Daily Recap: Wednesday, March 18, 2026
29 episodes · If you only listen to one: GRIDLIFE Champion, Dewey Dewitt talks GRIDLIFE sale, building RACECARS in 2026 — Konig Behind the Wheel
UK automakers are pushing back against the government's ZEV mandate as subsidies dry up, while multiple shows discussed whether rising gas prices are actually moving consumers toward EVs. The lineup also included practical repair advice on jump-starting batteries and diagnosing alternator problems, plus Ironbird Racing Team walked through their first-ever Lemons race in a first-gen MR2.
UK Manufacturers Face EV Subsidy Crisis as ZEV Mandate Pressures Industry
Two UK-focused podcasts reported on the severe financial pressures facing manufacturers under the zero emission vehicle mandate.
My Week in Cars (Autocar) revealed that manufacturers spent £11,000 per car in subsidies last year and would have faced £12,000 per unit fines if they missed targets, while The Motoring Podcast reported the SMMT called for an urgent review of the mandate, citing changed economic and political conditions, though the UK government rejected this demand and stated it will carry on with a review starting in 2027.
The trustiest Landie, the Manosphere, Aston F1, buying a Tesla?
"Mike Hawes, the CEO who's absolutely top bloke and always makes a good summarizing speech, his killer fact, as far as I was concerned, was that last year, manufacturers spent 11 grand per car in the way of subsidies. I guess that means, you know, giveaways and extra advertising and just deals. And if they'd missed the target, they would have been in for 12K per unit."
Bemoan and complain - 17 March 2026
"They were very explicit in saying that the economic and political matters have changed in the past five years since the last version of the ZEV mandate came out that there's no way that it's possible to achieve with the current conditions that are out there."
Headlines
More Shows Weigh In on Rising Gas Prices Boosting EV Interest
Multiple podcasts reported on how rising gasoline prices are driving consumer interest in electric vehicles.
Automotive News Daily Drive noted that gasoline prices have jumped 27% in the US since the Iran conflict began, while CarEdge Live reported the nationwide average gas price reached $3.84 per gallon, up significantly from $2.92 a month ago, with search traffic for pre-owned EVs up about 20% since the war started.
March 18, 2026 | NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang says AV tech is 'solved'; Nissan's last laugh
"Gasoline prices have jumped 27% in the US since the Iran conflict began, and it's starting to change the global car market."
Episode Spotlights
On protecting your vehicle's electronics during jump-starts:
"If you damage the electronics on your vehicle because you jump started it incorrectly, that $3,000 bill at the car dealership is not going to be covered under warranty."
On why monthly payment affordability matters more than fuel type:
"85% of the public are payment buyers, what they're concerned with is how much the monthly cost is for the payment for their car... If ICE vehicles are continuing to be unaffordable for the vast majority of people, as gas prices go up, more people will consider used EVs because the payment, the monthly payment on the vehicle itself will be less."
GHiT 0752: The Costs of Racing with the Ironbird Racing Team
Ironbird Racing Team breaks down the real costs of entering their first 24 Hours of Lemons race in a number 103 first-gen MR2 — from the car build to entry fees to the surprises nobody warns you about.
EV Range Test Results
On real-world highway range testing methodology for EVs:
"it is a real world highway range test for these electric vehicles. And we conduct it at 70 miles an hour out on highways in Connecticut."
Episode #216 - No Sport Variant, But Deserved One
On why the Nissan Versa deserved a sport variant:
"The Versa never got a sport variant, which is crazy because Nissan was pretty famous for always having some version of a more performance-focused one of their models."
If You Only Listen To One
GRIDLIFE Champion, Dewey Dewitt talks GRIDLIFE sale, building RACECARS in 2026
GRIDLIFE champion Dewey Dewitt sits down to discuss the recent sale of the motorsport festival brand to ID Agency — what it means for the grassroots racing community — alongside his own 2026 race car builds and why Subaru's platform remains competitive in time attack despite its engine reliability reputation.
By the Numbers
Most-Discussed Cars
| Car | Mentions |
|---|---|
| Porsche 911 | 11 |
| Ford Mustang | 8 |
| Chevrolet Corvette | 7 |
| Honda Civic | 6 |
| Dodge Challenger | 6 |
| Ford Model T | 6 |
| Dodge Charger | 6 |
| Hyundai Palisade | 5 |
Trending Terminology
| Term | Mentions |
|---|---|
| turbo | 3 |
| EV | 3 |
| internal combustion engine | 3 |
| hot rod | 3 |
| manual transmission | 3 |
| chassis | 2 |
29 episodes. 357 car mentions. 553 terms explained. Browse every episode with searchable annotations and plain-language term definitions in the Car Curious app.