Tesla shareholders have filed a lawsuit accusing Tesla and CEO Elon Musk of securities fraud, claiming they hid the potential dangers associated with the company’s new robotaxis. The suit touched off a sharp slump in Tesla sales.
Regulatory
Automakers Hold Back on Tariff Price Hikes – For Now
Pres. Donald Trump’s tariffs will add billions to the cost of manufacturing vehicles in the U.S., as well as importing products from abroad. So far, however, automakers have been reluctant to pass those higher costs onto consumers, fearing that could trigger a sharp downturn in demand. How long they can continue swallowing those higher costs remains to be seen. More from Headlight.News.
Hyundai Launches Recall for Ioniq 5 EV Fire Risk
In an abundance of caution, Hyundai has advised a small number of Ioniq 5 EV owners to park their vehicles outside and away from homes or other potential flammable items because of a risk of a battery-pack fire. It’s the latest in a series of recalls involving the all-electric crossover this year. More from Headlight.News.
Lyft to Become the Next Player in Robotaxi Market
With Tesla following Waymo and Uber set to get its own robotaxis into operation soon, the other ride-sharing giant, Lyft, is determined not to be left behind. The San Francisco-based ride-sharing service is partnering up with Holon and Bentler to start rolling out a fleet of autonomous shuttles next year. Headlight.News has more.
The Volkswagen ID.Buzz is Fizzling Out
There was plenty of, well, “buzz” when Volkswagen officially launched sales of the ID.Buzz battery-electric van last year, bringing out a modern incarnation of its legendary microbus. But that hasn’t translated into robust demand, VW selling barely 400 Buzz models a month so far this year. A temporary stop-sale didn’t help, but there are other problems that may be short-circuiting demand for the EV. Headlight.News has more.
Automakers Will Face No Fines for Missing Mileage Targets – and it Wil Cost Tesla Billions
Detroit’s Big Three automakers are among those cheering the Trump administrations decision to end penalties for missing federal fuel economy mandates. Not so Tesla, however. The automaker stands to lose billions of dollars in revenues earned selling mileage credits. Headlight.News explains.
Yet Another Major Ford Recall, This Time for Risk of Fire Involving 700,000 SUVs
It’s been a bad year for Ford Motor Co. – and, in this case, that’s bad for customers who have had to cope with a record flood of recalls. Add to the list another one announced Tuesday covering nearly 700,000 recent SUVs at risk of catching fire. For Ford, the service action will result in a $570 million charge to earnings. More from Headlight.News.
Ford Sets Auto Industry Recall Record – and it’s Only July
While Ford may be doing well from a sales perspective this year, there’s another number it can’t be proud of. Detroit’s second-largest automaker launched 89 separate recalls during the first six months of 2025 – surpassing the previous full-year record set by General Motors. And there may be more coming. More from Headlight.News.
Ford’s Latest Recalls Covers 850,000 Vehicles – But it Has Yet to Find a Fix
Ford is recalling more than 850,000 vehicles due to a faulty fuel pump issue. It’s about to notify customers – but there’s a bigger problem. It still doesn’t have a fix. What happens next? More from Headlight.News
Judge Sets Back Trump’s Anti-EV Agenda; Frees Up Public Charger Funding
A U.S. District Court judge has ordered the White House to release about $1 billion in funds set aside for the construction of a nationwide public EV charging network. The funds were frozen by Pres. Donald Trump as part of his campaign to rollback Biden-era electric vehicle mandates. But the administration is still pressing Congress to drop other EV programs, including federal tax credits of up to $7,500, reports Headlight.News.
Tesla Rolls Out First Robotaxis, Select Riders Paying Flat $4.20 Fee Per ride
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 a New Car as Trump Tariffs Take Hold
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.