Nearly a third fewer vehicles qualified for awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety this year, compared to 2024. This reflects toughening crash test guidelines meant to protect rear-seat occupants. Headlight.News looks at which vehicles took IIHS’s coveted Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards this time around.
The bulls are still, well, bullish, when it comes to Tesla stock, but the rest of Wall Street seems increasingly nervous and that’s cost the EV maker fully half of its market capitalization since reaching a mid-December, post-election high. And one man appears to catch most of the blame: CEO Elon Musk. More from Headlight.News.
Little more than a day after announcing plans to enact 25% tariffs on goods imported from the Mexico and Canada, Pres. Donald Trump threw a temporary lifeline to the auto industry by granting a one-month reprieve on automotive parts and vehicles. But the threat remains that sanctions could still follow if the U.S. can’t reach resolution with its two neighbors and leading trade partners – something Ford CEO Jim Farley warned “would blow a hole in the U.S. industry.”
President Donald Trump, as expected, launched new tariffs targeting Canada and Mexico while also increasing prior tariffs on China. All three countries responded with their own trade sanctions. The tariff war will increase prices on everything from avocados to semiconductors but economists warn few consumer goods will feel the heat more than automobiles – some models set to see price hikes of $12,000 or more. At a time when sticker shock is already impacting sales, analysts fear the U.S. auto industry could see sales and profits tumble – while job cuts also could be in the offing.
Tesla stock wracked up its sixth straight loss on Thursday, reaching its lowest point since the automaker’s shares surged in the wake of the 2024 presidential election and CEO Elon Musk’s close ties to Donald Trump. Musk’s role in the new Trump administration has been a key factor in the downturn, but analysts warn of other issues that could make it difficult for Tesla to bounce back.
More new vehicle buyers remained loyal to their previous purchases in 2024 than the year prior, and General Motors and Tesla top the charts when it comes to owner retention efforts. That said, owner loyalty numbers are still below pre-pandemic levels. Find out more at Headlight.News.
The 1500 REV, the all-electric version of the Ram half-ton pickup, is again on hold, the truck brand’s CEO now saying it won’t arrive until “late 2026” at the earliest due to slowing demand in the battery pickup segment. But production appears to be staying on track to bring the extended-range Ramcharger to market during the second half of this year. Headlight.News has more.
Honda Motor Co. and General Motors have been partners in a variety of efforts to improve technology and save money in the process. While some of the pairings have done well, Honda and GM have been steadily drifting apart for the past few years. Get details at Headlight.News.
In this week’s episode of the podcast, Truck maker Nikola goes bankrupt while trouble finds its way to Ford, GM, and Tesla. We also go for a spin in the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 before charging our batteries with This Week in Automotive History.
Volkswagen released a pair of sketches showing off a new concept dubbed the ID.EVERY.1. They reveal the direction the German automaker plans to take when it launches a new, entry-level battery-electric vehicle in 2027. But what else have we learned about the show car and ID.1 production model to follow? Headlight.News has more.
Phoenix-based Nikola Motors has filed for Chapter 11, becoming the latest start-up to go bust while targeting the EV and hydrogen fuel-cell markets. Nikola officials said the company now plans to sell off its assets, though it isn’t clear a buyer has yet emerged.
The competition in China is getting tougher for General Motors. As a result, the automotive company is restructuring, including shutting down a plant that built a minivan and an SUV for the Chinese market. Find out more at Headlight.News.