Good news or bad? It all depends on how you choose to look at Rivian’s first-quarter sales and production results. Headlight.News explains.
EVs and batteries
U.S. Car Sales Soar in March as Buyers Raced to Beat Trump Tariffs
Sales of new vehicles in the U.S. climbed sharply during March as buyers rushed to get in their orders before the tariffs clamp down on the automotive trade. The threat of a recession is also expected to weigh on an industry sensitive to economic trends going into April.
Q&A: Ineos CEO Lynn Calder Sees Big Opportunities – But Tariffs Could Get in the Way
Odds are you’ve never heard of Ineos Automotive – at least not until recently. It’s a start-up brand backed, of all things, by one of the world’s largest chemical companies. The British carmaker last year brought its first model, the rugged Grenadier SUV, to the U.S. market and is in the midst of launching its second product line, the Quartermaster pickup. Headlight.News caught up with Ineos CEO Lynn Calder during a recent driving event in Aspen and asked her about Ineos’ product plans, growth opportunities – and the impact of the new Trump auto import tariffs.
Headlight News Podcast for the Week of 3-31-25
In this week’s podcast we cover Trump and his tariffs on automakers as well as his warning to automakers about raising prices to cover the costs, as well as a vehicle review and more.
Shake-up at Volvo: Rowan Out, Samuelsson Back in as CEO
In an unexpected move, Jim Rowan is stepping down at CEO of Swedish-based, Chinese-automaker Volvo Cars. He will be replaced by Hakan Samuelsson, who previous served in that role from 2012 to 2022. The move comes at a time when Volvo is aggressively moving to EVs but also faces a variety of tariff issues in the U.S. and Europe. More from Headlight.News.
Sales Already in a Tailspin, Protestors Gather at Tesla Dealerships Around the World
With thousands gathered in protest at dealers around the world over the weekend, Tesla wrapped up what is expected to be a weak first quarter, the automaker watching sales dwindle as opposition grows to CEO Elon Musk’s role in the Trump administration – as well as his increasingly vocal shift to the political far right. Headlight.News has the latest.
Stellantis Switches Plans for Belvidere Plant Opening in 2027
Plans change in the auto industry as evidenced by the move by Stellantis to reopen its plant in Belvidere, Illinois. Closed a few years ago, the UAW pressured the company to reopen the facility as part of its most recent contract negotiations. The company agreed, and it’s set to reopen in 2027, but it will not produce what was originally expected. Get details at Headlight.News.
Tesla Faces Biggest Protest Yet on March 29
Thousands of people are expected to gather at more than 500 showrooms, service centers and other locations on Saturday March 29 as part of “Tesla Takedown,” a loosely organized movement aimed at protesting CEO Elon Musk’s political shift to the extreme right, as well as his role heading the Trump administration’s controversial Department of Government Efficiency. The question is whether there will be any of the sort of violence that has occurred at other protests in recent weeks. Headlight.News has more.
Trump Threatened to Punish Automakers Who Pass Tariff Costs on to Buyers
The automotive tariffs going into effect next months could add thousands, even tens of thousands, of dollars to the cost of new vehicles. But Pres. Donald Trump raised the threat that he might punish manufacturers who pass tariff costs on to consumers. More from Headlight.News.
A Week With: 2025 Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD
There are more choices than ever when it comes to electric vehicles. However, one of the early arrivers, the Kia EV6, continues to evolve and improve. After three years, the newest model is surely the best one yet. Check out our review at Headlight.News.
Diners, Drive-Ins…and Elon Musk?
Charging up your EV can be a long and lonely experience when you’re on the road, public chargers often located in out-of-the-way places with nothing to do while you wait, often as long as an hour or more for the batteries to suck down their fill of electrons. So, why not let EV owners chow down, as well? That’s the idea behind the 24-hour diner and drive-in theater Tesla is setting up in Hollywood. But it’s proven more difficult than expected for CEO Elon Musk to line up the sort of celebrity chef he’s been after to run the place. More from Headlight.News.
Nissan Turns Over a New Leaf – The Original EV to Return in SUV Form
The Nissan Leaf is back, though you might not recognize it. The first mainstream battery-electric vehicle is getting a complete makeover for 2026, returning in SUV form. It’s just one of the big announcements Nissan made Wednesday about its upcoming electrification plan including more U.S. and European EVs, new e-Power and PHEV models and more. Headlight.News has the details.