The CEO of Mercedes seeks a ‘reality check’ and claims that Europe's ban on gas engines will lead to a market collapse, according to TDS.

      Mercedes-Benz

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      Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short.

      The Downshift is The Drive’s weekday morning news summary, designed to compile the latest automotive news from across the globe in one place. So grab a Pop-Tart and some coffee.

      As we enter the third week of TDS, we plan to streamline the introduction and reduce the explanatory text regarding this series.

      We continue to welcome and encourage your feedback on this series, including its content, features, and format, via comments and email ([email protected]).

      TDS aims to be brief and efficient; it’s not a comprehensive news article or detailed report. Instead, it provides quick summaries of stories in a single sentence, along with links for those interested in more details.

      With my first cup of coffee finished, let’s dive in.

      🚘 What I’m driving: I spent the weekend in the 2025 Lincoln Navigator L Black Label, which is so large that my father specifically suggested, “let’s not take that” to the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning, noting the parking would be a hassle.

      ⛽️ The CEO of Mercedes-Benz criticized Europe’s strategy to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035, calling for “a reality check” and warning that “we are heading at full speed against a wall,” which could lead to a market “collapse” unless the trajectory changes.

      🛻 Ford is altering its strategy from focusing on larger EVs to smaller, more affordable options, while aiming to dominate the hybrid truck market with EREVs, PHEVs, and hybrids across its range.

      🔌 We, like many others, overlooked that the 2026 Jeep Wagoneer teaser featured a plug on the driver-side front fender, indicating that this full-size SUV will have an electrified plug-in powertrain.

      🔋 The Acura RSX Prototype, an electric crossover, was teased ahead of its debut this week at the 2025 Monterey Car Week in Pebble Beach.

      ⚡️ A new electric hypercar variant of the BYD Yangwang U9, known as the Track Edition, was leaked by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MITIT), boasting a four-motor powertrain with a total of 3,019 horsepower and an impressive wing.

      🚙 The Audi RS 6 Avant is seeing record sales, which has contributed to a 41% year-over-year increase for the entire Audi Sport lineup during the first half of 2025, as stated by company spokesperson Alina Seysen.

      🏁 Weekend Race Results:

      NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen: Shane van Gisbergen from Trackhouse Racing won, achieving his fourth consecutive road course victory in the Cup Series.

      NASCAR Xfinity Series Mission 200 at The Glen: Connor Zilch of JR Motorsports crossed the finish line first but fell in Victory Lane, leading to a hospital visit for evaluation.

      NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Mission 176 at The Glen: Corey Heim of Tricon Garage took the win in a thrilling triple-overtime finish, marking his fourth straight road course victory and sixth win this season.

      NTT IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Portland: Will Power from Team Penske secured his first victory of the season, preventing Team Penske from having its first winless season since 1999.

      IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Motul SportsCar Grand Prix at Road America: Philipp Eng and Drive Vanthoor from BMW M Team RLL won the GTP class in a 1-2 finish.

      ARCA Menards Series West NAPA Auto Care 150 at Tri-City Raceway: Kyle Keller of Jan's Racing/Jan's Towing celebrated his first career victory.

      ARCA Menards Series General Tire 100 at The Glen: Tristan McKee of Spire Motorsports won in his series debut.

      Do you have feedback on the TDS formatting? Let us know: [email protected]