[SMM Tin Morning Briefing: The Most-Traded SHFE Tin Contract Opened Sharply Higher in the Night Session and Then Rebounded in Volatile Trading, While the Spot Market Will Gradually Cool Down]

According to information from Italian trade unions, the battery joint venture ACC has halted plans to build gigafactories in Germany and Italy. Established in June 2020, ACC was jointly formed by three industry giants: the Stellantis Group, Mercedes-Benz, and TotalEnergies, with Stellantis being the largest shareholder. The enterprise originally planned to establish three gigafactories in Europe, located in France, Germany, and Italy, with a total investment of approximately €7 billion. The goal was to increase ACC's battery capacity to at least 120 GWh by 2030. However, the projects in Germany and Italy have been on hold since May 2024. Following this announcement of termination, only the battery factory in France will remain operational.

Recently, Beijing Benz Automotive Co., Ltd. filed a recall plan with the State Administration for Market Regulation in accordance with the requirements of the "Regulations on the Recall of Defective Automobile Products" and the "Implementation Measures for the Regulations on the Recall of Defective Automobile Products." Starting from June 25, 2026, the company will recall certain domestically produced EQA and EQB vehicles manufactured between April 1, 2021, and March 12, 2024, totaling 19,481 units.

[SMM Express] According to reports, following BMW's first adoption of the TURBU-DURCK die-casting process for mass-producing aluminum alloy wheels on the M5 model in 2025, Mercedes-Benz also introduced the TURBUDRUCK die-casting technology for mass-producing aluminum alloy wheels on its new S-Class model launched on January 29, 2026. Relying on an AI-supported software solution for autonomous regulation and using 100% recycled materials, the technology can produce popular and high-end wheel hubs under 24 inches. Through an economical dual-plate mold solution and die-casting machines with a clamping force ranging from 1,300 to 1,800 metric tons, the production of aluminum and magnesium alloy wheel hubs can be achieved.

European Automotive Battery Company (ACC) has officially announced the suspension of its plans to build battery gigafactories in Italy and Germany. ACC, jointly funded by Stellantis, Mercedes-Benz, and TotalEnergies, was originally expected to enhance the autonomy of the European EV supply chain. However, due to lower-than-expected demand in the EV market, Stellantis recently announced a €22 billion loss and correspondingly scaled back its electrification investments. CEO Antonio Filosa stated that the actual required battery capacity will be significantly lower than initially planned.

According to data released by the Japan Automobile Importers Association (JAIA) on February 5, Japan's imported auto sales (excluding Japanese producers) fell 12% YoY to 13,019 units in January. Battery EV sales increased 68% to 2,041 units, marking a return to growth after one month of decline. Mercedes-Benz sales dropped 13% to 3,031 units, ranking first; Volkswagen sales were 1,528 units, down 41%; BMW sales were 1,383 units, down 17%; BYD sales surged 3.4-fold to 180 units.