Ford, Hyundai Report Large Declines In October EV Sales Automotive Weekly

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Ford, Hyundai report large declines in October EV sales

Sales of all-electric vehicles collapsed last month following the end of up to $7,500 in federal incentives for purchasing an EV, several automakers said Monday. Ford Motor, Kia, Hyundai Motor and Toyota Motor reported massive declines in EV sales as many buyers pulled ahead purchases before the credits ended under changes by the Trump administration. Ford, which ranked third in U.S. EV sales through the third quarter, reported a 25% drop in its year-over-year all-electric October sales. That included a 12% decline for its Mustang Mach-E crossover and a 17% fall for the F-150 Lightning.

Source: CNBC

Younger buyers are rewriting retail: dealers take note

Consumers are changing how they buy, and those shifts extend to vehicle shopping. A new Harris Poll study, Challenger Retail 2025, shows that shoppers are becoming more careful and value-conscious as they adapt to higher costs and economic uncertainty. For car dealers, that shift matters. The study found that 43% of shoppers plan to switch to lower-priced products, and 26% are prepared to change retailers when they do not see fairness or trust in the offer. That suggests a buying environment where loyalty is more fragile, and transparency and customer experience have greater influence than incentives or promotions.

Source: Canadian Auto Dealer

Toyota set for second consecutive quarterly profit decline

Toyota is poised to report a 25% year-on-year drop in operating profit for the July-September quarter, falling to an estimated 863.1 billion yen ($5.72 billion), according to an average forecast from eight analysts surveyed by LSEG. If confirmed, this would mark the automaker's second consecutive quarterly profit decline and its weakest quarterly performance since the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022. The decline comes despite robust global sales of Toyota and its luxury Lexus brand vehicles, which reached 7.8 million units in the first nine months of 2025, up 5% from a year earlier. U.S. sales, Toyota's largest market, rose 8% over the period, fueled by strong demand for high-margin hybrid vehicles. China and India also posted gains of 5% and 12%, respectively.

Source: CBT News

Two 2025 Cadillac Celestiq units heading to Canada

Two of the approximately 25 hand-built 2025 Cadillac Celestiq vehicles are destined for the Canadian market, cementing the electric flagship's status as an ultra-exclusive offering. With a base price of CAD$495,000, these two units represent a significant allocation for Canada, where only six dealerships are authorized to sell the halo model. General Motors maintains strict confidentiality around these initial clients, whose identities and vehicle configurations remain private. This move marks a pivotal step in Cadillac's ambitious plan to re-establish itself as a true global luxury contender.

Cadillac Celestiq Vehicle Chief Engineer Tony Roma emphasized the vehicle's exclusivity, stating production will be in the "hundreds, not thousands." He clarified that in the U.S., "we'll never make more than – maybe 250 would be like the best year we'd ever make." This low-volume strategy is facilitated by the coach-built nature of the Celestiq, where each car is a bespoke commission. Buyers work with a personal design concierge at the dedicated 'Cadillac House' in Warren, Michigan, where "nothing is off the table" for customization. This process ensures that "no two Celestiqs will be alike," with one American buyer reportedly personalizing their vehicle for up to $1.3 million USD.

The Celestiq's design makes a bold statement. Chief Engineer Tony Roma described it as "the designer's car," a nod to the fact that "every time there was an argument between design and engineering, design won." The result is a car that design director Erin Crossley said "looked impossible to make." Underpinning this ambition is GM's Ultium platform, producing 655 horsepower and 646 pound-feet of torque. The interior is a technological tour de force, featuring a 55-inch panoramic screen and a glass roof divided into four individually tintable sections. The extremely limited run of about 25 units for the 2025 model year makes the two Canadian Celestiqs particularly significant. For 2026, General Motors has announced a considerable price increase, making the 2025 examples an even more exclusive proposition.

Source: GM Authority

Porsche's new engine?

In an era when most automakers are downsizing engines or going electric, Porsche just did the opposite — filing a patent for an 18-cylinder "true W" engine. This mechanical masterpiece combines three banks of six cylinders, arranged in a configuration that optimizes air flow, heat management, and efficiency.

Each cylinder bank gets its own intake and exhaust, and Porsche's design even accommodates three turbochargers — one for each bank. The result? A theoretical powerhouse capable of delivering unprecedented horsepower while keeping the footprint roughly the size of a straight-six.

What makes this patent fascinating is its modular concept — it could scale between 12, 15, or 18 cylinders, allowing Porsche to tailor performance across various high-end models or even a future hypercar. While it's unclear whether this beast will ever roar on the road, the design confirms one thing: Porsche isn't done pushing the limits of internal combustion — even in the age of electrification.

Source: TechTimes

Luxury cars top the list of new vehicles resold within a year

A recent iSeeCars analysis reveals that luxury vehicles dominate the top 10 new cars most likely to be resold within the first year of ownership. The Land Rover Discovery Sport leads the list, with 28.3% of owners selling it within 12 months—nearly eight times the overall average first-year resale rate of 3.6%. Other models in the top 10 include the Porsche Macan, Mercedes-Benz GLB, CLA, and GLA, as well as the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque and Discovery. The BMW 5 Series and Jaguar F-PACE round out the list. Porsche emerges as the brand with the highest resale rate in the first year, with 16% of its vehicles returning to the market, followed by Jaguar at 10.7% and Mercedes-Benz at 9.1%.

Source: CBT News

Yangwang U9 Xtreme is the fastest EV ever around the Nürburgring

The 3,000-hp supercar followed its top-speed world record with a 6:59 lap of the Green Hell.

Following shortly on the heels of its last world-record run, BYD's luxury sub-brand Yangwang just set another milestone. Its U9 Xtreme hypercar just became the fastest EV ever to lap Germany's Nürburgring north course, the Nordschleife.

It was only last month that the Chinese exotic clocked a 308.4 mph top speed at the ATP Papenburg in Germany. This time, the U9 Xtreme lapped the tricky 13-mile course known as the Green Hell in a blistering 6:59.157—five seconds quicker than the previous record and the first sub-seven-minute lap for an EV in its class, says Yangwang. Driven by German endurance racer Moritz Kranz, the demonstration showcased the U9 Xtreme's chassis tuning, on top of its outright power. "Our lap time is a testament to the development skills of BYD and YANGWANG," said Kranz.

The U9 Xtreme is built on what BYD calls its 1,200V e4 platform. It uses four electric motors, one at each corner, spinning up to 30,000 rpm to produce roughly 3,000 hp. The record car also featured a redesigned cooling system, special carbon-ceramic brakes, and custom GitiSport e·GTR2 PRO tires developed especially for the Nürburgring's steep hills and high-load corners.
BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li called the record "a phenomenal achievement," adding, "The U9 Xtreme has proven that it is not only the world's fastest car in a straight line, but also one capable of breaking lap records on the most demanding circuit."

Source: Autoweek

Automakers face higher costs from US port fees, car carrier warns

Automakers transporting their cars to the U.S. could face $200 to $300 per vehicle in additional costs, the CEO of car carrier Wallenius Wilhelmsen told Reuters on Wednesday, as the company seeks to pass on new U.S. port fees to customers. Higher-than-expected U.S. port fees on foreign-built ships took effect in mid-October as part of a trade dispute between China and the U.S. That prompted Wallenius Wilhelmsen, which operates "roll-on/roll-off" carriers that ship cars and heavy machinery worldwide, to withdraw its financial outlook.

Source: Reuters

Nexperia Says It Halted Supply After China Unit Refused To Pay

Nexperia said it suspended supplies to its China factory because the local unit refused to make payments, laying bare the internal discord at the embattled automotive chipmaker. The Dutch company, owned by the Chinese company Wingtech Technology, supplies power-control chips used by automakers from Volkswagen Group to BMW. It notified customers on Oct. 29 that it would halt direct wafer supply to its assembly plant in China. Nexperia said its entities there had stopped operating within the established corporate governance framework and were ignoring global management's instructions, according to a statement late on Nov. 5.

Source: Bloomberg via Automotive News

Honda bets on hybrids with lighter platform for next-generation

Honda Motor said on Thursday it is developing a platform centered on mid-size hybrid cars and a hybrid system for large vehicles, as the Japanese automaker seeks to boost competitiveness amid a slower shift to fully electric cars. The new platform, to be deployed in vehicles from 2027 or later, will be designed for hybrids but can also accommodate petrol-only models. Honda said the platform will be about 90 kg (200 lb) lighter than current designs.

Source: Reuters

Buying used getting unusually expensive

Used-vehicle prices are getting so high that some models are approaching new-car levels. A Carfax study found that the average used-vehicle price has reached its highest point in a year and a half to nearly $25,000, or about $1,300 more. The vehicle data and listings provider researched its listings from September and October to uncover the phenomenon. Limited used inventory is driving the price inflation, said Carfax, which indicated supply is still under prepandemic levels due to a drop in new-vehicle sales during the peak Covid period.

Source: Auto Dealer Today

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