The ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada got a little more … targeted Monday. The city of Toronto announced Tesla vehicles will no longer be eligible for the city’s EV incentives for taxis. Get details at Headlight.News.
Government
How to Avoid Toll Road “Smishing” Scam
Remember that trip you took a few months back? Well, you didn’t pay your toll and if you don’t pay up soon you could run up late fees or worse. Or so goes the latest Internet scam. It seems like most of us have been receiving these seemingly innocuous alerts by text or e-mail and all too many folks have fallen for a scam the FBI has now issued a warning about. Headlight.News has more.
Buyers Catch a Break – Temporarily – as BMW Set to Absorb Tariffs on Mexican-Made Models
President Donald Trump’s new tariffs threaten to shake up the auto industry, threatening to add thousands of dollars to the cost of even U.S.-made vehicles. For now, though, BMW will give buyers a break, the automaker saying it will absorb the added tariff costs on vehicles it imports from Mexico. Whether BMW can maintain that strategy – and whether other manufacturers will follow – is unclear.
Trump Buys a Tesla Then Moves to End Pro-EV Rules
The day after President Donald Trump and adviser/Tesla CEO Elon Musk showed off the president’s just-purchased Tesla Model S, the Trump administration took the next step in eliminating the Biden administration’s push to increase electric vehicle production. Find out more at Headlight.News.
Kia Takes Aim at Tesla – So do Protestors and Vandals – While Owners Trade in as Backlash to Musk Mounts
“I bought this after Elon went crazy.” We’ve seen plenty of bumper stickers like that, lately, but this one was on the back of a Kia EV3, found in a snarky Instagram post by Kia’s Norwegian subsidiary. And, it seems, many Tesla buyers may be listening. A growing number of them are trading in as backlash grows against CEO Elon Musk’s turn to the political right. Protests are growing at Tesla dealerships around the world, one showroom in France firebombed. Here’s more.
Despite Bullish Forecasts, Wall Street Is Walking Away From Tesla
The bulls are still, well, bullish, when it comes to Tesla stock, but the rest of Wall Street seems increasingly nervous and that’s cost the EV maker fully half of its market capitalization since reaching a mid-December, post-election high. And one man appears to catch most of the blame: CEO Elon Musk. More from Headlight.News.
With Trump’s Canadian and Mexican Tariffs on Brief Hold, European Automakers Wonder if They’re Next
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he would delay by a month new tariffs covering Canadian and Mexican auto imports. But even with that delay, the industry is waiting to see if Trump will next move to target additional trade partners. Trump has already hinted that European automakers could be next in his sights. More from Headlight.News.
European Union Reaffirms 2035 Ban On New Gasoline Cars, Tweaks Certain Details
European Union officials reaffirm 2035 ban on new gasoline cars while also making revisions to help automakers reach these targets easier as the market continues to shift.
Trump Gives Auto Industry One-Month Tariff Reprieve
Little more than a day after announcing plans to enact 25% tariffs on goods imported from the Mexico and Canada, Pres. Donald Trump threw a temporary lifeline to the auto industry by granting a one-month reprieve on automotive parts and vehicles. But the threat remains that sanctions could still follow if the U.S. can’t reach resolution with its two neighbors and leading trade partners – something Ford CEO Jim Farley warned “would blow a hole in the U.S. industry.”
Is the State Dept. Trying to Cover Up the Truth About the $400M Cybertruck Purchase?
Did the U.S. State Department craft a $400 million windfall deal for Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk as payback for the executive’s leading role in the Trump administration? And is it now trying to cover up the truth behind the proposed purchase of armored versions of the Tesla Cybertruck? That’s a question one ranking member of the Senate is trying to find out.
Trump Tariff’s Sticker Shock Could Cripple Auto Industry
President Donald Trump, as expected, launched new tariffs targeting Canada and Mexico while also increasing prior tariffs on China. All three countries responded with their own trade sanctions. The tariff war will increase prices on everything from avocados to semiconductors but economists warn few consumer goods will feel the heat more than automobiles – some models set to see price hikes of $12,000 or more. At a time when sticker shock is already impacting sales, analysts fear the U.S. auto industry could see sales and profits tumble – while job cuts also could be in the offing.
More Trump Tariffs Coming This Week; Expect to Spend More for Your Next Vehicle
Barring a last-minute change of mind, the White House has signaled Pres. Donald Trump will announce new tariffs targeting America’s largest trading partners, Canada and Mexico, on Tuesday. The move is expected to increase the cost of many common goods substantially, including not only fully assembled vehicles imported from America’s nearest neighbors but other cars, trucks and crossovers assembled in the U.S. That’s because virtually all of those models rely on at least some Mexican and Canadian parts, components and raw materials.