Nutson's Auto News Wrapup, Week Of December 22-28, 2024

America's Longest Running Internet Automotive Interactive Column

Auto Central Louisville, Kentucky, December 29, 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 December 22-28, 2024

Trump bump. New car and light truck sales are surging in the fourth quarter after stumbling a bit in the third quarter, according to Cox Automotive analysts. “We’re predicting a Trump bump,” said Cox's Charlie Chesbrough. The fourth-quarter’s higher sales pace significantly raises the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) to 16.4 million vehicles, from 15.6 million in the third quarter. New EV sales will be up an estimated 12% year-over-year in 2024, totaling 8% of all new vehicles in the US this year. Cox Automotive expects vehicle sales to hit 16.3 million in 2025, up 2.8%, over 2024.

Or, a Trump dump. Nearly one-third of all vehicles priced below $30,000 and sold in the U.S. are built in Mexico. The U.S. car industry has a ‘big case of anxiety’ about the president-elect’s proposed 25% tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada. Get the details HERE

Model year 2024 Electric Vehicles offer consumers a wide range in EV efficiency. Consumers looking to choose the most efficient electric vehicle (EV) will find wide ranges in efficiencies depending on the vehicle class. For example, midsized cars ranged from 2.17 mi/kWh to 4.17 mi/kWh, the upper bound of which represents the most efficient EV in model year 2024. Standard SUVs with 2WD, however, range from 0.97 mi/kWh to 2.94 mi/kWh, where the lower bound represents the least efficient EV in model year 2024. Driving a midsize car that can travel about four times the distance on a kilowatt-hour of electricity compared to an SUV at the lower bound of efficiency (4 miles versus 1 mile) would reduce your charging costs to a quarter. There is now a selection of EV models in most size classes offering consumers meaningful choices when considering EV efficiency and potential savings. More details here.

Selling EVs is a challenge. Ron Cogan, publisher of Green Car Journal writes: Selling electric vehicles has never been an easy thing. Now, with myriad changes afoot, it will likely be even more challenging and require insightful strategies. Srini Rajagopalan, managing director and practice leader at JD Power, shared his views with Green Car Journal on the fundamentals and nuances of selling EVs. Full story : HERE

Why buy an EV? CDK surveyed more than 1,000 new car shoppers again to learn why some chose electric and others didn't. It's critical for dealers to understand why and what’s exactly moving the EV needle for car shoppers today so they can meet the EV demand of tomorrow. Details Car Shoppers Battle EV Myths | CDK Global

Used Car Price Trends For January 2025. Market forces are driving used car prices lower. That means this is a good time for shoppers who want to buy something used. You can compare this month’s average used car prices on Carfax.com: Used Car Price Trends for January 2025

Merger would create World's No. 3 automaker. Honda and Nissan have announced plans to work toward a merger, forming the world's third-largest automaker by sales as the industry undergoes dramatic changes in its transition away from fossil fuels. Honda and Nissan say they will form a holding company, which will include Mitsubishi, with Honda picking its top management. Here's the news.

American car buyers are downsizing. This rising interest in smaller offerings comes as owning a car has become increasingly unaffordable. The average selling price of a new car is still at historically high levels, exceeding $45,000 in November, according to J.D. Power. Insurance premiums, financing rates and repair costs have also climbed in recent years, further stretching household budgets. Details HERE

Driverless taxi harassment. Women have reported being harassed in San Francisco’s driverless taxis by men chasing or blocking their cars. A series of incidents involving men taking advantage of the driverless technology and following passengers home or trying to break into their vehicles have instilled concerns. Read the story: HERE

Bob Dylan and his Triumph Bonneville. Christmas Day brings us the in-theatre release of the James Mangold ("Ford v Ferrari") dive into a biopic about the living legend Bob Dylan. "A Complete Unknown" captures an epochal four years − 1961 to 1965 − of Dylan's life from Hibbing Minnesota to Greenwich Village in New York City. The film often features Dylan riding his 1964 Triumph T100 motorcycle, yes, a genuine vintage T100. Autoweek touches on that in this story: HERE

Hyundai record. Hyundai Motor Company’s IONIQ 5 took part in a prestigious GUINNESS WORLD RECORD title attempt for the Greatest altitude change by an electric car. The record attempt was organized by Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) and driven by the professional team from Evo India, with the Hyundai IONIQ 5 setting the remarkable record by registering an altitude change of 5,802 m (19,035 ft). The journey began at India’s highest drivable point, Umling La in Leh Ladakh, located 5,799 m (19,026 ft) above sea level, and finished in Kuttanad, Kerala, situated three meters (9.8 ft) below sea level. Watch on Youtube. HERE

This is our final Weekly Wrapup for 2024. We wish all a Happy New Year! 2025 is looking to be quite packed with news.