Photo: Toyota
In today's issue:
Toyota's US EV sales more than doubled in a year when most automakers reported EV declines
VW's model purge advances even after its supervisory board voted down the deeper restructuring
BYD's Denza brand debuts a 1,584hp electric supercar at Goodwood priced at £173k
SLOW AND STEADY
Toyota sold 21,855 EVs in the US from January through June, a 136% jump from 9,249 in the same period last year, per InsideEVs citing Cox Automotive data.
In H1 2025 Toyota trailed Volkswagen, Rivian, Nissan, Kia, Honda, GMC, Ford, Cadillac, BMW, and Audi in US EV sales; in H1 2026 it is ahead of all of them, and Cox says the brand "now ranks among the top five EV sellers in the U.S. market," per InsideEVs.
The volume comes from three EVs launched this year, the C-HR, the redesigned bZ compact SUV, and the bZ Woodland, with the bZ carrying most of the total, per Kelley Blue Book citing Cox data.
The backdrop makes the number sharper: "a majority of automakers reported lower EV sales in the second quarter as manufacturers continue to reassess product plans and investment strategies," per Cox Automotive's Q2 outlook via Kelley Blue Book.
The hedge is still on: Toyota just delayed its fourth EV, the Highlander EV, by a minimum of eight weeks into 2027, a slip we covered July 10, while hybrid sales surge and KBB questions whether the US market supports four EVs from one brand, per Kelley Blue Book.
The brand that spent years defending its hybrid-first strategy is now gaining EV share in a shrinking EV market, and it is doing so without betting the company. The same week its EV sales doubled, Toyota delayed its next EV rather than force a fourth model into a market that may not support it. That is the hybrid hedge working in both directions.
Also worth knowing
VW's Model Purge Moves Ahead Even After Its Board Said No: Volkswagen's supervisory board voted 12-7 against CEO Oliver Blume's restructuring plan on July 9, with labor blocking German plant closures, but the lineup cut of up to 50% by 2030 does not require board approval and is proceeding anyway, per Automotive News Europe. German factories are now competing for assignment to whichever models survive the purge, a dynamic that pits plants against each other before any formal closure vote, per Autoblog. #market
Ford and Unifor Strike a Tentative 3-Year Deal: Unifor and Ford reached a tentative three-year agreement late July 11 after nearly three weeks of bargaining and overnight talks that blew past the union's initial deadline, per Automotive News. Neither side disclosed terms, citing pending membership votes; Unifor represents Canadian Ford workers at plants including the Oakville Assembly complex. #news
Dodge Is Paying $10 Per Horsepower as the Charger Sits Unsold: Fresh market data names the Dodge Charger America's slowest-selling new car in 2026, per Carscoops, and Dodge responded by reviving its Power Dollars promo: $10 off per rated horsepower, per Autoblog. The Sixpack version making 550hp would generate a $5,500 discount, which the company is calling a feature, not a fire sale. #market
Tesla's Profit-Per-Vehicle Lead Over Toyota Is Shrinking Fast: Tesla remains the most profitable automaker per vehicle sold for the fifth consecutive year, but the gap over Toyota has nearly closed, per Autoblog. Toyota's hybrid volume and pricing discipline are working as designed, while Tesla's margins have moved in the opposite direction. #analyst
Reveals & culture
Denza Z: 1,584hp, £173k, and a Nürburgring Record Attempt Planned: BYD's premium Denza brand revealed the Z supercar at Goodwood this week, built on a new e3 Sports Car Platform and offered in Coupe, Spider, and Racing forms, with a Special Edition earmarked for a production Nürburgring record later this year, per Autocar UK and Autoblog. Designed by Wolfgang Egger, it delivers Chiron-level power for a small fraction of Chiron money.
Audi's Nuvolari Divided the Internet at Goodwood: Audi's first hybrid supercar made its dynamic debut at Goodwood, driven up the 1.16-mile hillclimb by nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen, and the internet piled on the styling; autoevolution's own verdict was that it looks like Audi took a Cybertruck and flattened it with a hammer, per autoevolution. The Nuvolari is described as the most powerful production Audi ever built, per The Supercar Blog.
Recalls & legal action
Hyundai and Kia Tell 14 EV Owners to Park Away From Their Houses: Both automakers issued urgent recalls for select EV models after misaligned electrodes in high-voltage battery cells supplied by SK On were found to risk internal short circuits and fire, per Carscoops and The Korean Car Blog. Owners are also advised to charge only to 80% until a remedy is available. → If you own one: Check NHTSA.gov for your VIN, park outdoors away from structures, and limit charging to 80% capacity until the dealer fix is confirmed.
Stellantis Recalls 12,592 Ram 1500 Trucks for Headlamp Wiring Defect: The recall covers 2026 Ram 1500 (DT) trucks where a wiring issue can cause parking lamps and daytime running lamps to flicker or fail entirely, violating federal lighting standards, per MoparInsiders. → If you own one: Contact your Ram dealer to schedule the wiring repair; check NHTSA.gov to confirm your VIN is included.
Quick links
Honda's Ohio Transmission Plant Converted to Hybrid Production: Honda has retooled its Ohio transmission facility into a dedicated hybrid component plant, per Autoblog, a concrete sign of where US manufacturing investment is flowing.
Cadillac's Smallest EV May Move to a Chinese-Sourced Platform: GM is reportedly considering shifting its smallest Cadillac EV to a Chinese-developed platform, per Autoblog, a decision that would collide directly with the Connected Vehicle Security Act, the Senate bill targeting Chinese-sourced auto technology that the Commerce Committee votes on July 15, per Ford Authority.
Auto Industry Confidence Hits Record High Despite Tariff Anxiety: The Automotive News Auto Industry Confidence Index rose 2.9 points from Q1 to Q2 2026, its highest reading since the index launched, per Automotive News, even as executives named tariffs, affordability, and China as top risks.
Yesterday's picks
Fake Airbag Inflators Have Killed 10 People. NHTSA Says They're in US Cars Now.: NHTSA's first inflator ban in 20 years targets counterfeit parts linked to 10 deaths, with no VIN database for owners to check.
VW's Board Blocked the Deep Cuts. The Model Purge Doesn't Need Its Permission.: VW's board blocked plant closures 12-7, but Blume's fallback plan to cut half the lineup and 75% of variants proceeds without approval.
US First-Half Sales Pace Below 2025, Rocky Second Half Expected: H1 2026 sales trail last year as financing costs push buyers into longer loans, signaling a rocky second half ahead.
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