Geely Pitches 'Reverse Joint Ventures' to Speed Up Western Automakers

Chinese automaker Geely is offering a new kind of partnership to legacy carmakers struggling to match China's rapid development pace. The company is pitching what it calls 'reverse joint ventures,' where Geely would share its technology and staff to help other firms build vehicles faster in export markets.

The proposal, reported by Automotive News, would have seemed unthinkable to auto executives just a couple of decades ago.

In other industry news, General Motors has made progress on a transmission issue affecting several SUVs, including the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave. The problem involves a faulty output speed sensor in the eight-speed 8T65 gearbox that can cause the vehicle to get stuck in first gear.

A new service bulletin now guides technicians on diagnosing the issue and replacing the sensor, which sits deep inside the transmission.

Meanwhile, rumors are circulating again that BMW will discontinue the XM and 8 Series models as part of a cost-cutting effort. The company has not confirmed these reports, but speculation has persisted for some time.

In regulatory news, Canada is continuing with its emissions rules that align with the U.S. standards set before the prior administration's policies were dismantled. This comes as the U.S. government rolls back those earlier regulations.

LG, which built North American factories to produce EV batteries, now finds those plants mostly making batteries for energy storage systems. The shift is driven by rising demand from AI data centers, according to Reuters.

Finally, BYD is entering Japan's unique kei car market with a new micro EV called the Racco. This is a bold move in a market that has shown a strong preference for hybrids over fully electric vehicles, as noted by Bloomberg.