Despite efforts by automakers to improve their relationships with President Donald Trump prior to and immediately after he took office last month, they can’t seem to escape the impact of his trade policies, the latest being a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports into the U.S. Find out what’s happening at Headlight.News.
Stellantis’s Ram and Jeep brands will be the only automotive brands in this year’s Super Bowl commercial blitz as other automakers choose to not invest into the big game with advertising this year.
If you’ve been looking at one of the new Jeep Wagoner S Launch Edition models but can’t quite get your head around the $71,995 starting price – before factoring in delivery fees – the off-road brand rolled out a more affordable option at the Chicago Auto Show Thursday, the Wagoneer S Limited. And while it may be more than $6,000 cheaper, the “mid-range” model still has a lot going for it, starting with a 500-hp all-wheel-drive electric drivetrain. Headlight.News has more on the new model – and other Jeep news.
The primary complaint of electric vehicle owners and potential buyers has shifted from the lack of range to a lack of chargers. In the wake of that move, several companies are rushing to fill the void, including Ionna, which now moving from its public beta stage to a full-scale national expansion. Get details at Headlight.News.
Pres. Donald Trump has warned he may announce tariffs of up to 25% against two major trade partners, Canada and Mexico, as early as Saturday, February 1. Additional tariffs targeting China may also be announced. The potential impact could be felt far and wide — especially in the auto industry, with manufacturers facing a threat to profits and consumers facing the risk of higher prices. Some familiar vehicles could also disappear from the market, especially entry-level models.
Volkswagen is the latest automaker to back off on its EV roll-out. The automaker told Headlight.News that “due to the ongoing challenging EV market” it has scrapped plans to introduce the ID.7 sedan to the U.S. market – though it will continue to be offered in Europe, China and a number of other markets.
Alfa Romeo confirms it’s moving away from an all-electric vehicle lineup as collapsing sales and other problems force the Italian automaker to pivot in an attempt to reach out to more customers.
Jeep is making one of the riskiest moves in its storied history, rolling out its first global EV, the Wagoneer S. It will be followed by a flood of new models this coming year, part of a push by the off-road marque to “grow the brand back” after several unexpectedly disappointing years. Headlight.News looks at what Jeep has coming and how it will face its ongoing challenges.
The new Jeep Wagoner S marks a major milestone for the Stellantis off-road brand as its first global all-electric vehicle. The 2-row SUV made its debut in New York last May but we’ve only now gotten a chance to see whether it can deliver on all its promises. To find out, Headlight.News headed out to San Diego this past weekend to put the electric Jeep through its paces.
After delaying the launch of its Ram 1500 REV pickup, the Stellantis truck brand now has pulled the plug on an extended-range version of the EV that was to have delivered as much as 500 miles per charge. For those who need that much range, the automaker sees buyers more likely to go with the Ramcharger with its gas-electric driveline. More from Headlight.News.
Stellantis will reopen a now-shuttered assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois, the company’s U.S. chief operating officer told employees in an e-mail. The factory will produce a new midsize Ram pickup, however, rather than the EV originally planned for the facility....
Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis says Ram will never be a true truck brand without small trucks as the CEO signals he wants to put Ram back in the hunt in the mid-size pickup segment.