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 Auto News WrapUp - May 12-19, 2025


PHOTO

PHOTO
Larry Nutson

AUTO CENTRAL - Louisville, KY - May 18, 2025: Every Sunday, Larry Nutson, The Chicago Car Guy and TACH Executive Producer, compiles The Auto Channel's take on this past week's automotive news, condensed into easy-to-digest news Nuggets.

LEARN MORE:

PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)

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.


  • April new vehicle prices are up. The latest data released by Kelley Blue Book shows a significant 2.5% rise in new-vehicle prices for April, marking a sharp increase over the typical monthly trend. This rise comes amid ongoing concerns about tariffs and market fluctuations, signaling continued volatility in the automotive landscape. The April Average Transaction Price (ATP) for new vehicles reached $48,699, with the sharpest monthly increase observed in years. Inventory levels for new vehicles remain tight, contributing to price increases. EV ATP is now $59,255, up by 3.7% year-over-year, though incentives for EVs continue to decline. The Compact SUV segment, one of the most popular segments and one highly exposed to new import tariffs, saw vehicle prices that were mostly flat month over month and year over year at $36,416. Incentives and discounts, however, declined in April to 7.8% of ATP, down from 8.2% in March.

  • China tariffs. The US and China have agreed to roll back some tariffs for 90 days, signaling a notable de-escalation of trade tensions. Under the deal reached in Geneva, the US will reduce tariffs on Chinese goods to 30% from 145%, while China will cut duties on US imports to 10% from 125%. The announcement has lifted global markets and strengthened the US dollar. Relief is expected to various sectors, including the automotive industry, which has been heavily impacted by recent tariff hikes. Get more information HERE.

  • British car tariffs. The U.S. is the largest single market for companies such as Aston Martin, Bentley and Jaguar Land Rover, which makes Range Rovers. The new 10% tariff on British cars, while far below the previous 27.5% rate, is still four times its level before President Trump launched auto tariffs on April 3. Moreover, it will apply only to 100,000 vehicles a year, with the rest incurring a 25% levy. Full story HERE.

  • Federal Tax proposals. House Republicans unveiled tax plan changes that would impact autos. The $7,500 credit for purchasing a new EV would end on December 31, except for manufacturers who have sold fewer than 200,000 battery-powered vehicles, who would get another year. Credits for commercial EVs (the leasing workaround) and used EVs would end after 2025. A new deduction for car loan interest, even to those who don't itemize deductions, is proposed.

  • Sales record. Triumph says it sold 134,635 motorcycles in 2024, a 64% growth from the previous year. That makes 2024 the first time in the company's 122-year history that Triumph's annual sales reached six figures. 950 dealers now sell Triumph motorcycles across the world, representing a 46% increase since 2019. Triumph has launched into two all-new segments of the global motorcycle market: the competition off-road segment with the TF 250-X, and the sub-500cc segment with the launch of the new Speed 400, and Scrambler 400 X

  • Rental car dents and dings. Don't you hate it when you return a rental car and they try to charge you for damage that you believe was there when you drove it off the lot? Hertz has hooked up with instant vehicle drive-through company UVeye to help avoid those disputes. Read more HERE.

  • Secret Service learns stick shift. Courtesy of General Motors, agents training to one day protect the president of the United States and other top officials will learn how to drive stick-shift vehicles. The Secret Service said it tapped GM to ensure personnel had access to advanced platforms that mirror what they might encounter in real-world scenarios. An instructor at the Rowley Training Center in Laurel, Maryland, said that though it is unlikely agents will encounter manual transmissions in the field, it's still important for them to learn in case they are assigned overseas. More HERE.

  • Another brand from the VW Group. Spanish automaker Cupra, a subsidiary of Volkswagen's Seat, plans to enter the US market by 2030 and is in talks with Penske Automotive Group to establish a dealership network. The automaker offers gasoline models, hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles, emphasizing performance and design. Full details HERE.

  • Fewer cars. Faster travel. Less honking. Congestion pricing was designed to finance more than $15 billion in critical transit upgrades in New York City. Those investments will take years. But the parallel changes at street level are already apparent. HERE'S what is known so far.

  • Waymo recall. Google affiliate Waymo said it is recalling a majority of its self-driving vehicles due to a software glitch after some cars collided with roadway barriers. The recall requires a software update and affects about 1,200 vehicles which use the Jaguar I-Pace as their basis. The vehicles have been running into barriers like gates and chains.

  • Ford/Lincoln recall. 2022 thru 2024 model year Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition vehicles are under a recall for a brake fluid leak that may result in loss of brake function. Brake fluid in the affected vehicles may leak due to the front brake lines coming in contact with the engine air cleaner outlet pipe and being damaged. The recall affects 273,789 of the full-size SUVs.

  • RIP. Auto designer William Porter has died. The celebrated General Motors draftsman penned some of the most iconic muscle cars, including the 1968 Pontiac GTO, 1970-73 Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am, and 1971 Bonneville. Porter was 96. Get the full story HERE.

Stay safe. Be Well.