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Ford reaches best annual and Q4 sales since 2019
Ford maintained its position as the number one commercial vehicle seller in the United States in 2025 while reaching its best annual and fourth quarter (Q4) sales since 2019. The company’s sales for the year climbed 6% to 2,204,124 vehicles, giving it a market share of 13.2%. For Q4, sales were up 2.7% and outperformed the industry, with its market share rising 0.9 percentage points for the quarter. “We’re growing share and beating the trend because we offer a great range of products, from accessible entry-level models to high-performance off-roaders,” Ford Blue and Model e president, Andrew Frick, said. The company's F-Series trucks secured their 49th consecutive year as America’s best-selling truck and 44 years as America’s best-selling vehicle. Ford sold 828,832 trucks in 2025, an 8.3% increase from 2024. The Explorer also remained America’s best-selling SUV, and the Bronco posted a new annual sales record. Hybrid vehicles for the company also achieved record Q4 and yearly sales, with 228.072 vehicles sold. This marks a 21.7% increase for the year. The Ford Pro Transit van was America’s best-selling van and set a new annual record of 161,797 vehicles sold. “Our growth across record hybrid sales shows
Motoring
US to remain fossils driver as China spreads EV supremacy
By bolting the door against Chinese innovation as part of its fight to maintain global superiority, the United States has successfully protected its legacy fossil-fuel industry - yet at the cost of leaving its consumers behind in the global automotive tech race. The rapid acceleration of China and its auto exports has fundamentally tilted the playing field, making the bustling wharves of Fremantle and Brisbane the new ground zero for a silent, high-voltage invasion that is currently rewriting the rules of the road for the next decade. America is currently missing out on the rapid R&D cycles that are defining the next fifty years of transport, and (somewhat ironically) Australia has accidentally become the world’s most advanced automotive laboratory. In the U.S., a 100% tariff "deadbolt" has been slid across the door, essentially banning the world’s most sophisticated New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) out of China to protect an incumbent industry that is still struggling to find the "on" switch. Meanwhile Australia, with its diverse and rugged terrain, has become a proving ground for this production overflow, its consumers benefiting from a level of choice and fierce competition from the Middle Kingdom that U.S. buyers simply
Motoring
Tesla dethroned by BYD as biggest EV seller
Tesla has been dethroned by the Chinese electric vehicle maker (EV) BYD as the world’s biggest seller of on a calendar-year basis. This follows two consecutive years of sales declines for Tesla. The company said it delivered 418,227 vehicles in the October to December quarter, down 15.6% from a year earlier. For 2025, Tesla said it delivered 1.64 million vehicles compared with 1.79 million in 2024. Analysts said Tesla had come under immense pressure, especially in North America and Europe, due to intensified competition and owner Elon Musk’s political affiliation. Despite the fall in deliveries, Tesla shares rose 12.30% for the whole year. Meanwhile, BYD said sales of its battery-powered cars rose by nearly 28% to 2.26 million units, marking an extraordinary rise for the company Musk once laughed at. Sales for BYD climbed to a record 1 million outside China, up around 150% from 2024. At the time of writing, Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) stock was down 11.65% to US$428.07
Motoring
Record performance from GM beats out Ford, Tesla
General Motors has delivered a record-breaking stock performance for 2025, which has beaten the numbers at Tesla, Ford and more. GM stock, as of trading close on Friday, was up by 55%, marking a new personal best for the automaker, which had previously been an annual increase of 48.3% just last year. This is now the best year for the company since it re-emerged from bankruptcy back in 2009. Other U.S. major automakers did not see numbers quite as strong, with a yearly increase of 17% for Tesla, 34% for Ford Motor and Stellantis, parent company of Chrysler, taking a 15% loss. GM's quarterly adjusted earnings per share have now beaten Wall Street estimates for nearly every single quarter over the last five years, except for Q2 in 2022.
Motoring
Mercedes settles US$150m diesel emissions suit
Mercedes-Benz will pay US$149.67 million (A$226.7 million) in a settlement with U.S. states over allegations that it added software to its cars to evade diesel emissions standards. The investigation included attorneys general from 48 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. These states found Mercedes marketed, sold, and leased vehicles with undisclosed software that falsely lowered emissions during testing, violating state laws on unfair trade practices. “Mercedes-Benz hid devices inside their vehicles to cheat emissions tests, knowingly pumping out toxic emissions far exceeding legal limits. Their deception hurt their customers and harmed air quality for all Americans, and we’re holding them accountable,” said Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, who led the group of attorneys general. “This settlement, as with others previously reached with Volkswagen and Fiat Chrysler, sends millions of dollars back to states as well as comprehensive relief for consumers who purchased these defective vehicles.” “While the company has cooperated fully with the state attorneys general, Mercedes-Benz continues to regard the accusations made as unfounded and denies any liability to the U.S. states or otherwise,” wr

Motoring
Ford admits EV failure with brutal US$19.5bn writedown
Ford Motor Company has announced a sweeping retreat from its aggressive electric vehicle (EV) ambitions, revealing a massive US$19.5 billion charge and a change in focus toward hybrid technology and "affordable" small EVs. The pivot marks one of the most significant capitulations by a legacy automaker in the transition to electrification and a stark contrast to the company's bold proclamations from just three years ago.From "all-in" to pulling backIn July 2022, the Detroit giant confidently declared it was on track to produce two million EVs annually by late 2026. Back then, management outlined a $50 billion investment plan, promising that its dedicated EV division, Model e, would achieve 8% profit margins within four years. Those ambitious targets have now collided with the hard reality of stalling demand and eroding profit margins. In a decisive move to stem those losses, the company confirmed it will no longer produce select larger EVs, saying the business case has eroded due to lower-than-expected demand, high costs and regulatory changes. By 2030, the manufacturer now expects 50% of its global volume to be hybrids and EVs - a target that leans heavily on the hybrid side. The carmaker plans to introduce extended
Motoring
Tesla shares nudge all-time high after testing Robotaxis
Tesla shares closed at a 2025 high after CEO Elon Musk confirmed that the EV automaker is now testing robotaxis in Austin with no one inside. No driver. No safety monitor. Not even a brave passenger clutching the grab handle. The excitement kicked off when a video surfaced on X showing a Tesla robotaxi cruising through Austin streets entirely on its own. Fans went feral, reposting the clip as proof that the long-promised future had finally arrived. Musk jumped in to confirm it, posting simply that testing was underway with “no occupants in the car”. Tesla’s AI boss Ashok Elluswamy chimed in with a dramatic “And so it begins!”, while the company’s official account sprinkled in some Silicon Valley poetry: “Slowly, then all at once.” Investors seemed to have loved what they saw with Tesla shares climbing around 3.5% to close at US$475.11, pushing the stock up roughly 18% this year and closer to its all-time high from late 2024. Wall Street took the update as another sign that autonomy — a cornerstone of Tesla’s sky-high valuation — is inching closer to reality. However, the breakthrough comes with a few caveats. These driverless tests don’t include passengers yet, and Tesla hasn’t said when it plans to r
Motoring
Nedeljkovic named as new CEO of BMW
BMW has named Milan Nedeljkovic as its new CEO, replacing Oliver Zipse in the role. Nedeljkovic has been with the automaker for 30 years and is looking to compete with China and Tesla in the electric vehicle market as he steps into the top job, one of the leads for the new "Neue Klasse" BMW EV. He will take over the position on May 14 next year, leaving his current role in charge of production, and the move has not come as a surprise, with Zipse already past the usual retirement age for the role. "Milan Nedeljkovic convinces with his strategic foresight, strong implementation skills, and entrepreneurial thinking," said Dr Nicolas Peter, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of BMW AG. "He stands for very focused management of resources…inspires people with ideas, unites them behind shared values, and thereby motivates them to realise peak performance."
Motoring
Renault and Ford unveil partnership, kicking off with EVs
Ford and Renault have announced a partnership to produce affordable electric vehicles, in an effort to push back against cheaper Chinese models in the European market. The partnership, announced in a statement on Tuesday, will see the first two EV's to be produced at a Renault plant in Northern France and launched in European showrooms by 2028. These models will also be smaller compared to Ford's planned EVs in the U.S. Commercial van production will also fall into the partnership, aiming to cut costs. "The Chinese will come soon and that's why I don't want to wait," said Renault CEO Francois Provost in regards to the new partnership. Jim Farley, president and CEO of Ford, echoed the sentiment, saying the partnership “marks an important step for Ford” in building their business in Europe.