Lexus unveils the future of electrification in its product plans, balancing a slower approach to electric vehicles along with the return of an iconic nameplate. A Nissan dealership’s general manager faces backlash for retaliating against a negative review, and two dealership groups are combating fraud allegations from the COVID-era Paycheck Protection Program. Plus, a social media expert explains why dealerships should ditch inventory-dump TikTok videos and embrace the influencer era.

July 23, 2026 | Lexus reveals EV plans for iconic models; Nissan dealership strikes back at a bad customer review

Automotive News Daily Drive

Route 1 Fusion connects trade and valuation, pre-qualification, scheduling, and protection products into one seamless experience. Create a more connected buying journey. Visit Route1.com slash Fusion to schedule your demo. Welcome to Daily Drive for Thursday, July 23, 2026. I'm Kellen Walker in Las Vegas. Today on the show, the future of EVs for Lexus in its new product lineup.

How a Nissan general manager retaliated against a negative review. And allegations of COVID loan fraud hitting multiple dealerships. Plus, why social media may not be the end-all be-all for dealership marketing. So I think that a lot of dealers have pulled back to what they perceive as bottom of the funnel only when it comes to advertising, especially this past year.

Let's run through all the news you need to know to keep up in the auto industry. Some Lexus dealers in the U.S. will welcome an assortment of new vehicles over the next two years, including the return of a legendary performance car and at least three performance luxury vehicles that won't carry a Lexus badge.

Lexus will continue its slow and steady approach to electrification, even though long-term product planning has been disrupted by the slower pace of electric vehicle sales and adoption. For example, the brand has shelved further development of the LF-ZC concept EV, which would have been the flagship of a fully electric future. Still, the Japanese luxury brand isn't completely pulling the plug.

Development of an electric-powered supercar carrying the legendary LFA nameplate is in the works, and is expected to be the first use of the parent company Toyota's solid-state battery pack in 2027. Tiffany and Robert Mailit says the van they bought from Nissan of Cape Coral immediately had major problems, including a bad transmission.

July 23, 2026 | Lexus reveals EV plans for iconic models; Nissan dealership strikes back at a bad customer review

Read the full transcript

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

July 23, 2026 | Lexus reveals EV plans for iconic models; Nissan dealership strikes back at a bad customer review

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.