A seven-year auto loan can now outlast the technology cycle of the vehicle itself, and that mismatch is turning affordability into the main force reshaping the industry.

Today’s episode breaks down the $1.69 trillion U.S. auto-debt burden, record 84-month loan usage, EVs holding at just 5.8% of the market, Toyota delaying the Highlander EV, Volkswagen cutting production capacity, and Ram reviving a 777-horsepower V8 halo truck.

Today's Key Headlines

~U.S. vehicle loan balances reach roughly $1.69 trillion

~One in five new-vehicle buyers now pays $1,000 or more per month

~A record 23.9% of financed new vehicles use 84-month loan terms or longer

~EVs hold around 5.8% of the new-vehicle market while hybrids are forecast to rise 9%

~Volkswagen plans to cut its model lineup by up to half and reduce annual  ...