The Volkswagen ID.GTI will reach market sometime late in 2026, according to the brand’s design chief, marking the latest VW icon to make the transition to all-electric power. More from Headlight.News
Business
Chevy Orders Dealers to Stop Sales of Blazer EV
General Motors has issued a stop-sale order on the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV due to mounting reports of problems with the battery-powered SUV. The issues appear to be software-based, and among those motorists have cited, are problems getting the vehicle to charge. A spokesman told Headlight.News the concerns impact a “limited number” of Blazer EVs, adding that Chevy is looking to make very quick fixes.
Dodge Charger and Challenger, Chrysler 300 Reach the End of the Line
Like the rest of its North American assembly lines, the Stellantis plant in Brampton, Ontario will be idled over the long holiday break. But unlike the rest of the production network it will stay off-line through the 2024 model year. The three models produced in Brampton – the Dodge Charger and Challenger muscle cars, and the big Chrysler 300 sedan – are going out of production. An all-electric version of Challenger is in the works, but plans to replace the other two models are uncertain. More from Headlight.News
Musk Shuts Down Hyperloop
It was supposed to provide a high-speed alternative to air travel, but Elon Musk is quietly shutting down his once-promising hyperloop company at the end of this year. Its assets are being sold off to a Dubai-based shipping company, though it’s far from clear that will ever bring the maglev system into real-world operation. Get details at Headlight.News.
Discounts Driving December Auto Sales Upward
What was initially expected to be an uncharacteristically slow December has been turbocharged with discounts by automakers. Find out what kind of impact they’re having at Headlight.News.
Hyundai’s Ioniq 2 Could Be the Low-Cost EV the Market Needs
The EV share of the U.S. new car market has grown over 800% since 2019 – but it’s flattened out in recent months and industry analysts say the high cost of today’s all-electric models is a major problem as EVs go from niche to mainstream. Hyundai hopes to address that problem, a senior exec has hinted, with a new entry model likely to be dubbed the Hyundai Ioniq 2. More from Headlight.News.
Update: Honda Fuel Pump Recall Expands to 4.5M Vehicles Globally
Japanese automaker Honda’s recall of potentially faulty fuel pumps grows to nearly double. The problem has been ongoing as the company’s issued previous recalls for the same issue in 2020 and 2021. Find out more at Headlight.News.
EVs Help Blunt Impact of Jumps in Oil Prices
Oil prices declined for months, taking gas prices down with them. However, that’s turn in recent weeks, but the price of gas continues to fall. Discover the role electric vehicles are playing in the fossil fuel trends at Headlight.News.
U.S. Sets New Fuel Economy Record – But Detroit Makers Lag Imports
The U.S. auto industry set a new fuel economy record in 2022, according to the EPA – though Detroit’s Big Three automakers lagged both foreign-owned brands and domestic start-ups. It marked the biggest improvement in mileage in nine years. More from Headlight.News .
Nearly Half of Buick Dealers Take GM Buyout Rather than Invest in EVs
Nearly half of all Buick dealers are taking buyouts from General Motors. Many Cadillac dealers accepted similar buyouts previously, and it reflects dealer concerns about the cost of converting their showrooms and service departments to handle battery-electric vehicles. GM plans to go 100% EV by 2035, though the automaker is adjusting the pace of that transition as EV sales growth slows.
Rising Incentives, Lower Prices – Vehicle Buyers Have Reason to Celebrate
After three years of rising prices and a lack of traditional sales incentives, new vehicle buyers have good reason to celebrate this holiday season. Sticker prices are stabilizing and, in some cases, are even falling. Meanwhile, incentives are back in a big way, and are expected to continue rising in the months to come, reports Headlight.News.
Automakers Battling NHTSA to Halt Another Massive Airbag Recall
Airbags have saved so many lives during the past two decades, but they’ve also been the cause of the largest single automotive recall in history. Automakers are currently fighting an effort by federal safety regulators recall 52 million airbag inflators. It would be the second-largest recall. Get details at Headlight.News.