Months after announcing a tentative alliance, Rivian and Volkswagen firmed up their relationship Wednesday, announcing that the German automaker is making a nearly $6 billion investment into the U.S. EV start-up. The news sent Rivian shares surging after they had fallen by as much as two-thirds their 52-week-high in recent months.
There’s no question EVs offer a number of advantages, including low energy costs and the ability to plug in at home. But what about when you need to charge up on the road? The good news is that there are more public chargers being added every day. The downside: you might be in for a long wait when you plug in, depending on what EV you’re driving. Automakers are upgrading their battery vehicles to improve charging speeds and here’s a look at the models that will add miles the fastest – as well as the slowest.
When the new Scout plant in South Carolina opens in 2027 it will produce the brand’s two new products on a single shift. Whether there will be enough demand for the Scout Terra and Traveler models to justify adding more shifts is uncertain. That has the new Volkswagen subsidiary looking at other options, possibly including production of vehicles for other VW brands and even some competitors.
Volkswagen will “probably” not launch its next battery-electric vehicle, the ID.7 sedan, until sometime next year in the U.S., and some suspect it could be pushed back even further as it struggles to reverse plummeting sales of its original ID.4 SUV.
It’s been 44 years since the last Scout model rolled off the assembly line. But the reborn brand made its debut Thursday night, outlining plans to return with a pair of off-road-ready light trucks and a mix of all-electric and “range-extending” drivetrains. Potential buyers now can plunk down a deposit – but they’ll have to wait until 2027 to take delivery.
In this week’s episode of the podcast EV mandates are under fire while Tesla finds itself in the crosshairs of a new probe into its FSD system (again…) We also shine a spotlight on Ferrari’s new F80 hypercar and go for a spin in the flower power-infused ID.Buzz EV before taking a look at this week in Automotive History.
The buzz is back – the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz, that is, finally reaching U.S. showrooms decades after the demise of VW’s original Hippie Van – and two years after going on sale in Europe. If you’re one of the folks who’ve been anxiously waiting for the arrival of this new electric microbus, the good news is that the wait has been worthwhile. It’s not cheap, but the Buzz delivers a lot for the money.
All in all, the 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL R-Line is handsome, stylish, understated, nicely equipped and quite pleasant to drive — once you get it up to speed. Find out more about the SUV at Headlight.News.
Volkswagen revealed its new Tayron 5-seat SUV sold in Europe. Why do we in America care? Because the extended wheelbase version is sold in the U.S. as the Tiguan, which will make its debut at the LA Auto Show next month. Get an early look at Headlight.News.
The Paris Motor Show has traditionally been a big event for European automakers and, in some ways, it could prove even more important this year, as Western manufacturers roll out new products designed to hold back increasingly aggressive Chinese competitors. Headlight.News looks at some of the most important products set to debut in the City of Lights this coming week.
Conventional wisdom might seem to suggest that EVs have come unplugged, with traditional automakers such as Ford Motor Co. and Volkswagen AG pulling back on their plans to go all-electric. But don’t tell that to the folks in Norway. As contributing editor Joe Szczesny discovered during a visit this week, you’ll have to look hard to find a new vehicle drawing power from a tank of gasoline.
A Congressional panel ay approved a new measure that would ensure all new vehicles sold in the U.S. come equipped to receive AM radio. A number of auto manufacturers have begun phasing out that band, some claiming that electric vehicles interfere with AM signals.