U.S. electric vehicle registrations are showing signs of stabilization, but the recovery is uneven. The Dauch strike is officially over. Plus, Factorial Energy CEO Siyu Huang explains how geopolitical tensions are complicating the path to market.

June 15th, 2026 | EV registrations stabilizing; Factorial Energy CEO on solid-state batteries

Automotive News Daily Drive

# Full Transcript

**Podcast:** Automotive News Daily Drive

## Participants

- **Kellen Walker** (Automotive News)
- **** (None)
- **Lindsay Van Hulley** (Automotive News)
- **C. Yu Huang** (Factorial Energy)

## Transcript

Welcome to Daily Drive. For Monday, June 15th, 2026, I'm Kellen Walker in Las Vegas. Today on the show, EV registrations are still down, but the market is stabilizing. The Dow strike is officially over, and Tesla is under fire in Europe over its self-driving safety data. Plus, Factorial Energy CEO, C. Yu Huang, says the company's solid-state battery technology is closer to mass market than most people think.

With the reality that the South has naturally a higher energy density, we can either have the same volume with longer range, or we have the same energy with a smaller weight, a lighter weight and a smaller pack. Let's run through all the news you need to know to keep up in the auto industry.

U.S. EV registrations are stabilizing after last fall's loss of federal tax credits, but the recovery is still a work in progress. According to the latest data from S&P Global Mobility, new EV registrations fell 9.8% in April compared to a year ago. On one hand, that sounds like a big drop, but it's also the smallest year-over-year decline of 2026.

Tesla led the way, its Model Y was up 61%, and its overall market share climbed to 51%. But analysts say Tesla faces a challenge ahead without new models on the way. We'll have more on this story in a moment with our own Lindsey Van Hulley. The UAW's two-week strike at Dow Corporation's Axelplan in Three Rivers, Michigan is officially over.

Local 2093 members voted 704 to 173 to ratify a new four-year deal that boosts wages 36%. Plus, workers get new paid holidays, a $2,000 ratification bonus, and no health care premium increases. About 1,000 workers walked off the job June 1st.

Dow's largest customers include GM and Stellantis, both of which said last week the strike had not affected their operations. Tesla is facing serious scrutiny in Europe over its push to expand full self-driving technology across the continent. Reuters reports that Tesla presented self-published safety data to regulators in Sweden and the Netherlands that independent researchers say is highly misleading.

The data includes flawed comparisons to U.S. crash statistics, inflated claims, and an unrealistic assumption that every American vehicle would be replaced by an FSD-enabled Tesla. The Dutch regulator approved FSD in April and is now seeking EU-wide approval. But a European transport safety watchdog is calling on Tesla to have its data independently verified.

Joining me now to talk more about those EV registration numbers is Lindsay Van Hulley Van Hulley, Deputy Editor here at Automotive News. Lindsay Van Hulley, welcome back to Daily Drive. Hi, Kellen Walker. Happy to be here. All right, Lindsay. So it's difficult these days to get a clear picture of the EV market from the raw data, especially after the end ...

June 15th, 2026 | EV registrations stabilizing; Factorial Energy CEO on solid-state batteries

Transcript

Built for investment professionals

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June 15th, 2026 | EV registrations stabilizing; Factorial Energy CEO on solid-state batteries

Transcript

Built for investment professionals

Every day you wait, your competitors are findingedge in conversations you're not hearing.

Every day you wait, your competitors are finding
edge in conversations you're not hearing.