of 2026, up 159.4% year on year, making Brazil the largest destination for Chinese NEV exports. The Brazilian Electric Vehicle Association said battery-electric registrations rose 172.3% year on year to 22,246 units in September. The report said BYD aims to produce or source more than half of its components locally in Brazil by January 2027, and that the Camacari plant had more than 8,000 direct employees by September. Great Wall Motor said its Iracemapolis plant built more than 15,000 vehicles in the first eight months of 2026 and employed more than 1,800 people. BYD launched the Song Pro plug-in hybrid, able to run on gasoline or ethanol, in Brazil in August. GWM introduced locally built hybrids with the same fuel flexibility in June and said they had completed more than 400,000 km of testing in local conditions. BYD also said in March that it would invest 300 million reais, about 59.4 million U.S. dollars, in a research and testing center in Rio de Janeiro.
Links:
Commentary:
The 337,104 figure is China's NEV exports to Brazil from January through August; 22,246 is September battery-electric registrations in Brazil, a separate count.
10. Used Chinese EVs sold to EU buyers: exporter says 7,900 in nine months, up 280% (Trade / Europe, China)
Summary:
Electrek reported on October 24 that China EV Marketplace (CEVM) told CarNewsChina it sold 7,900 pre-owned vehicles to EU customers from January through September 2026, up 280% year on year, while its new-vehicle sales fell 44%. Chief operating officer Jakub Gersl said tariffs on new battery-electric cars had already weakened demand from European customers and that he expects a plug-in hybrid import quota to pressure new plug-in hybrid sales, so the company is focusing its European business on used cars, which he said are outside the additional battery-electric duties and the plug-in hybrid quota. Electrek wrote that tariffs on new Chinese battery-electric vehicles are as high as 45.3%. CEVM said it lists more than 2,600 used electric cars and that prices average about 40% below the original list price. Gersl also said the Shanghai team regularly finds cars with about 6,000 km on the odometer priced about 40% below the original Chinese list price. The sales figures are CEVM's own business, not total EU registrations.
Links:
- Electrek — Chinese EVs enter Western markets through the used-car channel
- CarNewsChina — European buyers turn to used Chinese EVs priced about 40% below list
Commentary:
The 7,900 units, the 280% increase, and the discount of about 40% are this one exporter's figures; 45.3% is Electrek's statement of the ceiling on tariffs for new cars.
11. Roewe Jiayue 07: limited-time price from 119,800 yuan, with 220 km or 320 km electric range (New model / China)
Summary:
IT Home reported on October 23 that SAIC Roewe's Jiayue 07 went on sale with a limited-time price from 119,800 yuan. The four versions, with list price and limited-time price, are the 220 Zhi Xiang at 127,800 yuan and 119,800 yuan, the 220 lidar version at 137,800 yuan and 129,800 yuan, the 320 lidar version at 145,800 yuan and 137,800 yuan, and the 320 lidar flagship at 152,800 yuan and 144,800 yuan. Every version includes the Doubao cabin assistant, and the lidar and lidar-flagship versions also include the Momenta R7 advanced-function package. The vehicle measures 4,900 by 1,910 by 1,745 millimeters with a 2,908-millimeter wheelbase. The range-extender system offers 32.6 kWh and 44.2 kWh batteries, with manufacturer electric ranges of 220 km and 320 km and a maximum combined range of 1,480 km.
Links:
- IT Home — Roewe Jiayue 07 limited-time price starts at 119,800 yuan
- NetEase Auto — Jiayue 07 goes on sale
Commentary:
119,800 yuan is the limited-time price of the 220 Zhi Xiang version, whose list price is 127,800 yuan; 220 km and 320 km are the manufacturer's stated electric ranges.
Today's Summary
- Rules: South Korea placed a paid driverless robotaxi pilot in Gwangju in 2028 and plans to license autonomous-driving service operators; from October 30 the United States changes which Canadian auto-related products pay a 50% additional duty, while the rate stays the same.
- Autonomy disclosures: Tesla's safety page reports 3.1 million miles without a safety monitor through October 18 and three zero counts under a first-contact definition; Waymo says road driving will start in the Madrid area, and Uber and WeRide may test 20 more vehicles.
- Supply chain: Seat dropped Friday and Monday shifts on the Martorell EV line because PowerCo cells were short; people familiar with the matter said Volkswagen paused further India EV investment while it waits for a business plan with JSW.
- Market and product: China exported 337,104 NEVs to Brazil in the first eight months; CEVM said its used-car sales to EU customers were 7,900; the Roewe Jiayue 07 has a limited-time price from 119,800 yuan.
Daily Framing:
Today in the auto and mobility cycle was a day of pilot rules and cell constraints: South Korea set a driverless robotaxi pilot for Gwangju in 2028, the United States redrew the Canadian auto-tariff list, and Tesla opened a safety page that publishes unsupervised miles under a stated counting rule, while Seat's EV line was held up by cell supply, Volkswagen held further India spending until a plan with JSW is clearer, and Chinese automakers kept deepening their Brazilian position through exports and local production.
This digest is compiled from real-time search results and is for reference only.