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Nutson's Weekly Auto News WrapUp - May 19-25, 2025


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Larry Nutson

AUTO CENTRAL - Louisville, KY - May 18, 2025: Every Sunday, Larry Nutson, The Chicago Car Guy and TACH Executive Producer, compiles The Auto Channel's take on this past week's automotive news, condensed into easy-to-digest news Nuggets.

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Complete versions of today's news nuggets, along with hundreds of thousands of pages of relevant news, information and opinions are stored in a million-page library published and indexed on The Auto Channel during the past 30 years. Complete information can be found by copying a headline and inserting it into any Site Search Box.

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.

  • Have a safe Memorial Day Weekend. AAA projects 45.1 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Memorial Day holiday period from Thursday, May 22 to Monday, May 26. This year's domestic travel forecast is an increase of 1.4 million travelers compared to last year and sets a new Memorial Day weekend record. The previous record was set back in 2005 with 44 million people.

  • Road of the Year. Following last year's inaugural Road of the Year selection - State Route 33 in Ojai, California - the folks at Hagerty set their sights east of the Mississippi for 2025, landing on an Appalachian fantasy road that offers an equal measure of thrills and views. Running between Tellico Plains, Tennessee, and Robbinsville, North Carolina, the Cherohala Skyway streams through the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee and the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina. Get the details HERE.

  • Used car prices on the rise. The average transaction price for a 3-year-old used vehicle was $30,522 in Q1 2025, up 2.3% from $29,844 a year ago — and marking the first time this figure has surpassed $30,000 since Q2 2023, according to Edmunds.com data. The gap between the average transaction price of new and 3-year-old used vehicles narrowed to $16,970, marking the first time it has fallen below $17,000 since Q3 2022. HERE.

  • Trump Tax Bill. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed the House of Representatives by a 214-213 vote early Thursday morning. It now goes on to the Senate for more possible changes. Among a slew of other provisions, the bill moves the expiration date of EV tax credits from December 31, 2032, to December 31, 2025. Currently, the EV tax credits, which were implemented after President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, are set to expire on December 31, 2032. This provision also implements a special rule for taxable year 2026 that only allows vehicles produced by manufacturers that have not sold 200,000 new clean vehicles as of December 31, 2025, to qualify for the credit. Also, the approved House bill includes a tax deduction on the first $10,000 of auto loan interest for U.S.-made vehicles.

  • GM EV flip-flop. General Motors went all in on electric cars. Now, GM is urging employees to lobby against California's 2035 gas-car ban, which has been adopted by 11 other states. Read it HERE.

  • California emissions battle. The U.S. Senate voted to eliminate the EPA's waiver for California to set its own emissions rules, sending the measure to President Donald Trump for his signature. The Senate's vote overturns a decades-old practice of allowing California to set stringent pollution standards, first envisioned as a way to help combat smog. Most likely, the matter will end up in court. Full story HERE.

  • States want clean cars. Congress voted to try to put America in reverse. Eleven State governors are launching the Affordable Clean Cars Coalition to keep the US moving forward — toward cleaner air, more consumer choice, and lower costs. Participating states include: California, Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington. Full details HERE.

  • Repurposed gas station. Ionna turned another old gas station into an awesome Rechargery. Complete with everything an EV driver asks for: canopy, pull-through stalls, 400kW chargers, NACS and CCS, drivers lounge, wi-fi, clean restrooms, and an Amazon-powered market. See it HERE.

  • Subaru price increases. Subaru of America is hiking prices on several models, the company said, the latest automaker to pass along cost increases to consumers as their expenses rise from the Trump administration's tariffs. Subaru said in a statement that the increases were made in response to "current market conditions," without citing tariffs or specific price actions. This will add between $750 and $2,055 to vehicles' sticker prices, depending on the model and trim, with the hikes kicking in for cars on dealer lots starting in June. More details HERE.

  • Worst road rage. Consumer Affairs released its list of the states with the worst road rage, giving would-be road trippers a heads up on where they should be extra cautious. Researchers examined data on fatal crashes, reckless driving, and traffic incidents involving gun violence to rank each of the 50 states. The worst three states for aggressive and dangerous drivers were located in the South, Southwest, and West. Full report HERE.

  • AVs and you. Autonomous vehicles are becoming more common in US cities, such as Phoenix, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., which is raising questions about their impact on urban design and operations. While AVs have caused accidents, they are expected to reduce fatalities by eliminating human error. Cities might need fewer parking lots and gas stations as vehicle ownership declines, allowing for more pedestrian-friendly spaces. More info HERE.

  • Lake Como Concourse. On the shores of Lake Como, the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este is this weekend, May 23rd to 25th. An insight into the history of the motor car and the story of design will be provided by 54 Historic Cars assessed by the Jury. They are competing to be awarded the coveted trophy for the Best of Show and the Coppa d'Oro Villa d'Este. Simply taking part in this world-renowned contest is of itself a prestigious accolade. The Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este is also giving a glimpse of the future. The class of Concept Cars and Prototypes presents five vehicles as the visions of designers and engineers. They provide an impressive insight into the future of automobiles already today – driving under open skies. Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este | The Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este is perhaps the most significant of all events celebrating the mystique of Historic Cars.

  • Toyota recall. Toyota is recalling 443,444 of its 2022 to 2025 Tundra pickup trucks because moisture could enter the reversing (back-up) light assemblies. Moisture entering the lighting assemblies could cause the lights to fail and make other drivers unaware that you're trying to reverse.

  • NASCAR HOF. NASCAR Cup Series champion Kurt Busch, 18-time Cup winner Harry Gant, and Virginia short-track star Ray Hendrick were elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Busch and Gant were chosen from a group of 10 nominees on the Modern Era ballot, and Hendrick was elected from the Pioneer Era ballot. Long-time speedway president and legendary race promoter Humpy Wheeler was named the winner of the Landmark Award for contributions to the sport. Busch, Gant, Hendrick and Wheeler will be honored during the Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Jan. 23 in Charlotte. Thanks to Autoweek for this news.

  • Rookie claims Indy 500 pole. A rookie driver for a brand-new team has won the pole for the Indianapolis 500. Robert Shwartzman, a 25-year-old with dual nationality in Israel and Russia, became the first Indy 500 rookie to qualify on the pole since Teo Fabi in 1983. Shwartzman drives for Prema Racing, an Italian team that races in the Formula 2 series in Europe and made its IndyCar debut this season. Shwartzman had been pursuing a career in Formula 1 and was part of the Ferrari development program as well as its reserve driver from 2021 until the end of last season — when Prema nabbed him for its two-car team..

  • Penske team Indy screwup. Team Penske parted ways with IndyCar Series team president Tim Cindric, managing director Ron Ruzewski, and general manager Kyle Moyer on Wednesday amid the discovery of a violation of IndyCar rules by the team. The rear attenuator had been modified for aesthetic reasons, which is a rules violation even though it did not provide any competitive advantage. The move came just days before the Indianapolis 500 this weekend.

Stay safe. Be Well.