Hyundai sales rose 11% to 77,555, while Kia climbed 10% to 70,507, giving both brands June U.S. sales records.

Hybrid volume drove the gains, up 74% at Hyundai and 187% at Kia.

Hyundai’s Tucson and Palisade both gained 20% or more, while Kia retail sales rose 17% and crossover deliveries grew 4%.

Honda division sales rose 17%, led by Accord up 49%, CR-V up 30%, and Civic up 15%.

Kia’s Eric Watson said the results show the brand is resetting showrooms with “the right mix of ICE, hybrid and electrified models.”

Honda president Toshihiro Mibe said work with Nissan is “quite far along,” with some pieces close to an announcement.

The first major collaboration could be shared ECUs across Honda, Nissan, and Mitsubishi hybrids and EVs.

Those common control units could reach vehicles around 2029 or 2030, creating a foundation for broader shared development.

Renault may complicate things, since it still holds a 15% voting stake in Nissan and can influence major alliance decisions.

Dealerships are redesigning service departments with glass walls, cameras, and polished workspaces so customers can see repairs happening in real time.

The shift supports transparency and helps justify the premium customers pay for certified franchise service over independent shops.

Clean, modern bays also matter for technician-sent inspection videos, since customers now see the shop as part of the service experience.

EVs, ADAS calibration, UVeye scanners, robots, and over-the-air updates are forcing dealers to rethink bay size, Wi-Fi strength, equipment placement, and workflow.

Technical Automotive Construction Advisors’ Linda Barnette said, “The fixed operations of the business is no longer a back door. It is something you think about first.”

Used vehicle prices rose 1.3% in June, adding roughly $350 after a sharper 3% jump in May.

Since the start of 2026, used prices are up between $1,350 and $3,600 depending on segment.

Hybrids and EVs saw the biggest spike, up 11.9% or $3,600 year-to-date, with the average price reaching $34,117.

Vans and minivans also had a strong run, rising $2,000 since January and settling at $23,689.

CARFAX Editor-in-Chief Patrick Olsen said, “With new car prices so high, and used inventory growing only slowly, I think demand should stay high for the foreseeable future.”

Alex says his full inventory is now available on Amazon Autos, with customers able to ship nationwide or pick up at one of its stores.

Alex expects the channel to grow “slow and steady,” not necessarily send cars flying off the digital shelves on day one.

The move gives EV Auto another customer entry point alongside stores, its website, TikTok Live sales, and now Amazon.

EV Auto is also launching Tesla Superchargers at its Brentwood, Tennessee store, becoming the first non-Tesla dealership with Tesla Superchargers on site.

Lawrence said, “I want you to be able to visit a store. I want you to be able to go to our website. You can buy a car live from me on TikTok. And now you can go to Amazon.”

Bain says the industry may no longer be able to rely on the historic 1% annual growth tied to population increases.

 Younger buyers are entering the market more slowly, with fewer 16-year-olds licensed and 18-to-34-year-olds making up a shrinking share of new registrations.

Affordability remains a major pressure point, with new vehicle monthly payments up 30% over four years and nearly one in five new vehicles carrying payments over $1,000.

Longer vehicle lifespans are also reducing replacement demand, with vehicles reaching a record 12.8 years on the road in 2025.

Bain partner Mark Gottfredson said, “The competition in the U.S. is going to be ferocious. There’s too many automakers and too many brands competing for the consumers.”

California’s share of U.S. retail light-vehicle sales has slipped from 12.5% in 2019 to 11.4% today, while Texas has climbed from 9.3% to 10.8%.

Texas already leads the nation in consumer spending on new vehicles, thanks to a strong appetite for higher-priced trucks and SUVs.

Analysts say Texas reflects the “typical American consumer” more closely right now, with a mix of urban, tech, oil, agriculture, and suburban growth markets.

California’s influence is still massive in design, EVs, software, car culture, and trendsetting, but affordability pressure is pushing more buyers toward used vehicles.

JD Power’s Tyson Jominy summed it up: “California is the place where a lot of new ideas are sort of tried out, whereas Texas is a place where trucks and SUVs win.

”John Luciano, general manager of Street Volkswagen in Amarillo, Texas: “I’ve been around Toyota for 40 years. They don’t make mistakes.”

Unlike Tesla, Wayve isn’t building its own cars. It wants to sell autonomous-driving systems to traditional automakers as an off-the-shelf solution.

Stellantis plans to roll out Wayve’s hands-free driving tech across brands including Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, and Ram starting in 2028.

The system uses an AI-first approach trained on driving video, rather than relying primarily on hand-coded rules or detailed maps.

Wayve’s tech impressed Stellantis CTO Ned Curic during testing, including on Jeep prototypes in Michigan, even in snowy conditions and unfamiliar roads.

Wayve co-founder and CEO Alex Kendall summed up the opportunity: “Not everyone wants to buy a Tesla. Our opportunity is to bring this technology to every other automaker.”

As of day three of Prime Day 2026, Numerator reported the average order size at $45.94, down about 16% from $54.78 during the same period in 2025.

Average household spend also fell, landing at $121.26, down 13% from $139.71 last year.

58% of Prime Day households placing two or more orders, matching last year’s pace.

Adobe’s data showed first-day U.S. online sales were up 5.3% year over year to $8.3 billion, suggesting more shoppers may be participating but spending less per basket.

Numerator’s data points to a more cautious consumer, while Adobe still expects Prime Day 2026 to break records with $26.3 billion in U.S. online sales.

Enzo has overcome incredible medical challenges since birth, including spending his first nine hours of life in surgery and more than two months in the NICU.

Today, he's a joyful, soccer-loving five-year-old who communicates through an assistive device—but several critical surgeries could dramatically improve his quality of life.

His family has already sold nearly everything they own, relocated for specialized care, and balanced work, hospital stays, and raising Enzo's three brothers without asking for help—until now.

The surgeries are time-sensitive, and the family is turning to their community—including the automotive community—for support as they work toward giving Enzo the chance to play, speak, and keep chasing his dreams.

As Enzo's parents wrote: "He has fought since his first breath. So have we. Now we are asking you to fight with us."

Despite being headquartered in Sweden, Polestar's majority ownership by China's Geely put it squarely in the government's crosshairs.

The rule targets connected features like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cellular, and satellite communications over concerns they could collect sensitive data on American drivers.

Volvo Cars, also owned by Geely, received U.S. authorization in May to keep selling connected vehicles, though regulators have not publicly detailed why Volvo was cleared while Polestar was denied.

The decision accelerates Polestar's shift toward Europe, where 78% of its first-quarter sales occurred. Just 6% of deliveries came from the U.S. this year.

Polestar dealer Matthew Haiken: “I’m really, really, really upset. This whole company was like a family to me. I made money with Polestar. I was looking forward to all the new product. I’m just heartbroken.”

Beginning July 14, dealers must disclose applicable fees in their vehicle pricing or listings will receive a "No Rating" and be pushed lower in CarGurus search results.

The move follows increased FTC scrutiny around deceptive pricing practices.

CarGurus will calculate its Instant Market Value (IMV) and Deal Ratings using the vehicle's total advertised price, including disclosed fees.

Dealers already sending all-in pricing must update their CarGurus settings to indicate fees are included, or they could still lose Deal Ratings.

CEO Jason Trevisan said, "All-in pricing is the natural next step. We're proud to extend our industry leadership by making this the standard and creating a more upfront marketplace for consumers and dealers alike."

Nearly 87% of Americans plan to celebrate the Fourth of July this year, with food spending expected to climb to $9.4 billion, up 5.6% from last year.

According to the American Farm Bureau, the average cookout for 10 people now costs $73.82, the highest in the survey's 10-year history.

Grilling favorites are getting pricier, with strawberries up 12.4%, hamburger buns up 7.7%, ground beef up 5.5%, and ice cream up 5.3%.

There is one silver lining: potato salad is cheaper this year thanks to lower egg and potato prices, and the Northeast is the least expensive region for hosting a cookout.

Zoox plans to ramp production to 100 robotaxis per week at its Hayward, California facility, pending regulatory approval.

Unlike retrofitted vehicles, the Zoox robotaxi was designed from the ground up for autonomous ride-hailing, with no steering wheel or driver's seat.

The updated model keeps its signature carriage-style cabin while adding a brighter interior, improved seating, and a more passenger-friendly layout.

Exterior refinements make the vehicle easier to identify and interact with, including clearer front/rear styling and upgraded door speakers and microphones.

CEO Aicha Evans: "This is our year of growth."

Best Auto Sales VP Travis Baldwin created Dealer Defender after managing arbitration across six dealerships sourcing 70% of their inventory from auctions.

The platform centralizes arbitration, provides real-time updates, and creates a dealer-powered vehicle history showing prior arbitration, repairs, and seller responses before the next dealer buys the vehicle.

Dealers can also share alerts about fake IDs, stolen identities, and other wholesale fraud to help protect the industry.

Baldwin: "We believe that transparency can exist in a wholesale environment."

Starbucks is hiring 300 coffeehouse coaches this month, with thousands more planned across its 10,000 U.S. company-operated stores.

The new full-time role keeps experienced leaders on the floor throughout the day, giving baristas more support while freeing store managers to focus on coaching and operations.

Pilot stores reported better execution, more consistent customer experiences, and improved same-store performance. More than 90% of coach positions were filled through internal promotions.

The investment is part of Starbucks' broader turnaround, alongside store remodels, smarter mobile ordering, and increased staffing—all contributing to 7.1% same-store sales growth in early 2026.

Coffeehouse coach Tim L. says, "Creating opportunities for ongoing support and development has helped strengthen consistency across the team while also building trust and engagement."

The 2026 Cars.com American-Made Index was led by Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y, followed by the Jeep Gladiator, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Honda Ridgeline, Honda Odyssey, Lexus TX, Honda Accord, Acura MDX, and Honda Passport

Toyota and Honda had the most total models on the overall index, with "foreign" brands making up 65% of vehicles on the list

The first Ford vehicle is the Lincoln Navigator at 12, and the first GM vehicle is the GMC Canyon at 25.

The average Top 10 vehicle contains 70% domestic parts content, and Cars.com says supply chains appear to be reshoring production as tariff pressures and manufacturing priorities shift.

CEO Peter Faricy says the base truck will start at $24,950 and generate positive gross margins, directly challenging the industry's argument that affordable vehicles can't be built profitably in America.

The truck enters a segment that has largely disappeared from the U.S. market. While the Ford Maverick has revived interest in compact pickups, Slate's truck is even smaller, starts about $5,000 cheaper, and offers a longer bed than the Maverick.

The company says suppliers have been charging a "startup tax" because of the risks associated with working with a new automaker, creating an additional hurdle as it ramps toward production.

"If we can execute and launch on time and prove this, I think we have a chance to build an enthusiastic customer base," said CEO Peter Faricy.

The law requires automakers to quickly revoke remote vehicle access when presented with a restraining order and eventually allow drivers to disable location tracking directly from inside the vehicle.

The legislation was inspired in part by reports of connected-car technology being used to track and harass domestic violence survivors. 

Automakers say they've already implemented some of the processes, but need more time to build and validate the required in-vehicle technology.

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation warned that noncompliance could force companies to suspend vehicle sales in California, which accounts for roughly 10% of all U.S. auto sales.

A bill moving through California's legislature would extend implementation deadlines, but automakers say it must be signed before July 1 to avoid disruption.

DRAM memory prices jumped roughly 450% between September 2025 and January 2026 as AI demand exploded.

These chips are critical for ADAS, over-the-air updates, infotainment, and autonomous driving features consumers increasingly expect.

The cost impact is real: Honda cited a $295 million hit, GM added $500 million to inflation guidance, and Ford pointed to DRAM as part of $1 billion in higher commodity costs.

With major suppliers prioritizing data centers and limited new capacity coming online, analysts expect shortages and elevated prices to continue through 2027.

“It is a structural change. Buyers who were previously maybe 10 percent, 15 percent of the market are now half of the market.”” said Kearney partner Kushal Fernandes.

Carvana and the Jimmie Johnson Foundation launched Driving Brighter Futures, a grant program supporting K-12 automotive and engineering career-tech education programs.

Public schools can apply for funding to purchase the resources they need most, including tools, equipment, and training vehicles.

The program aims to strengthen the workforce pipeline by helping students explore careers in automotive technology and engineering earlier.

Nominations are open through August 28, with schools across the U.S. eligible to participate.

“The industry needs these students, and these students deserve the opportunity,” said Jimmie Johnson.

Seven in 10 consumers say their use of AI for product search increased over the past year, and only 4% say they’ve never used AI search tools.

Despite growing usage, just 54% say AI is more helpful than traditional search, down sharply from 82% a year ago.

Trust is becoming a challenge: 40% say heavy AI use by a favorite brand would decrease their trust, double last year's result, and roughly 9 in 10 respondents want AI-generated videos, images, audio, and written content clearly labeled.

When it comes to product recommendations, consumers still trust Google first (39%), with Reddit (15%) narrowly beating AI tools (14%) for second place.

Lyteflo compared battery scores from 150 EVs and found model-based estimates averaged 6.2 points higher than direct measurements from vehicle diagnostic data.

The gap grew for 2021 and older models, with model-based scores overstated battery health by an average of 9.3 points.

In 92% of vehicles studied, the model-based score came in higher than the direct measurement, with the largest difference reaching 18 points on a 2022 Tesla Model Y.

Battery health is increasingly appearing on vehicle detail pages and being used to support appraisal, pricing, merchandising, and customer-facing battery condition claims.

Eligible Kia EV lessees can receive between $2,800 and $9,900 toward purchasing their leased vehicle, with participating dealers receiving $300 for completing the transaction.

Customers are identified directly by Kia Finance America and routed back to their originating dealership to process the buyout.

Every customer who buys out their lease is one less off-lease EV returning to auction, where the market would publicly establish its current value.

Some dealers see the program as a way to reduce exposure to weak residual values while others view it as a missed opportunity to convert a lease customer into a new-vehicle sale.

As dealer Scott Falcone put it: "The fewer transactions that occur that indicate the residual was a train wreck, probably the better off it is for an OEM."

The Guardian found examples of brands using AI-generated people in videos and posts designed to resemble authentic customer reviews and recommendations.

Consumer group Which? says 70% of people couldn't correctly identify all the real and fake videos shown in recent testing.

The rise of AI-generated UGC follows a marketing shift that began several years ago, when brands started paying creators to make content that looked like everyday customer experiences rather than traditional advertisements.

Supporters argue the value of UGC has always been its relatability, not necessarily whether the person on screen was a traditional influencer or content creator.

Clarissa Mansbridge, former celebrity manager and AI creator: “I’m going to say about 40% to 60% of the content out there from some of the big brands is actually being made through AI, but a lot of the creators are under NDA.”