Nutson' s Weekly Auto News Wrap-up December 11, 2022
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Nutson's Auto News Weekly-Wrap-up December 4-10, 2022
Here are Larry's picks among the past week's important, relevant, semi-secret, or snappy automotive news, opinions and insider back stories presented as expertly crafted easy-to-understand automotive universe news nuggets.* Average gasoline price for U.S. drivers is at $3.41 per gallon according to AAA. Some states have seen gasoline fall below $3.00. In response to the invasion of the Ukraine by Russia, a European Union boycott of Russian oil combined with a $60 cap on the per barrel price could lead to supply shortages. The White House is pushing for more oil supply to keep prices down.
* U.S.DoE factoid of the week: Plug-in electric vehicles reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 5.5 million metric tons in 2021. Estimates show that plug-in electric vehicles, including all-electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 5.5 million metric tons in 2021. The estimates used regional electric grid mixes and EV/PHEV registration locations. Two-thirds of the emissions reduction was attributable to EVs, while the remainder was attributable to PHEVs. From 2011, the first full year of mass market plug-in vehicle sales in the United States, to 2021, EVs and PHEVs reduced a total of 19.7 million metric tons of CO2.
* Construction of a national web of electric vehicle charging stations could be delayed if the Biden administration enforces a January deadline to manufacture the chargers domestically, according to industry officials who are racing to build the network. State transportation agencies, along with manufacturers and operators of electric vehicle chargers, say “Buy America” rules mandating that the EV chargers be made and assembled with U.S. parts and labor could derail their planning processes if they are implemented too quickly. The officials are concerned that the runway for “Buy America” implementation is too short. American manufacturing of EV charger materials is still nascent and ramping up gradually, meaning there’s a high risk of bottlenecks and holdups as states and companies compete for a limited supply of domestic manufacturing options. EVgo and other groups are supportive of efforts to onshore the supply chain for EV infrastructure but have requested that the Biden administration extend the “Buy America” waiver through at least the end of 2023.
* Various media report Ford Motor Co. has secured commitments from two of every three dealers who plan to go all-in on selling electric vehicles, CEO Jim Farley revealed during an interview. Of the estimated 3,000 Ford dealers in the U.S., 1,920 have enrolled in the voluntary Model e Program for the initial 2024 to 2026 period. Customers shopping for electric vehicles will soon see signage that identifies dealers as Model e Certified Elite or Model e Certified. This is significant because it also tells the public the location of fast chargers needed to recharge electric vehicles. They've also said that changes to Ford's sales model are needed. With the Model e standards, they aim to deliver efficiencies driven by changes such as e-commerce and digital opportunities, reducing ground stock and "evolving" dealer margins.
* GM is looking to double the amount of electric vehicle charging stations in the US and Canada, especially in rural regions, rather than coastal cities. The plan for 40,000 charging stations will help support GM's goal to sell only electric vehicles by 2035. In the Dealer Community Charging Program, GM has chosen Flo as its charger supplier. The program calls for GM dealerships to install up to 10 new Flo chargers in their community. The program allows the chargers to be installed at various locations in the dealer's local community, be it a park, a city building, or a shopping center. Chargers will be available for anyone to use.
* California, for the second year in a row, has established itself as the leading state for clean energy standards and efficiency, according to a new report. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, a nonprofit research organization, put America’s most populous state at the top of the list because it saves energy “on multiple fronts,” including through its vehicle emissions, appliance and building standards. Following California states in the Northeast region make up the rest of the top 9 with Minnesota ranked No. 10. Massachusetts is No. 2 overall and received especially high marks for utility and public benefits, state government initiatives and industrial policies categories. See where your state ranks right here: https://www.aceee.org/state-policy/scorecard
* A new report from Edmunds says EVs are disrupting the way that consumers are shopping and perceiving automaker brands. Early data shows that EVs are giving automakers the opportunity to redefine their brands in the eyes of consumers. Four major EV market trends that reflect this notable shift in consumer shopping behavior have already begun to emerge in 2022: EVs are attracting more luxury owners; EVs are winning conquests from other brands; EVs are commanding top dollar; and, EVs are appealing to younger shoppers.
* Valencia, Spain uses street light lampposts to recharge electric vehicles. A test program with 12 lamposts is planned to expand the program to 150 street light EV chargers. Another new wrinkle: Motion detection cameras will soon mean these street lights turn on or increase their intensity when someone walks past, as a further energy saving measure.
* Ever-popular pickup trucks and large SUVs have grown in size over the past couple of decades. And their growing stature has led to a big problem: a huge blind zone in front of the grille where children and other pedestrians aren’t detectable to the driver. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) plans to introduce the STOP Frontovers Act. It aims to address the risk of “frontover” injuries—the type where pedestrians, particularly children, can be injured or killed by slow moving trucks because the driver cannot see directly in front of the vehicle.
* Lexus has confirmed it is developing a software-based manual transmission for electric vehicles. Yes, seriously! Details were released at Toyota's Kenshiki media forum in Brussels, Belgium. "From the outside, this vehicle is as quiet as any other BEV. But the driver is able to experience all the sensations of a manual transmission vehicle. It is a software-based system, so it can be programmed to reproduce the driving experience of different vehicle types, letting the driver choose their preferred mapping" according to Takashi Watanabe, Lexus Electrified Chief Engineer. The sytem is not connected to a clutch because Lexus's future EVs won't have a clutch.
* Ford unveiled the track-only 2023 Ford GT Mk IV that plays homage to the 1967 Le Mans-winning GT Mk IV that beat Ferrari. Only 67 examples of this last model of its third-generation GT supercar will be built. Features include specially engineered twin-turbo EcoBoost engine targeting more than 800 horsepower, race transmission, carbon fiber “long tail” body, plus Multimatic’s Adaptive Spool Valve (ASV) suspension. A new client application process (https://www.ford.com/performance/gt/mk-iv/) will begin for this $1.7M supercar, with client selections confirmed in the first-quarter of 2023. Deliveries will begin in late spring 2023.
* For the fourth year in a row, there won't be an auto show in Vancouver, Canada. Organizers of the Vancouver International Auto Show say they're pulling the plug on the March 2023 event because of supply chain issues. It's the second Canadian auto show that's been cancelled in as many weeks.
* Subaru announced a safety recall on certain 2019-2022 model year Ascent vehicles. The ground bolt that secures the ground terminal of the Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) heater may have been improperly fastened during vehicle production. This potential condition may result in the melting of the ground terminal and surrounding components, increasing the risk of fire when the PTC heater is in operation.
* Former Formula One driver Patrick Tambay has died at the age of 73, his family have confirmed. The French driver, who entered 123 races, died after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. He competed in F1 in two spells, first between 1977 and 1979, and then from 1981 to 1986. He won two races for Ferrari in the second of those periods; the 1982 German Grand Prix and the San Marino GP the following year. His best finish in the driver's championship came in 1983 when he finished fourth behind Nelson Piquet, Alain Prost and Rene Arnoux.
Stay safe. Be Well.