Nutson's Weekly Automotive News Nuggets January 8-16, 2018; Toyota and Mazda Y'all; CES AUTO SHOW: GM Ride Hailing; Drive Home III; Detroit Auto Show; F-150, Ranger, RAM, Chevy PU; MPG

AUTO CENTRAL CHICAGO, January 16, 2018; Every Sunday Larry Nutson, Senior Editor and Chicago Car Guy along with fellow senior editors Steve Purdy and Thom Cannell from The Auto Channel Michigan Bureau, give you TACH's "take" on this past week's automotive news in easy to "catch up" news nuggets. For More search the past 25 year's millions of (Indexed By Google) pages of automotive news, automotive stories, articles, reviews, archived news residing in The Auto Channel Automotive News Library.

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Nutson's Weekly Automotive News Nuggets - January 8-16, 2018;

* Toyota and Mazda have picked Huntsville, Alabama as the location of their new $1.6 billion, 4,000-job assembly plant. The new plant is considered the biggest economic development prize in years for the auto industry. The Japanese automakers have announced that they will locate their new joint-venture factory in a state that already has Toyota, Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz factories.

* CES 2018, the Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas, has become more and more important for the auto industry. Ford announced they will be connecting cars, bikes, stoplights in a future that will be as much about networks of cars and traffic signals as any particular model of self-driving vehicle. The automaker is working with a Silicon Valley start-up, Autonomic, to develop an information-sharing platform — the Transportation Mobility Cloud — that will enable vehicles, bicycles and mass transit to communicate.

* Also at CES 2018, Hyundai announced hydrogen fuel-cell technology despite the automotive industry’s growing investment in battery-electric vehicles. The Korea automaker rolled out the NEXO, a hydrogen fuel-cell electric SUV made for mass production with a 370 mile driving range, at the CES technology show. This car is also equipped with autonomous driver-assist features, including a remote parking system that allows the vehicle to drive itself to and from a garage or parking space at the push of a button. It is said to be coming to select markets later this year.

* One of the attention-getters at last week's CES 2018 was a full-electric pickup called Workhorse, claimed to be good for an 80-mile range on just electricity and a 5,000-pound towing capacity. It also comes with a BMW-sourced gasoline engine running a generator that can extend the range to over 400 miles. The powertrain, chassis and interior are designed and built by the Workhorse company but the body is a Silverado with some fascia and trim changes. Look for it in 2019, they say.

* General Motors announced this week plans to launch a “ride-hailing” service featuring vehicles without steering wheel or pedals, that is, fully autonomous. The company petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to allow the service that will exist outside of current federal regulations. The vehicle, called "Cruise AV” is based on the battery-powered Chevy Bolt EV and was developed by GM subsidiary Cruise Automation. If the feds grant approval it will be the first and GM did not speculate on where they will first appear.

* The North American International (Detroit) Auto Show begins this week with media previews running Saturday through Tuesday. Over 5,000 international media will descend on the Motor City for NAIAS, considered one of the most important motor shows in the world. Dozens of vehicles will have their world and U.S. reveals as the world watchs. Your team from The Auto Channel will be there immersed in the show and you can see live streams of the most important launch events right here.

* The Drive Home iii completed its route from Boca Raton, Florida to Detroit this week for the opening of the 2018 North American International Auto Show. The 10-day road rally of six vintage cars and a motorcycle is designed to demonstrate that collector cars are meant to be driven, no matter what the season. Here from The Auto Channel Larry Nutson drove legs from Greenville, SC to Charlotte, NC and then to Nashville, TN. Steve Purdy then took over driving from Nashville with stops in Bowling Green, KY and Cincinnati, OH to Detroit.

* The best selling vehicle in the U.S., the Ford F-150 is getting a diesel engine that targets 30 miles per gallon on the highway while retaining the most powerful towing and hauling capabilities on the market. The 250-HP 3.0-L V6 Power Stroke diesel with 440 lb-ft of torque will arrive in spring. Towing capacity is 11,400 lbs.

* BMW driving instructor John Schwartz spent his entire eight-hour shift sideways in an M5. He delivered a new Guiness World Record for the longest drift in an eight-hour period. The record was claimed at BMW’s Performance Centre in South Carolina and involved a custom-built, fighter-jet style refuelling system that allowed Schwartz to fill up the M5’s tank while sliding the tail out. Schwartz covered 374.2 kilometres on the centre’s skid pan, breaking the previous record by 230km. Follow this link to see how it was done. https://www.facebook.com/detroitspeedinc/videos/2364357693589766/

* In a new report from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute by Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle they examined the relative costs of driving electric and gasoline vehicles in the individual U.S. States. The current average annual cost of driving a typical new gasoline vehicle in the United States is $1,117, with a maximum of $1,509 in Hawaii and a minimum of $993 in Alabama. The current average annual cost of driving a typical new BEV in the United States is $485, with a maximum of $1,106 in Hawaii and a minimum of $367 in Louisiana.

* Ford was sued in federal court by a group of Ford F-250 and F-350 Super Duty owners, alleging Ford cheated on emission tests of the diesel engines because they pollute much more than the tests certify. The suit, which seeks class-action status, adds Ford to the growing list of companies facing claims of cheating on diesel emissions testing. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, General Motors and Mercedes have all been accused of diesel emissions cheating, although the rash of allegations began with the case against Volkswagen.

* Automakers achieved an average of 24.7 miles per gallon for vehicles made during the 2016 model year, according to data released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The figure, which is the most recent finalized data available, is 0.1 mpg higher than the 2015 model year and a record high. Preliminary fuel economy for the 2017 model year, which will not be finalized until 2019, is projected to be 25.2 mpg.

* The Trump administration is patting themselves on the back about the plan for moving Ram Heavy Duty pickup production from Mexico to Michigan in 2020. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, owner of the brand, will be putting over $1 billion into renovation of the Warren, MI assembly plant creating 2,500 new jobs. FCA CEO, Sergio Marchionne credits U.S. tax reform and likely changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement for the decision.

* Ford is warning owners of 2006 Ranger pickups to park them until the Takata airbags can be replaced. The most recent Takata airbag fatality was the second in a Ranger pickup. Ford said it would make the repair at the owner’s home or tow it to a dealership and the company will provide a loaner as well. More than 180 people have been injured by these airbags and 21 have died as the metal and plastic inflators explode when the bag is deployed in an accident.

* Fiat Chrysler is recalling more than 160,000 Pacifica minivans to fix a software problem that can cause engines to stall. The recall covers certain Chrysler Pacifica vans from the 2017 model year with gasoline engines.

* The route for this year’s Hemming’s Great Race, essentially a time-speed-distance rally for vintage vehicles, was announced this week. The competition, owned by Coker Tire and sponsored by Hemming’s Motor News, will start in Buffalo, New York on June 23rd and end in Halifax, Nova Scotia on July 1st, a 2,351-mile route with 17 stops along the way. Scoring is based on accuracy of time and course following. Entry fees range from $1,500 to $8,000.

* Retired NASCAR driver Danica Patrick, 35, is taking her career on a new track that includes a clothing line, writing and a wine label, according to a recent Wall Street Journal story. Admittedly, although she loves racing, Patrick is not all about cars. She has written one book already, has a line of athleisure clothing called Warrior and (apparently) likes wine.