“I bought this after Elon went crazy.” We’ve seen plenty of bumper stickers like that, lately, but this one was on the back of a Kia EV3, found in a snarky Instagram post by Kia’s Norwegian subsidiary. And, it seems, many Tesla buyers may be listening. A growing number of them are trading in as backlash grows against CEO Elon Musk’s turn to the political right. Protests are growing at Tesla dealerships around the world, one showroom in France firebombed. Here’s more.
Ford plans to invest up to $4.8 billion in its German operations, hoping to kick start is flagging European sales. The company’s German business is in the midst of a significant transformation, focused on cutting costs and becoming more competitive. Headlight.News has details.
In this week’s Headlight.News podcast we cover the latest tariff updates, Nissan’s troubles, Tesla’s woes and whoa and a review of the 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander SUV. Check it out at Headlight.News or on Spotify!
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he would delay by a month new tariffs covering Canadian and Mexican auto imports. But even with that delay, the industry is waiting to see if Trump will next move to target additional trade partners. Trump has already hinted that European automakers could be next in his sights. More from Headlight.News.
European Union officials reaffirm 2035 ban on new gasoline cars while also making revisions to help automakers reach these targets easier as the market continues to shift.
Did the U.S. State Department craft a $400 million windfall deal for Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk as payback for the executive’s leading role in the Trump administration? And is it now trying to cover up the truth behind the proposed purchase of armored versions of the Tesla Cybertruck? That’s a question one ranking member of the Senate is trying to find out.
President Donald Trump, as expected, launched new tariffs targeting Canada and Mexico while also increasing prior tariffs on China. All three countries responded with their own trade sanctions. The tariff war will increase prices on everything from avocados to semiconductors but economists warn few consumer goods will feel the heat more than automobiles – some models set to see price hikes of $12,000 or more. At a time when sticker shock is already impacting sales, analysts fear the U.S. auto industry could see sales and profits tumble – while job cuts also could be in the offing.
Since his inauguration five weeks ago, Donald Trump has taken numerous steps to cripple the emerging U.S. EV market. His latest move: shutting down about 8,000 charger ports currently operating at federal government buildings. He also has ordered the GSA to get rid of the EVs it recently acquired for its fleet. More from Headlight.News.
Automakers and auto buyers could face new import tariffs, based on comments made by Pres. Donald Trump. Such a move would drive up costs not only for foreign-made vehicles but likely also will impact many of those assembled in the U.S. as most of those rely on imported parts and components. With the average transaction price for new vehicles already near record levels, analysts warn, many buyers could be priced out of the market. And, with some trade partners already warning they would strike back with new tariffs of their own, U.S. auto exports may also take a big hit.
Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida announced a desperate new bid to reverse the company’s mounting losses after a planned merger with Honda collapsed. The second-largest Japanese automaker now plans to close three plants, reduce U.S. production and eliminate thousands of jobs. The announcement came as Uchida revealed still more losses for Nissan’s latest fiscal quarter.
The U.S. State Department on Wednesday appeared to back down on plans to purchase $400 million in armored Tesla Cybertrucks amids mounting questions about a conflict of interest considering the automaker’s CEO Elon Musk plays a major role in the new Trump administration. But it’s unclear from an updated procurement forecast whether authorities will switch to other vehicles or have simply obscured their purchase plans.
A group of U.S. Senate Republicans proposed new legislation that would charge anyone who buys a new electric vehicle a $1,000 fee at the time of purchase. The stated goal is to off-set the lost federal gas tax revenue used to help maintain America’s roads and bridges. However, is it fair or one more attack by the party on EVs. Get details at Headlight.News.