Headlight News for the Week of 1-2-24: 2023 Sales Rebound – EV Tax Credits – a Good Time to Buy an EV – 2024 Subaru Crosstrek. Check it out for these stories and more!
Automakers
Ford Brags on F-Series Sales Yet Again
The real news is that pickup truck sales were up dramatically for both Ford and GM. Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan sales were also up. Only Ram trucks had a down year. Read all about it at Headlight.News.
Tesla Sets Sales Record – But Still Misses its Target as BYD Closes the Gap
Tesla delivered 485,000 vehicles during the fourth quarter, bringing total sales for the year to 1.8 million, an all-time record. But the automaker fell short of the 2 million target CEO Elon Musk set early last year. And it has BYD, breathing down its neck, even though that major Chinese competitor has yet to enter the North American market.
EV Sales Could Slow as Tesla, Nissan, GM Lose U.S. Tax Credits on Some Models
The New Year brings bad news for potential EV buyers as only a handful of models now qualify for federal tax credits of up to $7,500. That’s because of new requirements covering the sourcing of batteries and raw materials like lithium and cobalt. Among the brands impacted are Tesla, Nissan, General Motors and Ford. And analysts worry this could further slow growth of EV sales.
Despite Ongoing Feud with Unions, Tesla Captures Top Sales Spot in Norway
Tesla’s been locked in a running disagreement with Norway’s unions for weeks now and has been feeling the effects. Well, everywhere but its showrooms where Norwegians continue to trek to and buy EVs. In fact, Tesla’s the topselling brand — for the third straight year. Get details at Headlight.News.
EV Tax Credits Will be Easier to Use, Harder to Find in 2024
Federal tax credits can make buying an EV a lot more affordable. And the good news is that rule changes coming Jan. 1, 2024 make it easier for retail customers to get up to $7,500 on a qualifying vehicle, buyers no longer having to wait until the next time they file taxes. Commercial buyers also will find it easier to get EV incentives. The bad news is that a number of EVs no longer will be eligible for federal incentives this coming year. Headlight.News helps clear things up.
Dozens More EVs Coming in 2025 and 2026
At least 40 new battery-electric vehicles are due to reach U.S. showrooms in 2024 — and that’s a conservative estimate as we’ve had a number of surprises dropped on us by both domestic and foreign-owned brands. If anything, the flood of EV offerings will likely accelerate going forward. Here’s a look at some of the models we’re expecting in 2025 and 2026. Headlight.News checks out 45 of them.
Five Important Stories That Most People Ignored in 2023
By far the most alarming story that’s being taken in stride are the allegations that Tesla has been blaming known problematic parts failures on their customers, accusing Tesla buyers of having poor driving habits. Worse, the company has billed its customers for repairs stemming from known defective parts, and has tap danced around regulators on the issue. Read it all at Headlight.News
A Week With: 2024 Nissan Pathfinder Sports Improved Looks, Same performance
It’s hard to believe there once was a time when the Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota 4Runner competed fender to fender for off-road supremacy. After a 10-year split, the Pathfinder appears ready rumble off-road again. Check it out in our review at Headlight.News.
Here are the 40+ EVs Coming to Market in 2024
As recently as 2019 you’d have to struggle to find an EV at your local showroom. Today, however, there are more than 50 different nameplates available in the U.S., the vast majority offered with range exceeding 200 miles – and some products doubling that figure. But the pace of introductions is only set to accelerate, with dozens of new battery-electric vehicles soon coming to market. Headlight.News checks out the most interesting and important products debuting in 2024.
Our Top Test Drives of 2023
Wow; that was a quick year. It was 12 months of a changing vehicle mix, as more EVs are coming to market than ever. Nevertheless, it’s been a year of some fun test drives. Headlight.News offers up its list of the best for you to review yourself.
Toyota’s Daihatsu Arm Halts Production After Admitting it Faked Decades of Safety Tests
While its products are no longer available in the U.S., Daihatsu is an important part of the Toyota brand empire, with sizable markets in Japan and other parts of the world. But the minicar maker has halted Japanese production after it acknowledged that it has cheated on safety tests for the last 30 years. And that’s just the latest problem for Daihatsu, reports Headlight.News.