Nascent vehicle maker Ineos plans to charge $14,000 more for its new Grenadier Quartermaster pickup than its initial offering, the Grenadier SUV. The Quartermaster’s pricing starts at $86,900 and can be optioned up past $113,000. Get details at Headlight.News.
Barely a week from now the 4,000 workers at the Volkswagen of America plant in Chattanooga will begin voting on whether they want to join the United Auto Workers in the first test of the UAW’s effort to sign up workers at the foreign-owned automotive plants that have popped up across the United States over the last four decades.
A quarter-century after launching the first Prius, Toyota Tuesday introduced its 19th hybrid, the 2025 4Runner. The automaker’s “portfolio approach,” offering a mix of hybrids, PHEVs, EVs and fuel-cell vehicles has become controversial — but may be vindicated by slowing growth in the EV market. In this Q&A, Toyota’s U.S. brand boss David Christ talks about why giving customers a choice makes sense — while also laying out plans for even more electrified models in the near future.
General Motors is headed back to the moon — maybe. It is providing Ultium batteries as well as some experience with chassis and suspension development for the next-generation lunar terrain vehicle that just got the green light from NASA. Find out more about the project and GM’s role in it at Headlight.News.
Nascent EV maker Lucid Motors reported its first-quarter deliveries were up 40% compared with the year-ago period. The increase mirrored strong electric vehicle sales across the industry, except for top-selling Tesla. Find out more at Headlight.News.
After halting all operations on public roads following a near-fatal crash last autumn, General Motors’ autonomous driving unit Cruise appears ready to put at least some of its robocab fleet back into use.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet that the automaker will reveal its new robotaxi on August 8, 2024. According to recent reports, Tesla has scrubbed plans to build an “affordable” EV to focus resources on developing the driverless ride-sharing vehicle – though Musk said such reports are false.
Headlight News for the Week of 4-8-24 – Auto Sales Up but Tesla Down – Tesla Kills Cheap EV – Highway Deaths Drop – Land Rover Defender 130 Review – A Week in Automotive History
Manual transmission-equipped vehicles are becoming hard to find but while their numbers are continuing to decrease, buyers still have a diverse array of choices to choose from if they focus on certain segments and vehicle models.
Tesla pulled the plug on a program aimed at developing a $25,000 EV, even as Chinese automakers led by BYD double down on bringing to market all-electric vehicles affordable often to reach mainstream buyers. According to Reuters, Tesla CEO Elon Musk now wants to focus on self-driving robocabs.
Ford this week confirmed it will indefinitely delay the launch of a new, all-electric SUV to put more focus on hybrids. It’s also cut back on production of its F-150 Lightning pickup. But while some EV skeptics take these moves as a sign that the market for all-electric vehicles is waning, Ford actually saw a surge during the first quarter, notably for its Mustang Mach-E. Here’s how it charged up demand.
In mid-March, Tesla officials warned a $1,000 price increase would be applied to the Model Y on April 1 — and they made good on it. Just four days later, the EV maker is offering big discounts on several vehicles, hoping to shed excess inventory. Find out more at Headline.News.