In a surprise twist, Trump’s tariff war has so far left Mexican auto plants humming despite promises to blue-collar workers in the U.S. For now, at least, the USMCA trade agreement remains in force along the Southern border. But the tariffs have already had a negative impact on autoworkers Stellantis announcing layoffs at several of its plants.
The promised turnaround at Stellantis all but sputtered out during the first quarter as sales in the U.S. dropped by double digits. With the search for a new CEO still ongoing, the Euro-American automaker struggles to find its direction, reports Headlight.News.
Sales of new vehicles in the U.S. climbed sharply during March as buyers rushed to get in their orders before the tariffs clamp down on the automotive trade. The threat of a recession is also expected to weigh on an industry sensitive to economic trends going into April.
A growing number of investors, including some of Tesla’s traditional bulls, are pressing the automaker to replace CEO Elon Musk despite the rebound in the company’s stock this week. That has led to growing speculation over who might come in to replace him, with founder and former tech chief J.R. Straubel in the spotlight. Headlight.News has more.
The accounting of Tesla’s capital spending and assets, particularly what appears to be a missing $1.4 billion, are prompting new questions about spending by the company and its uber-wealthy CEO Elon Musk.
Sales of new vehicles held steady in February as Kia, Hyundai, Genesis, Subaru, Mazda and Honda all reported modest sales increases. But two of the largest automakers to report for the month, Toyota and Ford, delivered disappointing results. And Tesla’s numbers continued to show the impact of growing resistance to CEO Elon Musk and his role in the Trump administration. Headlight.News has more.
Korean automakers enjoy strong month in January, but Toyota sales stall as price increases loom and interest rate cuts are postponed. Get details at Headlight.News.
Elon Musk has staked out a big claim in the auto industry, outer space and, now, in Donald Trump’s new administration. But even some of his allies are beginning to wonder if it is all too much for the world’s richest man.
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.