Iran Conflict Causes Aluminum Shortage, Japanese Automakers Under Pressure from Production Cuts

[Study Finds EVs Outperform Comparable Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles in Crash Safety] Despite ongoing consumer concerns about EV battery safety, particularly the risk of fire after collisions, real-world test data from independent organizations such as Euro NCAP, ASEAN NCAP, and NHTSA showed that EVs are progressively establishing new safety standards, with their crash test performance generally surpassing that of comparable internal combustion engine vehicles. This advantage of EVs is not coincidental but stems from design philosophies and technical architectures that are fundamentally different from those of traditional internal combustion engine vehicles.

[Nissan to Cut Rare Earth Usage in Leaf EV Motor by 90%] According to Nikkei, Nissan Motor collaborated with parts producers to develop an entirely new motor technology that significantly reduces dependence on rare earth ore. Leveraging this technology, the rare earth material consumption of the new Leaf EV motor was reduced by over 90% compared to the first-generation car model launched in 2010, with a key focus on substantially cutting heavy rare earth usage. EV motors typically incorporate rare earth materials such as dysprosium and terbium to enhance high-temperature resistance.

[Polestar's Net Loss Widened to $2.36 Billion in 2025] Data recently released by Swedish EV brand Polestar showed that its net loss widened to $2.36 billion in 2025, compared with $2.05 billion in the same period last year. This marked the worst fiscal year for losses since Polestar was spun off from Volvo Cars and listed on Nasdaq in 2022. Despite the deepening losses, Polestar's revenue surged 50% YoY last year, reaching $3.06 billion, with full-year new vehicle sales exceeding 60,000 units.