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The Drive 🤝 your inbox. Every weekday The Daily Brief wraps up the biggest stories and our exclusive reporting on the auto industry and car culture. Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, a daily sweep of today’s top headlines from the auto industry and car culture, curated by The Drive’s editorial team. Each story gets a short summary and a link to the original source if you want to dive deeper. Here’s what’s cooking on Thursday, September 17, 2026: 🔊 The latest episode of The Drivecast, The Drive’s weekly podcast, went live yesterday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. 🗳️ One apparently…

A BYD Sealion 05 on display at the Beijing Auto Show in April 2026. Credit: CnEVPost BYD will need 4 European plants over the long term to support its sales targets and comply with EU regulations, its regional adviser said. The second assembly site is expected to be chosen by year-end, with a preference for acquiring and refurbishing an existing facility. Spain and France are leading candidates. BYD (HKEX: 1211) plans to establish 3 vehicle assembly plants and 1 battery factory in Europe over the long term to support local sales growth and meet EU manufacturing requirements. Alfredo Altavilla, BYD’s…

Getting added to Spotify’s Fresh Finds playlists can be a huge break for artists trying to cut through the noise on streaming. Now Spotify is launching a program called Fresh Finds Forward, which aims to give artists the tools to capitalize on that exposure. Artists added to any Fresh Finds playlist after January 1st, 2026, can join the program and get 12 months of additional resources, the most extravagant of which is free studio time for US-based artists at Electric Lady Studios in NYC, The Lighthouse at Ocean Way Nashville, or Spotify Studios in LA.Beyond that, artists will get early…

Automotive I must give credit to Kia for their recent efforts to elevate the brand to new, unseen heights that I’ve witnessed in the new Telluride, and now, the new Kia Seltos. It seems as if Kia is on a relentless path in their competitiveness amongst other juggernaut mainstream automakers, and this week’s drive in the newly redesigned Seltos somewhat fortifies that quest as I walk away pleasantly appeased with all that the new compact crossover has to offer. The Kia Seltos is completely redesigned for 2027, embarking on a journey that essentially replaces a hole left by…

This week, Windrose founder and CEO Wen Han made heavy truck history by putting the CAD models for all 1,023 parts from the X9D01 base model of his Windrose E700 Class 8 electric truck online. For free. The Windrose 3D Viewer gives enthusiasts, engineers, and curious lookie-loos a detailed, fully inclusive look at the design and engineering behind the company’s incredibly capable battery electric semi truck – but it also gives someone else, someone much more important, a peek behind the curtain: Windrose’ customers. And in doing so, Windrose is raising the bar for what customers should expect when it comes…

The new system will benefit professional multi-camera shoots for sports and more. DJI An underrated part of DJI’s success is in the area of video transmission, with the company’s drones and camera systems offering wireless video quality and range that rivals can’t match. Now, the Shenzhen-based company is significantly upping its game in the area of pro video with the its new SDR Transmission II system. It boosts both image quality and range, giving multi-camera productions more options in tricky environments. Where the original SDR Transmission system was limited to 1080p video at a 20Mbps bitrate…

There have been some pretty impressive custom builds inspired by the C1 Chevrolet Corvette over the years, but these have all featured prices that could get you a showroom-fresh C8 Corvette, and we’re not talking about a base model either. However, over in Japan, there’s something brewing that will make budget-conscious fans of the first generation of America’s sports car drool. Behold Mitsuoka’s latest sports car featuring C1 Corvette styling. The company renowned for its eccentric creations has released the first photos and promises to follow up with full details in November. Meet The Mitsuoka LA1 Mitsuoka LA1Mitsuoka For the…

The Canadian Automotive Partnership Council (CAPC) met in Toronto on Sept. 9 to discuss the impact of U.S. tariffs on Canada’s automotive industry and the actions needed to support long‑term competitiveness. The meeting included federal industry minister Mélanie Joly and Ontario economic development minister Victor Fedeli, and was chaired by Honda Canada president and CEO Dave Jamieson. “Today’s discussion reinforced the significant challenges facing Canada’s automotive industry as a result of ongoing trade uncertainty and U.S. tariffs,” said CAPC chair Rob Wildeboer. “Industry is committed to working closely with governments to address immediate pressures while maintaining a focus on long‑term…

Depreciation is one of the automotive world’s great equalizers. A luxury SUV that was once well beyond reach can, after a few years on the road, land squarely in the same price bracket as a brand-new mainstream crossover — and that’s exactly the situation buyers find themselves in today with the third-generation Porsche Cayenne. The 2019 model year, which kicked off that generation, has depreciated to the point where well-priced examples trade for roughly the same money as a new Honda CR-V. The gap in prestige, performance, and interior quality between the two, however, remains enormous. We’re taking a closer…

Buick will launch an updated Electra E7 plug-in hybrid SUV in China on September 23, about 5 months after its debut. Credit: Buick Buick launched the Electra E7 in China on April 22, and its 30,000th vehicle rolled off the production line on September 16. Volkswagen Anhui updated the ID. UNYX 08 last week, also about 5 months after its launch. General Motors (NYSE: GM) brand Buick will roll out the updated Electra E7 plug-in hybrid SUV (sport utility vehicle) in China on September 23, just 5 months after the model’s debut. Buick announced the date on Weibo on Thursday,…