Struggling Polestar faces some serious financial challenges now that Volvo, its Swedish parent, plans to cut off funding for the battery-electric startup. It’s the latest sign of retrenchment by the auto industry as the rapid growth of EV sales has started to flatten out. Volvo itself continues to move forward with plans to become an all-electric brand by decade’s end. Investors applauded the move — and Volvo’s stronger than expected earnings.
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Buyers Happier about Vehicle Purchasing Experience in 2023
More vehicle buyers — new and used — said they were satisfied with the experience in 2023 than the previous two years, according to a new Cox Automotive study. Electric vehicle buyers were the happiest with 80% saying they were satisfied. Find out more at Headlight.News.
First Drive: 2024 Lexus GX 550 — A Complete Makeover
Not long ago, Lexus buyers had a single utility vehicle to choose from: the time-tested RX. Today, the Japanese luxury brand has one of the broadest portfolios of SUVs and CUVs on the market. That includes the Lexus GX which, for 2024, gets a ground-up makeover. There’s a new chassis, a new engine, a more classic exterior design and a more high-tech interior. There’s also the all-new Overtrail trim package which adds more rugged features that, as its name suggests, will allow for more serious off-road adventures. Headlight.News headed down to Tucson, Arizona to test out the 2024 Lexus GX.
Mazda Takes Wraps off New Ute: 2025 CX-70
Japanese automaker Mazda continues the revamping of its sport-utility portfolio with the reveal of its 2025 CX-70. However, don’t be fooled by the name. This isn’t something that sits between the CX-50 and CX-90 in size — it’s simply a two-row CX-90. Find out more at Headlight.News.
GM Bringing Plug-In Hybrids to North American Market
After reporting a profitable 2023 that exceeded their own expectations, GM officials revealed they’re deploying plug-in hybrid vehicles — for certain models — to the North American market. It was a decision made after reviewing and tweaking its EV production plans and feedback from dealers. Find out more from Headlight.News.
GM Beats Internal Earnings Targets for 2023, Offering Dividend
Detroit-based automaker General Motors beat its internal guidance numbers for the 2023 earnings while raising the bar for 2024. The higher earnings forecast comes despite sizeable rise in costs expected due to the new UAW labor contract. The automaker beat its...
A Shadow of Its Former Self: Geneva Motor Show Returns with Almost No Major Brands
The COVID pandemic devastated the Auto show circuit — none hit harder than the annual event in Geneva, Switzerland. For more than a century it was a must attend gathering that drew in a Who’s Who from the automotive world. But the pandemic put the Geneva International Motor Show on hold in 2020 and now, as it gets set to stage its return, it’s looking to be a shadow of its former self, with only a handful of major brands set to exhibit at the PALExpo convention center.
EV Revolution Continues to Roll Along, Analysts Say
No one said it was going to be easy, but the demise of the auto industry’s turn toward electric vehicles is being exaggerated, analysts said during Society of Automotive Analysts annual Automotive Outlook Conference. Get details at Headlight.News.
Soaring Fuel Prices Threaten Market for Hydrogen Vehicles
When Toyota introduced the Mirai fuel-cell vehicle three years ago the automaker tossed in an appealing incentive, $15,000 worth of the hydrogen needed to power it up. At the time, it cost just over $70 to fill Mira’s 5.6-kilogram tank. Today, you’ll pay over $200 – if you can find the lightweight gas, as many of the stations providing it have run dry. And that’s threatening to short-circuit the “hydrogen economy” that fuel-cell proponents have predicted is just around the corner.
2024 Mazda Miata Gets Some Welcome Updates
Change typically comes slowly to the Mazda Miata which remains surprisingly close in design to the original roadster introduced back in 1989. But while the Japanese automaker doesn’t go for revolutionary makeovers, the 2024 Mazda Miata shows that even modest updates can be quite welcome. Headlight.News takes a closer look.
Apple Delaying EV Launch Four Years, Downgrades Planned Self-Driving Capabilities
It’s been a decade since Apple began work on what was to be a self-driving, all-electric vehicle. But, after years of turmoil, Project Titan appears to be delayed again, by at least four years. And it will have far less autonomous driving capabilities than originally planned, according to a new report. More from Headlight.News.
Latest Recall Adds to Tesla’s Very, Very, Very Bad Week
Tesla will recall 200,000 EVs to address a problem with their backup camera. The latest in a series of recalls comes as the automaker faces some serious challenges, including a slowdown in sales and earnings that led to a major sell-off of stock this week, wiping out $80 billion in shareholder value. Headlight.News has more.