Good morning and welcome to our daily digest of automotive news from around the globe, starting with…

After 90 Years As The USA’s Best-Selling Automaker, GM Has Been Dethroned By Toyota

A country’s homegrown manufacturers are often the best-selling, so it makes sense that General Motors had held the USA’s title for 90 years. That is, until now: with 2.3 million vehicles sold this year-end, Toyota has officially dethroned GM, which came just 114,000 vehicles short of its Japanese rival.

2023 BMW iX M60 Is A $105,100 Electric SUV With 610-HP And 280-Mile Range

BMW introduced the iX last March as their tech flagship, and while many impressive features were discussed, now you can add performance to that list too, with the iX M60 officially unveiled. While the iX M60 isn’t the first EV to come out of the BMW M GmbH department, it still makes a statement. The iX M60 features a 610hp dual-motor layout sending the vehicle from 0–60 mph (0–96 km/h) in just 3.5 seconds before being limited at a top speed of 155mph (249 km/h). With an MSRP of $105,100, the iX M60 is scheduled to launch in the U.S. in June this year.

Jetour X-1 Plug-In Hybrid SUV Incorporates Huawei’s Level 3 Autonomous System

Chery Holding Group member Jetour Motors just dropped their latest plug-in hybrid SUV dubbed the X-1, a vehicle equipped with a Level 3 autonomous driving system thanks to a partnership with tech giant Huawei. The SUV will be released with its Level 3 autonomous system that will enable it self-drive in selected scenarios while having the presence of a driver in the case of an emergency. Still, Jetour claims that the architecture will eventually accommodate Level 5 autonomy.

Volvo Appoints Former Dyson Boss As Its New CEO

The top management of Volvo has officially approved the appointment of the new CEO and president of Volvo Cars, Jim Rowan. Rowan was the CEO at Dyson between 2017 and 2020 and currently holds the same position at Ember Technologies, from which he will take his place at Volvo from March 21, 2022. Volvo company chairperson Eric Lee stated in the announcement that the board believes in Rowan’s global CEO experience that stretches beyond the automotive industry to cope with the rapid digitalization taking place at Volvo Cars. Rowan will replace Hakan Samuelsson, who has been CEO since 2012.

Elon Musk And Tesla Face Criticism For “Despicable” Decision To Open Showroom In Xinjiang, China

After its recent announcement that it will be opening a showroom in Xinjiang, Tesla has come under intense criticism, as the region is infamous for its alleged genocide and slave labor of the Uyghur people. The American EV manufacturer made the announcement on new years eve via Weibo, a Chinese social media app, and has been condemned by recognized individuals from across the world. The controversy has seen retail giants like Nike and H&M move out of Xinjiang to protect their brand and values as numerous reports of genocide against the Muslim cultural minority continue to be made.

Ford Opens 2022 F-150 Lightning Configurator, We Topped Out At $96,000

For some 200,000 individuals awaiting the highly anticipated Ford EV of all time, it’s good news, as company CEO Jum Farley announced that the F-150 Lightning configurator is now live. The electric pickup truck will be offered in four trim levels, Pro, XLT, Lariat, and Platinum. While the entry-level trim will start at $39,974 before federal incentives, each trim level will have its own unique features, with the range-topping platinum reaching nearly $91k. Farley also wrote the first “wave” of customers will be invited to make their order this Thursday, the 6th of January. Meanwhile, Ford has announced that they’re nearly doubling production of the F-150 in order to keep up with demand.

2023 Rolls-Royce Phantom Facelift Spied With Minor Visual Changes

While much of Rolls-Royce’s media revolves around the upcoming Spectre, the very first fully electric Rolls, the company has not turned a blind eye on the rest of its models. As it turns out, spies have captured the lightly redesigned range-topping Phantom with minimal camouflage. Everything on the prototype seems to be identical to the current edition, although a camouflaged front grille could and lights mean we can expect some cosmetic changes upfront.

What Else Is Making The News

“The Rock” Says No Chance He’ll Return To Fast & Furious, Calls Vin Diesel Manipulative

Disappointing news for those hoping that Detective Hobbs would return for, ahem, one last ride, in the 10th or 11th installment of the Fast & Furious franchise: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson says he won’t rejoin the franchise. It comes after a public please from Vin Diesel, although Johnson claimed that “Vin’s recent public post was an example of his manipulation.”

China Turns On Artificial Sun

China’s Xinhua News Agency reported that the country had set a new record with their “artificial sun”, otherwise known as the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). The sun is a nuclear fusion reactor that runs five times as hot as the sun, with the aim of developing near-limitless clean energy.