Ford Just Handed Apple the Keys to Its Next EV Platform's Brain
Ford is deepening its partnership with Apple, using Apple Maps data to support both its next-generation EV platform and future BlueCruise development, another sign automakers are growing more comfortable relying on big tech for critical software, mapping, and AI capabilities.
Goodyear Just Turned an Oil Change Into a Destination
Goodyear opened its first destination-style concept store in Detroit on Aug. 15, timed to coincide with the Woodward Dream Cruise, an event that draws roughly 1.5 million people and 40,000 classic and custom cars. The Motor City Garage blends service, brand history, and car culture as Goodyear works to refresh its retail strategy and reverse a stock price down nearly 32% year-to-date.
Polestar Says It Was Blindsided. Its Own Dealer Says That's Not the Whole Story.
Polestar says it was blindsided by the U.S. government's decision to effectively push it out of the market, especially after Commerce officials reportedly indicated the company was on track for approval. Commerce told Polestar in 2025 it was preparing to recommend approval, and in April a senior official said it was reasonable to expect Polestar would follow Volvo if Volvo got the green light.
🚗 Trump Just Threatened to Double Canada's Auto Tariff to 50%
🚙 The deal that collapsed Friday would have cut Canadian auto tariffs from 25% to 15%. USTR Jamieson Greer called the fallout a "tempest in a teapot," and there's real precedent for skepticism: Trump made a similar 50% tariff threat against Canadian-made aircraft in January that never materialized.
Trump Just Threatened to Double Canada's Auto Tariff to 50%
President Trump said Monday the U.S. will raise tariffs on Canadian cars, trucks, and auto parts to 50%, effective Jan. 1, 2027, following the collapse of trade talks last Friday. The current auto tariff sits at 25% and applies only to non-U.S. content. Auto parts, previously untariffed, would be newly covered under the threat.
Amazon's Toaster-Shaped Robotaxi Just Started Charging for Rides
Amazon's Zoox has started charging for rides in Las Vegas and operating in San Francisco, becoming the first robotaxi company to offer paid rides in a vehicle built without standard driver controls.
AI Agents Are Coming to the Dashboard. Automakers May Not Get to Own the Experience.
AI agents in the car are moving beyond better voice assistants toward actually completing tasks for drivers, which could make the cabin dramatically more useful. ABI Research estimates AI-driven in-cabin experiences will grow from about 5 million vehicles today to 70 million by 2035.
Auto Credit Is the Loosest It's Been in 11 Years. So Is the Delinquency Rate.
Auto lenders are opening the door wider than they have in over a decade, at the exact moment a near-record share of auto debt is sitting 90+ days past due. Both things are true at once, and nobody's fully explained the gap yet.
We Expected Buyers to Bolt. The Data Says They're Just Walking.
Every few months, something happens that should reshuffle what people want to drive. Gas prices spike. Rates hold high. A conflict overseas ripples into energy costs. And every time, the instinct in this industry is to brace for a full-on migration: SUVs out, compacts in, buyers voting with their wallets in one dramatic swing.
🚙 Used EV sales climbed more than 10% year over year in July, and for the first time in six months, buyers shopping for a used EV actually had more to choose from than buyers shopping used gas vehicles.
Used EV Supply Just Overtook Gas Cars for the First Time Since February
Used EV sales climbed more than 10% year over year in July, and for the first time in six months, buyers looking for a used EV actually had more to choose from than buyers shopping used gas vehicles.
