--- title: "The War in Iran Is Saving China’s Biggest EV Maker Right Now: TDS" date: "2026-05-01" modified: "2026-05-01" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/byd-export-sales-increase-rising-fuel-prices-iran-war-tds" categories: - "News" - "The Downshift" --- # The War in Iran Is Saving China’s Biggest EV Maker Right Now: TDS ![A logo of Chinese car manufacturer BYD is on display at the Essen Motor Show in Essen, western Germany on December 4, 2024.]() *\Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images\* Good morning and welcome to *[The Downshift]()*, or *TDS* for short. *TDS* gets you up to speed on all the critical automotive headlines of the morning, and it’s designed to pair well with a cup of coffee. Really brings out those citrus notes, in my opinion. Stories are summed up in a sentence or two with links to follow deeper, if you wish. Happy May, happy Friday, let's hit the road. 📊 On one hand, China's EV juggernaut BYD is going through it, notching its eighth-straight month of overall sales decline, and an April where it recorded 16% fewer deliveries than a year earlier, per *[Bloomberg]()*. However, look outside its cooling domestic market, and the company is thriving; thanks to the war in Iran driving up oil prices and turning customers toward EVs, BYD's exports leaped by a whopping 71% last month. 📉 Hyundai and Kia deliveries slid in April by 1.7 and 2.8 percent, respectively, though year-to-date sales remain up, *[Auto News]()* reports. 🫰 Detroit's Big Three plan to get more than $2.3 billion in tariff refunds from the federal government cumulatively, with Ford expecting $1.3 billion and General Motors and Stellantis looking at about half a billion each, according to *[Automotive News]()*. 💺 Ford is recalling 180,000 Bronco and Ranger vehicles, from model years 2024 to 2026, for loose front-seat height adjustment bolts that could dislodge while driving, according to [NHTSA]() [documents](). 🏭 Rivian has slightly downsized its future Georgia plant from an expected 400,000 vehicles per year to 300,000 due to a $2 billion reduction in a federal loan, [*Auto News*]() reports. 🚙 Nissan had planned to build two EVs at its Canton, Mississippi plant but will no longer, the company told suppliers on Thursday, according to *[Bloomberg]()*. That facility will now be the future home of body-on-frame SUVs, including the upcoming Xterra. 🌍 Stellantis is reassuring the market that its partnership with Chinese EV maker Leapmotor to sell the company's products within its European dealer network is not cannibalizing sales of its homegrown Opel, Peugeot, and Vauxhall brands, per *[Mopar Insiders]()*. 🧱 A Corvette ZR1X will pace this year's Indy 500, with Indiana University football coach Curt Cignetti at the wheel, [IndyCar]() has announced. 🪰 Bugatti's bespoke *Sur Mesure* team has [unveiled its latest creation](): A polka-dotted W16 Mistral called the "Fly Bug," believe it or not. 🏁 Weekend Races to Watch: - NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Texas: Friday, May 1 at 8 p.m. Eastern on FS1 - Formula E Berlin E-Prix: Saturday, May 2 at 10 a.m. Eastern on Roku Sports - NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Texas: Saturday, May 2 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on CW - NASCAR Cup Series at Texas: Sunday, May 3 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on FS1 - Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix: Sunday, May 3 at 4 p.m. Eastern on Apple TV - IMSA SportsCar Championship at Laguna Seca: Sunday, May 3 at 4:10 p.m. Eastern on NBCSN *Got a tip or feedback for TDS? Send it here: tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()