The fight for hands-free driving supremacy went another round with General Motors announcing plans to expand its Super Cruise network to 750,000 miles in the U.S. and Canada. The process is underway and expected to be complete next year. Get details at Headlight.News.
General Motors
Shell Shutting Down All its California Hydrogen Stations
The struggling market for fuel-cell vehicles was handed another setback as Shell announced that it was shutting down all seven of its hydrogen refueling stations open to retail customers in California. That might seem an irrelevant number were this to involve its gasoline service network. But it represents nearly one in six of the hydrogen facilities in California and about 12% of the 59 open to the public nationwide.
Cruise Rehab Continues with Chief Safety Officer Hiring
General Motors’ autonomous vehicle subsidiary, Cruise, took another step in the rehabilitation of its image, making good on plans to hire a Chief Safety Officer. In the wake of last October’s incident with a pedestrian in San Francisco, the company said it would take steps to improve the safety of its vehicles. AV development veteran Steve Kenner is the new hire. Get details at Headlight.News.
Chevrolet Announces Range, Delivery Dates for Equinox EV – But Pricing Misses Original $30,000 Target
Chevrolet is rapidly ramping up its battery-electric vehicle lineup, with a mix of products soon to include the Chevy Equinox EV. With deliveries slated to begin “in coming months,” the bowtie brand has released range and other information about the all-electric compact crossover. But the Equinox EV won’t be as affordable as had originally been signaled. Get the details at Headlight.News.
New Tesla Supercharger Rival Ionna Opens Up; Backed By Seven Major Automakers
A group of seven major automakers officially launched Ionna — aimed at becoming an EV charging network to rival the Tesla Supercharging system — and, in the process, give motorists more confidence they’ll be able to charge up their battery-electric vehicles wherever they travel.
As EV Sales Growth Slows, Automakers Accelerate Hybrid, Plug-In Plans
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.
GM Keeps Pushing Toward All-Electric Future, Hiring Former Tesla Exec
General Motors is staying the course, it would seem, when it comes to its all-electric future. The company announced it has hired a former Tesla executive to oversee its battery development and operations. Find out more at Headlight.News.
Honda Recalls 750K Vehicles Due to Airbag Problem
Automakers recalled more than 1 million vehicles Tuesday, with Honda leading the way. The Japanese automaker recalled 750,000 vehicles with airbags that could deploy unintentionally during a crash. GM also issued a recall for 300,000 vehicles. Find out more at Headlight.News.
Ford EV Owners Getting Free Tesla Supercharger Adapters
Ford was the first automaker to tie up with Tesla, announcing plans to switch to the NACS plug letting owners of products like the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning use the big Tesla Supercharger network. Ford CEO Jim Farley on Wednesday announced “eligible” owners...
GM Bringing Plug-In Hybrids to North American Market
After reporting a profitable 2023 that exceeded their own expectations, GM officials revealed they’re deploying plug-in hybrid vehicles — for certain models — to the North American market. It was a decision made after reviewing and tweaking its EV production plans and feedback from dealers. Find out more from Headlight.News.
GM Beats Internal Earnings Targets for 2023, Offering Dividend
Detroit-based automaker General Motors beat its internal guidance numbers for the 2023 earnings while raising the bar for 2024. The higher earnings forecast comes despite sizeable rise in costs expected due to the new UAW labor contract. The automaker beat its...
Rivian Poaches Top Apple Exec, Other Talent, Despite Ongoing Problems
The New Year got off to a rough start for Rivian, the start-up slammed by investors nervous about slowing growth in EV sales. But the market is taking notice of the news that Rivian has poached DJ Novotny, the vice president of hardware engineering away from Apple. The move comes as the tech giant reportedly again delayed – by as much as four years – its secretive Apple Car program. More from Headlight.News.