Welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short, The Drive’s morning automotive news roundup bringing you the biggest headlines from around the globe. The Downshift summarizes stories with a sentence or two, along with links for those who wish to dive deeper. 🤝 Leases accounted for 23% of new vehicle purchases over the first half of 2026, according to new data from JD Power. Experts chalk the change up to less enticing lease deals—because automakers learned that they can sell at higher prices by deliberately constraining supply—alongside higher interest rates. All this has also pushed up the price of used cars, since there are fewer vehicles returning to dealers post-lease.