Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short.
Tight, light, and right, TDS gathers the latest automotive news from around the globe and places it in one spot. Stories are summarized in a single sentence accompanied by a link for those seeking more information.
The first cup of coffee is gone and the second is being started now, so let’s get into it.
? What I’m driving: Still spending time with the 2025 Jeep Wagoneer S and have started playing with the iOS app only to quickly realize it’s a disaster that doesn’t seem to reliably work.
? Toyota will spend nearly $14 billion on a new battery plant in Liberty, North Carolina, which is said to create up to 5,100 new jobs, produce up to 30 GWh of batteries on the 1,850-acre site, and support hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and the automaker’s upcoming three-row electric SUV.
? Rivian and VW’s joint venture, dubbed Rivan and Volkswagen Group Technologies or RV Tech for short, hit the one-year milestone, provided an update on the project’s timeline, and said the goal is to make an operating system that could be sold to the entire auto industry.
? Polestar reported a wider-than-expected third-quarter loss and will now conduct a stock split in an attempt to retain its Nasdaq listing; the automaker blamed tariffs and EV residuals for the third-quarter net loss of $365 million.
? Subaru will shift its $1.5 trillion yen ($9.7 billion) investment in EVs towards hybrid- and gas-powered vehicles due to shifting market trends; the automaker said it will still launch the co-developed EVs it partnered with Toyota on as planned.
? A device called the Dectravalve is being hailed as a breakthrough that promises to cut EV fast charging times from 30 to 10 minutes as the device independently cools or heats the pack.
? Einride, a self-driving electric truck company out of Sweden, plans to go public in 2026 via an SPAC in an attempt to expand and invest in the technology and development of its trucks; currently Einride operates in seven countries including the U.S.
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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.
