Did the U.S. State Department craft a $400 million windfall deal for Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk as payback for the executive’s leading role in the Trump administration? And is it now trying to cover up the truth behind the proposed purchase of armored versions of the Tesla Cybertruck? That’s a question one ranking member of the Senate is trying to find out.
In this week’s episode of the podcast we talk about Trump tariffs and how they will affect the automotive industry. A shakeup is also coming to Nissan and Tesla stock continues to slump downward. We also look at lowering used car prices before finally making a detour to take a look at This Week in Automotive History.
Sales of new vehicles held steady in February as Kia, Hyundai, Genesis, Subaru, Mazda and Honda all reported modest sales increases. But two of the largest automakers to report for the month, Toyota and Ford, delivered disappointing results. And Tesla’s numbers continued to show the impact of growing resistance to CEO Elon Musk and his role in the Trump administration. Headlight.News has more.
Tesla stock wracked up its sixth straight loss on Thursday, reaching its lowest point since the automaker’s shares surged in the wake of the 2024 presidential election and CEO Elon Musk’s close ties to Donald Trump. Musk’s role in the new Trump administration has been a key factor in the downturn, but analysts warn of other issues that could make it difficult for Tesla to bounce back.
Kia continues to roll out new EV models that the Korean brand hopes will help it counter moves by market leaders Tesla, as well as fast-growing Chinese brands like BYD and Geely. But whether it can keep its strong momentum going in the U.S. as Pres. Donald Trump enacts new anti-EV policies remains to be seen.
More new vehicle buyers remained loyal to their previous purchases in 2024 than the year prior, and General Motors and Tesla top the charts when it comes to owner retention efforts. That said, owner loyalty numbers are still below pre-pandemic levels. Find out more at Headlight.News.
The 1500 REV, the all-electric version of the Ram half-ton pickup, is again on hold, the truck brand’s CEO now saying it won’t arrive until “late 2026” at the earliest due to slowing demand in the battery pickup segment. But production appears to be staying on track to bring the extended-range Ramcharger to market during the second half of this year. Headlight.News has more.
In this week’s episode of the podcast, Truck maker Nikola goes bankrupt while trouble finds its way to Ford, GM, and Tesla. We also go for a spin in the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 before charging our batteries with This Week in Automotive History.
Tesla recalls 380,000 vehicles due to power steering issues that could cause a crash. It’s just the latest in a series of setbacks that sees the automaker ramp up incentives – including givebacks of up to $6,000 on Cybertruck – in a bid to reverse faltering momentum.
In this week’s episode of the HLN podcast we talk about the dip in vehicle dependability and production while trouble continues to dog Nissan and Tesla. We also review the Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally before hanging up our driving helmet and taking a drive into the hallowed halls of This Week in Automotive History.
BMW has an all-electric version of the venerable 3-Series in the works and, as with much of its upcoming line-up, the changes will be significant. And that doesn’t end with the switch to battery power. To make sure the 3-Series EV lives up to expectations, BMW has developed a “superbrain,” dubbed the “Heart of Joy,” that will help deliver the brand’s familiar driving experience. It’s offering some insight into what’s coming with the new BMW Vision Driving Experience concept vehicle. Here’s more.
Millions of people appear to be suffering from problems dubbed “Long COVID.” Now, it seems, the vehicle you bought during the pandemic may have similar problems, according to J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study. Reliability issues have grown worse for vehicles produced during the worst of the COVID crisis.