Daily Recap: Friday, March 6, 2026
27 episodes · If you only listen to one: Do You Name Your Vehicle? The Stories Behind Our Cars — Car Connection Workshop
Oil prices climbed past $84 per barrel today, adding pressure to both fuel costs and new vehicle sales, while dealers are sitting on 432,000 unsold cars and offering steep EV discounts to clear inventory. The shows covered BYD's Blade 2.0 battery with flash charging, Xiaomi's next SU7 sedan with updated safety features, and the Fat Ice Race in Big Sky, Montana.
Oil Prices Surge Past $84, Impacting Fuel Costs and Vehicle Sales
Crude oil prices have surged significantly, reaching over $84 per barrel — the highest since the US struck Iranian nuclear facilities last June.
The price spike is driven by concerns about oil transport and conflict impacts.
"Brent crude surged past $84 per barrel on Wednesday its highest point since the US struck Iranian nuclear facilities last June"
Rising fuel prices directly influence vehicle purchasing behavior, with fuel-efficient vehicle sales increasing over 20% for every dollar gas prices rise at the pump, while non-fuel efficient vehicle sales drop nearly 29%.
"Two weeks ago, the price of a barrel of oil was sixty five dollars. This morning it hit more than eighty five bucks."
Episode Spotlights
On Zeekr's 009 MPV upgrade to 900-volt architecture:
"Zeekr has teased the 009 flagship MPV... The update shifts the car from an 800 volt to a full stack 900 volt architecture. They say using Nvidia's drive for you driving chip for autonomy."
On how many new cars have sat on dealer lots over a year:
"How many new cars, leftover new cars, do you think have been sitting on dealer lots for over a year? That's what this is doing, this days on market filter. 349,000... okay, not bad. So, 10% of those leftovers... 43,000."
The FAT Ice Race Breakdown, And Can the Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet Do It All?
On ice racing's European history and the Porsche family's early involvement:
"There is a big history of ice racing, especially in Europe...the Porsche family held basically cars driving laps around a frozen lake near Zell and Zee in Austria in the early 50s, 1952, 1953."
March 6, 2026 | Cox Automotive’s Erin Keating on dealer outlook; Chrysler CEO Chris Feuell leaves Stellantis
On Chrysler CEO Chris Feuell's departure from Stellantis:
"Chrysler CEO Chris Feuell has left Stellantis for personal reasons. Dodge CEO Matt McHallyer will now oversee both Chrysler and Dodge."
Are EV Owners Satisfied?
On how towing affects electric pickup truck range:
"We find that a very high percentage, about 30% of those electric pickup truck owners use those vehicles to tow on a pretty regular basis. And that depletes the range pretty quickly."
If You Only Listen To One
Do You Name Your Vehicle? The Stories Behind Our Cars
A refreshingly personal episode where hosts and callers share the names they've given their cars — and the stories behind them. A nice change of pace from the news cycle.
By the Numbers
Most-Discussed Cars
| Car | Mentions |
|---|---|
| Ford Mustang | 9 |
| Dodge Charger | 9 |
| Jeep Wrangler | 6 |
| Chevrolet Corvette | 6 |
| Dodge Challenger | 5 |
| Subaru Outback | 4 |
| Volkswagen Golf | 4 |
| Porsche Cayman | 4 |
Trending Terminology
| Term | Mentions |
|---|---|
| Formula One | 8 |
| EV | 7 |
| horsepower | 4 |
| turbo | 3 |
| NASCAR | 3 |
| powertrain | 3 |
27 episodes. 401 car mentions. 436 terms explained. Browse every episode with searchable annotations and plain-language term definitions in the Car Curious app.