GM Defense's ISV-Heavy, the truck Ford is now competing against, during the Ivy Sting-4 wargame at Fort Carson in January. Image: Spc. Jonathan Reyes, U.S. Army (Public domain)
In today's issue:
Ford, GM and BC Customs are all building prototypes for the Army's next tactical truck
Porsche's workers traded deferred pay rises and a smaller Christmas bonus for a job guarantee
Land Rover kills the Discovery Sport because it cannot meet the EU's new crash standard
THE OTHER CUSTOMER
The Army picked three companies for its Infantry Squad Vehicle Heavy program on June 30: Ford, GM Defense and off-road specialist BC Customs. Each builds three prototypes, nine in all, due by March 30, 2027, per Breaking Defense. The Wall Street Journal, which reported the competition Monday, puts the Army's eventual appetite at roughly 600 trucks, per CBT News.
Ford's entry is based on the F-Series Super Duty. The trucks have to carry troops over rough terrain and double as mobile power sources for drones and command-and-control gear. A Ford spokesperson said the company looks forward to "delivering several incredibly capable vehicle prototypes that demonstrate the value Ford can provide," per CBT News and The Drive.
GM is ahead on the same truck, not a different one. Its militarized Silverado HD is a diesel-electric hybrid, pairing a 2.8-liter Duramax with a Hummer EV drive motor, a 102 kWh battery and an eBeam rear axle. GM Defense says that supports Silent Drive and Silent Watch modes plus exportable power for sensors and command gear, which is exactly what the Army is asking for, per Army Recognition. Military officials have already bought GM prototypes for field testing, per CBT News.
GM Defense has been standalone since 2017, holds a $1 billion contract for the smaller original ISV contingent on budget approval, and recently agreed to support Lockheed Martin's munitions manufacturing. Ford has no equivalent arm. It last built tactical trucks for the Korean and Vietnam wars and left defense when it sold Ford Aerospace in 1990, per CBT News and Jalopnik.
These are Other Transaction Agreements, which is why the values are thin. Only BC Customs has disclosed one, a $3.3 million award it confirmed to Breaking Defense. The same outlet notes the Army moved early: its acquisition deputy Jesse Tolleson had said a month earlier that prototype proposals were expected in the last quarter of 2026.
Six hundred trucks is a rounding error next to Super Duty retail volume. The reason to care is what it is not: retail. Defense demand does not move with rates, incentives or tariff headlines. CBT reports months of quiet meetings between the Pentagon and Detroit, and quotes Farley saying this spring that Ford was in talks on several defense projects, including onshoring critical minerals and semiconductors. Ford is starting from a standing start against a rival that built the arm nine years ago and is already in field testing.
Also worth knowing
Porsche's workers bought a job guarantee with deferred pay: The "Future Package" agreed with the works council, IG Metall and Südwestmetall defers 3.5% of the current and future collectively agreed pay rises to 2035, cuts the Christmas bonus from up to a full month's salary to 60% of one, and trims mobile working from 12 days a month to 8. Senior and top management waive an equivalent slice of their basic pay rises in 2027 and 2028. In return Porsche gives employment and site protection to 2035 and €2.1 billion into Zuffenhausen and Weissach, per Porsche and auto motor und sport. This round is 5,000 posts, about 12% of the workforce, taking the cumulative program to around 9,000 by 2035. Metzler analyst Daniel Schwarz told Reuters the cuts are unavoidable if Porsche wants costs down, because "a return to strong growth in China is not expected," per IBTimes UK. #market
JLR retires Discovery Sport as EU crash rules bite: Land Rover will end Discovery Sport production in December after twelve years, unable to meet the EU's GSR2 safety standard, while the Evoque and Velar survive, per Carscoops. The incoming Defender Sport is expected to fill the gap. #analyst
Honda plans a lifted Accord hybrid for 2029: Internally called "Accord SUV," the hybrid hatchback targets Subaru Outback buyers with a higher ride height and could be built in Marysville, Ohio starting mid-2029, per Motor1 and Automotive News. #enthusiast
America's Car-Mart warns it may not survive without new financing: The used-vehicle retailer closed 60 dealerships and restructured its debt but still says there is "substantial doubt" it can operate another year without additional financing, per Automotive News. #market
Reveals & culture
Photo: Toyota
Toyota adds Honeycomb and Hot Honey to 2027 TRD Pro trucks: The Tundra, Sequoia and Tacoma get Honeycomb, the 4Runner gets Hot Honey, and the Tundra and Sequoia also gain newly tuned FOX QS3 shocks, with pricing due near the fall 2026 production start, per Carscoops and Toyota's press room.
Genesis GV90 cabin leaks with a crystal sphere shifter: An exclusive look at the electric flagship SUV's interior shows a column shifter topped with a crystal sphere and an ultrawide screen ahead of its official reveal, per The Korean Car Blog.
Bentley teases the Torcal EV's diamond-themed interior: Curved displays and diamond-shaped accents preview the automaker's electric crossover, complete with a "floating diamond grille," per Carscoops.
Quick links
Stellantis sells Free2move car-sharing unit to Mutares: The automaker divests its car-sharing business, which runs fleets in 14 cities across Europe and the US, as part of its FaSTLANE 2030 plan to concentrate on core brands and regions, per CBT News and Stellantis.
Pinewood.AI draws a $724 million take-private bid: Private equity firm Ridgeview offered $724.4 million in cash for the UK dealership-software provider, which is expanding its US footprint, per Automotive News.
Spain is becoming Europe's landing zone for Chinese battery money: Volkswagen Group is in advanced talks to give partner Gotion a stake in its Valencia battery site, per Automotive News. Separately, Aragon's president says the CATL-Stellantis plant at Figueruelas will employ an average of 1,000 workers from China through construction, with 4,000 local staff to be trained once it runs at capacity, per Reuters.
Yesterday's picks
Waymo Gave Uber Notice. The Exclusivity in Austin and Atlanta Ends.: Waymo will launch its own app in two key cities, ending Uber's exclusive robotaxi rights and testing whether AVs still need ride-hail distribution.
Audi's CFO wants the group restructuring VW's guidance leaves out: Audi slashed its 2026 margin guidance to as low as 5%, citing China's downturn and US tariffs, and called for group-wide restructuring.
NHTSA denied the Tesla door petition because there is no rule to break: NHTSA denied a Tesla defect petition because no standard governs emergency door releases, but opened a rulemaking that could reshape all future vehicle designs.
Suspension is the daily email that makes you the most informed car person in the room.