In this week’s Headlight News podcast, Hyundai’s South Korean workers return home, Ford issues more recalls, Toyota adds two U.S. EVs and we review the Nissan Leaf and more. Check it out at Headlight.News.
EVs and batteries
Toyota Will Build 2 New EVs at Kentucky Plant
Toyota plans to introduce all-electric versions of two familiar SUVs, the RAV4 and Land Cruiser, according to a new report, with both set to be assembled at the automaker’s plant in Georgetown, Kentucky. More from Headlight.News.
Even as Detained Workers Return Home, Korean Companies Warn Employees in U.S. More ICE Raids Could Follow
Hundreds of South Korean workers detained by an ICE raid at a Hyundai battery plant in Georgia were returned home to cheers from family and government officials. But Korean companies are worried that more immigration raids will follow, throwing into chaos Korean-owned auto, shipbuilding, steel and electrical equipment operations across the U.S. Headlight.News has more.
First Drive: Turning Over a New (Nissan) Leaf
Few vehicles have had more of an impact on the U.S. automotive market since the turn of the Millennium, even though Nissan Leaf has slipped into relative obscurity in an increasingly crowded EV segment. Can it regain its early luster? That’s what the Japanese automaker hopes as it rolls out an all-new 2026 Nissan Leaf offering a new crossover design, improved performance, substantially better range and plenty of other reasons to check it out. Add a surprisingly affordable price according to this Headlight.News review.
First Drive: 2026 Subaru Solterra EV Gets Tesla Charging, Other Updates
By the normal scheme of things, we should have to wait a few years to see Subaru make even modest changes to the Solterra EV it launched in 2023. But the 2026 Subaru Solterra gets some surprisingly notable updates, starting with the Tesla-style NACS charging port. Here’s our review.
Mercedes Unveils New All-Electric GLC for 2026
If you want an electric vehicle in the U.S. going forward, you’re likely buying a luxury vehicle. Mercedes-Benz appears to be making sure you have plenty of options, unveiling its all-new electric GLC coming in the second half of next year. Get details at Headlight.News.
Lucid’s First Midsize Entry is a Year Away – If it Can Raise New Capital
Lucid’s new Gravity model got off to a slow start, the EV marker’s CEO acknowledged, but production – and sales are ramping up, even as the company races to finish work on a trio of affordable, midsize models now scheduled to start rolling out by the end of 2026. That is, however, going to require Lucid to raise substantial amounts of new funding. More from Headlight.News.
Ferrari Rolls Out Newest Hybrid: 849 Testarossa
Electric vehicles don’t seem to be selling the way automakers hoped they would, but consumers are clamoring for hybrids — including supercar buyers? Not really, but Ferrari’s new 849 Testarossa is a plug-in hybrid, which shows everyone’s looking to squeeze out more ponies however they can. Check out the new Testarossa at Headlight.News.
Headlight News Podcast for the Week of 9-8-25
In this week’s Headlight News podcast, we cover the Hyundai plant raid in Georgia, Tesla possibly making Elon Musk a trillionaire, BMW’s latest Neue Klasse vehicle as well as offering a review of the Nissan Sentra. Give us a listen and tell us what you think at Headlight.News.
BMW Plans 40 Models Off Neue Klasse Platform by 2027
The new BMW iX3 is the first all-electric model based on the automaker’s Neue Klasse platform – but it won’t be the last. The Bavarian automaker’s CEO said Monday that 40 new and updated products using the “new class” technology will roll out over the next two years. Up next: the i3, an all-electric version of the 3-Series, reports Headlight.News.
Polestar 5 Performance GT Debuting at Munich Auto Show
Polestar’s next model is set to make its debut at IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich this week and it could position the Swedish automaker as a serious contender to performance products like the Tesla Model S, the Lucid Air and Porsche Taycan, with a top-end model set to deliver nearly 900 horsepower and gobs of tire-spinning torque. Here’s more from Headlight.New.
Hyundai Plant ICE Raid Kicks Off Diplomat Incident
South Korea’s foreign minister headed to the U.S. Monday morning to move forward with plans to release hundreds of South Korean nationals arrested last week while working on the construction of a $7.6 billion Hyundai battery plant in Georgia. The move came just days after the Korean carmaker upped investment plans for the U.S. to $26 billion — and threatens to chill relations between the U.S. and one of its staunchest allies. Headlight.News has more.