Honda Aims For 10% Market Share, Ford’s Energy Business, Target’s Cleaner Bathrooms

Episode #1357: Honda rides hybrid momentum toward bigger market share, Ford gets an AI-fueled stock boost from repurposed EV batteries, and Target bets family-friendly upgrades will drive customer loyalty.

Show Notes with links:

• Honda says it’s aiming for more than 9% U.S. market share in 2026 and thinks 10% is within reach as hybrids continue to surge. With gas prices climbing and EV demand cooling, the company says its flexible production strategy is helping it stay ahead.
  • Honda finished last year with 8.7% U.S. market share, hit 10% in April of this year and still expects to grow sales 4% this year to around 1.5 million vehicles.
  • Hybrids made up nearly a third of Honda brand sales in Q1, and the company is ramping up production and marketing around Civic, Accord, CR-V, and Prelude hybrids.
  • Despite tariff uncertainty, Honda says its North American manufacturing footprint protects it from major disruption with nearly 99% of vehicles built in-region.
  • Honda says hybrids are now the sweet spot, expecting them to land in the “mid-to-low 30 percent range” of total sales this year as gas prices push more buyers away from pure ICE models.

• Ford stock is suddenly surging, not because of trucks, but because Wall Street is betting on Ford becoming an AI-era energy player. The company’s new Ford Energy division plans to repurpose EV batteries into massive storage systems for data centers and utilities.
  • Ford stock jumped 28% in two weeks after launching Ford Energy with a $2 billion investment aimed at powering AI data centers and utilities.
  • The business will repurpose excess EV battery capacity into stationary storage systems, putting Ford into competition with Tesla and LG Energy Solutions.
  • Investors are especially bullish on Ford’s partnership with Chinese battery giant CATL, with one analyst valuing the new energy arm at up to $10 billion.
  • Ford says it plans to deploy at least 20 gigawatt hours of battery storage annually, including a major supply agreement with energy company EDF starting in 2028.
  • BNP Paribas analyst James Picariello summed up the shift saying: “It’s hard to find another comparison on the OEM side of things with the exception of Tesla.”

• Target is betting that winning over busy families doesn’t require flashy AI, it just requires cleaner bathrooms, smarter shopping carts, and fewer parenting headaches. The retailer says those small upgrades could create much bigger long-term customer loyalty.
  • Target is investing $1 billion into customer experience upgrades, including 130+ store remodels focused on family-friendly improvements.
  • New shopping carts feature larger cupholders, deeper child seats, and flat storage surfaces designed to make shopping easier for parents.
  • The retailer says modernized bathrooms are a surprisingly important loyalty driver because “busy families” are now Target’s core growth audience.
  • Executives admitted Target lost focus in recent years and are now doubling down on creating “the most delightful experience in retail” for younger families.
  • Gartner analyst Halle Stern said the smaller upgrades matter more than flashy tech: “The minor changes are making this huge difference.”

Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast  as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.

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