Autoline Daily Apr 9, 2026

AD #4272 - Tesla Developing All-New Compact CUV; Ford Could Bring Back Steel-Bodied F-150; Kia Entering Busy Mid-Size Pickup Segment

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Concept

compact CUV

A compact CUV is a smaller kind of crossover SUV. For an electric version, it usually means less battery and a smaller, cheaper package than bigger EVs.

Concept

Robotaxis are self-driving cars that can pick up passengers without a human driver. The idea here is that Tesla wants the same vehicle platform to work for both normal driving and self-driving service.

Concept

steel-bodied F-150

“Steel-bodied” means the truck’s main body structure would be made from steel rather than aluminum. Automakers might do this if aluminum becomes too expensive or hard to source.

Concept

reduced tariff rate for Chinese-made vehicles shipped to Canada

Canada and China made a deal that lowers taxes on a limited number of cars imported from China. That can make it easier for automakers to sell those cars in Canada.

Company

Cooper's Standard

Cooper’s Standard is a company that makes automotive sealing and fluid-related parts. These help prevent leaks and can help the car feel smoother by reducing vibration.

Term

anti vibration components

Anti-vibration parts help keep the car from feeling “buzzy” or shaky. They also help protect components by reducing how much vibration reaches them.

Part

brake lines

Brake lines are the tubes that move brake fluid to the brakes. If they’re damaged or poorly made, braking performance and safety can suffer.

Company

Intrepid

Intrepid provides tech that helps car companies test and validate new vehicle systems. It supports things like collecting data, running simulations, and connecting vehicle networks during development.

Term

data logging

Data logging means recording what the car is doing while it’s being tested. Engineers use it to spot problems and confirm the car behaves the way they expect.

Term

simulation

Simulation is computer modeling of how the car should behave. It helps engineers test scenarios without needing to drive the car for every single case.

Term

gateway capabilities

A “gateway” is like a traffic controller for car data. It helps different car computers share information correctly, especially when testing new technology.

Concept

fleet testing

Fleet testing means testing cars using a group of vehicles in real conditions. The goal is to catch problems early before the cars are widely sold.

Concept

hybrid models

A hybrid is a car that uses both gas and electricity. It usually gets better mileage than a regular gas-only car.

Car

Toyota Tacoma

The Toyota Tacoma is a popular mid-size pickup truck. The podcast is listing competitors to show how full the market already is.

Car

Ford Ranger

The Ford Ranger is a mid-size pickup truck. It’s one of the trucks Kia would be competing against.

Car

Chevy Colorado

The Chevrolet Colorado is another mid-size pickup option. The podcast is basically saying Kia won’t be entering an empty market.

Car

Nissan Frontier

The Nissan Frontier is a mid-size pickup truck. It’s included to show how many established trucks are already competing for buyers.

Car

Dodge Ram

A Dodge Ram is a pickup truck, which is a type of vehicle with a cargo bed in the back. It’s made for hauling things and towing, and it can also be used like a regular truck for daily driving. The podcast mentions it because Ram is working on mid-size pickup options.

Car

Jeep Gladiator

The Jeep Gladiator is a mid-size pickup truck. The podcast is listing it as one of the trucks Kia would be competing with.

Car

Honda Ridgeline

The Honda Ridgeline is a mid-size pickup truck. It’s included in the episode’s list of competitors in the same market segment.

Car

Hyundai Santa Cruz

The Hyundai Santa Cruz is a pickup-style vehicle. The podcast is using it to show how many options buyers already have.

Car

Tesla Semi

The Tesla Semi is Tesla’s electric big-rig truck. The episode compares another truck’s design to it to show what the market is starting to look like.

Term

charging partner

A charging partner is the company that helps provide the charging setup. For electric trucks, you need reliable charging to actually use the vehicle day to day.

Term

LFP battery pack

LFP is a type of EV battery. It’s generally considered durable and safer because it handles heat well and lasts a long time.

Company

Barrett Jackson

Barrett-Jackson is a famous auction where collectors buy and sell vehicles. Here, it’s being used to raise money for a charity.

Concept

can't be driven on public roads

If a vehicle can’t be driven on public roads, it usually isn’t street-legal. That means it can’t be used like a normal car on public streets.

Company

Alex Partners

Alex Partners is a consulting company that studies the auto industry. Here, they’re credited with a survey about how companies are using software to build cars.

Company

CSP

CSP here is a sponsor/program name. It’s connected to “composites,” which are materials used to make parts lighter while keeping them strong.

Company

Bridgestone Solutions

Bridgestone is a big tire company. “Bridgestone Solutions” is their way of working with car makers and other partners, often to improve things like grip and safety.

Term

wet conditions

Wet conditions means the road has water on it. Tires need good tread and grip to help the car stop and turn safely when it’s raining.

Term

improved grip

Improved grip means the tires can “hold” the road better. When it’s raining, better grip helps with steering control and braking.

LIVE

Speaker 1: This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry. Tesla is working on an all

new entry level EV, according to Reuters says, the automaker started contacting suppliers about the manufacturing process and specification of various components for a new compact CUV. The model won't

be based on the current model why it's one feet seven inches or half a meter shorter, the battery pack is smaller, and it will only have a single motor drive unit. While there's no word on when this new

EV might launch, Tesla is likely contacting suppliers now because it's reportedly designing the model to have both controls for humans and no controls at all for robotaxis. Sources say

production will first kick off in China, with the plan to expand to the US and Europe. New car sales

in China continue to fall compared to last year. Automakers

sold one point six million vehicles in March, down a significant fifteen percent according to the China Passenger Car Association.

Even new energy vehicles were down fourteen percent. Yet exports

continued their amazing surge, going up seventy four percent to six hundred and ninety five thousand vehicles. Here's our auto

line insight. China's home passenger car market has stopped growing

and it could even start shrinking in the years ahead.

The country has an aging and declining population, a price where has hurt profitability, especially for car dealers, and as they're forced to cut back on their spending spree, automakers only introduced eighteen new models in the first quarter, down from twenty eight a year ago. That makes exports a

critical relief valve where automakers can boose sales and charge more for their cars than they can in China. We

noted that the Trump administration turned down Ford's request for Terar for releef on aluminum. A fire at Ford's main

aluminum supplier last year crippled production of the F one fifty, costing the automaker two billion dollars. It also needs to

import a billion dollars worth of aluminum this year. Those

are horrific costs, and with no terror for Leaf in sight, we would not be surprised at all to see the next generation F one fifty go back to using steel.

Earlier this year, Canada and China reached a deal that will allow up to forty nine thousand Chinese made vehicles a year to be shipped to Canada at a reduced tariff rate, and BID is planning to take full advantage of that. The automaker expects to open twenty dealerships in

the country this year and is also considering building a plant in Canada. The supplier, Cooper's Standard, topped the auto

line stock of the day, gaining twelve percent, sent to close at thirty dollars in eighty eight cents a share yesterday.

The company makes sealing systems, fluid handling systems like brake lines, in anti vibration components. Investors seem to have focused on

management's guidance to hit double digit EBIT earnings this year and several other technical market factors.

Speaker 2: At Intrepid, we produce network hardware and software solutions, enabling vehicle manufacturers to innovate and design the next generation of modern mobility. Delivering scalable next generation solutions requires thorough testing

and validation of vehicle platforms. Intrepid specializes in network interfacing,

data logging, simulation, and gateway capabilities. Intrepid's Neovi Cloud platform

provides real time data collection instant cloud upload, intelligent detection, advanced issue analysis, root cause identification, and remote update deployment.

Speaker 3: All of these steps ensure vehicles are cleared for production and ready for the road, taking your fleet testing into the future of mobility intrepid control systems driven by your data.

Speaker 1: Kia held its twenty twenty six Investor Day, and while the company expects sales to go from about three point three to five million this year to over four point one million by twenty thirty, that's actually down from its previous forecast. That's partly due to slower than expected ev growth,

so Kia says it needs to invest more money in new projects. Between now and twenty twenty nine, It expects

to spend about twenty eight billion dollars, or roughly a thirty percent increase. One reason for the big jump is

that Kia is pushing back the launch of its first software find vehicle by a year. It now expects to

complete development in late twenty twenty seven and then roll out models in twenty twenty eight. A good chunk of

the remaining money will be invested in new products like hybrids, vans, and even mid sized pickup trucks. By the end of

the decade, Kia wants to have thirteen hybrid models and have sales reach about one point one million units. It

wants to sell two hundred and thirty two thousand of its new pv vans by the same time as well, and it's also bringing a mid sized pickup truck to the US, which we think will share a platform with Hyundai.

That segment already seems pretty full with the Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, Nissan Frontier, Jeep Gladiator, Honda Ridgeline, and Hondai Santa Cruz. Not to mention that

Ram and Hyundai are also working on mid size pickups, but even still, Kia expects sales to reach night twenty thousand units by twenty thirty four. Chinese electric truck maker

Windrows delivered its first heavy duty truck in the United States, which has a very similar design to Tesla Semi. The truck,

called the E seven hundred, was delivered to Texas logistics firm All Logic and its charging partner, Green Space Emobility.

The truck costs two hundred and eighty five thousand dollars and features a seven hundred and five kilowad hour LFP battery pack, a fourteen hundred horsepower electric motor, and it has a range of four hundred and sixteen miles with a full load Windrows says. The truck is certified in Asia, Europe,

North America, and South America, and it will have approval in the Oceania region in the second half of this year.

The company plans to begin mass deliveries of the truck in the third quarter. General Motors is partnering with the

Medal of Honor Foundation to auction off one of its military vehicles to the public for the first time. The

Infantry squad vehicle will be auctioned off at Barrett Jackson next week, and one hundred percent of the sale will support the Medal of Honor Foundation. The truck is built

on the same platform as the Chevy Colorado and is powered by a two point eight liter diesel engine that's paired with a six feet automatic. The model available for

auction has a custom livery honoring the Medal of Honor, recognizing America's two hundred and fiftieth anniversary and acknowledging the US Army units actively using this vehicle in service today and if you were wondering, No, this can't be driven on public roads. For all of you in the industry

struggling with this whole concept of software to find vehicles, We've got a show for you. We've got Hamanshu Conda

Wall from Alex Partners coming on Autoline after Hours later today and Alex Partners just completed a global survey of automakers and suppliers on how they're using software to find vehicles and components and what it found is alarming. Chinese

automakers and suppliers are leaving everyone else in the dust.

Alex says this is a major threat and we'll be talking about what it's going to take for the West to catch up. Frank Marcus from Motor Trend will also

be on the show, So join John and Gary when the action gets going at three pm Eastern time today.

But that brings us to the end of this show.

Thanks for tuning in and I hope to see you later.

Speaker 4: Auto Line Daily is brought to you by Bridgestone Solutions for Your Journey CSP, the Composites Solution partner Intrepid Control Systems over the year engineering boost your game and thanks to the following YouTube and Patreon members.

Speaker 5: At CSP, we work with OEM engineers across the country on their journeys to lighter, safer, and more eco friendly vehicles.

Learn more at vcsp dot com.

Speaker 2: Performance that shines even in the rain. That's what really matters.

Rich don't pretends to tires, improved grip and wet conditions

About this episode

Tesla is reportedly developing a smaller, entry-level compact EV/CUV, with a reduced battery and single-motor setup, and supplier outreach now tied to both human controls and robotaxi-ready hardware. China’s passenger market is cooling, pushing automakers to rely on exports. Ford’s aluminum woes could drive a return to steel for the next F-150. Kia’s investor update calls for heavier spending through 2029, delayed software-defined vehicle plans, and a push into hybrids, vans, and a new mid-size pickup. Other highlights include Windrows’ first U.S. delivery of a Tesla Semi-like E700 and GM’s Medal of Honor vehicle auction.

Alex Partners anti vibration components Barrett Jackson brake lines Bridgestone Solutions can’t be driven on public roads charging partner compact CUV Cooper's Standard CSP

Chevrolet Colorado Dodge Ram Ford Ranger Honda Ridgeline Hyundai Santa Cruz Jeep Gladiator Nissan Frontier Tesla Semi Toyota Tacoma

Original notes

- Tesla Developing All-New Compact CUV - China New Car Sales Fall, But Exports Surge - Ford F-150 May Return to Steel After Tariff Denial - BYD Plans to Have 20 Canadian Dealerships - Cooper Standard Stock Jumps on Positive Guidance - Kia Entering Busy U.S. Mid-Size Pickup Segment - China's Windrose Delivers 1st EV Semi in the U.S. - GM to Auction 1st Military Vehicle to the Public

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