Honda’s CR-V dethrones the F-150 as America’s best-selling vehicle through the first half of 2026. Nissan’s CEO pushes back on Renault alliance fracture talk. Plus, SBD Automotive’s Alex Oyler joins Daily Drive to explain why the DRAM chip shortage is hitting the auto industry especially hard and why Tier 1 suppliers may be bearing the most pain.

July 2, 2026 | Honda CR-V tops first-half sales; why DRAM shortage hits autos especially hard

Automotive News Daily Drive

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Welcome to Daily Drive for Thursday, July 2, 2026. I'm Jake Neer in Detroit, in for Kellen Walker. Today on the show, Honda's CR-V just knocked the F-150 off its throne. Toyota's hybrid lineup is roaring back, while GM and Ford both stumble in the second quarter, and Nissan's CEO says the Renault alliance is just fine, thanks for asking.

Plus, a look at why the DRAM chip shortage is hitting automakers so hard, and why it's the suppliers who may feel the most pain. You know, they're servicing all of these different verticals. They're going to go where the margins and the volume are. Let's run through all the news you need to know to keep up in the auto industry. Honda's CR-V has dethroned the Ford F-150 and Toyota RAV4 to become America's best-selling light vehicle through the first half of 2026.

The CR-V moved more than 226,000 vehicles, beating year-to-date estimates for the F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado. That's according to global data. Rival inventory woes played a role, an aluminum plant fire has hobbled F-150 output, and a RAV4 model changeover caused RAV4 sales to tumble 36%.

But Honda's lease retention strategy and hybrid demand have kept the CR-V flying off lots on its own merits. We'll have more on this story in a minute with our own Irvach Karkaria. With that in mind, the RAV4 does seem to be making a comeback as of last month.

July 2, 2026 | Honda CR-V tops first-half sales; why DRAM shortage hits autos especially hard

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.

July 2, 2026 | Honda CR-V tops first-half sales; why DRAM shortage hits autos especially hard

Read the full transcript

The candid version is on a podcast, not the earnings call.

The candid version is on a podcast,
not the earnings call.