Canadian Auto Manufacturing Is Already Dead

In one of his recent podcasts, Scott Galloway explained how he had been asked by the CEO of a German automaker what they should do in light of the current tariff and trade situation. Galloway’s pointed response was, “I have no fucking idea. I have no idea.” podscribe.com

And I don’t blame Scott, because that’s a fairly common and reasonable response right now. No one has any fucking idea.

When it comes to auto manufacturing in Canada, we’re like a family in the waiting room of the palliative care section of a hospital, watching a family member’s health slowly fade, but unable to come to grips with the fact that they are already dead.

Even before all of this tariff bullshit, Canadian auto manufacturing was expected to be at its lowest level in decades. And that’s the good news. bloomberg.com

As of today, only two of the five automakers that manufacture in Canada—Honda and Toyota—are producing at full capacity. financialpost.com

The Logic reported that—Toyota Canada spokesperson Philippe Crowe said that the situation is still “highly fluid” but Toyota has “no plans to change our production within the foreseeable future.” thelogic.co

Honda was in the news this week because Japan was “considering” shifting production from Canada and Mexico to the US. Honda Canada also says it has no plans to move production to the US. autonews.com, autonews.com

Plans have a way of changing quickly these days.

GM pulled the plug on the CAMI plant. It will reopen for three weeks in May and then shut down again. When reopened, it will only run one shift. ctvnews.ca

Over in Oshawa, GM had to limit shifts due to a parts shortage. If tariffs remain, GM could shift Oshawa production to their Fort Wayne plant. cp24.com

Stellantis plans to resume production at its Windsor Assembly Plant for a couple of weeks but won’t commit to production beyond that. kitchener.citynews.ca

Ford’s Oakville plant is idle. It was initially closed for retooling to produce a mythical three-row SUV. Ford adjusted its plans and was expected to build Super Duty F-Series trucks there instead. But that’s unlikely now due to the combined costs associated with tariffs on vehicles, auto parts, steel, and aluminum. motortrend.com, wsj.com

The Donald said he is exploring possible temporary exemptions to his tariffs on imported vehicles and parts to give automakers more time to establish US manufacturing. bloomberg.com

But that will require a lot of time, and Donnie isn’t known for his patience.

We can expect the CUSMA (USMCA) to be renegotiated. Once signed, the new deal will likely not favour Canadian automotive manufacturing. reuters.com

Mark Carney’s recent move to allow automakers to import US-manufactured cars and trucks without tariffs, as long as the companies continue to manufacture vehicles in Canada, is clever, but it isn’t likely to be enough motivation to stop the bleeding out of our patient. bloomberg.com

Canada can’t build its own cars. cbc.ca

European OEMs have problems of their own. forbes.com

Hyundai has already gotten into bed with The Donald and doesn’t need Canadian production. theguardian.com

Our only option might be to strip away our 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs and figure out what terms we can live with if the Chinese OEMs come to Canada.

To mitigate security concerns over Chinese vehicles, we could accept their vehicles but not accept their software. theglobeandmail.com

Maybe Blackberry can rise again as the vehicle software solution that helps resurrect a future Canadian auto industry funded by the likes of the CPP and BYD. thelogic.co

But really, who fucking knows.

China’s Automotive Expansion

Zeekr launches the 009 Grand Collector Edition MPV, priced at $123,200 USD, and featuring 24-karat gold accents. carnewschina.com

Nio launches its first vehicle under the Firefly sub-brand. cnevpost.com

Leapmotor and Stellantis plan to start production in Malaysia by the end of the year. cnevpost.com

BYD begins selling vehicles in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. cnevpost.com

BYD launches its first EV with ultra-fast charging just weeks after debuting the technology. electrek.co

China delays approval for Geely and BYD's investment plans in Latin America. reuters.com

CATL Q1 profit jumps 33% even as EV demand slows, battery prices fall. autonews.com

China bans 'smart' and 'autonomous' driving terms from vehicle ads. reuters.com

Must-Know Musk News

Tesla’s internal analysis suggests their Cybercab robotaxis won’t sell very well. theverge.com

Elon’s and Tesla’s brand damage is eroding the value of used Teslas. electrek.co

Tesla's plans to build an affordable EV are delayed. reuters.com

Tesla faces a proposed class action claiming it speeds up odometers on its vehicles so they fall out of warranty faster. reuters.com

Tesla has to replace the computer inside about 4 million of their EVs. electrek.co

A new software update gives Tesla EVs adaptive headlights, alternative trip planning options in navigation, Sentry Mode, and a slew of other improvements. theverge.com

It’s a good time to get a good deal on a Cybertruck (if that's a thing you want). theverge.com

An Albuquerque man was charged with arson for allegedly setting fire to a New Mexico Tesla showroom and the state’s Republican Party headquarters. wsj.com

SpaceX is at the top of the list of companies that might build The Donald’s “Golden Dome” missile shield. reuters.com

Rise Of The Machines

DoorDash can now deliver your cold Pad Thai dinner using rolling robots in LA and Chicago. theverge.com

Unitree plans to livestream a robot boxing match. x.com/UnitreeRobotics

Beijing’s E-Town tech hub hosted the world’s first humanoid robot half-marathon. techcrunch.com

Companies who build humanoid robots outside of China might be screwed because they can’t afford to buy Chinese built planetary roller screws. fastcompany.com

Energy

The Donald halted the $5 billion Empire Wind 1 green energy project, which was approved in 2018 and was already under construction off the coast of New York. The commercial lease for the 810-megawatt project was signed in March 2017, during the first Trump administration. electrek.co, empirewind.com

Pacific Steel Group started construction of its Mojave Micro Mill, a rebar factory in California’s Mojave Desert near Edwards Air Force Base. The mill will be powered entirely by solar and wind energy. cleantechnica.com

Eric Schmidt believes that Canada has the winning solution to AI’s high energy needs—abundant hydroelectricity and nice people. bnnbloomberg.ca

GM’s battery operations in the US are so vast that the company is already producing more cells than Tesla. insideevs.com

Lime will recycle its bike and scooter batteries with Redwood Materials. theverge.com

But Wait, There’s More

Kia says its affordable, Korean-built EV4 electric sedan will launch in the US in early 2026. theverge.com

Toyota considers expanding US production of the RAV4 in response to tariffs. reuters.com

Ford has halted shipments to China. reuters.com

Buick finally has cars people want, and now they are too expensive to buy, thanks to tariffs. reuters.com

Nissan aims to “max out” production at its largest US plant due to tariffs. cnbc.com

Volvo plans to lay off as many as 800 workers in the US over the next three months due to market uncertainty and demand concerns in the face of—wait for it—tariffs. reuters.com

Audi and Porsche have a software problem. wsj.com

Subaru gives the 2026 Solterra a facelift, some upgrades, an improved AWD system, and an extended range. theverge.com

Rivian’s first non-Amazon EV van customer is HelloFresh. techcrunch.com

Lyft says acquiring FreeNow gives the company a better presence in Europe. theverge.com

ICYMI: EVs are more reliable than ICE vehicles. carscoops.com

Hertz shares surge more than 50% after Bill Ackman's investment. cnbc.com

Hertz got hacked. theverge.com

The Change Optimist is presenting our newly minted Consumer Automotive Research And Stuff (C.A.R.S.) at Dealer Huddle Next on May 7th. Buy your tickets here:

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