With the launch of the Type S, Acura gave a big boost in performance to the revived Integra sport sedan. But the automaker is now hinting that it could take things to a new level with the HRC Prototype it rolled out during Monterey Car Week. Here’s what we’ve learned about it.
Business
GM Laying Off 1,000 Software, Service Staff
General Motors is cutting over 1,000 salaried software and service employees, despite the automaker’s increasing focus on opportunities to expand revenues through the use of connected and autonomous vehicle technologies. The company said the move will help it “prioritize investments.”
THE PAST LANE: CHRYSLER’S ATTEMPT TO REGAIN PRESTIGE
A once well-respected marque, the fate of Chrysler is increasingly in doubt. Last month, Carlos Tavares, the CEO of Stellantis — the Euro-American automaker formed from the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Groupe PSA — warned that some of its 14 brands could be abandoned if they don’t start delivering better sales and earnings. Chrysler is widely believed to be one of the most vulnerable divisions. But that’s really nothing new.
Cadillac Opulent Velocity Concept Balances, Luxury, Performance and Technology
As it celebrates the 20th anniversary of its high-performance V-Series, Cadillac rolls out a new concept vehicle that aims to demonstrate where the brand can go in the future. Its name, Opulent Velocity, reveals the goal of balancing new levels of luxury and performance. Headlight.News takes a closer look.
First Look: 2025 Lincoln Navigator – High-Tech Meets Traditional Luxury
Leather, wood, chrome. Along with big engines, those are the traditional attributes of a luxury vehicles But the world has changed and it now takes lots of the latest technology to differentiate upscale models from the mainstream. It turns out the completely redesigned 2025 Lincoln Navigator has plenty to offer in both categories. Here’s a first look at the massive, 3-row SUV.
UAW Investing Millions to Defeat Trump, Elect Harris
The United Auto Worker is preparing to spend millions of dollars on what is described as the most ambitious political program in decades to defeat Republican Donald Trump and put Democrat Kamala Harris in the White House.
Texas Sues GM for Selling Owner Data to Insurance Companies
General Motors is in the crosshairs of Texas Attorney-General Ken Paxton, accused of “egregious business practices that violated Texans’ privacy and broke the law” by “misleading” owners into providing personal data then sold to auto insurers to help them set individual rates. The lawsuit could result in fines climbing into the hundreds of millions, even billions, of dollars.
New Vehicle Prices Keep Falling as Rising Inventory Increases Pressure
The average transaction price for a new vehicle fell last month — the 10th straight month of declines as the push by automakers to rebuild inventories exerts pressure on prices. As more and more vehicles sit longer and longer on lots, automakers offer higher incentives to move new metal. Find out more at Headline.News.
Tesla Cybertruck Range Too Short? No Problem – Second Battery Will Cost $16,000, Take up 1/3 of the Cargo Bed
The Tesla Cybertruck missed a number of earlier targets, coming in 50% more expensive than planned, while offering about a third less range than promised by CEO Elon Musk back in 2019. Now, the automaker is ready to address the range problem by offering a range-extender battery that sits in the forward part of the bed. But it creates other problems: adding substantial cost while reducing cargo capacity.
UAW Charges Musk, Trump With Trying to Intimidate Workers
The United Auto Workers is challenging the explicitly anti-union, and anti-workers language used by former President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk during an interview on Musk’s social media service X on Monday.
Ford Issues Do-Not-Drive Order Due to Takata Airbags
The faulty Takata airbag inflator recall continues to cause problems for automakers with Ford issuing a Do-Not-Drive Advisory to owners of Ford vehicles that have been part of the three recalls involving the dangerous inflators who have not yet had their vehicles repaired. Find out more at Headlight.News
Musk Uses Live Conversation With Trump to Pitch EVs to Candidate’s Skeptical Followers
It was billed as an “interview” with presidential candidate Donald Trump but billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk used the Monday night event on social media service X to promote the benefits of EVs – those from Tesla, in particular. It’s no easy sell, at least to the former president’s followers.