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Going Home Again: Detroit Auto Show Returns to January
After a brief flirtation with warmer-weather months, the North American International Auto Show, also known as the Detroit Auto Show, is returning to a January date.
Opinion: Stop Subsidizing Electric Vehicle Programs
Hoping to increase the United States’ electric vehicle charging infrastructure, the White House has announced $623 million in grants to build more charging stations. This plays into the Biden administration's goal of having 500,000 public chargers in the U.S., and see 50 percent of all new vehicle sales become electric, by 2030. However, the federal government has already poured billions into the cause and it’s looking like an incredible waste of money during a period where citizens are growing increasingly concerned about the economy.
2024 Dodge Durango Also Getting Limited Production 'Last Call' Editions
With Stellantis opting to supplant the HEMI V8 with the Hurricane inline six-cylinder engine, there was a gnashing of teeth from Mopar fans who viewed the change as unpleasantly European. The manufacturer is well aware of this and has been fielding special editions of V8-powered models to profit as much as possible off the larger displacement engines before they’re discontinued.
It’s now the Dodge Durango’s turn, with Stellantis announcing “last call” editions of the V8-equipped SUV.
Honda Reveals Saloon Electric Concept, Announces New EV Line
Honda used CES 2024 to reveal a couple of purely conceptual automobiles and then announced that one of them would serve as the basis for its new EV line coming in 2026. They’ll even have their own logo, which the company also teased this week.
Stellantis Developing 'Virtual Cockpit' With BlackBerry
Stellantis will be working with BlackBerry on a new virtual cockpit they believe will allow for faster development and lower production costs. The system, which is part of the company’s Virtual Engineering Workbench, is designed to replicate automotive controls using Amazon Web Services’ data cloud and is supposed to reduce development turnaround cycles by “up to 100 times.” The stated goal is to ensure new infotainment tech is created and then pushed to the public quickly and efficiently.
GM, Stellantis Sit Out Super Bowl
Some of the best, or at least most memorable, Super Bowl ads of the past few years came from Stellantis or General Motors.
Remember Will Ferrell schilling for GM? Or that Bruce Springsteen Jeep ad? Or when the Soprano children were reunited, again for GM?
Yeah, well, not this year. Both companies are going to sit this one out.
Report: Honda Considers Building New EV Factory in Canada
The Honda Motor Company has reportedly been going over prospective plans to build a $13.83 billion facility in Canada that would focus on the production of electric vehicles. Japan's Nikkei news group broke the story over the weekend, suggesting the site could include on-site battery production that would help the manufacturer with regional content requirements tied to U.S. incentives.
VinFast Still Kicking and Planning to Show Vehicles at CES
VinFast Auto is planning to show off several electric vehicles at CES it would like to see sold within the United States in the coming years. Despite the brand initially looking like another automotive startup doomed to failure, it’s managed to outlast much of the competition and continues to express a desire to break into the North American market. Its booth will reportedly include the VF8 compact crossover, boxy VF3 microcar, and a new pickup concept.
Abandoned History: The 2014 VIA VTRUX Pickup, a Forgotten Silverado
Study: Johns Hopkins Says Shrinking Streets Could Improve Safety
A Johns Hopkins School of Public Health’s Bloomberg American Health Initiative study, published late last year, has suggested that narrow streets are safer than wider ones.
It sounds counterintuitive. But let us dig in to see how the report came together.
Hypercar Company Rimac Developing Robotaxi Service
Croatian hypercar manufacturer Rimac Automobili has thrown the world a bit of a curveball. The business is reportedly in the middle of a plot to develop robotaxi services for Europe and making some decent headway at that.
Stellantis Continues Snubbing North American Auto Shows
Stellantis pulled out of last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show and the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) trade show, stating that it was trying to save money amid the now resolved UAW strike. It likewise announced it would be skipping CES for 2024 (formerly the Consumer Electronics Show) for the same reasons.
However, it’s starting to look like the company just isn’t interested in attending the big events anymore. Reports have claimed Stellantis will continue snubbing industry shows located in North America for the foreseeable future, with the Canadian International Auto Show (CIAS) being the next on the list. Stellantis says dealers can decide if they want to make an appearance at subsequent trade events while corporate takes a pass.
Rivian Files Patent for Unique Spare Tire Design With Accessories
Rivian has filed a patent for a full-size spare wheel mount designed to accommodate additional components that can enhance the capabilities of the all-electric R1S SUV.
The spare mount has the wheel oriented so the cavity is facing outward, allowing Rivian to throw in cylindrical containers dedicated to specific purposes. The patent list makes mention of the space being utilized for a “first aid kit, waste can, water container, cooler, vacuum canister, compressed air system, toolbox, electrical appliance, electrical cord wound on a reel, a camera, or other types of containers.”
Toyota Rumored to Debut Performance Automatic Transmission for GR Models Next Month
With Toyota discussing its desire to build an automatic transmission dedicated for performance applications, driving enthusiasts around the world are eager to find out when the unit will be affixed to the GR Yaris. Meanwhile, Americans want to know when it will be adapted for the GR Corolla and prospective performance products Toyota may actually sell in the United States. There has been no shortage of rumors, with one of the most recent suggesting Toyota’s newest “Direct Automatic Transmission” (DAT) will debut during the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon. Production is supposed to commence at roughly the same time.
Rare Rides Icons: The Cadillac Eldorado, Distinctly Luxurious (Part XI)
The product people at Cadillac made a crucial decision early in the Fifties with regard to the positioning of the second generation Eldorado: It would be less expensive, and less special. The unique content of the exclusive limited-run 1953 Eldorado meant it had a stratospheric price that put it out of reach for the vast majority of consumers. The subsequent 1954 Eldorado appeared with a more reasonable price, and was a fancy trim package atop the new Series 62 convertible. Sales skyrocketed, and the trajectory for the remainder of the second generation was set!
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