Automotive

Tesla recalls 3,878 Cybertrucks for defective accelerator pedals amid layoffs and sales slump, raising safety and leadership concerns.

14,000 jobs are affected by its 8.5% YoY drop in Q1 deliveries amid intense competition and market shifts. Layoffs could continue unless the company refocuses on its core business.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the takeaway's from this years March Madness NCAA basketball tournaments, what's most fueling a revolution in women's sports, who will rule the new pay TV world by 2026, the likelihood that sports betting faces a reckoning in the next 12-months, the best-selling cars in America, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our forecasting writer Ethan Cramer-Flood, forecasting analyst Zach Goldner, and director of forecasting Oscar Orozco.

Post-pandemic, China’s economy, including its retail sector, faces a pivotal moment. On one hand, all travel restrictions have been removed. But on the other, consumption has been dragged down by a deflated property sector and high youth unemployment, among other difficulties. For brands and retailers, the conundrum has created nearly unprecedented challenges to growth.

Apple will lay off 700 people in its first major cut since the pandemic. It’s consolidating resources as it shifts to AI development

Budget cars and compact SUVs gained share in Q1: Consumers are focused on affordability and value, which is good news for Toyota and Honda but a challenge for Tesla.

The company reversed its discount strategy despite growing competition. It’s now struggling in a shifting global EV market as hybrid sales surge

Apple’s latest AI outperforms OpenAI’s GPT-4 in contextual understanding: Its ReALM AI model could redefine user experiences across its fast-growing Services segment. But antitrust pressure poses a barrier.

Nano-influencers reign on Instagram with a 6.23% engagement rate: TikTok's top influencers, meanwhile, maintain a 4.95% rate.

Hugging Face will use its open-source AI to build robots: It’s part of a broader industry push to use generative AI to make physical robots commercially viable.

The EV maker announces affordable R2 SUV and R3 and R3X crossovers and amasses 68,000 reservations. It’s challenging market norms and intensifying EV competition.

A flying car becomes a best-seller: Alef’s Model A has record preorders, with delivery set for next year. Meanwhile, its standard EV won’t be available until 2035, underscoring auto industry issues.

Honda fuses its personal mobility venture with VR: Its full-body device could provide novel immersive experiences at commercial venues, but the vision for VR is smaller, lighter devices.

It shifts 2,000 workers to generative AI projects amid slowing EV sales and heightened interest in AI. The abrupt move signals a necessary and strategic pivot.

The US auto industry’s shift to electric vehicles takes a detour: Hybrid vehicles are growing faster than EVs, thanks to consumers’ concerns about the relatively nascent technology.

Crashes, declining trust, and potential bans fuel safety concerns and activism, challenging the technology’s readiness and future expansion.

On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss how buying alcohol online is different, what Uber’s shutdown of Drizly means for its retail media business, and how consumption habits are changing. Then for "Red-Hot Retail," our analysts give us four spicy predictions about the future of alcohol. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analyst Blake Droesch and director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman.

Ford reformulates its EV strategy after premium model sales stall. Small and affordable EVs could reignite interest while enabling expansion to emerging markets.

The leading EV manufacturer is doubling outlets and focusing on local market needs to boost adoption—lessons US manufacturers might be able to learn from.