MIKESCARINFO DAILY CAR NEWS
New Car Launches & Reveals
The R2 is a midsize SUV with 9.6 inches of ground clearance, and first drives are out now. Rivian built its reputation on the R1 price bracket, so this is the model that decides whether the company can sell volume.
Source: CarBuzz ›Slate's pickup runs LFP cells and gets to 60 in 8.0 seconds. The SUV version costs $5,000 more, which is a hard sell against the truck it's based on.
Source: CarBuzz ›Nissan is putting a plug-in hybrid in its highest-volume nameplate. That's the segment where hybrid demand is actually growing right now.
Source: Kelley Blue Book ›New trim level on the electric Cayenne. Worth watching as a read on how Porsche is pricing electric against the gas Cayenne it still sells.
Source: Kelley Blue Book ›New Car Technology
Ford revealed its own hardware and software stack for hands-free driving in 2027, with eyes-off Level 3 targeted for 2028 on cheaper EVs. Owning the stack means Ford controls the update path instead of waiting on a supplier.
Source: ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle International ›First vehicle to pass the new benchmark set covering blind-spot intervention, pedestrian braking, and lane departure correction. Expect other automakers to start quoting these results in their marketing.
Source: U.S. News Cars ›Super Cruise added highway coverage with better driver monitoring. BlueCruise picked up lane merge assist earlier this year. If you're cross-shopping, check the actual mapped mileage for your commute before you pay for either one.
Source: General Motors ›CATL's 6-minute-charge cells and sodium-ion production are the headline numbers, and Toyota, BMW, and Hyundai are targeting limited solid-state deployment between 2026 and 2028. None of it changes what's on a US dealer lot this month.
Source: Recharged ›Industry Developments
Automakers have absorbed at least $35.4 billion since 2025, and steel and aluminum duties alone added $1,600 to $2,000 per domestic vehicle. Destination fees hit $2,795 on most full-size GM and Ford trucks.
Source: CBT News ›July ran a 16.9 million SAAR on about 1.42 million units. Hybrid share climbed 2.5 points to 15.9% while EV share fell 3.3 points to 7.0% after the federal credit expired.
Source: J.D. Power ›Rates eased slightly and incentives went up, and the payment still set a record. Entry-level buyers are moving to used.
Source: J.D. Power ›Mercedes-Benz is recalling 310,667 vehicles for a corroded door-lock microswitch that can stop the electronic parking brake from engaging. Ford is recalling 47,587 F-150s and F-250s for a SYNC software fault that can block the backup camera image, with letters going out August 17.
Source: The Auto Channel / NHTSA ›The Takeaway
Tariffs are in the sticker now, so the negotiating room you had two years ago is gone and destination fees are worth reading before you talk numbers. Hybrids are the segment automakers are chasing, and that's where inventory and incentives will be easiest for the rest of the year. If you own a Mercedes or a late-model F-Series, check your VIN against this week's recalls before the letter shows up.
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