Ford sales slipped 5.5 percent in February as EV sales tumbled 71 percent. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s headlines:
+ BYD unveiled its second generation Blade Battery as the Chinese EV maker seeks to regain momentum in a highly competitive domestic market after a steep sales slump. More at The Detroit News.
+ According to Scott Lawrence, general manager of Subaru Australia, the beloved STI performance brand “is not dead” as the carmaker studies audience feedback on recent concepts. More at Drive.com.
+ A new report by Edmunds found that Americans are deeper underwater on their car loans than ever, as 25 percent of new car buyers bring negative equity into their loans. More at The Drive.
+ The Aston Martin Formula 1 team will run limited laps in the Australian Grand Prix due to a vibration it fears could cause nerve damage to drivers Fernando Alfonso and Lance Stoll. More at Racer.
+ Volkswagen’s new Scout Motors brand has taken more than 160,000 reservations for its first model, with most customers opting for the hybrid version rather than the pure EV. More at World Automotive Forum.
+ BMW remained the largest automotive exporter by value in the USA in 2025, shipping nearly 200,000 X model SUVs according to data from the Department of Commerce. More at Automotive World.
+ Hyundai confirmed that the standard Ioniq 6 EV sedan will not return in 2026 as only the high-performance Ioniq 6 N EV with 641 hp and updated bodywork will be offered in the USA. More at Car and Driver.
+ With its twin-turbo, 1,250 hp hybrid drivetrain and sub-9 second quarter mile times, the Corvette ZR1X is too fast for the NHRA’s drag-racing category for street production cars. More at Autoblog.
+ Ford sales in the U.S. slipped 5.5 percent to 149,962 vehicles in February, driven by a 71 percent decline in EVs and a 22 percent decline in hybrids, while truck sales fell 9.4 percent. More at CBT News.
+ Garrett Mitchell, better known by his YouTube handle Cleetus McFarland, will make his NASCAR O’Reilly Series debut with Richard Childress Racing at Rockingham in April. More at Yahoo! Sports.
Photo courtesy of Ford.
Review the previous MCG Executive Briefing from March 2 here.
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Given the uptick in gas prices over past few days, with no real end in sight, I think EV sales will go back up.
I don’t think ten cents difference is going to convince anyone to go EV. If they were concerned about the cost of gas they wouldn’t have bought a truck too big to fit in the garage. You have to consider that gas was at it’s lowest in four years just three weeks ago. It’s not even three bucks yet.