Nutson's Auto News Nuggets - Week Ending September 28, 2019

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Nutson's Automotive News Review - Week Ending September 28, 2019; Important and Interesting automotive news and back stories in expert-created easy to digest news nuggets.

* The SEC settled civil fraud charges against Nissan and former Chairman Carlos Ghosn. Nissan will pay $15 million and Ghosn will pay $1 million to settle allegations they hid more than $140 million of Ghosn's retirement benefits from investors. Ghosh will also be barred for 10 years from serving as an officer or director of a public company. Former Nissan director Greg Kelly agreed to pay a $100,000 penalty for his role in the charges.

* Minnesota and New Mexico have joined California and 13 other states to adopt and follow the California emissions and mileage rules. These are the rules that the Trump Administration is trying to block. We're now at a point where about 30% of national new vehicle sales are from automakers adopting the more stringent rules. Going forward we will see more and more hybrid powertrains coming to the market. It's hard to stop a locomotive running at full speed.

* Honda Motor Co Ltd said it would phase out all diesel cars in Europe by 2021 in favor of models with electric propulsion systems, as the Japanese automaker moves to electrify all of its European cars by 2025. Honda is the latest automaker cutting production of diesel cars to meet stringent global emissions regulations. The plan is part of its long-term goal to make electric cars, including all battery-electric vehicles, to account for two-thirds of its line ups by 2030 from less than 10% now.

* The future of the world’s biggest motor show in Frankfurt has been thrown into doubt after a weekend of environmental protests disrupted the industry’s gala event. With reduced public attendance as well as lower interest by automakers, some say the show may be moved to Berlin.

* Joe White for Reuters writes the City of London renewed Uber's license to operate - but for just two months. London officials demanded more assurances that Uber would do more to protect passenger safety. Uber's manager for London said the company would "keep listening, learning and improving." The respectful response contrasted sharply with the stance Uber founder and former CEO Travis Kalanick used to adopt toward regulators - as it was meant to. London is a key test of Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi's effort to head off confrontations with officials and position Uber as a solution, not a problem.

* Also from Reuters, the United States and Japan are still haggling over a trade deal that was supposed to be signed this week in part because President Trump has not agreed to fully withdraw his threat to classify Japanese cars as a national security threat and impose 25% tariffs. Trump is holding the threat of national security levies over the heads of European automakers as well.

* A Fiat Chrysler employee has been indicted in the company's diesel emissions scandal involving 2014-16 Ram 1500 trucks and Jeep Grand Cherokees. Emanuele Palma, an FCA diesel calibration manager who led a team of engineers in developing diesel engines for the company, faces a range of charges including conspiracy, clean air act violations, wire fraud and making false statements. The most serious charges carry sentences of up to 20 years in prison. Details of the case were unsealed in federal court in Detroit. He is an Italian citizen and lives in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan a Justice Department news release said. Authorities had accused the company, in an echo of the emissions case against Volkswagen, of cheating on diesel emissions tests so the vehicles performed differently on the road than during testing.

* VW dieselgate is in the news again as German prosecutors announced charges against its CEO, chairman and former CEO with stock manipulation for not telling investors about the scandal. CEO Herbert Diess, Chairman Hans Dieter Poetsch and former CEO Martin Winterkorn were accused of deliberately informing markets too late about the huge costs to VW that would result from the scandal. The charges could bring up to five year in prison.

* Our friends at The Detroit Bureau report that with the help of technology companies, the organizers of the 2020 North American International Auto Show are planning to have automated vehicles ready to carry visitors from Detroit Metropolitan Airport to the show venues in downtown Detroit, a distance of about 20 miles. Officials said the airport shuttle will be a “Level Four” vehicle with a driver/concierge on board. But, they will also operate at Level Two and Level Three for certain stretches of road. The airport shuttle service will tie in with other automated shuttles that will move visitors around the downtown area during the 2020 auto shows two-week run next June. Editors note: The 20 mile route is mostly highway with prevailing traffic moving at 55 mph to 70 mph. This will be interesting to experience.

* The first gas station in the U.S. that has been completely transitioned from a petroleum station to exclusively charging EVs opened in Takoma Park, Maryland. The station will feature four dispensers that connect to a high-powered, 200kW system. The system will allow four vehicles to charge simultaneously and reach 80% battery charge in 20 to 30 minutes. There are more than 20,700 registered EVs in Maryland, and the area also has an electric taxi service in need of more chargers for their business.

* Nissan is recalling 1.3 million vehicles mainly in the U.S. and Canada to fix a problem with the backup camera displays. The recall covers the 2018 and 2019 Nissan Altima, Frontier, Kicks, Leaf, Maxima, Murano, NV, NV200, Pathfinder, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Titan, Versa Note and Versa Sedan. Also included are the Infiniti Q50, Q60, QX30 and QX80 vehicles. From the 2019 model year, the Nissan GT-R and Taxi and Infiniti QX50, QX60, Q70, Q70L also are included. The recalled vehicles also went to Israel, Korea and Saipan, the company says.

* Lexus held the world premiere of its first luxury yacht, the Lexus LY 650, in Boca Raton, Florida. The LY 650 is a new embodiment of Lexus’ challenge to go beyond the automobile to deliver innovative and amazing experiences. The 65-foot yacht is based on the Lexus Sport Yacht Concept first shown in January 2017. Lexus collaborated with Italian yacht design studio Nuvolari Lenard and the yacht is built in collaboration with the craftspeople of Marquis Yachts in Pulaski, Wisconsin. The price: $3.6 million.

* Hertz has teamed with Hendrick Motorsports, the NASCAR race team, to offer rentals of Chevrolet's Camaro muscle cars, the SS and ZL1. Finished in stealthy black with yellow stripes down the hood, the Hertz-Hendrick V8-powered Camaros can be had for $99 a day for the SS. The Hendrick car gains 25 horsepower over the standard SS thanks to engine tweaks. The ZL1 with the same supercharged engine as the 650-horsepower Corvette Z06 is bumped to 750-horsepower thanks to a Hendrick-exclusive Callaway supercharger. The ZL1 can be had for only $299 a day.

* The Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan plans to add a muscle car museum to its campus. Gilmore has released architectural drawings and launched a funding campaign. The building will look like a 1970s car dealership and will provide 25,000 square feet of exhibition space, room to display as many as 40 classic muscle machines inside, with others parked outdoors under the structure’s canopied entrance. The new building will join "dealers row" with plans for it to open in 2021.

* The strike against GM by 49,000 UAW workers continues in its 14 day as we go to press. The strike is taking its toll on GM, Michigan, UAW workers and now dealers and car owners who can't get parts for repair of vehicles.