Nutson's Weekly Auto News Wrap-up May 22-28, 2022
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Nutson's Automotive News Wrap-up - Week Ending May 28, 2022 Below are 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.
* Reuters reports the average sedan or compact car on the road in the United States is now 13.1 years old, a new record, according to S&P Global. Light trucks on the road are younger, but still hoary at an average age of 11.6 years. Overall, the U.S. car and light truck fleet is a record 12.2 years old, up from 10.9 years in 2011.
* With gas prices setting new records in March and vehicle affordability worsening, many shoppers in Q1 looked for more efficient, more affordable sedans. Of non-luxury shoppers, 37% considered cars in the first quarter, up from 31% in Q4 2021 and the highest level in a long time. This according to data just released by Kelly Blue Book. BMW and Toyota returned to their long-held spots as America’s most-shopped vehicle brands in their respective segments, after being upended late last year. In Q1, one-in-four shoppers considered an electrified vehicle; Ford, Tesla and Toyota are the strongest brands among electrified-vehicle shoppers.
* Consumer interest in electric vehicles has hit a global tipping point, with more than half of car buyers saying they want their next car to be an EV, new research from Ernst & Young shows. Yes, but: Americans still aren't as enthusiastic as consumers in Europe and Asia. 52% of respondents to EY's annual Mobility Consumer Index who are looking to buy a car want an EV, according to the survey of 13,000 people in 18 countries. That's a leap of 22 percentage points in two years, and the first time that EV interest exceeded 50%, the company said. Buyers in Italy (73%), China (69%) and South Korea (63%) were the most interested. Consumers in Australia (38%) and the U.S. (29%) showed less interest.
* BMW and Toyota returned to their long-held spots as America's most-shopped vehicle brands in their respective segments, after being upended late last year, according to the Q1 2022 Kelley Blue Book Brand Watch™ reports. Toyota regained the top spot as the most-shopped non-luxury brand, a position it had held for four years until Ford's brief occupation as No. 1 in the final quarter of 2021. Likewise, BMW retook its spot as the most-shopped luxury brand in the first quarter of 2022, a position it occupied for three years until the end of 2021 when Lexus nosed past and into the top spot. With gas prices setting new records in March and vehicle affordability worsening, many shoppers in Q1 looked for more efficient, more affordable sedans. Of non-luxury shoppers, 37% considered cars in the first quarter, up from 31% in Q4 2021 and the highest level in a long time.
* Many cities and towns limit speeds around schools, hospitals and shopping areas. Seeing the signs, however, can depend on how visible they are, whether they are concealed by branches, or maybe surrounded by a cluster of other signs. Now, Ford is trialling connected vehicle technology using geofencing – a virtual geographical boundary – that could one day do away with the need for speed limit signs completely. As well as potentially making streets safer for other road users and pedestrians, Ford’s Geofencing Speed Limit Control system could help drivers avoid inadvertently incurring speeding fines and improve roadside appearances. Geofencing can ensure speeds are reduced where – and even when – necessary to help improve safety and create a more pleasant environment. This story from the Electric Cars Report.
* Cities are concerned with the ever increasing popularity of large pickup truck clogging the streets and causing increased wear and tear due to their weight A proposal from the District of Columbia would require owners of vehicles weighing over 6,000 pounds to pay an annual $500 vehicle registration fee, almost seven times the cost to register a modest sedan. No other US jurisdiction has created such a forceful financial disincentive against the biggest, heaviest car models. Although, Chicagofor example has a residential city sticker requirement that has increased fees for vehicles over 4,500 lbs. curb weight.
* Hyundai is recalling 239,000 Elantra and Accent models due to faulty seatbelt pretensioners that may explode as they deploy. Affected vehicles are the 2019–2022 Accents, 2021–2023 Elantras, and 2021–2022 Elantra hybrids. Explosions have resulted in shrapnel injuries to owners in the US and Singapore.
* Stellantis has agreed to plead guilty to criminal conduct and pay $300 million to resolve a U.S. Justice Department investigation of cheating on diesel emissions tests involving Ram pickups and Jeep vehicles, Reuters reports. The investigation involved 2014-2016 vehicles made by then-Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. FCA merged with Peugeot to create Stellantis in 2021.
* One of the most iconic cars of the original hotrod scene, the 1932 Ford, turns 90 this year, and the Petersen Automotive Museum is pulling out all the stops to celebrate–starting with the creation of a new holiday, National Hot Rod Day, on June 11. That’s just the beginning of the festivities, as celebrations will extend throughout the whole weekend, starting with the opening of a new exhibit at the museum. Called “Ford Fever: The Deuce Turns 90,” it will display some of the most famous hotrods of all time. That evening, the museum will host a Deuce Gala featuring a performance from Billy F. Gibbons, frontman for ZZ Top, as well as hold an exclusive live auction. On Sunday, June 12, the Petersen’s annual Deuce Day Cruise-In is poised to become the largest gathering of 1932 Fords in Southern California.
* It's Memorial Day weekend and the official start of summer. Please take a moment this Memorial Day weekend to remember and give thanks to all the brave service members that have made the ultimate sacrifice. Be safe this weekend and drive economically!
Stay safe. Be Well.
