Feb. 19, 2026 10:11 am EST Jhvephoto/Getty Images Happy Thursday! It's February 19, 2026, and this is The Morning Shift — your daily roundup of the top automotive headlines from around the world, in one place. This is where you'll find the most important stories that are shaping the way Americans drive and get around. In this morning's edition, we're looking at GM cutting inventory to prepare for a tight 2026, as well as Nashville trying to get its hands on a Tesla tunnel. We'll also look at Renault's predictions for this year, and Nissan's latest big recall. 1st Gear: GM sees a bad sales year on the horizon, and it's already keeping fewer cars stocked Jetcityimage/Getty Images It seems like just about everyone is expecting the entire U.S. economy to nosedive at any second, and companies are battening down the hatches to prepare. Even General Motors is readying its bunker, by lowering vehicle inventories so it's not saddled with unsold cars. From Automotive News: By keeping inventory levels well below its historical average, General Motors is betting it will weather the next downturn in the new-vehicle market better than it has in the past. Should GM's strategy prove successful, it could help determine whether the lower inventory levels it and other automakers have maintained since the pandemic and microchip shortage earlier this decade will become the industry's new normal. "We're carrying 30 to 40 percent less inventory than we used to carry," CFO Paul Jacobson said Feb. 17 at Citi's 2026 Global Industrial Tech and Mobility Conference. "That allows us to move faster, to respond to consumer needs faster, to respond to the market faster." ... Most GM brands have less inventory than the industry average, according to a Feb. 12 estimate by Cox Automotive. Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac each had less than the industry average of 98 days of inventory, while Buick was at 115 days, according to Cox. GM executives have said they aim to keep vehicle supplies between 50 and 60 days. That's a marked change from before the pandemic, Jacobson said. The pandemic and the ensuing microchip shortage, which each led to widespread parts shortages and factory shutdowns, forced GM to learn how to move quickly and nimbly with less inventory available, he said. Lower inventory sounds like a recipe for a return to Covid-era dealer markups, but this is all in anticipation of the demand side of the equation dropping as much as the supply — something we did see in the Covid years, but perhaps not to the same extent. 2nd Gear: Nashville approved a dumb Tesla tunnel Ethan Miller/Getty Images You know the incredibly dumb Tesla tunnel in Las Vegas? The one that doesn't even replace public transit, but replaces a crosswalk? Well, Nashville is spending nine figures to get one of its own for some reason. From WZTV Nashville: The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority Board approved a $343 million license agreement with The Boring Company on Wednesday. The license agreement is for the Music City Loop tunnels and passenger stations up for approval. The Boring Company was approved a 50-year agreement for $34 million licensing agreement where an additional $309 million in expected revenue would come to the Nashville International Airport from pick-up and drop-off fees. There's no way The Boring Company is still around in 50 years, right? C'mon now. 3rd Gear: Renault estimates a drop in revenue for 2026 after a 15% fall in 2025 Stoqliq/Shutterstock GM may be planning for a recession, but Renault is living as if it's already in one. The company's profits fell 15% in 2025, and it's expecting numbers to fall even further in 2026 — especially as more Chinese competition hits the European market. From Reuters: Renault Group forecast lower margins for 2026 on Thursday as it reported a 15% fall in operating profit last year, denting its shares as the French carmaker grapples with growing price pressure from Chinese and traditional rivals. Shares in Renault were down almost 6% at 1050 GMT as the market digested results from the group, which has been led by new chief executive Francois Provost since the summer. Renault had warned of weakening margins in July after market conditions deteriorated in the second quarter, particularly in the European van market where the Renault brand is the leader. While Renault said its van business will grow again in 2026, fierce competition in passenger cars is set to continue as more Chinese brands arrive in Europe and its larger rival Stellantis pursues an aggressive sales strategy to regain market share. With any luck, the new Twingo will save Renault. In fact, I hope the car is such a success that the company brings it over to the States. Listen, I can dream. 4th Gear: Nissan recalls nearly 643,000 Rogues in the U.S. Tricky_Shark/Shutterstock Nissan's been cutting costs everywhere it can, but it's about to spend a solid chunk of change on fixing over half a million Rogues. They're all at risk of losing power, though for two different reasons — one a bit more catastrophic than the other. From Reuters: Nissan is recalling 642,698 Rogue SUVs in the U.S. as part of two separate recalls, over issues that could cause loss of drive power, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Thursday. Nissan is recalling 318,781 Rogue SUVs over broken throttle body gears, the regulator said. Separately, the Japanese automaker is recalling 323,917 Rogue SUVs due to damaged engine bearings, which could lead to the discharge of hot oil, increasing the risk of an engine fire and loss of drive power. Those don't sound cheap! Here's hoping the replacement components are a little better-built, even if it costs Nissan a few extra pennies. Reverse: Tiger was only 34 for that? Now that I'm staring down my 30s, it feels like Tiger was older than that. That level of fame and that genre of controversy feels like something for your 40s. On The Radio: Frank Ocean - 'Sweet Life' Sometimes our On The Radio gear is just whatever song was stuck in my head when I woke up. This is one of those days. Enjoyed this read? Join our newsletter for the top auto news sent straight to your inbox, and add us as a preferred source on Google! Recommended