Union Minister Nitin Gadkari cleared the air over how higher ethanol blended (E20) fuel affects older non-compliant vehicles. Referring to some recent studies, Gadkari said there would be no requirement for a "phase-out or retrofit" of vehicles that may not fully comply with E20 standards. Normal wear and tear of these vehicles will be manageable during routine servicing, he added.

Used-car marketplace Spinny is raising around $160 million as it moves to acquire auto-services startup GoMechanic, according to a TechCrunch report that cited people familiar with the matter. GoMechanic, acquired in 2023 by a Lifelong Group-led consortium, operates a network of car service workshops across cities. The integration is seen as a strategic move to bring servicing in-house.

India's auto industry recorded its highest ever November sales in 2025, driven by strong festive demand and policy support. Passenger vehicles rose 18.7%, two wheelers 21.2%, and three wheelers 21.3%, according to SIAM. Overall production also stayed high, and the industry expects continued growth into 2026 supported by reforms and positive market sentiment.

A 24-year-old college student, Shivam Maurya from Surat has built India’s first AI powered driverless bike. The latest prototype can balance itself, detect obstacles and navigate roads without a rider. He developed the model inside his college lab and combined autonomous bike engineering with artificial intelligence to create what is reported to be the country’s first driverless bike project.

The Bike Taxi Association (BTA) has slammed Maharashtra's new rule allowing only electric two-wheelers as bike taxis, calling it sudden and financially damaging. "The sudden directive has left riders and commuters in state of crisis," Amit Gawde, BTA's President said. He added, "We are demanding a minimum one-year transition period to migrate from ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles to EVs."

Tesla CEO Elon Musk claimed the latest Full Self-Driving (FSD) update allows users to text while driving "depending on the context of surrounding traffic". The remark on X has sparked concern, as texting while driving is illegal in most US states. Nearly half of them also ban any handheld phone use, according to the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Ultraviolette has raised $45 million from Zoho and Lingotto in its Series E round, following $21 million from TDK Ventures. The funds will scale F77 and X47 production, support expansion to 100 cities by 2026, and grow its presence in 12 European markets, as the EV maker readies new platforms Shockwave and Tesseract.

Donald Trump’s new proposal slashes fuel economy targets from 50 to 34.5 mpg by 2031, signaling a shift from electric vehicles to gasoline models. He argues the rollback will cut car prices and aid consumers, while critics say it undermines climate goals and weakens US leadership in clean-energy technology.

Shares of Ola Electric tanked 5% on Thursday to hit an all-time low of ₹36.12, extending the fall for the fifth straight session. The share price has more than halved from the IPO price of ₹76 per share. The decline reportedly comes amid a dip in sales in November, triggered by operational challenges and service-related complaints.

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said the government-backed studies have shown no major performance issues or component damage in vehicles using 20% ethanol-blended petrol (E20). He also added that no compensation fund for E20-related damage is under consideration. His remarks come amid allegations of E20 petrol damaging automobile engines.