American EV makers Rivian Automotive and Lucid Motors released their first-quarter earnings results, each hitting positive markers for the period. Rivian earned another $1 billion in funding from Volkswagen for turning a gross profit. Meanwhile, Lucid hit another vehicle delivery record during the period. Find out more at Headlight.News.
Jeep formally unveiled the next-generation Compass SUV and it will come with an unusually wide range of powertrain options including an EV, a plug-in hybrid, and a mild-hybrid package. The 2026 Jeep Compass will debut in Europe, then North America and other markets, making it the brand’s most international model. More from Headlight.News.
This week on the Headlight News podcast, we talk about the strong April sales numbers, as well as President Trump implementing his tariffs on the auto industry, plus a review of the 2025 Lincoln Navigator and more.
Volkswagen has been ordered to recall all of the new ID.Buzz microvans it’s sold in the U.S. because, says NHTSA, the third row is too roomy. According to the feds, that makes it too easy to squeeze a third passenger into the back row though it doesn’t have three seatbelts. That’s one of two new recalls that have forced VW to temporarily halt sales and deliveries of the new EV. Headlight.News explains.
Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives advanced a bill, if passed into law, would charge electric vehicle owners $250 annually to replenish the dwindling Highway Trust Fund, currently fed by gas and diesel taxes. Get details at Headlight.News.
Waymo and Toyota are teaming up. The Japanese giant will help develop a new autonomous vehicle platform for the Google spin-off which has become the U.S. leader in driverless ride-sharing technology. The announcement comes days after VW and Uber revealed their own autonomous alliance. More from Headlight.News.
Buyers worried about future price increase under Trump tariff plans kept dealers busy during April. But momentum is expected to sputter out when sanctions go into effect on May 3, potentially raising vehicle prices by thousands of dollars. Headlight.News has more.
The race to build the next generation of electrical architecture is competitive and expensive. Ford Motor Co. appears to be throwing in the towel due to escalating costs and ongoing delays. Find out more at Headlight.News.
Stellantis reported Wednesday a 14% slide in revenues for the first quarter. The Euro-American automaker had previously forecast a turnaround later in the year but said during a webcast it was suspending future guidance in the face of Pres. Trump’s new auto tariffs. It joins GM and Mercedes in warning that sales and earnings could be at risk. More from Headlight.News.
Looking for a good deal on a used vehicle? The price for a previously owned Tesla Model S posted the industry’s biggest year-over-year decline, according to dealer sales records. Tesla products, on the whole, have plunged in value as backlash grows to CEO Elon Musk’s role in the Trump administration. Headlight.News has more.
On this week’s podcast, Headlight News covers the debut of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ new EV company, Slate, and its first product and electric pickup. We also review the 2025 Cadillac Optiq and look at the other stories coming in the week ahead.
Volkswagen is teaming up with Uber to field what eventually could be thousands of fully driverless ID.Buzz microbuses. The first should show up on Los Angeles streets next year. Headlight.News has more.