Today’s cars are computers on wheels. But Volkswagen plans to make its products even smarter by adding the ChatGPT artificial intelligence system to a mix of new gas and electric models, including the all-new Tiguan and ID.4. But American motorists will have to wait.
Since announcing plans to enter the U.S. market, Vietnamese automaker VinFast has faced a series of problems and responded with a series of management shakeups. The latest sees its CEO “transition” to a new job, while founder Pham Nhat Vuong takes over her post. The automaker also said Saturday that it has replaced its chief financial officer.
Tesla has come under fire for posting what some critics claim to be wildly optimistic range numbers for its battery-electric vehicles. Now, as the Department of Justice begins looking into potentially inflated claims, the automaker has lowered the estimates on at least some versions of three of its five models.
Today’s cars already function as computers on wheels, some equipped with over 100 onboard microprocessors. But tomorrow’s vehicles will go significantly further, offering the sort of software-based features and functions found on Apple and Android smartphones and making use of the latest AI technology. Tomorrow’s “software-defined vehicles” will transform what motorists can do while driving – while generating hundreds of billions of dollars in new revenue streams for automakers. We’ll get a look at what this means at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
A jury of 50 U.S. and Canadian journalists narrowed down an extensive field of new vehicles, with three models named the winners of the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year awards. At a ceremony in Detroit, the Toyota Prius was named Car of the Year, the Ford Super Duty taking top honors in the truck category. And the Kia EV9 was named Utility Vehicle of the year.
Revised rules that went into effect on January 1 took away federal tax credits on all but about a dozen EVs. But General Motors will make up for that loss by offering up to $7,500 in discounts on EVs like the Cadillac Lyriq and Chevrolet Blazer EV, the automaker said. Ford, meanwhile, said it is raising the price on some versions of its F-150 Lightning by up to $10,000, while lowering the cost of premium models by as much as $7,000.
At first glance, it looks pretty much like any of the semi cabs rolling across American roadways, though the design is a little sleeker, and the name on its grille is the giveaway. Nikola’s Class 8 tractor is one of a growing number of “green” commercial vehicles, in this case, replacing a traditional diesel drivetrain with a hydrogen fuel-cell system. Trucks deliver most of America’s freight, but they also create a disproportionate share of the transportation sector’s pollution. That’s starting to change as truck makers and truck fleet operators switch to alternative hydrogen and battery drivetrain technologies.
Tesla delivered 485,000 vehicles during the fourth quarter, bringing total sales for the year to 1.8 million, an all-time record. But the automaker fell short of the 2 million target CEO Elon Musk set early last year. And it has BYD, breathing down its neck, even though that major Chinese competitor has yet to enter the North American market.
The New Year brings bad news for potential EV buyers as only a handful of models now qualify for federal tax credits of up to $7,500. That’s because of new requirements covering the sourcing of batteries and raw materials like lithium and cobalt. Among the brands impacted are Tesla, Nissan, General Motors and Ford. And analysts worry this could further slow growth of EV sales.
Federal tax credits can make buying an EV a lot more affordable. And the good news is that rule changes coming Jan. 1, 2024 make it easier for retail customers to get up to $7,500 on a qualifying vehicle, buyers no longer having to wait until the next time they file taxes. Commercial buyers also will find it easier to get EV incentives. The bad news is that a number of EVs no longer will be eligible for federal incentives this coming year. Headlight.News helps clear things up.
At least 40 new battery-electric vehicles are due to reach U.S. showrooms in 2024 — and that’s a conservative estimate as we’ve had a number of surprises dropped on us by both domestic and foreign-owned brands. If anything, the flood of EV offerings will likely accelerate going forward. Here’s a look at some of the models we’re expecting in 2025 and 2026. Headlight.News checks out 45 of them.
As recently as 2019 you’d have to struggle to find an EV at your local showroom. Today, however, there are more than 50 different nameplates available in the U.S., the vast majority offered with range exceeding 200 miles – and some products doubling that figure. But the pace of introductions is only set to accelerate, with dozens of new battery-electric vehicles soon coming to market. Headlight.News checks out the most interesting and important products debuting in 2024.