{"version":"1.0.0","episode":{"title":"Dec. 3, 2025 | Edmunds’ Jessica Caldwell on state of the market; Trump set to ease CAFE standards","url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/dec-3-2025-edmunds-jessica-caldwell-on-state-of-the-market-trump-set-to-ease-cafe-standards","audioUrl":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/www.buzzsprout.com/2447022/episodes/18294580-dec-3-2025-edmunds-jessica-caldwell-on-state-of-the-market-trump-set-to-ease-cafe-standards.mp3","description":"Jessica Caldwell, head of insights at Edmunds, talks about the state of the industry heading into 2026 and how affordability issues have continued to shrink the new car market. Trump is poised to propose relaxed fuel economy standards. Plus, thousands of dealerships fall victim to a new data breach."},"annotations":[{"startTime":68.0,"endTime":72.0,"type":"brand","title":"Stellantis","url":"/glossary/stellantis","quote":"Executives from Detroit's major automakers, including Stellantis, CEO, Antonio Filosa...","canonicalId":"brand:stellantis","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.92,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Stellantis is a multinational automotive group formed from the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and PSA Group, owning brands like Peugeot, Citroën, Jeep, and Ram.","simplifiedExplanation":"Stellantis is a big car company that owns many brands like Jeep and Ram."}},{"startTime":86.0,"endTime":90.0,"type":"term","title":"miles per gallon","url":"/glossary/miles-per-gallon","quote":"The current standards require automakers to hit about 50 miles per gallon across their 2031 model-year vehicles...","canonicalId":"term:miles-per-gallon","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Miles per gallon (MPG) is a measurement of how many miles a vehicle can travel on one gallon of fuel.","simplifiedExplanation":"Miles per gallon tells you how far a car can go before it needs more gas."}},{"startTime":105.0,"endTime":108.0,"type":"car","title":"Subaru Outback","url":"/cars/subaru/outback","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/2000-2004_Subaru_Outback_Wagon.jpg","quote":"Subaru's top three sellers, the Crosstrek, Forester, and Outback...","canonicalId":"car:subaru:outback","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"The Subaru Outback is a crossover wagon that blends car‑like handling with SUV‑style utility and all‑wheel drive.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Outback is a car that looks like a wagon but has SUV features and all‑wheel drive.","imageAttribution":"IFCAR (Public domain)"}},{"startTime":105.0,"endTime":108.0,"type":"car","title":"Subaru Forester","url":"/cars/subaru/forester","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/2015-2018_Subaru_Forester_XT.jpg","quote":"Subaru's top three sellers, the Crosstrek, Forester, and Outback...","canonicalId":"car:subaru:forester","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"The Subaru Forester is a midsize crossover SUV praised for its safety features and standard all‑wheel drive.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Forester is a larger SUV from Subaru that comes with all‑wheel drive and many safety features.","imageAttribution":"TTTNIS (CC0)"}},{"startTime":105.0,"endTime":108.0,"type":"car","title":"Subaru Crosstrek","url":"/cars/subaru/crosstrek","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Subaru_Crosstrek_%28GT%29_Washington_DC_Metro_Area%2C_USA.jpg","quote":"Subaru's top three sellers, the Crosstrek, Forester, and Outback, all posted lower volume...","canonicalId":"car:subaru:crosstrek","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"The Subaru Crosstrek is a compact crossover SUV known for its standard all‑wheel drive and off‑road capability.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Crosstrek is a small SUV from Subaru that can handle light off‑road driving and has all‑wheel drive as standard.","imageAttribution":"OWS Photography (CC BY 4.0)"}},{"startTime":135.0,"endTime":138.0,"type":"brand","title":"Volvo","url":"/glossary/volvo","quote":"And Volvo sales fell 27% in November...","canonicalId":"brand:volvo","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Volvo is a Swedish automaker known for safety, minimalist design, and hybrid/electric powertrains.","simplifiedExplanation":"Volvo makes cars that are very safe and often have hybrid or electric options."}},{"startTime":655.0,"endTime":657.0,"type":"term","title":"electrification","url":"/glossary/electrification","quote":"Because if we look towards the future, the big trends are autonomous technology and electrification and that adds additional cost.","canonicalId":"term:electrification","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Electrification is the shift from internal combustion engines to electric or hybrid powertrains in vehicles.","simplifiedExplanation":"Electrification means cars are using electric motors instead of just gasoline engines, which can reduce pollution."}},{"startTime":655.0,"endTime":657.0,"type":"term","title":"autonomous technology","url":"/glossary/autonomous-technology","quote":"Because if we look towards the future, the big trends are autonomous technology and electrification and that adds additional cost.","canonicalId":"term:autonomous-technology","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Autonomous technology refers to vehicle systems that can operate without human input, such as self-driving cars.","simplifiedExplanation":"Autonomous technology means a car can drive itself without the driver having to steer or brake."}},{"startTime":668.0,"endTime":670.0,"type":"concept","title":"downsizing trend","url":"/glossary/downsizing-trend","quote":"So we could start to see people starting to downsize slightly. It's a very un-American thing.","canonicalId":"concept:downsizing-trend","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.85,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Downsizing refers to the industry trend of producing smaller, lighter vehicles to improve fuel efficiency and reduce costs.","simplifiedExplanation":"Downsizing means making cars smaller so they use less gas and are cheaper to buy."}},{"startTime":675.0,"endTime":677.0,"type":"concept","title":"2008 gas price spike","url":"/glossary/2008-gas-price-spike","quote":"But I don't think we'll necessarily see people go from suburban to Honda Fits like we did during the 2008 gas price spike.","canonicalId":"concept:2008-gas-price-spike","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"The 2008 gas price spike was a period when gasoline prices surged, prompting many consumers to switch to more fuel-efficient vehicles.","simplifiedExplanation":"In 2008, gas prices went up a lot, so many people bought smaller cars to save money."}},{"startTime":688.0,"endTime":690.0,"type":"car","title":"Honda Fit","url":"/cars/honda/fit-ev","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Honda_Fit_EV_%286432286233%29.jpg","quote":"Yes, the Honda FIT, which was discontinued longer.","canonicalId":"car:honda:fit-ev","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"The Honda Fit is a subcompact car known for its efficient use of space and fuel economy, popular in urban settings.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Honda Fit is a small car that can fit in tight parking spots and uses less gas, making it cheap to drive.","imageAttribution":"Christian Flores from Carlsbad / Encinitas, United States of America (CC BY-SA 2.0)"}},{"startTime":692.0,"endTime":694.0,"type":"car","title":"Toyota Prius","url":"/cars/toyota/prius","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/2014-2021_Toyota_Prius_%CE%B1_Touring_Selection.jpg","quote":"I just remember in 2008, you just saw so many trade-ins of large SUVs to cars like the Honda FIT, the Toyota Prius.","canonicalId":"car:toyota:prius","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"The Toyota Prius is a hybrid vehicle that combines an internal combustion engine with electric motors to achieve high fuel efficiency.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Toyota Prius is a car that uses both gas and electric power, so it saves money on fuel.","imageAttribution":"TTTNIS (CC0)"}},{"startTime":760.0,"endTime":766.0,"type":"concept","title":"AVs and Robotaxies","quote":"So let's talk about another thing that's been a lot of hype about, which she referenced, which is AVs and Robotaxies.","canonicalId":"concept:avs-and-robotaxies","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"AVs (autonomous vehicles) and Robotaxies refer to self‑driving cars that can operate without a human driver, often in shared or taxi‑like services.","simplifiedExplanation":"AVs are cars that drive themselves. Robotaxies are like Uber or Lyft but with robots, so you can ride a car that doesn’t need a driver."}},{"startTime":766.0,"endTime":768.0,"type":"company","title":"Waymo","url":"/glossary/waymo","quote":"We're seeing Waymo now just recently says it's going to operate on freeways in the San Francisco Bay area.","canonicalId":"company:waymo","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Waymo is a subsidiary of Alphabet (Google’s parent company) that develops and operates autonomous vehicle technology.","simplifiedExplanation":"Waymo is a company that builds self‑driving cars and runs them on roads."}},{"startTime":789.0,"endTime":794.0,"type":"brand","title":"Tesla","url":"/glossary/tesla","quote":"Of course, we're all waiting for Tesla, which we've been waiting for Tesla for a long time.","canonicalId":"brand:tesla","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Tesla, Inc. is an American automotive and energy company known for producing electric vehicles such as the Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y.","simplifiedExplanation":"Tesla makes cars that run on electricity instead of gasoline. They are famous for their high-tech features and fast acceleration."}},{"startTime":904.0,"endTime":910.0,"type":"concept","title":"EVs","url":"/glossary/ev","quote":"So you referenced the federal tax credit for EVs. We all know that sunset at the end of September.","canonicalId":"concept:ev","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.93,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"EVs are electric vehicles, cars powered entirely or primarily by electricity stored in batteries instead of gasoline.","simplifiedExplanation":"EVs are cars that run on electric batteries instead of gasoline, so they produce no tailpipe emissions."}},{"startTime":918.0,"endTime":925.0,"type":"term","title":"EV","url":"/glossary/ev","quote":"Let's forget about this year and let's look at 2026. What do you think will happen with EV sales?","canonicalId":"term:ev","priority":0.9,"confidence":0.95,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"EV stands for Electric Vehicle, a car powered primarily by electric motors and rechargeable batteries instead of gasoline or diesel.","simplifiedExplanation":"An EV is a car that runs on electricity, so it doesn’t need gas and usually has lower running costs."}},{"startTime":961.0,"endTime":965.0,"type":"term","title":"residual values","url":"/glossary/residual-values","quote":"But also when you're leasing such cheap EVs, it comes back to roost a few years later when your residual values are terrible.","canonicalId":"term:residual-values","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.9,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"Residual value is the estimated worth of a vehicle at the end of a lease or loan term, used to calculate monthly payments.","simplifiedExplanation":"Residual value is how much a car is expected to be worth when you finish paying for it, and it affects how much you pay each month."}},{"startTime":981.0,"endTime":985.0,"type":"term","title":"internal combustion engine vehicles","url":"/glossary/internal-combustion-engine-vehicles","quote":"They're selling quicker than internal combustion engine use vehicles because they're cheap.","canonicalId":"term:internal-combustion-engine-vehicles","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.8,"source":"openai/gpt-oss-20b","data":{"explanation":"ICE vehicles run on gasoline or diesel engines that burn fuel to produce power, as opposed to electric motors.","simplifiedExplanation":"ICE vehicles are cars that use gasoline or diesel engines, which burn fuel to move the car."}}],"speakers":[{"id":"s1","name":"Automotive News","role":"host"}],"transcripts":[{"url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/dec-3-2025-edmunds-jessica-caldwell-on-state-of-the-market-trump-set-to-ease-cafe-standards/transcript.vtt","type":"text/vtt"}]}