The tough times for Nissan’s current CEO Makoto Uchida continue as the company’s board reportedly plans to meet March 11 to review potential replacements for the embattled auto executive. This news comes as he continues to look for ways to turn the company around. Get details at Headlight.News.
Little more than a day after announcing plans to enact 25% tariffs on goods imported from the Mexico and Canada, Pres. Donald Trump threw a temporary lifeline to the auto industry by granting a one-month reprieve on automotive parts and vehicles. But the threat remains that sanctions could still follow if the U.S. can’t reach resolution with its two neighbors and leading trade partners – something Ford CEO Jim Farley warned “would blow a hole in the U.S. industry.”
President Donald Trump, as expected, launched new tariffs targeting Canada and Mexico while also increasing prior tariffs on China. All three countries responded with their own trade sanctions. The tariff war will increase prices on everything from avocados to semiconductors but economists warn few consumer goods will feel the heat more than automobiles – some models set to see price hikes of $12,000 or more. At a time when sticker shock is already impacting sales, analysts fear the U.S. auto industry could see sales and profits tumble – while job cuts also could be in the offing.
Sales of new vehicles held steady in February as Kia, Hyundai, Genesis, Subaru, Mazda and Honda all reported modest sales increases. But two of the largest automakers to report for the month, Toyota and Ford, delivered disappointing results. And Tesla’s numbers continued to show the impact of growing resistance to CEO Elon Musk and his role in the Trump administration. Headlight.News has more.
Barring a last-minute change of mind, the White House has signaled Pres. Donald Trump will announce new tariffs targeting America’s largest trading partners, Canada and Mexico, on Tuesday. The move is expected to increase the cost of many common goods substantially, including not only fully assembled vehicles imported from America’s nearest neighbors but other cars, trucks and crossovers assembled in the U.S. That’s because virtually all of those models rely on at least some Mexican and Canadian parts, components and raw materials.
Tesla stock wracked up its sixth straight loss on Thursday, reaching its lowest point since the automaker’s shares surged in the wake of the 2024 presidential election and CEO Elon Musk’s close ties to Donald Trump. Musk’s role in the new Trump administration has been a key factor in the downturn, but analysts warn of other issues that could make it difficult for Tesla to bounce back.
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.
Stellantis continues to navigate through troubled ties as the company admits its profits fell 70% during 2024 and says it won’t be profitable again until 2025.
EV maker Lucid Motors was expected to report it lost money during the final quarter of 2024, but the company’s earnings report featured a surprise element: the departure of its founder and CEO Peter Rawlinson. Get details at Headlight.News.
In this week’s episode of the podcast, Truck maker Nikola goes bankrupt while trouble finds its way to Ford, GM, and Tesla. We also go for a spin in the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 before charging our batteries with This Week in Automotive History.
Volkswagen released a pair of sketches showing off a new concept dubbed the ID.EVERY.1. They reveal the direction the German automaker plans to take when it launches a new, entry-level battery-electric vehicle in 2027. But what else have we learned about the show car and ID.1 production model to follow? Headlight.News has more.
A Georgia jury awarded over $2.5 billion to the survivors of a couple who were killed in 2022 when their Ford Super Duty pickup rolled over. It’s a record award to come a Georgia court and one of the highest affecting an automaker in the U.S. Headlight.News has more....