Wow; that was a quick year. It was 12 months of a changing vehicle mix, as more EVs are coming to market than ever. Nevertheless, it’s been a year of some fun test drives. Headlight.News offers up its list of the best for you to review yourself.
Automakers
Toyota’s Daihatsu Arm Halts Production After Admitting it Faked Decades of Safety Tests
While its products are no longer available in the U.S., Daihatsu is an important part of the Toyota brand empire, with sizable markets in Japan and other parts of the world. But the minicar maker has halted Japanese production after it acknowledged that it has cheated on safety tests for the last 30 years. And that’s just the latest problem for Daihatsu, reports Headlight.News.
GM Sues San Francisco for $121 Million Due to Inflated Tax Bill
General Motors filed suit last Friday against the city of San Francisco, claiming the city issued the auto company a tax bill that was too high. GM alleges incorrectly included Cruise self-driving car subsidiary to calculate its tax bill. Get the story at Headlight.News.
Tesla Sales Set New Record – But Automaker Faces Major Challenges Entering 2024
Tesla is wrapping up 2023 with another record under its belt. But while sales hit an all-time high they still fell short of CEO Elon Musk’s ambitious forecast. And the Texas-based automaker has a growing list of problems on its plate, including mounting pressure for another recall following the one it announced two weeks ago.
Automotive Journalists Save Needy Puppies
Automotive journalists combined forces with automakers and with dog rescue operations in the Midwest to bring 12 adoptable dogs westward to find permanent homes. The doglift balances the supply and demand and delivers new pets in time for Christmas. Read the whole heartwarming story at Headlight.News.
Where’s My Affordable EV? Tesla, GM and Other Automakers Claim it’s Coming
At an average cost of $60,000, most of today’s battery-electric vehicles fall into the luxury category — and that’s one reason why the growth of the EV market has slowed down this year. But as we head into 2024, motorists who want to go electric could soon find more affordable options. Get details at Headlight.News.
Headlight News for the Week of 12-25-23: Blazer EV Stop-sale, Huge Honda Recall, Bargains for Car Buyers and Rescuing Dogs
The big news making Headlight News for the week beginning with Christmas is General Motors putting the brakes on the new Chevy Blazer EV before it even starts with a stop-sale order to dealers. It finishes with the efforts of automotive journalists to rescue some puppies during the holiday season trekking from Utah to Oregon. Check out the podcast at Headlight.News.
Porsche, Audi Recall 130,000 EVs and PHEVs Due to Fire Risk
Porsche and Audi dealing with two actions, one of which isn’t about the vehicles, but the charging cables. The other recall covers just 205 Porsche Taycans at risk for fire due to overcharging. Get details at Headlight.News.
Volkswagen Design Boss Confirms 2026 Debut of ID.GTI
The Volkswagen ID.GTI will reach market sometime late in 2026, according to the brand’s design chief, marking the latest VW icon to make the transition to all-electric power. More from Headlight.News
The Past Lane: A Famous Author, A Famous Book, A Famous Movie
It seems like just another innocuous children’s film. Titled Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, this 1968 British musical hit theatres this week in 1968 starring Dick Van Dyke and Sally Ann Howes. The film concerns a down-on-his-luck inventor who turns a broken-down Grand Prix...
Chevy Orders Dealers to Stop Sales of Blazer EV
General Motors has issued a stop-sale order on the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV due to mounting reports of problems with the battery-powered SUV. The issues appear to be software-based, and among those motorists have cited, are problems getting the vehicle to charge. A spokesman told Headlight.News the concerns impact a “limited number” of Blazer EVs, adding that Chevy is looking to make very quick fixes.
2024 Kia Seltos: A Well-Designed Workhorse With Sophisticated Design
It’s true that while pricey cars get all of the attention, it’s the mainstream cars that are the true works of art. After all, when you have a car with a six-figure price tag, it’s fairly easy to endow it with a pleasing design and exemplary performance. When the...