Abhirup Roy

Abhirup Roy covers the U.S. auto industry with a focus on how electric-vehicle makers, suppliers and retailers respond to shifting demand, prices and regulation. He works as a U.S. autos correspondent at Reuters News, and his coverage is widely carried by Yahoo Finance and other business outlets. Across his recent work, he tracks the financial performance of automakers, the pressure of tariffs and policy, and the risks and promises of new driving technology.

Electric vehicle sales, pricing and demand

Roy’s recent coverage on Yahoo Finance and other outlets centers on the **electric vehicle market**, using hard numbers on sales, deliveries and market share to explain how automakers are navigating a volatile landscape. He reports on Tesla’s U.S. market share falling to its lowest level since 2017, drawing on data from Cox Automotive to show how a broader range of EV models is eroding Tesla’s dominance even as overall EV sales grow. In another piece, he details Tesla’s decision to cut U.S. prices for the fifth time since January, spelling out the exact percentage reductions and linking them to an ongoing price war in the segment.

He frequently links delivery volumes and revenue beats or misses to investor expectations and broader demand trends. In joint coverage of Tesla’s quarterly deliveries, he highlights record second-quarter delivery numbers, compares them with analysts’ estimates, and explains how a rebound in Europe shapes hopes for ending a multi-year sales decline. In other work, he reports on Tesla’s record quarterly revenue but weaker-than-expected profit, unpacking how higher costs, tariffs and falling regulatory-credit income offset strong sales. His analysis of U.S. EV sales described “rough road ahead” for domestic makers despite better-than-expected quarterly numbers, underlining margin pressure and competitive intensity even when headline sales appear healthy.

Roy extends this lens beyond Tesla to newer EV manufacturers. He covers EV startup Fisker raising going-concern doubts, detailing the company’s warning about its ability to remain in business and the resulting plunge in its share price. He reports on startups from Lucid to Rivian facing fading demand and lingering supply-chain issues, tying production target cuts and weak results to sliding stock prices and investor concerns. His work on Rivian tracks both the company’s forecast of a major delivery jump driven by smaller, more affordable R2 SUVs and its subsequent production and cost plans for these models. Throughout, he treats sales, pricing and demand as core data points that explain where the EV transition is advancing and where it is stalling.

Tariffs, supply chains and automaker strategy

A second thread in Roy’s reporting is the **strategic response to tariffs and trade policy** across the auto industry. He covers how global auto suppliers reassess production plans in light of tariff threats, reporting from industry gatherings on how companies weigh moving manufacturing to the United States or other locations to mitigate border taxes and supply-chain disruptions. He writes about suppliers’ efforts to localize production to avoid shortages and potential taxes, showing how policy signals translate into concrete decisions on where parts and vehicles are built.

He also follows how EV makers themselves react to new trade barriers. In coverage of Rivian and Lucid Motors, he reports their warnings that U.S. tariffs will raise per-vehicle costs by thousands of dollars and increase overall expenses by high single to mid-teen percentages. He connects these cost pressures to their pricing strategies and to the already intense competition in the EV market. This emphasis on tariffs and input costs complements his work on pricing and demand, giving a fuller picture of the economic forces shaping automaker strategy.

Roy’s reporting on strategy extends into how automakers and technology companies pursue broader business moves. Earlier in his career, he covered Yahoo’s steps to explore strategic alternatives and potential sales alongside a planned spin-off, explaining how the board formed an independent committee, hired advisers and weighed selling core internet operations under pressure from investors. More recently, his work on GM’s plan to let EV owners sell power back to the U.S. electricity grid highlights how established automakers look beyond vehicle sales to revenue models tied to energy markets and grid services. Across these stories, he focuses on concrete strategic decisions—tariff responses, new business lines, restructuring moves—and how they affect both operations and stakeholders.

Autonomous driving technology and safety

Roy regularly covers **autonomous and advanced driver-assistance technology**, especially where it raises safety and liability questions. In a detailed report on “eyes-off” driving systems, he describes how automakers are racing toward technologies that allow drivers to take their eyes off the road to text or work, so long as the car can summon them back when necessary. He explains the technical threshold these systems aim to reach and the timeline for their introduction on more affordable electric models.

He pairs this technological focus with an examination of legal and safety implications. In the same coverage, he cites analysts who say that moving to eyes-off technology increases the chances that vehicle manufacturers will be held liable in the event of a crash, bringing in expert views on how responsibility could shift from drivers to companies. This fits with his broader beat description, which notes that he focuses on developments in electric vehicles, autonomous cars and auto retail, reflecting an interest in how new technology changes both the driving experience and the risk landscape. His work treats autonomy not as a distant concept but as a near-term product and regulatory challenge for automakers and policymakers.

Investor reaction to automaker moves

A recurring element of Roy’s coverage is the way **investors react to automaker decisions**, whether in pricing, governance or strategy. In a story on Tesla investors’ response to Elon Musk’s plans to refocus on the company, he reports how the market welcomes the renewed attention while still worrying about the impact of Musk’s broader public behavior on the brand. He uses stock moves and analyst commentary to show how sentiment can be both relieved and cautious at the same time.

His reporting on Fisker’s going-concern warning illustrates how harshly markets can punish perceived survival risk, documenting the plunge in the company’s shares and the doubts it raises about the wider EV startup sector. In pieces on lackluster results and production target cuts among EV startups, he shows how disappointing execution deepens investor gloom and heightens concerns about long-term demand. Even in articles centered on operational metrics, such as Tesla’s record deliveries or EV sales beating expectations, he brings in the equity market response to underscore how financial markets interpret these numbers.

Across these strands—EV performance, tariffs and strategy, autonomy and safety, and investor reaction—Roy’s work consistently ties developments in the auto industry to measurable outcomes: prices, deliveries, costs, liability exposure and share moves. For someone looking to understand how the transition to electric and more automated vehicles is unfolding in practice, his reporting offers a clear, data-driven view of the companies, technologies and policies moving that change forward.