The Headlight News podcast this week covers the Japan Mobility Show, Elon’s big payday and more. Check it out at Headlight.News.
Government
Musk’s $1 Trillion Pay Package Goes to Tesla Sharholders
Shareholders could decide the future of Elon Musk and Tesla this week as they vote on the proposed $1 trillion pay package many big investors are finding hard to accept at a time when Musk’s judgement and entrepreneurial instinct is in question. More from Headlight.News.
GM Laying Off 3,400 Workers Due to Expected EV Sales Drop
The impact of end of federal EV tax credits is being felt in many areas of the auto industry. It reached the factory floors at four General Motors-owned plants in three states as more than 3,400 workers were laid off due to the expected fall in EV sales tied to the end of the $7,500 credit Sept. 30. Find out more at Headlight.News.
Exclusive: Toyota Looking to Boost U.S. Auto Exports to Japan, Along with $10B Investment in States
Toyota committed to invest another $10 billion in the United States, as negotiations on a new U.S.-Japan trade deal moved forward — prompting Pres. Donald Trump to tell troops stationed in Japan, “Go out and buy a Toyota.” In an exclusive report, Headlight.News reports Toyota also is looking for ways to boost U.S. auto exports to Japan.
No October Surprise: EV Sales Nosedive
Automakers offered plenty of incentives, but without $7,500 in federal government tax credits, sales of new electric vehicles — predictably — flatlined in October. J.D. Power & Associates also estimates sales of new EVs were less than half of the artificially inflated numbers from September. Find out more at Headlight.News.
Is it Time to Break Up Stellantis?
There were high hopes when Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the PSA Group officially completed their merger on January 16, 2021. But things haven’t worked out quite as planned, the automaker now known as Stellantis struggling to reverse a sharp decline in sales and earnings. While the company insists it’s on the mend, some wonder if it would be better to consider this a failed experiment and break the company up. That notably includes former CEO Carlos Tavares. Headlight.News has more.
GM Turns Q3 Profit Despite $1.6B Charge Resulting from EV Plans
General Motors looked to be the leader in the electric vehicle market by investing heavily in the segment, and that push crimped its Q3 earnings numbers as it took a $1.6 billion charge to offset investments in its EV operations during the period. However, the company still reported a profit, and investors are happy. Get details at Headlight.News.
Stellantis Latest to Pause Production as Shortages Again Threaten to Cripple Auto Industry
Stellantis has temporarily halted production at a Jeep plant in Warren, Michigan, even as three Ford plants sit idle. All face a shortage of aluminum due to a fire at a supplier plant. Meanwhile, automakers are beginning to fret there could be more closures coming across the industry due to semiconductor shortages – repeating a crisis that cast the industry millions of vehicles in lost production during the COVID crisis. Headlight.News has more.
Automakers May Get Break on Some Tariffs
Just as new car prices are starting to rise due to tariffs applied by the Trump administration, automakers may be getting a break on some of them. The move may not ease prices short term, but it would prevent them from rising in the future. Get details at Headlight.News.
Automakers Paying Nearly $11 Billion on Tariffs – And Consumers Will Start Paying More of the Bill
The Trump administration’s trade war is proving costly for the auto industry which will wind up paying about $10.6 billion in tariffs – just on autos and auto parts imported from Canada and Mexico – through the end of October, and while they’ve largely absorbed most of those costs, so far, consumers can expect to start seeing more of those tariffs passed on in new vehicle prices in 2026 and beyond, reports Headlight.News.
Cadillac Dropping CT4 Sedan, Replacing Bigger CT5, as it Recommits to Gas Models
The current versions of the Cadillac CT4 and CT5 models – including high-performance Blackwing packages – will be dropped at the end of the 2026 model year – though a replacement for the bigger sedan is set to follow in 2027.
Slowing Sales Means We Won’t Be Seeing These EVs in the U.S.
Ferrari on Thursday revealed details about its first battery-powered model, the Elettrica. But the Italian automaker is delaying a second EV. And it’s not alone. Ford has scrapped several all-electric models, while Nissan pulled the plug on the 2026 Ariya. Acura just ended production of the ZDX and Stellantis has abandoned the all-electric Ram REV. Those are among a growing list of planned EVs that no longer will make it into production — or will be substantially delayed. Here are some of the others.