In today's issue:

VW has cycled through restructuring announcements for the better part of two years, with unions blocking the sharpest cuts each time. What Blume secures this week will show whether the company can execute a genuine reset or remains in a pattern of deferred pain.

UK EVs Hit Record 30% Share in June, but the ZEV Mandate Gap Keeps Growing: UK registrations rose 11.4% to 213,166 units in June, the strongest result since 2019, with EVs claiming a record 30% share, per Just Auto and Car Dealer Magazine. Despite the headline number, manufacturers are still well short of annual ZEV mandate targets, per Autocar, meaning the record share masks an ongoing compliance shortfall. #market

White House Claims $1.5T in Deregulation Savings. Its Own EPA Estimate Puts Health Costs at $180B, Left Out of the Total.: The White House listed the EPA's repeal of vehicle emissions standards as its single biggest deregulatory win, one of 702 rule rollbacks the administration says will generate $1.5 trillion in total savings by September, with the emissions repeal alone accounting for more than $1.3 trillion of that figure, per CBT News. A separate EPA estimate puts potential health-cost losses from the same rollbacks at $180 billion, an externality the administration's savings tally doesn't account for. #analyst

Rivian Raises 2026 Delivery Forecast as R2 Demand Exceeds Internal Projections: Rivian lifted its full-year delivery guidance after R2 demand outpaced internal targets, per CBT News, a direct counter-signal to Ford's reported 40.7% EV volume collapse in Q2, per CBT News. InsideEVs independently highway-tested the R2 at altitude in Colorado, providing real-world range data ahead of broader deliveries. #analyst

Continental Sells ContiTech for $4.57 Billion, Completing Its Restructuring: Continental signed a deal to sell its ContiTech plastics and rubber business to Lone Star Funds for €4 billion ($4.57 billion), plus up to €250 million in performance payments, per Automotive News Europe and Just Auto. The transaction marks the final stage of Continental's restructuring; once closed, the group operates solely as a tyre manufacturer. #analyst

Bentley Names Its First EV the Torcal, Full Reveal Set for September 23: Named for limestone rock formations in southern Spain, the Torcal is a sub-Bentayga electric crossover sharing its platform and hardware with the Porsche Cayenne Electric, design cues drawn from last year's EXP 15 fastback concept, per Carscoops and Autocar. Range is described as over 300 miles in early reporting; full specs land at the September 23 world premiere, per Autoblog.

2,031-HP Hennessey Venom F5-M Is the Most Powerful Manual Production Car Ever Built: The first customer-spec Venom F5-M wears exposed purple carbon fiber, a gold grille badge, and its British owner's name on the tail, making its global debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed (July 9-12), per Carscoops. Its 6.6-liter twin-turbo V8 produces 2,031 hp and 1,445 lb-ft through a gated six-speed manual, the highest output of any production car with a clutch pedal, per Motor1.

Honda Sensing Lawsuit: Front Cameras Allegedly Disable Safety Systems on 5 Models, 2018-2025: A proposed class action covers 2018-2025 Odyssey, Civic, HR-V, Clarity, and Pilot models, alleging front camera failures disable automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and other Sensing features, per CarComplaints. No recall has been issued; owners with recurring Sensing errors should log each incident with date and location and contact Honda customer relations directly.

GM Faces Class Action Over Silverado and Sierra Rear Windows That Let Rain Into the Cabin: A California class action alleges failing urethane seals on rear sliding windows across multiple Chevy and GMC pickup model years allow water intrusion and interior damage, per Autoblog and CarComplaints.

Mercedes Builds Compact G-Class in Hungary, Bypassing Germany: The 2027 compact G-Class will be produced at Mercedes' Kecskemet plant in Hungary rather than Rastatt in Germany, cutting costs at the direct expense of German factory jobs, per Automotive News Europe and Carscoops.

BNEF: Only 17% of US Car Sales Will Have a Plug by 2030: Policy whiplash has cut BloombergNEF's US plug-in share forecast for 2030 to just 17%, well below earlier estimates, per InsideEVs.

Tesla's Three-Row Model Y L Comes to the US at $63,630 With September Deliveries: The US-spec 2027 Model Y L starts at $63,630 and begins deliveries in September, per Car and Driver.

Yesterday's picks

Three Tariff Clocks, One Cliff: Auto's July Converges on the 24th: Three overlapping trade deadlines hit within weeks, deciding whether Mexico-assembled vehicle tariffs reset to zero or surge past Section 232 levels.

Chinese Brands Hit a Record 1-in-10 EU Share by Selling What the Tariffs Skip: EU EV tariffs failed to slow Chinese expansion because growth came through hybrids, the one segment the tariffs largely leave untouched.

California's New AV Rules Let Police Ticket the Companies, Not Just the Cars: California's new AV framework authorizes heavy-duty autonomous trucks and lets police cite manufacturers directly, creating a directly opposite model to Texas.

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