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Welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short, The Drive’s morning news roundup bringing you the biggest automotive headlines from around the world.
The Downshift recaps news briefly, with links to full stories for those seeking more info. This is your bulletin for Monday, July 20, 2026.
🏭 Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said that he’d be interested in adding an eighth factory in North America, to bolster output in what is the company’s most profitable region, accounting for around 40% of its global sales last year. “I want to increase the number of sales in North America a lot,” Mibe told the Yomiuri Shinbun newspaper last week. “The basic idea is to produce in a place where there is demand.” [Automobile News]
🤏 Genesis’s managing director for Europe, Peter Kronschnabl, said that Hyundai’s luxury brand is “evaluating” the prospect of smaller models, but has nothing to confirm yet. [Autocar]
🥨 Electric vehicles just outsold every other type of new car in Germany last month, for the first time ever. EVs represented 84,057 sales in the country in June, followed by traditional hybrids at 83,315 registrations, and gas-powered vehicles at 60,796. Diesels and plug-ins accounted for less than 34,000 units each. [InsideEVs]
🔌 Pilot Flying J’s newest two travel centers in Massachusetts and Florida, plus updates to existing sites, mean the company now has over 300 locations with EV charging in the U.S. [Electrek]
🧾 Aston Martin did not deny a report that broke late last week that the luxury automaker has held ongoing talks with lenders including BlackRock-owned HPS Investment Partners in hopes to boost liquidity. [Reuters]
🛻 Todd Johnson, who worked on the GMC Hummer EV and Chevrolet Silverado EV at General Motors, has joined Scout to serve as its Vice President of Manufacturing. [Scout Motors]
🏁 Weekend race results:
- WRC Rally Estonia: Sami Pajari won for Toyota Gazoo Racing
- NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at North Wilkesboro Speedway: Chandler Smith won for Front Row Motorsports
- Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli won for Mercedes
- IndyCar at Nashville: Race rescheduled to 3 p.m. Monday due to rain
- NASCAR Cup Series at North Wilkesboro Speedway: Joey Logano won for Team Penske
- NHRA Drag Racing Sonoma Nationals Finals: Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Jordan Vandergriff (Funny Car), and Greg Stanfield (Pro Stock) won in respective classes
Got a tip or feedback for TDS? Reach out to tips@thedrive.com
Backed by a decade of covering cars and consumer tech, Adam Ismail is a Senior Editor at The Drive, focused on curating and producing the site’s slate of daily stories.
