On this week’s podcast, Headlight News covers the debut of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ new EV company, Slate, and its first product and electric pickup. We also review the 2025 Cadillac Optiq and look at the other stories coming in the week ahead.
Tariffs
Bye-Bye Buick? Trump Tariffs Could Kill this GM Brand
Carmakers are scrambling to adapt to the tariffs Pres. Donald Trump has enacted, U.S. new vehicle sales estimated to drop as much as 2 million this year due to higher prices. But no brand is as vulnerable as Buick. That’s because the vast majority of the General Motors brand’s products are imported from South Korea and China.
April Car Sales Jump as Americans Look to Beat Tariff Price Increases
Concerns about a potential substantial increase in new vehicle prices has sent Americans scrambling to car dealers in April — the second straight month. The result is big sales numbers and shrinking inventory that could end up raising prices anyway. Get details at Headlight.News.
Buy Now or Wait? Car Buyers Battered By Tariffs
Trump’s tariffs are beginning to unnerve consumers as they eye purchasing new vehicles, forcing some buyers to jump off the fence and race into dealerships, while others have decided to wait out the chaos. Headlight.News has more.
Trump Signals U-Turn on Chinese Tariffs – Potentially Big News for Auto Industry
President Trump signaled tariffs on Chinese imports would “come down substantially,” though no specifics have yet been released by the White House. The news had stock markets rallying and automakers hoping this could reduce their own burden, analysts previously warning that tariffs could cost the U.S. industry up to 2 million sales this year. But manufacturers are still facing big hits from tariffs on Mexican and Canadian-made autos and auto parts, reports Headlight.News.
Tesla’s Q1 Earnings Fall Short of Wall Street Expectations
EV maker Tesla’s first-quarter earnings didn’t meet Wall Street expectations. Analysts predicted the company’s earnings would be flat on a year-over-year basis, but the company’s revenues were down 9%, and its adjusted earnings slid 17%. Find out more at Headlight.News.
Motorists Becoming More Comfortable With EVs – Though Growth Has Slowed
Motorists around the world are becoming increasingly comfortable with purchasing and owning EVs, according to a new study, though Americans lag well behind their counterparts in Europe and, in particular, China. Credit the longer range, faster charging and lower costs of newer EV models, consumers told McKinsey & Co. Headlight.News has more.
Tesla Share of California EV Market Drops Below 50%
Tesla sales have fallen all over the world, much of that due to backlash against CEO Elon Musk’s political ties to the Trump administration. Now, the automaker’s share of the bellwether California EV market has dipped below 50%, as competitors draw in EV buyers with a flood of new products.
Ford Warns Dealers Tariff Price Hikes are Coming
As buyers snap up unsold vehicles, Ford cautions dealers prices will be going up as the result of the new Trump auto tariffs. And other manufacturers say they likely will follow. More from Headlight.News.
2026 Hyundai Palisade Grows Larger, Goes Further – And Adds Go-Anywhere XRT Pro Package
Hyundai’s flagship Palisade SUV gets a makeover for 2026 and the three-row SUV not only grows bigger but adds a new hybrid option that can log more than 600 miles between fill-ups. For those who don’t want to stick to the pavement, meanwhile, there’s the brand’s first new XRT Pro package. Headlight.News has more.
Trump May Offer Exemptions on Import Auto Tariffs
President Donald Trump signaled he may again reverse himself on a key part of his tariff plan, this time telling reporters that he is “looking at” temporary exemptions from the 25% tariffs covering imported autos and auto parts. Experts warned that plan would add thousands of dollars to the cost of both U.S. and foreign-made vehicles and cost the industry nearly 2 million sales for all of 2025. Headlight.News has more.
Subaru Teases Debut of Its Second EV, the Trailseeker
Subaru has some big news to make at this year’s New York International Auto Show. The Japanese automaker previously confirmed plans to bring the next-generation Outback to the Jacob Javits Convention Center and now has revealed that it also will debut the Trailseeker, its second all-electric crossover. Headlight.News has more.