Volkswagen was a key driver of Germany’s post-war economic rise. With the Beetle, Golf, Type 2 bus and many successful models later, the brand cemented its legacy as a household nameplate and a global automotive leader. But in the electric vehicle era, things aren’t going as planned. VW factories once considered sacred in its home country now risk closure as its EV plans fail to take off against China and Tesla.

This kicks off today’s edition of Critical Materials, your daily round-up of news and events shaping up the world of EVs. Also on today’s dance card: Tesla will apparently introduce the Robotaxi at a Warner Bros. Discovery’s movie studio in Los Angeles, and how Honda’s decades old bet on hybrids is paying off while Nissan is losing ground.