Automotive News Daily Drive
Daily Drive is a daily podcast series hosted by Automotive News Executive Editor Jamie Butters and Kellen Walker. We speak with industry experts, insiders and Automotive News reporters about events and trends impacting and reshaping the automotive industry.Automotive News is the leading source of news, data and understanding for the auto industry's decision-makers. Learn more at autonews.com.
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April 26, 2026 | Bonus Episode: Kia’s Eric Watson on the EV3 and electrification strategy
<p>Eric Watson, vice president of sales operations for Kia America, discusses the automaker’s confirmation of the EV3 for the U.S. market, the importance of expanding its electric vehicle lineup, and how Kia is navigating the evolving EV landscape.</p>
April 25, 2026 | Weekend Drive: Should Stellantis just cut brands?; Elon Musk’s FSD admission
<p>Reporters Larry P. Vellequette and Michael Martinez discuss Stellantis’ move to focus investments on Jeep, Ram, Peugeot and Fiat; GM shelving its electric pickup plans; rising pessimism in the Automotive News Auto Industry Confidence Index; and Elon Musk admitting Tesla vehicles will need hardware upgrades for Full Self-Driving.</p>
April 24, 2026 | Stellantis bets on four core brands; growing fixed ops revenue
<p>Stellantis is focusing investments on Jeep, Ram, Peugeot and Fiat to lead its turnaround. A look at the questions dealers and customers should ask before embracing Chinese vehicles. Plus, Cox Automotive’s Skyler Chadwick discusses how dealerships are growing service and parts revenue. </p>
April 23, 2026 | AI cloning scams plague dealers; Tesla's autonomous future
<p>Frank McKenna of Point Predictive discusses how dealerships can protect themselves from artificial intelligence-powered website cloning scams. Tesla says the Roadster will be its only human-driven car as it shifts to a fully autonomous lineup. Plus, Toyota unveils its new AI vision system to catch up with Chinese automakers.</p>
April 22, 2026 | GM shelves EV pickups; Amazon Autos wins over new dealers
<p>General Motors is indefinitely delaying its next-generation electric pickups and redirecting cash to gasoline engines and plug-in hybrids. Sony Honda Mobility scales back its Afeela EV venture. Plus, we hear from a dealer who’s embracing Amazon Autos — a contrast to dealers who have opted out.</p>
April 21, 2026 | Dealer who helped launch Amazon Autos explains why he’s opting out
<p>Andrew Wright, managing partner at Vinart Dealerships, explains why he chose not to participate in Hyundai’s Amazon Autos partnership despite helping establish the program. The FTC wants dealers to report competitors who violate advertising rules. Plus, Hyundai’s CEO says tariffs are hurting the company.</p>
April 20, 2026 | F-150 inventory crisis deepens; Iran war threatens helium supply for chips
<p>Ford F-150 supplies remain constrained seven months after the Novelis plant fire, with inventory down 43 percent and market share slipping. Pessimism is on the rise among auto executives. Plus, the Iran war is constricting helium supplies critical for semiconductor manufacturing.</p>
April 18, 2026 | Weekend Drive: Ford's tech shakeup; Nissan's new vision
<p>Automotive News journalists Larry P. Vellequette and Michael Martinez discuss organizational changes at Ford, Volkswagen’s financial hit from ending ID4 production in Tennessee, Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa’s new strategic vision, and Toyota’s push to recruit Lexus dealers for its GR performance brand.</p>
April 17, 2026 | Stellantis' Brampton plant pitch rejected; RockEd CEO Matthias Stoever
<p>Stellantis’ plan to assemble Chinese Leapmotor electric vehicles at its idled Brampton plant gets rejected. Stellantis doubles down on artificial intelligence with a new Microsoft partnership. Plus, Matthias Stoever of RockEd discusses the critical need to train service advisers as dealerships face staffing challenges. </p>
April 16, 2026 | Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa on turnaround strategy; EVs plunge in February
<p>In an exclusive interview with Automotive News, Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa discusses his vision for the automaker’s turnaround, including artificial intelligence-driven autonomous tech and reducing the global lineup. Electric vehicle registrations fall 37 percent in February as share drops below 5 percent. Plus, Ford’s Doug Field departs and Stellantis hires Michael Orange to boost U.S. sales.</p>
