Nutson's Weekly Automotive News Wrap-up July 28 - August 3, 2024
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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.
Nutson's Auto News Wrap-up Week Of July 28 - August 3, 2024
* Used HEV and BEV prices are down. The Carfax Used Car Index for August says used Hybrid & EV prices have dropped 26% since 2022. Used vans & minivans are virtually tied for second place with used Luxury Cars. Prices of both are down about 16% over the last 24 months. More details here
* Driving data being sold. Two U.S. senators are calling on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate automakers selling customers' driving data to brokers who package it and then sell it to insurance companies. The senators allege that General Motors, Hyundai, Honda and perhaps others are sharing drivers' data, such as sudden braking and acceleration. Read the story HERE
* EVs cost less to run than gas. Charging electric vehicles is now less expensive than paying for gas in all 50 states, according to Jack Conness, a policy analyst at Energy Innovation, though the price differential varies by state. The average cost per gallon of gas in the US stood at $3.52 for July, while the average rate for charging an EV clocked in at $0.48 per kilowatt-hour. Full story HERE
* US DoE factoid of the week.Since model year 2018, manufacturers have recommended or required premium gasoline for more than half of all light-duty vehicle configurations. In model year 1985, premium fuel was required/recommended for only 6.5% of new vehicle model configurations. In pursuit of efficient performance, manufacturers have increased their use of turbocharging and higher compression engines that require higher levels of octane. This trend contributes to an increasing number of models where premium is recommended. In model year 2023, 26.7% of models required premium and 26.3% were recommended but not required to use premium fuel. Prior to 2011 all models were listed as regular or premium gasoline. Beginning with 2011, midgrade gasoline was listed separately, although the number of models with midgrade recommended has remained low. The manufacturer-recommended fuel grade was selected by the manufacturer at the time of EPA emission regulation compliance certification. The term “Premium Gasoline” includes both premium recommended and premium required for all years shown.
* Extended warranty falsehood. Vehicle service contract retailer CarShield agreed to pay $10 million to the Federal Trade Commission to settle complaints that the company used deceptive and misleading advertising for its extended auto warranty plans. Many customers found that repair claims were often not covered despite making payments of up to $120 per month. The settlement money will get refunded to consumers of the vehicle service contract retailer.
* All-electric Police Department. South Pasadena, Calif., has debuted the country's first all-electric police fleet, featuring 20 Teslas with different models for patrols and administrative and detective duties. The shift will help lower emissions for the police vehicles, which often have higher than average emissions because of the time they spend idling during traffic stops or emergency responses, and is expected to save the city $4,000 a year on energy costs. More details here
* Tesla Autopilot The Wall Street Journal undertook a comprehensive analysis of crash data to gain an understanding of the safety of Teslas's Autopilot system. Previously obscured information that was heavily redacted in federal filings was combined with local police records. The data revealed some key findings. The full story is here: HERE
* Electric Dream Cruise. The Detroit Free Press reports hot rods of nearly countless makes and models will come out for the Woodward Dream Cruise in a couple of weeks. But two weeks before, electric vehicles will be the ride of choice when what's being billed as the inaugural Clean Cruise makes its debut on Woodward Avenue. EV owners, who are also encouraged to decorate their rides, are invited to bring their vehicles for the organized cruise. Have a look here: HERE
* Detroit in January. The Detroit Auto Show has announced its 2025 schedule. The show, formerly called the North American International Auto Show, will be held at Huntington Place in downtown Detroit, and will be spread over 11 days from Friday, Jan. 10, to Monday, Jan. 20. Notably, the dates are a return to the January time slot after the the show was held in September over the past couple of years. There will be one media preview day, Friday Jan. 10, and the Charity Preview will be held that same evening. There was no Detroit Auto Show in 2024.
* Hot Wheels winner. The Hot Wheels Legends Tour, the world’s largest traveling car show, rolled into the Chicago area for the sixth U.S. stop of 2024. Celebrating its seventh year, this epic global contest offers custom car builders the unique opportunity to have their passion projects turned into the next Hot Wheels die-cast toy car. More than 118 cars participated and over 5,000 Hot Wheels fans attended the event at Walmart in Morris, IL. Mark Cryer claimed the top spot at the Chicago event with his custom 2009 Smart ForTwo. The Smart ForTwo features many homebuilt pieces such as the custom front axle, roll-cage, and tube-chassis featuring a wheelie bar. To make big power in the little car, Cryer dropped a 555 Chevrolet Big Block motor into the Smart before attaching it to a power glide transmission with a Ford nine-inch rear end. The car is not just for show, with the 90.5-inch wheelbase and the iconic drag radials it’s able to run the ¼ mile in 9.8 seconds @ 137 MPH. HERE
* Tesla recall. Tesla is recalling over 1.8 million vehicles in the United States due to risk of software failure to detect an unlatched hood, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said. An unlatched hood could fully open and obstruct the driver's view, raising the risk of a crash. Tesla has started rolling out an over-the-air software update to detect the open hood and send a notification to customers. The recall applies to certain 2021-2024 Model 3, Model S, Model X, and 2020-2024 Model Y vehicles.
* Hyundai recall. Hyundai is recalling about 50,000 vehicles of its 2024 Santa Fe gasoline and hybrid models in Canada and the U.S. because of electrical wiring faults that could cause airbags to deploy incorrectly or not at all, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Stay safe. Be Well.<.p>