AD #4385 – Hyundai On Pace to Outsell Ford in U.S.; Chinese Auto Sales Double in Europe; Tesla Starts Semi Truck Deliveries

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

HYUNDAI ON PACE TO OUTSELL FORD IN U.S.
The Hyundai Group is on pace to outsell Ford in the U.S. and Toyota is nipping on GM’s heals. Forecasters are predicting that third quarter sales will drop slightly to just over 4 million units, which will mainly come from slides at GM, Ford and Stellantis. Honda, Hyundai and Toyota are all expected to post quarterly gains. As we mentioned the Hyundai Group is on pace to outsell Ford in Q3 and Toyota could come within 30,000 units of GM. In fact, the Detroit 3 are forecast to have about a 36% market share for the quarter, which would be a record low. We see two big factors at play here. First, GM, Ford and Stellantis don’t have enough hybrids in a market where hybrid sales are booming. According to Cox Automotive, hybrids have the highest market share in the U.S. that they’ve ever had, hitting 16.3% of sales. The other problem for the Detroit 3 is high fuel prices, which are starting to hit truck sales, especially heavy-duty pickups. They all have about 20 more days of full-size truck inventory than they want right now and diesel-powered vehicles sit at 114-days supply, the highest of any powertrain type. So, without changes in the market it will be a rough rest of the year for GM, Ford and Stellantis. 

GM LAUNCHES NEW V8 AMID SOARING DIESEL PRICES
And with diesel now over $6.50 a gallon on average in the U.S. it’s not the greatest time for GM to be launching its new Duramax V8, which debuts in the automakers updated heavy-duty pickup trucks sometime this year. The engine, nicknamed ‘Mongoose,’ will produce 550 horsepower and 1,250 lb-ft of torque, allowing for a trailering towing capacity of 20,000 pounds and a gooseneck capacity of 38,000 pounds. An enhanced version of GM’s new 6.6L V8 gas engine is also available in its heavy-duty pickups.

MINIVANS OUTSELL LARGE SUVS IN U.S.
And going back to sales, minivans are making a comeback in the U.S. thanks to price and practicality. According to Edmunds automakers have sold nearly 281,000 minivans through August, which is up 8% from last year. And minivans have outsold large SUVs so far this year, which is the first time that’s happened in nearly a decade. That’s because minivans are significantly cheaper, about $31,400 less expensive on average than a large SUV. Toyota has boosted Sienna production by 20% this year and says it’s selling faster than any other model in its lineup. And Stellantis expects the segment to continue growing until at least the end of the decade.

 

CHINESE AUTO SALES DOUBLE IN EUROPE
And in one last bit of sales news, Chinese automakers nearly doubled their sales in Europe over the last year. In August of 2025 they collectively sold just over 57,700 units, but this year they sold nearly 103,500 vehicles in the month. And every single one posted year-over-year gains. In total over 832,500 vehicles were sold across all of Europe, so that means Chinese automakers now control 12.5% of the market. From January through August Chinese automakers have now sold more than 1 million vehicles in the region.

HONDA TO BUILD NEXT-GEN MDX AT NEW OHIO PLANT
Yesterday, we reported that Honda is planning to invest $2.5 billion to open a new assembly plant in Ohio. And now we have more details. Automotive News reports the plant will build the next-gen Acura MDX and two three-row, flagship crossovers for both Honda and Acura. It’s expected to have a capacity of 250,000 vehicles a year and will be located near Honda’s current plants in Marysville and East Liberty, Ohio. Once the plant is up and running, Honda will have the capacity to build about 2 million vehicles a year in North America.

TESLA STARTS LONG-AWAITED SEMI TRUCK DELIVERIES
Nine years after it was first unveiled, Tesla is finally beginning deliveries of its Semi truck to customers this week. It was expected to go into production in 2019, but Tesla just held a launch event at its Nevada plant where the Semi is built and some of its first customers were on hand including PepsiCo, DHL and U.S. Foods. Tesla didn’t disclose pricing but Electrek reports that the company has been quoting $290,000 for the 500-mile version and about $260,000 for the Standard Range, which can go 325-miles with a full load.

VOLKSWAGEN DELAYS ID. BUZZ UNTIL 2027
Volkswagen is once again delaying the return of the ID. Buzz in the U.S. Last December, VW announced it was skipping the 2026 model year and in May, the company said the electric van would return this fall as a 2027 model. But now VW is delaying the ID. Buzz’s return until the first half of 2027 as a 2028 model year vehicle. The new model will feature updated software, vehicle-to-load functionality and digital keys. The ID. Buzz has been kind of a dud since it went on sale in the U.S. in late 2024. Just over 6,100 were sold in its first full year in 2025.

VW SLASHES ID.4 PRICES UP TO $12,500
And speaking of Volkswagen and EVs, the automaker is giving the ID.4 a significant discount in the U.S. VW is cutting the price of the 2025 model year by up to $12,500 and 2026 model year’s get a $6,000 price cut. Even though they’re the same, the 2025 ID.4 gets a bigger discount because there are fewer of them in inventory. Volkswagen is trying to clear inventory of the model after it stopped production at its plant in Tennessee to build more Atlas SUVs.

FORD ADDRESSES SKILLED TRADES WORKFORCE SHORTAGE
By 2030 at least 2.1 million skilled trades jobs could go unfilled in the U.S. Right now, for every 100 skilled trades workers needed, training programs are producing just 55 people. So, to help bring awareness and come up with solutions, Ford is kicking off the second year of its ACCELERATE the Essential Economy forum, which will include discussions with business leaders, educators, policymakers and even company CEO Jim Farley. On top of offering its own training programs, Ford says it’s also going to launch a new certified pre-owned program for skilled trades workers that gives them access to more affordable commercial trucks and vans.  

GM HONORS YOUNG AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE TECHNICIANS
In related news, GM is kicking off a new ‘30 Under 30’ program that’s meant to celebrate outstanding automotive service technicians under 30 years old, all with the hope of encouraging the next generation to pursue similar careers.

And before we go don’t forget the next chapter in our video series with Chris Theodore is going live at 4PM EST today. We’re calling it Lessons from the Masters: How to Run a Car Company. Most of you will get Chapter 2, which is all about design. But our YouTube and Patreon members are a week ahead and will be going into the world of corporate management. 

But that’s a wrap for this show. Thanks for tuning in and I hope that you have a great weekend.