Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short.
Light, tight, and right, TDS gathers the latest automotive news from around the globe and places it together in one spot. Stories are summarized in a single, sometimes long, sentence with a link for those seeking more information.
We appreciate the continued feedback on TDS, both in the comments and via email at tips@thedrive.com.
The first cup of coffee is gone, and the second is underway, so let’s get into it.
? What I’m driving: The refreshed 2026 Subaru Solterra, and it’s the first vehicle in recent memory my kids haven’t said a single word about, good, bad, or otherwise.
? ChargePoint plans to debut 600-kW EV fast chargers in the U.S. in 2026 that will enable 10-minute EV charging, but no electric vehicle in America on sale today is remotely capable of taking that kind of power.
? Tesla urged the Delaware Supreme Court to restore CEO Elon Musk’s $56 billion payday that a lower court judge rescinded in 2024.
⚙️ Nissan’s moving up the timetable for the Rogue Hybrid, now set to arrive next October rather than the first half of 2027.
? A BMW executive revealed the automaker had record-high sales of V8-powered vehicles last year.
? Nissan recalled over 170,000 vehicles in the U.S. due to a potentially blown fuel pump fuse.
?? Waymo’s self-driving driverless white taxis are headed to London to take on the storied black cabs next year.
? Ford recalled over 59,000 vehicles equipped with an engine block heater due to a fire risk.
?A global EV boom led to record-high sales; the rest of the world seems to be following America’s retreat on electric cars, but factors are still supporting demand for battery-powered vehicles, and demand isn’t falling off a cliff.
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As Director of Content and Product, Joel draws on over 15 years of newsroom experience and inability to actually stop working to help ensure The Drive shapes the future of automotive media. He’s also a World Car Award juror.
