While federal EV tax credits expired on September 30, automakers hope to maintain sales momentum – or, at the least, head off a threatened slump – with makers like Hyundai, GM and Ford coming up with deals of their own, including big price cuts and incentives matching the lost federal tax credits. They could help boost demand, according to a new Harris poll. More from Headlight.News.
Tariffs enacted by Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump effectively closed the door on auto imports from China – only a few products now entering the U.S. But, despite the current hefty tariffs, observers expect that the Trump administration will soon open the American market up to Chinese products, while also encouraging manufacturers like BYD and Geely to set up U.S. manufacturing operations. While American motorists would likely welcome vehicles like the $20,000 BYD Dolphin, this could pose an “existential threat” to traditional automakers, reports Headlight.News.
Stellantis is backing away from its aggressive electrification plans. It’s already abandoned the all-electric Ram REV pickup and a plug-in hybrid version of the Jeep Gladiator. Now, it appears, the 900-hp Dodge Charger Banshee could be among other battery-based models set to be axed. Headlight.News has more.
Strong sales by the Jeep and Ram brands helped Stellantis reverse its long sales slide during the third quarter, even as Volkswagen faltered in the face of a challenging economy. While U.S. auto sales are running stronger than expected, analysts still worry about the impact of tariffs and the federal government shutdown in the months ahead.
U.S. auto sales took a sharp upturn in September, largely driven by charged-up demand for other electrified vehicles. General Motors and Ford were among the manufacturers reporting record EV numbers for the month, motorists racing to take advantage of federal tax credits before they expired at the end of the month. Headlight.News has more.
Car dealers across the country have been busy writing up new orders for battery-electric vehicles in recent weeks, shoppers racing to take advantage of federal tax credits that expire on Sept. 30. But what happens come October 1? Will demand wither away? Headlight.News has more.
Ford has now topped 110 recalls this year, but the latest could be one of the most serious, the automaker warning owners of 115,000 Super Duty pickups that they could face a dangerous defect leading to a complete loss of steering control. Headlight.New has more.
Now it’s Toyota’s turn. The automaker is recalling nearly 600,000 vehicles sold under both the Toyota and Lexus badges because their digital instrument panels can fail. Similar problems have plagued its competitors this year, notably Ford, reports Headlight.News.
In this week’s Headlight News podcast, Hyundai’s South Korean workers return home, Ford issues more recalls, Toyota adds two U.S. EVs and we review the Nissan Leaf and more. Check it out at Headlight.News.
Ford Motor Co. will move into a new world headquarters inside of its main product development campus a few miles away from its current corporate office building. In turn, Ford will tear down “Glass House,” the 12-story building that had served as its HQ for the last 70 years. More from Headlight.News.
Another day, another big Ford recall, it seems, the automaker now announcing it needs to fix faulty rearview cameras in about 1.9 million vehicles. It’s the second time this problem has cropped up recently – and now brings the total number of recalls involving Ford products to well over 100 this year. Headlight.News has more.
In a fast-changing automotive world, even the biggest brands have no guarantee they can survive indefinitely. That’s led Ford to launch its first global marketing campaign in a decade. But what’s the “Ready Set Ford” big buck project trying to achieve? Headlight.News has the story.