The all-electric Mercedes-Benz G-Class is a “complete flop,” according to one executive. The slow sales of the battery model raises concerns about not only the German automaker’s expansive EV program but about demand for battery-electric vehicles, in general. More from Headlight.News.
Officials from BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen are reportedly in talks with the U.S. Department of Commerce to lessen the impact of the tariffs on European automakers shipping vehicles into the country. Get details at Headlight.News.
A German court has convicted four former Volkswagen managers of fraud in connection with the “Dieselgate” scandal that saw the automaker pay out more than $33 billion in fines and other costs for rigging diesel emissions data. Two of the VW employees face prison time. More from Headlight.News.
If you’re a luxury buyer, Trump’s auto tariffs are likely to have little more impact than raising your monthly payment. Buyers on a tight budget are likely to be driven out of the new vehicle market, industry analysts warn, while half of the entry-level models now available in U.S. showrooms are likely to vanish. Tariffs, it turns out, will impact all motorists, even those not looking for a new vehicle, by raising costs for service and repairs – and even insurance. Headlight.News reports.
General Motors revised its full-year financial forecast and said the auto tariffs put in place by Pres. Donald Trump could cost it as much as $5 billion this year – despite the White House move this week to offer automakers some modest relief. As a result, it expects to see sales, revenues and net income fall sharply when compared to its original forecast for 2025. More from Headlight.News.
Stellantis reported Wednesday a 14% slide in revenues for the first quarter. The Euro-American automaker had previously forecast a turnaround later in the year but said during a webcast it was suspending future guidance in the face of Pres. Trump’s new auto tariffs. It joins GM and Mercedes in warning that sales and earnings could be at risk. More from Headlight.News.
Trump’s tariffs are beginning to unnerve consumers as they eye purchasing new vehicles, forcing some buyers to jump off the fence and race into dealerships, while others have decided to wait out the chaos. Headlight.News has more.
Cadillac’s push into battery-electric power includes a new line of high-performance models and it has confirmed a second V-Series EV, a version of the new Caddy Optiq that, in standard form, just recently began rolling into U.S. showrooms. Here’s more from Headlight.News.
Motorists around the world are becoming increasingly comfortable with purchasing and owning EVs, according to a new study, though Americans lag well behind their counterparts in Europe and, in particular, China. Credit the longer range, faster charging and lower costs of newer EV models, consumers told McKinsey & Co. Headlight.News has more.
Don’t think of the Mercedes-Benz Vision V as just another van. True, it has the tall roof and the sliding doors but the German automaker intends to create an entirely new segment with the all-electric concept vehicle – and the production model set to soon follow....
President Donald Trump paused for 90 days most of the tariffs that went into effect earlier this month targeting virtually all U.S. trade partners. But he left in place sectoral tariffs, notably including those imparting import autos and auto parts, as well as foreign-made steel and aluminum. He also increased tariffs on countries, such as China, that responded to his original order with increased trade sanctions of their own. Headlight.News has more.
Tariffs continue to dominate the auto industry, manufacturers around the world struggling to figure out formulas that will minimize the impact on consumers – and U.S. sales – while avoiding budget-busting new costs that could send their balance sheets deep into the red. Here are some of the latest developments.