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Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, your daily digest of the latest auto industry news and car‑culture highlights. Curated by The Drive’s editorial team, each story offers a concise summary and a pointer to the full article for those who want more details.
The Drive’s weekly podcast, The Drivecast, premiered its newest episode yesterday across major platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other podcast services.
A key discussion at Toyota’s recent annual dealer meeting in Las Vegas focused on lobbying efforts. Dealers plan to engage state lawmakers before November’s midterm elections to oppose tariffs that have driven up vehicle prices. Dave Christ, Toyota’s North American brand chief, noted that many dealers serve as major local employers and taxpayers, emphasizing that tariffs add costs for consumers.
Canada is pushing Stellantis to revive its idle Brampton Assembly plant, where the Jeep Compass was once slated for production before the company shifted output to the U.S. In 2022, Ottawa and Ontario invested $1 billion in the site. Production of the compact SUV is still pending in North America, now slated for Illinois next year. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly warned that without a new product commitment, “we’ll get our money back.” Meanwhile, Stellantis has agreed to sell the facility to defense contractor Roshel.
Volvo intends to launch a wave of new models before 2030, including 13 vehicles that will expand its hybrid and fully electric lineup, entering fresh market segments by the end of the decade.
Acura will discontinue the performance‑oriented MDX Type S after this model year, citing emissions rules. The Type S features a 355 hp turbocharged V6 and follows the similarly withdrawn manual Integra A‑Spec, also said to be temporarily off the market for regulatory reasons.
The Porsche Cayenne Electric now offers an 11 kW wireless charging option, and the required charging pad is finally hitting dealers. Priced at roughly $6,000 in Europe, the pad does not include the vehicle‑specific hardware needed for operation.
Toyota will introduce a hydrogen‑fuel‑cell version of the Hilux pickup in Europe by 2028, leveraging the same powertrain technology found in the Mirai sedan.
Speculation about Seat’s future continues as Volkswagen notes that the brand’s plans beyond the current product cycle are still under review, with several possibilities being considered past 2030.
European ride‑hailing platform Bolt aims to expand its fleet with up to 25,000 Lucid vehicles equipped with autonomous driving features, though a rollout schedule has not been disclosed.
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