This week’s Headlight News podcast covers the latest on Trump and his tariffs, improved new car affordability, VW cutting costs and that EV owners are a loyal group while reviewing the 2026 Toyota C-HR and looking back at this week in automotive history.
The Headlight News Podcast for the Week of 2-16-26 covers big Ford losses, sliding EV sales, the 2027 Toyota Highlander EV, President Trump pushing to block the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, plus we review the 2026 Mazda CX-90 Turbo S Premium Plus and look back at this Week in Auto History. Give us a listen.
Ford reported a loss of $8.2 billion FY2025 due to the $19.5 billion special charge in the fourth quarter related to its EV business. The fourth quarter loss was even bigger: $11.1 billion. However, the company’s 2026 guidance provided some optimism. Details at Headlight.News.
A worker at the Ford F-150 plant who heckled Pres. Donald Trump during a tour last week is back on the job despite the president telling him he would be “fired.” And TJ Sabula comes away from the widely covered incident with at least $800,000 raised through two GoFundMe campaigns.
Toyota has a new CEO set to take charge on April 1 and, unlike the man he’ll succeed, Kenta Kon is a finance guy determined to deliver some big numbers for the world’s largest automaker. He intends to build up Toyota’s war chest – and one way he’ll do that is with a planned 30% increase in hybrid sales by 2028. More from Headlight.News.
Ford CEO Jim Farley’s recent positive comments about China’s growing EV fleet may have been the catalyst for talks with some Chinese automakers about potential production partnerships. Headlight.News has details.
Stellantis is ordering workers to report back to their offices five days a week. It’s the latest automaker to abandon the work-at-home practices that were put in place nearly six years ago as COVID lockdowns shook up the working world.
Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius rejected pressure from Howard Lutnick, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, to move his company’s headquarters to the United States. But it will increase U.S. production. Headlight.News has more.
Half empty or half-full? GM managed to beat Wall Street expectations for the fourth quarter of 2025, but still saw revenues tumble by more than 5%. And with North America largely responsible for that dip, union workers will see their own profit-sharing checks fall for the year. As Headlight.News reports, GM CEO Mary Barra promised to deliver a big upturn in 2026.
Within weeks of its 2019 unveiling, Tesla claimed to have racked up over 1 million advance orders for the Cybertruck. But sales have failed come anywhere near its expectations – and fell by nearly half last year. How much longer will Tesla keep the truck in production? More from Headlight.News.
It’s going to be a big year for Ford Racing, the Detroit automaker’s motorsports arm on Thursday night revealing plans for an array of projects, starting with the reveal of the new F1 racer that will campaign under the Oracle Red Bull Racing flag this year using a new Ford hybrid powertrain. Ford, meanwhile, confirmed its returning to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a new hypercar. Headlight.News has more.
Two GoFundMe campaigns have raised $800,000 for TJ Sabula, the Ford worker suspended after calling Pres. Donald Trump during his tour of a suburban Detroit Ford factory. His union has also stepped in to save the worker’s job. More from Headlight.News.