While it had high hopes when it launched its EQ line-up of all-electric models, Mercedes-Benz has seen sales fall well short of expectations and is now putting its U.S. EV order bank on hold. Headlight. News has more.
Mercedes
EU Trade Deal Will Cost American Car Buyers, European Automakers Billions
U.S. and European trade negotiators reached the framework agreement on a new trade deal that will result in new, 15% tariffs on most European goods shopped to the States, including automobiles. That’s a sixfold increases from before and for buyers of products from brands like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Fiat and Maserati, that could mean substantially higher prices. It could also hammer profits for those manufacturers – though U.S. negotiators hope the deal will see more production moved to the United States. More from Headlight.News.
Mercedes-AMG’s New GT XX Hypercar Concept is a 1,340-HP EV
Mercedes’ AMG performance arm has a history of rolling out ever faster and more powerful supercars. But the new GT XX Concept takes things to a new level, delivering 1,340 horsepower and setting a top speed of 223 mph. Did we mention it is all-electric and previews a new model set to soon enter production? More from Headlight.News.
Expect to Spend Nearly $2,000 More for a New Car as Trump Tariffs Take Hold
Expect to spend nearly $2,000 more for your next vehicle due to the Trump administration’s tariffs on imported autos and auto parts, automakers expected to pass on most of the $30 billion in higher costs they’ll face, according to a new study, But that could result in 1 million fewer sales this year, while some foreign-made vehicles will likely vanish from U.S. showrooms because they’ll be priced out of reach, reports Headlight.News.
All-Electric Mercedes G-Class “Sitting Like Lead at Dealers”
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.
German Automakers Working on Tariff Deal with Trump Administration
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 Decade Later; German Court Convicts 4 Former VW Managers in Diesel-Gate Scandal
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.
Trump Tariffs Likely to Drive Budget Buyers Out of New Car Market – And Kill Off Half of All Entry Models
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.
Trump Tariffs Expected to Cost GM $5 Billion as Automaker Revises 2025 Forecast
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 Suffers Another Revenue Slide – Joins Automakers Suspending Forecasts Due to Trump Tariffs
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.
Buy Now or Wait? Car Buyers Battered By Tariffs
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.
Optiq-V Will Be Cadillac’s Second High-Performance EV
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.