Nutson's Weekly Automotive News Wrap-up June 30 - July 6, 2024
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Here are Larry's top story picks from this past week's important to you, relevant, semi-secret, or snappy automotive news, opinions and insider back stories presented as expertly crafted easy-to-understand automotive news nuggets.
*Hope you had a good July 4th holiday. A record 70.9 million Americans were expected to travel 50 miles or more from home over the extended 4th of July holiday period, AAA projects. The group projected a record 60.6 million people would travel by car during Independence Day week, 2.8 million more than last year. Air travel was also expected to set a new record, with 5.74 million people flying to their destinations, a 12 percent increase over 2019. Travel is expected to be 5 percent higher this year than last, and 8 percent higher than in 2019, which is ore-pandemic.
*June sales. From Automotive News we read U.S. new-car market lost some momentum in the second quarter as affordability, elevated prices and higher borrowing costs continued to weigh on consumers, even as dealers scrambled to salvage sales when key software was knocked offline by a coordinated cyberattack. Ford, GM, Honda, Mazda and Subaru posted sales gains; Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Tesla, Toyota and Stellantis dropped. The June SAAR was 15.3 million according to Wards Intelligence.
*Too much tailpipe carbon dioxide. General Motors will pay a $145.8 million penalty and forfeit credits worth hundreds of millions of dollars after a U.S. government investigation found excess emissions from approximately 5.9 million GM vehicles, government agencies said. The Environmental Protection Agency said GM has agreed to give up approximately 50 million metric tons in carbon allowances after the multi-year investigation found vehicles from the 2012-2018 model years were emitting more than 10% higher carbon dioxide on average than GM's initial compliance reports claimed. The vehicles include 4.6 million 2012-2018 full size pickups and SUVs and approximately 1.3 million 2012-2018 midsize SUVs. Read the full story here.
*Slow down.Starting this week, every new vehicle sold in Europe must be equipped with an Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) system. Speeding accounted for more than 12,000 traffic deaths in the U.S. in 2022, the latest year for which data is available. There is a growing recognition among drivers for the need to curb speeding. This shift in public perception is critical. ISA alerts a driver to excessive speed, which is especially critical near schools, parks and congested city-centers.
*Really.States in the Northwest have the highest potential for fuel cost savings by switching to electric vehicles. Argonne National Laboratory estimated fuel cost savings potential for replacing a gasoline vehicle with the same size electric vehicle on a ZIP code level. Their estimates showed that the states in the Northwest region, led by Idaho and Washington State, had some of the highest potential for fuel cost savings when switching to electric vehicles. This is likely attributable to several factors including low electricity prices, high gasoline prices, and the vehicle population in those states which tend to be larger vehicles like pickup trucks. The more fuel a vehicle consumes, the greater the potential for fuel cost savings when switching to an electric vehicle. HERE
*Focus on infrastructure first. According to industry leaders, this simple, yet crucial detail for fleets to consider when adding electric trucks to their rosters should be their top priority: where to plug them in. In fact, Paul Rosa, Penske’s senior vice president of procurement and fleet planning, said fleets should prioritize the charging infrastructure over buying the truck. “You’re going to be able to get a vehicle in that window of time from when you start the infrastructure to when it’s energized,” he said. “So focus on the infrastructure first, or in this case, put the cart before the horse.” HERE
*Chasing tail.A survey of technology leaders in US municipalities by Verra Mobility and Wakefield Research found 93% expect to be ready for autonomous vehicles within 5 years. The research also found about half of city technology leaders would use AI to establish road safety priorities. 55% of municipal tech leaders have "reducing road safety incidents" as a top three priority for tech-based solutions. 43% report their jurisdiction has deprioritised support for EV infrastructure because consumer demand for the technology hasn't kept up with predictions. The influx of e-bikes, e-scooters, and other shared vehicles has complicated technology-focused mobility efforts for 84% of municipalities. Details are here.
*Tunes for cruising. To kick off the summer, the Detroit Free Press in May offered two dozen songs about cars and driving suggested as a warm-weather playlist and invited readers to make suggestions for a second round. Here are 24 (more) car songs to listen to while driving in the summer. Details are here.
*VW recall.Volkswagen is recalling around 84,400 vehicles in U.S. because of a faulty rearview camera image. The 2022-24 Golf R and Golf GTI and the 2024 Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport vehicles may not display a rearview camera image. The backup camera image may be delayed or deactivated after shifting into Reverse. This may reduce the driver’s view and increase the risk of a crash or injury.
*Corvette is 75.A belated Happy Birthday to the Chevrolet Corvette. National Corvette Day was June 30 and Corvette celebrated its 75th birthday. The first Corvette was produced on June 30, 1953.
*NASCAR Chicago Street Race. Along with a weekend of street racing NASCAR unveiled its first electric racecar in downtown Chicago, but it doesn't thunder when the grand marshal says drivers, start your engines. It hums. The Associated Press got a first look at the $1.5 million prototype. The only person who has driven it so far is semi-retired NASCAR driver David Ragan. NASCAR put the car on the Chicago street course for some fast laps. Get more charged up here. https://apnews.com/article/nascar-cup-chicago-electric-racecar-bda74ac3affb199367c680e662aaf2d2> Details are here.
*It's a boy!Tony Stewart and Leah Pruett announced that the couple is expecting its first child, a son, in November, 2024. Leah Pruett, a 12-time NHRA Top Fuel National event winner, stepped away from her role as a driver for the Tony Stewart Racing NHRA Top Fuel dragster team heading into this season so that she and Stewart, her husband, could plan to start a family together. Stewart, the three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion took over the driving duties in the team's top Fueler for this season.
*John Force update.Less than two weeks after 16-time NHRA Funny Car world champion John Force suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), among other injuries that included a fractured sternum and a right wrist injury, following an engine explosion that sent his Funny Car into a concrete guard wall at over 300 miles per hour, doctors acknowledged his positive response to treatment. Force has moved out of neuro-intensive care and into acute neuro care at the hospital where he was transported by air ambulance on June 23. The latest upgrade was welcomed by Force family members but medical professionals emphasized once again that the journey ahead will be a long and difficult one. According to family, the next step for the man whose career has spanned six decades likely will be a move to a long-term facility specializing in TBI and associated symptoms. A time frame for that move has not yet been determined.
* Stay safe. Be Well.
Kind regards,
Larry Nutson, the Chicago Car Guy