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.
Sales of new vehicles held steady in February as Kia, Hyundai, Genesis, Subaru, Mazda and Honda all reported modest sales increases. But two of the largest automakers to report for the month, Toyota and Ford, delivered disappointing results. And Tesla’s numbers continued to show the impact of growing resistance to CEO Elon Musk and his role in the Trump administration. Headlight.News has more.
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.
Kia continues to roll out new EV models that the Korean brand hopes will help it counter moves by market leaders Tesla, as well as fast-growing Chinese brands like BYD and Geely. But whether it can keep its strong momentum going in the U.S. as Pres. Donald Trump enacts new anti-EV policies remains to be seen.
Electric vehicle owners expressed a rise in overall satisfaction with their ownership experience, just the opposite of what they told J.D. Power last year for the 2025 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience Ownership Study. The results appear to mirror the rise in EV sales in 2024. Find out more at Headlight.News.
Who says the EV market is on the wane? Not U.S. consumers who bought a record number of all-electric cars, trucks and crossovers last month, according to the latest data. In January, battery-electric models accounted for 9.1% of the market, up nearly nine-fold over the last half-decade, despite the anti-EV push by the new Trump administration. Headlight.News has more.
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.
Alef Aeronautics pushed ahead in the development of its flying car with a short test flight on a city street. The company’s prototype flew over another vehicle, simulating how a future driver might deal with blocked traffic. Find out more at Headlight.News.
Hyundai makes some welcome upgrades to the ioniq 5 for 2025, among other things introducing new, longer-range batteries and a charger port that can directly connect to the Tesla Supercharger network. There’s also the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT package for those who want light to moderate off-road capabilities. Here’s our review.
Automakers are using new forward-collision avoidance technology to great effect, a new study reveals, with 22 of 30 vehicles tested earning kudos from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. But a number of products from Detroit manufacturers fell short, reports Headlight.News.