Good morning and welcome to our daily digest of automotive news from around the globe, starting with…

President Biden Calls For Three Month Gas Tax Holiday

President Biden wants to offer some relief at the pump and has called on Congress to suspend the federal tax on gas for three months. If the proposal goes through, drivers could save 18.4 cents per gallon of gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon of diesel.

Ford Focus To Be Phased Out In 2024, German Plant Axed In Shift To EVs

The Ford Focus has been an iconic nameplate in the Blue Oval’s lineup since it was introduced in the 90s. But a shift towards electric vehicles apparently leaves no space for a fun family hatchback in Ford’s future lineup, with the brand killing the Focus off in 2024. The news came with an announcement that Ford’s Saarlouis factory in Germany (where the Focus is currently made) will be used to manufacture Ford’s next generation of electric vehicles.

Cadillac Celestiq Concept Shows Its Interior Ahead Of July Debut

Cadillac has given us a look at the interior of the upcoming Celestiq concept. Granted, it’s not as revealing as one may have hoped for, but there are a few details confirmed with the images. The study will sport perforated leather seats with red accent stitching and a metal insert beneath the headrests. Elsewhere, there are stylish speaker grilles and illuminated trim similar to what’s found on the Lyriq. The teasers also reveal what appears to be a full-length center console with a screen that rises out of an elevated platform. We can also see a rotary controller and S-Class-style seat controls.

Elon Musk Confirms That 10% Of Tesla’s Salaried Staff Will Be Fired, Reducing Headcount By 3.5%

Tesla’s chief executive, Elon Musk, has confirmed the company’s plans to let go of 10 percent of its salaried workforce. Musk also stated that Tesla would be pausing hiring across the globe, over fears that the U.S. may be headed towards a recession. Interestingly, Musk added that Tesla expects to increase the number of workers it pays by the hour rather than through fixed salaries.

2023 Honda CR-V Shows Its Civic-Like Interior, Debuts July 12th

The new 2023 Honda CR-V will be a significant model in the brand’s lineup as one of the company’s best-selling vehicles in the United States. In preparation for a full reveal on July 12, Honda has shown off the interior, indicating that the crossover SUV will follow in the footsteps of the Civic’s cabin. We can see a freestanding infotainment screen, a digital instrument cluster, and switchgear that’s common with the Civic.

2023 BMW XM Hybrid Reveals A Hint Of Grille During Nürburgring Workout

BMW‘s XM is creeping closer to production, with the 2023 SUV spied undergoing testing at the Nürburgring. The test car shows off its horizontal grille slats, and as with the new X7 and 7-Series, the XM separates its light units into separate DRL and headlight clusters. The XM is set to be in showrooms before the end of the year.

2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia Speciale Has Quadrifoglio Parts And Is Exclusive To Canada

The 2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia Speciale is limited to just 15 units and will only be sold in Canada. The special edition is based on the 2.0-liter Veloce. It features the exclusive ‘Verde Montreal Tri-Coat’ paint that was previously only offered on the brand’s performance-focused Quadrifoglio models, but that’s not the only aspect it borrows from its faster siblings. The Giulia Speciale also features the same Alfa adaptive suspension system as the Quadrifoglio. There are also some external additions including 19-inch staggered wheels, a carbon fiber V scudetto grille, and carbon wing mirror caps.

What Else Is Making The News

Amazon Alexa Can Mimic The Voices Of Dead Relatives

Amazon has demoed a new Alexa feature at its annual MARS conference. The new idea is designed to learn and mimic a person’s voice from a one-minute recording, allowing users to “clone” voices. In the demo, it was shown as mimicking lost loved ones.

Twitter To Trial Notes 

https://twitter.com/TwitterWrite/status/1539640956915290112?s=20&t=4JUr7WqXgBqp_vslidXs2Q

Twitter will be trialing a new feature that allows users to share notes as long as 2,500 words. The move is said to be in response to users posting photos of longer announcements and steering followers to outside newsletters.