Malaysia Sets a Record, and German Car Data Is Flashing Green for Detroit and Austin

Southeast Asia Leads the EV Charge

Malaysia's vehicle registry, compiled from official national registration data, recorded 74,122 new car sales in September. That is the largest September total since 2017, beating the previous record of 68,970 set in September 2023. Within that figure, battery-electric registrations jumped 69% year on year to 5,945 units, up from 3,523 in September 2025. The surge is a regional signal for EV demand at a time when the global narrative on adoption has been mixed.

Canada: Credit Builds, Trucks Slow

Canadian bank data from the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions tells a more layered story. Business loans reached CAD 3.18 trillion in August, the largest August reading on record since 1996. Personal deposits hit CAD 4.60 trillion, the highest August figure since 2009. Together, the readings point to a balance sheet still expanding on both sides. Against that, new truck sales in Canada fell for a third consecutive month in August, reaching 150,161 units. A contracting truck market alongside record lending activity is an unusual pairing worth watching. Separately, New Zealand's electricity regulator reported retail electricity connections at 2,374,769 in September, their highest level since the series began in 2011.

Earnings Ahead: Registration Data Points the Way

German new-car registration data, published by the Kraftfahrtbundesamt, is measured to lead revenue for both GM and TSLA, with a strong fit in out-of-sample backtests. For GM, which reports on 20 October, that dataset leads revenue by 15 days and is running +133% on the same quarter last year, with all three months of the quarter now in. For TSLA, reporting on 21 October, the same dataset leads revenue by 43 days and is running +269% on the same quarter last year, again with a full three months in. Those are where the data is pointing so far, not a forecast of the print.

RNO reports on 22 October. Austrian car registrations, a measured moderate-fit lead for Renault revenue, are running +6% on the same quarter last year. Dutch registrations, also a moderate-fit lead, are running -19%. VOLCAR B follows on 23 October: Finnish registrations, a measured moderate-fit lead, are down 9% year on year, while India registrations are up 9%. Also on 23 October, MARUTI faces India registration data running +31% year on year, a weak-fit measured lead. 500570 sees Japanese car data, a strong-fit lead, running +16%, with Dutch data, a moderate-fit lead, at -48%.