Nutson's Weekly Auto News Wrapup November 30-December 6 , 2025
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Here are Larry’s Top Auto Story Picks of the Week November 30-December 6, 2025: Larry picked these as important, relevant, interesting and sometimes semi-secret stories you need to know—served up as snappy, opinionated, and insider-sharp, these are expertly crafted, easy-to-understand news nuggets that cut through the noise and get right to what matters to you in the automotive world.
* Car buyers draw the line on car prices. American car buyers are increasingly resistant to high prices, leading to slower sales and a shift toward more affordable vehicles. Despite earlier optimism for 2025, auto sales growth is now predicted to be muted or flat, with October’s selling rate the slowest in over a year. Dealers are offering more discounts, and lower-income borrowers are defaulting on car loans, indicating financial strain among consumers. Read the details HERE
* New vehicle sales. U.S. light-vehicle sales dropped overall for a second consecutive month in November with consumer resistance to increased prices and worsening fears about the economy combined with weaker EV demand and fewer selling days. Ford, Kia and Toyota has slight sales increases but Honda, Hyundai and Subaru declined. Cox Automotive analysts expect November sales to be 6% lower than October. Strong fleet purchases helped automakers move inventory, compensating for softer retail demand.
* Lower MPG rules. The White House has proposed relaxed fuel-economy standards in a bid to lower new vehicle prices. Under the changes, the federal government would require an average of 34.5 miles a gallon for vehicles by model year 2031, down from the 50.4 miles a gallon standard set by the Biden administration. It also does away with a system in which automakers can buy credits from competitors to offset fines, a setup that proved to be a boon for electric-vehicle maker Tesla. (Tesla has generated over $10 billion from selling regulatory credits since 2017.) The proposal must undergo an official rule-making process before being adopted. The changes would apply to all model-year passenger cars and light trucks from 2022 to 2031. Small SUVs and so-called crossovers, which are SUVs built on car-like chassis, would be reclassified as passenger cars instead of light trucks. The proposal is expected to face court challenges and the impact on the price of new vehicles may be negligible. Full story HERE
* New USPS mail trucks. Coming to your neighborhood. The US Postal Service is renewing its decrepit fleet of the Long-Life Vehicles that have gone vastly beyond their projected lifespan. The Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV) developed by Oshkosh Corporation for the USPS is coming. The NGDV comes in a battery-electric version, which will account for about 70 percent of the $2.98 billion initial order. For longer and more challenging routes and climates, the remaining 30 percent will use a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder from Ford, with front- or all-wheel drive. Check out this drive-review by John Voelcker for Car & Driver. HERE
* No more Mr. Nice Guy. For years while training on the streets of San Francisco and eventually transporting passengers, Waymos were the most polite drivers on the road. The training wheels are off. Like the rule-following nice guy who’s tired of being taken advantage of, Waymos are putting their own needs first. They’re bending traffic laws, getting impatient with pedestrians and embracing the idea that when it comes to city driving, politeness doesn’t pay: It’s every car for itself. Enjoy the ride. HERE
* Meanwhile. Too much noise from Waymo. Neighbors have complained that the automated Waymo fleet creates a noise nuisance when operating at night at charging stations in Santa Monica, California. The Santa Monica City Council voted unanimously to order Waymo to halt nightly operations between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.. Waymo must stop charging its autonomous fleet of electric cars overnight at two Santa Monica stations, the City Council decided last week as a way to resolve a months-long dispute between residents and the driverless taxi company. More on this HERE
* The Why on engine failures. Richard Truett writing for Automotive News explains why so many vehicle engines are having catastrophic failures and costing automakers such as GM, Honda, Hyundai and Toyota billions to repair or replace. Read it HERE
* Traffic congestion update. Traffic continues to grow in the vast majority of urban areas, as economic and population growth continue to overwhelm infrastructure capacity. INRIX, a global leader in transportation data and analytics, released its 2025 Global Traffic Scorecard. Congestion and traffic delays continued to increase in urban areas around the world. Of the 290 U.S. cities analyzed, congestion increased in 88% of them. However, congestion in London, Paris, and New York City remained at current levels or even decreased. See the report HERE
* Micro cars for US? Various media outlets report President Trump, apparently enamored by the pint-size Kei cars he saw during his recent trip to Japan, has paved the way for them to be made and sold in the U.S., despite some pundits concerns they’re too small and slow to be driven safely on American roads. Editor note: Micro cars can have a place in highly congested major US metros. However, I don't think it is likely that they will be produced in the US. HERE
* Previously on TACH: We at TACH recently reported the European Commission is developing a new classification specifically for affordable small electric vehicles, aiming to bridge the gap between lightweight quadricycles and larger cars. The category, which is scheduled to be formally announced next month, is intended to allow small EVs to be produced without the heavy regulatory burdens currently required for larger vehicles, making them more accessible and competitively priced. A Low-Speed Vehicle (LSV) is designed for short-distance, local travel, legally defined by federal standards (FMVSS 500) as having a top speed between 20-25 mph, equipped with required safety features like headlights, seatbelts, mirrors, and a VIN, and allowed on roads with speed limits up to 35 mph. Here's a timely reprise of my article from early October. HERE
* EVs and cold weather Ford has published an EV Cold Weather Guide to help optimize EV driving in cold climates. Read all about maximizing your EV’s winter performance: HERE
* Acceleration performance is too extreme. China is proposing new safety regulations to limit vehicle acceleration, requiring new passenger cars to take at least five seconds to go from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) after each startup. The goal is to reduce accidents caused by sudden, excessive acceleration, especially in electric vehicles, by requiring drivers to manually enable full acceleration if desired. This rule is currently in the public consultation phase and is intended to address potential human factors like distraction or inexperience. The regulations would apply to both electric and gasoline powered vehicles.
* Ram recall. Stellantis NA is recalling certain 2025-2026 Ram 1500 Pickup, Ram 2500 Pickup, Ram 3500 Pickup, Ram 3500 Cab Chassis, 4500 Ram Cab Chassis, and Ram 5500 Cab Chassis vehicles. A software error may cause the instrument panel cluster display to be blank. In total, 72,509 vehicles are affected.
* NASCAR goes to court. Michael Jordan’s bitter fight against NASCAR headed in to federal court this week in a jury trial that could rip apart the top motorsports series in the United States. The antitrust allegations leveled by Jordan-owned 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports has exposed salacious personal communications, NASCAR’s finances and a deep contempt between some of the top executives in the sport and its participants. More HERE
* F1 and Toyota. Toyota Gazoo Racing will become the title partner of the Haas Formula 1 team next year in a deal that will strengthen the ties between the Japanese motor company and the American racing team. Toyota's motorsport arm, known as Toyota Gazoo Racing, became a technical partner of Haas last October and has worked directly with the team this year, including the running of a testing of a previous car (TPC) program. The new deal will see Toyota Gazoo Racing replace Haas' existing title sponsor Moneygram for 2026 and continue its technical collaboration with the racing team.
* Formula 1 final. After a thrilling race in Qatar last Sunday night the fight to be crowned F1 world champion will go to the final race in Abu Dhabi this weekend. Britain's Lando Norris driving for McLaren is leading the standings with 408 points as he looks to win his first world title. Four-time champion Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is now 12 points behind on 396 thanks to his win in Qatar, while Norris' team-mate Oscar Piastri is only four more points behind on 392. With 25 points available for first place in Abu Dhabi the title is up for grabs for all three.
* RIP. Former NASCAR driver Michael Annett has died. He was 39. JR Motorsports announced Annett’s death in a social media post. Annett drove for the team in the Xfinity Series for five seasons from 2017-21. Annett made over 100 starts in NASCAR’s Cup Series and over 300 starts in NASCAR’s second-tier Xfinity Series
Stay safe. Be Well.
Kind regards,
Larry Nutson, the Chicago Car Guy
The Auto Channel