Canada’s EV ambitions face delays and new opportunities amid trade tensions

As UK car manufacturing declines and global trade tensions threaten exports, industry charity Ben enhances support for displaced workers with proactive upskilling and mental health initiatives in a bid to stabilise the sector's future.The UK automotive industry is currently going through quite a tough patch, with production numbers declining, a significant number of jobs being lost, and a real urgency to tackle skills shortages. Industry charity Ben has stepped up its support for automotive workers affected by redundancies. They're not just offering immediate help for those losing their jobs but also focusing on proactive solutions like upskilling and career coaching. For instance, with UK car manufacturing dipping nearly 12% in the first half of 2025, and thousands of jobs being cut across the supply chain, Ben’s expanded ‘Work, health & wellbeing’ services aim to serve as a safety net. These include free online tools, personalized coaching for CV writing, job hunting strategies, managing stress, and financial advice. Plus, there's added digital mental health support programs to back workers up. Rachel Clift, Ben’s CEO, points out that the industry faces a two-fold challenge: “The automotive sector is dealing with redundancies while also having a long-term technician shortage,” she explains. This concern isn’t unfounded — predictions suggest that by 2035, the industry may need to fill over 111,400 new and replacement roles, including 45,800 technician positions. Ben also works closely with key industry players like Rygor, the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). These groups provide tailored career resources to help workers manage these turbulent times. Right now, things are made worse by a handful of economic and geopolitical issues. Recently, Lotus announced plans to cut 550 jobs in the UK — around 40% of their 1,300-strong workforce. The company cited falling sales and financial instability caused by global uncertainties such as trade tensions and tariff implications. Although Lotus said it plans to keep manufacturing at its Norfolk plant, the company’s shift towards third-party production and consolidating globally reflects broader instability across the industry. Interestingly enough, this restructuring follows a government-backed intervention that previously prevented the plant’s closure, which really highlights just how fragile UK automotive manufacturing has become given the changing trade policies. Tariffs from the US are still a huge threat, especially to the UK’s luxury brands like Aston Martin, Bentley, Jaguar Land Rover, and McLaren. These companies face a 25% import tariff on foreign-made vehicles, and Mike Hawes, SMMT's CEO, has warned that these tariffs are quickly eating into export volumes. Unless the government steps in or manages to negotiate better trade deals, thousands of jobs — estimates suggest over 25,000 — could be at risk. These tariffs push up costs and also scare away wealthy American buyers, which directly hits order books and company forecasts. Industry experts warn that unless something changes, many jobs in the UK automotive sector could be lost. On top of that, suppliers in Germany connected with car manufacturing are also feeling the pinch. Thyssenkrupp, for example, announced plans to cut around 1,800 jobs, blaming weak market conditions and tariff concerns. Meanwhile, recruitment firm Hays has issued a serious profit warning, mainly because of reduced hiring in Germany’s automotive sector. That market’s been especially hit by US tariffs and economic headwinds. These issues highlight how intertwined the European automotive supply chain is — problems in one area quickly ripple out and affect employment and investment confidence throughout. Despite a slowdown in job openings across the UK motor trade — vacancies dropped to a vacancy rate of 2.7% in May 2025, a 21% decrease from the previous year — there’s still a strong demand for skilled technicians. Many automotive firms report difficulties in filling these technical roles, and wages are climbing for those positions. The average salary for vehicle technicians is now well above the government median, which shows how competitive the market for skilled, hands-on workers has become. This ongoing skills gap underscores the importance of initiatives like the ones Ben supports—focused on reskilling and career development—to help secure a sustainable workforce long term. As the industry grapples with all these challenges, there's a growing consensus that a unified support system is crucial. Combining immediate aid for workers who’ve lost their jobs with longer-term investments in talent development seems to be the best way forward. While companies and policymakers are trying to navigate economic and trade uncertainties, charities and industry organisations are playing an increasingly vital role — helping automotive professionals shift careers, and ensuring the workforce’s capabilities adapt to evolving industry needs. Source: Noah Wire Services

India’s automotive sector is ramping up initiatives to strengthen supply chains by developing domestic sources, forging international partnerships, and investing in alternative technologies amid global disruptions and China's dominance in rare earth exports.India’s automotive industry is actively seeking closer cooperation with the government to secure critical raw materials amid ongoing disruptions in global supply chains. During the annual convention of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), industry leaders emphasized the strategic importance of materials such as rare earth magnets, semiconductors, and battery components, advocating for these to be prioritized as national concerns. ACMA President Shradha Suri Marwah pointed out that ensuring a steady supply of these vital inputs is crucial for maintaining India’s competitiveness and growth in automotive manufacturing. She warned that geopolitical tensions, changing trade agreements, export restrictions, and rising tariffs are reshaping supply channels, posing significant challenges to Indian auto component producers. Marwah called for stronger collaboration between the government and the industry to safeguard access to essential materials and technological advancements, asserting that India could rise as a globally competitive manufacturing hub if supply chains are effectively secured. Supporting this, Shailesh Chandra, President of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), emphasized that supply chains should evolve beyond cost-efficiency to become resilient, diversified, and agile. He advocated for government-to-government dialogues and partnerships with resource-rich nations to create reliable sourcing networks and reduce vulnerability to external shocks. Industry leaders collectively highlighted that, with rapid technological advancements and shifting global alliances, India must act promptly to develop resilient supply chains and secure critical raw materials. Such measures are vital for protecting the country’s automotive sector and enhancing its position on the global stage. In response to China’s dominance in exporting rare earth elements—which significantly influences the global supply—India is accelerating efforts to develop alternative solutions. Notably, companies like Sterling Gtake E-Mobility and Advanced Electric Machines are testing magnet-free, high-density reluctance motors, with seven Indian automakers evaluating these designs for potential commercial use within a year. This initiative aims to reduce dependence on Chinese supplies and bolster India’s electric vehicle manufacturing capacity. Furthermore, India is actively exploring new sources of critical minerals. The Ministry of Mines has tasked state-owned IREL and private firm Midwest Advanced Materials with collecting and testing mineral samples from mines controlled by Myanmar’s Kachin Independence Army (KIA). This move underscores India’s efforts to diversify its supply sources amidst Chinese export restrictions, which have curtailed access to certain rare earth minerals. On the diplomatic and international collaboration front, India and the United States recently signed an MoU to strengthen cooperation on supply chains for critical minerals such as lithium and cobalt, which are essential for electric vehicles and clean energy. Both nations aim to enhance exploration, extraction, processing, recycling, and recovery of these resources and promote resilient, open supply chains involving third countries, particularly in Africa and South America. Additionally, Coal India is exploring critical mineral deposits, including lithium, in Argentina and discussing potential lithium extraction in Chile with officials. This aligns with India’s broader strategy to secure essential minerals, including lithium, nickel, and titanium, needed for green energy initiatives. These efforts are part of India’s participation in the U.S.-led Minerals Security Partnership, which seeks to ensure stable supplies of vital resources. At the corporate level, Indian automakers such as Mahindra & Mahindra and auto parts manufacturers like Uno Minda are exploring domestic production of rare earth magnets to reduce reliance on China, which supplies a significant portion of the global demand. The disruptions caused by Chinese export restrictions have prompted the Indian government to consider stockpiling and offering incentives for local manufacturing capacity. Mahindra, which has launched two electric SUVs, and Uno Minda are both exploring partnerships or long-term contracts to establish magnet production within India. Overall, the auto industry’s collective push for strategic government engagement and diversified sourcing reflects the urgent need to future-proof India’s supply chains. As the global landscape shifts with evolving trade relations and technological progress, timely action is essential for India to carve out a resilient, competitive role in the international automotive arena amid geopolitical and market uncertainties. Source: Noah Wire Services

Jaguar Land Rover faces a major cyberattack that has disrupted its global manufacturing, highlighting growing risks and the urgent need for enhanced cybersecurity in the automotive sector.Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is currently dealing with a pretty serious cyberattack that's really thrown a wrench into its global production and retail functions. This whole incident—well, at least to me—seems like one of the most disruptive events in the company's recent past. The breach was spotted towards the end of August 2025, and almost immediately, JLR shut down its IT systems across the board. The company’s move to contain the damage—shutting everything down—did what it was supposed to do, but it also ended up causing a lot of operational standstill. Major manufacturing sites in the UK—like Solihull, Halewood, and Wolverhampton—and facilities in Slovakia, China, India, and Brazil have all been halted. Because of this, roughly 33,000 UK workers have been told to stay home through at least the first half of September. The disruption's impact has gone beyond just vehicle production, spilling over to suppliers too, many of whom have had to send their workers home because they can't get the necessary components. At first, JLR was trying to reassure everyone that none of their sensitive customer data had been compromised. But, interestingly enough, they later changed their tune and admitted that “some data” was affected. As far as specifics go—well, they haven’t really said much yet about what exactly was compromised. They did, however, mention that they’re working closely with regulators and will notify any parties that might be impacted. Cybersecurity experts industry-wide are warning that this kind of exposed data could make companies more vulnerable to phishing scams and identity theft—so, yeah, it highlights that even big, well-established automakers aren’t immune to these vulnerabilities. The group claiming responsibility for the attack is a teen hacker collective with a pretty fearsome name—"Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters." It’s actually a mash-up of three hacking groups: Scattered Spider, Lapsus$, and ShinyHunters. Despite law enforcement cracking down on them around the world, these groups still seem to be exploiting social engineering tricks and known security gaps to go after big corporations globally. What's also pretty worrying is that JLR isn’t alone in this—2025 has seen a surge of ransomware and cyberattacks targeting prominent British companies, including retailers like Marks & Spencer, Co-op, and Harrods. All in all, this event stacks onto a pretty tough year for JLR. The company’s been struggling with an 11% dip in quarterly sales, delays in production, and even had to pause shipments to the US because of tariffs. Profit margins have shrunk too. And at the same time, JLR is going through a major strategic shift—phasing out new petrol and diesel Jaguar models in favor of a fully electric lineup, led by the new CEO, PB Balaji. In the short run, JLR says it plans to bring their systems back online in a “controlled and safe manner,” with help from third-party cybersecurity experts and law enforcement agencies. Dealerships have apparently kept selling cars, but with a catch—they’re having trouble registering new vehicles, which is hitting the retail pipeline pretty hard. Some media outlets suggest this chaos could last for several weeks, but JLR hasn't really confirmed or denied any specific timelines. The impact on the aftermarket supply chain isn’t trivial either. Extended production stops could create serious bottlenecks in parts supply, affecting distributors, workshops, and fleet operators who depend on steady vehicle output and parts availability from JLR. This whole incident underscores the growing importance of beefing up cybersecurity defenses across manufacturing and retail networks, especially as digital integration becomes more central to operations. It also raises urgent concerns about data security, operational risk, and crisis readiness for OEMs and their suppliers alike. As JLR works to get back on track, watching how they respond and recover will be crucial for industry players. This experience really drives home how vulnerable even major automotive brands are in today’s cyber threat landscape—highlighting the need for coordinated security measures and adaptable supply strategies to lessen the impact of such disruptions. Honestly, it’s pretty clear that cybersecurity can’t be an afterthought anymore. Source: Noah Wire Services