Conventional wisdom suggests EV owners should prepare to spend thousands of dollars to replace their batteries well before trading in or trashing the vehicles. But a new study says that’s anything but accurate. Not only are the latest EV batteries lasting longer than the typical internal combustion engine but they’re maintaining most of their range before they finally do need to be replaced.
Tesla’s first day of robotaxi service in Austin, Texas appeared to go off without a disastrous hitch. However, federal safety regulators are looking into situations where the vehicles may have broken local traffic laws. Meanwhile riders offered their largely positive reviews. Get details at Headlight.News.
Headlight News for the Week of 6-23-25 includes: Trump Iran Attack and Gas Prices; New Corvette Hypercar; Tesla Launches Robotaxi; and more.
Tesla’s first robotaxis took to the streets of Austin, Texas on Sunday, the start-up ride-sharing service picking up invite-only riders for a flat $4.20 a trip. The move was hailed by Tesla bulls who see the move as the first step in what could become an even bigger business than the company’s EV operations. But it’s yet to be seen if Tesla can stand up against competitors like Waymo and Uber — or whether the backlash facing Tesla EVs will cripple the robotaxi service, as well. More from Headlight.News.
Expect to spend nearly $2,000 more for your next vehicle due to the Trump administration’s tariffs on imported autos and auto parts, automakers expected to pass on most of the $30 billion in higher costs they’ll face, according to a new study, But that could result in 1 million fewer sales this year, while some foreign-made vehicles will likely vanish from U.S. showrooms because they’ll be priced out of reach, reports Headlight.News.
Production of the Tesla Cybertruck, as well as the newly updated Model Y, will be paused later this month. The temporary move comes at a time when both products are struggling due to slow demand. Separately, Tesla is facing pressure to delay the launch of the long-awaited Robotaxi tentatively scheduled to also roll out of its Austin, Texas plant this coming weekend. More from Headlight.News.
Far too many EVs are long on promise and short on delivery when it comes to range. Thus, I was pleasantly surprised to see the 2025 Lucid Air Touring luxury sedan nail its trip computer’s range estimate. Find out more in our review at Headlight.News.
Ford has ordered the recall of more than 300,000 Mustang Mach-E battery-electric vehicles – while telling dealers to halt sales and deliveries. A software glitch could cause the electric SUVs to lock owners out of the vehicles or, in some situations, keep them locked inside.
The original Nissan Leaf was a game-changer. But while battery-electric vehicles today have a significant presence in the global automotive market, the Japanese EV has become little more than an afterthought. Rather than walking away, however, a completely new, third-generation Nissan Leaf today made its debut. And the automaker is betting its longer range, improved performance – and a shift to an SUV body style – will help it regain traction in today’s market. More from Headlight.News.
With Americans doing ever more shopping online, automakers are racing to come up with just the right delivery solutions. Honda redefines the “last mile” van with the new Fastport eQuad Prototype, an electric quadricycle designed for use in crowded urban situations. Among the unique features of the rickshaw-like vehicle: the ability to keep going by simply swapping out its battery pack. Headlight.News has more.
On this week’s HeadlightNews podcast, we cover GM’s $4B investment in U.S. plants, tumbling EV sales in April, the impact of tariffs on import vehicle sales and Tesla CEO ElonMusk waving the white flag. Go to HeadlightNews to check it out.
When Mazda pulled the plug on the RX-8 back in 2012 it was more than just the end of a production for a slow-selling sports car, it marked the end of the line for the rotary engine. But the once promising technology, more promising known as the Wankel engine, may be ready to make a comeback. But it will function in a distinctly different form than it did in the past, according to Mazda’s CEO. More from Headlight.News.