The New Year brings bad news for potential EV buyers as only a handful of models now qualify for federal tax credits of up to $7,500. That’s because of new requirements covering the sourcing of batteries and raw materials like lithium and cobalt. Among the brands impacted are Tesla, Nissan, General Motors and Ford. And analysts worry this could further slow growth of EV sales.
While its products are no longer available in the U.S., Daihatsu is an important part of the Toyota brand empire, with sizable markets in Japan and other parts of the world. But the minicar maker has halted Japanese production after it acknowledged that it has cheated on safety tests for the last 30 years. And that’s just the latest problem for Daihatsu, reports Headlight.News.
Tesla is wrapping up 2023 with another record under its belt. But while sales hit an all-time high they still fell short of CEO Elon Musk’s ambitious forecast. And the Texas-based automaker has a growing list of problems on its plate, including mounting pressure for another recall following the one it announced two weeks ago.
Porsche and Audi dealing with two actions, one of which isn’t about the vehicles, but the charging cables. The other recall covers just 205 Porsche Taycans at risk for fire due to overcharging. Get details at Headlight.News.
The U.S. auto industry set a new fuel economy record in 2022, according to the EPA – though Detroit’s Big Three automakers lagged both foreign-owned brands and domestic start-ups. It marked the biggest improvement in mileage in nine years. More from Headlight.News .
Airbags have saved so many lives during the past two decades, but they’ve also been the cause of the largest single automotive recall in history. Automakers are currently fighting an effort by federal safety regulators recall 52 million airbag inflators. It would be the second-largest recall. Get details at Headlight.News.
Passive alcohol-detection systems are mandated by law. But don’t expect them to arrive without controversy. The first steps toward mandating car technology passive alcohol-detection systems that prevent drunk or impaired driving will become reality under a new federal...
Cruise LLC, GM’s autonomous vehicle arm, continues to feel the impact of an October 2 crash that nearly killed a pedestrian in San Francisco. The robotaxi company will eliminate a quarter of its workforce in a bid to move onto “a more deliberate path with safety as the north star.” That includes nine senior executives cited in an ongoing safety investigation.”
Tesla will recall 2 million EVs sold in the U.S. to make significant updates to its Autopilot system. As Headlight.News reported Tuesday, the semi-autonomous technology has come under fire because, among other things, it can be used on roads for which it was not designed. That has been linked to numerous fatal crashes. But Tesla put a positive spin on the issue, CEO Elon Musk claiming the recall is part of a “moral obligation” to ensure the safety of its vehicles.
The United Auto Workers is stepping up its campaign to organize workers in Southern states, filing a series of unfair labor practice complaints against Honda, Hyundai and Volkswagen as part of the effort. Headlight.News has details.
Facing declining demand for its Jeep Wrangler, Grand Cherokee and Gladiator models, Jeep says it will cut as many as 3,700 jobs at plants in Michigan and Ohio — and its putting at least some of the blame on California’s tough emissions rules.
The Biden admin. may give a critical boost to the auto industry as sales of battery-electric vehicles slow, temporarily lifting rules sharply curtailing the number of EVs qualifying for federal tax credits. But the senator who introduced the restrictions says he’ll fight any rollback, reports Headlight.News.