Pablo di Si unexpectedly stepped down as head of the Volkswagen Group of America and will be replaced by Rivian executive Kjell Gruner, the automaker announced Tuesday. The move comes at a critical time for VW which has been struggling to move its all-electric models in the U.S., even as it prepares to launch the all-new, all-electric Scout brand.
José Muñoz will become global chief executive officer of Hyundai Motor Co. on Jan. 1. It will mark the first time a non-Korean will move into that leadership position — and comes at a critical time for what has become one of the world’s largest automakers.
Months after announcing a tentative alliance, Rivian and Volkswagen firmed up their relationship Wednesday, announcing that the German automaker is making a nearly $6 billion investment into the U.S. EV start-up. The news sent Rivian shares surging after they had fallen by as much as two-thirds their 52-week-high in recent months.
The 2024 election cost organized labor — especially the UAW — influence in Washington, D.C. It also handed an old foe, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, more sway over industry and labor in the new administration. Get the story at Headlight.News.
In this week’s episode of the podcast, we talk about Trump’s potential impact on the auto industry and the major job cuts that are rippling across the automotive industry. We also visit SEMA 2024 and review a new vehicle before taking a stop to look at This Week in Automotive History.
Bait-and-switch, hidden fees and other dealer scams could proliferate under the incoming administration of Donald Trump, experts warn, as the president-elect signals plans to eliminate or scale back various consumer protection rules.
After scoring a major win in the election this week, President-elect Donald Trump is widely expected to move quickly on a broad agenda when taking office next January. He has made it clear this will include a number of issues critical to the auto industry, including tariffs and EVs. That presents some significant opportunities for manufacturers, but also poses quite a few risks, said a senior Toyota executive who spoke to Headlight.News shortly after Trump’s victory was confirmed.
Among all the divisive issues that the 2024 presidential race has brought to the fore you can add battery-electric vehicles. Studies have shown a clear divide between Democrats and Republicans when it comes to EVs – but a new study suggests that, going forward, who you vote for might have less of an influence on whether you go electric in the future.
Facing mounting criticism for the automaker’s recent plunge in sales and earnings, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares will retire in 2026. The announcement comes amidst a major shake-up in the automaker’s Euro-American management team.
It’s a put-up-or-shut-up-day for Elon Musk as Tesla prepares to reveal its long-promised Cybercab, but the company has plenty of other challenges facing it right now, starting with the departure of four top-level executives leading an exodus of talent as insiders balk at the CEO’s increasingly erratic behavior.
Nissan showed its former CEO who’s “The Boss” as it won a battle in court ordering Carlos Ghosn to return a 121-foot yacht of that name, along with $32 million in damages. That’s the latest twist in a battle that began when the executive was arrested for alleged financial crimes in 2018.
Stellantis Plans to lay off hundreds of full-time and seasonal employees starting October 1 as it enters “full execution mode” aimed at coping with slumping sales and earnings. But the cuts could lead to further friction even as members of the United Auto Workers Union vote on whether to authorize a strike at the Euro-American automaker.