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Nutson's Automotive News Digest Oct 16-22, 2017; CR Reliability Rankings; Teen Crash Deaths Down; Autonomous In NYC; GM Helps The Henry Ford; NAFTA; Spare Tires Gone; Recalls Of Course


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AUTO CENTRAL CHICAGO, October 22, 2017 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 - 16-22, 2017

* First came Uber, now comes no one. Manhattan may become the first self-driving car testing grounds in New York State. NY recently changed its law to remove the legal requirement that a driver always have a hand on the steering wheel. GM via its start-up subsidiary Cruise Automation, has applied to test the technology in early 2018 in the New York City borough. The driverless trials will include two passengers: an engineer sitting behind the wheel to monitor and evaluate performance, and a second person in the passenger seat. However it is also unclear if the demand for self-driving cars exists; several studies indicate that for the most part, consumers do not yet seem to want them.

* Talks to renegotiate the NAFTA trade agreement between the U.S., Canada and Mexico bogged down due to large differences. On the automotive front the Trump Administration wants a change in the auto rules to increase the parts content to 85 percent from 62.5 percent for vehicles made in any of the three countries to be imported duty free. Also wanted is 50 percent of the content of all vehicles sold in the U.S. come from within the U.S. For you the consumer, some future vehicles may get much more expensive if the Trump administration has its way.

* Graduated driving license laws for new teen drivers that have been adopted by all states are paying off. Teen deaths from car crashes are down. This comes especially from the restriction on passengers and night driving, Compared to 2007, deaths in 2015 are down by half, from 5,000 to 2,715. Also note that for the most part there are also fewer teen drivers.

* Have you looked in the trunk of your new vehicle? In an effort to reduce weight and improve fuel economy, automakers continue to eliminate spare tires from new vehicles. According to new research from AAA, nearly one-third (28 percent) of 2017 model year vehicles do not come with a spare tire as standard equipment, creating an unnecessary hassle and expense for drivers. Last year alone, AAA came to the rescue to more than 450,000 members faced with a flat tire whose cars did not have a spare tire.

* Calling it “one of the most historical and game-changing partnerships” in the history of the institution, The Henry Ford museum officials announced a $5-million donation from perhaps the most unlikely of sources: Ford Motor Company rival General Motors. Located in Dearborn, Michigan and established in October 1929 as the Edison Institute of Technology, The Henry Ford includes both the recently renamed Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village, both of which opened to the public in 1933.

* Ford is recalling 1.3 million 2015 to 2017 F-150 pickups and 2017 Super Duty pickups to fix faulty side door latches. Affected F-150s were built from March 12, 2014, to Dec. 31, 2016, at the Dearborn Assembly Plant and from Aug. 11, 2014, to Dec. 30, 2016, at the Kansas City Assembly Plant. Affected Super Duty pickups were built from Oct. 8, 2015, to Sept. 1, 2016, at the Kentucky Assembly Plant.

* Toyota is conducting a safety recall of certain Model Year 2005 – 2007, 2009 and 2010 Sienna vehicles in the U.S. Approximately 310,000 vehicles are involved. In the involved vehicles, grease inside the shift lever assembly could transfer to other internal components, causing them to function improperly. This could allow the shift lever to be moved out of the “Park” position without depressing the brake pedal. If this occurs when the parking brake is not engaged, it could lead to a vehicle rollaway and increase the risk of a crash.

* Drag racing technology gets its day! The SRT Power Chiller, a key component of the record-setting, 840-horsepower 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, is among Popular Science’s best of What’s New for 2017. The SRT Power Chiller uses the car’s air conditioning refrigerant to help further cool the air entering the supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI Demon V-8’s cylinders. Cooler air contains more oxygen molecules, helping the engine deliver maximum output of 840 horsepower with 100+ high-octane unleaded fuel.

* Consumer Reports annual ranking of the most reliable new cars is out. The top brands are: Toyota, Lexus, Kia, Audi, BMW, Subaru, Infiniti, Buick Honda and Hyundai. The ten most reliable models are: Kia Niro, Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86, Lexus ES, Lexus GS, Lexus IS, Audi Q3, Toyota RAV4, Toyota Prius V, Toyota Prius C and Infiniti Q70. The ten least reliable models are: Chevrolet Camaro, Mercedes-Benz GLC, Jaguar F-Pace, GMC Acadia, Ford Focus, Ford Fiesta, Fiat 500, Cadillac Escalade, Tesla Model X and Volvo XC90. The report noted that over-all mechanical troubles are way down but infotainment systems problems are way up.

* A new crash test program from IIHS aims to ensure that manufacturers pay attention to the safety of front passengers as well as drivers. The test was developed after it became clear that some manufacturers were giving short shrift to the right side of the vehicle when it comes to small overlap front crash protection. The first test group in the passenger-side small overlap front test program did better overall than vehicles IIHS previously evaluated for research. Ten out of 13 midsize cars tested earn a good rating, while one is acceptable and two earn a marginal rating. Because IIHS Top Safety Pick awards influence the purchasing public, the organization has a great deal of influence in how safety systems are designed.

* BMW is under fire from civil rights activist Jesse Jackson for not having a diverse enough dealer body. At an auto industry conference in Detroit focused on diversity, Jackson called for a boycott of the brand because only seven of over 300 BMW dealerships are owned by African Americans, five by Hispanics and nine by Asians. BMW responded with a statement declaring their ongoing "commitment to diversity.”

* In addition to “production bottlenecks” constraining delivery of the new, mass market Model 3 electric sedan to chomping-at-the-bit enthusiasts, Tesla finds itself in a scuffle with Consumer Reports over reliability ratings. CR projects an “average” level of reliability for the Model 3 based on interviews with Tesla owners and some technical criteria. Tesla bristles at being “average.” CR said that for any new vehicle with no history that is a pretty good rating.

* Australia witnessed the end of its automobile industry this week as the last factory - GM’s Holden assembly plant in Elizabeth, South Australia - spit out its last car, a Holden VFII Commodore Redline. Toyota, Nissan and Ford have all closed plants in the past few years. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called it “the end of an era.” Over 25,000 people turned up for a parade acknowledging the end of Holden.

* Volkswagen revealed this week plans to challenge the record for one of the toughest hill-climbs in racing - Pike's Peak. After the debilitating diesel scandal, VW has been putting more and more eggs in the electrification basket. By 2025, the Volkswagen brand will already offer 23 all-electric models. The purpose-built racer will be all-electric and all-wheel drive with GTP-style cladding. The race snakes up the 14,000 mountain gaining 4,700 feet in 12.4 miles. The current record, held by champion rally racer Rhys Miller, is 8 minutes 57 seconds. Millen’s car was electric also. VW vows to beat that time.