Scout's CEO Discloses That Almost All Buyers of Its Electric Truck Prefer a Gas Engine: TDS

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      Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short.

      Concise, informative, and quick, TDS collects the most recent automotive news from around the world and presents it in one place. Each story is summarized in a single sentence with a link for those wanting to learn more.

      🔈 If you were on vacation last week, here’s a reminder that The Drive debuted its first podcast, The Drivecast, with episode 1 now available on both Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

      🚨 Today, The Drive begins The Drive Awards 2026, unveiling category winners each day this week, culminating in the announcement of The Drive Car of the Year 2026 on Friday.

      I've finished my first cup of coffee, I'm onto the second, and it's shaping up to be another exciting week here at The Drive. Let’s dive in.

      🚘 What I’m driving: I spent the weekend wrapping up my time with the 2026 Honda Ridgeline Trailsport and have come to appreciate its practicality as a truck that meets the needs of many while being easy to handle day to day.

      ⛽️ Scout CEO Scott Keogh mentioned that the company has received over 150,000 reservations for its electric truck and SUV, with approximately 85% of those for the extended-range variant featuring a gas-powered generator, much to the team's surprise.

      📉 Tesla continues to experience declining sales in Europe, with a 42% drop in France last month and an 88% decrease in Norway.

      ⭐️ One of Mercedes' largest shareholders stated that the new S-Class represents the "last chance" for the automaker's CEO to demonstrate that the historic brand can maintain its luxury status.

      🪦 Lexus has confirmed that the LC will cease production after the 2026 model year, which most anticipated.

      💰 Polestar has announced a $400 million equity financing round.

      🏎️ President Trump signed an executive order to host an IndyCar race, named the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, in Washington, D.C. in 2026.

      🇨🇳 Ford is reportedly in discussions with Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Xiaomi to explore a partnership for EV production in the U.S.

      📉 BYD saw a 30% drop in sales in January as demand in China decreases.

      🔌 CATL announced a new battery technology that can fast-charge without losing capacity, maintaining 80% functionality after 1.1 million miles of fast charging.

      🏁 Weekend Race Results:

      Formula E Miami E-Prix: Mitch Evans secured the victory for Jaguar TCS Racing.

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