AD #4337 - Honda Considers New North American Plant; UAW Federal Oversight Could Be Extended; EVs Outsell All Other Powertrains in Germany

AD #4337 - Honda Considers New North American Plant; UAW Federal Oversight Could Be Extended; EVs Outsell All Other Powertrains in Germany Autoline Daily · Jul 20, 2026

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Concept

federal oversight

Federal oversight means the government is watching an organization closely because of legal issues. Here, it’s about monitoring the union after a corruption case, and it may continue longer.

Term

joint venture partnerships

A joint venture is when two companies team up to run a project together. In car manufacturing, it usually means they share factories and sales in a certain country.

Topic

Honda North America capacity planning

They talk about how busy Honda’s factories are in North America and why that matters for future car supply. The idea is that if factories are too close to full, Honda may want more capacity.

Company

Intrepid

Intrepid is a company that provides software and testing tools for car makers. They help with things like collecting vehicle data and running simulations so new vehicle systems can be validated.

Term

data logging

Data logging means recording information from the car while it’s being tested. Engineers use that saved data to understand what happened and improve the system.

Term

Simulation is using computer models to mimic how vehicle systems behave without building every physical prototype. It helps teams test scenarios, validate designs, and reduce time and cost before real-world testing.

Term

gateway capabilities

A gateway is like a traffic controller for car electronics. It helps different computer systems in the car share information correctly.

Term

Coovi Cloud platform

Coovi is a named software platform that’s described as running in the cloud. The point is to support real-time vehicle development and testing using connected computing.

Term

remote update deployment

Remote update deployment is when a car gets software updates wirelessly. You don’t have to take it to a shop to install the update.

Term

fleet testing

Fleet testing means testing cars in the real world using a group of vehicles. Instead of just testing in a lab, they watch how the cars behave during everyday driving.

Brand

Tesla

Tesla is a company that makes electric cars. Here, the host says Tesla helped increase EV sales in Germany.

Brand

Hyundai

Hyundai is a car company that sells electric vehicles too. The host is using Hyundai’s sales numbers to compare EV performance against other brands.

Brand

Rivian

Rivian makes electric vehicles. In this segment, the host mentions Rivian’s sales ranking in Germany.

Brand

Chevrolet

Chevrolet is a car brand that also sells electric models. The host is comparing its EV registration numbers to other brands.

Term

Pure EVs

Pure EVs are fully electric cars that don’t use gasoline. They only run on electricity stored in the battery.

Term

power train type

Powertrain types are the different ways cars get their power. For example, some cars are fully electric, some use gasoline, and some mix systems.

Term

hybrid

Hybrids use two power sources, usually a gasoline engine and an electric motor. The car can use electricity to help save fuel, especially in stop-and-go driving.

Term

diesels

Diesels are vehicles powered by diesel engines, which use compression ignition rather than spark ignition. In Europe, diesel demand has been under pressure for years due to emissions regulations and shifting consumer preferences.

Term

rare earth exports

Rare earth exports are shipments of key materials used in lots of modern technology. If those exports get restricted, factories that need those materials can be delayed or face higher costs.

Term

rare earth magnets

Rare earth magnets are special strong magnets used in many electric motors. If countries restrict exports of the materials, it can make it harder and more expensive to build EVs.

Brand

Aston Martin

Aston Martin is a British company that makes luxury sports cars. The host says the company is struggling with demand and delays, and is trying to secure money to keep operating.

Term

liquidity

Liquidity means having enough cash and short-term funding to keep the business running. If a company’s liquidity gets tight, it may need outside financing to avoid running out of money.

Term

drop down

A drop-down is a legal/financial move where a company shifts certain assets into a separate structure. The goal is often to protect those assets when negotiating new funding.

LIVE

Speaker 1: This is Outoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry. The Department of Justice's investigation into

UAW President Sean Fain could lead to an extension of the union's federal oversight. It was put under federal watch

for six years as part of its corruption scandal that included two past presidents going to prison. That oversight is

set to expire in January, but experts say it will likely be extended because of the investigation into Faane. The

monitor has accused him of seeking benefits for his fiance and her sister and retaliating against two top officials for not following his orders, which Faine denies. The UAW will

vote for a new president later this fall, but the investigation into Fane isn't expected to be resolved by then.

Like many foreign automakers, Honda is shrinking in China. The

company peaked in twenty twenty when it sold a little over one point six million vehicles, but since then, sales have dropped by roughly a million units. That's forced Honda

to adjust to meet demand. However, it's not giving up

on the Chinese market. It just signed an agreement to

extend its joint venture partnership with GAC through twenty thirty eight.

The two companies first formed a partnership in nineteen ninety eight and currently share production, sales, and service operations. Honda

also formed a joint venture with dong Funk at the same time as GAC, and that partnership currently lasts through twenty thirty three. Speaking of Honda, it already has eight

vehicle manufacturing sites in North America, but its CEO says those plans are almost full, so it's considering building another one.

Its facilities in the US, Canada and Mexico are currently operating at about ninety percent of their capacity, and Honda is worried that doesn't give it enough of a buffer.

North America accounted for forty percent of Hana's global sales last year, and CEO Toshihiro Meba told a Japanese newspaper quote, I want to increase the number of sales in North America a lot, with a goal of increasing market share along with terras. Sam Fiorani of Auto Forourcast Solutions thinks

any new capacity would almost certainly be added to the US.

We've talked a lot about how new car sales keep falling in China and the impact that's having on the industry. Now,

automotive suppliers are looking to other sectors to help offset the drop. Gascou reports that some companies have started targeting

motorcycle makers. Last year, nearly twenty two million motorcycles were

sold in China, which is actually slightly more than new car sales and represented an increase of more than ten percent.

This could also be a benefit to motorcycle makers who are looking to add new tech in higher quality parts.

Speaker 2: Ad Intrepid use 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 Coovi cloud platform provides real time

data collection, instant cloud upload, intelligent detection, advance issue analysis, root cause identification, and remote update deployment. 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: EV sales are starting to recover in the According to Mobility Global, more than ninety eight thousand evs were registered in May, a drop of zero point seven percent compared to a year ago and the smallest year over year decline in eight months. Overall, evs accounted for seven percent

of the market in May, only down point one percent from a year ago. Tesla helped boost the segment, with

registrations increasing twenty seven percent to more than fifty four thousand vehicles. Hyundai was a distant second with just over

six thousand registrations, which was also a twenty seven percent increase.

Rivian was in third place with forty six hundred registrations, just ahead of Chevrolet with forty four hundred. Speaking of

electric car sales, pure evs outsold all other powertrain types in Germany in June, the first time that's ever happened.

Just over eighty four thousand b evs were sold last month, beating out hybrids by less than one thousand units. Meanwhile,

about sixty one thousand gas cars were sold, and interestingly, p has nearly outsold diesels in Germany. Those June sales

put b EV market share at nearly thirty percent, and no doubt price along with more models are helping to fuel that growth. While the average sticker price of an

EV has gone up in Germany, if you compare evs from twenty twenty to EV's with similar options from twenty twenty five, prices have gone down by about eighteen percent when adjusting for inflation. By comparison, prices for similar ice

vehicles have gone up roughly two percent. Last year, China

started limiting exports of rare earth. After a global blowback,

it agreed to delay those restrictions, but according to a new report from Bloomberg, China is still limiting rare earth exports to the US despite the truce. Customs data shows

that exports of rare earth magnets to the US in the first half of the year were eighty percent below the average level seen between twenty twenty two and twenty twenty four. China produces ninety percent of the world's wear

earth magnets, and if it implements its full restrictions, it could have a massive impact on the auto industry. According

to the International Energy Agency, if the full controls go into effect, it will disrupt six and a half trillion dollars of production in the automotive, high tech, defense and energy industries outside of China, and half of that would impact the US. In Europe, Aston Martin is in talks

to get more funding. The British sports carmaker is struggling

with weak demand in China, product delays and US tariffs.

Aston says it's in talks with funds to help ensure it has enough liquidity to support its strategy. The funding

would be backed by Aston assets that would be placed beyond the reach of existing creditors through a transaction known as a drop down. But that brings us to the

end of today's show. Thanks for tuning in.

Speaker 3: Auto Line Daily is brought to you by alex Partners.

When it really matters, CSP, the Composites Solution Partner, Intrepid Control Systems, Over the Air Engineering, boost your game and thanks to the following YouTube and Patreon members.

Speaker 4: At CSP, we work with OEM engineers across the country on their journeys to lighter, safer, and more eco friendly vehicles.

Learn more at THECSP dot com. We act, we grow,

we transform, we protect, we rescue in moments that define the future. We are the partner you can trust

Speaker 3: Alex partners when it really matters

0:00

8:03

federal oversight

joint venture partnerships

Honda North America capacity planning

Intrepid

data logging

simulation

gateway capabilities

Coovi Cloud platform

remote update deployment

fleet testing

Tesla

Hyundai

Rivian

Chevrolet

Pure EVs

power train type

hybrid

diesels

rare earth exports

rare earth magnets

Aston Martin

liquidity

drop down

About this episode

Original notes