It was a good year for BMW, the automaker gaining traction in most global markets while setting an all-time record in the U.S. To keep the momentum going, the automaker is planning a product blitz that will see nearly 40 new models come to market over the next half-decade, including an assortment of battery-electric vehicles, EVs already generating about 13% of the Bavarian automakers U.S. sales.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is reacting to the EV maker’s sluggish sales by cutting 10% of the company’s global workforce, according to reports. Additionally, he’s making other personnel changes aimed at reducing overhead. The move comes 10 days after he slashed prices on vehicles to stimulate sales. Find out more at Headlight.News.
Ford is the latest automaker to cut the price of an electric vehicle, shaving as much as 7.5% off the F-150 Lightning pickup truck. The move comes as the automaker resumed deliveries of the pickup — and several others. Find out more at Headlight.News.
Nascent vehicle maker Ineos plans to charge $14,000 more for its new Grenadier Quartermaster pickup than its initial offering, the Grenadier SUV. The Quartermaster’s pricing starts at $86,900 and can be optioned up past $113,000. Get details at Headlight.News.
Nascent EV maker Lucid Motors reported its first-quarter deliveries were up 40% compared with the year-ago period. The increase mirrored strong electric vehicle sales across the industry, except for top-selling Tesla. Find out more at Headlight.News.
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Tesla pulled the plug on a program aimed at developing a $25,000 EV, even as Chinese automakers led by BYD double down on bringing to market all-electric vehicles affordable often to reach mainstream buyers. According to Reuters, Tesla CEO Elon Musk now wants to focus on self-driving robocabs.
Ford this week confirmed it will indefinitely delay the launch of a new, all-electric SUV to put more focus on hybrids. It’s also cut back on production of its F-150 Lightning pickup. But while some EV skeptics take these moves as a sign that the market for all-electric vehicles is waning, Ford actually saw a surge during the first quarter, notably for its Mustang Mach-E. Here’s how it charged up demand.
In mid-March, Tesla officials warned a $1,000 price increase would be applied to the Model Y on April 1 — and they made good on it. Just four days later, the EV maker is offering big discounts on several vehicles, hoping to shed excess inventory. Find out more at Headline.News.
With sales falling sharply, the first quarter of 2024 was an “unmitigated disaster,” according to one of Tesla’s big boosters. Now, one of the automaker’s big critics is warning the company could “go bust.”
Ford mirrored the push by several other automakers to delay production of its electric vehicles, by pushing back its anticipated all-electric SUV and next-generation electric pickup truck. It also revealed plans to grow its hybrid offerings to meet growing demand for them. Find out more at Headlight.News.
It’s become something of conventional wisdom that the EV market is slowing down. And there’s no question that, on a percentage basis, the growth rate for battery-electric vehicles has slowed over the last 12 months. But the market does continue to grow, Kia’s EV sales jumping 151% in March. Ironically, it was the 800-pound gorilla of the battery-electric market, Tesla, where sales fell well short of expectations.