Nutson's Weekly Automotive News Digest Week Of April 18-24, 2016

By Larry Nutson
Senior Editor and Bureau Chief
Chicago Bureau
The Auto Channel

AUTO CENTRAL Chicago, April 24, 2016; 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 digest mega-tweet sized nuggets. If you wish to know more just click on the link that will take you to the full story as published here on The Auto Channel.

If you are a car and driving fan like we all are here at The Auto Channel, you can easily wish to "catch up" on these stories as well put them in context with the past 20 year's 1,979,001 automotive news, automotive stories, articles, reviews, archived news, video, audio, rants and raves. Just search The Auto Channel's Automotive News Archive.

Hey Boston TV viewers, you can now enjoy The Auto Channel TV Network "Free and Clear" on WHDT Channel 3 in Boston and on your local cable systems. Just added Naples Florida, along with all South Florida auto fans who can continue to watch The Auto Channel TV Network on WHDT-TV Channel 9 in West Palm Beach as well as cable channel's 17 and 438, channel 9 Miami. WHDN launched its full schedule (including The Auto Channel)of broadcasting in the Naples-Fort Myers market on digital PSIP channel 9.1 channel. Enjoy and thanks for the positive feedback and ratings. See You Next Week, LN.

The Past Week's Automotive News Highlights In Easy To Digest Chunks
April 18-24, 2016

* The Environmental Protection Agency said they weren't, but they actually were. After a national uproar and now an act of Congress, the EPA is backing off of proposed regulations that would have impacted the auto racing industry. The EPA has reversed course on plans to prohibit the modification of street cars for competition. The RPM Act (Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports), a bipartisan bill introduced last month, will put in law the decades-old intent of Congress to exclude off-road vehicles from federal emissions regulations.

* Automotive News reports that Kevin Layden, Ford's director of electrification programs and engineering, said the 100-mile range coming this fall in the 2017 Focus Electric -- up from the 2016 model's 76 miles -- is enough distance to cover the daily commute of most drivers. Layden's comments were made at the SAE World Congress. GM, Tesla and Nissan are going for 200 mile range which adds weight and cost….maybe $6000 more. I tend to agree with Ford's approach. Living in a big city it's my experience you can drive around all day taking care of business and household needs and cover only about 20 miles.

* The 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee 75th Anniversary Edition took home top honors at the 22nd annual "Mudfest" competition hosted by the Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA). The Grand Cherokee was voted "Northwest Outdoor Activity Vehicle of the Year" by automotive journalist members of NWAPA in attendance.

* For Earth Day, the experts at Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com compiled a helpful list of 40+ MPG Cars of 2016, then narrowed it down to a wide-ranging list of 10 favorites, including some all-electric cars, hybrids and even a new-for-2016 hydrogen-powered model. They are: 2016 Toyota Prius, 2016 Chevrolet Volt, 2016 Tesla Model S AWD - 70D, 2016 BMW i3, 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf, 2016 Kia Soul Electric, 2016 BMW i8, 2016 Toyota Mirai (hydrogen-powered), 2016 Toyota Camry Hybrid and 2016 Ford Focus Electric.

* In its first year of global availability, Ford Mustang became the world’s best-selling sports coupe. According to company analysis of the most recent registration data from IHS Automotive, Ford sold around 110,000 Mustang Coupes globally in 2015 – topping all other sports coupe competitors. Additionally, Ford sold around 30,000 Mustang Convertibles, for total nameplate sales of 141,868 vehicles – making Mustang far and away the best-selling two-door sports car in the world.

* The North American International (Detroit) Auto Show announced this week a major new exhibit to be part of the 2017 show next January. Called AutoMobili-D it is billed as a technology and mobility exhibit and will fill the lower level atrium and Michigan Hall, close to 120,000 square feet. More than 100 companies will showcase their wares. The event kicks off on Janurary 8th just prior to press days at the show and runs through January 12th, Industry Trade Days. It looks like the Las Vegas CES is getting a bit of competition.

* Now Mitsubishi is caught up in another auto industry scandal. Mitsubishi Motors said that it had cheated on fuel-economy tests for an ultra-small car sold in Japan. The company acknowledged that its engineers had intentionally manipulated testing. The cheating affected about 620,000 micro-cars sold in the Japanese market starting in 2013.

* Volkswagen diesel owners are finally getting some news on their illegal cars. VW agreed this week to either repair the 500,000 diesel cars effected by the software scam, purchase them back from the owner or let the consumer out of his/her lease. How repurchase prices will be determined and other details have not been decided. It is said that $1 Billion will be available to pay owners. This covers the 4-cylinder 2.0-liter diesel engine. No agreement has yet been reached on the 90,000 VW, Audi And Porsche vehicles with the 3-liter, 6-cylinder diesel engines.

* In further news, VW revealed the diesel scandal cost it $18.2 billion in 2015 alone, more than double the $7.5 billion the company had previously estimated. Experts speculate the whole deal could end up costing $32.1 billion, not considering the impact on sales.

* Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV is recalling 811,586 midsize SUVs and full-size cars in the U.S. because of confusing electronic gear shifters that can lead to drivers exiting vehicles they think are in park but are not. The affected vehicles include 2012-14 Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 sedans and 2014-15 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

* Reauthorization of the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) through 2021 has been introduced in the U.S. Senate by a bipartisan group. The Act offers incentives for owners to update older diesel equipment and is widely credited with mitigating the environmental impact of those engines, particularly in school busses and construction equipment.

* The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America received a $2.5 million grant from the Robert & Margery Peterson Foundation (of Peterson Museum fame) to construct a theater in the Hall of Fame’s new home at the Daytona International Speedway. The new theatre is expected to open in 2017. The first phase will be done in time for the 2016 induction ceremony in June of 2016.

* A Chevrolet will again be pacing the classically American 100th running of the Indy 500 race on Memorial Day weekend. This time it will be the 2017 Camaro SS in Indy 500 Special Edition trim to be driven by Roger Penske, former race driver, mega dealership owner and racing entrepreneur.

* He’s baaaaack! Tony Stewart that is. After suffering substantial injuries in an ATV accident last year Stewart missed the first eight races of the new season. His doctors cleared him to return to work this weekend in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition driving hard and fast in a Stewart-Haas Chevrolet SS . Stewart previously announced he would retire from race driving after the 2016 season.

* In a press conference announcing his return Tony Stewart commented about NASCAR's new policy of not monitoring on pit stops how many lug nuts are begin installed. Some teams are leaving off one lug nut on the left side wheels to make faster stops and this had led to some loose wheel problems in races. Tony was fined $35,000 by NASCAR for speaking his mind and ironically his peer drivers in the nine-member drivers council agreed with him and agreed to equally contribute to pay the fine. Freeedom of speech, only sometimes in NASCAR.