Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short.
Tight, light, and right, TDS gathers the latest automotive news bubbling around the globe and places it all in one central place. Stories are summarized in a single (sometimes long) sentence accompanied by a link for those seeking more information.
I just got off an overnight international flight, am running on coffee and a few hours of sleep, so let’s get into it.
🚘 What I’m driving: I just rode on an Airbus A320 across the Atlantic, and a 2025 Mercedes-Benz E 450 4Matic All-Terrain is sitting at the airport back in the U.S., awaiting my return.
💨 A group of nearly all the major automakers asked the Trump administration to roll back looming vehicle emissions limits, arguing that they are no longer feasible because of new legislation signed by Trump that increases the effective price of EVs and will likely trigger a near-term decline in EV sales.
💸 Americans are now saddled with an incredible amount of automotive debt to the tune of over $1.6 trillion, resulting in a rise in auto loan delinquencies, defaults, and repossessions.
💥 The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has delayed tougher crash-test rules at the request of automakers, which asked for more time to comply with the tougher standards, citing the new rules lacked published testing procedures; this all comes on the heels of the new head administrator of NHTSA stating he wants to modernize safety standards and encourage innovation that harmonizes technology while modernizing outdates rules.
🏎️ The Genesis GMR-001 completed its first endurance test session at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve as the team inches closer to the targeted launch of a planned race debut in 2026.
👖 Infiniti is using a robot wrapped in jeans to test its leather’s durability.
⚡️ Porsche delayed its software-defined EV platform, known as SSP Sport, “well into the 2030s” as the automaker pivots back to gas-powered engines due to market shifts.
‼️ Ford recalled 115,539 heavy-duty trucks in the U.S. because a defect could cause the steering column’s upper shaft to detach.
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