It was a good year for BMW, the automaker gaining traction in most global markets while setting an all-time record in the U.S. To keep the momentum going, the automaker is planning a product blitz that will see nearly 40 new models come to market over the next half-decade, including an assortment of battery-electric vehicles, EVs already generating about 13% of the Bavarian automakers U.S. sales.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is reacting to the EV maker’s sluggish sales by cutting 10% of the company’s global workforce, according to reports. Additionally, he’s making other personnel changes aimed at reducing overhead. The move comes 10 days after he slashed prices on vehicles to stimulate sales. Find out more at Headlight.News.
Ford is the latest automaker to cut the price of an electric vehicle, shaving as much as 7.5% off the F-150 Lightning pickup truck. The move comes as the automaker resumed deliveries of the pickup — and several others. Find out more at Headlight.News.
Forget rising food costs and high interest rates. Soaring auto insurance costs have become a major contributor to resurgent inflation. March saw some of the biggest increases in premiums U.S. motorists have seen in a half century.
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