Nissan plans to unveil a major management shake-up in March and CEO Makota Uchida – blamed for blowing a proposed merger with Honda – appears likely to be one of those executives set to be replaced. Headlight.News has more.
Deals and acquisitions
EV Market Share Hits New Record
Who says the EV market is on the wane? Not U.S. consumers who bought a record number of all-electric cars, trucks and crossovers last month, according to the latest data. In January, battery-electric models accounted for 9.1% of the market, up nearly nine-fold over the last half-decade, despite the anti-EV push by the new Trump administration. Headlight.News has more.
EV and Hydrogen Truckmaker Nikola Files Chapter 11; Will Try to Sell Assets
Phoenix-based Nikola Motors has filed for Chapter 11, becoming the latest start-up to go bust while targeting the EV and hydrogen fuel-cell markets. Nikola officials said the company now plans to sell off its assets, though it isn’t clear a buyer has yet emerged.
Honda Open to Resuming Talks with Nissan — If CEO Leaves
Two weeks after halting talks that would have resulted in some form of partnership between Honda Motor and its faltering rival, Nissan Motor, Honda officials say they’re willing to resume discussions. There is one caveat: current Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida needs to step down. Get details at Headlight.News.
Losses Worsening, Nissan Cutting U.S. Production, Shutting 3 Global Assembly Plants, Trimming More Jobs
Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida announced a desperate new bid to reverse the company’s mounting losses after a planned merger with Honda collapsed. The second-largest Japanese automaker now plans to close three plants, reduce U.S. production and eliminate thousands of jobs. The announcement came as Uchida revealed still more losses for Nissan’s latest fiscal quarter.
Dogged by Conflict of Interest Concerns, State Dept. Appears to Back Off Purchase of $400 Million Worth of Armored Tesla Cybertrucks
The U.S. State Department on Wednesday appeared to back down on plans to purchase $400 million in armored Tesla Cybertrucks amids mounting questions about a conflict of interest considering the automaker’s CEO Elon Musk plays a major role in the new Trump administration. But it’s unclear from an updated procurement forecast whether authorities will switch to other vehicles or have simply obscured their purchase plans.
Tesla Stock in Freefall and Elon Musk is the Main Reason Why
After surging in the wake of last November’s presidential election, Tesla stock has gone into freefall since Donald Trump’s inauguration last month. A variety of factors, including slumping global sales linked to CEO Elon Musk’s increasingly tarnished reputation. His new $100 billion bid for OpenAI may add to investors’ worries, reports Headlight.News.
Foxconn Taking Another Run at Auto Industry with Nissan Talks
Best known for producing iPhone, Taiwan-based Foxconn is making a play for Nissan Motor Co. now that its merger talks with Honda are dead. It’s not the first time the company’s attempted to gain a stake in the Japanese automaker. Find out more at Headlight.News.
Toyota Again Tops Global Sales Charts
Toyota Motor Corp. remains the world’s best-selling automaker, having edged out competitors including Volkswagen, Hyundai Motor Group and the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. But the Japanese giant still recorded a 3.7% decline in sales during 2024. How did other competitors do? More from Headlight.News.
Trump Has the Auto Industry in His Sights
As of noon on Monday, the United States has a new president – and Donald Trump is expected to move quickly to implement an agenda calling for major changes in America’s domestic and foreign policies. The auto industry, in particular, could feel the impact of Trump’s agenda in a variety of ways: from foreign trade to EV and emissions policies. Here’s a closer look at what that might means.
The Big Automotive Stories We Expect in 2025
The new year is likely to be a big year when it comes to the auto industry, especially with a new president coming into office who has signaled plans to scrap EV sales incentives and enact hefty new tariffs on imported auto parts and fully assembled vehicles. We’ve...
The Biggest Automotive Stories of 2024
Oh, what a year it was. 2024 took saw a number of predictable stories top our coverage on Headlight.News, but the year also saw some surprising twists and turns — like the planned merger between Honda and Nissan – that no one likely would, or could, have predicted 12 months ago. There was some good news for consumers, and some bad. Some automakers made out like bandits, while others are now struggling with an uncertain future. Here are the 2024 stories that our editorial team found most compelling.