In a surprise twist, Trump’s tariff war has so far left Mexican auto plants humming despite promises to blue-collar workers in the U.S. For now, at least, the USMCA trade agreement remains in force along the Southern border. But the tariffs have already had a negative impact on autoworkers Stellantis announcing layoffs at several of its plants.
Tesla shareholders breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday morning, word leaking out of the White House suggesting CEO Elon Musk will soon give up his controversial role as the head of the Trump administration’s Dept. of Government Efficiency. Then, Tesla released its first-quarter sales numbers, global deliveries falling three times further than what Wall Street anticipated. Its stock rebound in reverse, a growing number of investors and analysts now wonder whether Tesla and its CEO can recover from the hit they’ve taken.
April 2, says Pres. Donald Trump, is “Liberation Day,” claiming his new tariffs will free the U.S. from its reliance on foreign-made goods. But U.S. car buyers may see things in a very different light. Virtually all vehicles, even those assembled in the States, will see price hikes. And a number of automakers, from mainstream brands like Chevrolet, to high-line marques such as Mercedes-Benz, are weighing the prospects of pulling entry models off of the American market. More from Headlight.News.
Sales of new vehicles in the U.S. climbed sharply during March as buyers rushed to get in their orders before the tariffs clamp down on the automotive trade. The threat of a recession is also expected to weigh on an industry sensitive to economic trends going into April.
With thousands gathered in protest at dealers around the world over the weekend, Tesla wrapped up what is expected to be a weak first quarter, the automaker watching sales dwindle as opposition grows to CEO Elon Musk’s role in the Trump administration – as well as his increasingly vocal shift to the political far right. Headlight.News has the latest.
The automotive tariffs going into effect next months could add thousands, even tens of thousands, of dollars to the cost of new vehicles. But Pres. Donald Trump raised the threat that he might punish manufacturers who pass tariff costs on to consumers. More from Headlight.News.
A growing number of investors, including some of Tesla’s traditional bulls, are pressing the automaker to replace CEO Elon Musk despite the rebound in the company’s stock this week. That has led to growing speculation over who might come in to replace him, with founder and former tech chief J.R. Straubel in the spotlight. Headlight.News has more.
This is a busy year for Cadillac as it accelerates its push into the battery-electric market. In the coming weeks, the domestic luxury brand will bookmark its line-up with the Escalade EV at the high end and for those looking for something more affordable that still offers plenty of luxury features, there’s the new Cadillac Optiq. Headlight.News spent a couple days in San Francisco checking out Caddy’s new entry EV and here’s our review.
General Motors and Hyundai are said to be in talks that would lead to significant product sharing in the pickup and commercial EV van segments, according to a new report. Such a move would expand on the alliance the two automakers recently announced focusing on hydrogen fuel-cell technology. More from Headlight.News.
While most EV owners charge their vehicles at home overnight, plugging in can be a real hassle when you’re on the road. With many of today’s EVs it can take an hour to go from a 10 to 80% state-of-charge. But China’s BYD claims its new “super e-platform” can allow motorists get another 249 miles of range in as little as 5 minutes at public quick chargers, essentially matching the time it takes to fill up a gas tank. Headlight.News has more.
Bad enough for Tesla that demand Cybertruck has fallen far short of its original expectations – with the electric pickup coming to symbolize growing opposition to the politics of the automaker’s CEO. Now comes word Tesla has had to halt Cybertruck deliveries as it struggles to find a way to prevent sheet metal and other body parts from flying off when the truck is driven at highway speeds.
Cadillac is betting it can electrify upscale buyers with an assortment of EVs. That includes its new range-topping Escalade IQ which Headlight.News had an opportunity to drive in San Francisco this past week. The 2026 model takes the familiar flagship to new levels of luxury while delivering plenty of range – at 460 miles – and performance. Better yet, there are both standard and extended-length options. Here’s our review of the 2026 Cadillac Escalade.