Good day and thank you for joining The Downshift, also known as TDS.
Concise, direct, and packed with info, TDS collects the newest automotive news from across the world and puts it all in one location. The narratives are condensed into a single sentence with a link for those who want further details.
🚨 Episode 4 of The Drivecast, The Drive‘s latest podcast, will be released later today.
The first cup of coffee is finished, it’s February in Minnesota and it’s currently drizzling (what is going on), so let’s dive in.
🚘 Current ride: I’m spending the week with the 2026 Mazda CX-90 Plug-In Hybrid and it’s proving to have ample power, although it is not rapid in electric-only mode. It is just fast enough without the gas engine switched on.
🆕 Polestar revealed a product initiative that will see the launch of four new EVs over the next three years, including the Polestar 5 (a rival to the Porsche Taycan), a more functional wagon-SUV variant of the Polestar 4 (likely featuring a rear window), a new Polestar 2 (previously not slated for a second generation), and a Polestar 7; the Polestar 5, to be manufactured in China, will not be available in the U.S. at launch and it remains unclear when, or even if, it will debut here.
🚕 Tesla announced that the first Cybercab has begun rolling off the production line in Texas.
🔋 Audi has confirmed that a production model of the Concept C electric sports car will debut next year, regardless of whether the electric Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman, which the Audi was planned around, is discontinued.
🤖 Tesla’s Robotaxis have reportedly experienced 14 crashes in the past eight months.
🚕 Uber plans to invest over $100 million in charging stations for self-driving electric taxis.
🐷 The departing head of design at Mercedes-Benz secretly redesigned the legendary “Red Pig,” and images of the concept were shared on Instagram.
🔱 The 2026 Goodwood Revival will celebrate a century of Maserati motor racing in September.
🏎️ The Lexus LC successor is rumored to share the platform of the next-generation Toyota Supra and will arrive with a 2+2 layout, merging the LC and RC models into one grand tourer.
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