Carmakers reported healthy sales in May as buyers continued to sign for new vehicles ahead of price Increases promised when the Trump tariffs take hold. Headlight.News has details.
EVs and batteries
As Trump Rolls Back Support, Consumer Interest in EVs Fades
Americans appear less interested in buying battery-electric vehicles than at any time since 2019, according to a new AAA study. That decline comes at a time when Pres. Donald Trump is actively rolling back measures put in place during the Biden administration meant to...
A Week With: 2025 Rivian R1S
Starting a new car company from ground up has never been easy and the terrain is littered with recent failures like Canoo and Fisker. But one brand, in particular, seems poised for success. Rivian has earned kudos for its first generation of rugged EVs, with more in the pipeline. Headlight.News recently got a chance to get back into the updated Rivian R1S SUV for a week and has this review.
GM Chair Barra Named World’s Most Powerful Woman — Again
General Motors Chair and CEO Mary Barra’s earned plenty of accolades during her 10-plus-year tenure at the helm of the Detroit-based automaker. She’s earned another — again — topping Forbes’ 100 Most Powerful Women list. It’s the second straight year’s she’s topped the list. Find out more at Headlight.News.
Musk Says Driverless Tesla Model Y Deliveries Begin in June
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been promising a self-driving vehicle for years — and missed those targets for years. However, the time has arrived for him to make good on his word, he says, and the first set of driverless Teslas will be delivered in June. Get details in Headlight.News.
Tesla Shares Soar as Musk Pledges to be “Super Focused” on the Company – But Sales Continue to Plunge
If you’re a Tesla shareholder you’re likely quite pleased to hear CEO Elon Musk promise to back away from his work in Washington to become “super-focused” on the automaker and his other companies. If you’re a buyer looking for an EV, however, that may not matter much, Tesla sales continuing to tumble in markets as diverse as Europe, China and the U.S. Headlight.News has more.
Headlight News for the Week of 5-26-25
On the podcast this week we talk about Toyota revealing its new RAV4 as well as a few other surprises, plus Elon Musk’s return to running Tesla, the Wiener 500, a review of the 2026 Toyota bZ review and a trip through This Week in Automotive History.
A Decade Later; German Court Convicts 4 Former VW Managers in Diesel-Gate Scandal
A German court has convicted four former Volkswagen managers of fraud in connection with the “Dieselgate” scandal that saw the automaker pay out more than $33 billion in fines and other costs for rigging diesel emissions data. Two of the VW employees face prison time. More from Headlight.News.
First Drive: 2026 Toyota bZ: More Power, Longer Range, Shorter Name
Toyota may be one of the top-selling brands in the U.S. but the original bZ4X, its first serious foray into the battery-electric vehicle market, didn’t do much to charge up U.S. EV buyers. The good news is that Toyota appears to have learned from its mistakes. A mid-cycle update addresses the most notable buyer concerns, adding more range, better performance – and a shorter name. Headlight.News had an opportunity to test drive the new 2026 Toyota bZ and here’s what we learned.
A Week With: 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV
EV sales remain constant, in some measure because consumers have more choices than ever. While Tesla remains the leader, plenty of automakers are making inroads into the segment, like Chevrolet with its 2025 Blazer EV RS with all-wheel drive. Check out our review at Headlight.News.
Senate Vote Could Kill California EV Rules
In a nod to Pres. Donald Trump, the U.S. Senate narrowly voted to block California’s ability to set unique emissions rules, a move critics say weakens the ability to address climate change. A court battle will likely determine whether the state will be blocked from mandating a switch to EVs by 2035.
Dodge Launches Sedan Version of All-Electric Charger Daytona Amidst Weak Coupe Sales
Even as it scrapped production of the base Charger Daytona coupe, Dodge has launched production of the sedan version of the all-electric muscle car, hoping the added convenience will boost initially weak demand. More from Headlight.News.