On this week’s Headlight News podcast, we cover the big hit to Stellantis’ earnings, Toyota’s changes at the top as well as its new EV, plus the decline of new car sales last month. We also review the 2026 Honda Prelude and more. Give us a listen!
Technology
EV Sales Fall, But EV Charger Installations Jump 30% in 2025
Electric vehicle sales continue to slide, but the need to charge the millions of EVs currently on the road — and the thousands more to come — still needs to be met, and new report reveals that public DC fast-charging port installations grew 30% last year. Get the details at Headlight.News.
New Toyota CEO “Loves Money” And Will Need it to Grow Hybrids, Software, Robotaxi Operations
Toyota has a new CEO set to take charge on April 1 and, unlike the man he’ll succeed, Kenta Kon is a finance guy determined to deliver some big numbers for the world’s largest automaker. He intends to build up Toyota’s war chest – and one way he’ll do that is with a planned 30% increase in hybrid sales by 2028. More from Headlight.News.
Honda Set to Roll S+ Shift Out Across its Hybrid Line-Up
Honda’s sixth-generation Prelude is just rolling into U.S. showrooms and one of its more intriguing features is the new S+ Shift which is designed to “simulate a performance transmission experience.” Expect to see the system start rolling out across the rest of the Honda line-up starting later this year.
Ford Getting Chatty with Chinese Automakers
Ford CEO Jim Farley’s recent positive comments about China’s growing EV fleet may have been the catalyst for talks with some Chinese automakers about potential production partnerships. Headlight.News has details.
Headlight.News Podcast for the Week of 2-2-26
This week’s Headlight News podcast chronicles the fall of GM and Tesla earnings, Toyota setting a new sales record, Mercedes showing its new S-Class, automakers not advertising during the Super Bowl this year. Give us a listen and tell us what you think.
A Week With: 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Hybrid Autobiography
With its formal look, elevated driving position and luxurious accoutrements, one might be tempted to think the 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Hybrid Autobiography is just another hifalutin luxury SUV. Find out just how true that is in our review at Headlight.News.
First Look: 2027 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is Far More than the Typical “Mid-Cycle Refresh”
It’s industry norm to make some changes midway through a vehicle’s lifecycle, though the updates are typically modest. Not so the “refresh” coming with the 2027 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. According to the automaker’s CEO, more than 2,700 components have been replaced, with updates to everything from its new “Digital Light” headlamps to its MB.OS supercomputer – and it even gets industry-first heated seatbelts. More from Headlight.News.
Honda, DriveOhio Team Up to Proactively Spot, Repair Road Problems
A pilot program partnering Honda and DriveOhio aims to catch small problems on the state’s roads and repair them before they get big using crowdsourced information. Headlight.News has more on the prototype Honda Proactive Roadway Maintenance System.
Falling Sales, Readying for Cybercab Crimps Tesla 2025 Earnings
Tesla faced plenty of headwinds in 2025, and the company’s revenue and profits took a hit as a result. Despite the declines, the company offered its shareholders glass-half-full guidance for 2026, and the stock rose in after-hours trading. Get the story at Headlight.News.
Headlight News Podcast for the Week of 1-26-26
On this week’s Headlight News podcast, we cover the influence China is having on the U.S. automotive market, declining Cybertruck demand and sales, Mercedes equipping its 2027 E-Class with heated seatbelts and more. Check it out at Headlight.News.
Jaguar May Not Go 100% EV, After All
But for a handful of EV-only brands like Tesla, most automotive brands have been rethinking their electrification strategies to reflect shifting government regulations and consumer demand. Add the Jaguar half of JLR which, according to a new report, is backing off its all-EV strategy as it works up a range-extender option for the new Typee 00 model due to debut about a year from now. More from Headlight.News.