Autonomous Vehicle Rules: The UN’s UNECE adopted the world’s first global regulation for fully driverless vehicles, setting requirements for safety governance, testing, in-service monitoring, and data storage—aimed at replacing fragmented national rules. EU Policy & Industry: The European Parliament plenary opened with debates including competitiveness measures for the automotive sector, plus AI/cybersecurity and EU budget/enlargement items. EV Charging Politics: UK Labour is facing backlash after public EV charging VAT is set at 20% versus 5% for home charging, with industry warning it “punishes” drivers without off-street parking. Ethanol Push in India: Mahindra reiterated its E20-ready testing and said older vs newer models differ in calibration, as the country defends the ethanol mandate amid mileage and wear concerns. China’s Europe Momentum: Chinese automakers surpassed Japanese rivals in EU/UK registrations in May for the first time, driven by BEV and PHEV growth. Safety & Quality Tech: Hexagon released VGSTUDIO MAX 2026.2 to cut CT inspection setup time and streamline high-volume metrology workflows. Crime Watch: New Jersey charged 63 people in an alleged $8M auto theft and trafficking ring shipping stolen luxury cars to West Africa. Mobility Disruption: Waymo vehicles were towed after batteries died during heavy San Francisco traffic tied to July 4 fireworks.