Daily Recap: Friday, March 13, 2026
19 episodes · If you only listen to one: Building a Car and a Career: The Story Behind Tim King's Automotive Journey — Driven by Enthusiasts
EV registrations dropped 41% in January, Stellantis faces legal trouble but touts upcoming products, and Ford priced the Mustang Dark Horse SC at $77,515. Elsewhere, shows covered Nissan's turnaround efforts under new leadership, Shelby American growing its Mustang lineup, and dealership strategies like using $50 oil changes to pull customers in the door. Tesla Model Y, Dodge Charger, and Jeep Grand Cherokee came up repeatedly across product and market discussions.
EV Registrations Drop 41% as Automakers Pull Back
Electric vehicle registrations dropped 41% in January 2026 compared to a year earlier, with EVs now representing just over 5% of the market, down from more than 8% previously.
This downturn reflects broader industry challenges, as Honda plans to discontinue its Prolog EV when production ends in December after slashing production in half and now expects to sell just 17,900 units.
"Lucid targets $50,000 for a midsize crossover that is right at the heart of model y top end for instance...the new in-house drive unit which they've called Atlas is 23% lighter than their best current motors and uses 30 fewer parts"
March 13, 2026 | EV registrations plunge 41%; Stellantis dealer upbeat on new products
"EV registrations dropped 41% in January compared to a year earlier. That's according to S&P Global Mobility."
Headlines
Stellantis Legal and Financial Challenges Amid Product Optimism
Stellantis filed a lawsuit against Sky Automall, an Iowa dealership operating two locations, alleging they ran a $12 million loan scheme through double flooring that resulted in 76 employee layoffs.
Stellantis dealers remain optimistic about upcoming product refreshes.
Kinch on Service Growth, Spannhake on GEO, Mahoney on CDP | Daily Dealer Live
"Stellantis has filed a lawsuit against Sky Automall. It's an Iowa dealership operating two locations. Alleging they ran a $12 million loan scheme through what's known as double flooring."
Episode Spotlights
Shelby American's Truck Business Is Booming
On Shelby American expanding beyond its truck-heavy roots into more Mustang variants:
"A year, 2 or 3 years ago, trucks were like 75, 80% of our business. We're actually, you know, expanding our Mustang line and trying new flavors of the ice cream there as well."
Episode 243: Nissan North America CEO Christian Muenier
On returning to Nissan after 17 years away:
"I was back to Nissan after 17 years with Nissan. I went away for a few years and came back in January 25."
Kinch on Service Growth, Spannhake on GEO, Mahoney on CDP | Daily Dealer Live
On dealer service satisfaction gains across market segments:
"JD Power's 2026 customer service index is out, and overall dealer service satisfaction is up three points this year to 868 on a thousand-point scale with the premium segment posting the biggest gains. Porsche led all premium brands for the second straight year with a score of 915."
On managing Chevrolet inventory across multiple dealership locations:
"I'm a second generation. My dad started 30 years ago, 40 years ago... So my sister and I run the stores and two stores in Tulsa, Chevy store, and then the CTGR store up in a suburb called Owasso just north of Tulsa"
Dialed In Podcast: March 13th, 2026
On test driving the 997RS for the first time:
"I just got done driving the 997RS, so I'm feeling good. I'm feeling real good. I drove, I don't know, four or five miles, but hey, I'll take it."
If You Only Listen To One
Building a Car and a Career: The Story Behind Tim King's Automotive Journey
Covers Tim King's automotive career journey and his work building and modifying a 1966 Chevelle.
By the Numbers
Most-Discussed Cars
| Car | Mentions |
|---|---|
| Ford Mustang | 6 |
| Ford Thunderbird | 4 |
| Tesla Model Y | 3 |
| Dodge Charger | 3 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee | 3 |
| Jeep Grand Wagoneer | 3 |
| Jeep Wrangler | 3 |
| Dodge Challenger | 3 |
Trending Terminology
| Term | Mentions |
|---|---|
| hybrid | 2 |
| EV | 2 |
| product refresh | 2 |
| electrification | 2 |
| MSRP | 2 |
| NASCAR | 2 |
19 episodes. 219 car mentions. 289 terms explained. Browse every episode with searchable annotations and plain-language term definitions in the Car Curious app.