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Runtime: 10:43
0:00 Federal Judges Rule Trump’s Tariffs Illegal
0:48 Auto Groups Urge Trump to Save USMCA Deal
1:39 Toyota North America Loses Money Despite Record Sales
2:44 Tesla Model Y Passes New U.S. ADAS Tests
3:13 Tesla China Deliveries Surge 36% In April
3:48 Tesla Semi Official Battery Specs Revealed
4:29 Tesla 4680 Cells Underperform Compared to Supplier Batteries
5:28 Porsche Cuts Board Seat and Lays Off Hundreds
6:09 Taycan Turbo GT Sets New Nurburgring Electric Record
6:52 BMW Introduces Pre-Chamber Ignition to M Series Engines
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This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.
FEDERAL JUDGES RULE TRUMP’S TARIFFS ILLEGAL
President Trump’s tariffs were handed another setback. But the ruling will not affect automakers or suppliers. Three months ago, the Supreme Court ruled that the tariffs he implemented under the IEEPA are unconstitutional. Now, federal judges on the Court of International Trade ruled that the tariffs implemented under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 are illegal. Trump imposed across the board 10% tariffs using Section 122 to justify them. But that section specifically exempts cars, trucks, components, and any goods that qualify for the USMCA trade pact.
AUTO GROUPS URGE TRUMP TO SAVE USMCA DEAL
Speaking of the USMCA, automakers and suppliers are very worried the Trump Administration wants to get rid of it. And they’re practically begging him to keep it in place. At least 6 industry organizations sent a letter to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, telling him the free trade agreement is critically important to the industry’s competitiveness. That included the Automotive Alliance, MEMA, the American Automotive Policy Council, the NADA, the American International Auto Dealers Association or AIADA, Autos Drive America and the Auto Care Association. That’s a very powerful automotive block of organizations that rarely get together to speak with one voice. And it shows just how concerned they are about the Trump Administration breaking up the North American supply chain.
TOYOTA NORTH AMERICA LOSES MONEY DESPITE RECORD SALES
Toyota reported record sales in the U.S. last year and right now its hybrids are practically flying off dealers’ lots. And yet Toyota is losing money in the North American market. It lost $1.2 billion in its latest fiscal year, compared to making about a $700 million profit a year earlier. We think something weird is going on here. Toyota sold 2 million vehicles in Japan and made a profit of $14.8 billion. Yet it sold 934,000 more vehicles in North America and lost $1.2 billion. We don’t think the tariffs even come close to explaining this discrepancy. And hopefully we can do some digging around to get a better explanation of what’s going on.
TESLA MODEL Y PASSES NEW U.S. ADAS TESTS
There’s a lot of Tesla news today. First up, the 2026 Model Y is the first vehicle to pass NHTSA’s new advanced driver assistance system tests. The test, which started for the 2026 model year, is part of the agency’s five-star New Car Assessment Program. The ADAS test evaluates more basic assistance functions like pedestrian automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assistance, blind spot warning and blind spot intervention.
TESLA CHINA DELIVERIES SURGE 36% IN APRIL
In other good news for Tesla, it posted a big gain in China last month. According to the China Passenger Car Association, deliveries of the Model 3 and Y built at its Shanghai plant were just shy of 79,500 units, up 36% from a year ago. That number also includes models shipped to Europe and other markets. Tesla is starting to turn things around out of its China plant. Last year, its sales dipped 5% but now the EV maker has posted 6 straight months of deliveries gains out of China.
TESLA SEMI OFFICIAL BATTERY SPECS REVEALED
Tesla has never revealed battery specs for its Semi but now we know thanks to an official document from the California Air Resources Board. The Standard Range version features a 548-kWh battery pack and has a power output of 525-kW. With an average energy consumption of 1.7 kWh per mile, its maximum range is 322 miles. The Long Range model comes with an 822-kWh battery, a power output of 800-kw and a maximum range of 483 miles. Both versions use the company’s 4680 battery cells.
TESLA 4680 CELLS UNDERPERFORM COMPARED TO SUPPLIER BATTERIES
And speaking of those cells, Electrek reports they’re not performing as promised. When Tesla unveiled the 4680 cells in 2020, it claimed they would hold 5 times the energy of existing cells, deliver 6 times the power, improve range by 16% at the pack level and cut costs in half. However, the 4680 cells are delivering lower energy density, worse charging performance and less range than cells Tesla used from suppliers like Panasonic and LG. Tesla uses a dry electrode process to produce the cells that was supposed to simplify manufacturing. However, at last year’s shareholder meeting Elon Musk admitted that process was a mistake and was “way harder” than expected. Tesla is now equipping Model Ys in Europe with the 4680 cells and that’s led to backlash, with some buyers cancelling orders because of the lower specs.
PORSCHE CUTS BOARD SEAT AND LAYS OFF HUNDREDS
With sales and revenue down, Porsche has made a number of big changes this year already. It rolled back its EV plans. It named a new CEO. It sold its stake in Bugatti and Rimac. And now it’s getting rid of a seat on its board and axing more divisions of the company. Porsche’s Car-IT division will be suspended and absorbed into R&D in the future, which is why the board seat is going away. The company also announced three other divisions are going away, one related to high-performance battery cells, one for eBikes and last made software for data communication. As a result, more than 500 people will be laid off.
TAYCAN TURBO GT SETS NEW NURBURGRING ELECTRIC RECORD
But it’s not all bad news for Porsche. It just set the lap record for an electric sedan on the Nurburgring. For the first time the automaker is offering a Manthey Kit on an electric car, which more than triples the downforce of the Taycan. But not just the base Taycan, the top-of-the-line Turbo GT version with the Weissach package. With an additional 20 kW or about 25 horsepower, it lapped the famous track in 6 minutes and 55 seconds, 12 seconds faster than the Turbo GT with the Weissach package and more than 9 seconds faster than the previous record holder. The Manthey kit will be available in June and prices could start at $60,000 or more.
BMW INTRODUCES PRE-CHAMBER IGNITION TO M SERIES ENGINES
BMW is introducing pre-chamber ignition technology to its inline 6-cylinder engine that goes into the M2, M3 and M4. The company calls it BMW M Ignite and there’s two spark plugs per cylinder and each one has its own ignition system. One of those spark plugs has what kind of looks like a dome screwed over it with a number of little holes near its top. When the injector sprays fuel into the cylinder, some goes through the holes, into the chamber under the dome. And when that spark plug fires, it creates a combustion event that shoots out in all directions and very quickly. The vehicle’s computers can then control when each of those spark plugs fires, allowing for performance and efficiency gains. While BMW says it got the patent for M Ignite in 2024, the technology was originally used in diesel engines in the early 1900s. Honda then used it in a version of the 1975 Civic to pass U.S. emission tests. Formula 1 has used it since the mid-20-teens. The supplier MAHLE developed its own system, called Jet Ignition. Maserati adapted pre-chamber ignition to its Nettuno engine and the BMW system is very similar to what Stellantis will have in its new Hurricane 4 engine.
But that’s a wrap for today’s show and this week. Thanks for tuning in and I hope that you have a great weekend.
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It looks like Porsche needs to restart production of Boxter and Cayman.
Might Toyota have lost money in North America because they mostly “ate” the tariffs on all of those RAV4s and RXs from Canada, Tacomas from Mexico, and various models from Japan? They’ll probably raise prices, if they haven’t already, to limit the damage.
That article about Tesla’s 4680 was from Electrek and written by Fred Lambert which personally I’d take with a grain of salt. Compared it to a 2170 cell but he could have compared it to a 4680 made by Panasonic which got conveniently left out. In saying that Fred Lambert has written some good articles in the past, but lately seems to be writing for the crowd and not necessarily for the truth.
Aren’t 4680 cells the ones Sandy Munro was enamored with a few years ago?
It looks like the only way to be sure of avoiding the substandard batteries in a Model Y is to get the version with LFP cells. That’s not sold in the U.S., though.
Thursday’s report indicated that Ford and some other OEMs in Europe, may be in talks to sell/lease assembly space to Chinese automakers, to take advantage of under utilize capacity at those facilities. Weeks ago it has been mentioned on ALD and the other day I saw an article in AutoCar, that Stellantis and Leapmotors and a few other automakers are in talks to work with other Chinese OEMs to design vehicles and/or vehicle platforms for sell in Europe. While companies have the right to do what they feel is right and in the best interest of the company and business, but doesn’t this sound (vaguely) familiar? Foreign automakers go to China in hopes of making money on the growing population, but are told to partner up with local companies, which learn their technique and eventually compete against them and begin forcing the out with better pricing. Now those companies bring their products to their shores, with their better price points. While there is resistance to importing their products, get around that, some of the same companies that lost business in the Chinese market, are open to working deals to allow them to use their plants to build those Chinese products AND help them design vehicles that appeal to their customers in their home market!!! I not suggesting an ‘us against them’, for I feel that when competition is good the consumer wins! Yet, is seems that not only any they surrendering in the increasingly difficult Chinese market, which if that saves to local brand, you have to do what you have to do! Yet, as the competition comes to their front door, they’re opening it to them, helping them with their bags, handing them a set of keys, telling them never mind them and to stay as long as they like!
Let’s face it. China will dominate the 21st century, as the U.S. dominated most of the 20th century. China has “borrowed” technology over the last few decades, as the U.S. borrowed technology from the British early in the industrial revolution. For decades, though, the best and brightest young people from around the world came to U.S. universities for advanced degrees and research, and a lot of them stayed here to contribute. Now, the U.S. regime in power is driving them away, so they will go to, and contribute in the UK, France, Germany, and yes, China.
I haven’t ridden in or driven any recent Chinese cars, but there is good evidence that they are very appealing, and I suspect, reasonably reliable.