{"version":"1.0.0","episode":{"title":"Dec. 11, 2025 | Ionna CEO Seth Cutler interview Part 2; automakers push to preserve USMCA","url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/dec-11-2025-ionna-ceo-seth-cutler-interview-part-2-automakers-push-to-preserve-usmca","audioUrl":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/www.buzzsprout.com/2447022/episodes/18338763-dec-11-2025-ionna-ceo-seth-cutler-interview-part-2-automakers-push-to-preserve-usmca.mp3","description":"In this second and final part of Automotive News’ interview with Seth Cutler, the Ionna CEO discusses softening electric vehicle demand after the loss of the federal tax credit and why the company is opting not to develop its own charging app. Automakers push to preserve USMCA as President Donald Trump floats bilateral deals. Plus, EV registrations do better in October than analysts expected."},"annotations":[{"startTime":30.0,"endTime":35.0,"type":"term","title":"self-driving system","url":"/glossary/self-driving-system","quote":"Nissan seeks to undercut Tesla with its own self-driving system.","canonicalId":"term:self-driving-system","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"A self-driving system refers to the hardware and software that allows a vehicle to navigate without human input, using sensors, cameras, and AI.","simplifiedExplanation":"A self-driving system is a set of gadgets in a car that let it drive itself, like following roads and avoiding obstacles."}},{"startTime":30.0,"endTime":35.0,"type":"brand","title":"Nissan","url":"/glossary/nissan","quote":"Nissan seeks to undercut Tesla with its own self-driving system.","canonicalId":"brand:nissan","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. is a Japanese automaker known for models like the Leaf electric car and the Altima sedan.","simplifiedExplanation":"Nissan is a big car company from Japan that makes many popular cars, including electric ones."}},{"startTime":30.0,"endTime":35.0,"type":"concept","title":"EV registrations","url":"/glossary/ev-registrations","quote":"EV registrations did better in October than analysts expected.","canonicalId":"concept:ev-registrations","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.9,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"EV registrations refer to the official count of electric vehicles sold and registered in a region, indicating market growth.","simplifiedExplanation":"EV registrations are the number of electric cars that people officially register with the government, showing how many are being bought."}},{"startTime":30.0,"endTime":35.0,"type":"brand","title":"Tesla","url":"/glossary/tesla","quote":"Nissan seeks to undercut Tesla with its own self-driving system.","canonicalId":"brand:tesla","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Tesla, Inc. is an American electric vehicle manufacturer famous for its Model S, 3, X, and Y cars.","simplifiedExplanation":"Tesla is a U.S. company that makes electric cars and is known for its high-tech features."}},{"startTime":73.0,"endTime":80.0,"type":"concept","title":"USMCA trade agreement","url":"/glossary/usmca-trade-agreement","quote":"President Trump is signaling he may abandon the USMCA trade agreement in favor of separate deals with Mexico and Canada.","canonicalId":"concept:usmca-trade-agreement","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.92,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is a trade pact that governs tariffs and regulations among the three countries, affecting automotive supply chains.","simplifiedExplanation":"USMCA is a trade deal between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada that sets rules for buying and selling goods, including cars."}},{"startTime":99.0,"endTime":105.0,"type":"concept","title":"NAFTA","url":"/glossary/nafta","quote":"The industry has optimized manufacturing around USMCA's three country framework since it replaced NAFTA.","canonicalId":"concept:nafta","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was a trade agreement between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico that preceded USMCA.","simplifiedExplanation":"NAFTA was a trade deal between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico that helped cars be made across borders."}},{"startTime":107.0,"endTime":115.0,"type":"concept","title":"UAW","url":"/glossary/uaw","quote":"There is one exception. The UAW wants major changes or US withdrawal demanding stronger job protections and labor standards.","canonicalId":"concept:uaw","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.88,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"The United Auto Workers (UAW) is a labor union representing automotive workers, advocating for job protections and higher wages.","simplifiedExplanation":"UAW is a group that represents car workers, fighting for better jobs and pay."}},{"startTime":141.0,"endTime":143.0,"type":"brand","title":"Ford","url":"/glossary/ford","quote":"Ford registrations dropped 23% from October 2024,","canonicalId":"brand:ford","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.9,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Ford Motor Company is an American automaker that has recently expanded its electric vehicle lineup, including the Mustang Mach-E and F‑150 Lightning.","simplifiedExplanation":"Ford makes cars, trucks, and SUVs, and now also sells electric vehicles like the Mustang 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worldwide.","simplifiedExplanation":"S&P Global Mobility Data collects and reports statistics on how many cars are sold in different markets."}},{"startTime":156.0,"endTime":160.0,"type":"concept","title":"EV share of light vehicle market","url":"/glossary/ev-share-of-light-vehicle-market","quote":"the EV share of the light vehicle market fell to 6.9% in October from 7.6% a year earlier.","canonicalId":"concept:ev-share-of-light-vehicle-market","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.86,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"This metric measures the percentage of all light vehicles sold that are electric, indicating market penetration.","simplifiedExplanation":"EV share tells you how many of the cars sold are electric compared to all other cars."}},{"startTime":177.0,"endTime":179.0,"type":"concept","title":"autonomous driving","url":"/glossary/autonomous-driving","quote":"Nissan is making its boldest move yet to challenge Tesla in autonomous driving.","canonicalId":"concept:autonomous-driving","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.92,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Autonomous driving refers to vehicles that can operate with varying levels of driver input, from assisted braking to full self‑operation.","simplifiedExplanation":"Autonomous driving means a car can drive itself or help you drive, depending on the level of automation."}},{"startTime":192.0,"endTime":196.0,"type":"concept","title":"AI-powered next-generation pro-pilot system","url":"/glossary/ai-powered-next-generation-pro-pilot-system","quote":"Nissan expects the first vehicles with its AI‑powered next‑generation pro‑pilot system to initially arrive in Japan and North America.","canonicalId":"concept:ai-powered-next-generation-pro-pilot-system","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.88,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Nissan’s pro‑pilot is an advanced driver assistance system that uses AI to manage steering, acceleration, and braking in real‑time.","simplifiedExplanation":"The pro‑pilot system is a smart helper that can steer and control the car using AI, making driving easier."}},{"startTime":240.0,"endTime":250.0,"type":"term","title":"Blue Cruise","url":"/glossary/bluecruise","quote":"That's different from, say, super cruise or blue cruise from GM and Ford, which are primarily used for highway driving.","canonicalId":"term:bluecruise","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Blue Cruise is Ford's hands‑free highway driving system similar to GM's Super Cruise.","simplifiedExplanation":"It's Ford's version of a hands‑free driving feature for highways."}},{"startTime":240.0,"endTime":250.0,"type":"term","title":"Super Cruise","url":"/glossary/super-cruise","quote":"That's different from, say, super cruise or blue cruise from GM and Ford, which are primarily used for highway 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robot."}},{"startTime":264.0,"endTime":272.0,"type":"term","title":"LiDAR","url":"/glossary/lidar","quote":"So Nissan plans to use at least initially cameras and a vision-based system as opposed to LiDAR.","canonicalId":"term:lidar","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a sensor technology that uses laser pulses to measure distances and create detailed 3D maps of the vehicle's surroundings.","simplifiedExplanation":"It's a fancy laser sensor that helps cars see around them by bouncing light off objects."}},{"startTime":264.0,"endTime":272.0,"type":"term","title":"cameras and a vision-based system","url":"/glossary/cameras-and-a-vision-based-system","quote":"So Nissan plans to use at least initially cameras and a vision-based system as opposed to LiDAR.","canonicalId":"term:cameras-and-a-vision-based-system","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"A vision-based system uses cameras to capture images of the road and surrounding environment, which are then processed by software to interpret traffic signs, lanes, and obstacles.","simplifiedExplanation":"It means the car will rely on cameras to 'see' and understand what's around it, like a human driver."}},{"startTime":307.0,"endTime":311.0,"type":"company","title":"Wave","url":"/glossary/wave","quote":"But they're also essentially partnering with a British company called Wave.","canonicalId":"company:wave","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Wave is a British technology company that develops artificial intelligence platforms for autonomous driving.","simplifiedExplanation":"Wave is a company from Britain that makes software to help cars drive themselves using AI."}},{"startTime":314.0,"endTime":320.0,"type":"term","title":"neural network","url":"/glossary/neural-network","quote":"Wave has developed this artificial intelligence sort of 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They also have electric models."}},{"startTime":1473.0,"endTime":1478.0,"type":"brand","title":"Rivian","url":"/glossary/rivian","quote":"we announced plug-and-charge with Ford, we announced with Rivian plug-and-charge and integrations or head units about a month ago.","canonicalId":"brand:rivian","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Rivian is an American electric vehicle manufacturer known for its R1T pickup and R1S SUV, focusing on adventure-oriented EVs.","simplifiedExplanation":"Rivian makes electric trucks and SUVs that are built for off‑road adventures. They’re a newer company compared to older car makers."}}],"speakers":[{"id":"s1","name":"Automotive News","role":"host"}],"transcripts":[{"url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/dec-11-2025-ionna-ceo-seth-cutler-interview-part-2-automakers-push-to-preserve-usmca/transcript.vtt","type":"text/vtt"}]}