A Chip Manufacturer Became a Geopolitical Focus, Leaving Automakers in Disarray: TDS

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

      In TDS, you will discover the top automotive news of the morning compiled into a single article, featuring brief summaries and links for further exploration if desired. My colleague Joel, our usual TDS curator, is taking a well-earned week off ahead of the holiday, so the rest of The Drive team will handle this roundup in the meantime.

      Grab a cup of your favorite warm caffeinated beverage, and let’s dive in.

      📉 The Chinese owner of Nexperia, a semiconductor manufacturer based in the Netherlands, reports that the Dutch headquarters has gone silent following recent developments in the company's ongoing dispute last week. After the Dutch government intervened and assumed control of the firm, China briefly halted exports of its chips, hindering its automaker partners—especially those in Germany—from completing vehicle production, much like the disruptions caused by the pandemic-related chip shortage. Following this, the Dutch government eased its stance on the issue.

      ⏱️ The gasoline-powered Fiat 500 has returned as a hybrid with a manual transmission. While this sounds enjoyable, it only offers a total of 65 horsepower and takes an impressive 16.2 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph according to Stellantis' official figures, so keep your expectations realistic.

      🏭 Mercedes-Benz aims to increase its annual sales in the U.S. to 400,000 cars (excluding fleet sales), up from last year’s figure of 325,000 (including fleet sales), according to Automotive News after a dealer meeting over the weekend. Retailers feel that Mercedes' recent focus on high-end, margin-rich AMG and Maybach models has relinquished the volume luxury market to competitors like BMW and Audi.

      🪫 In reference to BMW, CEO Oliver Zipse is worried that Germany is not investing sufficiently in the advancement of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, as reported by Auto News. BMW continues to support this technology, emphasizing its advantages for specific applications compared to traditional internal-combustion and battery-electric vehicles.

      🚙 Land Rover intends to possibly sell the forthcoming third-generation Range Rover Evoque exclusively as an electric vehicle, according to Autocar, while keeping its position as the entry model in the lineup.

      🤑 A Gordon Murray S1 LM just set a record as the most expensive new car sold at auction last weekend in Las Vegas, prior to the Formula 1 race. The one-of-five McLaren F1 tribute hypercar commanded an astounding $20,630,000.

      🏁 NASCAR driver Austin Cindric is set to compete in the Australian Supercars this weekend for the BP Adelaide Grand Final, where he will drive a Tickford Racing Ford Mustang. “It’s got more overbody downforce,” Cindric told Daily Express, comparing the Australian car to his NASCAR vehicle, and added, “just by looking at the car, it’s lighter, has grippier tires, so it excels in those areas.”

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