If you’re wondering just how bad things got for Stellantis last year, consider the fact that its Ram pickup fell off the podium, losing its traditional third-place position in the U.S. sales race – behind the Ford F-Series and Chevrolet Silverado – to Toyota’s RAV4 SUV. Overall, the Euro-American automaker was one of only two manufacturers to report a decline in sales in 2024 and faces serious challenges to turn things around in 2025.
The U.S. auto industry ended 2024 on a high note, manufacturers revealed Friday as they delivered uniformly solid sales numbers for December. That translated into the strongest full-year demand since the COVID pandemic struck in early 2020. Get the details at Headlight.News.
December has become one of the biggest car buying months of the year and this December should be something to remember. Sales are looking very healthy as carmakers spend lavishly on product promotions, interest rates dip and higher tariffs – and prices – appear on the horizon.
Nearly 120 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles over the long Christmas/New Year holiday. If you’ve been planning your own trip you might have noticed fuel prices have come tumbling down across the U.S. in recent weeks. But the Grinch might be ready to steal that early holiday present, experts noting fuel prices are starting to climb back up in many parts of the country.
November ended on a high note, at least from an automotive perspective, with sales of new vehicles delivering solid year-over-year gains for those brands that have so far reported their numbers for the month. And several Japanese and Korean brands ended November with new sales records.
With its EV sales in Europe and the U.S. slowing, Tesla has become more dependent on sales in China. But the competition is fierce, and trade tensions could hamper Elon Musk’s ambitious future. Musk’s central role in the incoming Trump administration further complicates matters.
The 2024 election cost organized labor — especially the UAW — influence in Washington, D.C. It also handed an old foe, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, more sway over industry and labor in the new administration. Get the story at Headlight.News.
Truck sales help Ford Motor Co. to double digit sales gain in October as both Ranger and F-Series put up solid numbers. Mazda also had a big month as sales outpaced Korean rivals.
U.S. auto sales rebounded from a September lull. Though, with an uncertain election looming over the country, automakers posted relatively modest gains in October, largely driven by surging South Korean automakers.
Auto dealers are ready to go to war with Scout Motors over the new brand’s plan to sell directly to customers without using franchised retailers. Scout is also planning to build separate service centers, which are emerging a key part of the EV landscape.
Stellantis is again squaring off with the United Auto Workers in a critical battle over the company’s efforts to trim costs and cut production, charging in a lawsuit the UAW is violating its contract with the company by filing what its lawyers describe as sham grievances.
September and third quarter sales proved disappointing for automakers after months of steady gains. But electrified vehicles created a bright spot for GM and several other manufacturers — and accounted for nearly half of Toyota’s sales in the U.S.