Ford is the latest automaker to cut the price of an electric vehicle, shaving as much as 7.5% off the F-150 Lightning pickup truck. The move comes as the automaker resumed deliveries of the pickup — and several others. Find out more at Headlight.News.
Headlight News for the Week of 4-8-24 – Auto Sales Up but Tesla Down – Tesla Kills Cheap EV – Highway Deaths Drop – Land Rover Defender 130 Review – A Week in Automotive History
Tesla pulled the plug on a program aimed at developing a $25,000 EV, even as Chinese automakers led by BYD double down on bringing to market all-electric vehicles affordable often to reach mainstream buyers. According to Reuters, Tesla CEO Elon Musk now wants to focus on self-driving robocabs.
Ford this week confirmed it will indefinitely delay the launch of a new, all-electric SUV to put more focus on hybrids. It’s also cut back on production of its F-150 Lightning pickup. But while some EV skeptics take these moves as a sign that the market for all-electric vehicles is waning, Ford actually saw a surge during the first quarter, notably for its Mustang Mach-E. Here’s how it charged up demand.
In mid-March, Tesla officials warned a $1,000 price increase would be applied to the Model Y on April 1 — and they made good on it. Just four days later, the EV maker is offering big discounts on several vehicles, hoping to shed excess inventory. Find out more at Headline.News.
With sales falling sharply, the first quarter of 2024 was an “unmitigated disaster,” according to one of Tesla’s big boosters. Now, one of the automaker’s big critics is warning the company could “go bust.”
It’s become something of conventional wisdom that the EV market is slowing down. And there’s no question that, on a percentage basis, the growth rate for battery-electric vehicles has slowed over the last 12 months. But the market does continue to grow, Kia’s EV sales jumping 151% in March. Ironically, it was the 800-pound gorilla of the battery-electric market, Tesla, where sales fell well short of expectations.
In what could be a critical development for the United Auto Workers Union, employees at the Mercedes-Benz assembly plant in Alabama are expected to file the paperwork needed to set up a vote aimed at organizing the factory. Workers at the Volkswagen plant in Tennessee made a similar move last month.
Tesla’s first quarter deliveries declined for the first time in nearly four years, falling short of Wall Street estimates. The declines came despite EV sales rising for competing automakers during the same period. Find out more at Headlight.News.
After an uncertain start, U.S. auto sales showed solid momentum in March, with big gains by Japan’s big three and record numbers from Hyundai – which was charged up by EV demand. But Tesla posted a rare sales slid and GM lost ground during the first quarter. Meanwhile, high transaction prices continue to keep many buyers out of the market.
Tesla made good on previously announced plans to raise prices on its bestselling Model Y by $1,000 in the U.S. The move was revealed a few weeks ago, and now it’s been put in place. The price increase comes as new study suggests CEO Elon Musk is putting off potential buyers. Get details at Headlight.News.
The Dutch-based energy giant Shell plans to eliminate 1,000 gas stations by the end of 2025 as it begins to put more emphasis on its EV charging operations, the company said in a new report. It already operates 3,700 charging stations in the U.S. and will not only add more facilities but expand the size of existing ones.