Nutson's Auto News Weekly Wrap-up September 17-23, 2023
 |
 |
LEARN MORE: Complete versions of today's news nuggets, along with thousands of pages of relevant news and opinions, information 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 picks among the past week's important, relevant, semi-secret, or snappy automotive news, opinions and insider back stories presented as expertly crafted easy-to-understand automotive universe news nuggets. for Nutson's Auto News Weekly Wrap-up September 17-23, 2023
* The automotive topic of the week is the UAW strike against the Detroit-three automakers. As of Friday Ford and the UAW appear close to an agreement. However, the UAW struck parts distribution facilities of GM and Stellantis at 38 locations across 20 states. These facilities provide repair parts to dealers for customer vehicles. In a Facebook Live message UAW President Shawn Fain says there is lack of progress in bargaining with GM and Stellantis. However, the two companies say they are indeed ready to bargain and questioned UAW intent. President Joe Biden plans to visit Michigan on Tuesday to show support for the United Auto Workers.
* US DoE factoid of the week: According to the 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey, 67% of all housing units in the United States have vehicle parking within 20 feet of an electrical outlet. This is significant when planning for the transition to EVs, where at-home charging is important. The distance of 20 feet is within the reach of many EV charging cords, making charging feasible. The District of Columbia had the fewest housing units with an outlet within 20 feet of vehicle parking (32%), with North Dakota topping the list at 90%.
* Editorial note on the above. Of the 33% of housing units that don't have a convenient electrical outlet the majority of these are located in large cities. (for example, Washington DC is at 68%.) The best use-case for EVs is in slower, in-city, stop and go driving. There is a significant need for convenient and safe charging solutions for city residents. Learn More: The Inequities Of EV's
* A new report from CARFAX says Autumn is the most dangerous season for auto crash damage in the U.S. Most U.S. states have more auto crashes in fall than in any other season. Although many might assume that Winter is the most crash-prone season, more than 72% of U.S. drivers – roughly 170 million – live in states where Fall is the peak season for crash damage. More details are HERE
* Popular with parents, minivans ought to boast the safest second-row seating on the market. Instead, they’re lagging behind. None of the four minivans (and there are only four in the US market) tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety earns an acceptable or good rating in the updated moderate overlap front crash test, which now emphasizes back seat safety. The Chrysler Pacifica, Kia Carnival and Toyota Sienna are rated marginal, while the Honda Odyssey is rated poor. All but the Sienna also lack seat belt reminders for the second-row seats, as IIHS highlighted in February.Minivans don’t make the grade when it comes to rear-seat safety
* After finishing second in the mass-market group in 2022, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) took to the top step for the first time in Reputation's annual 2023 Automotive Reputation Report, ranking first among 19 mass-market auto brands. Reputation's report evaluates customer experience at 35,000 automotive OEM brands, dealer groups, and dealerships across the United States, Canada, and Europe. https://reputation.com/
* Reuters reports: Electric vehicle sales in Europe doubled last month from a year ago, and now account for 21% of the market, according to new data from the ACEA trade group. Diesel engines are fading away in the European market as EV sales rise. Volvo Cars said it will stop making diesel vehicles next year. Diesel-powered vehicles accounted for 15% of Western European vehicle sales in August, down 4 percentage points from a year ago and half the level in 2019, according to GlobalData. Combustion vehicles now account for less than half the EU vehicle market.
* The UK government will postpone the ban on the sale of new petrol- and diesel-engined cars from 2030 until 2035, prime minister Rishi Sunak has confirmed. Sunak noted that the 2035 date brings the UK in line with other countries including the European Union and Canada. Read details here as reported by Autocar. Government to delay introduction of 2030 ICE ban | Autocar
*And there's this reported by The Auto Channel: The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act, or H.R. 1435, which restricts the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from issuing any waiver for new regulations that would ban the sale or use of new vehicles with internal combustion engines. The bill passed with some bipartisan support, 222 to 190, with eight Democrats joining their Republican colleagues in the majority. The bill is in response to action by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which approved requirements on automakers that would effectively ban the sale of new ICE-powered cars and light trucks by 2035 in favor of zero-emission vehicles, like full battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. To institute its plan, California would need a waiver of Clean Air Act preemption provisions from the EPA.
* Hello Chicago! Cruise, which tests and operates its Origin autonomous vehicle in the US Sun Belt, is developing a cold-weather version with heating elements on sensor pods and other "fun engineering details," according to CEO Kyle Vogt. The company expects the winterized version to be out about 2025 and is planning to scout midwestern cities next year to collect data on the environment, Vogt says.
* The new third-generation 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan was revealed in Germany. Built on VW's MQB Evo platform it will arrive in the U.S. market in 2024. Tiguan is built in short and long wheelbase versions and the US will only get the longer wheelbase, as it does now. Exterior design is freshened and a bit more muscular. The interior is updated with a large touchscreen and a column-mounted transmission gear selector.
* Honda has introduced the zero-emissions Motocompacto e-scooter designed for the modern realities of urban mobility, providing riders with an easy and fun-to-ride alternative transport that greatly reduces their carbon footprint while offering great convenience. With a maximum speed of 15 mph and zero-emissions range of up to 12 miles, Motocompacto can be fully charged in just 3.5 hours in both the folded and ready-to-ride configuration using a common 110 v outlet. Sales will begin exclusively at Motocompacto | Honda and at Honda and Acura automobile dealers in November with an MSRP of just $995.
* The inaugural Grand National Truck Show, the premier truck only event in 2023, took place on September 16 and 17. This show encompassed all trucks, vans, SUVs etc., from 1900 to current anything with a bed or cargo compartment. The event is held at the Pomona Fairplex and put on by the organizers of the annual Grand National Roadster Show. Autoweek reports about the show winner, a 1940 Ford pickup. SEE MORE HERE
* Peter Mullin, lifelong collector of beautiful French cars, founder of the Mullin Automotive Museum, generous philanthropist, and Pebble Beach winner, has died. He passed away September 20 in Big Sur, California. He founded Mullin Consulting in Los Angeles when he was just 28 and cofounded M Financial Group 10 years later. His businesses were successful enough to allow him to pursue his first passion, French cars of the 1930s. He amassed one of the finest collections of Bugattis, Delahayes, and Delages the world may ever know. You can see them at the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, Calif., where he houses many of them.
* Sherry Pollex, who rallied the NASCAR community with her philanthropic efforts to fight cancer, has died. She was 44. The cause was cancer, which she had fought since her initial diagnosis in 2014. Pollex was instrumental in founding Catwalk for a Cause, a charity fashion gala that brought the NASCAR industry together in the fight against childhood cancer. The event was founded in 2010 and has raised more than $4 million to fund initiatives to combat the disease. That project launch came four years before her own diagnosis with Stage 3 ovarian cancer at age 35. Pollex and former partner Martin Truex Jr. were named recipients of the National Motorsports Press Association’s Myers Brothers Award for outstanding contributions to the sport of stock-car racing in 2017.
Stay safe. Be Well.
