As US automotive OEMs localize supply chains and accelerate EV rollout, margin pressure is intensifying across steel, aluminium and battery inputs.

From ultra-fast charging and vertical integration to global expansion and shifting consumer expectations, Stella explains how BYD is redefining what it means to be a carmaker, positioning the vehicle as a technology hub rather than simply a mode of transport.

North American automotive OEMs are navigating one of the toughest cost pressures today: raw material volatility. As supply chains become more localized through USMCA, the IRA, and reshoring, manufacturers continue to face rising material price risks.

European automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers are facing a period of unprecedented market uncertainty.

The European Commission published the first-quarter 2026 Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) certificate price on Tuesday April 7, applicable to all CBAM-eligible goods imported into the EU in January-March 2026.

The auto industry is well-positioned to accelerate the use of lower emissions steel and automakers are increasingly using the material to boost competitiveness in the EV market.

Gains in byproduct values are expected to play an increasingly important role in Chinese zinc and lead smelters’ margins in 2026, especially because concentrates availability is likely to tighten, adding further pressure to treatment charges (TCs), the primary income source for metal refiners, industry sources told Fastmarkets in the fortnight ended Friday January 16.

The EU ETS reform, including the phase-out of free allocations, is set to significantly increase emissions costs for EU industrial producers, with effective EUA prices rising sharply by 2035, driving substantial cost pressures and price increases across key sectors like steel, aluminium, and downstream industries such as automotive and construction.

Explore the latest trends in US auto production, including shifts towards hybrids and the impact on steel demand.

CBAM could impose over €12 billion in costs on importers in 2026 based on provisional benchmark values, reshaping trade flows. Sectors like iron, steel, cement, fertilisers, and aluminium face escalating carbon charges, with significant downstream impacts on industries such as agriculture, automotive, and construction.