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Max Knoblauch

White House’s latest tariff relief seems great for Tesla, dismal for other automakers

Tariff exemption is coming for automakers, or at least for their vehicles made from 85% US content.

The news comes ahead of an expected announcement of additional relief for automakers in the form of exemptions from non-sector tariffs like those on steel and aluminum.

For a year, cars that are made with at least 85% domestic and USMCA-compliant content will be able to apply for full reimbursement from tariffs, according to a Wall Street Journal report that cited a senior US official. After a year, that percentage goes up to 90%.

Though many automakers are pledging to increase domestic manufacturing, billions of dollars’ worth of auto parts are still imported by the companies every year. Tesla appears to have the easiest path to reaching 85% US content, with an average share of 81% in 2024. The next closest automaker is Honda, with an average of 63% US parts for vehicles sold in the US, according to American University research.

Certain models of Ford’s Mustang GT and Honda’s Passport SUV are also close to the threshold.

Auto investors don’t seem exactly thrilled about the news, with manufacturers including Ford, Stellantis, and Toyota edging slightly higher on Tuesday afternoon, while GM fell after it reported earnings.

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Max Knoblauch

China’s EV startup trio have all become profitable

China’s EV startup trio, Nio, Li Auto, and XPeng, are now all profitable, following the latter’s Q4 results released Friday.

XPeng reported a quarterly net profit of about $55 million, compared to rival Nio’s Q4 net profit (also its first) of about $40 million. Li Auto posted Q4 net profit of less than $1 million.

All three companies being profitable offers a stark contrast to the EV market in the US, where Rivian quietly delayed its 2027 profitability target in a filing about its Uber robotaxi partnership yesterday. Lucid is likely further away, and last month cut 12% of its US workforce as part of its “path toward profitability.”

Still, it’s not all rosy for China’s EV startups, either. XPeng ADRs were down more than 6% in Friday morning trading as its Q1 sales forecast came in below estimates. As China rolls back subsidies, auto sales are slumping. Chinese retail EV and hybrid sales fell 32% in February from the same month last year.

9.3%
Max Knoblauch

As the war with Iran produces the biggest spike in US gas prices since Hurricane Katrina, car retailer CarMax is continuing to see heightened interest in EVs, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids.

“From Feb 1st - March 1st (inclusive), compared to March 2nd to March 15th (inclusive), we saw a 9.3% lift in page views for these vehicles,” a spokesperson for the company told Sherwood News.

As industry insiders recently told us, EV interest climbs when gas prices rise. That appears to be holding true even without EV tax credits, which the Trump administration ended under its new budget package.

CarMax also saw EV searches spike in 2022, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting oil price spike.

Walt Disney Chairman And CEO Bob Iger Rings Opening Bell At NY Stock Exchange

It’s the end of Disney’s Iger era (again)

Incoming CEO Josh D’Amaro is replacing Bob Iger on Wednesday, though Iger will remain a senior adviser through the end of the year.

Max Knoblauch3/18/26
Claire Yubin Oh
trust me.
3/18/26
Small Danish company Trustpilot has become a surprise AI winner

Trustpilot’s profits jumped nearly threefold in 2025, thanks to AI chatbots eager to cite its website in their responses.

HumanX AI Conference 2025
$35.4B
Max Knoblauch

The tariffs imposed by the Trump administration have cost automakers at least $35.4 billion since the start of 2025, according to a new analysis by Automotive News.

That total will continue to climb this year, since the Supreme Court’s February tariff ruling largely leaves the 25% levy on vehicles and auto parts untouched.

Toyota has taken the biggest hit, projecting more than $9 billion in tariff costs in its fiscal year ending this month, while Detroit’s big three automakers — Ford, GM, and Stellantis — were hit with a combined $6.5 billion tariff charge in 2025.

In the fourth quarter, automakers sold about 8% fewer imported vehicles in the US compared to the same period a year ago, per the Automotive News Research & Data Center.

Tariff charges come at a rough time for legacy carmakers, which are also scaling back EV plans following the Trump administration’s elimination of tax credits and fuel standard goals. According to Automotive News, the cost of EV write-downs and restructuring is, so far, nearly $70 billion.

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