 |
AUTO CENTRAL CHICAGO – July 17, 2022; Every Sunday, Larry Nutson, The Chicago Car Guy and Auto Channel Executive Producer, with the able assistance of Editor-in-Chief Thom Cannell of the Auto Channel Michigan office, compiles Auto Channel’s “take” on current affairs. automotive from the past week, condensed into easy-to-digest news Nuggets.
LEARN MORE: Full versions of today’s news nuggets, plus thousands of pages of relevant news and opinion, information stored in a million-page library published and indexed on The Auto Channel over the course of of the last 25 years. Full information can be found by copying a title and inserting it into any site search box.
Nutson’s Automotive Weekly Automotive News Summary – Week Ending July 16, 2022 Below are the major, relevant, semi-secret or vivid automotive news, opinions and insider stories from the past week, packaged as easy-to-understand nuggets of automotive news designed by experts.
* Gas prices fell this week to a national average of $4.67, 12 cents lower than last week’s average, according to new data from AAA. The national average is 32 cents lower than a month ago, but $1.53 higher than a year ago, AAA reported. Just last month, gas prices hit an all-time high, topping $5 a gallon and hitting the highest point since AAA began tracking prices in 2000. This recent drop came despite an increase gas demand after the July 4 holiday, according to AAA. .
* Michael Sivak Sivak Applied Research examined the differences between gasoline prices in blue and red states. Blue states were defined as states where, in 2020, Joe Biden won all or most of the electoral votes (26 states); red states are those where Biden won none or a minority of electoral votes (25 states). Average regular gasoline prices as of July 14, 2022 were from AAA. The average of state averages in blue states was $4.81 per gallon, while in red states it was $4.50. There was only one blue state in which the average price was below $4.35 (GA), compared to 11 red states (AL, AR, FL, KY, LA, MO, MS, NC, SC, TN and TX). Conversely, there were only 3 red states in which the average price was above $5.00 (AK, ID, and UT), compared to 6 blue states (CA, HI, IL, NV, OR, and WA ).
* The average price paid for a new vehicle in the United States in June was the highest on record and marked the first time the average transaction price (ATP) exceeded the $48,000 mark, according to new data released by Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive company. . New-vehicle ATP rose to $48,043 in June 2022, according to KBB, beating the previous high of $47,202 set in December 2021. June prices were up 1.9% ($895) from May and 12.7% ($5,410) from June 2021. The average price paid for a new non-luxury vehicle last month was $43,942, up $615 from May, the lowest price highest ever recorded for a non-luxury vehicle. The average luxury buyer paid $66,476 for a new vehicle, up $1,097 month-over-month, the highest price ever for a luxury vehicle.
* Tesla Inc.’s new assembly plant in Gruenheide, Germany, builds the Model Y only in black or white, according to a report by Automotive News Europe’s sister publication Automobilwoche. Customers who choose red, blue or silver vehicles will be supplied from the automaker’s Shanghai factory and will not receive their vehicles until March 2023 at the earliest. If they opt for black or white, they can expect their cars in October. Faced with a global shortage of semiconductor chips and other supply chain disruptions, other automakers in Europe are offering reduced options for cars so customers can get their new cars quickly. Renault is offering “fast” delivery for its Arkana crossover to customers who choose black, pearl white or grey.
* New vehicle sales in the second quarter struggled, up only modestly from the first quarter and down more than 20% from the second quarter of 2021. But, Cox Automotive reports that sales of electric vehicles at battery – pure electric vehicles – jumped to 196,788, a record high and a 13% increase from the first quarter. Sales of electrified vehicles — combination electric vehicles, hybrids and fuel cell vehicles — jumped to 442,740 in the second quarter, a 12.9% increase from year-ago levels. Electrified vehicles represented 12.6% of the US market last quarter. In the second quarter, electric vehicle sales accounted for 5.6% of the total market, an increase from 5.3% in the first quarter and a record high. The share of electric vehicles in the second quarter of 2021 was 2.7%.
* Electric vehicle chargers are coming to truck stop service stations. GM and Pilot Company (Pilot and Flying J) are collaborating on a nationwide DC fast-charging network that will be installed, operated and maintained by EVgo. This network of 2,000 charging stations, co-branded “Pilot Flying J” and “Ultium Charge 360”, will be powered by EVgo eXtend and open to all brands of electric vehicles in up to 500 Pilot and Flying J travel centers Many of these sites will include awnings to help protect customers from the elements while charging, as well as walk-through capability to allow convenient charging for electric pickup trucks and SUVs towing trailers.
* There is an alarming increase in the number of people struck and killed while walking. The number of people struck and killed while walking hit a new high in 2020. More than 6,500 people were struck and killed while walking in 2020, an average of nearly 18 per day and a 4.5% increase from compared to 2019. This epidemic continues to grow worse because the streets of our country are dangerous by design, designed primarily to move cars quickly at the expense of everyone’s safety. The result in 2020 has been a significant increase in all road fatalities, even with less driving overall due to the pandemic. See the report here: https://smartgrowthamerica.org/dangerous-by-design/
* Various members of the automotive media were all abuzz over a story that BMW was going to charge a subscription fee for features such as heated seats to be activated in a vehicle. This led to BMW of North America issuing a press release stating that this is not the case. BMW Features on Demand, on the other hand, is designed to deliver premium functionality through software downloads that use data and sensors from the factory optional hardware already built into BMW vehicles. For example, certain BMW models equipped with certain factory-specific options may currently add the first two Functions on Demand features available in the United States, namely a dash cam feature called BMW Drive Recorder and the BMW Remote Engine Start function, via software download. in a customer’s vehicle.
* Yay, a new sedan is coming to market – and not another utility vehicle. Toyota has pulled the leaf from the 2023 Toyota Crown. The Crown is a 4-door sedan with coupe styling, a traditional trunk opening and a slightly raised ride height. It will feature a hybrid powertrain and come standard with all-wheel drive. The Crown is a premium sedan that will replace the Avalon.
* Bloomberg reports that Chinese drivers are pumping up their electric scooters, helping to develop one of the most thriving corners of battery-powered transportation. Electric two-wheelers sold by companies like Niu Technologies have proven incredibly popular in China’s megacities by delivery drivers and commuters who need to dodge traffic and cover short distances in a short time. Their popularity has endured despite a government decision in 2019 to require manufacturers to limit their speed to 25 kilometers per hour (16 mph). Drivers and sellers have retaliated by hacking software and following online tutorials that allow them to override controls, allowing some advanced models to reach speeds of 50 km/h (31 mph or more).
* The Jeep brand is recognized for the 20th consecutive year as America’s Most Patriotic Brand in Brand Keys Inc.’s annual 50 Most Patriotic Brands survey. “Since 1941” is a badge of honor proudly displayed on all Jeep-branded vehicles, recognizing the longstanding military heritage of the Jeep brand for over 80 years. Consumers surveyed based their results on the brands that best embody the value of patriotism in 2022.
* Nissan is recalling certain 2020-2022 Frontier and Titan vehicles. The transmission’s park pawl may not engage when the vehicle is shifted into park, which could cause the vehicle to move. 180,176 units are concerned.
* Autoweek reports that former NASCAR driver and three-time USAC National Champion Bobby East died following a knife attack at a gas station in Westminster, Calif., on July 13. East was 37 years old. including 48 in national divisions. He won the USAC Silver Crown Series championship in 2012 and 2013 with Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing. In 2012, East became the ninth driver in USAC history to win on dirt and pavement tracks in all three top categories: Silver Crown, National Sprint Car and National Midget. He made 31 career starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and 11 starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series between 2005 and 2008. His best NASCAR finishes were an eighth-place finish in the Truck Series for team owner Jack Roush at the Texas and Memphis in 2008. He raced for the famed Wood Brothers Racing team in the Truck Series in 2006.
Be careful. Be well.
Comments are closed.