AI-powered vehicle descriptions use machine learning to generate or optimize listing text for online ads and dealer websites. In automotive retail, this can improve engagement by making listings clearer, more consistent, and faster to produce at scale.
V-Auto is a software tool that helps car dealers find, price, and describe vehicles more efficiently. It’s made by Cox Automotive, a big company that provides data and tools for the auto industry.
Volkswagen is discussed alongside Rivian and EV technology, with the company praising Rivian’s tech while being vague about when it will appear in VW vehicles. This matters because VW’s EV platform and software decisions influence product timing and competitive positioning.
“Fuel and maintenance” savings refers to the idea that EVs can reduce both energy costs (electricity vs gasoline) and some maintenance items due to fewer moving parts and different wear patterns. The exact savings depend on local electricity pricing, driving habits, and how each vehicle is maintained.
Used EV inventory refers to the supply of previously owned electric vehicles available for sale. Growing used EV inventory can improve affordability and selection, which can lower barriers for shoppers who want EV benefits without new-car pricing.
This is when a car’s important features are controlled more by software than by separate hardware modules. It can make it easier to add new features later and update the car over time.
Some cars are built so their features run on software that can be updated later. That means the car can get better over time instead of staying the same forever.
Automakers test in both hot and cold weather to make sure everything works reliably. For electric cars, temperature can change how the battery and systems behave.
Fragmented data means the dealer’s information is scattered in different places and can’t be easily combined. That makes it harder to make confident decisions.
Dealers look at things like what customers want (demand signals), how much cars should cost (pricing), and whether they can buy cars at good prices (acquisition opportunities).
Body-on-frame means the car has a strong “skeleton” frame underneath, and the body sits on top. It’s common on trucks because it’s built to handle rough use and heavy work.
Jeep is mentioned as one of the brands that already dominates the kind of vehicle Hyundai is moving toward. It’s known for rugged, adventure-focused models.
Toyota is called out as another brand that’s been strong in the same general vehicle category. Hyundai is trying to compete with that kind of reputation.
They’re giving a target date: by 2030, Hyundai says it plans to bring a body-on-frame pickup truck to market. That helps listeners understand when this direction might become real.
Focus groups are small groups of people who give feedback on what they want from a vehicle. Hyundai is using them to learn what buyers expect before deciding on the final powertrain.
This phrase means the company is saying the vehicle is made and developed in the U.S. It’s partly about jobs and partly about making the product for American buyers.
Retooling a plant means updating the factory so it can build a different kind of car. If the vehicle is built differently (like body-on-frame), the factory usually needs new equipment and steps.
“Ground up” means they’d design and build it starting from the beginning, not by reusing an existing setup. That usually takes more time, but it can better match what they want.
A concept car is like a preview of what a company might build in the future. Sometimes the final production car keeps parts of the concept’s design or ideas.
They’re saying Hyundai plans to bring a lot of new or refreshed vehicles to North America over the next several years. It’s basically their roadmap for how often they’ll update the lineup.
They mention Montgomery, Alabama because that’s where the factory is. Where a factory is located affects shipping, costs, and how quickly they can change what they build.
“EV demand has softened” means sales growth for battery-electric vehicles is slowing compared with earlier expectations. This can happen due to pricing, interest rates, charging availability, or consumer hesitation, which then influences automakers’ production decisions.
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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.
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
decisions. They're looking at market data, demand signals, pricing, and acquisition opportunities
together. So every move is more informed and more intentional. When inventory is managed end to end,
teams spend less time reacting and more time acting. They can see what's selling, what's
stalling, and where the next opportunity is coming from. That clarity helps reduce aging,
improve turn, and protect profitability. The right vehicles are out there. The difference is
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,
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About this episode
Rising gas prices near $4.15 a gallon are sharpening the EV cost case, with one advocacy group claiming big annual savings from switching—while Audi workers push back against hinted additional job cuts beyond a previously agreed plan. Volkswagen’s Rivian partnership is praised for delivering software-defined vehicle tech, but timing for when drivers will actually see it in VW models remains vague. Hyundai CEO Randy Parker then details the “Bolder” concept, a body-on-frame direction aimed at a new mid-size pickup segment, emphasizing customer research, flexible powertrain plans, and U.S. localization plus a pivot to hybrids at its Alabama plant.
