Waymo is recalling more than 1,000 vehicles under pressure from NHTSA after a rash of minor accidents involving the company’s self-driving vehicles, even as it asks for more information about Tesla’s robotaxi plans. Get the story at Headlight.News.
EVs and batteries
Over 25% of Cars Sold Globally in 2025 Will be EVs
While the Trump administration may be taking steps to slow EV adoption you wouldn’t know by the sales numbers which, in the U.S. are rising at a double-digit rate. Worldwide, demand is growing even more rapidly, with battery-electric models expected to account for more than one in four of the vehicles sold worldwide this year.
GM Switching to New Battery Chemistry For Trucks, SUVs
General Motors has created new partnerships to come up with less expensive and easier to source battery chemistry. The Ultium Cells joint venture with Korea’s LG energy is set to go into production in 2028. GM claims the new technology will be cheaper without sacrificing range. More from Headlight.News.
Toyota Bulks Up bZ Electric Vehicle Performance for 2026 Model Year
A reluctant participant in the growth of electric vehicle development, Toyota’s answering the call to bolster the performance characteristics of its first EV, the bZ4X — including a new name, now just the bZ. Check out the improvements at Headlight.News.
GM Picks Silicon Valley Veteran as Product Chief
A Silicon Valley veteran with experience at Tesla and self-driving vehicles as well as a high-tech startup will take over leadership of General Motors’ product development for battery electric and ICE vehicles, beginning in June. Get details at Headlight.News.
Tesla Weighed Down by $800 Million in Unsold Cybertrucks
In the weeks after Tesla unveiled its Cybertruck in November 2019, the automaker claimed to have logged more than 1 million advance reservations. As it turns out, only a handful of those have been translated into actual sales. Now, the automaker has an estimated 10,000 unsold trucks piled up on dealer and factory lots – worth about $800 million. The lack of demand has led Tesla to pull the plug on a range extender option that was supposed to deal with the truck’s limited range. Headlight.News has more.
Headlight News Podcast for the Week of 5-12-25
In this week’s podcast, we discuss the new UK-U.S. Trade Deal as well as how tariffs are hitting home as well as many other issues the industry is facing. We also offer a look back at automotive history and a review of the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV. Get the ‘cast at Headlight.News.
Newer, Cheaper Version of Tesla Model Y Debuts
The first major update of Tesla’s best-selling product line, the Model Y, has officially gone on sale. Known internally by its codename, Juniper, it’s also being offered in a newer, cheaper form, with a base rear-wheel-drive package dropping to $37,490 after factoring in federal tax credits. Whether that will reverse declining Tesla sales, hurt by widespread protests against CEO Elon Musk’s role in the Trump administration, remains to be seen. More from Headlight.News.
Mitsubishi Confirms New EV Produced With Nissan Coming Next Summer
Mitsubishi revealed it remains on track with its U.S. product plans, partnering with beleaguered Nissan, to produce a new electric vehicle based off the next-generation Nissan Leaf. It’s set to arrive in summer 2026. Find out more about the new vehicle at Headlight.News.
Tritium Aims to Make Charging as Easy as Filling Your Gas Tank
Forget range anxiety, for most folks, the single biggest reason to hold off buying an EV is the challenge of charging up. But it soon could become as easy as filling up your gas tank – or so claims Tritium Charging, one of the world’s largest suppliers of public EV charging systems. Headlight.News has more.
Rivian Finishes Q1 in Black Again as Lucid Sets New Delivery Record
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.
Stellantis Electrifies 2026 Jeep Compass with EV, PHEV and Mild-Hybrid Options
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.