AD #4293 - Toyota North America Loses Money Despite Record Sales; Auto Groups Urge Trump to Save USMCA; Tesla Semi Battery Specs Revealed
About this episode
Automakers and suppliers are urging the Trump administration to keep USMCA in place, even as legal challenges to certain U.S. tariffs continue. Tesla also remains in the spotlight: the hosts say a California Air Resources Board document revealed Tesla Semi battery and range figures, and they discuss reports that Tesla’s 4680 cells are underperforming versus earlier supplier cells. Elsewhere, BMW is rolling out pre-chamber ignition on its inline-six M models, while the show closes with sponsor talk about electrification and supply-chain reinvention.
tariffs
"Trump imposed across the board ten percent terraffs, using section one twenty two to justify them, but that section specifically exempts cars, truck's components, and any goods that qualify for the USMCA Trade Pact."
Tariffs are extra taxes on imported products. If tariffs hit car parts or vehicles, they can raise costs and make it harder for manufacturers to plan production.
Tariffs are taxes governments place on imported goods. Here, the discussion is about whether specific tariff rules apply to cars, trucks, and their components, and how that could disrupt pricing and supply chains.
USMCA Trade Pact
"And speaking of the USMCA, automakers and suppliers are very worried that Trump administration wants to get rid of it, and they're practically begging him to keep it in place."
USMCA is a trade deal between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. It matters for car companies because it affects how easily car parts can cross borders to build and sell vehicles.
USMCA is the United States–Mexico–Canada trade agreement that sets rules for how cars and parts move across North America with fewer trade barriers. In this segment, the hosts connect it to automakers’ ability to keep North American supply chains running efficiently.
Tesla Model Y
"There's a lot of Testla news today, and first up, the twenty twenty six Model Why is the first vehicle to pass nitz's new Advanced Driver Assistant System test."
The Tesla Model Y is an electric SUV/crossover. In this episode, it’s important because it passed a safety test for driver-assistance features like automatic braking and lane help.
Tesla Model Y is an electric crossover that’s become a major volume seller, and it’s notable here because it’s the first 2026 model-year vehicle to pass a new ADAS test. The segment highlights specific driver-assistance functions like emergency braking and lane keeping.
Advanced Driver Assistant System test
"The test, which started for the twenty twenty six model year, is part of the agency's five Star New Cars testment program."
ADAS tests check how good a car’s safety tech is, like warnings and automatic braking. Passing means the system performed well in the test scenarios.
An Advanced Driver Assistant System (ADAS) test evaluates how well a car’s driver-assistance features perform in real-world scenarios. In this segment, it’s tied to Tesla’s Model Y passing an agency test for the 2026 model year.
pedestrian automatic emergency braking
"The aight S test evaluates more basic assistance functions like pedestrian automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, blind spot warning, and blind spot intervention."
This is a feature that can spot a person in the road and automatically brake if the driver doesn’t react in time. The goal is to help avoid a crash or reduce how bad it is.
Pedestrian automatic emergency braking is a safety system that detects pedestrians and can apply the brakes automatically to reduce the severity of a crash. It’s one of the “basic assistance functions” mentioned as being evaluated in the ADAS test.
lane keeping assist
"The aight S test evaluates more basic assistance functions like pedestrian automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, blind spot warning, and blind spot intervention."
Lane keeping assist helps the car stay in its lane. If you start drifting, it can nudge the steering to bring you back.
Lane keeping assist helps keep the vehicle centered in its lane by using steering inputs when lane markings are detected. It’s typically designed to reduce unintentional lane departures.
blind spot warning
"The aight S test evaluates more basic assistance functions like pedestrian automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, blind spot warning, and blind spot intervention."
Blind spot warning is a system that alerts you when a car is in your blind spot. It helps you avoid changing lanes into another vehicle.
Blind spot warning alerts the driver when another vehicle is detected in an area that’s hard to see. It’s usually triggered by sensors monitoring adjacent lanes.
blind spot intervention
"The aight S test evaluates more basic assistance functions like pedestrian automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, blind spot warning, and blind spot intervention."
Blind spot intervention is like blind spot warning, but it can also help prevent a bad lane change. If you try to move into a spot with a car there, the system may step in.
Blind spot intervention is an active safety feature that can take action—such as applying steering or braking assistance—when the system detects a vehicle in the blind spot and the driver is about to make a risky lane change. It goes beyond warning by trying to prevent the collision.
Tesla Model 3
"According to the China Passenger Car Association, deliveries of the Model three and Wide built at at Shanghai plant were just shy of seventy nine th five hundred units, up thirty six percent from a year ago."
The Tesla Model 3 is an electric car. The episode uses its China delivery numbers to show Tesla’s sales momentum improving.
Tesla Model 3 is a mass-market electric sedan, and it’s central to the segment’s China sales update. The hosts cite delivery figures for Model 3 built at Tesla’s Shanghai plant and discuss how deliveries are trending upward.
kilowatt hour battery pack
"The Standard range version features a five hundred and four dy eight kilowad hour battery pack and has a power output of five hundred and twenty five kilowatts..."
A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is basically how much energy is stored in the battery. More kWh usually means the vehicle can go farther, depending on efficiency.
A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a measure of battery energy capacity—how much electrical energy the battery can store. In the Semi specs, the kWh figure helps explain potential range and how much energy the truck can draw during driving.
Tesla Semi
"Tesla has never revealed battery specs for its semi but now we know thanks to an official document from the California Air Resources Board. The Standard range version features a five hundred and four dy eight kilowad hour battery pack..."
Tesla Semi is an electric big rig (heavy truck). The episode shares new battery and range numbers from a government document, which helps you understand how far it can go and how much energy it uses.
Tesla Semi is an electric heavy-duty truck, and this segment is notable because it finally reveals battery and efficiency details. The hosts cite a California Air Resources Board document with battery pack capacity, power output, energy consumption, and maximum range for the standard-range version.
kilowatts
"The Standard range version features a five hundred and four dy eight kilowad hour battery pack and has a power output of five hundred and twenty five kilowatts..."
Kilowatts are a measure of how much power the vehicle can produce. Higher power generally means the truck can work harder, like climbing hills or accelerating.
Kilowatts (kW) measure power output—how quickly the vehicle can use energy. The Semi’s stated kW figure relates to how much power it can deliver, which affects acceleration and grade-climbing ability.
energy consumption of one point seven kilowad hours per mile
"The Standard range version features a five hundred and four dy eight kilowad hour battery pack and has a power output of five hundred and twenty five kilowatts with an average energy consumption of one point seven kilowad hours per mile."
This tells you how efficiently the truck uses electricity. If it uses fewer kWh per mile, it can usually travel farther on the same battery.
Energy consumption expressed as kWh per mile is an efficiency metric: it tells you how much battery energy is used to travel a given distance. Lower kWh/mile generally means better efficiency and, for a fixed battery size, more range.
maximum range
"Its maximum range is three hundred and twenty two miles. The Long Range model comes"
Maximum range is the estimated distance the EV can go on a full battery. It helps you plan trips and charging stops.
Maximum range is the furthest distance the vehicle is rated to travel on a full charge under specified test conditions. It’s a key EV spec because it determines how often you’ll need charging on routes.
electric reports they're not performing as promised
"Both versions use the company's forty six eighty battery cells, and speaking of those cells, electric reports they're not performing as promised."
They’re saying the battery cells don’t do as well as Tesla promised. That matters because it can reduce range and make charging slower or worse.
The segment is discussing battery-cell performance claims not matching real-world results. In EVs, cell performance affects energy density, charging behavior, and ultimately range.
battery cells
"Both versions use the company's forty six eighty battery cells, and speaking of those cells, electric reports they're not performing as promised."
Battery cells are the individual pieces inside the big battery pack. If the cells don’t perform well, the whole car’s range and charging can suffer.
Battery cells are the individual electrochemical units inside an EV battery pack. Cell-level performance (like energy density and charging behavior) directly affects the pack’s overall range and charging speed.
charging performance
"However, the forty six eighty cells are delivering lower energy density, worst charging performance, and less range than cells Tesla used from suppliers like Panasonic and LG."
Charging performance is how fast and how well the battery takes power during charging. Some batteries charge quickly, while others slow down sooner.
Charging performance describes how well a battery accepts charge—how quickly it can charge and how consistently it does so. It’s influenced by cell chemistry, thermal management, and internal resistance.
energy density
"However, the forty six eighty cells are delivering lower energy density, worst charging performance, and less range than cells Tesla used from suppliers like Panasonic and LG."
Energy density is how much “battery power” fits into the battery. If it’s lower, you usually get less driving range.
Energy density is how much electrical energy a battery can store for a given weight or volume. Lower energy density generally means less range for the same battery size.
lap record
"But it's not all bad news for Portia. It just set the lap record for an electric sedan on the nurburg Ring"
A lap record is the best time someone has set for one full lap on a track. It’s a way to compare how fast a car can go under similar conditions.
A lap record is the fastest time achieved for a single circuit around a specific track configuration. It’s commonly used to benchmark performance, aero, and traction in a controlled setting.
downforce
"For the first time, the automaker is offering a Manthe Kit on an electric car which more than triples the downforce of the Tikon, but not just the base tikon the top of the line Turbogt version with the Wysock package"
Downforce is the “push down” from the air that helps the tires grip the road. More downforce usually means better cornering at speed.
Downforce is the downward aerodynamic force that increases tire grip at speed. More downforce typically improves cornering traction, which is why aero kits can help lap times.
Porsche Tikon
"... car which more than triples the downforce of the Tikon, but not just the base tikon the top of the line ..."
The Porsche Taycan is an electric car with a focus on performance. Because it’s built for speed, its shape and airflow are important for keeping it stable on the road. The podcast is bringing it up because it’s known for strong aerodynamic behavior, including downforce.
The Porsche Taycan is an all-electric performance sedan designed to deliver strong acceleration and high-speed stability. It’s significant in discussions about aerodynamics because electric performance cars often rely on careful airflow management to maintain grip and efficiency. In your podcast context, it’s mentioned in relation to downforce and aerodynamic performance.
Bmw M
"... M two, U three, and M four. The company calls it BMW m Ignite, and there's two spark plugs per cylinder ..."
The BMW M Coupe (E36) is a sporty two-door BMW made for performance. It’s based on the E36 generation of BMWs and was built with an emphasis on how the engine runs. The podcast mentions its ignition setup—how it fires the spark plugs—to highlight what makes it different.
The BMW M Coupe (E36) is a performance-focused two-door model from BMW’s M division, based on the E36-generation platform. It’s often discussed for its high-revving character and distinctive engineering details, including the way its ignition system is described in your excerpt. That kind of technical talk is common when enthusiasts compare how different M models are built and tuned.
pre chamber ignition
"BMW is introducing pre chamber ignition technology to its inline six cylinder engine that goes into the M two, U three, and M four."
Pre-chamber ignition is a new way to start the engine’s combustion. It helps the engine burn fuel more efficiently and can improve power and smoothness.
Pre-chamber ignition uses a small auxiliary combustion chamber near the main cylinder to start the burn more reliably. That can improve efficiency and performance by creating a more controlled, faster ignition process.
two spark plugs per cylinder
"and there's two spark plugs per cylinder in each one has its own ignition system. One of those spark plugs has what kind of looks like a dome screwed over it with a number of little holes near its top."
Instead of one spark plug, this design uses two per cylinder. One helps ignite a small “starter” chamber so the main combustion happens more reliably.
Using two spark plugs per cylinder is a key part of the pre-chamber system: one plug ignites in the pre-chamber and the other supports ignition in the main chamber. This architecture helps create a more robust ignition event under a wider range of operating conditions.
Honda Civic
"...used it in a version of the nineteen seventy five Civic to pass the US emission tests. Formula one has us..."
The Honda Civic is a small car made by Honda, and it has existed for decades. In the 1970s, some versions were adjusted to help meet U.S. emissions test requirements. That’s why it comes up in discussions about how cars were changed to pass emissions rules.
The Honda Civic is a compact car that’s been produced in many generations since the 1970s, making it a frequent subject when discussing emissions and regulatory changes. In the context you provided, it’s being referenced as part of a 1975-era Civic approach used to help meet U.S. emission testing requirements. That kind of historical detail is often discussed because it shows how manufacturers adapted engines and calibrations to comply with new rules.
Request an Explanation
Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.
Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.
Want to learn more?
Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.
Help improve this episode
See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark. Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.