Fire stopped F-150 Lightning production, LaFerrari successor spied, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving recall

Fire cited as cause for F-150 Lightning production halt

Intake: According to a report from the Detroit Free Press, Ford halted production of the F-150 Lightning earlier this month because an undisclosed battery issue caused one truck to catch fire while parked in a vehicle holding area on February 4. The fire spread to one other vehicle in the lot, which is where Ford parks completed trucks awaiting their quality inspection before heading to dealers. In response to an inquiry from the Free Press, Ford Spokesperson Emma Berg said, “I can confirm one vehicle fire. Let me reiterate, we have no reason to believe F-150 Lightnings already in customer hands are affected by the issue.” The manufacturing facility will remain shut down until at least February 23 while engineers complete a thorough investigation of the issue. “We believe that we have identified the root cause of this issue,” Berg told the Free Press, although she didn’t elaborate on specifics. “By the end of the week, we expect to conclude our investigation and apply what we learn to the truck’s battery production process; this could take a few weeks. We will continue holding already-produced vehicles while we work through the engineering and process updates.”

Exhaust: It’s a bit of a wait-and-see game now for those who already have an F-150 Lightning in their driveway. Berg stressed that Ford is not aware of any incidents of the issue that caused the small fire taking place on customer vehicles. Ford remains adamant that its quality control process is preventing defective vehicles from making it to dealerships, so this may end up going down as a small blip on the Lightning’s timeline. However, depending on what the engineers find in their analysis, a cautionary recall or warranty fix may be coming. — Nathan Petroelje

Is this winged wonder the follow-up to the LaFerrari?

Intake: A whole ten years have passed since Ferrari launched the eponymous LaFerrari hybrid hypercar, but at long last, its successor is on its way. Ferrari bosses confirmed as much last year, but a new spy video by YouTuber Varryx offers a first glimpse of what the car, codenamed F250, will look like. It’s heavily wrapped in camouflage, although there’s no hiding the prototype’s gigantic rear wing. Compared to its recent descendants, like the Enzo and LaFerrari, it’s a massively aggressive design, engineered to work aerodynamic wonders on the track. Huge intakes at the nose and vents in the hood channel air to keep the front wheels glued to the ground, while that rear spoiler and the enormous diffuser create a ton of downforce at the tail. The high voltage warning stickers that adorn this test mule confirm that it will run a hybrid powertrain, which is most likely an even higher-performance version of the 986-hp twin-turbo V-8 plus battery setup in the SF90 Stradale.

Exhaust: Prancing Horse history says that this latest hypercar will be built in very limited numbers. A leaked Ferrari internal document from 2022 suggests that only 599 coupes will be sold, alongside 199 Apertas and 30 XX track-only cars, but we’ll have to wait until fall 2024 to find out. — Nik Berg

Three more EVs coming from Cadillac in 2024

Intake: Cadillac will introduce three new electric vehicles in 2024, says Automotive News, which received a very general briefing on the models from Rory Harvey, vice president of global Cadillac. Harvey was tight-lipped on particulars, but did say that they would be built in “multiple locations.” Automotive News has previously reported on electrified versions of the Escalade and Escalade ESV—to be called the IQ and IQL—which are expected in 2024 and 2025, as well as two more electric crossovers, one smaller and one larger one, that should go on sale in 2024. The additions would give Cadillac a strong lineup of five EVs going into 2025, including the Lyriq midsize crossover that went on sale in 2022 and the Celestiq, a $300,000 hand-built fastback sedan scheduled to begin production in December.

Exhaust: It’s good to see the “Standard of the world” fighting hard to be relevant, and for GM to be funding the battle. We were impressed by the Lyriq during our time behind the wheel, and the Celestiq looks like a hit already. — Steven Cole Smith

Tesla recalls nearly 363,000 vehicles over Full Self-Driving crash risk

Intake: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is prompting Tesla to recall nearly 363,000 vehicles equipped with or pending installation of its Full Self-Driving beta software due to an increased risk of crashing, reports Automotive News. The recall pertains to certain 2016–23 Model S and Model X vehicles, as well as certain 2017–23 Model 3 and 2020–23 Model Ys. NHTSA said that Tesla’s self-described Full Self-Driving software “may allow the vehicle to act unsafe around intersections, such as traveling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, entering a stop sign-controlled intersection without coming to a complete stop, or proceeding into an intersection during a steady yellow traffic signal without caution.” To fix the issue, Tesla will release an over-the-air software update which it says will “improve how FSD Beta negotiates certain driving maneuvers.” Owners are expected to receive a letter in the mail notifying them of the update sometime after April 15.

Exhaust: Despite the confusing name, Tesla’s website warns that Full Self-Driving is only an assistance feature and that drivers are still responsible for the operation of their vehicles at all times. The software and tech have come under fire plenty of times before from the likes of Ralph Nader and others. Perhaps the next over-the-air update can change the name to something a bit less misleading? — Nathan Petroelje