Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short.
TDS is your one-stop shop for all the auto industry headlines you need to know. Each one is summarized in a sentence or two, and you can follow links to dive deeper if you wish. This morning’s edition is coming in a little late as we’ve had a last-minute scheduling change here at The Drive, so hopefully you still have coffee in your mug to sip as you read it. Or, go get yourself a refill. Who’s gonna stop you?
Let’s get into it.
? What I’m driving: A 2025 Genesis G80 3.5T Sport Prestige, or at least I was, as it gets picked up today. I’ve had the big sedan for a week and it’s been absolutely lovely. Stay tuned for a review.
? Ford and GM hatched a very clever scheme to get around the ending of the EV tax credit as the calendar flips over into October: They used their financing companies to place down payments on vehicles in stock, locking those savings in for future lessees, per the Detroit Free Press. Get ’em while they’re hot!
? Speaking of the EV tax credit ending, it seemed to drive plenty of customers to Hyundai and Kia last month. Not only did the Korean auto giant post sales gains of 14% for Hyundai and 11% for Kia through September, but sales of Hyundai EVs specifically rocketed by 153%, Automotive News reported.
? Tesla has announced a new Model Y Performance that travels slightly farther on a charge and sprints to 60 mph from a standstill slightly quicker than before—in 3.3 seconds, to be precise.
⏱️ Speaking of 0-60 times, our friends at MotorTrend say they have a new champion—and it’s not a Rimac, but a Lucid Air Sapphire, which completed the dash faster than any other vehicle the outlet has ever tested, at precisely 1.881 seconds.
? BMW is recalling some 145,000 vehicles in the U.S for a fire risk, per Reuters, due to an overheated starter motor. The recall covers the 340i, X5, and X7, and comes days after another starter-motor-related campaign that impacted the 2 Series, Z4, and, by extension, the Toyota Supra.
? Auto supplier ZF just cut 7,600 jobs in its electric drivetrain department, citing lagging demand in Europe, per Bloomberg.
? You can now buy cars from Hertz entirely online, the rental giant announced yesterday, as it continues its expansion into vehicle sales. Hertz says its used cars are subject to a “rigorous 115-point inspection” and come backed by a “12-month/12,000-mile limited powertrain warranty.” Expect to see plenty of ads with Tom Brady in them this football Sunday.
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Backed by a decade of covering cars and consumer tech, Adam Ismail is a Senior Editor at The Drive, focused on curating and producing the site’s slate of daily stories.