Headlight News for the Week of 12-18-23 includes the Tesla recall, auto job cuts, holiday travel tips, This Week in Auto History — and a Toyota Tacoma Review. Check it out!
Michael Strong
U.S. Roads Will Be Swamped at Near Record Levels for Holidays
Burl Ives sings that it is “the best time of the year,” but that may not be so if you are one of the expected 115.2 million people expected to travel more than 50 miles during the 10-day holiday period — nearly a record. Find out more at Headlight.News.
New Vehicle Prices Dropped in November Compared to Year Ago
Consumers actually paid more for a new vehicle in November than October, but compared to last November prices fell 1.5%. It was the third straight month prices dropped when compared to year-ago numbers. Find out why at Headlight.News.
Auto Industry Diversity Efforts Lag Other Industries, Study Says
Automakers and suppliers have been working to improve their diversity for some time now; however, they still lag the gains companies in other economic segments have made, according to a new study just released. Get details at Headlight.News.
Polaris Updates Slingshot Lineup for 2024
With many parts of the U.S. preparing for winter weather on the horizon — i.e. snow — Polaris rolling out an updated lineup of vehicles isn’t a surprise. However, the company is showing off the newest iteration of its three-wheeled autocycle, the Slingshot. Check it out at Headlight.News.
Stellantis Makes Battery Swapping Deal
Just after revealing its electric vehicles are profitable, Stellantis continues to do things a little differently. The company just inked a deal with a company called Ample to use its battery swapping technology for the automaker’s Free2Move fleet of Fiat 500e EVs in Europe. Find out more at Headlight.News.
New Vehicles Get Slightly More Affordable in Third Quarter
Consumers have been concerned about the affordability of vehicles for some time now. Rising prices for new vehicles combined with a constant stream of interest rate hikes have made buying a new vehicle a more expensive proposition until recently. Find out what’s changed at Headlight.News.
Tesla Finally Delivers the Cybertruck, UAW Targets Import Makers, EV Reliability Issues Top Latest Edition of Headlight News Podcast
Headlight News for the Week of 12-4-23 talks about the first deliveries of the Tesla Cybertruck, the UAW targets imports, and EV reliability issues. We also review the Kia Sorento plug-in hybrid, preview this week’s stories and check out this week in automotive history. Check it all out at Headlight.News.
Ford Uses EVs, Hybrids to Offset Tough November Sales
Most automakers in the U.S. enjoyed positive results in November, but Ford’s numbers ran counter to the larger trend. The Michigan-based automaker saw sales drop 0.5% last month, but it could have been worse as EVs and hybrids were up substantially. Find out more at Headlight.News.
GM CFO Jacobson Puts Brakes on Hybrid Hysteria
In recent days, several automotive executives have discussed scaling back their EV and battery production plans and started talking up the advantages of hybrids. Much of this was tied to thoughts that company’s overestimated the demand for electric vehicles, especially in light of the flattening of sales in recent months. GM CFO Paul Jacobson pumped the brakes on that notion. Get details at Headlight.News.
November New Vehicle Sales Expected to Rise, But Prices are Dropping
Analysts at Cox Automotive predict new vehicle sales will rise 6.5% in November. That increase is really less about people buying a lot of vehicles this month and more about poor results from last November. Find out more at Headlight.News.
GM Reinstates Full-Year Guidance for 2023, Buying Back Shares
Apparently the strike against General Motors by the UAW didn’t hit the company’s bottom line too badly. The Detroit-based automaker reinstated the full-year guidance it offer before the union’s walkout. Not only that, the company’s implementing a $10 billion accelerated share repurchase program. Get details at Headlight.News.