Each week TheDetroitBureau.com reports on the biggest news and events happening in the auto industry and relays those stories in its weekly the Headlight News podcast. The roundup includes news, features, reviews and more.
The push to be a leader in the rapidly growing EV segment has pushed General Motors and Honda to expand their partnership once again. The pair pledged to work together to build “affordable” battery-electric vehicles set to hit the road in 2027. The new GM versions will have a price tag below the sub-$30K Equinox coming in 2024, officials said.
Some of the other stories you need to know about include:
- Rental car giant Hertz announced a deal to add 65,000 new Polestar EVs into its fleet at a cost of $3 billion. The deal follows an agreement to buy 100,000 EVs from Tesla;
- Ford reported is Q1 sales fell 17.1%, which put them ahead of GM, but behind other competitors like Hyundai and Kia. On a brighter note, the company did set a record for retail orders of its F-Series pickups in March;
- We’ll go back to the future at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours as the DeLorean Motor Co. plans to debut its new EV at the prestigious show, while we won’t get to see the Nissan Ariya EV as it’s been delayed again due to supply chain issues;
- Hyundai and Kia both offered glimpses of new vehicles they plan to debut at the New York International Auto Show later this week. The 2023 Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride are getting significant updates for the new model year; and,
- Tesla CEO Elon Musk told the crowd gathered to celebrate the opening of the Giga Texas plant the company will build robotaxis that were “futuristic” looking. However, he did not offer a timeline for when that would happen.
Executive Editor Joe Szczesny says several new industry-related numbers are serving to underscore the challenges facing automakers and consumers this year — and that is this week’s Top Story. Toyota revised its U.S. sales forecast down by 1 million vehicles as supply chain issues continue to plague the industry.
However, prices for materials have more than doubled in some instances meaning car prices are going to remain high — and the lack of materials, specifically semiconductors, means inventories — and by extension sales — will remain low, according to officials.
The 2022 GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 is just like its forefather, the Hummer H2: Big, brawny and off-road capable. Of course, the new model is also the complete opposite: fast, quiet and comfortable. And where the original was a complete gas hog, today’s version uses no gas at all. More importantly, this four-wheeled contradiction may be the most impressive machine on the road today, says Managing Editor Michael Strong. However, it’ll do anything you ask it to do, including traipsing up and down a mountain or racing from 0-to-60 mph in 3 seconds. Now all you need is about $120,000 to get one.
Strong continues by looking at what’s making news this week and, in a nutshell, it’s the New York International Auto Show. As previously mentioned, Hyundai and Kia will have new vehicle introductions for the event and they will be joined by others and TheDetroitBureau.com will be there. Stellantis will host its annual meeting as well, but those events aren’t always newsworthy.
Taking a look at this week in automotive history, we see this week in 1940, GM unveils the Buick Y-Job, the industry’s first concept car. Built on a Buick Super chassis and using its 5.2-liter eight-cylinder engine, GM design chief Harley Earl drives it until 1951.
In 1947, Henry Ford dies at his residence, Fair Lane, in Dearborn following a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 83. In 1968, Lincoln introduces the Continental Mark III, a successor to the 1956 Continental Mark II. A major sales success, the Continental’s styling influences Lincoln design for decades.
Find out more the industry’s history and more by listening to TheDetroitBureau’s latest edition of the Headlight News podcast by clicking here. And look for a new episode every Monday!
