The crash of a Cruise ride-share vehicle in San Francisco last October has raised concerns about the readiness of robocab technology. But how will buyers take to an alternative approach that has launched in Las Vegas? German startup Vay’s small car-sharing fleet doesn’t have humans onboard. Instead, it relies on remote “teledrivers.” More from Headlight.News.
This week’s Headlight News for the Week of 1-22-24 discusses the dip in new vehicle prices last year, Nissan delaying its next round of electric vehicles as well as the best and worst states for drivers. Get the podcast at Headlight.News.
The VW trend took off in the 1960s, as the loosening culture embraced the idea of a low-cost, easy-to-fix car. The low cost was key as the Boomer generation came of age and went looking for America. Read the whole story at Headlight.News.
Since it made its debut a full quarter-century ago, there’ve certainly been reasons to praise the Toyota Prius for its fuel-sipping hybrid powertrain. But it hasn’t scored big in either the performance or fun-to-drive categories. Now, with the latest-generation hatchback, it’s an entirely new game. And it’s won over our reviewer.
Ford plans to further roll back production on its F-150 Lightning electric pickup to keep it in line with demand. On the flip side, it plans to add 1,600 workers to the Michigan plant that builds Broncos, Rangers and the Raptor variant of each, including 900 all-new...
With dozens more new EVs expected to hit U.S. showrooms this year, sales of the vehicles have slowed. One reason for the flattening is a growing concern about the ability to charge these vehicles, especially as more and more hit the roads. The Biden administration released $773 million in new funding to build and, perhaps more importantly, repair EV stations across the country. Get details at Headlight.News.
Jeep’s been pushing the advantages of electrification within its lineup, in particular to the off-road experience. Now the brand is giving Jeep fans another chance to enjoy the outdoors quietly in the all new 2024 Jeep Wagoneer S. Get details at Headlight.News.
In 1927, the German director Fritz Lang’s legendary film, Metropolis, introduced the idea of humanoid robots. Now, nearly a century later, robots have become a common site on automotive assembly lines but look little like the Maschinenmensch Lang envisioned. Or they have so far. But as part of a new partnership with the California-based startup Figure, BMW is about to put the first humanoid robots to work on its assembly line in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Read all about it at Headlight.News.
American Honda enjoyed a massive sales increase in 2023. The brand is quick to point out it’s electrified models — i.e. hybrids — led the charge. More importantly, they expect it to happen again in 2024. Get details at Headlight.News.
Faster than a speeding bullet … (okay, faster than a Porsche 911) … able to stop speeding bullets and then tow trailers with minimal range loss. When Tesla CEO Elon Musk handed over the keys to the first production Cybertruck last November, he made lots of jaw-dropping claims about the safety, performance and range of the all-electric pickup. But can it live up to the hype? Maybe not, according to some recent reports. More from Headlight.News.
Ford wants to show what a high-performance version of its all-electric pickup can be capable of and today rolled out the F-150 Lightning Switchgear Demonstrator. It will make its first public appearance at the grueling King of the Hammers off-road race next week.
The automotive industry continues to claw its way back from the problems caused by the pandemic. Another milestone it expects to hit is a return to pre-pandemic vehicle inventory levels, or at least getting close. Get the story at Headlight.News.