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By Abhirup Roy and Harshita Mary Varghese (Reuters) -Tesla rolled out "affordable" versions of its best-selling Model Y SUV and its Model 3 sedan, but the starting prices of $39,990 and $36,990 were too high, some said, to attract a new class of buyers to the electric vehicle brand. CEO Elon Musk has touted the car as a way to tap a wider swath of buyers, saying last year that a price below $30,000, after incentives, was the key. Tesla is trying to reverse falling sales of its aging lineup amid rising competition in Europe and China, and the loss of a $7,500 U.S. tax credit. The new cars drop some premium finishes and features but offer driving ranges above 300 miles (480 km). Tesla's stock closed down 4.5% and Tesla bull Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush, said he was disappointed the cars were only about $5,000 cheaper than the next-level trims of the models. The new Standard versions cost more than the cheapest U.S. models in September, when the now-expired tax credit was included. Musk has for years promised mass-market vehicles, though last year he canceled plans for an all-new $25,000 EV, Reuters first reported. Instead, he chose to build lower-priced versions based on Tesla's current models, sparking concerns among investors and analysts that the cheaper cars would cannibalize sales of existing vehicles and limit growth. "It's basically a pricing lever and not much of a product catalyst," said Shay Boloor, chief market strategist at research firm Futurum Equities. "I don't see it as unlocking new demand at scale." Fearing a drop in demand after losing the tax credits, some automakers in the U.S. have already cut prices while some others have figured out mechanisms to effectively extend the benefit of the incentives. Investors and analysts said dropping the price below $40,000 will help drive sales as the latest offerings compete next year with Chevrolet's Equinox, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia's EV4. Some, though, expected a bigger slash by Tesla to below $30,000. "I just don't know that this is enough," said Shawn Campbell, an advisor at Camelthorn Investments. "Longer term, this news doesn't solve the problem posed by lower cost Chinese competitors in global markets. In my opinion, Tesla needs a sub-30k EV." In Europe, where Musk's far-right political views have undermined brand loyalty, the new entries will be up against more than a dozen electric and plug-in-hybrid models with price tags below $30,000. Sales in the September-ending quarter rose to a record as consumers rushed to take advantage of the EV tax credit before its expiration on September 30, but expectations are that they will slow down for the rest of the year, unless the affordable car comes to the rescue. "The desire to buy the car is very high. (It's) just (that) people don't have enough money in the bank account to buy it," Musk said in July during Tesla's second-quarter earnings call. "So the more affordable we can make the car, the better." 'A WALMART HOODIE' FOR TESLA Both Standard versions offer 321 miles (516 km) of range and less powerful acceleration than the current higher trims, called Premium. Tesla has reduced the size of the battery on both cars, according to its website and some influencers who got a preview. Both cars can be ordered immediately, with deliveries set to start between December 2025 and January 2026 for many locations, Tesla's website showed.  The Standard versions do not come with Autosteer, Tesla's driver assistance system, touchscreens and seat heating for rear passengers. Tesla has also removed the LED lightbar in the cheaper Model Y. Both come with manually adjusted side-view mirrors and textile seats, with vegan leather available for the Model 3.  Musk has been pivoting the company toward artificial intelligence, focusing on robotaxis and humanoid robots, but the new cars are key to hopes of near-term revenue growth. "For the market, this is Tesla dropping its Steve Jobs turtleneck and slipping into a Walmart hoodie," said Michael Ashley Schulman, chief investment officer at Running Point. "It's no longer the cool rebel at the edge of innovation – it's the establishment trying to play both Tesla and Toyota at once." (Reporting by Abhirup Roy in San Francisco and Akash Sriram and Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Henderson, Richard Chang, Sriraj Kalluvila, Alan Barona and Lincoln Feast.)

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LONDON (Reuters) -The adoption of stablecoins could generate an additional $1.4 trillion in demand for U.S. dollars by 2027, if enough overseas investors want to own these digital assets, analysts at JPMorgan said in a note on Tuesday. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT The potential increase in dollar demand underlines the importance of the burgeoning stablecoin market in traditional finance. JPMorgan believes that rather than accelerating de-dollarisation, the growth in stablecoin adoption has the potential to reinforce the dollar’s role in global finance. BY THE NUMBERS The stablecoin market, which JPM said is currently worth $260 billion, could grow to as much as $2 trillion in their high-end scenario. Approximately 99% of stablecoins, such as Tether, are pegged 1:1 to the dollar, meaning if foreign households or corporations convert holdings of their local currency into stablecoins, it would represent new U.S. dollar demand. CONTEXT Stablecoins are digital tokens that have a stable value against a regular currency, mainly the dollar, and are backed by reserves like the currency itself or other assets, such as Treasuries and T-bills.   Euro zone finance ministers are due to discuss on Thursday how they can support the development of euro-denominated stablecoins, a euro zone official said.  KEY QUOTES "Whether such a high-end scenario growth trajectory will actually play out remains to be seen, but if it does, stablecoin-related dollar inflows could become cumulatively significant," JPM said. "Given that ~99% of the total stablecoin supply is pegged 1:1 to the dollar, stablecoin market growth necessarily implies some demand for the dollar." (Reporting by Samuel Indyk; Editing by Amanda Cooper, Aidan Lewis)

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By John Revill and Anton Bridge ZURICH/TOKYO (Reuters) -SoftBank Group has agreed to buy the robotics business of Swiss engineering group ABB in a $5.4 billion deal, as the Japanese investor forges ahead with a strategy to fuse robotics and artificial intelligence. The acquisition, announced on Wednesday, is the latest by founder and CEO Masayoshi Son to establish Softbank as a core player in the development of artificial intelligence. SoftBank pushed into humanoid robotics a decade ago with its Pepper robot but later scaled back its ambitions. Its recent investments in the sector include Berkshire Grey and AutoStore, and it also led a $40 billion funding round in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and in March bought chip design company Ampere for $6.5 billion. SOFTBANK'S STRATEGY: MERGING AI WITH ROBOTICS "SoftBank's next frontier is Physical AI," Son said in a statement. The deal means ABB has abandoned its original decision to spin off and separately list the industrial automation business, which competes with Japan's Fanuc and Yaskawa, as well as Germany's Kuka in making factory robots. The decision is the first major move under ABB CEO Morten Wierod, who took charge last year, and follows years of struggling sales and falling profitability for the robots business. ABB's robotics division, which employs 7,000 people, generated sales of $2.3 billion last year, equivalent to 7% of ABB's total revenues. But the company saw limited crossover with the rest of its business, which focuses primarily on electrification and automation. ABB announced to shareholders in April its decision to spin off robotics but decided to sell instead because the SoftBank deal provided money immediately, Wierod told Reuters. Following the deal's announcement, Switzerland's Zuercher Kantonalbank said it had expected a valuation of slightly less than $4 billion for the robotics business under the planned spin-off. ABB shares opened 2% higher in Zurich after the sale announcement, while SoftBank's shares did not move significantly, ending the day down 2%. ABB TO FOCUS ON ELECTRIFICATION, AUTOMATION, ACQUISITIONS "We always said that robotics is a market with much higher volatility. And that's what we've seen over the years, both when it comes to growth, but also margins," Wierod said. "So it is a bit of a different market than, say, the rest of ABB today, which is focusing on electrification and automation." The transaction is expected to close in mid- to late-2026 and will generate cash proceeds of roughly $5.3 billion, ABB said. The money will be spent on developing new technology and production capacity in electrification and automation, and could also fund new acquisitions, Wierod said. "We do have firepower to also do bigger acquisitions, so we're not excluding bigger deals," Wierod said. (Reporting by John Revill and Anton Bridge; Editing by Miranda Murray, Muralikumar Anantharaman and Joe Bavier)

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By John Revill and Anton Bridge ZURICH/TOKYO (Reuters) -SoftBank Group has agreed to buy the robotics business of Swiss engineering group ABB in a $5.4 billion deal, as the Japanese investor forges ahead with a strategy to fuse robotics and artificial intelligence. The acquisition, announced on Wednesday, is the latest by founder and CEO Masayoshi Son to establish Softbank as a core player in the development of artificial intelligence. SoftBank pushed into humanoid robotics a decade ago with its Pepper robot but later scaled back its ambitions. Its recent investments in the sector include Berkshire Grey and AutoStore, and it also led a $40 billion funding round in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and in March bought chip design company Ampere for $6.5 billion. SOFTBANK'S STRATEGY: MERGING AI WITH ROBOTICS "SoftBank's next frontier is Physical AI," Son said in a statement. The deal means ABB has abandoned its original decision to spin off and separately list the industrial automation business, which competes with Japan's Fanuc and Yaskawa, as well as Germany's Kuka in making factory robots. The decision is the first major move under ABB CEO Morten Wierod, who took charge last year, and follows years of struggling sales and falling profitability for the robots business. ABB's robotics division, which employs 7,000 people, generated sales of $2.3 billion last year, equivalent to 7% of ABB's total revenues. But the company saw limited crossover with the rest of its business, which focuses primarily on electrification and automation. ABB announced to shareholders in April its decision to spin off robotics but decided to sell instead because the SoftBank deal provided money immediately, Wierod told Reuters. Following the deal's announcement, Switzerland's Zuercher Kantonalbank said it had expected a valuation of slightly less than $4 billion for the robotics business under the planned spin-off. ABB shares opened 2% higher in Zurich after the sale announcement, while SoftBank's shares did not move significantly, ending the day down 2%. ABB TO FOCUS ON ELECTRIFICATION, AUTOMATION, ACQUISITIONS "We always said that robotics is a market with much higher volatility. And that's what we've seen over the years, both when it comes to growth, but also margins," Wierod said. "So it is a bit of a different market than, say, the rest of ABB today, which is focusing on electrification and automation." The transaction is expected to close in mid- to late-2026 and will generate cash proceeds of roughly $5.3 billion, ABB said. The money will be spent on developing new technology and production capacity in electrification and automation, and could also fund new acquisitions, Wierod said. "We do have firepower to also do bigger acquisitions, so we're not excluding bigger deals," Wierod said. (Reporting by John Revill and Anton Bridge; Editing by Miranda Murray, Muralikumar Anantharaman and Joe Bavier)

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By Alessandro Parodi (Reuters) -Tesla's lower-priced versions of its staple Model Y SUV and Model 3 sedan face an uphill battle in the region where Elon Musk's company arguably needs help the most: Europe.  Unveiled on Tuesday, the $39,990 Model Y Standard and $36,990 Model 3 will join a European market already crowded with budget EVs, with European and Chinese brands offering more than a dozen models below $30,000 – and more to come.  That's in contrast to the United States, where only one EV, the Nissan Leaf, falls into that price range. "The competition in this market is fierce," said Sam Fiorani, vice president at research firm AutoForecast Solutions, adding the array of EVs in Europe priced below Tesla's cheaper Model Y and Model 3 could hamper their prospects. LESS COMPETITION IN US, BUT LESS OPPORTUNITY Tesla, which argues that its sometimes higher prices are justified by superior quality and features, has suffered an almost halving in its European market share to about 1.5% since 2023, when the Model Y was the region's best-selling car. Analysts attribute the decline partly to an ageing product lineup and to a backlash by some consumers against Musk for his support of far-right politicians. Tesla hopes the cheaper cars will revive sales after global deliveries fell in 2024 for the first time and are forecast to drop another 10% this year, according to Visible Alpha estimates. In the United States, the Model Y Standard's sub-$40,000 price tag will match or undercut rivals including Hyundai Motor's Ioniq 5 SUV, General Motors' Chevrolet Blazer, and Volkswagen's ID.4. Still, the U.S. EV market is expected to contract in coming quarters following the September 30 expiry of a longstanding $7,500 tax credit for buyers. Even if Tesla's cheaper cars can claw back some market share, Musk has said it could face a "few rough quarters" if overall U.S. demand stalls, as expected. In China, Tesla's new releases remain significantly more expensive than domestic rivals such as BYD Co's Yuan Plus and SAIC-GM-Wuling's mini EVs, which dominate the world's biggest EV market. DOZENS OF EVS DESCEND ON EUROPEAN SHOWROOMS In Europe, Tesla is up against many cheaper rivals, including the BYD Dolphin Surf that starts at 23,000 euros ($26,830), the Dacia Spring at 16,800 euros and the Citroen e-C3 SUV at 23,300 euros. And more are coming. Last month, Volkswagen said it planned an ID.Polo compact hatchback EV for under 25,000 euros next year. However, Pedro Pacheco, vice president of research at consultancy Gartner, said the Model Y Standard would probably be cheaper than BYD's best-selling Seal plug-in hybrid SUV. Tesla halted sales declines in some European markets in September after refreshing its Model Y with interior and exterior upgrades, helping deliver record third-quarter global deliveries. Still, analysts say its limited lineup is ageing. The Model Y, launched in 2020, remains its last mass-market new model. CHEAPER MODEL Y 'ISN'T GOING TO BREAK THE MARKET OPEN' Schmidt Automotive analyst Matthias Schmidt said the cheaper Teslas should "add more momentum" from next year, but warned that Europe's EV market is about to get much more crowded. AutoForecast Solutions projects more than 25 new EVs launching in Europe next year, with roughly a dozen more by 2027. Fiorani forecast the Model Y Standard could sustain Tesla's European sales based on current pricing information. But "it isn't going to break the market open in a way that a 30,000 euro vehicle would," he said. (Additional reporting by Abhirup Roy. Editing by Mike Colias, Nick Carey and Mark Potter)

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By Milana Vinn (Reuters) -Confluent is exploring a sale after attracting acquisition interest, according to three people familiar with the matter, the latest data infrastructure company to draw suitors for its potential in supporting artificial intelligence development. The software provider is working with an investment bank on the sale process, which is in its early stages and was instigated after both private equity firms and other technology companies expressed their interest to the company in buying it, the sources said. The company has a market capitalization of approximately $7 billion, but its stock is trading around 26% lower year-to-date. Some of the sources noted while Confluent's technology is highly sought-after, it became vulnerable to takeover approaches when its stock price dived in July, when it reported losing business from a large customer. The sources cautioned that no deal is guaranteed and Confluent could ultimately remain independent. They also spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions are confidential. Confluent did not immediately respond to a comment request. Mountain View, California-based Confluent provides technology needed to manage massive, real-time data streams for artificial intelligence models. The company was founded by the original creators of Apache Kafka, a popular open-source technology that helps companies process huge torrents of data in real time, from bank transactions to website clicks. Confluent commercializes Kafka, providing enterprise-grade features, services, and support to major corporations worldwide. The interest in Confluent highlights a surge in demand for data infrastructure companies, fueled by the corporate race to develop generative artificial intelligence. In May, Salesforce agreed to acquire software maker Informatica for approximately $8 billion to bolster its AI capabilities by integrating Informatica's data management, integration, and governance tools into the Salesforce platform. (Reporting by Milana Vinn in New York; Editing by David French and Christopher Cushing)

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By Gianluca Lo Nostro (Reuters) -Most European small and mid-sized enterprises are prioritizing artificial intelligence systems over basic digital tools across their businesses, losing ground to bigger firms investing in core digital systems, a study published on Wednesday showed. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT While large corporations are steadily adopting AI software and scaling up investments, small businesses across Europe often lack relevant expertise and digital infrastructure. Companies are turning to this technology to automate tasks and reduce costs across the board, resulting in job cuts which are shaking up entire industries. The survey, conducted by French fintech Qonto, found that 46% of European SMEs use AI tools like ChatGPT daily but only a fraction of them implement digital accounting, video conferencing, data analytics or digital document management. This inconsistency is causing a striking paradox that could threaten the future of Europe's economic backbone, Qonto says. BY THE NUMBERS The report was conducted alongside research firm Appinio after interviewing 1,600 senior decision makers in France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Two out of every five businesses feel unprepared for digital transformation, representing 10 million companies across Europe, according to the report. Germany stands out with 76% of businesses feeling well prepared while France struggles with nearly half feeling inadequately equipped for the digital shift. KEY QUOTE "While AI offers exciting opportunities, we believe European businesses will have to build strong digital foundations that can support their long-term growth and innovation goals," said Qonto's Chief executive, Alexandre Prot. WHAT'S NEXT The survey suggests targeted interventions could help close Europe's digital gap. Reducing regulatory burdens in Germany, addressing skills shortages in Spain, and overcoming cultural resistance in France could strengthen competitiveness against better-equipped rivals increasingly using AI to slash costs and streamline operations. (Reporting by Gianluca Lo Nostro; Editing by Matt Scuffham)

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By Arpan Chaturvedi and Aditya Kalra NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Hollywood and Bollywood groups are lobbying an Indian panel for stricter copyright protection that will prevent artificial intelligence firms from using their intellectual property to train AI models, letters show. AI companies remain at loggerheads with content owners globally and governments are fast developing regulations that lay down rules for the new technology. While Japan gives broad exemptions to AI firms in using copyrighted content, the European Union has stricter rules that allow content owners to opt-out of such use. The movie industry is particularly concerned that AI tools could scrape their copyrighted videos, images and clips online – like trailers and promos – and more critically ingest pirated content onto their platforms. India's current copyright law does not account for use by AI. The government formed a panel this year consisting of lawyers, government officials and industry executives to review if existing copyright law is sufficient to tackle AI-related disputes, and make recommendations. WORRIED FILM STUDIOS LOBBYING HARD Motion Picture Association (MPA), which represents Warner Bros, Paramount and Netflix, and the Producers Guild of India have argued India should not tinker with its copyright law and instead promote a licencing regime.  In response to the panel's private inquiry on why India should not allow blanket training exceptions to bolster AI innovation, MPA India Managing Director Uday Singh said in an August 2 letter the move could "undermine the incentive to create new works and erode copyright protection in India." The Indian guild's CEO Nitin Tej Ahuja told the panel in his letter "licensing copyrighted works is essential for creators' revenue and business sustainability." MPA declined to comment, while the guild did not respond to Reuters queries on the letters, which are not public.  India's commerce ministry official Himani Pande, who chairs the panel, did not respond to Reuters queries. The panel is finalising its recommendations which it will present to senior officials in coming weeks, a source with direct knowledge said. INDIA'S VIBRANT MOVIE MARKET     India has one of the world's most vibrant film industries. A Deloitte-MPA study in May said India's film, TV and online content industry generated $13.1 billion in revenues last year, growing 18% each year since 2019.      The deliberations come just when a Bollywood couple has gone to court to challenge YouTube's AI policies after their manipulated videos started spreading online.  The film studios' position is in contrast to the Business Software Alliance, which represents AI firms like OpenAI, and which argued in  public submissions in July that New Delhi should ensure exceptions to permit lawful AI use. MPA members however remain concerned. The association has said India should not consider allowing use of content in AI models with an opt-out system as it will put the burden of responsibility on the movie studios, a move that could force them to individually track and block sharing of their work on scores of AI platforms. Such exceptions "would hinder future investments, development of high-quality local content," MPA India said. In September, Warner sued AI service Midjourney in Los Angeles by saying it brazenly stole the studio's works to generate images and videos of Batman, Superman, Bugs Bunny and other copyrighted characters. Midjourney maintains the way it trains its AI model amounts to fair use. (Reporting by Arpan Chaturvedi and Aditya Kalra; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

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TOKYO (Reuters) -Toyota and Sumitomo Metal Mining said on Wednesday they have made advances in the development of cathode materials for all-solid-state batteries for electric cars, and have agreed to work together to mass produce those materials. Solid-state batteries hold the promise of improved safety, a longer lifespan and faster charging compared with conventional lithium-ion batteries that use flammable liquid electrolytes. But mass adoption remains some way off due to constraints in raw material availability, intricate manufacturing processes and the resultant high costs. Toyota, the world's biggest automaker by sales, is looking to launch EVs with all-solid-state batteries in 2027 or 2028. The Japanese companies said their joint research since 2021 on cathode materials has focused on challenges such as cathode material degradation during repeated charging and discharging cycles, and they have now developed a "highly durable cathode material", using Sumitomo Metal's proprietary powder synthesis technology. They will now work on improving the performance, quality, and safety of cathode materials, as well as reducing costs, their statement said, adding that they aim to achieve the world's first practical use of all-solid-state batteries in EVs. Sumitomo Metal plans to start mass production of newly developed cathode materials as early as the financial year beginning April 2028, a company spokesperson said. "We will prioritize supplying Toyota, then respond flexibly to market demand," the spokesperson said. Toyota is also partnering with Idemitsu Kosan in solid-state batteries, with the oil refiner developing another key material, lithium sulphide. (Reporting by Yuka Obayashi; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

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By Arpan Chaturvedi and Aditya Kalra NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Hollywood and Bollywood groups are lobbying an Indian panel for stricter copyright protection that will prevent artificial intelligence firms from using their intellectual property to train AI models, letters show. AI companies remain at loggerheads with content owners globally and governments are fast developing regulations that lay down rules for the new technology. While Japan gives broad exemptions to AI firms in using copyrighted content, the European Union has stricter rules that allow content owners to opt-out of such use. The movie industry is particularly concerned that AI tools could scrape their copyrighted videos, images and clips online – like trailers and promos – and more critically ingest pirated content onto their platforms. India's current copyright law does not account for use by AI. The government formed a panel this year consisting of lawyers, government officials and industry executives to review if existing copyright law is sufficient to tackle AI-related disputes, and make recommendations. WORRIED FILM STUDIOS LOBBYING HARD Motion Picture Association (MPA), which represents Warner Bros, Paramount and Netflix, and the Producers Guild of India have argued India should not tinker with its copyright law and instead promote a licencing regime.  In response to the panel's private inquiry on why India should not allow blanket training exceptions to bolster AI innovation, MPA India Managing Director Uday Singh said in an August 2 letter the move could "undermine the incentive to create new works and erode copyright protection in India." The Indian guild's CEO Nitin Tej Ahuja told the panel in his letter "licensing copyrighted works is essential for creators' revenue and business sustainability." MPA declined to comment, while the guild did not respond to Reuters queries on the letters, which are not public.  India's commerce ministry official Himani Pande, who chairs the panel, did not respond to Reuters queries. The panel is finalising its recommendations which it will present to senior officials in coming weeks, a source with direct knowledge said. INDIA'S VIBRANT MOVIE MARKET     India has one of the world's most vibrant film industries. A Deloitte-MPA study in May said India's film, TV and online content industry generated $13.1 billion in revenues last year, growing 18% each year since 2019.      The deliberations come just when a Bollywood couple has gone to court to challenge YouTube's AI policies after their manipulated videos started spreading online.  The film studios' position is in contrast to the Business Software Alliance, which represents AI firms like OpenAI, and which argued in  public submissions in July that New Delhi should ensure exceptions to permit lawful AI use. MPA members however remain concerned. The association has said India should not consider allowing use of content in AI models with an opt-out system as it will put the burden of responsibility on the movie studios, a move that could force them to individually track and block sharing of their work on scores of AI platforms. Such exceptions "would hinder future investments, development of high-quality local content," MPA India said. In September, Warner sued AI service Midjourney in Los Angeles by saying it brazenly stole the studio's works to generate images and videos of Batman, Superman, Bugs Bunny and other copyrighted characters. Midjourney maintains the way it trains its AI model amounts to fair use. (Reporting by Arpan Chaturvedi and Aditya Kalra; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

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