Speaker 1: This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry. Japanese automakers are going to be
hit especially hard by President Trump's tariffs. According to an
analysis by Bloomberg Intelligence, the tariffs will cost Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Subaru, and Mazda nineteen billion dollars this year. Toyota will take
the brunt of that, with an expected hit of ten point seven billion. So far, Toyota hasn't adjusted its production
plans in response to the tariffs, but the other Japanese automakers have or are considering shifting some models around. However,
they're still holding out hope that a deal can be reached with the US, and Nissan's new CEO, Ivan Espinosa, is urging the Japanese government to move more quickly with negotiations.
Jaguar land Rover is no longer going to build its own models in China and will only import them. The
automaker's Chief Financial Office SIR told investors that it will end production of the Jaguar XXF and Epace in China in September, while production of the range Rover, Evoke and land Rover Discovery will stop at the end of next year.
That'll be around the time that JLR is launching a new brand in China in twenty twenty six called Freelander with its joint venture partner Cherry. It will sell both
EV and extended range models that are based on a Cherry platform but features styling from JLR. The Freelander models
will be built in China and sold in a dedicated network of Cherry run dealerships. JLR needed to shake up
its operations in China. It used to be its biggest market,
but it dropped to number five in the first quarter, so it's launching the Freelander brand with the hope to appeal to more Chinese consumers. RAM is delaying its all
electric truck again. The RAM fifteen hundred RIV was supposed
to launch last year, but after watching how sales of other fully electric half ton pickups performed, Stalantis eventually decided to pull ahead production of the extended range electric version of the truck. That pushed the fifteen hundred r EV
back to twenty twenty six, But according to a dealer memo seen by Crane's Business Detroit, production has now been pushed back even further to twenty twenty seven, and the truck will launch as a twenty twenty eight model year vehicle.
The company confirmed the move quote in light of slow in consumer demand for half Ton be Ev pickups. So
I wonder what happens if demand doesn't pick up? Could
that mean it never launches the fifteen hundred r EV.
And on top of this, Stalantis is also pushing back production of the extended range electric version of the truck from later this year to the first quarter of next year.
It says it needs more time to validate the quality of the truck. Hey there, enjoy what you're watching, then
consider becoming an Autoline member. Just click the join button
on the Autoline Network YouTube homepage or we've also set up a Patreon account under Autoline Now. Absolutely nothing will
change with the content that we already provide you, but we're giving exclusive access to even more like early viewing of Autoline exclusives, behind the scenes videos, and even live Q and a's with John and I. Rivian is currently
building prototypes of its all new R two model on a pilot production line and its plant and illois and that's something that all automakers do so they can find any manufacturing issues. Powering the model is Rivian's new drive
unit that it calls Maximus. CEO R J. Skarin says
it was able to put all the processing and power electronics for the inverter onto one circuit board, which is mounted close to the motor, reducing the length of the bus bars. The inverter housing also acts as a cap
for the cooling system, routing coolant without the need for additional parts. In total, Scarn says the new inverter has
forty one percent fewer parts than its previous version, and by mounting the drive unit directly to the vehicle, it reduced even more parts than fasteners. Rivian is expecting to
launch the R two in the first quarter of next year.
Toyota has been going a bit EVI crazy this week, and now it's introducing another new electric car, the Beezy Woodland.
This is just like the Subaru Trail Seeker that debuted at the New York Auto Show last month, but with a Toyota ev face on it. The model rides on
the automaker's ETNNGA platform and comes standard with an all wheel drive system that makes three hundred and seventy five horse power. It's nearly seventy five kilowade hour battery pack
provides up to two hundred and sixty miles or about four hundred and twenty kilometers of range, and it comes standard with the next charging port. Other highlights include a
thirty five hundred pound or roughly two thousand kilogram towing capacity and a fourteen inch center display screen. Toyota says
it expects models to start hitting US showrooms early next year.
It only took three years for BYD to dethrone Toyota as the top automaker in Singapore. In the first four
months of the year, BYD sold just over three thousand cars, accounting for twenty percent of sales. Meanwhile, Toyota sold less
than twenty one hundred vehicles. And while those numbers are small,
BYD has been stealing sales from Toyota all across the Southeast Asian market, which the Japanese automaker used to dominate, and last year nearly three point three million vehicles were sold in the region. So we think this has to
be very worrying for Toyota, and BYD isn't stopping there.
Earlier this month, the automaker said it's aiming to sell half of its vehicles outside of China by twenty thirty.
But things aren't as rosy for Chinese evy startup show Me.
As we've reported, the company is facing backlash over a crash involving one of its vehicles operating in semi autonomous mode that killed three people. Customers also complained about the
company making it hard to unlock a performance model's full potential, and now they're unhappy about a fifty eight hundred dollars optional performance hood that really doesn't add any aerodynamic benefit at all. And because of those controversies, Shaomi saw its
orders plunge fifty five percent in April compared to March, and data from the first two weeks in May show that its orders are continuing to slide. The Shaomi Su
seven was a hit when it launched in March of last year, and by December the sedan was out selling the Model three in China on a monthly basis, but now that success appears to be in jeopardy. And don't
forget to check out Auto Line after hours Today, we've got Alan Tobb from the University of Michigan coming on the show to talk about how tapping into the medical field should help improve EV batteries. It sounds like an
interesting topic and you can join us live this afternoon at three pm Eastern Time. That's a wrap for this show.
I hope to see you later today.
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About this episode
Japanese automakers face a $19 billion hit from U.S. tariffs, with Toyota most affected, while Jaguar Land Rover shifts its China strategy by ending local production and launching a new brand. RAM delays its all-electric 1500 pickup to 2027 due to slow demand. Rivian advances its R2 model with innovative drive unit design. Toyota introduces the BZ Woodland EV, competing in the growing electric market. BYD overtakes Toyota as Singapore's top automaker, signaling shifting dynamics in Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, Chinese EV startup Show Me struggles amid safety controversies and declining orders.
- Tariffs Will Cost Japanese Automakers Billions - JLR Won't Build Its Own Models in China Anymore - Ram Delays All-Electric Truck Again - Rivian Reduces EV Motor Complexity - Toyota Reveals All-New EV - BYD Dethrones Toyota in Singapore - Xiaomi Sales Continue to Slide
