Ford Bets Fathom’s $28,350 Base Price Can Re-Energize the EV Market
Manufacturing & Production
Hybrids Charge Up July U.S. Auto Sales
What automotive downturn? We’ve been hearing a lot of doom-and-gloom forecasts in recent months but you’d be hard-pressed to take them seriously based on July sales. While a few manufacturers have yet to weigh in, demand surged for the month, with more than a few brands setting records. The driving force? Hybrids. More from Headlight.News.
Killer Quake Could Mean Shortages of Some Japanese Models, Including New Lexus ES
The death toll continues to mount as recue crews search rubble following a major earthquake hit Japan this week. The temblor also has hammered Japanese industry, several automakers suspending production as they deal with damage at their plants. More from Headlight.News.
GM Q2 Earnings Beat Expectations as Barra Ups Full-Year Forecast
Despite a billion-dollar decline, largely due to EV write-offs, General Motors beat Wall Street’s earnings forecast for the second quarter – and raised its full-year guidance, Headlight.News reports.
No Way to Stop China’s Domestic Brands from Reshaping the Global Auto Industry
The growth of China’s auto industry is posing a threat to long-established automakers, who are looking for protection even as consumers, pressured by the rising price of new vehicles, take a serious look at what brands like BYD, Geely and Zeekr have to offer. How long can they remain locked out of the American market? More from Headlight.News.
Honda Exiting U.S. EV Market – But May Add New Plant to Double Down on Hybrids
Honda will end production of the Prologue, its only remaining battery-electric vehicle offered in the U.S., at the end of the 2026 model year. The move caps a frantic retreat by a company that, not long ago, wanted to become a dominant player in the American EV market. Now it’s shifting focus to a complete line-up of hybrids – and may build a new U.S. plant to produce them. More from Headlight.News.
Hazardous Air from Canadian Forest Fires Stirs Up Labor Unrest in Auto Plants.
As heat and smoke from unchecked Canadian wildfires settled over auto plants from Flint, Michigan southward through Detroit to Toledo, employee complaints about unsafe working conditions has skyrocketed – complaints compounded by heat wave.
With Bankruptcy Looming Over Lucid Could This Mark the End of the EV Start-Up Era
Lucid denies it is preparing to file bankruptcy but the company is clearly in trouble. And that raises new concerns about a handful of other battery-electric brands, like Rivian and Slate still hoping to find their own niches. Only a few years ago a flood of EV start-ups seemed ready to kick the established automakers to the curb. What went wrong? Just about everything.
Here’s Why Toyota is Delaying Launch of Highlander EV by 2 Months
Toyota has ordered a two-month delay in the launch of its next battery-electric vehicle, the Highlander EV, the 3-row model now pushed back until early next year. Headlight.News has the exclusive reason for the delay.
Tesla’s Sales Surge – But China’s BYD Set to Reclaim Global Lead
Tesla’s second-quarter sales surged by more than 20%, far exceeding Wall Street expectations. But China’s BYD handily maintained its global lead in EV sales. And that sent Tesla shares on a sharp decline.
VW May Cut 100k Jobs, Close Four Plants, in Biggest-Ever Restructuring
Volkswagen is preparing what may become the largest restructuring in its nearly 90-year history, a move that could see as many as 100,000 workers lose their jobs as four German plants close. The move is blamed on its weakening position against domestic Chinese brands like BYD and Geely, reports Headlight.News.
BMW’s Spartanburg Factory Is Becoming a Glimpse of the Auto Plant of the Future
The automobile factory of the future will not look like the one that built your grandfather’s car. In fact, BMW’s Spartanburg, South Carolina, plant is becoming a rolling experiment in what that future might look like.