Automotive News Daily Drive
Automotive News
Updated about 4 hours agoDaily Drive is a daily podcast series hosted by Automotive News Executive Editor Jamie Butters and Kellen Walker. We speak with industry experts, insiders and Automotive News reporters about events and trends impacting and reshaping the automotive industry.Automotive News is the leading source of news, data and understanding for the auto industry's decision-makers. Learn more at autonews.com.
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Episodes (971)
Aug. 15, 2025 | Jeep revs up Hemi offerings; TechForce CEO Jennifer Maher
Jeep is restoring the Hemi V-8 after its electric vehicle push. VinFast will spin off assets in a $1.5 billion deal with its founder. Plus, TechForce Foundation CEO Jennifer Maher talks about efforts to help aspiring service techs pay for their education.
Aug. 14, 2025 | EV registrations rise, share drops; Monterey Car Week preview
Electric vehicle registrations rise in June, but U.S. market share drops. Automaker incentives are on the rise in August. Plus, Automotive News Staff Reporter Carly Schaffner joins the show from Monterey Car Week, where Acura just unveiled its new electric crossover.
Aug. 13, 2025 | U.S. auto exports to Canada plummet; Gabe Klein talks EV rollback
Canada imported more vehicles from Mexico than the United States in June for the first time in three decades. Suppliers continue to push tariffs costs to automakers. Plus, Gabe Klein, the former head of the U.S. Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, talks about the changing electric vehicle landscape under President Donald Trump.
Aug. 12, 2025 | Ford’s big EV bet; Unifor President Lana Payne
Ford bets big on a midsize EV pickup and a new assembly process. GM eyes a return to driverless cars. Plus, Unifor President Lana Payne talks about the high stakes for the North American auto industry as the U.S. and Canada negotiate a new trade landscape.
Aug. 11, 2025 | Rep. Haley Stevens discusses threat from China; CATL idles lithium mine
Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) joins the show to talk about increasing competition from China and the state of the auto industry as Washington swerves. The global lithium market soars after CATL idles a mine in China. Plus, car buyers had an easier time getting approved for loans in the second quarter.
Aug. 10, 2025 | Bonus Episode: EV startups struggle under Trump administration
Rivian and Lucid this past week showed signs of trouble for EV startups under President Donald Trump’s policies. Plus, Roger Penske’s IndyCar Series is distancing itself from a post by the Department of Homeland Security depicting an IndyCar vehicle outfitted with a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement emblem.
Aug. 9, 2025 | Weekend Drive: Michelle Krebs talks EV climate, UAW turmoil
Retired automotive analyst Michelle Krebs guest co-hosts the show from Automotive News’ offices in Detroit. She and Daily Drive Host Kellen Walker discuss the week’s biggest news stories, including concerning earnings reports from EV startups, turbulence inside the UAW and Amazon Autos launching used-car sales.
Aug. 8, 2025 | Ford delays EV pickup; AI in the service drive
Ford is once again delaying two of its next-generation electric vehicles, including its upcoming EV pickup. General Motors will reportedly import EV batteries from China’s CATL. Plus, Charisma Communications Owner Laurie Halter talks about what dealers want from AI in the service drive and how those expectations stack up against reality.
Aug. 7, 2025 | Tariffs to slash UAW profit-sharing checks; GM, Hyundai to develop vehicles together
Automotive News Staff Reporter Michael Martinez talks about how tariffs stand to cut UAW profit-sharing checks by thousands of dollars, as well as the growing effort to oust union President Shawn Fain. General Motors and Hyundai strike a deal to develop vehicles together. Plus, Toyota will build a new assembly plant in Japan despite a $10 billion tariff bill.
Aug. 6, 2025 | California emissions rules stick with six automakers; Honda profits tumble
Alix Partners’ Shea Burns talks about the six automakers that have legal agreements with California to keep emissions low and what President Donald Trump’s environmental policy changes mean for them. Honda’s profits plunge. Plus, Infiniti hopes new concepts will provide some badly needed buzz around the brand.
Aug. 5, 2025 | Mazda blames tariffs for loss; automakers pull back hydrogen plans
Mazda tumbles to a loss in the latest quarter as the import-dependent Japanese automaker grapples with U.S. tariffs. Rivian sues Ohio over its direct-sales ban that exempts Tesla. Plus, Automotive News’ Jerry Hirsch talks about why hydrogen technology is losing steam among automakers.
Aug. 4, 2025 | Amazon Autos starts used-vehicle sales; Plus CEO David Liu
Amazon is expanding its online car-shopping platform to include used and certified pre-owned vehicles. Tesla CEO Elon Musk gets his payday. Plus, David Liu, CEO of self-driving company Plus, talks about the decision to take his company public.
Aug. 3, 2025 | Bonus Episode: Impact of trade deals; angry customer takes dealership’s name
Sam Fiorani of AutoForecast Solutions talks with Automotive News’ Hannah Lutz about the impact of new U.S. trade deals on the automotive market. Plus, a look at how one woman in Ohio tried to reclaim a dealership’s name after it repossessed her car.
Aug. 2, 2025 | Weekend Drive: Sales gains under unusual conditions; trade deals
Daily Drive Host Kellen Walker and Automotive News Staff Reporter Larry P. Vellequette discuss strong sales gains in June amid unusual market conditions, a string of new U.S. trade deals, and more.
Aug. 1, 2025 | Canada to see 35 percent tariffs; how lenders can gain from auto refinancing
President Donald Trump enacts 35 percent tariffs on Canada while giving Mexico a reprieve. Unusual market conditions drive higher July sales for several automakers. Plus, TransUnion’s Satyan Merchant talks about how millions of customers could save money on their monthly bills by refinancing their auto loans.
July 31, 2025 | GM CEO Mary Barra’s leadership through change; Ford posts loss
Automotive News Staff Reporter Lindsay VanHulle talks about her profile of General Motors CEO Mary Barra, who will receive a Centennial Award as part of Automotive News’ 100th anniversary. Ford swings to a loss in the second quarter. Plus, Hyundai praises the U.S. trade deal with South Korea.
July 30, 2025 | Toyota shrugs off tariffs; the engine’s impact on U.S. car culture
Despite steep tariffs, Toyota’s auto exports to the U.S. keep climbing and have helped drive record sales for the world’s biggest automaker. Mercedes pauses EV orders in the U.S. Plus, Automotive News Staff Reporter Richard Truett talks about the impact of the gasoline engine on U.S. car culture and the people who have shaped the auto industry.
July 29, 2025 | Stellantis braces for $1.4 billion tariff hit; stop-start technology under fire
Stellantis expects tariffs to take a $1.4 billion bite out of profits in the second half. Ford opens a $3 billion credit line ahead of its earnings report. Plus, Automotive News Staff Reporter Molly Boigon talks about the growing criticism of stop-start technology from customers and regulators.
July 28, 2025 | U.S., EU reach trade deal; GM’s Kurt Kelty on EV transition
The U.S. and the European Union reach a trade deal. Tesla signs a chip deal with Samsung. Plus, Kurt Kelty, General Motors’ vice president of battery, propulsion and sustainability, talks about why the company believes the EV era is inevitable despite sluggish demand and policy challenges.
July 27, 2025 | Bonus Episode: Bill Ford’s children on father’s “heart and humanity”
In these excerpts from Automotive News Staff Reporter Michael Martinez’s interviews with Ford Motor Co. Executive Chair Bill Ford’s children, Will Ford and Alexandra Ford English discuss their father’s leadership through crises, such as the 2023 UAW strike.
July 26, 2025 | Weekend Drive: Tariffs hit Q2 earnings; EPA looks to ditch CAFE
Automotive News staff reporters Larry P. Vellequette and Michael Martinez discuss this week’s automakers’ earnings results and the impact of tariffs. Plus, they talk about what it would mean if the EPA eliminates tailpipe emissions standards.
July 25, 2025 | Kia reshapes U.S. sales strategy; warranty work headaches
Kia will adjust its business operations in the U.S. and cut incentives amid tariffs and policy changes. LG Energy Solution warns of slowing electric vehicle battery demand. Plus, service technician trainer Joshua Taylor and Jeff Daniel, service director for Maple Hill Auto Group, talk about how warranty reimbursement processes are hurting dealerships.
July 24, 2025 | Tesla earnings fall; how auto loan tax deduction could affect retail market
Tesla’s earnings fall further in the second quarter. Hyundai warns of growing costs from U.S. tariffs in the second half. Plus, Automotive News Staff Reporter Paige Hodder talks about what a new tax deduction for auto loan borrowers will mean for the overall retail market.
July 23, 2025 | Bill Ford’s children share insights, memories; Japan deal worries Detroit 3
Alexandra Ford English, Nick Ford and Will Ford talk about their father’s career leading Ford Motor Co., his values and who he is inside and outside of work. The Detroit 3 have concerns about the deal President Donald Trump says he has reached with Japan. Plus, a key driver of Tesla’s profits is drying up.
July 22, 2025 | 2025 future product pipeline; Tariffs cost GM $1.1 billion
Automotive News Staff Reporter Lindsay VanHulle talks about this year’s Future Product Pipeline series and how General Motors looks to plan for an uncertain future. Meanwhile, tariffs cost GM more than $1 billion in the second quarter. Plus, Nissan plans to shrink its industrial footprint in Mexico by ending production at two assembly plants.