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Despite a truly terrible year for GM that involved plants being shut down for weeks due to a union strike, Bolt battery recalls, EV production problems, and the nightmare that keeps on giving that is Cruise, General Motors says it should tally up nearly $10 billion for 2023 – but we certainly don’t owe that to stellar EV sales.

GM released its annual forecast with fresh clarity, it says, about labor costs after the ink has dried on new union contracts in North America. Plus it has outlined its upcoming EV strategy, and how it plans to hurdle the fallout from Cruise, which already cost the company $2.7 billion last year.

Last November, GM said that it expected to reach nearly $10 billion, despite the $1.1 billion hit from the six-week UAW strike last year. Plus the Chevy Bolt EV battery recall costs $800 million in costs.

Still, CEO Mary Barra said that GM will “fully offset” those higher labor costs, with $2 billion worth of cuts part of the plan, meaning a lot of lost salaried jobs, reduced marketing spending, and “more efficient” manufacturing operation, according to Automotive News.

EV sales were rough last year: In 2023, GM delivered 75,883 BEVs in the US, about 2.9% of its total volume. Still, that’s a 93% bump from 2022. GM forecasts its total US auto industry sales to hit 16 million in 2024, but it has dropped its goal of making 400,000 EVs through mid-2024. Still, it is aiming to have 1 million EVs by 2025.

This year, the automaker expects adjusted earnings to be anywhere from $12 billion to $14 billion.

GM also says it hopes to turnaround its slow EV ramp-up, particularly around the issues with the Ultium battery architecture and supplier lag, Automotive News reports. GM sent teams up to help set up the assembly lines, and add module capacity to more EV plants, the report said.

Also, last month, Chevrolet stopped sales of its Chevy Blazy EV due to software issues.

General Motors said earlier this month that is finally ramping up production of its Cadillac all-electric Lyriq SUV this year. Barra also expects GM’s “competitive position” to improve, EV-wise, this year with the GMC Hummer EV, Chevrolet Silverado truck, and Blazer EV, although GM has a stop sale on the Blazer due to software issues.

Electrek’s Take

GM has some major hurdles ahead of it in its very immediate future. One, it needs a successful, problem-free launch of its Equinox EV, which starts at $35,000. Morningstar analyst David Whiston said that is its chance to jump ahead of Tesla in the only space Tesla doesn’t hold the reins – and that’s affordable EVs, reports Automotive News.

Dealing with Cruise is another top priority for GM, which just released its own investigation into what happened after a Cruise robotaxi struck and dragged a pedestrian about 20 feet rather than stopping in San Francisco. California’s Department of Motor Vehicles quickly pulled Cruise’s operating permit after the incident, with Cruise pausing all of its operations nationwide soon thereafter – it says it plans to restart in one city, but details aren’t yet available, and honestly, it’s hard to imagine that actually happening.

Meanwhile, a federal probe and independent investigations are looking into whether or not Cruise purposely withheld video footage of the incident from federal investigators. CEO and founder Kyle Vogt called it quits on November 19, followed by a mass layoff of 900 employees as well as nine top execs. Cruise is facing a potential $1.5 million in fines and additional sanctions over its failure to disclose details about the accident. So GM has its work cut out for it.

Photo credit: General Motors/Cadillac


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Honda launches 2025 Prologue deals: Here’s how you can snag some savings

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Honda launches 2025 Prologue deals: Here's how you can snag some savings

Honda’s electric SUV took the US by storm, becoming the top-selling EV in the US outside of Tesla in the final three months of 2024. This year, Honda is making the Prologue even more attractive, upgrading it with over 300 miles of range. With 2025 Prologue models now arriving at dealerships, Honda wasted no time launching new deals this week.

2025 Honda Prologue EV deals and offers

After the first models were delivered last March, the Honda Prologue quickly became one of the best-selling electric vehicles in the US.

In the second half of 2024, the Prologue was the second best-selling electric SUV, trailing only the Tesla Model Y. This year, it boasts even more driving range and power.

Since Honda didn’t raise prices, it’s essentially a free upgrade (well, sort of). The 2025 Honda Prologue (2WD) now has a “top-class” EPA rating of 308 miles, up 12 miles from the outgoing model. It also packs 220 horsepower (+8) and 243 lb-ft of torque (+7).

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The Prologue is still available in single-motor (2WD) and dual-motor (AWD) versions in three trims: EX, Touring, and Elite.

The AWD version now has a range of 294 miles (+13) for the EX and Touring trims and 283 miles (+10) for the Elite. It also now packs 300 horsepower (+12) and 355 lb-ft of torque (+25).

Honda-2025-Prologue-deals
Honda Prologue Elite (Source: Honda)

With DC fast charging speeds of up to 150 kW, the electric SUV can add 65 miles of range in around 10 minutes.

The 2025 Honda Prologue starts at $47,400, but with the $7,500 EV tax credit, prices could fall to under $40,000. And that’s for the EX single-motor version with up to 308 miles of range.

Honda-Prologue-2025-interior
2025 Honda Prologue Elite interior (Source: Honda)

On Honda’s website, the 2025 Prologue is listed with a promotional rate of 2.99% APR for up to 60 months. Lease prices for the base model are not yet available, but the 2025 AWD EX is listed at $599 for 36 months with $4,299 due at signing.

Although the deals on the 2025 models are not nearly as good as the 0% financing and leases as low as $269 per month for the 2024 Prologue, Honda had to make up for the upgrades somewhere.

Trim Drive Configuration Pricing EPA Ratings
MSRP After Federal EV Tax Credit Plus $1,450
D&H
Range Rating MPGe Rating
(City/Hwy/Combined)
EX Single Motor (2WD) $47,400 $39,900 $41,350 308 113 / 94 / 104
EX Dual Motor (AWD) $50,400 $42,900 $44,350 294 108 / 90 / 99
Touring Single Motor (2WD) $51,700 $44,200 $45,650 308 113 / 94 / 104
Touring Dual Motor (AWD) $54,700 $47,200 $48,650 294 108 / 90 / 99
Elite Dual Motor (AWD) $57,900 $50,400 $51,850 283 104 / 87 / 95
2025 Honda Prologue prices, range, and drive configuration by trim (Source: Honda)

Honda is sweetening the deal with a charging package included in the Prologue’s price. You can choose from a free Level 2 home charger, a portable charging kit, or a $750 public charging credit.

The 2024 Honda Prologue is selling out fast with ultra-low lease and financing rates, while the 2025 model promises even more. Ready to try it out for yourself? You can use our link to find deals on the 2024 and 2025 Honda Prologue in your area today.

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Block bets on lending expansion after stock slump

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Block bets on lending expansion after stock slump

In this photo illustration, the logo for the US tech firm “Block” is displayed and reflected in a number of digital screens on March 03, 2023 in London, England. 

Leon Neal | Getty Images

With its stock down more than 30% this year and revenue growth slowing, Jack Dorsey’s Block is going bigger in lending.

The company on Thursday said it secured approval from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to originate loans through its banking subsidiary, Square Financial Services, allowing it to offer small-dollar consumer loans directly rather than relying on external banking partners.

It’s an expansion of Cash App Borrow, the company’s short-term lending product. But it comes at a time of increased concerns surrounding consumer credit, with President Trump’s expansive tariffs and widespread government job cuts raising talk of a potential recession.

Transaction losses in Block’s lending segment jumped 39% last quarter, and while the company claims its underwriting model is strong, small-dollar lending is inherently risky.

“Cash App Borrow is designed to provide short-term cash flow in a simple and accessible way when alternatives are notoriously expensive and difficult for consumers to navigate,” Block said in the press release. The company added that the average Cash App Borrow loan was under $100 and about a month in duration.

Block didn’t immediately provide a comment.

In getting approval to operate the lending business out of its own bank, Block says it will be able to offer the product nationwide.

Last month, Block reported quarterly results that missed Wall Street expectations, with revenue growing just 4.5% from a year earlier. The stock plunged 18%, its worst one-day drop since 2020.

Around the same time, Block rolled out Afterpay, its buy now, pay later product, on the Cash App card. Chief Financial Officer Amrita Ahuja told CNBC that the launch aimed to provide customers with more credit options, and positioned Cash App as a banking alternative for some customers. Block acquired Afterpay, which competes with Affirm, for $29 billion in early 2022.

Also this week, Block announced a big investment plan in artificial intelligence.

The company said on Wednesday that it will deploy Nvidia’s AI systems with its latest Blackwell chips to power open-source AI research. Block didn’t say what specifically it’s looking to achieve through its AI buildout, but noted in the press release that it will “start exploring novel solutions for our customers.”

WATCH: Block shares drop after earnings

Block shares drop after reporting earnings and revenue miss

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Kia’s first electric van looks even better in person [Video]

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Kia's first electric van looks even better in person [Video]

Kia is launching its first electric van, the PV5, later this year. If you liked how it looked in pictures, wait until you see it in real life. A production PV5 was spotted in Korea for the first time, giving us a closer look at the futuristic van. See it for yourself in the video below.

Kia’s first electric van spotted in Korea

After teasing it for what seemed like forever, Kia finally took the sheets off the PV5 at its 2025 EV Day event last month.

With its hard-to-miss futuristic design, the PV5 is a near replica of the concept shown at CES last January. The mid-size electric van is set to kick off Kia’s new Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) strategy.

The PV5 will initially be available in Passenger, Cargo, and Chassis Cab setups, but with “unprecedented flexibility,” you can expect to see more options soon. Two of the first will be the PV5 Crew, with additional cargo securing options and a Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicle (WAV) version.

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After that, Kia will follow it up with Drop Side, Box Van, Freezer, Box, and Prime variations. It plans to launch a Light Camper conversion.

Kia PV5 spotted in Korea (Source: HealerTV)

With sales kicking off in the second half of 2025, Kia’s electric van was spotted in Korea for the first time without camouflage. A new video from HealerTV gives us a better idea of what to expect when the PV5 hits dealerships later this year.

The PV5 maintains its techy, almost ahead-of-its-time design. Two exterior body colors were shown: white and a darker grey or black. As the reporter notes, it actually looks like an upgrade from the concept.

Kia did what it could at the back so it didn’t look like a bus, giving it more of a rounded overall shape. You can see how it stands apart from most MPVs you see today.

Like the Volkswagen ID.Buzz, Kia’s PV5 looks more like a minibus. At 4,695 mm long, 1,895 mm wide, and 1,899 mm tall, Kia’s passenger electric van is slightly smaller than the European ID.Buzz model (4,712 mm long, 1,985 mm wide, 1,937 mm tall).

It will be available with 51.5 kWh and 71.2 kWh battery packs, good for up to 400 km (249 miles) WLTP range. The PV5 can also fast charge (10% to 80%) in about 30 minutes. In comparison, powered by an 84 kWh battery, the ID.Buzz now offers up to 293 miles WLTP range.

Kia will launch sales in Korea and Europe later this year, followed by other global markets in 2026. Pre-orders will open soon, so check back for prices.

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