The 150,000 UAW members at Detroit’s Big Three aren’t the only ones benefitting from their new contracts with General Motors, Ford and Stellantis. Three foreign-owned manufacturers have announced similar wage hikes for their own U.S. workers — hoping to keep them non-union. Find out more at Headlight.News.
While it was an early EV pioneer with the little M3, BMW fell behind rivals like Tesla and Mercedes-Benz in recent years. Now it’s making up for lost time rolling out an assortment of all-electric models, including versions of its iconic 5 Series and 7 Series lines. To get insight into the Bavarian automaker’s EV strategy Headlight.News caught up with Shaun Bugbee, executive vice president of Operations for BMW of North America during a visit to Spartanburg, South Carolina, home of the automaker’s U.S. manufacturing center.
After a long delay, BMW is flooding the market with EVs, and the i5 is one generating plenty of buzz, especially the top-trim M60 edition. Like all M models, it promises a blend of power and luxury. But does it all come together? That’s what Headlight.News set out to discover during a day’s drive of the 2024 BMW i5 M60 near the automaker’s manufacturing complex in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Polestar hopes to become the first automaker to adopt a unique new battery design that will address one of the biggest concerns about EVs: their long charging times. Developed by start-up StoreDot, the technology is capable of adding 100 miles of range in just five minutes. And, unlike existing chemistry, StoreDot and Polestar claim repeated fast-charging won’t degrade battery life.
When is a Mini no longer a Mini? The British brand is about to test its limits with the launch of the 2024 Countryman. But that’s not the only change in store as Mini also begins its shift to EVs with the launch of the 2025 Countryman SE. What else is in the works? Headlight.News spoke with two of the automakers top executives to find out.
Only a few years ago, an array of EV start-ups appeared poised to revolutionize the auto industry. Today, many have vanished while others struggle for survival. There have been a few success stories but the shake-out is likely to continue, reports Headlight.News.
It was just a matter of time. With an all-new Countryman coming, it seemed all but certain that Mini would follow up with a high-performance version. And that’s what the automaker revealed during a special presentation in Greenville, South Carolina Wednesday night. Headlight.News was on hand for a first look.
The struggling Lucid Group revealed another series of setbacks once again announcing cuts to its full-year production plans. Revenues fell well short of expectations, as well, though it did beat earnings forecast. Headlight News has more.
Auto show season is kicking into gear again and all eyes will turn to Los Angeles next week. Among the big debuts scheduled for the 2023 LA Auto Show next week, Lucid confirmed it will launch its first SUV, dubbed Gravity, while Subaru is teasing “an all-new, fully redesigned vehicle.” Toyota is revealing the Crown SUV and there’ll be debuts from Hyundai, Acura, Kia and more. Headlight.News offers a preview of all the debuts in store.
Toyota set out to redefine what a sedan is with the launch of the Crown model last year. Now, it wants to do it again with the Crown crossover that it’s confirmed will make its debut at the LA Auto Show on Nov. 14. Headlight.News has an advanced look.
The COVID pandemic and semiconductor shortage drained dealer inventories, leaving buyers scrambling to find the vehicle they wanted — even as dealers frequently tacked on thousands of dollars in markups. Now, however, inventories are rapidly getting back up to normal — though the UAW strike did cause production delays for a handful of domestic models. Better yet, you may find incentives on the model you’re looking to buy. Find out more at Headlight.News.
The 2024 Volvo EX30 is one of the most critical new entries from the Swedish automaker in decades. It’s the first designed to be exclusively battery powered, anchoring Volvo’s ongoing shift to all-electric propulsion. Small on the outside, EX30 is surprisingly roomy inside and provides plenty of features and performance at a reasonable price tag — as Headlight.News discovered during several days of driving in Barcelona, Spain.