Daily Recap: Monday, April 20, 2026
40 episodes · If you only listen to one: Why Electrification Could Cut Global Energy Use in Half!, Everything Electric Podcast
F-150 inventory remains strained months after an aluminum supplier fire in New York. Used EV sales rose 27.7% year over year in March, with average transaction prices within about $1,000 of the average gas vehicle.
Ford F-150 Inventory Still Strained After Supplier Fire
Ford's F-150 supply has not recovered from a fire at a Novelis aluminum plant in New York in September. Two podcasts covered the situation using different metrics: Car Stuff Podcast puts current F-150 inventory at 43% of normal, while Automotive News Daily Drive reported supply at around 57 days, down from over 100 days before the fire. The figures measure different things — percent of normal stock versus days of supply — but both point to a significant and ongoing shortage.
Nissan Restructures, Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid, Canadian Tesla Adventure
"Ford's aluminum supplier in the U.S., in New York, caught fire and Ford's current inventory of F-150s is at 43% of normal."
April 20, 2026 | F-150 inventory crisis deepens; Iran war threatens helium supply for chips
"F-150 inventory has dropped to around 57 days supply from well over 100 days before the [Novelis] fire in September."
Used EV Sales Up 27.7% Year Over Year as Prices Near Gas-Car Average
42,924 used EVs sold in March, up 27.7% year over year, per Car Dealership Guy Podcast. The average used EV transaction price fell to $34,653, within about $1,000 of the average gas vehicle.
On the new side, however, EV market share sits under 5%, with manufacturers relying heavily on lease incentives to move inventory.
Soza on Used Disciplines, Byrd on First Pencils, Lawrence on EVs | Daily Dealer Live
"42,924 used EVs were sold in March. That's up 27.7% year over year."
"EV sales are now dropped to under 5% of the market, despite a lot of manufacturers throwing a lot of money at, particularly at lease deals."
Episode Spotlights
Why Your Shop Feels Chaotic (And How to Install Control Fast) [E254]
On how shop volume alone doesn't determine whether operations feel controlled:
"I've seen high volume shops running 80 plus cars a week that feel completely in control. I've seen shops that have 30 cars a week and it feels like a disaster."
CHINA: ONVO L90 Fights Back, Xiaomi YU7 Fades and BYD 16 Million Milestone | 20 Apr 2026
On BYD's contrasting growth rates in domestic versus international markets:
"In China, BYD sold roughly 300,000 vehicles in March, and that was down 24% year-on-year... Overseas, the picture is different for BYD. March, international passenger vehicle and pickup sales approaching 120,000, up 65% year-on-year."
If You Only Listen To One
Why Electrification Could Cut Global Energy Use in Half!
The episode works through the arithmetic of a full global energy transition: if the world stopped burning fossil fuels today, total human energy consumption would fall by roughly half, because so much energy is currently lost as heat in combustion. It lays out the efficiency case behind electrification advocacy.
"If you could just transition today, the whole world, we stop using fossil fuels. What's interesting is the actual amount of energy the human race would consume would be lower. Much lower. Half would be about half, which is incredible."
By the Numbers
Most-Mentioned Cars
Mention counts across today's episodes; not every car here appears in a dedicated story section.
| Car | Mentions |
|---|---|
| Ford F-150 | 8 |
| Jeep Wrangler | 6 |
| Ford Ranger | 5 |
| Honda Civic | 5 |
| Ford Mustang | 5 |
| Chevrolet Corvette | 5 |
| Toyota Land Cruiser | 5 |
| Dodge Charger | 4 |
Trending Terminology
Mention counts across today's episodes; not every term here appears in a dedicated story section.
| Term | Mentions |
|---|---|
| wheelbase | 4 |
| horsepower | 4 |
| turbo | 4 |
| VIN | 4 |
| body roll | 3 |
| spark plugs | 3 |
40 episodes. 564 car mentions. 3030 terms explained. Browse every episode with searchable annotations and plain-language term definitions in the Car Curious app.