Joyful Monday! It is July 7, 2025, and that is The Morning Shift — your each day roundup of the highest automotive headlines from all over the world, in a single place. That is the place you may discover an important tales which might be shaping the way in which People drive and get round.
On this morning’s version, we’re how Elon Musk’s new political celebration is affecting Tesla inventory, in addition to the newest updates on tariff talks between the EU and the USA. We’ll additionally look into a brand new NHTSA investigation into Ram vehicles, and the potential of Nissan letting Foxconn run one among its factories.
Elon Musk has a political celebration now, and Tesla buyers aren’t glad
Tesla inventory has been buying and selling comparatively flat not too long ago, largely buoyed by Elon Musk’s promise to step away from his efforts to kneecap the federal authorities and return his focus to constructing vehicles. After all, now that Musk has introduced that he is utilizing that free time away from DOGE to easily try a special technique of kneecapping the federal authorities, it appears the buyers are none too glad. From Reuters:
Tesla shares fell almost 7% in premarket buying and selling on Monday after CEO Elon Musk’s plans to launch a brand new U.S. political celebration reignited issues about his dedication to the corporate’s future because it struggles with declining gross sales.
Musk unveiled the ‘America Social gathering’ on Saturday after overtly sparring with Donald Trump over the U.S. president’s tax-cut and spending invoice.
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Musk’s political transfer comes days after Tesla posted a second straight drop in quarterly deliveries, piling strain on its inventory as the corporate grapples with fierce competitors and an getting older automobile line-up.
As of this writing, Tesla inventory is sitting at $292.10 — already working its method again up from the at the moment’s low of $290.63. That is nonetheless almost a 7.5% drop, however it appears that evidently the premarket merchants are extra pessimistic on Musk than the regular-hours people. Absolutely that has nothing to do with premarket merchants largely being skilled day-traders and large-scale buyers on the lookout for returns, whereas enterprise hours merchants usually tend to be bizarre nerds knowingly and deliberately buoying Musk’s eccentricities with their very own wallets.
The EU is scrambling to place collectively a U.S. commerce deal
The US wants cash, and President Donald Trump has determined that it is time for America’s allies and buying and selling companions to pay up. That features the European Union, which faces the specter of large “reciprocal” tariffs when the pause ends on Wednesday. Different international locations have sorted out their very own offers with the States, however the EU block would not have ink on paper but — and its automakers are getting apprehensive. From Automotive Information:
Some European Union automakers and capitals are pushing for an settlement with President Donald Trump that might permit for tariff reduction in return for rising funding within the U.S., based on individuals conversant in the matter.
Member states had been briefed on the standing of commerce negotiations on July 4 after a spherical of talks in Washington this week and had been advised {that a} technical settlement in precept was shut, stated the individuals, who spoke on the situation of anonymity.
The EU has till July 9 to clinch a commerce association with Trump earlier than tariffs on almost all of its exports to the U.S. bounce to 50 %. Trump has imposed tariffs on nearly all U.S. buying and selling companions, saying he wished to deliver again home manufacturing, wanted to pay for a tax-cut extension and cease different international locations from profiting from the U.S.
Discover that little tidbit, snuck into the final sentence of the third paragraph, buried in the course of a listing of three? Let me lower out the remainder of the sentence for readability: “Trump has imposed tariffs on nearly all U.S. buying and selling companions, saying he … wanted to pay for a tax-cut extension.” You do not suppose that is your taxes being lower, do you? No, no, that is a tax lower for the individuals who might purchase each Miata on Fb Market with out blinking an eye fixed.
NHTSA is investigating 1.2 million Ram vehicles after 6 deaths
In a break from the group’s normal Ford investigations, the Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration is trying into another person for a change: Stellantis, and 1.2 million of its Ram vehicles. From Reuters:
The U.S. Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration stated on Monday it opened a recall question masking about 1.2 million Stellantis’ Ram vehicles over issues associated to the transmission.
The auto security regulator stated impacted automobiles displayed points associated to the brake transmission shift interlock, which can result in them rolling away.
The investigation itself, NHTSA motion quantity RQ25003, has a bit extra data. The investigation impacts 2013-2018 Ram vehicles, all the way in which from 1500 to 5500. It is particular to vehicles with a column-mounted shifter, which can have a difficulty the place the truck may be shifted out of Park while not having a foot on the brake pedal. That is not nice, and NHTSA says the difficulty below investigation is tied to 14 incident studies and 6 deaths. In case you’ve received an affected Ram, simply watch out — and make sure that you retain your foot on the brake.
Nissan’s retreat gives a manufacturing unit as much as Foxconn
Nissan has been seeking to slash prices, and that features scaling again its manufacturing capability. Ivan Espinosa, the corporate’s shiny new CEO, has promised to shutter seven crops globally — a plan that apparently consists of the Oppama plant, proper close to Nissan’s Yokohama base of operations. Now, although, there could also be hope for the plant’s continued survival: Foxconn. From Automotive Information:
Underneath the discussions, Foxconn would use Nissan’s Oppama meeting plant in Japan, a key manufacturing unit that’s seen as a main goal for shutdown, Japan’s Nikkei and different native media reported July 6.
The partnership can be a part of a wider cooperation in EVs and probably incorporate a three way partnership, the Nikkei stated, citing a Nissan supply it did not determine. The purpose can be to switch a few of Oppama’s unused capability to Foxconn, thereby avoiding the necessity to shut it.
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In an announcement, Nissan stated the report was “not primarily based on an official announcement from Nissan.” One particular person conversant in Nissan’s administration plans stated a tie-up, just like the one reported by the Japanese media, does little to handle Nissan’s short-term challenges, which incorporates large overcapacity in Japan, an impending earnings blow from U.S. tariffs, money burn and debt.
Yikes, particular person conversant in Nissan’s administration plans. Not mincing phrases, are we? Hopefully Nissan can get its home so as, but it surely appears solely time will inform.
Reverse: The Megatron analysis facility begins
Keep in mind when the primary Michael Bay “Transformers” film simply casually dropped that the whole Hoover Dam was a coverup to cover the existence of Megatron? And that solely by reverse-engineering Megatron had been we capable of develop microchips? These motion pictures had been wild for extra causes than simply sophisticated CGI.
On The Radio: Ginger Root — ‘No Issues’
I used to be so tempted to place all of “SHINBANGUMI” in right here — and it’s best to watch all of it you probably have the time — however “No Issues” is pretty much as good a begin as any. Ginger Root is only a good time.