Volkswagen “remains committed” to its aggressive EV program, the automaker’s U.S. chief executive said. But, as sales growth slows, the German auto giant is also considering adding hybrids and plug-in hybrids to its American fleet. And it’s not alone. Other manufacturers who’ve made major commitments to EVs, such as Kia, are also turning to hybrids to help them meet emissions targets because of consumer resistance to all-electric vehicles.
Rivian plans to take a step closer to becoming a full-line automaker next month, the automaker confirming it will reveal its R2 line on March 7. Smaller than the existing R1T pickup and R1S SUV, the R2 models also will be more affordable, officials last year indicating they could start around $40,000. Get the details at Headlight.News.
Seven years after it was last redesigned, an eternity in the car business, Chevrolet unveiled a redesigned 2025 Chevrolet Equinox on Thursday. The new model competes in America’s most competitive market segment: compact crossover SUVs. Find out more about the new model at Headlight.News.
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.
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.
The real news is that pickup truck sales were up dramatically for both Ford and GM. Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan sales were also up. Only Ram trucks had a down year. Read all about it at Headlight.News.
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.
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.
Wow; that was a quick year. It was 12 months of a changing vehicle mix, as more EVs are coming to market than ever. Nevertheless, it’s been a year of some fun test drives. Headlight.News offers up its list of the best for you to review yourself.
The big news making Headlight News for the week beginning with Christmas is General Motors putting the brakes on the new Chevy Blazer EV before it even starts with a stop-sale order to dealers. It finishes with the efforts of automotive journalists to rescue some puppies during the holiday season trekking from Utah to Oregon. Check out the podcast at Headlight.News.
General Motors has issued a stop-sale order on the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV due to mounting reports of problems with the battery-powered SUV. The issues appear to be software-based, and among those motorists have cited, are problems getting the vehicle to charge. A spokesman told Headlight.News the concerns impact a “limited number” of Blazer EVs, adding that Chevy is looking to make very quick fixes.