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.
Executives
Earnings, Profit-Sharing Down, GM Vows to Do Better in 2026
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.
Cybertruck Sales Have All But Dried Up
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.
Big Year Ahead: Ford Racing Reveals F1 Racer, Le Mans Hypercar
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 Raise $800k for Ford Worker Suspended After Confrontation with Trump
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.
Ford Worker Suspended After Verbal Confrontation With Trump in Detroit
A Ford worker was suspended after calling Pres. Donald Trump a “pedophile protector” during a plant tour on Tuesday. Trump responded by flashing the worker the middle finger and twice declaring, “Fuck you.” The confrontation proved an embarrassment to Ford Chairman Bill Ford who had hoped to use the visit as a way to communicate the auto industry’s role in keeping the economy healthy. More from Headlight.News.
Despite Slowdown, GM’s Barra Still Sees a “Path to an All-Electric Future”
Don’t write off EVs, not according to Mary Barra. The General Motors Chairman and CEO says her “path to an all-electric future” may take longer than expected but still believes motorists will come to recognize they’re better vehicles than those using internal combustion engines. Meanwhile, the 64-year-old executive told reporters she’s still enjoying her job, a subtle way of saying she’s not in a rush to retire, even though only one other executive in GM history was on the job as long. Headlight.News has more.
Headlight News Podcast for the Week of 1-12-26
The Headlight News podcast this week looks at the autonomous vehicles revealed at CES this week, plus Hyundai showing off the new robots that will build new cars in Georgia. It also previews the Detroit Auto Show, reviews the 2026 Toyota GR Corolla and more. Check it out!
U.S. Senate Delays Auto Affordability Hearing
The U.S. Senate postponed a hearing originally set for next week to look into why automotive prices have surged to record levels. The delay was requested by Ford CEO Jim Farley who, in turn, came under fire from Texas Republican Ted Cruz. More from Headlight.News.
Top Five Most Influential People in the Auto Industry for 2025
The automotive industry is filled with powerful people and deals with powerful people. That didn’t change in 2025 and although there plenty to choose from, Headlight.News believes these five were the most influential — in no particular order. Check out who made the list.
Ford Making Major Shift in EV Strategy, Taking Nearly $20 Billion in Charges
Ford Motor Co. is tearing up its EV plans, killing its all-electric F-150 Lightning, shifting focus to bring more hybrids, E-REVs and low-cost EVs to market. It also plans to shift production at its massive BlueOval City complex in Tennessee from EVs to gas pickups, and repurposing the batteries produced at plants in Kentucky and Michigan for non-automotive markets. Get details about this breaking story at Headlight.News.
Trump Administration Set to Roll Back Fuel Economy Standards
The Trump administration has invited executives from the three Detroit automakers to be on hand at the White House today as details on the rollback of current corporate average fuel economy standards are announced. It’s the latest move by the president to back off of automotive emissions and safety standards set during the prior Biden administration. More from Headlight.News.