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A Week With: 2024 Toyota Prius: Winning Over the Skeptics

A Week With: 2024 Toyota Prius: Winning Over the Skeptics

Since it made its debut a full quarter-century ago, there’ve certainly been reasons to praise the Toyota Prius for its fuel-sipping hybrid powertrain. But it hasn’t scored big in either the performance or fun-to-drive categories. Now, with the latest-generation hatchback, it’s an entirely new game. And it’s won over our reviewer.

Humanoid Robots Set to Report for Work at BMW’s Spartanburg Plant

Humanoid Robots Set to Report for Work at BMW’s Spartanburg Plant

In 1927, the German director Fritz Lang’s legendary film, Metropolis, introduced the idea of humanoid robots. Now, nearly a century later, robots have become a common site on automotive assembly lines but look little like the Maschinenmensch Lang envisioned. Or they have so far. But as part of a new partnership with the California-based startup Figure, BMW is about to put the first humanoid robots to work on its assembly line in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Read all about it at Headlight.News.

Nikola Helping Drive a Green Truck Revolution: Fuel Cell and Battery Electric

Nikola Helping Drive a Green Truck Revolution: Fuel Cell and Battery Electric

At first glance, it looks pretty much like any of the semi cabs rolling across American roadways, though the design is a little sleeker, and the name on its grille is the giveaway. Nikola’s Class 8 tractor is one of a growing number of “green” commercial vehicles, in this case, replacing a traditional diesel drivetrain with a hydrogen fuel-cell system. Trucks deliver most of America’s freight, but they also create a disproportionate share of the transportation sector’s pollution. That’s starting to change as truck makers and truck fleet operators switch to alternative hydrogen and battery drivetrain technologies.

Tesla Sets Sales Record – But Still Misses its Target as BYD Closes the Gap

Tesla Sets Sales Record – But Still Misses its Target as BYD Closes the Gap

Tesla delivered 485,000 vehicles during the fourth quarter, bringing total sales for the year to 1.8 million, an all-time record. But the automaker fell short of the 2 million target CEO Elon Musk set early last year. And it has BYD, breathing down its neck, even though that major Chinese competitor has yet to enter the North American market.

Dozens More EVs Coming in 2025 and 2026

Dozens More EVs Coming in 2025 and 2026

At least 40 new battery-electric vehicles are due to reach U.S. showrooms in 2024 — and that’s a conservative estimate as we’ve had a number of surprises dropped on us by both domestic and foreign-owned brands. If anything, the flood of EV offerings will likely accelerate going forward. Here’s a look at some of the models we’re expecting in 2025 and 2026. Headlight.News checks out 45 of them.

U.S. Sets New Fuel Economy Record – But Detroit Makers Lag Imports

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 .

Canada Banning Combustion Engine Sales by 2035

Canada Banning Combustion Engine Sales by 2035

Canada is the latest country planning to require automakers to sell 100% zero-emissions vehicles by 2035, though that could include hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, as well as EVs. Two Canadian provinces previously laid out the same target — as have a number of other countries, including the United Kingdom. More from Headlight.News.

Kia Partnering Up to Help Ocean Cleanup

Kia Partnering Up to Help Ocean Cleanup

It’s twice the size of Texas and still growing. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest accumulation of plastic waste in the world, but by no means the only place where cast-off plastic is accumulating in the world’s waterways. Now, a non-profit called The Ocean Cleanup believes it can dramatically reduce this waste over the next two decades. And it’s getting a helping hand from Kia which intends to turn much of that junk into useful parts for its vehicles. More from Headlight.News.

Toyota, Nissan Preparing a Flood of EVs – Too Bad They’ll Be Out of Reach for Americans

Toyota, Nissan Preparing a Flood of EVs – Too Bad They’ll Be Out of Reach for Americans

When it comes to EVs, Toyota and Nissan have been slow to join the party. But the two manufacturers plan to rapidly expand their offerings over the next several years. Between them, they’ve announced a combined nine new all-electric models due to reach showrooms in the next few years. Unfortunately for American motorists, most or all of those new EVs won’t be coming to the States. Headlight.News has more on the new Toyota and Nissan EVs.

Fisker Again Scales Back Production Plans – And Investors Applaud

Fisker Again Scales Back Production Plans – And Investors Applaud

For the second time this year, EV start-up Fisker has scaled back production plans, and now expects to roll out half as many Ocean SUVs as it planned at the beginning of the year. But that was fine with Wall Street, its stock price rising nearly 9% as the week came to a close. Headlight.News looks at what’s behind the cutback, and why it pleases investors.

GM, Other Automakers Rethink EVs and May Shift Near-Term Emphasis to Hybrids, Plug-Ins

GM, Other Automakers Rethink EVs and May Shift Near-Term Emphasis to Hybrids, Plug-Ins

With EV sales growth slowing down, General Motors “is currently assessing” its massive investment in battery-electric vehicles. And, while it remains committed to CEO Mary Barra’s “path to an all-electric future,” it will shift more emphasis to the hybrids and plug-ins it was planning to abandon. And other automakers, including Ford and Stellantis, are likewise shifting direction. If anything, this validates Toyota’s strategy calling for a mix of EVs, hybrids and PHEVs, reports Headlight.News.