European Parliament Formally Adopts the European Union (EU)'s New Vehicle Circularity Regulation

Recently, the European Parliament has officially approved new EU circular economy rules that cover the entire lifecycle of vehicles, from design to end-of-life treatment. According to the new regulations, all new cars must be designed for the easy disassembly of as many components as possible. The plastics used in each new type of vehicle must contain at least 15% recycled plastic within six years and reach 25% within ten years. Of this recycled plastic, at least 20% must come from end-of-life vehicles or old parts (known as "closed-loop").

INEOS Styrolution announced plans to shut down its polystyrene (PS) plant in Channahon, Illinois, USA, by the fourth quarter of 2026. The plant has a capacity of 400,000 tons per year and has been in operation since 1960.

On June 21, iron phosphate and lithium iron phosphate, key raw materials for new energy and energy storage batteries, have seen prices rise continuously since the beginning of this year, with market demand remaining exceptionally strong. Reporters learned that a bag of lithium iron phosphate weighing about 400 kilograms now costs more than 25,000 yuan, compared with only 10,000 yuan a year ago. Despite the price having more than doubled, demand remains robust. According to a company executive, strong exports of new energy vehicles and energy storage products have continued to drive up demand for lithium iron phosphate, becoming an important factor behind this round of price increases. In addition to demand from downstream markets, rising prices of upstream raw materials are another key factor pushing up the price of lithium iron phosphate in this round.

Recently, it was reported that Hyundai Motor Group will acquire a 9.65% stake in Boston Dynamics held by SoftBank, turning the latter into a wholly-owned subsidiary. The acquisition price is set at 500 billion won (approximately 325 million USD).

德国汽车制造商大众汽车集团近日表示，受地缘政治紧张、行业竞争加剧等因素影响，公司正加速推进业务重组。据悉，今年年底前，大众将在德国本土削减1.9万个岗位，到2030年削减约5万个岗位。大众汽车集团首席执行官布卢默在公司年度股东大会上表示，公司业务重组改革方案落地至今已超过一年半，核心举措包括削减管理运营成本、优化生产工厂布局、精简组织架构、加快技术研发进度等，旨在提升长期竞争力。