{"version":"1.0.0","episode":{"title":"March 15, 2026 | Weekend Drive: Automakers pay big to retreat on EVs, but could the market make a comeback?","url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/march-15-2026-weekend-drive-automakers-pay-big-to-retreat-on-evs-but-could-the-market-make-a-comeback","audioUrl":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/www.buzzsprout.com/2447022/episodes/18843257-march-15-2026-weekend-drive-automakers-pay-big-to-retreat-on-evs-but-could-the-market-make-a-comeback.mp3","description":"Honda is scrapping three electric vehicles and booking up to $15.8 billion in losses as the auto industry’s EV restructuring bill approaches $70 billion. But could rising gas prices and a growing used EV market help revive demand? Michael Martinez and Lindsay VanHulle talk about those trends and more."},"annotations":[{"startTime":51.6,"endTime":52.9,"type":"term","title":"EV","url":"/glossary/ev","quote":"There have been all kinds of developments this week\non the EV front.","canonicalId":"term:ev","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"EV stands for electric vehicle, which is a car powered entirely or primarily by electricity instead of gasoline or diesel. EVs use electric motors and batteries to provide propulsion, offering an alternative to traditional internal combustion engine vehicles.","simplifiedExplanation":"An EV is a car that runs on electricity instead of gas. It uses batteries to power an electric motor, which makes the car move."}},{"startTime":56.6,"endTime":59.42,"type":"concept","title":"automaker write downs","url":"/glossary/automaker-write-downs","quote":"the growing tally of automaker write downs,","canonicalId":"concept:automaker-write-downs","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Automaker write downs refer to the financial accounting process where a company reduces the book value of its assets, often due to decreased market value or poor sales performance. In the automotive industry, this can happen when investments in certain vehicle models, like EVs, do not meet expectations, leading to financial losses.","simplifiedExplanation":"Automaker write downs happen when a car company lowers the value of something it owns because it isn’t worth as much as they thought. This usually means they lost money on that part of their business."}},{"startTime":109.42,"endTime":111.02,"type":"car","title":"Acura Rsx","url":"/cars/acura/rsx","image":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/02-04_Acura_RSX_.jpg","quote":"the Zero Series Saloon,  and the Acura RSX.  They're expecting losses up to nearly $16 billi...","canonicalId":"car:acura:rsx","priority":0.5,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"The Acura RSX is a compact sports coupe produced by Honda's luxury brand Acura from 2002 to 2006. Known for its sporty handling and reliable performance, it was popular among enthusiasts for its balance of everyday usability and engaging driving dynamics. It might be discussed in the context of automotive history or brand strategy given its impact on Acura's lineup.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Acura RSX is a small two-door car made by Acura, a luxury car company. It was designed to be sporty and fun to drive while still being practical for daily use.","imageAttribution":"IFCAR (Public domain)"}},{"startTime":127.4,"endTime":129.6,"type":"brand","title":"Honda","url":"/glossary/honda","quote":"And I think Honda's one of those automakers, and I don't just mean the demand curve.","canonicalId":"brand:honda","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Honda is a major Japanese automaker known for producing a wide range of vehicles including cars, motorcycles, and power equipment. In the context of EVs, Honda has faced challenges in developing competitive electric vehicles and platforms.","simplifiedExplanation":"Honda is a big car company from Japan that makes cars and motorcycles. They have had some trouble making electric cars that people want to buy."}},{"startTime":141.5,"endTime":147.4,"type":"concept","title":"EV platform","url":"/glossary/ev-platform","quote":"But I more so mean the type of EVs and the kind of platform you need to develop them at scale and to hope to make any money at them.","canonicalId":"concept:ev-platform","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"An EV platform is a dedicated vehicle architecture designed specifically for electric vehicles, allowing for optimized battery placement, weight distribution, and scalability across multiple models. Developing a good EV platform is crucial for automakers to produce competitive and profitable electric cars at scale.","simplifiedExplanation":"An EV platform is like the base or foundation that electric cars are built on. It helps make the cars work better and lets the company build different kinds of electric cars using the same parts."}},{"startTime":153.3,"endTime":156.3,"type":"concept","title":"Automaker partnership","url":"/glossary/automaker-partnership","quote":"They tried to catch up by partnering with GM that led to the prologue,","canonicalId":"concept:automaker-partnership","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Automaker partnerships involve collaboration between different car manufacturers to share technology, platforms, or development costs. Honda partnered with General Motors to develop the Prologue EV, leveraging GM's EV technology to accelerate their entry into the electric vehicle market.","simplifiedExplanation":"Sometimes car companies work together to make new cars. Honda worked with GM to make an electric car faster and cheaper."}},{"startTime":251.8,"endTime":256.9,"type":"concept","title":"internal combustion","url":"/glossary/internal-combustion","quote":"converting some planned EV capacity to internal combustion, investing more in hybrids than in EVs.","canonicalId":"concept:internal-combustion","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Internal combustion refers to engines that burn fuel inside the engine cylinders to create power, typically gasoline or diesel engines found in traditional cars.","simplifiedExplanation":"Internal combustion means the car uses an engine that burns gas or diesel inside it to make the car move, like most regular cars."}},{"startTime":251.8,"endTime":256.9,"type":"concept","title":"hybrids","url":"/glossary/hybrid","quote":"converting some planned EV capacity to internal combustion, investing more in hybrids than in EVs.","canonicalId":"concept:hybrid","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Hybrids are vehicles that combine an internal combustion engine with an electric motor to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.","simplifiedExplanation":"A hybrid car uses both gas and electricity to run. It switches between the two to save fuel and pollute less."}},{"startTime":278.2,"endTime":282.7,"type":"concept","title":"battery costs","url":"/glossary/battery-costs","quote":"There's still work on bringing down battery costs. There's still work on affordable EV platforms.","canonicalId":"concept:battery-costs","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Battery costs refer to the expenses associated with manufacturing and sourcing batteries for electric vehicles, which significantly impact the overall price of EVs.","simplifiedExplanation":"Batteries for electric cars can be expensive. Lowering these costs helps make electric cars cheaper to buy."}},{"startTime":295.0,"endTime":299.6,"type":"term","title":"price point","url":"/glossary/price-point","quote":"And so they're trying to find ways to bring down that price point, not just the price point, but the cost that contribute to that price point.","canonicalId":"term:price-point","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Price point refers to the specific price at which a product, such as a vehicle, is offered to consumers, influencing its market competitiveness.","simplifiedExplanation":"Price point means how much a car costs when you buy it. Companies try to set prices that people can afford."}},{"startTime":301.84,"endTime":305.5,"type":"concept","title":"reset","url":"/glossary/reset","quote":"So I think it's a sign really of just this broader reset that's ongoing and everyone sort of taking this view of,","canonicalId":"concept:reset","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"A reset in the automotive market refers to a significant adjustment or correction in sales, production, or consumer demand patterns, often after a period of rapid growth or hype.","simplifiedExplanation":"A reset means the car market is changing or slowing down after a busy time. It's like taking a break to figure things out."}},{"startTime":316.0,"endTime":319.8,"type":"term","title":"EV registrations","url":"/glossary/ev-registrations","quote":"because now we saw EV registrations drop 41% in January with market share tumbling just 5%","canonicalId":"term:ev-registrations","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"EV registrations refer to the number of electric vehicles newly registered or sold within a certain period. Tracking EV registrations helps measure the adoption rate and market penetration of electric vehicles.","simplifiedExplanation":"EV registrations mean how many electric cars are officially signed up or sold. It shows how popular electric cars are becoming."}},{"startTime":319.8,"endTime":322.2,"type":"term","title":"market share","url":"/glossary/market-share","quote":"EV registrations drop 41% in January with market share tumbling just 5%","canonicalId":"term:market-share","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Market share is the percentage of total sales in a market that a particular product or segment holds. In this context, it refers to the share of electric vehicles compared to all vehicles sold.","simplifiedExplanation":"Market share means how much of all car sales are electric cars compared to other types. It shows how popular electric cars are."}},{"startTime":353.5,"endTime":359.5,"type":"term","title":"EV charging network","url":"/glossary/ev-charging-network","quote":"There's still charging challenges, you know, the network of EV charging nationwide is still expanding.","canonicalId":"term:ev-charging-network","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"The EV charging network is the system of public and private electric vehicle charging stations that allow EV owners to recharge their vehicles. Its expansion is crucial for widespread EV adoption.","simplifiedExplanation":"The EV charging network is all the places where electric cars can be plugged in to get more power. Having more chargers makes it easier to drive electric cars."}},{"startTime":417.0,"endTime":419.24,"type":"term","title":"EVs","url":"/glossary/ev","quote":"...we could see a quick pivot back to EVs.","canonicalId":"term:ev","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"EVs stands for electric vehicles, which are cars powered entirely or primarily by electric motors using energy stored in batteries instead of internal combustion engines. EVs produce zero tailpipe emissions and are a growing segment in the automotive market.","simplifiedExplanation":"EVs are cars that run on electricity instead of gas. They use batteries to power electric motors, which makes them cleaner for the environment."}},{"startTime":459.5,"endTime":464.0,"type":"concept","title":"EV transition","url":"/glossary/ev-transition","quote":"The EV transition has been slower than many people expected, and the financial strain isn't just hitting automakers.","canonicalId":"concept:ev-transition","priority":0.9,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"The EV transition refers to the ongoing shift in the automotive industry from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs). This transition involves changes in manufacturing, supply chains, consumer adoption, and regulatory policies.","simplifiedExplanation":"EV transition means car makers are moving from gas-powered cars to electric cars. This change affects how cars are made and sold."}},{"startTime":477.8,"endTime":481.3,"type":"term","title":"tier one suppliers","url":"/glossary/tier-one-suppliers","quote":"He explains how tier one suppliers are dealing with the pressure of a software EV ramp, shifting customer demand and policy uncertainty...","canonicalId":"term:tier-one-suppliers","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Tier one suppliers are companies that supply parts or systems directly to automakers. They play a critical role in the automotive supply chain, especially in complex products like electric vehicles.","simplifiedExplanation":"Tier one suppliers are companies that make important car parts and sell them straight to car makers."}},{"startTime":481.3,"endTime":484.3,"type":"term","title":"software EV ramp","url":"/glossary/software-ev-ramp","quote":"He explains how tier one suppliers are dealing with the pressure of a software EV ramp, shifting customer demand and policy uncertainty...","canonicalId":"term:software-ev-ramp","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"The software EV ramp refers to the rapid increase in electric vehicle production that requires significant software development and integration. This includes vehicle control systems, battery management, and user interfaces.","simplifiedExplanation":"Software EV ramp means car makers are making more electric cars that need lots of computer programs to work properly."}},{"startTime":528.8,"endTime":532.6,"type":"concept","title":"supply chain pressure","url":"/glossary/supply-chain-pressure","quote":"There's so much pressure on the supply chain between these geopolitical tensions and just normal everyday logistics.","canonicalId":"concept:supply-chain-pressure","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Supply chain pressure refers to the challenges and stresses faced by the network of companies and processes involved in producing and delivering automotive parts, often caused by geopolitical tensions and logistical issues.","simplifiedExplanation":"Supply chain pressure means problems and delays in getting car parts from factories to where they need to be, caused by things like conflicts or shipping problems."}},{"startTime":558.5,"endTime":562.2,"type":"concept","title":"bringing supplier work in-house","url":"/glossary/bringing-supplier-work-in-house","quote":"You have the shift of automakers trying to bring more and more supplier work in-house.","canonicalId":"concept:bringing-supplier-work-in-house","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Bringing supplier work in-house means automakers are choosing to manufacture parts themselves rather than outsourcing to external suppliers, which can affect supplier companies and supply chain dynamics.","simplifiedExplanation":"Bringing supplier work in-house means car companies make parts themselves instead of buying them from other companies."}},{"startTime":569.5,"endTime":570.46,"type":"term","title":"Strait of Hormuz","url":"/glossary/strait-of-hormuz","quote":"and then obviously with this current situation with the Strait of Hormuz,","canonicalId":"term:strait-of-hormuz","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, critical for global oil shipments. Tensions there can impact fuel prices and supply chains.","simplifiedExplanation":"The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow sea passage where a lot of the world's oil ships pass through. If there are problems there, it can make fuel more expensive and harder to get."}},{"startTime":574.3,"endTime":576.8,"type":"term","title":"transportation costs","url":"/glossary/transportation-costs","quote":"You're losing a lot of not only oil that's increasing transportation costs, but also plastics materials, aluminum, liquid natural gas.","canonicalId":"term:transportation-costs","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Transportation costs refer to the expenses associated with moving raw materials and parts to manufacturing plants. These costs can significantly impact the overall cost of vehicle production.","simplifiedExplanation":"Transportation costs are the money spent to move parts and materials to where cars are made. If these costs go up, it can make cars more expensive."}},{"startTime":576.8,"endTime":581.3,"type":"term","title":"aluminum","url":"/glossary/aluminum","quote":"That's increasing transportation costs, but also plastics materials, aluminum, liquid natural gas. There's a bunch of building blocks to vehicle parts that they're also probably not getting.","canonicalId":"term:aluminum","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Aluminum is a lightweight metal commonly used in vehicle manufacturing to reduce weight and improve fuel efficiency. Price or supply disruptions can impact vehicle costs.","simplifiedExplanation":"Aluminum is a light metal used in cars to make them lighter and use less fuel. If aluminum is hard to get or expensive, it can make cars cost more."}},{"startTime":597.4,"endTime":600.7,"type":"concept","title":"auto suppliers","url":"/glossary/auto-suppliers","quote":"That's increasing transportation costs, but also plastics materials, aluminum, liquid natural gas. There's a bunch of building blocks to vehicle parts that they're also probably not getting. You might as well just add hail and locus to this list of things suppliers are dealing with. It's not great. And what makes it tough is that this is already a pretty low margin business, auto in general, but specifically for the suppliers.","canonicalId":"concept:auto-suppliers","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Auto suppliers are companies that provide parts and materials to automobile manufacturers. They operate on low profit margins and are sensitive to cost increases in raw materials and transportation.","simplifiedExplanation":"Auto suppliers make parts for car companies and usually don't make a lot of money. If their costs go up, it can affect the price of car parts."}},{"startTime":624.5,"endTime":628.8,"type":"term","title":"operating costs","url":"/glossary/operating-costs","quote":"Flavio Volpe of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association said transportation is typically 5% to 6% of operating costs, so a 20% fuel increase adds about 1% to total costs.","canonicalId":"term:operating-costs","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Operating costs are the ongoing expenses a business incurs to run its daily activities, including fuel, labor, and materials. For auto suppliers, transportation is a significant part of these costs.","simplifiedExplanation":"Operating costs are the money a company spends every day to keep working, like paying for fuel and materials. For companies that make car parts, these costs are important."}},{"startTime":628.8,"endTime":633.0,"type":"term","title":"fuel increase","url":"/glossary/fuel-increase","quote":"Transportation is typically 5% to 6% of operating costs, so a 20% fuel increase adds about 1% to total costs. I know it doesn't sound huge, but in context, it does sound pretty significant.","canonicalId":"term:fuel-increase","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Fuel increase refers to a rise in fuel prices, which can raise transportation and production costs for automotive suppliers and manufacturers.","simplifiedExplanation":"Fuel increase means fuel costs more money. When fuel prices go up, it costs more to move parts and make cars."}},{"startTime":844.44,"endTime":871.7,"type":"concept","title":"transparency in supply chain","url":"/glossary/transparency-in-supply-chain","quote":"I do know there's a push for transparency even deeper than that too, right? And just trying to really get at, how do you get visibility far enough down the supply chain so that you can see when some of these things might happen?","canonicalId":"concept:transparency-in-supply-chain","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Transparency in the automotive supply chain refers to the ability of automakers to have clear visibility into the various tiers of suppliers (Tier 1, Tier 2, etc.) to anticipate and react to disruptions that could impact production.","simplifiedExplanation":"Transparency means knowing what's going on with all the companies that supply parts for cars. This helps car makers avoid problems if something goes wrong somewhere in the chain."}},{"startTime":871.7,"endTime":877.2,"type":"term","title":"Tier 1, Tier 2 suppliers","url":"/glossary/tier-1-tier-2-suppliers","quote":"and also how do you get enough visibility into Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, Tier N, so that if there's a tornado someplace that you can know early enough and react enough","canonicalId":"term:tier-1-tier-2-suppliers","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Tier 1 suppliers provide parts or systems directly to automakers, while Tier 2 and beyond supply components or raw materials to Tier 1 suppliers. Understanding these tiers helps explain how disruptions can cascade through the supply chain.","simplifiedExplanation":"Some companies make parts and sell them straight to car makers (Tier 1). Others make parts for those companies (Tier 2), and so on. Knowing this helps understand where problems might start."}},{"startTime":1072.1,"endTime":1076.7,"type":"term","title":"automaker incentives","url":"/glossary/automaker-incentives","quote":"\"...without the tax credit, you might get some automaker and dealer incentives, but you still have to have the price point at a place where people can actually get into it.\"","canonicalId":"term:automaker-incentives","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Automaker incentives are discounts or special offers provided by car manufacturers to encourage sales, which can include cash rebates, low-interest financing, or lease deals.","simplifiedExplanation":"Automaker incentives are deals or discounts that car companies offer to help you buy a car more easily or for less money."}},{"startTime":1190.6,"endTime":1193.4,"type":"concept","title":"lease","url":"/glossary/lease","quote":"\"maybe a used EV at that price point is a good way to get into it. Maybe a lease might make more sense. But I think the used EV question is going to be very interesting to see what happens.\"","canonicalId":"concept:lease","priority":0.5,"confidence":0.95,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Leasing a vehicle means paying to use it for a set period, usually with lower monthly payments than buying. At the end of the lease, the vehicle is returned to the dealer, which can be a way to try new technology like EVs without long-term commitment.","simplifiedExplanation":"Leasing a car is like renting it for a few years. You pay less each month than buying, and then you give the car back when the lease ends."}},{"startTime":1259.9,"endTime":1263.7,"type":"company","title":"Bosch","url":"/glossary/bosch","quote":"\"Come back on Monday for a conversation with Mohammed Faturi, director of the Engineering and Power Solutions division at Bosch.\"","canonicalId":"company:bosch","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Bosch is a leading global supplier of automotive components and technology. They provide parts and systems to automakers and are deeply involved in the EV supply chain and engineering solutions.","simplifiedExplanation":"Bosch is a big company that makes parts for cars and helps car companies build better vehicles, including electric ones."}},{"startTime":1270.0,"endTime":1277.2,"type":"term","title":"battery electric vehicles","url":"/glossary/battery-electric-vehicles","quote":"\"The take rate of the battery electric vehicles in the market were not as expected by the industry,\"","canonicalId":"term:battery-electric-vehicles","priority":0.5,"confidence":1.0,"source":"hybrid-fuzzy+gpt-4.1-mini","data":{"explanation":"Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are cars powered entirely by electricity stored in batteries, with no internal combustion engine. They are a key part of the shift toward cleaner transportation.","simplifiedExplanation":"Battery electric vehicles are cars that run only on electricity stored in batteries. They don't use gas or diesel."}}],"speakers":[{"id":"s1","name":"Automotive News","role":"host"}],"transcripts":[{"url":"http://getcarcurious.com/episodes/march-15-2026-weekend-drive-automakers-pay-big-to-retreat-on-evs-but-could-the-market-make-a-comeback/transcript.vtt","type":"text/vtt"}]}