Florida Claims $200M Electric Vehicle Charger Fund Is a 'Waste' of Taxpayer Money, Advocates for Investment in Flying Taxis Instead: TDS

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      Greetings and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short, The Drive’s morning news summary that compiles the top automotive headlines globally.

      The Downshift distills stories into brief summaries and includes links for those who want to learn more. We hope you enjoyed your weekend, and here’s your update for Monday, August 3, 2026.

      🚁 Florida has opted to redirect the $200 million originally designated for expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure towards funding an “aerial highway network” comprising eVTOL flying taxis, as per documents obtained by the Miami Herald. “The Florida Department of Transportation will not squander taxpayer money on typical passenger vehicles,” the document states, instead endorsing “an innovative and strategic approach” to support a “new emerging mode of transportation.” While the state boasts the second-highest number of EVs in the nation, it still falls short of the national average for chargers per vehicle. [Miami Herald]

      💺 Stellantis is recalling a substantial number of Ram 1500 pickups—1.27 million vehicles in the U.S. alone, plus 156,000 in Canada—due to second-row seat belt anchors that may not have been properly secured to the vehicle structure. This recall affects every model year from 2019 onward. [Reuters]

      Ⓜ️ According to a new report, there’s a strong possibility for a new BMW M3 Touring to be sold in the U.S., bolstered by the success of the M5 Touring in the country, which has created a strong business case for the smaller high-performance wagon outside Europe. [BMW Blog]

      🪫 Alfa Romeo has been in need of new offerings for some time, but the next-generation Stelvio SUV has reportedly been postponed until 2028 due to a strategic shift from a purely electric powertrain to a range of propulsion options. [Motor1]

      📹 Ford is once again recalling vehicles due to backup camera issues. This campaign affects the 2021-2023 F-150 and 2023-2026 F-250 Super Duty models. A total of under 48,000 units are included, with the problem stemming from faulty infotainment software that inhibits the camera feed from displaying when necessary. [Autoblog]

      💨 Toyota has its own pickup recall involving just over 4,100 units of 2016-2023 Tacoma and 2014-2021 Tundra trucks, where airbags may deploy under suboptimal conditions in a crash. [Autoblog]

      📱 General Motors has begun the rollout of a comprehensive update for Cadillac’s infotainment system across the Optiq, Lyriq, Vistiq, and CT5 models, aimed at enhancing responsiveness and ease of navigation. [Motor1]

      ⚡ Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa has proclaimed the upcoming Rogue e-Power launch as the most pivotal of the year for the company, as it will provide Nissan “access to a market that [it] didn’t have access to before”—specifically, the competitive hybrid compact SUV segment. [Automotive News]

      🏁 Weekend race results:

      WRC Rally Finland: Sami Pajari and Marko Salminen triumphed for Toyota Gazoo Racing

      Supercars Championship in Perth: Matthew Payne (Penrite Racing) and Broc Feeney (Red Bull Ampol Racing) emerged victorious

      Formula Drift Pro Class Top 16 at Indianapolis: Canceled due to weather conditions

      IMSA SportsCar 6 Hours of Road America: Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor claimed victory for Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing

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