The joint venture between General Motors (GM) and LG Energy Solution in northeast Ohio is set to restart battery cell production next week. Production had previously been halted in January due to a decline in consumer demand for EVs. According to Tom Gallagher, Vice President of Operations for Ultium, who confirmed the restart to Reuters, most laid-off workers will return, bringing total employment at the facility to approximately 1,400. In addition to the Ohio facility, GM and LG operate another joint venture battery plant in Tennessee. However, this facility has shifted its focus from producing EV batteries to manufacturing batteries for energy storage systems. This change reflects ongoing adjustments in battery production as the demand for EVs evolves.

Source: CBT News

Premium owners are increasingly replacing their vehicles with mainstream midsize and compact SUVs, with the highest defection rates among younger and lower-income buyers. Premium vehicles, excluding direct-to-consumer brands, accounted for 13.3% of new-vehicle sales for the first half of 2026, down from 13.8% during the same period last year, the lowest premium vehicle market share since 2020. The clearest evidence of the shift appears in the SUV segments. During the first half of 2026, 32% of consumers trading a midsize premium SUV purchased a non-luxury brand.

Source: JD Power

Amazon’s autonomous vehicle unit has already deployed a software fix after one of its driverless vehicles entered heavy smoke at an emergency scene in Las Vegas.

Zoox has issued a recall of the software driving its fleet of 105 robotaxis after one of its autonomous vehicles drove into a smoke-obscured emergency fire scene in Las Vegas, the latest incident to draw federal scrutiny over how driverless vehicles interact with first responders.

The incident behind the voluntary recall happened on June 20, during which an unoccupied Zoox robotaxi approached smoke from an active fire scene before emergency crews had fully secured the area with traffic cones. The vehicle entered the smoke, braked hard while attempting to steer away from the scene, then came to a stop. Then, under the guidance of a remote operator, it reversed out of the area. Zoox said its own investigation found no similar incidents in its operating history and that it has already deployed an over-the-air update to its software designed to improve the vehicle's ability to detect and respond to heavy smoke.

Administrator Jonathan Morrison told autonomous vehicle developers that a “clear pattern” has emerged of driverless vehicles interfering with emergency responders. The agency said it has documented incidents involving robotaxis driving into active emergency scenes, blocking ambulances and fire trucks, or failing to recognize warnings such as flashing lights, traffic cones, fire, and smoke. NHTSA plans to meet with autonomous vehicle developers by the end of the month to discuss proposed solutions.

This type of problem is hardly unique to Zoox. Waymo has also been involved in several high-profile emergency-scene incidents, including one in Dallas where one of its robotaxis reportedly impeded access for fire crews responding to an apartment blaze. Safety investigators are also looking into other Waymo incidents, including reports of robotaxis passing stopped school buses displaying flashing lights. More recently, Waymo recalled about 3,900 autonomous vehicles after incidents involving freeway construction zones.

Source: Autoweek

Purchasers are placing more emphasis on quality-of-life features than on hands free driving and other high-tech options. Based on a recent survey (August 2026) these are the features purchasers are looking for.

Source: AutoPacific

According to the latest NADA Market Beat report, U.S. light-vehicle sales reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 16.3 million units in July, down 1.4% from a year earlier. Year-to-date SAAR through July stands at 16.0 million units, a 2.2% decline compared with the same period in 2025, and NADA notes that July sales finished slightly below expectations even as they stayed consistent with forecasts for a 16 million-unit market in 2026. Even as overall sales softened, hybrids kept climbing, with sales increasing 19.6% year over year in July and up 20.5% through the first seven months of the year. Hybrids now account for 15.4% of all new-vehicle sales, up 2.9 percentage points from a year ago. Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) moved in the opposite direction, continuing to decline following the expiration of federal EV tax credits in September 2025, with BEV market share falling to 5.9% year to date.

Source: CBT News

The Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index fell to 210 in July, as wholesale used-vehicle prices continued to normalize after peaking in the spring. According to the index, seasonally adjusted prices dropped 1.4% from June, though they still climbed 1.3% above July 2025 levels. The decline also outpaced the typical monthly gain of 0.4% that July usually brings. Non-adjusted wholesale prices fell 2.6% from June but remained 1.7% higher than a year ago. 

Source: CBT News

Ford plans to produce a four-door gas-powered Mustang, taking direct aim at the four-door Dodge Charger while positioning the iconic nameplate in a broader market segment. The details: The Ford variant—which was reportedly shown at a dealer event this week—could usher in an entirely new era for the Mustang as the Detroit automaker looks to broaden the appeal of its iconic pony car, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Source: Car Dealership Guy

German auto group Volkswagen plans to overhaul ‌its U.S. strategy with new management and a revised product offering, including a new pickup truck, a company source told Reuters on Friday. Marco Schubert, previously head of sales at Volkswagen's premium brand Audi, is moving to the U.S. to replace Kjell Gruner, who is leaving the company, the source said. The source said the goal is to bring the first pick-up truck to market before the end of the decade. The vehicle is to be built in the U.S. 

Source: Reuters

Unifor will be pressing General Motors to increase vehicle production in Canada, including adding the GMC Sierra to the Oshawa Assembly Plant, as the union and automaker sit down for contract talks with U.S. tariffs hampering Canadian vehicle output. The U.S. automaker has open capacity at its Canadian plants that could be used to meet domestic demand, Unifor President Lana Payne told reporters in Toronto Aug. 10. Canadians buy pickups in high volumes, Payne added, including a lot of Sierras.

Source: Automotive News

China’s auto market remained under pressure in July, as higher oil prices and a weak macro environment weighed on demand. Retail sales of passenger cars fell 20.9% in July from a year earlier to 1.46 million units, the China Passenger Car Association said Tuesday. Sales fell 8.8% compared with June. After falling since October, auto sales didn’t show a recovery at the start of the second half of the year. Instead, the market weakened further amid higher oil prices, a seasonally slow period and demand pulled forward by sales campaigns in June, the CPCA said.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Not long ago, Ram thought it had dreamed up the perfect engine for its pickups. The “Hurricane,” a turbocharged six-cylinder engine, would replace an archaic gas-guzzling V-8 that hadn’t changed much in nearly 15 years. The new engine would be more powerful, boast more torque, tow more and use less fuel. It was also smoother and quieter. As it turns out, that was a major problem. Because what truck buyers and muscle-car fans love more than anything, it turns out, is the rich, throaty roar of a V-8 and the vibrations it causes.

Source: Wall Street Journal