+++ ASTON MARTIN will not launch its first electric car until at least 2033, according to boss Adrian Hallmark, and has a ‘roadmap’ to ensure it can offer cars with V8 and V12 engines until least 2035. Hallmark joined Aston Martin from Bentley in September 2024 and had previously suggested the firm would launch its first EV by 2030, which was already a pushback from the 2027 date set by previous management. However, speaking to select media iat the launch of Aston’s new London showroom in Mayfair (where the firm displayed the new DBX GT), he said that customer demand for EVs and legislation are “changing way faster than any car company can cope with”. As a result, Aston Martin is facing a “spaghetti junction” of options and is now continually “stress-testing” scenarios for specific markets and regions. Because of that, the firm no longer has a set date for launching its first EV. “We only need BEVs to be compliant for legislative reasons in certain markets just before 2035″, said Hallmark. “I’m not going to give an absolute date, because it’s imprecise. It could be 2035, it might be 2033, but it’s in that 3-year-window. It’s not 2031”. Hallmark insisted that Aston Martin “are not BEV deniers but BEV delayers” and so in the period until 2035 (when current EU legislation dictates that all new vehicles sold must be zero-emissions) “we will be predominantly ICE-based”. Aston Martin has secured a deal with Lucid for access to its EV technology and has a partnership with current engine supplier Mercedes-Benz. But because of that timeline, Hallmark said, the firm could delay major investment in EVs for the next 3 years. “We have the deal with Lucid and the interesting thing is, because we delayed, by the time we activate that deal, the technology that we will get is totally different to what we signed up the original contract for”, said Hallmark. “We’re also working with Mercedes on powertrains and electronic systems and that partnership will be deepened. Looking at BEVs in the future, even if we launch our first in 2033, we’ve got 3 years where we can keep looking, keep thinking and keep evaluating different technologies and how they’re changing, and the markets and the legislation. And it’s only then that we would need to kick off investment. So today we’ve got very low-level investment, but it’s research and study, not even single-digit millions of investment”. Hallmark acknowledged that it has taken longer to turn around Aston than the 18 months he originally predicted, saying that once he began at the firm, “I found operational things that were worse than I thought”, particularly in terms of costs. However, he said the key work to address that is done and “Aston now feels like a normal company”. He acknowledged there’s still a production and utilisation imbalance between the firm’s factories in Gaydon (which makes sports cars) and St Athan (DBX) but said that will be addressed when a new generation of models is introduced in the coming years. In the build-up to 2035, Hallmark said, Aston Martin will focus on ICE cars, adding: “We have a roadmap to keep the bigger and smaller engines (V12 and V8 respectively) alive and compliant all the way through to the end of that period”. He reaffirmed that there would be hybridisation but “probably not plug-in, because we don’t need it the 200 kg penalties”. He noted that “between 2030 and 2035 everything will be replaced” in the product line-up and “the attributes, performance and quality of the vehicles will take them up a level”. Hallmark also said that Aston Martin will continue with the Valhalla, hinting “there might be a derivative of this hypercar that has a different roof” and that “we’re investing in the platform so we’ll look to do some exciting low-volume specials with it”. This gives food to speculate about a Volante (Spider) version). +++
+++ FORD boss Jim Farley said Europe waited too long to answer Chinese automakers. The door there, he said, has already closed. The United States still has a choice to make, in Farley’s view. His comments arrive as Chinese brands’ global presence has expanded rapidly since 2020, a pace that’s reshaping how established automakers plan their next moves. Farley pointed to the sustained rise of Chinese brands in Europe. Chinese automakers had a small but growing share of the European market in 2020. Public registration data show their share has climbed to high single digits and continues to rise. Farley said: “I think it’s just important for us to take our time to be considerate. I watch what’s happening in Europe right now, where that was not the case, and it’s really something that they have to deal with now, and it’s too late”. The remarks build on concerns Farley has raised before about China’s capacity to reshape the industry. This time, he tied them to Europe’s policy response, including the European Union’s trade case that brought extra duties on Chinese electric vehicle imports after 2023. Ford itself isn’t standing outside the trend it’s describing. The company is competing against Chinese brands in European markets while also working alongside some of them. Farley defended that split approach rather than downplaying it. Ford’s clearest example of that dual strategy is a joint venture with Geely, announced to build electric vehicles at a Ford plant in Spain. Company statements put the joint venture’s operations starting in 2027, with production of the first new models planned for 2028. “We are going to partner with the Chinese where we do not have intellectual property, where we can be more capital efficient in places like Europe or Southeast Asia”, Farley said, tying the Geely deal directly to that reasoning. Politics around this are getting louder in Washington. A recent political letter criticizing Chinese investment in US auto manufacturing voiced “profound concern” about the sector’s reliance on Chinese capital and technology. Lawmakers have introduced multiple bills that would raise tariffs on Chinese-built vehicles or restrict their sale in the American market. Farley also pointed to Ford’s own product plans as a direct answer to cheaper Chinese EVs. The company is developing its Universal EV platform as the basis for a midsize four-door electric pickup, the Fathom, that will be built in Louisville and reach customers in 2027. Those plans sit alongside current US rules that phase out tax credits for vehicles with Chinese battery parts and keep high tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and major components. Put together, Farley’s comments sketch a fork in the road for US policy and for Ford itself. Washington debates how far to open the market to Chinese brands while the company tries to balance partnerships abroad with homegrown products built to withstand the same competition at home. +++
++ MAZDA strongly suggests it could become even more reliant on Chinese-built electric vehicles. The Japanese automaker is already selling the China-made 6e and CX-6e in export markets, but apparently two EVs won’t be enough. It has started discussing additional models with its longtime Chinese partner, Changan. A spokesman confirmed the company is looking to expand the partnership beyond the existing electric liftback and SUV: “We have started talking about what other opportunities could be there”. Asked whether Mazda will lean on Changan for EVs while its own battery-electric program continues in the background, his answer was refreshingly straightforward: “Absolutely”. That’s a pretty significant admission for a company that has spent years preaching its multi-solution approach to electrification. Mazda isn’t abandoning its own technology, but Changan gives it a shortcut to expand its EV lineup without developing every model from scratch. In Europe, electric cars are becoming a necessity if automakers want to avoid paying hefty fines for exceeding fleet emissions. Mazda’s situation is so delicate that it had to discontinue the MX-5’s 2.0-liter engine due to increasingly stringent regulations. Mazda’s own corporate roadmap already calls for 2 additional models based on its Changan joint venture during the 2028-2030 period. The company has also said its Changan-produced EVs are part of its broader strategy to expand exports beyond China. Bhindi added that, much like the 6e and CX-6e pictured here, any future models will be more than just Chinese cars with a Mazda logo: “We’ve put a lot of effort in and we will continue to do that to make sure Chinese-built Mazda models are different. There are more opportunities to keep doing that”. It goes even further than that. The Nanjing facility operates as a Mazda factory within the joint venture, while the European team works on ride and handling. That’s important because Mazda is essentially trying to have it both ways: take advantage of China’s increasingly competitive EV technology and manufacturing ecosystem while retaining enough of its own character to make these cars feel more Zoom-Zoom than Shenzhen special. What About Mazda’s Own EVs? Well, the already forgotten MX-30 clearly didn’t work, and it’s not because it had rear-hinged doors. The problem was its abysmal range, which Mazda tried to address with a range-extending version that uses a rotary engine as a generator rather than to drive the wheels. The company has since pushed back its next in-house EV again, now targeting 2029 for its dedicated battery-electric models. At the same time, it is nearly halving its EV investment and putting more resources into hybrids centered around its new Skyactiv-Z gas engine. Meanwhile, China is increasingly looking like a global EV-exporting hub. While details about the third and fourth models aren’t available, Mazda likely sees big opportunities in strengthening ties with Changan to speed up development and cut costs while it takes its sweet time working on its own EVs. A big part of this strategy is simply regulatory pressure. Automakers can talk about giving customers a choice all they want, but increasingly strict emissions rules are forcing them to add more EVs to the lineup. That makes Changan an increasingly useful shortcut for Mazda: it can expand its electric offering relatively quickly while continuing to invest in hybrids and petrol engines in markets where demand remains strong and combustion engines still have a future. Mazda has suggested that even its beloved MX-5 could be electrified one day, so the direction is pretty clear, and all bets are off. If it’s willing to consider putting batteries into its lightweight sports car, it certainly won’t hesitate to electrify more mainstream models as regulations become increasingly demanding. For now, Changan gives the Japanese automaker a relatively quick way to bulk up its EV line-up before the in-house hardware is finally ready. +++
+++ MG ’s premium sub-brand IM (which stands for: Intelligence in Motion) only arrived in The Netherlands a month ago, but it’ll soon launch its third car here, following on from the IM5 and the IM6. A spokesman said: “IM is termed as ‘technology showcase’. They offer technology that cannot be offered in the core range of cars, MG”. Key aspects of IM’s technology showcase, according to the spokesman, include “an 800 volt platform, the ability to charge at 375 kW, 0-100 kph in 3.5 seconds, 750 hp and lots of autonomous driving technology”. All those are offered on the IM5 and IM6. IM is set for only a small portion of MG’s predicted 2026 sales. In an effort to increase this in 2027, IM will add a third model to its line-up. Allison revealed: “We will continue to evolve the product range for MG IM. There will be a further MG IM product that will come to market next year and again it will operate in a space that we currently don’t sell at the moment”. Asking if the new IM offering could sit above the BMW i5-sized IM5 saloon and the Tesla Model Y-sized IM6 and provide a rival to the likes of the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9 in the larger, 7-seat, D-segment EV market, Allison said: “Absolutely, you’re in the right area for that and equally, trying to compete outside our normal sphere of influence with the core range of cars. From a technological point of view, it will be really cutting-edge”. In other markets, IM already has the LS8 and LS9, both huge 6-seat SUVs that would comfortably sit above the IM6. However, they both feature range-extending hybrid powertrains rather than the pure-electric tech that would align with IM’s strategy in Europe. There’s also the LS7, which has a similar SUV exterior design to the IM6 but is slightly larger and shares an all-electric powertrain with the AUDI E7X. However as a 5-seat only model, it’s not a competitor to the aforementioned EV9 and Ioniq 9. The new IM should have price on its side. Despite the premium aspirations of the IM brand and the fact it sits above MG, the spokesman said the price would reflect “the way we have historically operated, bringing that kind of product to market substantially less than other competitors are able to do”. Details remain slim on the new car, but we expect it’ll receive the full suite of equipment available to the IM6, including rear-wheel steering, a party-piece ‘crab-walk’ mode, one-touch self-parking and adaptive air suspension. +++
+++ PORSCHE is giving owners of its modern classics a very good reason not to replace their perfectly good cars just because the infotainment system feels ancient. Zuffenhausen is launching a new generation of its Porsche Classic Communication Management Plus (PCCM Plus), bringing modern infotainment features to more than 300.000 cars from the 2009 to 2016 model years. The upgrade is available for the 997.2 and 991.1-generation 911, along with the 987.2 Boxster and Cayman and 981 Boxster and Cayman. Yes, the headline feature is exactly what you’d expect: wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Porsche uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for the wireless connection, so owners can finally stop fishing around for a USB cable every time they get in their sports car. A USB connection remains available if you prefer a wired setup or want to charge your phone. The new PCCM Plus gets a 7 inch high-resolution touchscreen, but Porsche hasn’t simply slapped a generic aftermarket head unit into the dashboard. The system was designed to integrate with the car’s existing electronics and interior, including the multifunction steering wheel where equipped. That means navigation directions and music information can still appear in the instrument cluster. It also supports factory-fitted sound systems, parking sensors, and reversing cameras. In the Boxster and Cayman, the system adds a visual representation of the parking sensors, which previously relied solely on audible warnings. But wait, there’s more. Porsche has also added a few features that are considerably more interesting than simply mirroring your phone. The trip computer can display oil temperature and oil pressure, while navigation can show speed limits, satellite imagery, and even suggest particularly twisty roads through a Scenic Roads function. Because Porsche knows its customers might need help finding a road with corners. It also offers DAB, HD, FM and AM radio (depending on the market), plus Bluetooth audio streaming with track and artist information, 4G connectivity via a nano-SIM slot, and over-the-air map updates. Certain markets even get video streaming while the car is stationary. Perhaps the best part is that Porsche has resisted the temptation to make the new screen look completely alien inside a 10- to 15-year-old sports car. Owners can even configure the virtual Porsche shown on the display to match their car’s exterior color. How neat is that? If you know your Porsches, you’ll know this is hardly the first attempt at giving old cars new tech. The company has offered PCCM and PCCM Plus retrofits for years, and now it’s launching the most feature-packed version yet, pushing the factory-style retrofit deeper into the modern-classic era. This is one of those rare infotainment upgrades that actually makes sense for an older car. A 911 or Boxster/Cayman doesn’t suddenly become obsolete because its factory navigation is hopelessly outdated, and there’s little reason to mess with a beautifully preserved interior to get CarPlay. Better yet, Porsche is doing what many owners actually want: adding modern functionality without turning the dashboard into a tablet showroom. Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, proper integration with the car’s existing functions, physical controls, and a screen that doesn’t look completely out of place? More of this, please. And if you’re wondering whether Porsche will do the same for your slightly older 911, there’s already a good chance it has. The company’s retrofit program now stretches surprisingly far back, proving that sometimes the best new car is simply the one you already own with a better infotainment system. The German luxury automaker would obviously rather have you spend that money on its factory-approved upgrade than hand it over to an aftermarket company for a screen that looks like it was designed for a different car. I don’t know which dashboard layout is perfect for you, but mine has to be this one: plenty of physical buttons and a right-sized screen with modern features. +++
+++ STELLANTIS is apparently at war with its own quality problems. The automaker has set up nearly 50 so-called “quality war rooms” and hired thousands of engineers to address lingering issues, with CEO Antonio Filosa promising the problems are being fixed “very, very, very quickly”. That is certainly one way of doing quality control. Filosa acknowledges that Stellantis has quality problems and said the company is attacking them with an unusually large-scale effort. Rather than letting issues work their way through the usual corporate machinery, the company has created dedicated war rooms to identify and fix problems. And yes, they’re actually called quality war rooms. This isn’t me trying to make the story sound more dramatic than it is. More than 2.000 engineers have joined the effort, with teams working on specific problems across Stellantis’ numerous brands and vehicles. The idea is to find and fix issues faster and prevent them from reaching customers in the first place. Filosa’s word choice highlights the urgency of addressing the quality problems “very, very, very quickly”. That’s 3 “very’s”, which is either an impressive commitment to speed or the automotive equivalent of hitting the snooze button 3 times before finally rolling out of bed. Hopefully, Stellantis won’t need a 4th “very” to convince everyone that the alarm has actually gone off. Stellantis hasn’t provided a detailed breakdown of all 50 rooms or the specific problems being tackled in each one. Still, the sheer numbers show how seriously the company is taking quality. Filosa is essentially trying to make quality a company-wide priority rather than something that gets addressed after a vehicle reaches the customer. It’s also an interesting change in tone. Automakers love talking about cutting-edge technology, software-defined vehicles, electrification, artificial intelligence, and whatever the latest buzzword is. Stellantis is currently talking about something considerably less glamorous: making sure its cars work properly. Sometimes the future of the automobile is apparently a room full of engineers trying to figure out why the present one keeps throwing warning lights. Filosa has also set a clear deadline for the turnaround. “We have a target to get, in 2028, first quartile in quality with all the segments and markets where we compete and we will get there”, he said. In other words, Stellantis doesn’t just want to improve; it wants its brands to rank in the top 25 percent for quality across every segment and market where it competes within only 2 years. That gives those 50 quality war rooms a rather firm deadline. Now comes the difficult part: actually making it happen. Because if Stellantis really needs 50 war rooms to fight its quality problems, let’s hope the quality problems don’t decide to open a 51st. Stellantis’ quality crusade also reinforces a point we made recently: automakers need to slow down and prioritize reliability rather than constantly racing to add more technology, features, and complexity. The challenge is arguably even greater for Stellantis because it has so many brands competing across a huge number of segments and markets, each with their own products, powertrains, and customers. Sure, there’s a lot of parts-bin sharing, but managing an automotive juggernaut of this scale isn’t easy. Call me naive, but ideally, automakers wouldn’t need an army of engineers to clean up problems that could have been avoided by taking a little more time before launching a vehicle. As someone who puts reliability at the forefront when buying a car, I believe the best way for automakers to deliver reliable products is to stop treating the launch date as more important than getting the car right in the first place. +++
+++ SUZUKI has laid out an ambitious 10-year strategy that will reform how it builds cars in order to fend off Chinese competitors. The plan will be led by the development of new modular powertrains that cover electric, hybrid and range-extender forms, all of which will be fitted to a fresh generation of models. This will be combined with shorter development cycles, a renewed focus on lightweight construction and a switch to a software-defined digital architecture. With so many developments coming at once this isn’t just an action plan, but a revolution for Suzuki and the way it develops and builds its vehicles. Suzuki might be something of a niche brand in Europe, but it has a massive global footprint. This is especially true in emerging markets such as India and South America, both of which are seeing the competition sharpen up as Chinese competitors enter these regions. The new set of electric, hybrid and petrol engines will be developed in-house by Suzuki for its global models, giving different markets options that best suit local conditions and customer requirements. However, these will be reimagined as a family of components, rather than individual powertrains. In effect, this will create a modular system that can be put together depending on the use case. Fundamental to the system is an electrified front axle that will first be applied to the eSky electric city car. Suzuki will develop 2 types of electrified front axles, one in 95 hp form for A-segment or city cars and the other a more powerful 177 hp option that’ll be used in B and C-segment models. In both cases, all the relevant components for a BEV’s powertrain will be packaged together, including the electric motor, inverter and transmission. In larger B and C-segment models, these electrified axles can then be joined by a small petrol-powered motor to create a hybrid option. In a switch from its hybrid motors today, the future system will switch to a generator-style layout, similar to Nissan’s E-Power system. This means only the electric motor will power the wheels, keeping the petrol engine isolated from the drivetrain with the sole job of providing energy for a small battery pack. If customers want to tip the electrification balance towards something like a range-extender or plug-in hybrid, the battery pack can be swapped for a much larger unit, giving it a much longer all-electric range. These 2 layouts can be swapped without needing to change any of the electrified axle’s core engineering, it just sources its power from different battery packs. Suzuki will also develop an electrified rear axle with small 13 hp or 41 p motors to give all-wheel drive capability, which can then theoretically be paired to any of these 3 layouts depending on the model. Alongside these modular powertrains, Suzuki will intensify its focus on building lighter and more intelligently designed cars for them to sit in. The Japanese brand is already known for its exceptionally light models (the Swift weighs around 950 kg despite its mild-hybrid system) so will build on this experience with new weight-reducing measures. Suzuki says that despite new safety equipment raising the weight of its cars by around 80 kg in the next few years, it aims to remove more than 100 kg through new manufacturing techniques and optimising its platform for these modular powertrains. This ‘Right is Light’ philosophy will embody all of the car’s future components, from interior materials and plastics, which will also then make its components easier to manufacture and recycle at the end of their life. This all goes hand-in-hand with Suzuki’s commitment to faster development periods. Taking inspiration from the Chinese, the Japanese company will reduce its future models to a 24-month development period, rather than the 5 or even6-year periods it uses now. Having a modular powertrain system will aid this transition, as will Suzuki’s global manufacturing and development footprint, ensuring that variants can be designed from the outset to be as well suited to their key market as possible. With this in mind, Suzuki will put extra emphasis on the Indian market, which it sees as the greatest growth opportunity. Alongside this new way of modularising the car’s mechanicals and hardware, Suzuki will also create modular software, creating its own ‘software-defined vehicle’ that’ll ensure development of its digital systems will happen just as quickly as the rest of it. By creating one centralised brain, new-model development and more features will be easier to integrate and less costly to develop. Suzuki’s eSky is the first all-new model under this strategy and will be on sale in the United Kingdom next year. This is the smallest new model Great-Britain will see, and while its size and placement will limit the amount of variation to pure-electric forms, it should offer a dual-motor all-wheel drive option in time. Beyond this, the timing is less precise. However, Suzuki’s ageing model range is ripe for reinvention, and with this 24-month development programme in place, we could see a new Vitara, Swift or even an electric Jimny sooner than we might think. In fact, the Jimny’s fantastic success is proof that while many might consider Suzuki a niche player, with the right product the brand can certainly create a stir. +++
+++ TOYOTA plans to invest 1.34 billion dollar in Argentina to develop a fully electrified vehicle plant, described as the “largest single investment” in the country’s automotive industry. In a post on X, Argentina’s Economy Minister Luis Caputo said the project would involve a new plant producing a 100% electrified vehicle, a technology not currently manufactured in Argentina. Its Argentine subsidiary has received evaluation committee approval to join Argentina’s RIGI incentive regime, or Incentive Regime for Large Investments, for the proposed project at its industrial site in Zárate, Buenos Aires province. The project is expected to create approximately 3.600 jobs during construction and around 2.600 operational roles, including direct and indirect positions. According to a translated version of Toyota’s statement, joining the RIGI is a “key milestone” enabling the project to proceed towards Toyota’s final approval. Toyota said the milestone also highlighted Argentina’s potential to strengthen its position as a strategic vehicle production and export platform for Latin America. Initiatives such as RIGI contribute to “improving competitiveness, providing greater long-term predictability, and creating a favourable environment for investment”, it added. The project is expected to sell 1.28 billion dollar annually abroad, representing nearly 70% of its production. “More productive investment, more jobs, and more exports for Argentines”, Caputo said. Toyota has manufactured vehicles at Zárate since 1997 and continues to work with employees, suppliers and other stakeholders across its value chain to improve the competitiveness and long-term sustainability of its Argentine operations. The company said details regarding investment decision timelines and future production plans would be communicated in due course. Earlier this month, Toyota was reported to be planning the deployment of humanoid robots across its global manufacturing operations from 2028, including in work areas shared with humans. +++
++ In the UNITED KINGDOM , the Jaecoo 7 was the best-selling new car in September; its second month at the top this year, as Chinese brands soared above European competitors. The SUV previously topped the rankings in March, meaning it was the nation’s most popular model in the 2 most important months of the year for the new car market. March and September are historically the strongest months for sales because the age identifiers on numberplates change, encouraging buyers into cars whose plates show they are the latest on the roads. According to preliminary figures released by industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), 10.813 examples of the 7 were registered last month. The Tesla Model 3 netted second place, with 9.929 registrations, followed by the Ford Puma (6.958). The only other Chinese car to feature in the top 10 was the MG HS, in 8th place (5.444). Despite having few individual models with large sales, Chinese manufacturers accounted for 23% of the UK market last month. BYD was the second-best-selling brand, with 20,140 registrations, putting it ahead of Kia, which recorded 18.399. Volkswagen took first place, with 25.972. Meanwhile, several long-established brands experienced significant drops in September. Hyundai’s 10.002 registrations represented a fall of 31.9% year on year and Renault’s result of 6.721 cars was down by 29.7%. Omoda-Jaecoo managing director Victor Zhang said the twin brands are “here to stay” following their unprecedented rise in the United Kingdom. He added that the ambition is now to go from “the fastest-growing brand to a firmly established one”. Omoda-Jaecoo’s parent company, Chery, recently opened an R&D base at the UTAC Millbrook proving ground in Bedfordshire to help it better localise cars for the UK market, focusing on tuning driver assistance systems and chassis. It is also expanding its parts distribution network with a view to reducing repair times for customers. According to the 2026 What Car? Reliability Survey, nearly two thirds of Jaecoo 7 owners who encountered problems with their cars had to wait more than a week for resolution. Chery has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Nissan about potentially building its cars at the Japanese firm’s factory in Sunderland, which could include the Jaecoo 7. September was a strong month for the broader new car market. Overall registrations totalled 350.518 cars; up 12.7% year on year. Plug-in-hybrid cars posted the sharpest rise in sales, improving by 55.7% to 59.563 units; in large part thanks to demand for competitively priced Chinese models such as the Jaecoo 7 and the BYD Seal U. Registrations of electric cars also rose dramatically, with September’s result of 99.199 up by 36.3% on a year before. This, the SMMT said, equates to nearly 5 EVs registered per minute. It attributed the increase to a greater choice of models in smaller but growing segments (cars such as the Renault 5 E-Tech, Kia EV3 and the forthcoming Volkswagen ID.Polo did not exist 3 years ago), as well as lower prices. Although pure-petrol and mild-hybrid cars remain the most popular in the United Kingdom, with 131.861 registrations, that result marked a drop of 6.7%. Non-plug-in hybrids fell by 4.2%, to 45.838. Sales of new diesels, meanwhile, increased by 11.5%, despite the rising cost of the fuel spurred by the US-Iran conflict. +++