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 Wrapup November 24-30, 2024


PHOTO

PHOTO

America's Longest Running Internet Automotive Column

Auto Central December 1, 2024; Every Sunday Larry Nutson, The Chicago Car Guy and Auto Channel Executive Producer, with able assistance from senior Detroit 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 hundreds of thousands of pages of relevant news, information and opinions, are 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.

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 Wrapup Week Of November 24-30, 2024

  • November vehicle sales. New-vehicle sales for November are expected to maintain a steady seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 16.0 million, consistent with the sales pace observed in October, according to the Cox Automotive forecast. This represents an increase from last November’s SAAR of 15.5 million. There's potential for healthy electric vehicle (EV) sales if consumers act on anticipated changes to federal tax credits. October saw an increase in both new and used EV sales, while new EV prices decreased and used EV prices increased. The U.S. electric vehicle (EV) market is on track for another record-breaking year.

  • Used car price trends. Carfax has released its used car price trends for December 2024. They've added the month-over-month changes to the average price of a used model in all of their categories on Carfax.com. That’s in addition to the year-over-year changes that they previously highlighted. Carfax says we may be close to seeing larger changes month-over-month as a result of the recent presidential election. See the report HERE

  • The car buyer's dilemma. Consumers increasingly want big vehicles, but at smaller-car price tags, experts said, creating a true contradiction for carmakers. Read the details HERE

  • California EV credit. California will step in and provide rebates to eligible residents who buy electric vehicles if President-elect Donald J. Trump ends the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, Gov. Gavin Newsom said. Mr. Newsom’s proposal comes as California officials gird for an extended battle with the incoming Trump administration over environmental policy, immigration and other issues. Full story here:   HERE

  • Tariffs will bring higher prices. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico would retaliate if U.S. President-elect Donald Trump followed through with his proposed 25% across-the-board tariff, a move her government warned could kill 400,000 U.S. jobs and drive up prices for U.S. consumers. Ebrard noted that 88% of pickup trucks sold in the U.S. are made in Mexico and would see a price increase. These vehicles are popular in rural areas that overwhelmingly voted for Trump. “Our estimate is that the average price of these vehicles will increase by $3,000,” Ebrard said. Full story here:  HERE

  • EV mandate fix. Federal and state governments have been trying to persuade Americans to buy battery-electric vehicles using mandates and taxpayer-financed incentives. These policies aren’t working, and the sale of EVs has stalled. Can President-elect Trump help get EVs back on track. Jack Hollis chief operating officer of Toyota Motor North America has something to say about that. Have a read.  HERE

  • US DoE factoid of the week. Thirty-seven percent of shared micromobility trips replaced a car trip, according to 2020-2023 North American survey data. Another 13% of micromobility trips replaced transit trips. About 35% of Micromobility trips replaced walking trips. New trips, which would not have been taken had micromobility not been available, accounted for 5% and personal bike 9%.

  • Safety rating update. The U.S. government’s automobile safety ratings will get a major update starting with the 2026 model year when regulators add new driver-assistance technologies and tests for protecting pedestrians. In addition to the five-star ratings for crash tests, the NHTSA will add four new technologies, including pedestrian automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, blind spot warning and intervention if a driver tries to move toward a vehicle in a blind spot. The new rule also strengthens test procedures and performance standards for technology that’s already included in the ratings such as automatic emergency braking. The agency said that the five-star crash test ratings, which most vehicles now get, would not change under the new system. But consumers would also see green check marks on NHTSA’s website if vehicles they’re shopping for have the safety features, and they can be assured that the features meet standards set by the government, according to the US DoT.

  • Cooperative steering.  A new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows partial automation that allows some manual steering may help keep drivers engaged. Partial automation systems use cameras and other sensors to keep your car moving down the road in the center of the lane at a speed you select, braking to avoid other vehicles and accelerating again when the way is clear. They are unable to handle many common on-road scenarios, however, so drivers are supposed to pay close attention and be ready to take over at any time. Two recent IIHS studies showed they don’t always do so, despite driver monitoring and attention reminder features. Get the details HERE

  • Electric school buses are healthier for children. A recent survey reveals 65% of U.S. parents prefer electric school buses over diesel. 68% believe their child’s physical health would improve and 89% prioritize clean air and safe commutes. The poll conducted by Highland Electric Fleets also found a similar figure (63%) of parents surveyed believe their child would be happier commuting to school on an electric school bus. More info HERE

  • Retro cars. Do you remember when the Big Three did retro cars? Old-school styling came in through the muscle car revival with the 2005 Mustang, 2008 Challenger and 2010 Camaro. How collectible are those 2000s retro-style cars? See what Hagety has to say HERE

  • D-I-Y car repair. As car maintenance and repair costs ballooned 28% in the past three years, according to Labor Department data, more car owners are considering a do-it-yourself approach. In the first half of 2024, about 30% of drivers said that if their vehicle needed a repair immediately, they would likely try doing the repair themselves, up from 26% of drivers in 2020, according to IMR, an automotive market-research firm. Go for it! Read how HERE

  • Hyundai Group recall. Genesis, Hyundai and Kia are recalling over 208,000 electric vehicles to fix a pesky problem that can cause loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. The recalls cover more than 145,000 Hyundai and Genesis vehicles including the 2022 through 2024 Ioniq 5, the 2023 through 2025 Ioniq 6, GV60 and GV70, and the 2023 and 2024 G80. Also included are nearly 63,000 Kia EV 6 vehicles from 2022 through 2024.

  • Top Gear winner. The McLaren 750S has won Top Gear Magazine’s Performance Car of the Year at the annual Top Gear Awards, with McLaren being presented with the trophy at the awards event held in London on November 26. The award is presented to the winner of Top Gear Magazine’s annual Speed Week event, which gathers the year’s best performance cars, as rated by the publication, for a week-long test on road and track. The 750S was tested on the Navarra circuit in northern Spain before heading to the picturesque and challenging roads in the Pamplona region, along with other Speed Week finalists. The 750S was crowned Speed Week winner after impressing the Top Gear judges, who were vocal in their praise of the 750S’ abilities on road and track, particularly its huge performance, scintillating driver feedback and connection, engaging character and strong quality.

  • F1 champ. Max Verstappen clinched his fourth Formula 1 world championship in the Las Vegas Grand Prix, cementing his standing among the legends of the sport. The 27-year-old Red Bull driver just needed to finish ahead of his sole championship rival, McLaren's Lando Norris, to eliminate him from contention and secure the trophy with two races and a "sprint" to go in the 2024 season. He finished 5th, while Norris finished 6th. Verstappen becomes just the sixth driver in F1 history to capture four world championships, joining an elite club with Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Alain Prost and Juan Manuel Fangio. Mercedes driver George Russell won the night race from pole position.

  •  GM to enter F1. Formula 1 is set to have 11 teams in 2026 after reaching an "agreement in principle" with General Motors. GM, through its Cadillac brand, will use the infrastructure and personnel established by Andretti Global at its Silverstone satellite base, and will become the 11th team beginning in 2026. It will initially be a customer team—with its engine supply to be determined—and it will produce its own power unit later this decade, perhaps as earty as 2028. Mario Andretti, the last American F1 Champion, will serve as a director on the team’s board. Details HERE

  • RIP. Revered Detroit-based drag racer Ron Mancini passed away peacefully in his sleep. He was 85. Ron made a name for himself as a celebrated drag racer who dominated NHRA’s Super Stock class and claimed numerous victories during the late 1960s and well into the 1970s. In 1973 Ron teamed up with Ray Angelelli and formed Mancini Racing, the first Mopar Direct Connection Warehouse Distributor that remains in business today.

  • RIP  Female racing pioneer Mary McGee died of complications from a stroke. She was 87. McGee had an accomplished racing resume, first in auto racing and later in motorcycle racing. She became the first person — man or woman — to complete solo the grueling Baja 500 off-road race in Mexico. She did that in 1975. McGee was the first woman to race motocross in the U.S., the first to compete in an international motocross competition and the first to receive sponsorships from major brands. She was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2018.

  • Stay safe. Be Well.

    Kind regards, 
    Larry Nutson, The Chicago Car Guy.