Feb. 12, 2026 | Windsor mayor reacts to Trump’s bridge threat; Nissan exits factories ahead of schedule

Welcome to Daily Drive.

For Thursday, February 12, 2026, I'm Kellan Walker in Las Vegas.

Today on the show, Nissan is exiting all seven factories it's targeted for closure.

Mercedes-Benz earnings more than half in 2025 and Ford CEO Jim Farley is joining McDonald's

Board of Directors.

Plus, Drew Docans, Mayor of Windsor, Ontario, reacts to President Trump's threat to block

the opening of the Gordy Howe International Bridge and what that means for the auto industry.

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

Nissan is exiting all seven factories it's targeted for closure and it's running ahead of

schedule on cutting 20,000 jobs.

The final step came last month when it agreed to sell its South African factory to Cherry.

The automaker has cut $1 billion of the $1.6 billion in fixed cost under its RE Nissan

Revival Plan.

It's ahead of schedule on both cost cuts and job reductions.

Nissan reduced its full year operating loss forecast to about $390 million but projects

a $4.2 billion net loss.

Mercedes-Benz earnings more than halved in 2025 dropping to $5.8 billion.

CEO Ola Kalinius blamed tariff costs of about $1.2 billion plus struggles in China where

sales fell a fifth.

The automaker plans to cut global production capacity by more than 10% to 2.2 million units

and expects its cars division profit margin could fall further this year to between 3 and 5%.

Mercedes is banking on cost cuts and its luxury first strategy to turn things around.

And Ford CEO Jim Farley is joining McDonald's board of directors.

Farley brings a vocal presence to a typically cautious fast food chain.

He's warned tariffs would be devastating for auto workers while praising regulatory relief

on fuel economy standards.

He's stepping down from Harley Davidson's board where the motorcycle maker says he won't run for re-election.

And those are today's headlines.

You can read more about those stories and all of today's news at AutoNews.com.

It's starting to look like the next generation of either Ford's F-Series or General Motors'

Chevrolet Silverado or GMC Sierra will be among the most technically advanced pickups ever made.

Our own Jake Nier talked with automotive news reporter Richard Truett about it.

Here's their conversation.

Richard Truett, welcome back to Daily Drive.

It's great to be here, Jake.

So Richard, this is pretty fascinating.

You have pieced together evidence from multiple suppliers to make the case

that Ford's next F-Series will likely debut this by-wire technology before GM's trucks.

So walk us through the key indicators that pointed you toward Ford that you wrote about in this column.

And what was the smoking gun that sort of made you feel confident enough to put this prediction into print?

Well, let's back up just a second.

By-wire technology is creeping onto the market now.

There's two components to this.

There's by-wire technology, which is the steering and the brakes.

And then there's the component that enables them.

That's the supercapacitor, a supercapacitor.

We've seen those in race cars and a very few

low volume production cars.

Mazda and Cadillac in the past have had them.

But now supercapacitors are getting ready to go into high volume production.

But let's back up a second.

What is a supercapacitor?

It's not unlike a battery that you would put in a flashlight or some other small device.

It looks about like that.

But unlike a regular battery, a supercapacitor is designed to deliver all its power very quickly,

like within 15 to 20 seconds, and also recharge just as quickly.

So the world's biggest supplier of 12-volt batteries is a company called Clarios.

Chances are the battery in everybody's car that's listening is made by one of the divisions of Clarios.

They're in like 90% of all cars, almost everybody has a Clarios battery.

Well, now they're getting into supercapacitors.

So they told us last fall that they were evaluating a plant in Holland, Michigan,

which is over near Kalamazoo to start cranking out modules.

That's one component of the puzzle pieces we put together.

But prior to that, ZF, the giant supplier best known for its transmission, said that they have

a contract to supply 5 million electric calibers and that some of them 700,000 are going on heavy

duty trucks. Okay, there's another piece of the puzzle.

Brembo is another company that also said it has a contract to put electric brakes on trucks.

Take a look at those components and look at when the next generation of Ford

and GM trucks are coming out and how much volume they make each year.

You can pretty much narrow it down to either a Ford or a GM truck.

We're not saying that it's impossible that RAM would do it someday, but they don't have the

kind of volume. I mean, last year, Ford and GM cranked out between like 800 and 900,000 full-size

pickups and many of them were made here in Michigan. So this week, Clarios, when they announced their

supercapacitor plant, they also mentioned localized production, which means that whatever

supercapacitor modules come out of that plant, they're going to a factory here in Michigan

somewhere. So it's either going to be Ford's Dearborn truck plant or GM's plant in Flint,

and GM is basically is also going to be expanding their production. But I took a look at when the

timelines of when the next F-150 are coming out and when the next versions of the Chevy Silverado

and GMC Sierra and took a look at when supercapacitor production and brake caliper production would

start. And all that aligns with just about with when Ford's coming out with the next F-150,

which is 2028. We'll probably see it late next year as a 2028 model. So it all tends to point to

Ford. But there was one other thing that involves a little bit of speculation based on history.

If we take a look at the automakers who have put everything that they can into their trucks in terms

of moving them forward with technology and luxury features and really cool stuff, Ford,

every single generation of F-150 has gone where no other truck has gone before. We're talking about

downsized turbocharged engines, aluminum body panels, all sorts of innovative things that Ford

has done. And the reason Ford does that is because the F-150 has been not only its best-selling vehicle,

but the nation's best-selling vehicle since like the mid 1970s. And they're going to do anything

they can to protect that big profitable truck. GM's been a bit more conservative. So I believe,

and I wrote in our column today that all the indicators point to Ford's F-Series as being the

first one on the market with supercapacitors and by-wire technology. So quickly before we wrap

up here, I am curious, for listeners who are following this industry shift in that sort of

direction towards software-defined vehicles, would you say this could be sort of a step toward that?

What does that mean practically for how pickups will be manufactured and serviced and are there

any risks? Let's say if Ford is the one that does this, are there risks for Ford being first to

market with this technology on such a high volume scale? Great question, Jake. Let's start with the

advantages. When you have by-wire technology, you eliminate the mechanical links between the steering

wheel and the front wheel. So when you turn the steering wheel, the front wheels are going to turn

not because there's a shaft connected from the steering column to the steering rack,

but it's all done electronically. And the same thing with the brakes. When you step on the brake

pedal, there will be electric motors that squeeze the pads against the rotors and not hydraulic

fluid. So Ford is going to save, or let's just say Ford or whoever is going to compete first with

this technology is going to save a lot of money on parts that need to be installed on the assembly

line. They won't have to buy those parts. They won't have to source those parts. They won't have

to test those parts. Manufacturing, we're going to get a lot more simpler. Now that's one of the big

benefits. Another big benefit is brakes and steering will be highly tunable just by software.

And so they'll be able to increase customer appeal that way by having you dial in the way

you want your truck to feel. You want brakes to be like instant, powerful on-off or maybe just a

little bit less grabby. However you want, you could probably tune the truck that way. Is Ford

taking a risk? Well, anytime you launch new technology, there's going to be a risk. But

Ford has proven time and time again that when it comes to the F-150, they will spare nothing

to get it right. I mean, look at the chance they took with the downsized turbocharged V6 engines

and a bigger chance even with those aluminum body panels. And time after time, they have proved that

they can pull this off reasonably successfully. Richard Truitt's column is titled 2028 F Series,

seems likely to be the first pickup with supercapacitors and by wire technology. You can

read that all on autonews.com. Richard, thank you so much for the piece and really interesting

insights here. Great to be here, Jake. Thanks for having me. Coming up, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkins

joins the show and says President Trump's threat to block the Gordy Howe Bridge makes no sense.

Economically or politically. That's next on Daily Drive.

Are you a dealer creating a workplace culture your employees are proud to be part of?

Applications are now open for the 2026 automotive news best dealerships to work for program.

This isn't just an award. It's a chance to get real insight into what's working at your dealership

and where you can improve. And we've expanded the categories this year, recognizing everything

from technician experience and leadership development to AI enablement and employer

retention. The registration deadline is April 17th. Find out more and apply at autonews.com.

Welcome back to Daily Drive. I'm Kellan Walker. The Gordy Howe International Bridge connecting

Windsor and Detroit is built and ready to open. But President Trump says it shouldn't open until

the US owns at least half of it. Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkins says that doesn't make any sense

and will hurt auto companies on both sides of the border. He spoke with our own Molly Boygon.

Mayor Drew Dilkins of Windsor, Ontario on the Canadian side of the bridge. Thanks so much for

joining us. My pleasure. So tell us about why this bridge is being built and the role it will play

in cross border trade between the United States and Canada. Well, this is a really important

bridge and the conversation that really started about 25 years ago in and around 9-11. And there

was a conversation about the need for redundancy in international crossings, but also a need to

be able to start a process that would lead to a new border crossing to support the projected

increase in trade. And we were seeing an increase in trade as a result of the Free Trade Agreement

and the North American Free Trade Agreement and of course now USMCA. And so this conversation

started 25 years ago from when it started to when the day the bridge will open. And reflecting on

the fact that Windsor Detroit is home to the busiest commercial border crossing between our two

nations, about a billion dollars every four days crosses at the Ambassador Bridge today. And so it

was really important to make sure that we had redundancy, that we had increased capacity to

support trade, which is how this project started and why we are where we are today. And President

Trump has contended that the US has basically been ripped off through the construction of the

bridge, but Michigan did play a role in the construction of the bridge. Can you explain

a little bit about the role of Michigan in this whole process? Yeah, so the president's comments

are nonsensical. The United States did not want to fund the construction of the bridge, but they

said if Canada wants to fund it, no problem. We'll give the presidential permit to allow the bridge

to be constructed. The entire cost will fall on Canada's shoulders. Canada will repay itself

through total collection over a period of many years. And then we also partnered with the State

of Michigan all through the process. The State of Michigan has been at the table. Governor

Snyder and Prime Minister Harper were the ones to make the deal. They're the ones to come over and

name the official name of the bridge as Gordie Howe. And so the deal was made between Canada

Federally and the State of Michigan as an entity. And we're joint donors 50-50 in this particular

bridge. Michigan, of course, spent a lot of money on the U.S. side connecting this bridge to the

U.S. I-75 interstate system. And so they are heavily invested as well, which is why their

partners in this operation. And again, it's a 50-50 partnership. Once the expenses of building the

bridge are paid off, we're going to split the proceeds equally moving forward. You spoke a

little bit about the importance of keeping open communication and open trade between Windsor

and Detroit. What is the importance of this bridge to the auto industry in particular?

Well, just think of our particular region where Canada or Windsor, rather, is Canada's

auto capital. Detroit is the motor city. We've got these complex supply chains that have been

built up over the course of really over 100 years. And those supply chains have only accelerated

with the implementation of the free trade agreement NAFTA and USMCA. And so this bridge is really

important, at least in the auto context, because we operate on a just-in-time delivery basis.

And this bridge will be the most technologically advanced connection between Canada and the United

States when it opens. It will remove the majority of the friction at the border. And from an auto

perspective and a parts perspective, that's really good because there's going to be more certainty

that when a part leaves a plant or a vehicle leaves a plant, it's going to reach its destination

in a more timely manner. And because the industry has been built to operate that way,

they need that certainty. This bridge helps provide that certainty.

Have you heard anything from players up and down the automotive value chain about this

dispute, these claims from the Trump administration about the bridge?

You know what? Not really, because I think everyone's looking at this. Any sensible persons

looking at the saying, the bridge is built. There's no more real construction to do. The

bridge is built. The ports of entry are built. The connections to the highway systems and the

ready to open if we just had the staff in place and they were all trained up and we could flip

the switch. And so sensible people are looking at this saying, this is an issue of the day for

Donald Trump. This will be resolved. The bridge will open. And they're not, I think, getting too

flustered about it. In fact, one of the reasons they're not too flustered about it is they've been

using the Ambassador Bridge since 1929. And that bridge isn't going away. It was never intended

to go away. This was meant to add additional capacity and redundancy to a real important

border crossing between our two nations. The opening of the bridge has been delayed from late

2025 to the first part of 2026. Is it your sense that the Trump administration played any role in

the delaying of the opening of the bridge or was that related to normal processes of construction

and delay? It's a great question, really hard to tell. When there was a delay

past the fall, it certainly raised a lot of eyebrows because there was already a big delay

with respect to COVID and supply chain challenges. And so those had mostly resolved themselves.

And any sort of average person walking by or driving by looking at the infrastructure saying,

well, it's really built. There's nothing else to do here. Why aren't they actually staffing it

and opening it? So I don't know the answer to the question, but it was interesting that

with respect to what the president posted earlier this week, it was reported by the New York Times

and others that the owner of the Ambassador Bridge had a private meeting with Secretary Lutnik,

who then phoned the president of the United States, who then made the post on social media.

So unclear what's happening behind the scenes. Clearly, the billionaires are having conversations

with each other and helping each other out. But let's just hope that Bright Minds prevail,

that this border can open, because at the end of the day, the president has launched a trade war

against every country on the planet, including his largest trading partner here in Canada.

Why would he want to continue to add additional pressure, additional problems,

not just to Canada, but really to people who live in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky,

who rely on this border crossing to be smooth and efficient for their own livelihoods and put

bread on their own tables? It makes no sense that he would want to do that, especially

in a state like Michigan that was a swing state that voted for him in the last election.

You spoke at the beginning of our conversation about the bridge's importance

in terms of facilitating greater trade between the two countries. This also comes

at a critical juncture for renegotiating the USMCA. Given that Windsor has the busiest

international crossing in North America, is the heart of Canada's auto manufacturing industry,

what do you think should happen with the USMCA negotiation and what do you expect will happen?

I'm just looking at Donald Trump's behavior in his second term here. What he's done is cherry

pick issue by issue. First, it was an issue with respect to steel, then it's aluminum,

now it's dairy, then it's softwood lumber, it's autos. He likes to cherry pick each individual

issue and try and use any leverage he might have to get a resolution in discrete economic streams.

Obviously, the USMCA and Kuzma on our side is really about a comprehensive trade agreement

about where products are made, how they flow across the border, and every negotiation,

there's give and take. Not everyone gets 100% of what they want. You give a little bit here,

you take a little bit there, but ultimately, you get to a point where everyone feels comfortable

signing off. You unleash that trade agreement on the respective countries and you let business do

what business does and they're really good at it. They find the most efficient places to manufacture,

they find the places where the skills and the talent exist, and then they build their supply

chains around the talent and the location that they think is most practical for their business

and for their customers. I'm hopeful that there will be a comprehensive renegotiation of Kuzma

that deals with the outstanding issues that we may have as a country, that the United States may

have, that Mexico may have, that have been built up over the last few years, that we need to find

pathways to resolve. I'm hopeful that that's going to happen as opposed to the behavior the

President showed so far, which is cherry picking issue by issue. That would be the most unproductive

way to move forward with a comprehensive agreement. You said that driving by the bridge, it looks

like it's basically baked. Things are ready to go. The authority said at the end of last year

that it's slated to open during the first half of the year. Do you anticipate that the bridge

will still open during the first part of the year? I do. I really can't see the United States

starving resources at a bridge that's already paid for that they didn't pay for to begin with

that's going to hurt their other partner, which is the state of Michigan, a state that again

voted for Donald Trump was a swing state in the last election. It would make no sense for him to

want to hurt residents in the state of Michigan as they're walking toward the midterms later this

fall. Politically, it doesn't make sense. Economically, it doesn't make sense. I think what

we've seen earlier this week is a hate to say it, just Donald Trump being Donald Trump throw a bunch

of stuff in the universe, distract from the Epstein conversation and everything else that's

going on. He's really good at that. He's good at manipulating the media and sort of filling the

airwaves. And I think it's just a fair amount of puffery that's going on this particular week

on this item, which of course is important to us and so many Canadians, but so many Americans as

well. We really have a shared interest in making sure this bridge opens to help facilitate more

commerce and more trade between our two nations. Mayor Drew Dilkins of Windsor, Ontario, thanks

so much for joining us. Thanks for having me. That's Daily Drive for today. I'm Kellan Walker.

Thanks to Automotive News executive producer Jake Nier, as well as our own Hans Grimo and Richard

Truitt for their reporting for today's podcast. You can get the latest news on the Gordie Howe

Bridge dispute, Eson's factory exits and everything happening in the auto industry at AutoNews.com.

Come back tomorrow for a look at how Cox Automotive and Amazon Web Services are working

together to help dealerships solve problems using AI. The co-innovation, being on the edge of where

things are going, we're doing that together and doing it at scale and it has just been amazing.

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 dailydrive at autonews.com or leave us a voicemail at 313-444-2774. And if you

Feb. 12, 2026 | Windsor mayor reacts to Trump’s bridge threat; Nissan exits factories ahead of schedule

About this episode

Chevrolet Silverado

Gmc Sierra

by-wire technology

supercapacitor

Clarios

ZF

heavy duty trucks

electric brakes

Brembo

next generation trucks

Dodge Ram

GM

Ford F150

brake caliper

turbocharged engines

software-defined vehicles

mechanical links

electronic controls

electric motors

tunable

steering

turbocharged V6 engines

aluminum body panels

Porsche 911

supply chains

just-in-time delivery

Request an Explanation

Want to learn more?

Help improve this episode

More from Automotive News Daily Drive