China is no longer a future threat. It’s here.
Affordability didn’t “just happen.” It was engineered out of the system.
Tariffs are creating uncertainty that stalls investment.
AI is powerful, but only if leaders use it to remove real cost instead of chase hype.
And speed of decision-making? It’s now a survival skill.
In this episode of the Automotive Leaders Podcast, Jan sits down with Jamie Butters, veteran journalist and former editor at Automotive News, Bloomberg, and The Wall Street Journal, to break down what 2026 really looks like for the automotive industry.
Jamie connects the dots early. And he tells the truth plainly.
Episode Highlights
[03:16] China and Asymmetric Competition
[05:37] The Affordability Shift
[10:41] Structural Inefficiency in Legacy Supply Chains
[14:45] Tesla’s Clean-Sheet Advantage
[17:14] Tesla’s Pivot to AI and Robotics
[22:23] Tariffs and Trade Volatility
[24:07] USMCA and North American Risk
[286:24] AI Adoption in Automotive
[28:55] UAW 2026 Election Dynamics
[34:09] Speed as Competitive Advantage
[34:51] Chip Pressure and Supplier Strain
If you're leading in automotive right now, you cannot afford to operate on yesterday’s assumptions.
🎙️Subscribe to the Automotive Leaders Podcast.
👉Share this episode with your team.
🤔And ask yourself one hard question: Are you moving fast enough?
🎙️Check out our podcast, THE AUTOMOTIVE LEADERS Podcast, where we interview some of the finest leadership minds on the planet.
➡️ https://theautomotiveleaderspodcast.com/
🌐 Learn more by visiting us online: https://www.gravitasdetroit.com/
Follow us on Social Media:
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GravitasDetroit/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GravitasDetroit
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gravitasdetroit/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jangriffiths/
