Trump, tariffs and trade barriers. EVs disconnected. Autonomy and hackers. Elon Musk’s very good/very bad year. And affordability. Oh, yes, 2025 brought a series of significant developments to the automotive market. Here are the top 5 stories from the past year as picked by Headlight.News editors.
The automotive industry is filled with powerful people and deals with powerful people. That didn’t change in 2025 and although there plenty to choose from, Headlight.News believes these five were the most influential — in no particular order. Check out who made the list.
Rivian owners who like to drive hands-free will discover they can travel a lot further than they expected later this month. The EV start-up plans to increase from 150,000 to 3.5 million the number of miles its autonomous driving system can operate on. And, starting late next year, it plans to go even further with the release of the new R2 model which will be Rivian’s first to permit hands-free/eyes-off driving. According to CEO RJ Scaringe, there’s yet more to follow.
Toyota rolled out three high-performance models on Friday, with an option seemingly for everyone with deep enough pockets. That includes an all-electric “concept” set to return in production form as the long-awaited replacement for the Lexus LFA, as well as two V-8 packages from its Gazoo Racing subsidiary. Headlight.News takes a closer look.
The field to perfect robotaxis inched closer to getting crowded as Tesla secured a permit for a ride-hailing service in Arizona while Amazon-sponsored Zoox opened up for free robotaxi rides in San Francisco. Details at Headlight.News.
Waymo says it knows the way to San Jose as it puts driverless taxis on the freeway in Silicon Valley. The initiative beat out arch-rival Tesla, which just promised to pay Elon Musk billions to expand its robotaxi business. Headlight.News has more.
Bedazzled shareholders approved Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s proposed $1 trillion pay package. But to collect he faces major challenges. Musk has to turn around Tesla’s faltering automotive business at a time when EV sales are sagging, while also proving his vision of robotaxis, robots and AI can add new sources of revenue for the Texas-based company. More from Headlight.News.
Sales have never lived up to expectation for the Ford F-150 Lightning, one of the market’s first all-electric pickups. The automaker idled production last month due to a shortage of aluminum and officials there reportedly are considering whether to scrap the nameplate entirely. Headlight.News has more.
Shareholders could decide the future of Elon Musk and Tesla this week as they vote on the proposed $1 trillion pay package many big investors are finding hard to accept at a time when Musk’s judgement and entrepreneurial instinct is in question. More from Headlight.News.
Tesla revealed its third-quarter operating income dropped 40% compared to the year-ago period despite setting a new record for deliveries and revenue during the period. Officials cited a litany of reasons, but the biggest drivers appear to be tied to tariffs and sales mix. Check out the story at Headlight.News.
Fans and investors alike were disappointed with the debut of less expensive variants of the Model 3 and Model Y, both dubbed “standard.” Both groups — and others — were hoping to see an all-new entry-level vehicle from the EV leader. Get details at Headlight.News.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk earlier this year promised to bring to market a more affordable EV and, with federal tax credits having ended last week this may be the perfect time to roll it out. The automaker’s account on X teased what could be a new, lower-cost version of the Model Y expected to debut on Tuesday. Headlight.News has more.