AD #4103 – Lexus Dropping V8s & Gaining An EV Supercar; Stellantis Faces Tough Decisions After Losing Billions; Cheap Chinese EV Aces Crash Tests

This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.

STELLANTIS LOSES BILLIONS, WARNS TOUGH DECISIONS AHEAD
Stellantis posted its earnings for the first half of the year and the numbers are pretty grim. It sold almost 2.7 million vehicles, down 8%. Revenue came in at just over €74 billion, which was down 13%. Its adjusted operating income fell off 94% to only €540 million and it posted a net loss of €2.2 billion, compared to the €5.6 billion net profit it posted last year. The only bright spot was in South America where sales, revenue and profits were up sharply, thanks to a turn around in Argentina. But poor performances pretty much everywhere else, especially in the U.S., easily erased those gains. In fact, it’s entirely possible that Stellantis’ UAW workers in the U.S. will not get any profit sharing checks for 2025. Antonio Filosa, the company’s new CEO, says tariffs in the U.S. will cost it $1.7 billion this year and warns that tough decisions lie ahead. That makes us wonder if Maserati could be spun off or put up for sale? Sales and revenue continue to drop and the famous sports car brand is bleeding red ink.

Stellantis H1, 2025 Results
Sales	2.69 Million	-8.1%
Revenue	€74.2 Billion	-13%
Operating Profit	€540 Million	-94%
Net Income	-€2.2 Billion	-140%

CHINA CENTRAL GOVERNMENT TAKES OVER CHANGAN
We’ve been warning for some time that China’s automotive industry really needs to consolidate and restructure because almost all its automakers are losing money. And here is a sign that the central government is starting to lay the groundwork for that to happen. Changan, the car company that was owned by the city of Chongqing, was officially recapitalized this week as a new company that is now controlled by the central government. You might remember that back in April there were reports that Changan and Dongfeng could be merged into one company. Well, Dongfeng is another automaker that’s controlled by the central government. And so, with the central government in control of both companies, we think those merger talks could resurface again. So the question could become, how would that affect other automakers? Changan makes cars for Mazda and Ford, while Dongfeng makes cars for Honda and Nissan.

WAYMO EXPANDING TO DALLAS
Waymo is expanding once again, this time to Dallas. The company will launch its autonomous ride-hailing service in the city next year. And it signed a multi-year partnership with car rental company Avis to manage the fleet. This is the first time the two companies have worked together and they plan to expand to more locations in the future. Waymo currently operates in five cities providing 250,000 paid rides to customers every week. In addition to Dallas, Waymo will expand to Miami and Washington DC next year.

SHANGHAI WANTS 6M L4 CARS BY 2027
And speaking of self-driving cars, Shanghai is aiming to become a global leader in fully autonomous driving. The city will open roads for autonomous testing in one of its main districts by the end of the year. And it also issued new licenses to robotaxi companies like Pony.ai and Baidu, so they can start charging for autonomous services in core urban areas. By 2027, Shanghai is targeting more than 6 million Level 4 autonomous passenger rides and opening 5,000 kilometers or about 3,100 miles of roads for self-driving vehicles.

   

$17,000 NIO FIREFLY ACES CRASH TESTS
The NIO Firefly, which has a starting price of just under $17,000 in China, became the first compact car to get an “all-good” rating across all four categories in the China Insurance Automotive Safety Index, which, from what we can tell, is very similar to the IIHS in the U.S. While it wasn’t the only model to receive the same score, it is the smallest and least expensive. For reference, the Firefly model is about the same length as the last-gen Ford Fiesta and nearly as tall as a Ford Escape. Obviously, you need to have a solid structure to perform well in a crash test at that size, but the Firefly is also equipped with nine airbags, which is more than a Mercedes S-Class. It even out performed the Xiaomi SU7 and updated Tesla Model 3.

LEXUS TO GET EV SUPERCAR W/400 MILE RANGE
The V8 engine is dying off from Lexus’ lineup. The RC and RC F will be discontinued at the end of this year and Automotive News reports that both the LC 500 and the performance version of the IS, the IS 500, will no longer be produced after next year. That means no model in Lexus’ lineup will have a V8 after 2026. However, that doesn’t mean performance is dying too. Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda is allegedly overseeing development of an all-new electric sports coupe that’s inspired by the Lexus LFA. Launching late in 2026, it’s said to be targeting a low 2-second 0-60 MPH time and over 400-miles of range, possibly by using solid-state batteries. If you’d like to learn more about future product plans at Lexus, just click the link in today’s description box or transcript.

AUDI WARNS BUYERS OF INTERNET SCAM
Audi is warning car buyers in Europe about a used-car scam. Scammers have created fake websites and catalogs that appear real-looking, but are offering non-existent used Audi vehicles at low prices in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Audi says several customers have already been fooled and it encourages any victims to contact the police. Audi has also filed a criminal complaint and says it is working with authorities in their investigations.

OPEL ASTRA PHEV GETS MORE POWER & RANGE
Opel is improving the plug-in hybrid version of the Astra. It increased battery capacity to just over 17 kWh, which provides up to 83 kilometers or just over 50 miles of range on the WLTP test cycle. That’s about 16 more miles of range compared to the previous version and also the same number by which the company increased output, which now comes in at just under 200 horsepower. But even with those improvements, the starting price remains the same at roughly 38,500 euros. The Astra is also offered with a mild-hybrid and pure battery electric setup.

POLL RESULTS: CORVETTE HYPERCAR CONCEPT
And now let’s go over the results of our latest poll. We wanted to know which of the two Corvette-inspired hypercars from GM’s design studios that you liked the best. Either the one from the UK or the one from California. Only 17% liked the one from the UK, while 43% said the California concept looks the best. But a sizable number, 40% said GM needs to go back to the drawing board. Here’s some of the feedback you gave us.

Bryan Falchuk says “They both look great and have some related shapes with each other. The Cali design seems to pull more from the Corvette design language over the years, while the UK design (though cool) is more unrelated.”

Randy Lamp really liked the UK concept “Wow, the UK concept front view screams B-2 Spirit! Of the two, it has the most appeal for me. The rear view pays homage to the ’63 Stingray. I agree with this: “The future should look like the future.”

But a lot of you were unimpressed. Irvin Wright says “I chose neither, these both look too much like a future Lamborghini. I would hope GM sticks with the historical corvette design themes with a few surprise touches to make it stand out from the pack.”

And thanks to everyone that participated. I know design is very subjective, so we appreciate your feedback.

JOHN & SEAN LIVE TODAY FOR AUTOLINE MEMBERS
Here’s a heads-up for all our Autoline members from Patreon and YouTube. Be sure to join us later this afternoon when I’ll be live with John talking about some of the hot topics in the industry, like: will eliminating EV subsidies in the U.S. kill the EV segment? And are we starting to see foreign automakers turn the tide in China? We’re also going to take your questions, so start thinking about what you might like to ask, and then join us when we go live at 2:30 pm Eastern time.

But that’s a wrap for this show. Thanks for tuning in and I hope to see you later today.