April 7, 2026 | Hyundai's Randy Parker on Boulder concept; Gas prices boost EV economics

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Welcome to Daily Drive.

For Tuesday, April 7th, 2026, I'm Kellan Walker in Las Vegas.

Today on the show, gas prices are almost $4.15 a gallon.

Widening the economic advantage for EVs.

Audi workers push back as execs hint at more job cuts.

And Volkswagen praises Rivian's tech.

But gets vague when you ask when drivers will be able to use it in VW cars.

Plus, Hyundai Motor North America CEO Randy Parker

talks about the brand's new bolder concept and more.

Even with our EV and hybrid sales, you know,

we're conquesting a lot of business because of those products.

And so we expect that to continue with VW trucks as well.

Let's run through all the news you need to know to keep up in the auto industry.

Gasoline prices have climbed more than 30% since late February

due to the Iran War, hitting an average of $4.14 a gallon.

The spike is widening the economic advantage for EVs.

Seattle-based environmental advocacy group, Cultura,

says the average US driver could now save more than $1,800 a year on fuel and maintenance

by switching to an electric vehicle.

Cultura policy director, Rob Sargent, says growing used EV inventory

is making electric vehicles more affordable than ever.

He warns that resistance to EVs could cost Americans more at the pump

and erode US competitiveness.

Audi workers thought they had a deal.

Last year, they agreed to cut 7,500 jobs by 2029

in exchange for 8 billion euros in investments.

But now CEO, Garenaud Dolner, is hinting at even more cuts.

But leaders of Audi's Works Council aren't having it.

They say workers are holding up their end of the bargain.

Now it's management's turn to deliver on those promised investments.

Adding fuel to the fire, Audi may not build a successor to its A8 flagship

at its Necker-Sohm plant.

And Volkswagen Group of America CEO, Shell Gruner, is praising the automaker's

joint venture with Rivian, saying it's delivering the technology VW needs,

but he wouldn't say when US vehicles will actually get it.

The partnership completed winter testing this year on reference vehicles,

including the ID Everyone, which won't be sold here.

Joining me now to talk about it is our own Jack Wallsworth,

who covers Volkswagen Group and its brands for us at Automotive News.

Jack, welcome back to Daily Drive.

Hey, Cal, good to be here.

VW has committed to pay nearly $6 billion in this joint venture.

What does this software-defined architecture actually do differently

than what's in VW vehicles today?

Yeah, so when this Toyota was first announced, Volkswagen Group said

the partnership would help accelerate the rollout of software-defined vehicles,

and what that looks like in more real-life terms is probably highly automated driving

features and what they're calling advanced infotainment solutions that can be

updated throughout the life via over-there updates.

So what that looks like if you're a driver, a passenger, it's probably

a little bit snappier infotainment, better tech,

and probably just an overall better technology experience.

I think a common complaint with Volkswagen infotainments is that they can be kind of laggy,

kind of slow, not the most responsive.

In the ID4 launch, that was a kind of a key negative point about that car,

and Volkswagen, to their credit, have tried to fix that,

but it seems like they're really aiming to just provide a better

experience for the passenger, for the driver.

I think that's one thing that people seem to like about Rivians.

That's commentary we've seen with the reviews,

is that their software, their infotainment is really good,

and so I think Volkswagen Group is just trying to replicate that

with the help of Rivian, basically.

Well, what's the holdup? What do they actually need to work out

before they deploy the software in their vehicles?

Yes, I think it's a little nuanced. I mean, part of it is just the way the product

rollouts are lining up. For the Volkswagen brand, they're going to start with the

production version of the ID Everyone, which the US market isn't getting,

but Europe will get that car, and that's supposed to be about 2027.

For the US, it's not so much that there's a holdup,

but I think it's just the way that the product plans are playing out.

The software is aimed for EVs. Volkswagen brand doesn't really have any new EVs coming here in

the US for a couple of years, but Audi and Scout will probably get the software first

that could be sooner than the Volkswagen brand,

but I think there's still quite a bit of R&D to do with the Joint Venture.

They've talked that Rivian and Volkswagen Groups still need to do some training,

across all their brands, to make sure everyone's ready to go.

So it does still look like some of the first Volkswagen Group products with the tech will

be in 2027. It just won't be in the US market for the Volkswagen brand.

We should be finding out more in the near future, but definitely more to come.

They just surpassed what they're calling a milestone in March,

with some completion of some winter testing. I'd imagine they're going to be more testing,

whether it's hot or cold temperatures in the near term, but definitely more to come.

Perfect. Jack, as always, thank you so much for joining me.

Yep, anytime. Thanks, Cole.

Coming up, Hyundai Motor North America CEO Randy Parker talks about the brand's new

bolder concept and its big push into body-on-frame vehicles. That's next on Daily Drive.

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Find out more and apply at AutoNews.com.

Running a dealership today isn't just about finding the right cars. It's about finding

the right cars consistently, efficiently, and at the right price while the market keeps shifting

around you. Inventory management has become more complex. Vehicles come from more sources,

margins are tighter, and every buying decision carries more risk than it used to. Yet too often,

inventory decisions are still made with fragmented data, disconnected tools,

and limited visibility into what's actually working. The most successful dealerships are

approaching inventory differently. They're managing it as a system, not a series of one-off

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together. So every move is more informed and more intentional. When inventory is managed end to end,

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having a smarter, more connected way to find them, price them, and move them. Learn how dealerships

are rethinking inventory management with the auto, and what a more confident, data-driven approach

can do for your business. Welcome back to Daily Drive. I'm Kellen Walker.

At the New York International Auto Show last week, Hyundai unveiled the bolder concept,

signaling the brand's ambitious move into body-on-frame vehicles. It's a major strategic

shift for Hyundai, taking aim at a segment long dominated by competitors like Jeep and Toyota.

Automotive news deputy editor Lindsey Van Hully spoke with Randy Parker, CEO of Hyundai Motor

North America. They talk about what inspired the bolder concept, how it fits into Hyundai's

broader product strategy, and what this move means for the brand's future in the US.

Randy Parker, welcome to Daily Drive. Thank you. Thanks for having me.

So you had a reveal today, a global reveal on the stage, the bolder concept. Tell us about it and

really what the inspiration is behind it, knowing that Hyundai has said it's making this big move

into body-on-frame vehicles. But first, let me just say that today has been a very exciting day

for the Hyundai brand. It started at breakfast this morning with the IONIQ 6N, winning the

World Performance Car of the Year. So that's where it all got started. And then, of course,

we launched the bolder concept, which you see out on stage. And what a great morning. The bolder

concept is basically our design future of tomorrow. And it's our entry into body-on-frame trucks.

And what bolder really represents is the possibilities of us going into body-on-frame

are endless. And that's really what we tried to get across today. But by 2030, we've already said

that we are going to be bringing in a body-on-frame pickup truck. So showcasing the SUV first is a

good way for us to tease what the future could potentially look like.

You know, knowing it's a design study, it does look sort of production ready. Is it

something that we might see the bolder vehicle in some production form down the road?

Well, if I told you that, I'd have to kill you. But I would say that, again, the possibility is

very endless. I can't give away too many secrets today. But if you just take a really good look

at what that body-on-frame SUV looks like, I think it's going to give you a really good indication

of what the future could be.

Jose Munoz was saying to reporters afterward that it's sort of powertrain agnostic right now,

that it wasn't sort of specified in that something like that could potentially be

in multiple different powertrains. Does the bolder concept have a specific powertrain now,

or do you see it potentially being something that could be internal combustion, electric,

hybrid, some combination?

Yeah, it could be all of the above. What we're really trying to do right now is try to do

things the right way by listening to our customer. And we're going through many, many,

as you can imagine, focus groups to better understand what are consumers' expectations

in this space, whether it's powertrain, full of fuel efficiency, capability, performance.

We're really right now focused on learning from the customer, meeting customer expectations,

and then we'll decide which powertrain direction and derivatives we want to go in.

The customer expectation piece is something that you and the other executives today sort of

highlighted as the reason for wanting to move into body-on-frame. It is a new segment for Hyundai

here in the US. And I guess talk about what you're hearing from customers and how that really

inspired the brand to want to move in this direction. Why that's an important opportunity?

Sure. Well, customers have been telling us for a very, very long time that they like our portfolio,

but they want to see more. They absolutely want to see more. And so we've made a decision to enter

a very competitive segment. We know it's highly, highly competitive. We're not taking that lightly.

And so as I said, we want to try and do things the right way. We want to listen to our customers

first, do a lot of research. That way, we are ahead of the curve, opposed to behind the curve when

we launch. And that's the midsize pickup segment specifically, right? Specifically, correct.

When you think about other applications of it, looking at off-road utility, for instance,

with the Boulder concept, where do you see the white space opportunities and how do you think

that body-on-frame approach is going to help Hyundai differentiate there?

Well, I think it's going to give us a new entry that we can play in. It's going to bring in

different types of buyers that we've never experienced before. We're seeing that right

now, even with our EV and hybrid sales, we're conquesting a lot of business because of those

products. And so we expect that to continue with body-on-frame trucks as well.

So I know the announcement today was that they're going to be built, designed in America,

built in America. You heard that, right?

Do you have you said, I know, I think the announcement today was that it would include the

meta-plant here in the US, but there were other facilities.

We haven't made any announcements in terms of where just yet, but you're 100% correct.

Those products will be, I should say, that product will be designed in America,

developed for America, and built in America with American Hyundai Steel.

That product being the Boulder concept or the mid-size pickup?

That product being the mid-size pickup.

To do that, then you'd obviously have to do some retooling of a plant to be able to have that

body-on-frame capacity there. Is there a place, meta-plant seems like it might have the capacity

to do that? Is that something that you're looking at or that would have to be part of that approach?

Yeah. So right now we're exploring everything, so including the meta-plant, but we haven't made

any firm decisions in terms of exactly where we're going to produce that pickup truck.

Okay. I know, I think Kia has the Tasman pickup outside of the US that's body-on-frame.

Are there ways to be able to bring in some of that technology that the group has already kind of

deployed elsewhere to be able to use that here? Or is it something that you think would be developed

completely ground up? I think it's going to be completely ground up.

In what ways, I guess, can you elaborate on that? Not at this point in time. No,

it's too early. We're still a few years away. Right now, like I said, what we're trying to do

is do things the right way by listening to our consumer, understanding their expectations,

from a powertrain perspective, from a capability perspective, from a design perspective,

and from a performance perspective. And so once we feel like we've got it right,

then we'll start to execute and provide more feedback in terms of powertrain and what the

future might look like. When we think about concepts, sometimes you'll see them ultimately

down the road in kind of production form, or maybe elements of a concept might show up

across a production lineup. But you've identified the boulder really as the vision

of where the body-on-frame portfolio is going to go. When you think about that, if it may be the

boulder today, how might we think about how that might translate down the road to those future

production vehicles? Well, as we mentioned today during the presentation, going body-on-frame

provides us with endless possibilities in terms of which direction we can go in, whether it's a

pickup truck, whether it's an SUV. But right now, we're focused on producing the best pickup truck

that we can. And then we'll see what the future holds after that. But yeah, going bought a body-on-frame

gives us many different directions that we can pivot in. And you've talked to about

mix of different body types and mix of different powertrains. How has that strategy helped Hyundai

right now, given a lot of the evolution we've seen in the market, a lot of changing demand,

regulation, policy that's kind of changing the type of mix that's out there? How does that

multiple strategy approach help? Well, having a full platform of product, I think, is what's

really fueled our success. We can pivot just about in any direction that the consumer wants to go,

whether it's ice, whether it's hybrid, whether it's a plug-in hybrid, whether it's a hydrogen

propulsion, or whether it's an EV. And I'm very proud of the fact that we've got a seat for every

purse, basically. And I think that's what's really fueled our success. And I think having a very

balanced product portfolio is what will at least give you a chance in the marketplace.

You know, that mid-sized pickup is one, I think, of what will be 36 new or, I think,

updated vehicles here for North America between now and the end of the decade.

You know, is that part of the $26 billion in investment that you've announced previously

as well, or is that in addition to it? No, that's part of the $26 billion investment,

including the steel mill in the great state of Louisiana that will also provide close to

2,000 jobs in the future. But yeah, that's all part of that $26 billion investment in localizing

production. Talk about that both from the scale of the investment, but also the cadence of the

product lineup that you have. I mean, 36 new vehicles over the next five years is a pretty

significant cadence. And when you think about what that means for you and kind of what your

strategy is, segments maybe you want to be in. I know there are new ones that you'll be entering,

just the importance of that localized investment for you as well.

Well, a big part of that is localizing production. I mean, that's really what we're

focused on right now. And by 2030, we want to have at least 80% of our production localized.

You know, in terms of the products themselves, and as far as the 36 new builds that are coming,

a lot of them are going to replace some of the existing models, and then a few will also be

new models such as body on frame. And so, again, I think just having a very balanced approach and

balanced product portfolio is what will help us succeed in the marketplace.

Well, all of that production be in the U.S., or is it North America specific? Do you see,

when you're looking at where that investment is going, how much of that is in the U.S. versus

North America? Right now, we're focused on the U.S. in terms of 80% localized by 2030.

And do you have the capacity now to do that, or is that going to take additional

just retooling and plant capacity investments? Well, with the existing

meta-plant facility, right now, we've got the ability to produce up to 300 cars,

300,000 cars in phase one, up to 500,000 cars in phase two. And between that facility,

between our facility in Montgomery, Alabama, we will get very, very close to having 80%

localized. And we're exploring some other opportunities as well.

There was an announcement, I think, today about increased production coming or another vehicle,

I think, coming to the meta-plant soon. Can you elaborate on what's next for that?

Sure. Sure. Yeah. So in the fall of this year, Hyundai Motor Group will start producing hybrids

out of that plant. It was originally an all EV plant. It was. Is that pivot partly just recognizing

that maybe EV demand has softened a bit and that your hybrid growth has increased pretty

significantly? Absolutely. We want to meet the customer on their journey to electrification.

We still think that EV is the way of the future. But right now, because of government regulations

and because of all the changes that have taken place, we're pivoting very, very quickly to

produce hybrids in that plant. And again, we want to meet the customer on their journey to

electrification. And I think one of the biggest competitive advantages that we have is that we're

able to pivot very, very quickly and meet consumer demand no matter where they go.

Hyundai Motor North America CEO Randy Parker spoke with our own Lindsey Van Hully at the

New York International Auto Show. That's daily drive for today. I'm Kellen Walker. Thanks to

Automotive News executive producer Jake Neer, as well as our own Jack Wallsworth for his reporting

for today's podcast. We also had reporting from Lois Jones and Frank Volk of our sibling publications

Automotive News Europe and Automobile Volca. You can get the latest news on electric vehicles,

Hyundai's product strategy and everything happening in the auto industry at AutoNews.com.

Come back tomorrow for a conversation with Christian Munier, chairman of Nissan Americas.

The momentum is back in, but we still have a lot of work to do on the free cash flow especially

so that we generate free cash flow positive as soon as possible. We'd love to hear from you.

Let us know what you think of the show and the topics we cover today. Send us an email at daily

drive at AutoNews.com or leave us a voicemail at 313-444-2774. And if you enjoy the podcast,

remember to like, leave a review, and subscribe so you never miss an episode.

April 7, 2026 | Hyundai's Randy Parker on Boulder concept; Gas prices boost EV economics

About this episode

AI-powered vehicle descriptions

V-Auto by Cox Automotive

gas prices

Volkswagen

fuel and maintenance savings

used EV inventory

Audi A8

Rivian

software-defined architecture

software-defined vehicles

over-there updates

EVs

hot or cold temperatures

fragmented data

market data, demand signals, pricing, and acquisition opportunities

body-on-frame vehicles

Jeep

Toyota

by 2030

focus groups

white space opportunities

built, designed in America

retooling of a plant

completely ground up

concepts

EV

36 new or updated vehicles here for North America between now and the end of the decade

localizing production

Montgomery, Alabama

hybrids

EV demand has softened

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