Under the hood of recalls, Japanese brands have strong Q2, Fisker looks to offload inventory

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But we want to keep getting better. What stories do you want to see in tomorrow’s newsletter? Email [email protected] to let the team know which headlines from this week mattered most to you.

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— CDG

1. Vehicle quality concerns persist as Ford, Tesla grapple with recalls

In Q2, the number of U.S. vehicle recalls reached 115, up from 105 in Q1. 4,621,994 vehicles were recalled in the second quarter, over 5 million fewer than in Q1. Overall,14,400,804 vehicles have been recalled this year.

Why it matters: While the number of recalls has been on the rise over the past few years, the decrease in affected vehicles last quarter suggests automakers could finally be catching problems earlier in the production process … Read more

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2. Japanese car makers outpace American rivals in Q2

Japanese car brands continued to see sales growth in the U.S. over the second quarter, with hybrids playing an important role in their success.

Driving the news: While not as formidable on a volume basis as some of their U.S. competitors, Japanese automakers saw a stronger rate of growth than the likes of Ford and General Motors … Read more

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3. Fisker's bid to sell off Ocean inventory in jeopardy

Fisker is looking to sell off the remainder of its electric vehicle stock for as little as $14,000 per unit after declaring bankruptcy in June.

Courtroom drama: The Delaware bankruptcy is currently weighing whether to grant Fisker’s request. If approved, the now-defunct EV brand’s entire inventory of 3,231 Ocean SUVs would be sold for a rough total of $46.25 million … Read more

• Nissan and Honda are considering using standardized automotive software and working together on EV charging.

• The E.U. confirmed its decision to hike tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China which takes effect today.

• Toyota finds no new wrongdoing in its certification investigation.

• Hyundai’s new Ioniq 9 electric SUV will launch later than expected.

• Three Chinese EV makers hit record numbers at the end of June

Thanks for reading everyone.

— CDG