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Nutson's Weeky Auto News Wrap-up November 13-19, 2022


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Every Sunday Larry Nutson, The Chicago Car Guy and Auto Channel Executive Producer, with able assistance from senior editor Thom Cannell from The Auto Channel Michigan Bureau, compile The Auto Channel's "take" on this past week's automotive news, condensed into easy to digest news Nuggets.

LEARN MORE: Complete versions of today's news nuggets, along with thousands of pages of relevant news and opinions, information stored in a million-page library published and indexed on The Auto Channel during the past 25 years. Complete information can be found by copying a headline and inserting it into any Site Search Box.

Nutson's Auto News Weekly-Wrap-up November 13-19, 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.

* US DoE Factoid of the Week: Fuel Economy Improvements in Low-MPG Vehicles have Greatest Impact on Reducing Tailpipe Carbon Dioxide Emissions. Efforts to improve fuel economy also reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, but improvements at the low end of the fuel economy spectrum produce the greatest CO2 emissions reductions. A vehicle that gets 10 miles per gallon (mpg) and is driven 15,000 miles per year will produce about 15 tons of CO2 annually. Increasing that fuel economy by 5 mpg to 15 mpg will produce about 10 tons of CO2 annually – a 33% reduction in annual CO2 emissions. As fuel economy improves, there is a diminishing impact on emission reduction. At the high end of the fuel economy spectrum, a 5-mpg improvement from 50 to 55 mpg only yields an improvement of 0.3 tons of annual CO2 emissions.

* The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have just released the 2023 Fuel Economy Guide. The Guide provides detailed fuel economy estimates for model year 2023 light-duty vehicles, along with estimated annual fuel costs and other information for prospective car buyers. https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/pdfs/guides/FEG2023.pdf

* Reuters reports the United States aims to only sell and produce zero-emissions medium- and heavy-duty vehicles like school buses and tractor trailers by 2040, the U.S. energy secretary agreed at the COP27 climate summit in Egypt. The non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) sets a target for 30% of those new vehicles - which include commercial delivery vehicles, buses and trucks - to be zero-emission by 2030 and 100% by 2040.

* Collision warning and emergency braking help cut front-to-rear crashes in half, an NHTSA study finds. The study comes as automakers add more advanced driver-assistance features to their vehicles and as NHTSA collects data on crashes linked to those technologies.

* Volkswagen is reviving the Scout name and has announced the launch of their website (www.scoutmotors.com), social media, and brand-owned community forum (https://scoutmotors.community.forum). On their new website, you can find more information about career opportunities, news updates, links to social channels, and the new Scout Community forum.

* The Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology (DIO), a division of the Department of Ophthalmology, Henry Ford Health, announced Stellantis Chief Design Officer Ralph Gilles as the 2023 winner of the EyesOn Design Lifetime Design Achievement Award. EyesOn Design celebrates automotive design excellence of the past, present and future by drawing attention to the importance of design in the industry. Gilles will receive the award from mentor and retired Chrysler Corp. Head of Design Tom Gale at the EyesOn Design Vision Honored ceremony on June 16, 2023, at the Conner Center, the former Dodge Viper assembly plant.

* Lamborghini is celebrating the unique songs of its internal combustion engines, the naturally-aspirated V12 and V10 and the twin-turbo V8, with three 24-track playlists available on Spotify including covers created by graphic designer Vasjen Katro. The Engine Songs is a curated collection by music producer Alex Trecarichi created in collaboration with Lamborghini’s sound engineers, delivering psychoacoustics and sensory immersion in the most complete and all-encompassing driving experience. The playlists, one for each engine, juxtapose the sound of the emotive and unleashed engine with songs tuned scientifically to its roar and vibrations. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1WYELLY1CpGc3P3OqD2kF7?si=89jUeT1VSRedFxlWliRtQA&utm_source=copy-link&nd=1

* The 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show opened this week. During the one-day AutoMobility LA, the media preview and trade day of the Los Angeles Auto Show, the industry saw an all-new and more radical fifth-generation Toyota Prius and Toyota bZ compact utility vehicle concept, the Genesis X Convertible concept, the Porsche 911 Dakar, the refreshed 2024 Kia Seltos, 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Road Tripper, and, making a return to the makret, the fully electric 2024 Fiat 500e. Also introduced was the 2024 Subaru Impreza and the 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6.

* Also, the finalists that will compete for the 2023 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) Awards were announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show. They are: North American Car of the Year - Acura Integra, Genesis G80, EV Nissan Z; North American Truck of the Year - Chevrolet Silverado ZR2, Ford F-150 Lightning, Lordstown Endurance; North American Utility Vehicle of the Year - Cadillac Lyriq, Genesis GV60, Kia EV6.

* And, at the Los Angeles Auto Show, MotorTrend announced the Genesis G90 as the winner of its Golden Calipers for 2023 Car of the Year.

* U.S. News & World Report has released its annual Best Vehicle Brands rankings. The magazine reveals its picks for leading brands according to an extensive evaluation process. Honda was awarded the 2023 Best Car Brand. Hyundai was awarded the 2023 Best SUV Brand. Ram was awarded the 2023 Best Truck Brand. Porsche was awarded the 2023 Best Luxury Brand.

* For consumers who can’t travel to the 2022 LA Auto Show at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Stellantis has created an online, virtual experience providing an alternative approach for shoppers to see and learn about the newest vehicles from Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep and Ram Truck. The virtual auto show will highlight the company’s newest technologies via highly detailed interactive product tours. The interactive site can be found here: https://stellantisvirtual.com/landing

* Comedian, TV personality and car collector Jay Leno sustained serious burn injuries to the left side of his face and hands from a vehicle fire last weekend. Leno was working at his Los Angeles garage on Saturday when an accidental flash fire started in one of his cars. He was taken to the Grossman Burn Center in West Hills and early reports indicate that the flames did not penetrate his eyes or ears. Updated reports are that Jay was working on his White steam car to clear a fuel line. Gasoline is used to fire the boilers that produce the motivating steam. Leno is one of the most prominent classic car collectors in the industry with 181 cars and 160 motorcycles in his vast collection. The duPont Registry valued his collection at $52 million and he maintains a staff of mechanics and coachbuilders to restore and maintain his vehicles.

* Stellantis is recalling nearly 250,000 heavy-duty Ram diesel pickup trucks in the U.S. because transmission fluid can leak and cause engine compartment fires. The recall covers 2020 to 2023 Ram 2500 and 2020 to 2022 Ram 3500 trucks equipped with the 6.7-liter Cummins diesel engine.

* Ford Motor Co. is recalling more than 572,000 F-150 pickups globally because the front windshield wiper motor may stop working, resulting in reduced visibility in certain conditions and increasing the risk of a crash. The recall covers F-150 pickups from the 2021-22 model years.

* Tesla has issued a recall covering more than 321,000 vehicles due to taillamps that may fail to illuminate. Model Y vehicles from 2020-2023 are included in the recall. As well, 2023 Model 3 vehicles built between October 19 and November 5, 2022 may be affected.

* Automotive News reports Mercedes-Benz and auto supplier Robert Bosch agreed to pay about $6 million to resolve Arizona's lawsuit over diesel advertising claims. Under the proposed settlement, Mercedes will pay $2.8 million in consumer restitution, and each qualifying Arizona consumer will receive up to $625 per vehicle, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich said. The German automaker will pay $2.7 million in penalties, and Bosch will pay $525,000 in penalties. In 2020, the German automaker agreed to pay $2.2 billion to resolve a U.S. government diesel emissions cheating investigation and claims from 250,000 U.S. vehicle owners. A number of U.S. states have ongoing environmental and consumer protection investigations

* The Rimac Nevera is the fastest electric production car in the world with a top speed of 258 mph (412 kph). The previous record was 216 mph by the Tesla S Plaid. To put the Nevera’s EV record into perspective, it has a higher top speed than the Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 (253.81 mph). Rimac’s Chief Test and Development Driver, Miro Zrnčević, conducted the run at the Automotive Testing Papenburg track in Germany, which has a pair of 2.49-mile (4 km) straights. For the high-speed run, the Nevera was put into “top speed mode,” which sets up the car to balance drag and downforce for greater stability at higher speeds.

Stay safe. Be Well.