Robert Way/ShutterstockHappy Wednesday! It's July 16, 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 China's new-car boom, and where finance types think the world of manufacturing will go. We'll also look at the possibility of Volvo building cars for other Geely brands in Europe, and Boeing and Airbus outsourcing their parts deliveries.The Morning Shift now has its own newsletter! For a roundup of automotive news in your inbox every morning, sign up here.AdvertisementAdvertisementRead more: These Car Brands Aren't Making It Through The Next Recession1st Gear: China's new car market is booming, and buyers can barely keep up with all the new or refreshed modelsSergey Dolgikh/Getty ImagesThe Chinese market has seen 650 new cars introduced this year, which averages out to about four per day. That's a truly bonkers rate of new-car announcements, and now Chinese automakers are getting upset that their new releases are being overshadowed by other, newer releases. From Bloomberg:China's auto market is being flooded with hundreds of model launches and refreshes, prompting one executive to warn the new car buzz can barely last before buyer attention shifts elsewhere.Around 650 new or refreshed cars were introduced in the first half of the year — a rate of almost four a day — according to data compiled by automotive platform Dongchedi. That contrasts with the US, where Bank of America Securities' annual Car Wars study for 2025 projected just 159 new model launches over the following four years, following a decade low of only 29 in 2024."It's completely insane," He Zhiqi, executive vice president of BYD Co., wrote on his personal Weibo account earlier this week, calling the domestic market "not just fierce, but brutal."In an industry where a new model take years to develop, the new car "buzz can't even be maintained for three months before it goes cold," he said.This is why it's always so funny to me when people deride the Chinese economic system for being too Communist. Yeah, those Communists, always known for their highly competitive markets. 2nd Gear: Hedge funds think global manufacturing is in for some Hormuz-induced difficultyMajid Saeedi/Getty ImagesThe unprompted and nonsensical U.S.-Israeli War on Iran — colloquially known as the Weekend War — has driven up prices for everyone unlucky enough to still rely on "internal combustion" or "oil" or "plastics." But did you know that, beyond your uses of those things in your daily life, manufacturing companies also use them? Investors have figured that much out, at least, and they're betting that things get worse before they get better. From Reuters: Global hedge funds bet heavily against manufacturing stocks in June, data from Hazeltree shows, as investors grew more concerned about supply-chain disruption from renewed tensions around the Strait of Hormuz.A re-escalation of attacks by the U.S. and Iran has cast doubt on an interim deal to help end the war. Hopes of a normalisation of shipping traffic through the waterway had previously lowered commodity prices and lifted shares in manufacturing companies.By Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump had reimposed a naval blockade of all Iranian ports and threatened to hit power plants and bridges next week unless Tehran resumed negotiations.Hedge funds shorted – or bet against – more manufacturing stocks than those in any other sector in June, according to the Hazeltree data released on Wednesday.AdvertisementAdvertisementFolks, do we think this is recoverable, or do we think our society as we've known it will go down in flames at any second? 3rd Gear: Volvo might build cars for other Geely brands in Belgiumkristof lauwers/ShutterstockVolvo inked a deal with the Belgian government to get financial aid for its Ghent manufacturing plant. With that new cash, the company is now looking to expand what it produces at the factory — beyond its own cars, and into other Geely brands. From Automotive News: Volvo signed a memorandum of understanding with Belgium's federal government and the Flanders regional government for aid of up to €119 million ($136 million) for its plant in Ghent....In addition to continuing to build Volvo vehicles, the investment could enable contract assembly of other brands at Ghent, the automaker said in a statement July 15. This would lead to increased utilization of the plant, Volvo said.Chinese manufacturers have long looked to establish manufacturing bases on the European continent to avoid tariffs, and this Geely deal could secure a very useful beachhead if it works out. 4th Gear: Boeing and Airbus show who the real best plane-maker is: AntonovMS_Digital/ShutterstockPlanemakers have to make planes that can move plane parts around. Boeing has the Dreamlifter, Airbus has the Beluga, but when those companies need to bring out the really big guns, they use neither. Instead, they turn to the truly best planemaker: Antonov. From Reuters:Airbus (AIR.PA) and Boeing (BA.N) have in recent weeks chartered one of the world's largest cargo planes to speed up shipments of aerostructures for some civil and military aircraft, a sign of lingering strains in the aerospace supply chain.The Antonov An-124, a giant four-engine transport aircraft, has been chartered to airlift parts for Europe's A350 jetliner and the Boeing 767 airframe used for freighters or tankers, following a similar flight carrying parts for the 777 freighter earlier this year, according to three industry sources and two regulatory filings.A Boeing spokesperson said it used "a variety of transportation methods to maintain stability in our production," without commenting directly on the An-124.An Airbus spokesperson said "we sometimes use the Antonov," without saying whether this included the A350, its main wide-body jet that has been affected by delivery delays.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe AN-124 is cool and all, but it's no AN-225. Mriya, my beloved. Reverse: Or WAS he?Patriots are in control, trust the plan. The Fuel UpAAAI spend half a week out of commission with strep, and when I come back you've all gone and raised the gas prices on me? What gives? Oh, the completely pointless war we waged on a sovereign nation. The one we're losing badly, despite our willingness — bordering on eagerness — to kill civilians (including children). Yeah, I guess that'd do it. On The Radio: Radiohead - 'Everything In Its Right Place'You ever have one of those days where you wake up, the sky is orange from wildfire smoke, and "Kid A" is playing in your head? Surely that means you've got a good day ahead of you, right?AdvertisementAdvertisementWant more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox, and follow us or add us as a preferred search source on Google.Read the original article on Jalopnik.
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