Honda Will Now Make Hybrids the Central Focus of Its Business: TDS
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Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short.
TDS is quick, concise, and keeps you updated with the latest automotive headlines from around the globe, all in one place. Each story is summarized in one sentence, along with a link for those who want to read more.
My first cup of coffee is gone, and it’s time for a second. Let’s dive in.
🚘 What I’m driving: I’m spending the week with the 2026 Lexus GX and I'm eager to see how my opinion evolves after a weekend road trip up north. During the launch, I was very impressed with the GX and thought it rivaled the Land Rover Defender. However, after a week of road trips and towing, I found it to be loud, crude, flimsy, and frustrating, despite its stunning design. It’s been two years; let’s see how this experience unfolds in a new context.
🪫 After abandoning the electric future and incurring significant losses, Honda America planning chief Gary Robinson stated that hybrids will be the “core” of the company’s business, expected to surpass sales of purely gas-powered vehicles later this decade. Acura’s lineup will transition to nearly all hybrids, while Honda will be more selective about which vehicles receive specific powertrains.
🚨 Jeep has recalled 61,711 Cherokee SUVs due to the possibility of a catastrophic failure of the two-speed power transfer unit in the transmission.
🔋 BMW is developing a more affordable Neue Klasse EV that will be branded under the 1 Series name.
💰 Tesla has increased the prices of the Model Y by $500 to $1,000.
💲 The 2027 Volvo EX60 lineup has been priced, with a 300-mile variant costing under $60,000; this electric EX60 is also priced lower than a comparable plug-in hybrid XC60 model.
🤑 Congress is proposing a $130 yearly fee for driving electric cars; lawmakers argue that EV drivers should “pay their fair share” since they do not contribute to gas taxes, although many states are already imposing fees on EV drivers to offset the lost gas tax revenue.
🔋 Volvo has confirmed that the now-canceled EX30 will be replaced by a larger, more affordable EV next year, likely to carry the EX40 nameplate.
🇨🇳 BYD plans to challenge the Land Rover Defender with the Ti7, a seven-seat hybrid SUV set to debut in the UK later this year.
🇬🇧 Ford is preparing to introduce five “rally-bred” vehicles in Europe by 2029.
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Honda Will Now Make Hybrids the Central Focus of Its Business: TDS
Honda America's planning director stated that hybrid vehicle sales are projected to surpass those of traditional gasoline-powered cars by the end of this decade.