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Automotive Insight

Audacy·Hosted by John McElroy·500 episodes

NewsSolo narrator1 min/epDailyAuto industryBusiness briefingStandalone episodes

with John McElroy

Why listen

Automotive Insight is built for listeners who want the auto industry explained in about a minute, without panel chatter or filler. John McElroy delivers sharp daily takes on Detroit automakers, EV strategy, China, tariffs, recalls, supplier issues, and the business decisions behind what shows up on the road. It is ideal for car-industry watchers, Detroit listeners, investors, and anyone who wants a quick informed read on where automakers are headed.

Episodes

1 min
Jun 3, 2026bonus
Trump administration opens the door a crack to Chinese cars

The Big Three don't want China selling cars in the U.S., but WWJ auto analyst John McElroy says a move by the U.S. Commerce Department has opened the door to Chinese state-owned Geely, just a crack. (Photo: Getty Images)

1 min
Jun 2, 2026
Ferrari looks to attract different buyers with new Luce EV

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports Ferrari's first electric vehicle is designed to appeal to different buyers including women. He says it's a smart business plan.

1 min
May 28, 2026
There's a downside to China coming out with new cars so quickly

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports Chinese automakers are turning out new car models faster any any other automakers, but the downside is the older cars lose their value much faster than other cars.

1 min
May 27, 2026
Stellantis sets ambitious turnaround plan

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports the Stellantis turnaround plan involves building all of its new vehicles from three platforms, including one developed with a Chinese automaker. (Photo: Getty Images)

1 min
May 25, 2026
Fisker auto owners hack their own cars

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports car owners were in a tough spot when Fisker Automotive went out of business They didn't have critical functions because they needed to connect to Fisker's cloud services. Several car owners got together and hacked into the system. (Photo: Getty Images)

1 min
May 21, 2026
AI is the next big thing in cars

Generative AI is spreading into everything in our lives — and that includes cars, trucks and SUVs. WWJ auto analyst John McElroy says you'll soon be able to ask AI about buildings you are passing on the road.

1 min
May 21, 2026
First gas, now oil change prices are about to increase

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports much of the oil used in car engines comes from the Middle East, so prices for an oil change are expected to go up soon. (Photo By Tom Pennington/Getty Images for the Texas Motor Speedway)

1 min
May 18, 2026
Forget generative AI! What about quantum computing?

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy says while generative AI is all the rage right now, the next big thing could be quantum computing. And a well-known auto supplier is investing.

1 min
May 13, 2026
Car repossessions hit 1.7 million last year

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports cars are being repossessed at numbers we've never seen before. Repossessions have increased 43% since 2019. (Photo: Getty Images)

1 min
May 12, 2026
Ford's reorganization is all about speed, quality and costs

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports Ford's new core operating organization is getting rid of all of the silos in the company and employees will be more involved in collaboration. (Photo: Getty Images)

1 min
May 8, 2026
Detroit auto companies called on to help US military

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports Uncle Sam is asking Detroit to ramp up the Arsenal of Democracy by having executives volunteer to help straighten out the procurement and supply chain mess in our military.

1 min
May 6, 2026
Ford and GM need to collaborate

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy says General Motors and Ford should work together like they did years ago to develop a ten speed automatic transmission. He says both companies could cut billions in costs.

1 min
May 6, 2026
Designers can make cars more affordable

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports the cost of insuring cars has increased and designers can play their part in lowering costs by designing cars that don't cost so much to fix. (Photo: Getty Images)

0 min
May 4, 2026
Auto businesses brag about strong finances, but all are adjusted numbers

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports the adjusted numbers that include many one time expenses are included in every quarterly report and is similar to what led up to bankruptcies in the past.

1 min
May 1, 2026
US automakers need to go back 30 years to learn how to compete with Chinese

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy says a playbook from 30 years ago could be used by American car executives to compete with the Chinese.

1 min
Apr 30, 2026
The CEOs of auto companies make millions and many don't like it

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports the CEOs of the car companies are making millions, but the public is against it. Attitudes change a little when people learn that much of the compensation is in the form of stock payments, not cash.

1 min
Apr 29, 2026
Automakers now designing cars to be disassembled

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports automakers put a lot of work into making cars and trucks easy to assemble, but now they have to do the opposite.

1 min
Apr 28, 2026
China's electric vehicle price war is back

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports while China's auto industry is booming overseas, there is a price war in the country. The government says the war could be described as involution.

1 min
Apr 23, 2026
GM, Ford, Stellantis rethink passenger cars

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports giving up on passenger cars meant the Big 3 gave up 20% of the US market to the competition. (Photo: Ford Focus compact cars are offered for sale at a dealership on June 20, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. By Scott Olson/Getty Images)

1 min
Apr 23, 2026
China's auto industry appears headed for a major restructuring

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports there are 953 models in China and a wide majority lose money. Some analysts say there may be only seven automakers in China in the future.

1 min
Apr 20, 2026
Warranty and recall costs are skyrocketing

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports automakers and EV startups spent $55 billion on costs related to warranties and recalls and there's no end in sight. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

0 min
Apr 17, 2026
A new car company in Saudi Arabia will make an EV

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports Ceer is staffed by executives with global automotive experience including several from GM. The automaker will come out with an EV that will be sold throughout the Mideast. Foxconn, Hyundai and BMW are all involved.

1 min
Apr 14, 2026
Software defined vehicles are hot topic in the auto industry

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports software defined vehicles get better over time and a survey shows the Chinese are embracing these vehicles more than in other parts of the world.

1 min
Apr 13, 2026
Info from automakers on remanufacturing is tough to find

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy says remanufacturing is big business for the automakers, but the companies don't want to release any information.

1 min
Apr 9, 2026
Change coming to residual value of electric vehicles

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports the resale values of used electric vehicles are expected to improve because of a lack of incentives and subsidies.

1 min
Apr 8, 2026
Will the Big 3 automakers build a new auto plant

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports there are fewer people buying cars and other factors that could make Ford, GM and Stellantis reluctant to build a new plant. LAKE ORION - APRIL 23: The GM Orion Assembly Plant sign is shown April 23, 2009 in Lake Orion, Michigan. According to to reports, GM is planning to shut down most of its U.S. plants for up to nine weeks this summer in an effort to reduce its backlog inventory of vehicles. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

1 min
Apr 6, 2026
The feds want to raise gas taxes and fees

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports the federal gas tax has not gone up in 33 years, but that will change.

1 min
Apr 2, 2026
High gas prices have car shoppers hunting for EVs

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy says the war in Iran, and its impact on gas prices all over the world, could be the tipping point that pushes more people into electric cars. (Photo by Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images)

1 min
Apr 1, 2026
Ford CEO earns more compensation despite record recalls

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports Ford CEO Jim Farley received a bigger bonus this year because, despite spending $5.2 billion, recall and warranty spending went down. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

1 min
Mar 31, 2026
Detroit Big 3 need to work together to compete against the Chinese

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy tells about a new report that shows the Detroit three automakers should be competing as a region, not as stand alone companies. (Photo: The Chinese producer of electric cars BYD presents its vehicles (EV) on the 2nd day of the IAA MOBILITY 2025 automobile fair on September 10, 2025 in Munich, Germany. By Johannes Simon/Getty Images)

1 min
Mar 30, 2026
As robotaxis become more popular, auto sales could drop by 30 percent

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports on new research that says robotaxis could cut car sales by 30% by 2035 and that will affect auto companies, suppliers and auto dealers. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

1 min
Mar 26, 2026
GM spent $10 billion trying to develop robotaxis. Now what?

General Motors spent a fortune trying to develop autonomous cars, before it shut the operation down. But WWJ Auto Analyst John McElroy says you may see remnants of it driving around Detroit. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

1 min
Mar 24, 2026
New models planned for the Chrysler brand

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports there is a lot going on at Chrysler which is a shadow of itself, but one executive says the brand is alive and well. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

1 min
Mar 24, 2026
Report reveals which cars are involved in the most fatal crashes

WWJ Automotive Analyst John McElroy says you might be surprised when you hear which model vehicles are most commonly involved in deadly accidents, according to a new report. (Photo: Getty Images)

1 min
Mar 23, 2026
Stellantis design team using AI for communication

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports the design team at Stellantis in Auburn Hills is using artificial intelligence to communicate with executives within the company.

1 min
Mar 20, 2026
Robotaxis could hurt new car sales

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports Uber announced it is teaming up with Rivian to make 50,000 robotaxis — and that will have a significant impact on new car sales. (PHOTO: A Zoox robotaxi is seen driving on November 19, 2025 in San Francisco, California. By Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

1 min
Mar 20, 2026
Automakers have to decide buy or make autonomous technology

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports there is a big debate in the auto industry about whether they should buy autonomous technology from a supplier, or make it themselves.

1 min
Mar 17, 2026
Two new sensors could help detect drunk driving

WWJ Auto Analyst John McElroy reports Congress has mandated that automakers install sensors to stop people from driving drunk. Two sensors are under consideration. One is touch-based. The other uses infrared light to analyze the driver's breath. (Photo: Getty Images)

1 min
Mar 17, 2026
Kia is the number five brand in the American market

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports Kia is run as an independent company and that has helped boost it to the number five car brand in the US.

1 min
Mar 11, 2026
Auto industry disruption started 6 years ago & it's been total chaos since

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy says the auto industry has had total chaos since COVID hit in 2020.

1 min
Mar 9, 2026
Automakers did poor job of aiming headlights

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports an investigation by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety about headlight glare showed the reason was poorly aimed lights.

1 min
Mar 9, 2026
Tariffs costing auto industry billions of dollars

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports tariffs cost automakers 12.6 billion dollars, but that amount is much higher when you consider steel and aluminum.

1 min
Mar 9, 2026
Oil prices affect what people buy

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports the war in Iran is causing gas prices to increase and that could affect GM, Ford and Stellantis who sell many pickups and large SUVs.

1 min
Mar 5, 2026
Iran war could force automakers to rethink their lineup this year

WWJ Auto Analyst Jon McElroy says the situation in Iran, and its impact on oil prices, could impact the mix of cars and trucks that automakers sell this year.

0 min
Mar 5, 2026
'Little brother' Kia is outselling Hyundai for the first time

WWJ Auto Analyst John McElroy reports on a bit of a milestone in the American car market, as Kia entices more buyers into its showrooms. (Photo: Getty Images)

1 min
Feb 27, 2026
China's car market doesn't look so rosy

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports auto executives and government leaders were stunned when sales plunged by nearly 20% last month.

1 min
Feb 26, 2026
Donut Lab develops battery that charges super fast and is cheap to make

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports a company in Finland that is creating a sensation in the auto industry, a battery that is cheap to make. Test data is highly promising.

1 min
Feb 26, 2026
Need an oil change? Automakers now offering mobile service

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports a number of automakers offer mobile service where mechanics come to you to do basic service. Ford appears to be the most aggressive.

1 min
Feb 23, 2026
CEO around the world using AI in supply chain operations

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports a new survey about disruptions shows executives at auto suppliers are using artificial intelligence to fix or trigger changes.

1 min
Feb 19, 2026
Headlight glare is the the top complaint for drivers

WWJ auto analyst John McElroy reports headlights are getting brighter and it may get worse. But there are some suppliers who are working on a fix. (Photo: Getty Images)

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Listening context

Background-friendly
Best for: commutes, morning routines, news catch-ups, work breaks, in-car listening
Tone: concise, analytical, businesslike, informed

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