With Americans doing ever more shopping online, automakers are racing to come up with just the right delivery solutions. Honda redefines the “last mile” van with the new Fastport eQuad Prototype, an electric quadricycle designed for use in crowded urban situations. Among the unique features of the rickshaw-like vehicle: the ability to keep going by simply swapping out its battery pack. Headlight.News has more.
This year’s annual American-Made Index from Cars.com saw the Tesla Model 3 rise to the top of the list, followed by the rest of the Tesla lineup. Last year’s winner was the Model Y so this is getting to be old hat for the brand. However, the big surprise was what company didn’t have a vehicle in the top 20. Go to Headlight.News to find out which Red, White and Blue touting company didn’t make the grade.
On this week’s HeadlightNews podcast, we cover GM’s $4B investment in U.S. plants, tumbling EV sales in April, the impact of tariffs on import vehicle sales and Tesla CEO ElonMusk waving the white flag. Go to HeadlightNews to check it out.
When Mazda pulled the plug on the RX-8 back in 2012 it was more than just the end of a production for a slow-selling sports car, it marked the end of the line for the rotary engine. But the once promising technology, more promising known as the Wankel engine, may be ready to make a comeback. But it will function in a distinctly different form than it did in the past, according to Mazda’s CEO. More from Headlight.News.
After a first-quarter surge, EV registrations took a sudden tumble in April, the first fall in more than a year, according to industry data. The dip came despite a strong showing by several brands, including General Motors. The primary reason for the downturn as slowing demand by the giant in the battery-sector, Tesla. More from Headlight.News.
Ford rolls out a sporty new take on F-150 pickup specifically designed for the street. Lowered and offered only with a 400-hp V-8, it becomes the second Ford truck to adopt the Lobo badge. Here’s more on the new Ford F-150 Lobo.
While automakers may be slowing down plans to rush all-electric models to market they’re still looking for ways to meet increasingly stringent emissions and fuel economy regulations. In the case of the next-generation Telluride, Kia appears to be looking at range-extender technology that could let the 3-row SUV operate in all-electric mode during daily commutes, but keep going without having to plug back in on longer trips. Headlight.News has more.
The first Tesla robotaxi is “tentatively” set to roll out on June 22, according to CEO Elon Musk, though that date could be pushed back, he indicated in a tweet because he is being “super paranoid about safety.” With Tesla’s EV sales sliding fast in many key markets, analysts and investors believe fully self-driving vehicles will be critical to the brand’s future. More from Headlight.News.
Hyundai’s line-up of high-performance EVs is about to double with the launch of the upcoming Ioniq 6 N. The Korean carmaker is teasing the new package which is expected to deliver more than 600 hp when it comes to market for 2026. More from Headlight.News.
General Motors is plowing about $4 billion into plants in Michigan, Tennessee and Kansas during the next two years. The move will shift production of its highly profitable full-size pickups and SUVs from outside the U.S. to its massive plant in Orion, Michigan, north of Detroit. Find out more about the plans at Headlight.News.
Anthony Filosa, the new CEO of Stellantis, won’t officially begin his new role until the end of this month but, despite all the challenges he will face, he’s already got something to look forward to. The Italian-born executive will get a lucrative contract with an escalating pay scale that would allow him to take home as much as $23 million a year in pay and bonuses by 2028. That’s if he can deliver the much-needed turnaround for the struggling Euro-American automaker. Headlight.News has more.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk appeared to be waving a white flag early Wednesday morning, saying he “regret(s) some” of the criticism he aimed at Pres. Donald Trump last week. But it’s not clear whether that will be enough to deescalate the sudden feud between the two former allies. Trump and allies had warned Musk he could be putting billions of dollars in federal contract for his companies – including Tesla and SpaceX – at risk. Headlight.News has more.