{"version":"1.0.0","episode":{"title":"Automakers in Panic Mode: Car Brands That Won't Survive 2026 | Episode 1019","url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/automakers-in-panic-mode-car-brands-that-won-t-survive-2026-episode-1019","audioUrl":"https://pdrl.fm/3359a6/pscrb.fm/rss/p/mgln.ai/e/1385/injector.simplecastaudio.com/14b42e71-1f9c-41b2-944f-bc8f2b3a3cb9/episodes/8be8bedc-1f5a-47e7-a543-96a4b3d08985/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=14b42e71-1f9c-41b2-944f-bc8f2b3a3cb9&awEpisodeId=8be8bedc-1f5a-47e7-a543-96a4b3d08985&feed=gkrQ6WSC","description":"Today on CarEdge Live, Ray and Zach discuss the latest data on luxury car brands that are struggling. Tune in to learn more! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com\nfor information about our collection and use of personal data for\nadvertising.\n"},"annotations":[{"startTime":103.12,"endTime":147.2,"type":"company","title":"CarEdge.com","url":"/glossary/caredge-com","quote":"Today's show is brought to you by CarEdge.com. Car site, show you frag prices. We'll get you... The way that this works, Dad, is you come on here and you can find dealers.","canonicalId":"company:caredge-com","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"CarEdge.com is an online service that helps car buyers by providing price comparisons, dealer outreach, and negotiation assistance to secure better deals on vehicles.","simplifiedExplanation":"CarEdge.com is a website that helps people buy cars by finding good prices and talking to car dealers for you, so you don't have to do it yourself."}},{"startTime":214.16,"endTime":222.4,"type":"car","title":"Ford Bronco","url":"/cars/ford/bronco","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/2022_Ford_Bronco_2.jpg","quote":"This particular vehicle, a 2022 Ford Bronco, used one. It's got no add-ons, it says, but savings.","canonicalId":"car:ford:bronco","priority":0.5,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"The Ford Bronco is a midsize SUV known for its off-road capabilities and retro-inspired design. The 2022 model marked the revival of the Bronco nameplate with modern features and rugged styling.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Ford Bronco is a type of SUV that can drive well off-road. The 2022 version brought back this popular name with new technology and a tough look.","imageAttribution":"Calreyn88 (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":231.0,"endTime":233.0,"type":"term","title":"transport fee","url":"/glossary/transport-fee","quote":"It's got an extra transport fee. This is crazy. What? Anyway, yeah, there's receipts for everything.","canonicalId":"term:transport-fee","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"A transport fee is a charge added to the price of a new vehicle to cover the cost of shipping it from the factory to the dealership. It's a common fee but can vary in amount.","simplifiedExplanation":"A transport fee is money you pay to get the car moved from where it's made to the dealer where you buy it."}},{"startTime":246.7,"endTime":248.0,"type":"brand","title":"Aston Martin","url":"/glossary/aston-martin","quote":"and in particular, some luxury automakers. Aston Martin, Dad, this morning,","canonicalId":"brand:aston-martin","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Aston Martin is a British luxury sports car manufacturer known for high-performance grand tourers and its association with the James Bond franchise.","simplifiedExplanation":"Aston Martin is a company that makes very fancy and fast cars, often seen in movies like James Bond."}},{"startTime":257.5,"endTime":259.0,"type":"brand","title":"Lucid","url":"/glossary/lucid","quote":"and Lucid, Dad. Lucid has lost $2.7 billion","canonicalId":"brand:lucid","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Lucid Motors is an American electric vehicle manufacturer focusing on luxury electric cars with long range and high performance.","simplifiedExplanation":"Lucid is a company that makes fancy electric cars that can drive far and fast."}},{"startTime":360.6,"endTime":368.2,"type":"concept","title":"luxury brands","url":"/glossary/luxury-brands","quote":"But if you are cutting out the high-end luxury customers, if they are finally begging off and saying enough is enough, that should be a warning sign for everybody. Yeah, it's not a little bit of the story here. Think of some of the brands that we've talked about recently that are in financial hardship.","canonicalId":"concept:luxury-brands","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Luxury brands in the automotive industry refer to manufacturers that produce high-end vehicles with premium materials, advanced technology, and superior comfort, often at a higher price point.","simplifiedExplanation":"Luxury brands make very fancy and expensive cars that have lots of special features and feel very comfortable."}},{"startTime":376.7,"endTime":380.2,"type":"brand","title":"Volvo","url":"/glossary/volvo","quote":"Think of some of the brands that we've talked about recently that are in financial hardship. Obviously, I just brought up three that are all luxury brands. We brought up Aston Martin, Volvo, Lucid.","canonicalId":"brand:volvo","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Volvo is a Swedish automotive brand known for its focus on safety, durability, and Scandinavian design, producing a range of vehicles from sedans to SUVs.","simplifiedExplanation":"Volvo is a car company from Sweden that makes safe and reliable cars, including family cars and SUVs."}},{"startTime":380.2,"endTime":386.0,"type":"brand","title":"Alfa Romeo","url":"/glossary/alfa-romeo","quote":"There's also Maserati, Dad. Maserati, Alfa Romeo. There are a handful of Silanthus-related brands there that are really struggling from a sales perspective, profitability perspective.","canonicalId":"brand:alfa-romeo","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Alfa Romeo is an Italian automotive brand known for sporty cars with distinctive design and driving dynamics, often blending performance and style.","simplifiedExplanation":"Alfa Romeo is a car company from Italy that makes sporty and good-looking cars."}},{"startTime":380.2,"endTime":386.0,"type":"brand","title":"Maserati","url":"/glossary/maserati","quote":"There's also Maserati, Dad. Maserati, Alfa Romeo. There are a handful of Silanthus-related brands there that are really struggling from a sales perspective, profitability perspective.","canonicalId":"brand:maserati","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer known for producing stylish and performance-oriented sports cars and sedans with Italian design flair.","simplifiedExplanation":"Maserati is a company from Italy that makes fancy and fast cars that look very stylish."}},{"startTime":401.0,"endTime":404.7,"type":"brand","title":"Lincoln","url":"/glossary/lincoln","quote":"Heck, we haven't even talked about Lincoln. Lincoln struggled mightily as well.","canonicalId":"brand:lincoln","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Lincoln is a luxury vehicle brand owned by Ford Motor Company, known for producing premium cars and SUVs primarily for the North American market.","simplifiedExplanation":"Lincoln makes fancy cars and SUVs that are more expensive and have nicer features than regular cars."}},{"startTime":429.1,"endTime":444.2,"type":"brand","title":"Nissan","url":"/glossary/nissan","quote":"non-luxury mass market brands struggle. Mitsubishi, Nissan. Yes. I mean, Nissan in particular closed seven of the worldwide manufacturing facilities because they were being underutilized. They're selling off real estate so that they can have the cash on hand to keep operating as a","canonicalId":"brand:nissan","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Nissan is a major Japanese automaker producing a wide range of vehicles globally. Recently, Nissan closed several manufacturing plants due to underutilization and is selling assets to maintain operations.","simplifiedExplanation":"Nissan is a big car company from Japan that makes lots of different cars. They had to close some factories because they weren't making enough cars there."}},{"startTime":429.1,"endTime":431.0,"type":"brand","title":"Mitsubishi","url":"/glossary/mitsubishi","quote":"non-luxury mass market brands struggle. Mitsubishi, Nissan.","canonicalId":"brand:mitsubishi","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Mitsubishi is a Japanese automotive manufacturer known for producing a range of vehicles including compact cars, SUVs, and electric vehicles.","simplifiedExplanation":"Mitsubishi is a company from Japan that makes cars and trucks you can buy."}},{"startTime":450.64,"endTime":459.8,"type":"concept","title":"mass market brands","url":"/glossary/mass-market-brands","quote":"business. So you're looking at one of the world's greatest mass market brands that for the most part produces some relatively inexpensive new cars. They're struggling.","canonicalId":"concept:mass-market-brands","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Mass market brands are automotive manufacturers that produce vehicles aimed at a broad audience, typically offering affordable and practical cars for everyday use.","simplifiedExplanation":"Mass market brands make cars that most people can buy and use every day because they are not too expensive."}},{"startTime":485.9,"endTime":492.5,"type":"concept","title":"selling vehicles at a loss","url":"/glossary/selling-vehicles-at-a-loss","quote":"where the government has said you can no longer continue to just lower the price of your vehicles and sell everything at a loss and expect us to continue to support you","canonicalId":"concept:selling-vehicles-at-a-loss","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Selling vehicles at a loss means a company sells cars for less than it costs to produce them, often to gain market share or meet sales targets, which is not sustainable long-term.","simplifiedExplanation":"Sometimes car companies sell cars for less money than it costs to make them, hoping to get more customers, but this can cause money problems."}},{"startTime":661.4,"endTime":666.3,"type":"term","title":"electric car","url":"/glossary/ev","quote":"how small do you have to make that electric car to where people are willing to buy it? And it seems as if even that small, and in the mid 30s or lower 30s, people still don't want to buy it.","canonicalId":"term:ev","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"An electric car is a vehicle powered entirely or primarily by electric motors using energy stored in batteries, rather than an internal combustion engine using gasoline or diesel.","simplifiedExplanation":"An electric car is a car that runs on electricity stored in batteries instead of gas. It doesn't need gas and is better for the environment."}},{"startTime":699.0,"endTime":703.0,"type":"brand","title":"Stellantis","url":"/glossary/stellantis","quote":"I mean, the reason Stellantis is now called Stellantis is because there's a merger of a bunch of brands, many of them obviously struggling.","canonicalId":"brand:stellantis","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Stellantis is a multinational automotive manufacturing corporation formed by the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group. It owns multiple automotive brands and is a major player in the global car industry.","simplifiedExplanation":"Stellantis is a big company that makes cars by combining several other car companies. It owns many different car brands you might know."}},{"startTime":728.0,"endTime":739.9,"type":"brand","title":"Rivian","url":"/glossary/rivian","quote":"used at Rivian, et cetera. And they continue to lose money today. Now the legacy automakers are also losing money hand over fist at the same exact time.","canonicalId":"brand:rivian","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Rivian is an American electric vehicle startup specializing in electric trucks and SUVs, focusing on adventure and utility vehicles.","simplifiedExplanation":"Rivian is a company that makes electric trucks and SUVs for outdoor activities."}},{"startTime":900.6,"endTime":906.6,"type":"term","title":"sales drop","url":"/glossary/sales-drop","quote":"...Audi expects a 13% sales drop this year in the United States...","canonicalId":"term:sales-drop","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"A sales drop means a decrease in the number of vehicles sold by a brand or company over a certain period. It can indicate market challenges or changing consumer preferences.","simplifiedExplanation":"When a car company sells fewer cars than before, that's called a sales drop. It means fewer people are buying their cars."}},{"startTime":921.0,"endTime":928.0,"type":"concept","title":"National Automobile Dealers Association","url":"/glossary/national-automobile-dealers-association","quote":"Just between you and me and the 10 or 12 people that might watch this. You were the National Automobile Dealers Association meeting in Vegas earlier this month.","canonicalId":"concept:national-automobile-dealers-association","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) is a trade organization representing car dealerships across the United States. It hosts meetings and conferences where industry trends, sales forecasts, and policies are discussed.","simplifiedExplanation":"NADA is a group that helps car dealers by sharing important news and plans about selling cars. They have meetings where dealers learn about what to expect in the car business."}},{"startTime":1037.1,"endTime":1042.1,"type":"concept","title":"dealership margin programs","url":"/glossary/dealership-margin-programs","quote":"They're in this legal battle because they've said that they were wrongfully disadvantaged by Audi of America's margin programs tied to sales.","canonicalId":"concept:dealership-margin-programs","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Dealership margin programs are incentives or policies set by manufacturers that affect the profit margins dealers make on vehicle sales. These programs can influence how dealers price cars and the bonuses they receive.","simplifiedExplanation":"These are rules or deals from car companies that affect how much money car dealers make when they sell cars. It can change the price you pay or what the dealer earns."}},{"startTime":1051.0,"endTime":1055.0,"type":"term","title":"sales projection","url":"/glossary/sales-projection","quote":"part of this dispute, legal dispute, Audi came out and they said their sales projection for 2026 is 144,000 vehicles, which should be clear as a 13% decline.","canonicalId":"term:sales-projection","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"A sales projection is an estimate made by a company about how many vehicles it expects to sell in a future period. It helps in planning production and marketing strategies.","simplifiedExplanation":"Sales projection means guessing how many cars a company thinks it will sell in the future. This helps them plan how many cars to make."}},{"startTime":1055.0,"endTime":1067.7,"type":"term","title":"sales decline","url":"/glossary/sales-decline","quote":"Audi came out and they said their sales projection for 2026 is 144,000 vehicles, which should be clear as a 13% decline. Audi, Dad, had hit record-setting sales back in 2023, and sales have fallen by double digits in 2024 and 2025,","canonicalId":"term:sales-decline","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Sales decline refers to a decrease in the number of vehicles sold compared to previous periods. It can indicate market challenges or reduced demand for a brand or model.","simplifiedExplanation":"Sales decline means selling fewer cars than before. It shows that fewer people are buying those cars."}},{"startTime":1080.9,"endTime":1086.3,"type":"brand","title":"Jaguar","url":"/glossary/jaguar","quote":"Aston Martin, Lucid, on the other hand, I think they're a little more teetering on the edge of jaguar. Yeah, jaguar. Yep. There's some more brands that are on the potential peril in 2026 timeline,","canonicalId":"brand:jaguar","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Jaguar is a British luxury vehicle brand known for stylish sedans and SUVs with a focus on performance and design. It is part of Jaguar Land Rover, owned by Tata Motors.","simplifiedExplanation":"Jaguar is a British car brand that makes stylish and fast cars and SUVs. They focus on making cars that look good and drive well."}},{"startTime":1097.0,"endTime":1101.0,"type":"concept","title":"Volume sales programs","url":"/glossary/volume-sales-programs","quote":"Audi's a manufacturer that offers big stair step programs for hitting volume.","canonicalId":"concept:volume-sales-programs","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Volume sales programs are manufacturer strategies that incentivize dealers to sell a large number of vehicles, often with stair-step bonuses or discounts.","simplifiedExplanation":"These are special deals that car companies give dealers to help them sell lots of cars."}},{"startTime":1108.7,"endTime":1115.0,"type":"term","title":"Back of invoice","url":"/glossary/back-of-invoice","quote":"No one sells Audi's at Invoice. They all sell back of Invoice. This is interesting data to get our hands on.","canonicalId":"term:back-of-invoice","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"\"Back of invoice\" refers to selling a car at a price below the invoice price, often through dealer incentives or manufacturer programs to boost sales volume.","simplifiedExplanation":"Selling back of invoice means the dealer sells the car for less than what they paid for it, usually to sell more cars."}},{"startTime":1289.3,"endTime":1291.0,"type":"concept","title":"electric vehicles","url":"/glossary/ev","quote":"They tried their best to really go into electric vehicles, much more so than many of their competitors, and that's come back to bite them.","canonicalId":"concept:ev","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Electric vehicles (EVs) are cars powered entirely or primarily by electric motors using energy stored in batteries, rather than internal combustion engines. They offer benefits like reduced emissions and lower operating costs but can have higher upfront prices.","simplifiedExplanation":"Electric vehicles are cars that run on electricity instead of gas. They use big batteries to power the car and are better for the environment."}},{"startTime":1323.3,"endTime":1325.0,"type":"term","title":"out of warranty","url":"/glossary/out-of-warranty","quote":"Yeah, in the sense that you wouldn't want to own one once it is out of warranty.","canonicalId":"term:out-of-warranty","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Out of warranty refers to the period after a vehicle's manufacturer warranty has expired, meaning repairs and maintenance costs are no longer covered by the manufacturer and must be paid by the owner.","simplifiedExplanation":"Out of warranty means the car is no longer covered by the company if something breaks, so you have to pay for repairs yourself."}},{"startTime":1410.32,"endTime":1420.4,"type":"car","title":"Mercedes-Benz Gclass","url":"/cars/mercedes-benz/g-class","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/MERCEDES-BENZ_G-CLASS_%28W463%29_China.jpg","quote":"which is Lincoln. They're reportedly going to come out with an upgraded Bronco to compete with the Mercedes G-Class. What? Excuse me. What was that? Could you write that to me again? Lincoln wants to compete with the G-Class, the G-Wagon. And everyone wants to, BMW, Audi,","canonicalId":"car:mercedes-benz:g-class","priority":0.5,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"The Mercedes-Benz G-Class, often called the G-Wagon, is a luxury off-road SUV known for its iconic boxy design and exceptional off-road capability. It has a strong following due to its blend of ruggedness and high-end luxury, making it a benchmark in the luxury SUV segment. Its significance in the podcast likely relates to its influence on competitors like Lincoln aiming to enter this premium off-road market.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Mercedes G-Class is a fancy and tough SUV that looks very boxy and can drive on rough roads easily. People like it because it’s both strong and comfortable inside. The podcast talks about it because other car makers want to make similar cars to compete with it.","imageAttribution":"Dinkun Chen (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":1421.12,"endTime":1427.52,"type":"car","title":"G-Class Gwagon","url":"/cars/mercedes-benz/g-class","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/MERCEDES-BENZ_G-CLASS_%28W463%29_China.jpg","quote":"Mercedes G-Class. What? Excuse me. What was that? Could you write that to me again? Lincoln wants to compete with the G-Class, the G-Wagon. And everyone wants to, BMW, Audi, and L-Lincoln. So this is going to be a re-skinned upgraded Ford Bronco that'll probably cost you","canonicalId":"car:mercedes-benz:g-class","priority":0.5,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"The G-Class refers to the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, a luxury off-road vehicle known for its durability, distinctive design, and strong market presence. It is often a target for other luxury brands like Lincoln, BMW, and Audi who want to create competitive models in this segment. The podcast discussion centers on Lincoln’s ambition to compete directly with this iconic SUV.","simplifiedExplanation":"The G-Class is a fancy and strong SUV made by Mercedes that can go off-road and looks very boxy. Many car companies want to make similar cars because it’s very popular. The podcast talks about how Lincoln wants to make a car like this.","imageAttribution":"Dinkun Chen (CC BY-SA 4.0)"}},{"startTime":1427.5,"endTime":1435.0,"type":"concept","title":"re-skinning","url":"/glossary/re-skinning","quote":"So this is going to be a re-skinned upgraded Ford Bronco that'll probably cost you well over six failures. They're G-Wagon competitor.","canonicalId":"concept:re-skinning","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Re-skinning refers to taking an existing vehicle platform and changing its exterior design and styling to create a new model, often to save development costs and time.","simplifiedExplanation":"Re-skinning means taking a car that already exists and changing how it looks on the outside to make it seem like a new car."}},{"startTime":1598.0,"endTime":1606.48,"type":"car","title":"Acura ZDX","url":"/cars/acura/zdx","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/%2713_Acura_ZDX_%28MIAS_%2713%29.jpg","quote":"..., which was at that time the original gas-powered ZDX. And, you know, I thought to myself, every time I...","canonicalId":"car:acura:zdx","priority":0.5,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"The Acura ZDX is a luxury crossover SUV introduced by Acura as a unique blend of coupe styling and SUV practicality. It was notable for its distinctive fastback design and was offered primarily with gas engines before Acura shifted focus to electrification. The mention likely highlights its original gas-powered version as a point of comparison or nostalgia.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Acura ZDX is a special kind of SUV that looks a bit like a sporty car with a sloping back. It was made to be both stylish and useful. The podcast talks about the first gas-powered version to remember how it started before newer versions came out.","imageAttribution":"Bull-Doser (Public domain)"}},{"startTime":1644.6,"endTime":1648.0,"type":"brand","title":"Land Rover","url":"/glossary/land-rover","quote":"You know, let Land Rover be a competitor to the G-Wagon.","canonicalId":"brand:land-rover","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Land Rover is a British manufacturer specializing in luxury SUVs with strong off-road capabilities, often competing with other premium SUV brands.","simplifiedExplanation":"Land Rover is a company that makes fancy SUVs that are good for driving off-road and in rough places."}}],"speakers":[{"id":"s1","name":"Ray","role":"host"},{"id":"s2","name":"Zach Shefska","role":"host"},{"id":"s3","name":"Bleav","role":"host"}],"transcripts":[{"url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/automakers-in-panic-mode-car-brands-that-won-t-survive-2026-episode-1019/transcript.vtt","type":"text/vtt"}]}