Automotive News Daily Drive

Volvo is bringing back Thomas Ingenlath as chief design officer starting Feb. 1. The designer of the XC60 — Volvo’s all-time bestseller — and Polestar’s first CEO discusses his vision for harmonizing digital screens with physical controls and why design needs to make cars feel “joyful” again. Automotive News Europe Managing Editor Doug Bolduc sits down with Ingenlath for an exclusive conversation about his return to Volvo.

Automotive News’ Molly Boigon and Jerry Hirsch discuss the biggest takeaways from CES 2026, including Ford’s eyes-off driving announcement, Hyundai’s humanoid robot push and what autonomous technology means for personal car ownership. 

General Motors takes over $7 billion in charges as it scales back electric vehicle production and shifts back to gasoline-powered trucks. Volkswagen partners with Qualcomm for chips to power its software-defined vehicles. Plus, insights from CES 2026 on how artificial intelligence is transforming the auto industry with McKinsey’s Kersten Heineke and Automotive News reporters.

Former Waymo CEO John Krafcik says autonomous technology will enhance personal car ownership rather than replace it. Ford announces plans to launch eyes-off, hands-free driver assistance in 2028 on its Universal EV Platform — starting with a $30,000 midsize pickup. Plus, the IRS clarifies rules for the new auto loan interest deduction.

Here at CES, SDVerse CEO Prashant Gulati discusses accelerating software-defined vehicle development timelines. Nissan’s Michael Soutter resigns after just four months as U.S. sales boss, replaced by Tiago Castro. Plus, Volvo brings back Thomas Ingenlath as chief design officer.

Hyundai gets into the humanoid robot game, joining Tesla, BMW and Mercedes. Sony Honda Mobility debuts its second vehicle. Plus, Kodiak Robotics founder and CEO Don Burnette discusses his company’s new partnership with Bosch to scale autonomous trucking hardware.

CES festivities get underway in Las Vegas. Nissan Dealer Advisory Board chair Mike Rezi discusses the brand’s plan to lift dealer profitability to 3 percent by end of fiscal 2026 — and why fresh product is critical to hitting that goal. Plus, Toyota and Honda post mixed December results as the U.S. market shows signs of slowing.

Daily Drive's year-end series concludes with the final installment from the Automotive News retail team, which wraps up the biggest retail stories of 2025. In this episode, they examine the impact of AI on dealerships, mergers and acquisitions trends, and the state of service and parts operations.

Daily Drive's year-end series shifts to the automotive retail landscape in 2025. The Automotive News retail team breaks down the year's biggest retail stories, from dealers' regulatory wins and losses to the expansion of Amazon Autos and evolving dealership dynamics.

Daily Drive’s year-end series continues with the second installment from the Automotive News Tech and Innovation team, which examines how tariffs and trade policy reshaped the industry in 2025. Plus, a look at the year EV makers such as Tesla and Rivian had navigating a rapidly evolving market.