Nutson's Weekly Automotive News Wrap-up September 15-21, 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 September 15-21, 2024
- US DoE Factoid of the week. A typical EV is 87%–91% efficient (after taking regenerative braking into account) compared to about 30% for a conventional gasoline vehicle, depending on the drive cycle. Energy to the wheels, the portion of energy stored on the vehicle that is used to move the vehicle down the road, is 65%–69% and net regenerative braking recovers about 22% on the EPA combined city/highway drive cycle.
- Tax credits for EV chargers. The Biden administration is moving to clarify how homeowners and businesses can receive lucrative tax credits for installing electric vehicle chargers. A rule proposed by the Treasury Department would make credits worth up to $1,000 for individuals and $100,000 for businesses available for each EV charger that is installed. Full story HERE.
- Tesla chargers. The number of new Tesla Supercharger ports opened in May through August fell 28% from the same period a year earlier, according to EV analytics by EVAdoption. This is due to the widespread layoffs in April that gutted the team responsible for their installation. This not only impacts Tesla drivers but those of other brand EVs such as Ford, GM and Rivian who have access to Tesla's chargers. Read more HERE
- Better EV tires. We read in Monocle magazine that UK-based tire start-up Enso is developing tires that are more suitable to help cleaner, lower-emissions in transportation. Yes, tire dust particles are an issue. Electric vehicles are heavier than their non-electric counterparts so they send tires to the landfill more quickly. Enso's mission is to build longer-lasting and less-polluting tires using higher quality material. A year-long test with Transport London has shown a 35% reduction in tire emissions and an extension of EV driving range by 10%. Enso tires will be coming to the US later this year. HERE
- Fix the EV business model. To boost electric vehicle ownership, we need to fix this broken business model, writes David Fickling for Bloomberg. There’s been a run of bad news for a promised rapid transition to electric cars in rich democracies. Many of these issues can be traced back to charging. The success of PHEVs relative to other EVs is an indicator of a burgeoning market of consumers keen for electrified transport but not yet convinced they can survive without a gasoline backup. To solve that problem, we need to fix the broken business model of public charging.
- Lots of HP in this pony. The all-new 2025 Ford Mustang GTD – the apex of any Mustang ever engineered by Ford – set a new performance bar with 815 horsepower, 664 pound-feet of torque and a top speed of 202 miles per hour, the most of any street-legal Mustang ever. Got a spare $325,000 or so?
- AM radio for all. The House Energy and Commerce Committee has advanced the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act with a 45-2 vote. The bill, which aims to preserve AM radio access in vehicles, saw lawmakers emphasize AM radio's critical role during emergencies, with Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., and others highlighting its importance in the Emergency Alert System. The legislation would require automakers to include AM radio or face fines, with a phased compliance timeline. The Senate version has gained broad support but awaits a final vote. HERE
- VW stop sale. Volkswagen is issuing a stop-sale on its ID4 electric compact crossover and will halt production at its plant in Chattanooga as they search for a remedy to fix faulty door handles. We reported last week on a recall for U.S.-built ID.4s that involves nearly 100,000 units. VW is working to find a fix for a faulty electronic door-opening mechanism that could cause the doors to open unexpectedly.
- GM recall. General Motors is recalling more than 449,000 of its SUVs and pickup trucks because the electronic brake control module software may fail to display a warning light when a loss of brake fluid takes place. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that the recall includes certain 2023-2024 Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESVs, 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2023-2024 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban 1500, 2023 GMC Sierra 1500, 2023-2024 GMC Yukon and Yukon XL models.
- Ford Recall. Ford is recalling more than 144,000 2022-2024 Ford Maverick pickups in the U.S., the U.S. NHTSA said. The reason is the rearview camera image can freeze when the vehicle is in reverse, increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will update the Connected Touch Radio equipped on this vehicles with new software free of charge.
- Buyer beware. Owners of $70,000 Fisker Ocean electric crossover SUVs have been told by the bankrupt startup they may have to pay the repair costs for two outstanding recalls. Some owners previously told Business Insider that they'd been left with undrivable vehicles. Fisker doesn't have money for the labor costs associated with two recalls. In a letter sent to owners, it said it would try to make the spare parts available to authorized service centers.
- NHRA help for moms-to-be. The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, one of the most socially diverse racing series on the planet, has unveiled new policies to address pregnancy and pregnancy-related issues for its female drivers. NHRA Top Fuel driver Leah Pruett, who is expecting her first child in November, led a group of racers who helped craft the new deal. The new pregnancy policy unveiled today by the NHRA allows for replacement drivers for pregnant drivers or drivers with pregnancy issues. More details HERE
- IndyCar Champ. Alex Palou drove to his third IndyCar championship in four years when challenger Will Power’s seatbelt came loose minutes into the season-deciding finale Sunday at Nashville Superspeedway. Colton Herta, who earlier this year moved to Nashville, won the Music City Grand Prix for his first career victory on an oval and second win of the season for Andretti Global. Herta topped Pato O’Ward in a wheel-to-wheel battle in the closing laps. But all attention was on the championship race as Palou, a Spaniard who won his first title in 2021 in his first season driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, won back-to-back IndyCar titles. Power’s lap belt came undone on the 14th lap. He had to pit under green so his crew could get him safely buckled back correctly, and Power had dropped five laps off the pace by the time he got back on track.
- Chevy IndyCar Engine. For the third consecutive year Chevrolet has won the NTT INDYCAR Series Manufacturer Championship. Every season, the two manufacturers that furnish engines in INDYCAR are in a competition for the Manufacturer Championship. Points are awarded every race to the top-finishing cars as the season progresses. The performance and reliability of the Chevrolet 2.2L V6 engine has generated nine NTT INDYCAR Series Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet since returning to INDYCAR competition in 2012. In the 13 seasons of the Chevrolet 2.2L V6 twin turbocharged INDYCAR engine, Team Chevy drivers have amassed 122 wins of the 215 races to date – an impressive 56.7%. Six of those wins have been in the Indianapolis 500.
- Rally champs. Subaru Motorsports USA driver Brandon Semenuk and co-driver Keaton Williams clinched their third-straight American Rally Association (ARA) championship while extreme sports legend Travis Pastrana and co-driver Rhianon Gelsomino captured their second event win in a row at the inaugural Overmountain Rally Tennessee. There’s one event left in the 2024 ARA season: October 11-12’s Lake Superior Performance Rally (LSPR) in Michigan.
- RIP. Michael Valentine, president of Valentine Research and one of the leading pioneers in the radar detection business, has passed away unexpectedly at the age of 74, according to an obituary posted by Cincinatti.com. If you've been a merchant of speed no doubt you have had a radar detector or two. (I certainly have.) No brand of detector is as well-respected as Valentine Research. The auto enthusiast community owes Michael Valentine great thanks. HERE
Stay safe. Be Well.