Texas is quietly closing in on California as the country’s largest auto market. America’s publicly traded dealer groups are going all-in on artificial intelligence, and smaller rivals are starting to feel the pressure. Plus, Qualcomm’s Nakul Duggal explains why he believes the company is on track to become the auto industry’s top silicon supplier.

June 29, 2026 | Texas closing in on California as largest market; Qualcomm’s Nakul Duggal

Automotive News Daily Drive

This podcast is brought to you by Reynolds and Reynolds. There are three waves of AI transforming our industry. Explore what they are, where AI technology is headed, and what these emerging innovations mean for automotive retailers at rayray.com slash AI dash waves for more info. Welcome to Daily Drive for Monday, June 29th, 2026. I'm Jake Neer in Detroit, in for Kellen Walker.

Today on the show, Texas is quietly closing in on California as the country's top auto market, America's publicly traded dealer groups are going all in on AI, and smaller rivals are starting to feel the pressure, and Volkswagen is pulling the plug on a billion and a half euro automated driving partnership that never delivered.

Plus, Qualcomm's Nakul Duggal talks about why he thinks his company is positioned to become the auto industry's largest chip supplier. It is moving so quickly that these use cases are now adding true value to the experience because this is something that all of us have to deal with on a regular basis. Let's run through all the news you need to know to keep up in the auto industry.

Texas is quietly closing in on California as the country's top auto market, and it could soon take the crown. According to a new J.D. Power report, Texas has been eating into California's U.S. light vehicle retail sales share since 2019, driven by a taste for higher dollar pickups. J.D. Power's Tyson Jomany says if current trends hold, Texas becomes the nation's largest auto market.

What is also cool though is that we found that from a dollar spent perspective, Texas has already surpassed California. The most dollars being spent by consumers in any state is in Texas, and they love their pickups, and that's what they're spending their...

June 29, 2026 | Texas closing in on California as largest market; Qualcomm’s Nakul Duggal

Read the full transcript

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

June 29, 2026 | Texas closing in on California as largest market; Qualcomm’s Nakul Duggal

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.