The Auto Channel
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
Official Website of the New Car Buyer

Nutson's Weekly Automotive News Blast
February 2-8, 2015


PHOTO

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


Auto Central Chicago IL, February 8, 2015; Every Sunday, along with senior editors Steve Purdy and Thom Cannell from The Auto Channel Michigan Bureau I give you our "take" on this past week's automotive news in easy to digest nuggets.

If you are a car nut like we all are here at The Auto Channel, you can easily wish to "catch up" on these stories as well as the past 19 year's 1,804,110 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, along with South Florida auto fans who can continue to watch The Auto Channel TV Network on WHDT-TV Chanel 9 in West Palm Beach as well as cable channel's 17 and 438, channel 9 Miami and channel 32 Fort Meyers-Naples, enjoy and thanks for the positive feedback....see you next week, LN

Nutson's Automotive News Blast - Week Feb 2-8, 2015

* In spite of single-digit outside temperatures the auto sales increases were in double-digits. January saw a SAAR of 16.7 million. U.S. light-vehicle sales rose 14 percent to 1.15 million. GM led the way with gains of 18 percent. Ford and Nissan were up 15 percent. Fiat Chrysler rose 14 percent, Toyota up 16 percent and Honda rose 12 percent. Hyundai and Kia gained only 1 percent. European brand gains were led by Audi at 14 percent to BMW at 4 percent. Subaru is still hot, up 24 percent, and VW is still cool.

* Interesting to note about the U.S. January sales is that 45.7 percent were Asian brands, 45.4 percent were U.S. brands and 8.9 percent were European brands.

* The average fuel economy of light vehicles purchased in the U.S. improved last month for the first time since August, increasing 0.3 mpg, according to a monthly report by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. The average window-sticker value of new cars, SUVs, vans and pickups sold in the U.S. in January was 25.4 mpg, up from 25.1 in December.

* Not unexpectedly, gasoline prices are rising. The national average is up 11 cents in a week. Some parts of the country have seen a 20 cent rise. It's time to shift production from winter blend fuel to the cleaner summer blend. Gas prices tend to rise 30 to 50 cents a gallon between early February and the middle of spring, according to AAA. Expectations are that summer prices will peak at $3 per gallon.

* Meanwhile falling prices for ethanol fuel has caused anxiety in the Corn Belt. Ethanol producers aren't making any profit and cutting production.

* Nissan teased us with its Super Bowl TV spot "With Dad." Revealed was a glimpse of its Le Mans challenger, the Nissan GT-R LM NISMO. Near the end of the commercial, a shiny, new sedan comes into focus: the 2016 Nissan Maxima. Subsequently, Nissan announced that the new Maxima would debut at the 2015 New York Auto Show.

* One of the cars garnering the most interest at the recent Detroit auto show was the full-electric Chevy Bolt concept with a 200 mile range and price around $30,000 (including the $7500 federal tax credit). No one at the show would confirm production plans but speculation abounded that it was destined to be sold in the near future. Reuters reports this week confirmation from a GM source confirming plans to have the car in production by the end of 2016.

* Latest news on the Takata airbag fiasco has Toyota and nine other automakers launching their own probe into the cause of inflator explosions. These 10 automakers are hiring an independent engineering firm to try to get to the bottom of the problem that Takata still has not solved. The investigation will be headed by David Kelly, former director of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

* Last week we saw Congress looking for “whistle blowers” to address the ongoing conflict roiling between NHTSA and airbag maker Takata. Well, this week one has stepped forward. Mark Lillie says he warned his employer, Takata, that the airbag design could be prone to catastrophic failure. He left the company in 1999 saying “his departure was tied to Takata’s disregard of his warnings,” according to reporting in Automotive News.

* Just a few weeks after Ford announced a major R&D presence in Silicon Valley to take advantage of the tech resources there we find that the Dearborn-based automaker has established a research partnership with two European organizations to go after innovations in personal mobility and autonomous vehicles. Ford CEO Mark Fields recently talked about focusing on 25 urban environments around the world to advance “smart mobility.”

* Jeep is recalling more than 228,000 SUVs worldwide to fix a software problem that can cause side air bags to inflate for no reason. The recall covers 2014 and 2015 Jeep Cherokees.

* Two models of the high-speed Quadski, which goes from ATV to Jet Ski-like watercraft, have been recalled, because of handlebar problems. About 320 vehicles, which cost about $42,000-$47,000, are affected.

* Three certified Chevrolet legends will take their place in the Corvette Hall of Fame when it inducts Rick Hendrick, Herb Fishel and Russ McLean as part of its Class of 2015. The hall is located at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the historic home of the Corvette. All three inductees will be enshrined at the museum on Friday, September 4.

* The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America announced its 27th class of inductees at Daytona International Speedway, a list of legends representing a variety of racing disciplines. Ricky Carmichael, Walker Evans, Warren Johnson, Tommy Kendall, Mark Martin, Duke Nalon, and Lloyd Ruby will be inducted Thursday, June 18 at Detroit's historic Fillmore Theater.

* It’s official, Mercedes-Benz USA will move its headquarters from Montvale, NJ to Sandy Springs, GA with the move beginning in June to temporary digs. Announced at a press conference this week at the Georgia state capital, the new headquarters building is underway but will not be ready until early 2017. The HQ will have about 950 people handling brand marketing, distribution and customer relations.