The prices of new vehicles are falling, Toyota partners to accelerate solid-state battery development, and we review the Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness and more can be found in the latest edition of the Headlight News podcast.
Automakers
First Drive: 2024 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison
Chevrolet is taking things to extremes when it comes to its next-generation Colorado pickup. If you thought the midsize Colorado ZR2 was rough and ready, wait til you check out the 2024 Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison. It’s designed to handle everything from Baja-style racing to boulder-crawling, as Headlight.News discovered during a day of driving through California’s Johnson Valley, home of the extreme off-road King of the Hammers race.
UAW Plans to Keep Using Surprise Strikes
Union chief Shawn Fain said he’s changing things up. He noted the Detroit Three automakers were “gaming” the times he was announcing the next round of stand-up strikes, and submitting new offers just before he plan to reveal them. So, he’s going to Plan B: surprise announcements. Find out more at Headlight.News.
After Setting Records, New Vehicle Prices May Finally Settle Back
If you’ve been in the market for a new vehicle recently you’re well aware of how prices have skyrocketed, average transaction prices — what shoppers actually paid before driving off the dealer lot — reaching an all-time high of more $48,500 last December. But have prices finally started settling back? Might consumers finally find some bargains? Headlight.News parses the numbers.
Toyota Bets Big on Commercializing Breakthrough Solid-State Batteries, Targets 621-Mile Range, Lower Costs, 10-Minute Charging
Today’s lithium-ion batteries offer significant improvements over earlier technology, but Toyota is making a big bet on the next-gen solid-state batteries expected to dramatically improve range, lower cost, speed up charging times — and which it says it hopes to begin mass-producing as early as 2027. Get the story at Headlight.News.
Infiniti Vision QE Concept Teases Brand’s First EV … Finally
Infiniti dropped a teaser on Thursday for the Vision QE Concept set to debut later this month at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo. It’s saying little about the concept other than confirming it previews the brand’s first — long-awaited and repeatedly delayed — battery-electric vehicle.
UAW Expands Strike at Ford in Fight Over EVs
UAW President Shawn Fain broke his pattern of announcing expansions of the union’s stand-up strikes on Fridays when he sent workers at Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant to the picket lines Wednesday after Ford’s latest offer wasn’t significantly better from its previous ones. Find out more at Headlight.News.
Kia’s EV Future is a More Affordable One
South Korean automaker Kia’s been one of the leaders in the EV segment, and it kept up the pace Thursday with the introduction of its newest electric vehicle, the EV5 SUV as well as showing off the Concept EV3 and Concept EV4. What’s coming to the U.S. and when? Find out at Headlight.News.
Jaguar F-Type’s Last Gulp of Gas
The end of an era arrives at Jaguar with the 2024 F-Type ZP Edition. The limited-edition model will be the last new Jag sports car powered by an internal combustion engine. The company plans to produce just 150 of them, so move fast, reports Headlight.News.
First Drive: 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness
There are plenty of reasons why buyers have flocked to the Subaru Crosstrek, especially since the launch of the gen-3 model earlier this year. Now, there are even more reasons to check out the subcompact crossover with the addition of the off-road Crosstrek Wilderness. It offers increased ground clearance and other useful trail-riding features, as Headlight.News discovered during a run in the mountainous wilds near Utah’s Zion National Park.
Lexus Answers the Call with New 2024 TX Three-Row Ute
Hard to believe Lexus didn’t have its North American lineup quite right; however, it resolved the need for a capable — and dedicated — three-row SUV with the all-new 2024 Lexus TX. The new model replaces the RXL, which filled the gap not-so-capably. Headlight.News put the ute through its paces and has the review.
Stellantis, Samsung Investing $3.2B in Second Gigafactory in Indiana
With the UAW looking to represent the battery plants run by automakers, Stellantis revealed its plans to partner with Samsung SDI on a $3.2 billion facility in Kokomo, Indiana. Get the details at Headlight.News.