The concerted effort by the UAW to capitalize on the momentum gained by its record-setting contract with the Detroit Three may be paying off. The union is looking to organize the previously resistant plants of foreign automakers across the southeastern U.S., and it looks a Toyota plant may be the first to make the leap. Get details at Headlight.News.
Toyota
Driven by Soaring Hybrid Demand, Ford Maverick Sets New Sales Record
The Ford Maverick pickup has delivered a major hit for the Detroit automaker — and much of the credit goes to the hybrid version of the little pickup which accounted for nearly half of its record sales in February. Hybrids, in general, are setting all-time highs as automakers bring more to market and position them as a bridge between gas and all-electric drivetrain technologies. Read the story at Headlight.News.
Sales of Hybrids Help Automakers Boost February Deliveries
With a boost from sales of hybrids leading the way, Asian automakers posted steady increases in sales during February as Honda, Toyota, Kia and Subaru all reported gains during what is often a difficult month for selling cars. Get details at Headlight.News.
New 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV Gets the Automaker Back into the “Hydrogen Economy”
Honda unveiled a new version of the familiar CR-V hybrid on Tuesday, and the e:FCEV is the automaker’s newest fuel-cell vehicle, the first Honda to run on hydrogen since it killed off the Clarity FCV three years ago.
“Electrified” Vehicles Dominate Consumer Reports’ Top 10 Car Picks
They may still represent only a small share of the new car market but electrified vehicles are becoming increasing desirable, according to Consumer Reports. Hybrids, plug-in hybrids and all-electric models make up seven of the models in the non-profit publication’s 2024 10 Top Cars list. For the first time, that includes a Tesla product, the Model Y, thanks to the automaker’s increasingly ubiquitous Supercharger network. Meanwhile, BMW and Subaru topped the CR Brand Report Card rankings.
Ford Halts Shipments of F-150 Lightning Due to Undisclosed Quality Issue
Ford has ordered a “stop-shipment” of its F-150 Lightning. It’s the latest in a series of issues impacting both the 2024 battery-electric pickup, as well as the gas-powered version of the full-sized truck. While versions of the F-150 with gas engines are now being shipped again, Ford officials told Headlight.News they don’t know when the 2024 Lightning will begin rolling into showrooms.
2024 Toyota Crown: Toyota’s Big New Offbeat Sedan
Yes, we’ve become a nation of truck drivers, piloting pickups, vans and SUVs. But there is a small bastion of consumers who do not check themselves out of stores, don’t shop online and refuse to drive an SUV or pickup. For them, Toyota builds the 2024 Toyota Crown. Find out why in our review at Headlight.News.
First Drive: 2024 Honda Prologue — A Partnership Pays Off
Honda is finally getting into the EV game, the automaker getting ready to roll its first long-range model into U.S. showrooms in the coming weeks. The name is an appropriate one, the 2024 Honda Prologue set to become the first in a planned family of EVs set to debut later this decade. While future models will be developed in-house, however, the Japanese automaker took a shortcut with Prologue, turning to its longtime Detroit rival, General Motors for help. Headlight.News has the back story — and a first review of the 2024 Honda Prologue.
Toyota Announces 2024 Land Cruiser Prices Start at $57,445
Toyota releases pricing and official configurator for 2024 Land Cruiser, trail-ready reboot now starts at $57,445 and is banking heavily on strong accessories list to go along with its trail-ready credentials. Get the story at Headlight.News.
Shell Shutting Down All its California Hydrogen Stations
The struggling market for fuel-cell vehicles was handed another setback as Shell announced that it was shutting down all seven of its hydrogen refueling stations open to retail customers in California. That might seem an irrelevant number were this to involve its gasoline service network. But it represents nearly one in six of the hydrogen facilities in California and about 12% of the 59 open to the public nationwide.
Rivian Announces March 7 Reveal for Lower-Priced R2 Line
Rivian plans to take a step closer to becoming a full-line automaker next month, the automaker confirming it will reveal its R2 line on March 7. Smaller than the existing R1T pickup and R1S SUV, the R2 models also will be more affordable, officials last year indicating they could start around $40,000. Get the details at Headlight.News.
Ford EV Owners Getting Free Tesla Supercharger Adapters
Ford was the first automaker to tie up with Tesla, announcing plans to switch to the NACS plug letting owners of products like the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning use the big Tesla Supercharger network. Ford CEO Jim Farley on Wednesday announced “eligible” owners...