“Incomplete” and “Inexcusable.” Things haven’t been going well for Fisker Inc., the EV start-up that has begun taking steps that could lead to a bankruptcy filing in the coming weeks. Fisker has also announced it is halting production for six weeks. It’s unclear if the company will use that pause to address some of the issues with its first product line, the Fisker Ocean. Based on a new review by Consumer Reports, the list is a long one.
There are some big changes in the works at BMW and the Bavarian automaker has is offering a clear sign of what’s coming in the form of the all-electric BMW Vision Neue Klasse X. It marks the first time we’re seeing what future versions of the company’s Sport Activity Vehicle line-up will look like.
Who says auto shows are dead? Not Hyundai. The Korean carmaker plans to make some big news at the New York International Auto Show next week, unveiling not just one new model but two: the 2025 versions of the compact Tucson SUV and compact car-cum-pickup, the Santa Cruz.
The Dutch-based energy giant Shell plans to eliminate 1,000 gas stations by the end of 2025 as it begins to put more emphasis on its EV charging operations, the company said in a new report. It already operates 3,700 charging stations in the U.S. and will not only add more facilities but expand the size of existing ones.
The Biden administration is expected to roll back new rules governing vehicle emission and mileage standards, a move that should prove particularly helpful for Detroit automakers who are heavily dependent upon large, fuel-hungry models like the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Suburban. But the changes likely also will benefit some Japanese manufacturers, including Toyota and Honda, that have been reluctant to invest heavily on EV technology.
After spending much of last year cutting prices on its EV lineup, Tesla has reversed course, announcing a $1,000 increase in the U.S. sticker price for its best-selling Model Y. In Europe, meanwhile, buyers will pay as much as 2,000 euros, or $2,177 more for the electric SUV. While that might not be good news for buyers, Tesla stockholders hailed the price hike, giving shares traded under the Nasdaq ticker TSLA their first big gain in a month. Find out more at Headlight.News.
The CEO of Hertz Global Holdings, has handed in his key to the executive washroom. He’s stepping down after a disastrous move that saw the daily rental company add 100,000 Teslas to its fleet. The EVs didn’t prove as popular as expected with customers – but they did wind up experience far more repairs than anticipated. Adding insult to injury, Tesla’s big price cuts meant massive losses for Hertz when it tried to sell the vehicles off.
Headlight News for the Week of 3-18-24 – Automakers Spying on Drivers – Hyundai Rethinks EV Plans – New Porsche Taycan – The Greenest Cars You Can Buy – and This Week in Automotive History.
During the transition to electric vehicles, the concerns of potential buyers have shifted from how far can an EV go before charging to where can we charge it? A new survey shows that EV buyers are already reliant on DC fast chargers and that demand is only going to rise. Find out more at Headlight.News.
Looking for an environmentally friendly vehicle? You have more options than ever before. That includes a flood of new battery-electric vehicles, as you might expect, but if you’re still reluctant to go with an EV you still have plenty to choose from. In fact, the top-ranked model in the 2024 GreenerCars list is a plug-in hybrid, and even some products running solely on gasoline do well in the annual study. Better yet, there are plenty of affordable options. But there also are some surprises, as Headlight.News reports.
Oh, that happened quickly. One day, there are any number of Jaguar F-Type variants and the next, it’s whittled down to a handful, and soon to face the chopping block. In its place will be a number of vehicles, but nothing like the 2024 F-Type R. Check out our review for more.
The sudden shift in prominence of hybrids hasn’t stopped automakers from continuing to work on electric vehicles. However, it seems more and more automakers are looking to partner up, as Nissan and Honda just agreed to do. Find out more at Headlight.News.