Nutson's Auto News Wrapup, Week Of January 19-25, 2025
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Auto Central Louisville, Kentucky, January 26, 2025; 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 30 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 January 19-25, 2025
Regulations Will Take Time to Reverse. President Trump’s first moves on electric vehicles, including the revocation of a Biden executive order that called for 50 percent of all new passenger cars and light trucks to be zero emission by 2030, signal the direction of his administration but on their own won’t immediately change policy. In addition to revoking the order, he called for a pause in the release of funds under two federal acts of legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The moves are largely symbolic but demonstrate that the Trump administration remains committed to reversing the EV push of former President Joe Biden, reports Automotive News. After “revoking that executive order, it’s not clear what’s in place” now, said Stephanie Brinley, principal automotive analyst at S&P Global Mobility. “That might be the next stage” for the administration. The repealing of the Biden executive order from 2021, Strengthening American Leadership in Clean Cars and Trucks, marks a shift in tone more than in policy at this point. Read here more from the New York Times: HERE
- Strong EV sales. Kelley Blue Book posted their Q4 electric vehicle (EV) sales analysis, showing that strong EV sales in December pushed U.S. sales to a record 1.3 million. Sales of EVs in the U.S. benefited from strong incentives from the automakers, excellent lease deals, and federal and state incentive programs. While the average transaction price for new EVs edged up slightly, the average listing price for used EVs dipped, reflecting the current market dynamics. Details here. HERE
- EV charging stations. Notwithstanding the present uncertainty of what the next four years will bring, the U.S Office of Joint Energy and Transportation reports that we now 75,000 public electric vehicle fueling station locations across the U.S. That's the latest milestone as more EV stations and charging ports (now at 206,000+) come online nationwide. See HERE
- Top Rated. Edmunds has announced their Top Rated Awards 2025, honoring the best cars, trucks and SUVs on sale today. It’s the sixth year of their awards and the first time that the Best of the Best is a hybrid. Each vehicle has been tested at the Edmunds test track and thoroughly evaluated in real-world use. There are six main categories: Best Car, Best SUV and Best Truck, as well as electric versions in each of these categories. And there also is the Best of the Best. See the winners: HERE
- Winter entertainment. Detroit Auto Show organizers said they are already seeing the event's move back to January pay off with about 60% higher daily paid attendance midway through the show run compared to the last show, which took place in September 2023. No longer dubbed the North American International Auto Show, this year's event doesn't have the big new vehicle reveals and crush of global media attention of past gatherings. Read more. HERE
- Brussels Motor Show. Electric Vehicles were a central highlight at the 101st Brussels Motor Show, with legacy automakers and Chinese manufacturers presenting their latest innovations. The show featured world premieres such as the Toyota Urban Cruiser and Mazda 6 EV, reflecting a strong focus on electrification. Traditional OEMs emphasized their EV advancements while reinforcing brand identity, while Chinese OEMs sought to redefine buyers' expectations with an emphasis on innovation. The show ran from January 10 to 19.
- Dodge wants you. Dodge is searching for fresh talent to introduce the next generation of Dodge muscle to a new audience, with one critical qualification: be badass. The new Dodge Badassador program is recruiting passionate enthusiasts to represent Dodge at events across the country, with America’s performance brand now accepting applications at HERE
- Stuck in traffic. With traffic congestion costing the average U.S. driver nearly $800 per year, the personal-finance website WalletHub released its report on 2025's Best & Worst States to Drive In, along with expert commentary, to identify where people can save the most money while staying as safe as possible on the road. WalletHub compared the 50 states across 31 key metrics. The data set ranges from average gas prices to rush-hour traffic congestion to road quality. Find your state HERE
- Gas prices. As the mercury goes down, gas prices are going up. GasBuddy counted 28 states that have average gas prices of $2.99/gal. or lower this week, but that number will erode over the weeks ahead as higher oil prices and seasonality have an impact. Trump is said to be declaring a "energy emergency" very soon. This will likely have little to no impact on gas prices or fuel prices in the short-term, as a President can de-regulate, but there is no direct action that can be issued requiring oil companies to raise production.
- Road Trip. Here's a nice story about an 18-year old high school senior from Colorado driving his Jeep Wrangler 43,000 miles to 49 states in 64 days. Never stop driving! Enjoy the read: HERE
- A quick pivot. Don't give up on Stellantis. Executives have been moving swiftly to turn around the U.S. operations, employing a series of changes to jump-start sales again. Jeep is reviving its Cherokee-sized SUV. Dodge is bringing back the gas-engine version of its Charger muscle car. Ram is hitting pause on its all-electric pickup truck. And there is talk of a midsize pickup from Ram. Full story: HERE
- Improvement needed. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched a probe into two high-profile nighttime crashes involving Ford's BlueCruise hands-free semi-autonomous driving system that both resulted in deaths. This was first reported by Automotive News. As well as happening at night, both crashes occurred with stationary objects, raising serious concerns about the viability of the system when lighting is dim. If the system can't see a parked car, what will happen when someone cuts you off? Current self-driving systems are still far from full autonomy, emphasizing the need for responsible use and continual improvement.
- Unfixed recalls. Despite growing concerns over vehicle safety and efforts by vehicle manufacturers, 58.1 million – one in five cars on the road – have an automotive recall that remains unfixed. CARFAX data shows that’s a 16% increase in just two years. More than 14 million have two or more unresolved recalls. Read the report CARFAX: Rise in Number of Unfixed Recalls, 14 million Cars Have Two or More HERE
- Kia Recall. Kia America, Inc. is recalling certain 2024-2025 Sorento, 2025 Sorento Hybrid, and 2025 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. A software error in the Body Domain Control Unit (BDC) may cause a loss of low beam headlights and taillights. A loss of headlights and taillights can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Ford recall. Ford Motor Co. is recalling 272,817 Bronco Sport and Maverick vehicles on concerns over 12-volt battery failure, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said. The recall affects certain 2021-2023 Bronco Sport and 2022-2023 Maverick vehicles.
- GM recall. General Motors is recalling about 2,890 Chevrolet Equinox EVs due to concerns about their adaptive cruise control, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said. The adaptive cruise control may fail to engage the brakes as expected, due to incorrect brake module software, increasing the risk of a crash, the U.S. auto safety regulator said.
- Formula 1. British driver Lewis Hamilton cheered Ferrari fans gathered outside the track, after testing a Ferrari Formula One SF-23, in Fiorano Modenese, Italy. Hamilton drove a Ferrari Formula 1 car for the first time Wednesday and described it as “one of the best feelings of my life.” Hamilton was behind the wheel of a 2023-specification Ferrari SF-23 bearing his racing number, 44, at the team’s Fiorano test track and wore a new helmet design in yellow with a prominent Prancing Horse logo. The 40-year-old British driver set out for his first lap at 9:16 a.m. local time in light fog and twice waved to a crowd of around 1,000 spectators, who had gathered on a nearby bridge despite the cold and wet weather. Hamilton has shaken up F1 with his move to Ferrari after 12 years with Mercedes, where he won six of his seven world titles. -- Asociated Press
- Rolex 24. “The World Center of Racing” reawakens in the last two weeks of January when Daytona International Speedway annually embodies its moniker. The prestigious Rolex 24 at Daytona lifts the lid on the 2025 motorsports season this weekend. More news : HERE
- RIP. Dune buggy driver and land access advocate Evelyn Tallman-Duceshi, who helped keep Oceano Dunes near Pismo Beach open to all, and whose knowledge of sand driving was sought out by both neighbors and NASA, passed away at 97. Tallman-Duceshi raced a purple dune buggy across Oceano Dunes in the 1950s, an era when women were far less likely to do such a thing. As a co-founder of the California Off Road Vehicle Association (CORVA), she was called to testify on land-use issues many times. More here from Autoweek: HERE
Stay safe. Be Well.