There was plenty of, well, “buzz” when Volkswagen officially launched sales of the ID.Buzz battery-electric van last year, bringing out a modern incarnation of its legendary microbus. But that hasn’t translated into robust demand, VW selling barely 400 Buzz models a month so far this year. A temporary stop-sale didn’t help, but there are other problems that may be short-circuiting demand for the EV. Headlight.News has more.
“The party’s over,” said one key analyst. While domestic carmakers reported a modest upturn boost in sales for June, the U.S. auto market largely stalled out as buyers began pulling back due to price increases caused by the Trump tariffs on imported autos and auto parts. Headlight.News has more on the winners and losers.
If you’re planning to buy an import vehicle anytime soon be prepared to wait. Dealers around the country are beginning to run short of some foreign-made models, according to recent reports, as manufacturers reduce shipments to the U.S. due to the Trump auto tariffs. And that could spell trouble for motorists, in general, as the slowdown also impacts foreign-made service and repair parts. More from Headlight.News.
The number of all-new models coming to market over the next four years is predicted to drop sharply as manufacturers around the world cut back on investments. That will be particularly obvious in the EV market as the industry shifts back to internal combustion, according to the latest annual “Car Wars” study.
Facing potentially massive new tariffs on imported autos and auto parts, some manufacturers have begun planning ways to shift production to the U.S. That includes Volkswagen whose CEO said “massive” new investments could be coming – though a new court ruling could short-circuit such plans. More from Headlight.News.
Officials from BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen are reportedly in talks with the U.S. Department of Commerce to lessen the impact of the tariffs on European automakers shipping vehicles into the country. Get details at Headlight.News.
A German court has convicted four former Volkswagen managers of fraud in connection with the “Dieselgate” scandal that saw the automaker pay out more than $33 billion in fines and other costs for rigging diesel emissions data. Two of the VW employees face prison time. More from Headlight.News.
Tesla and Waymo are about to square off in a duel, which could decide the fate of automated vehicles in the U.S. Billions of dollars in revenue and profits are at stake as the two companies prepare to compete in cities around the country.
Pres. Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on imported autos and auto parts were intended to bring manufacturing and jobs back to the United States but, at least for now, the plan appears to be backfiring. Though a number of automakers are looking at ways to bring new vehicle production to the States, a new study shows that the industry will sharply reduce output in North America this quarter. And that, in turn, raises the prospect of U.S. auto jobs cuts. More from Headlight.News.
Toyota opened up an entirely new market segment with the crossover version of its evergreen Corolla model. Now, the Japanese automaker is giving us a first look at the 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross and there are some welcome updates. Headlight.News takes a closer look.
Ford Motor Co. plans to raise prices on three popular product lines assembled in Mexico, according to an advisory sent to dealers. The automaker put the blame on the new Trump auto tariffs which, it said earlier this week, will add about $2.5 billion to its costs this year. The automaker has yet to say whether it also will raise prices on products produced at Canadian and other foreign plants, as well as those assembled in the U.S. using foreign-made parts. Headlight.News looks at whether othr products could see price hikes,
Volkswagen has been ordered to recall all of the new ID.Buzz microvans it’s sold in the U.S. because, says NHTSA, the third row is too roomy. According to the feds, that makes it too easy to squeeze a third passenger into the back row though it doesn’t have three seatbelts. That’s one of two new recalls that have forced VW to temporarily halt sales and deliveries of the new EV. Headlight.News explains.