All Entries in the "Auto News" Category

LaHood’s Legacy – NHTSA Isn’t Just Writing And Enforcing Safety Rules Any More

Outgoing Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood

US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood – whom I have criticized vehemently for his mismanagement of the Toyota unintended acceleration debacle – is leaving his post whenever congress approves his replacement.

LaHood’s legacy at NHTSA is debatable, but one of his hires has implemented a fundamental change in the way that the government regulates automakers. From Automotive News:

Strickland, who became NHTSA administrator in 2010 amid the Toyota sudden-acceleration crisis…reaffirmed the agency’s intent to scrutinize vehicle data continually for patterns that might point to risks that merit a recall.

“It really is based on the notion of unreasonable risk. And that is an evolving notion,” Strickland said. The agency, he added, is obligated to reassess a potential risk “if state of the art moves all the peers in one direction, and it appears that there is another part of the fleet that has not made those same moves or improvements.

That’s right – NHTSA isn’t going to just write and enforce regulations any longer. They’re also going after companies who don’t update their designs quickly enough if/when those designs are shown to be unsafe…even 20 years after the fact.

Is Ram Cheap Selling the Diesel Package?

The full-size truck world is really enamored by the introduction of the Ram 1500 diesel option. While there are plenty of pros and cons, is it being offered at a cheaper upgrade price by Ram?

Is Ram offering the diesel package too cheaply to help it in other areas?

Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Future Clouded – Discontinued?

The rapid changing nature of the full-size truck segment, pending CAFE requirements and new production materials are making the Ford Raptor’s future clouded. Could the ultra-popular product be discontinued or fundamentally changed?

Is the end near for the Ford Raptor? Maybe or maybe not.

UAW Works to Unionize VW Plant Boasts “New Model”

The “killers of Detroit,” as some call them, are at it again trying to unionize a VW plant in Chattanooga, TN. The UAW has so far failed with its Toyota efforts, can it win over VW employees with its “new model” campaign?

An anti-union billboard located on a highway near Chattanooga. Photo credit Dan Henry, Times Free Press.

STUDY: Diesel Total Cost of Ownership Way Better than Gas

The current trend of diesel powered vehicles has captured the attention of all automotive fans. It is reasonable to assume then we are going to see all sorts of new studies about the different engine types. A new study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute found that diesel is the MORE cost-effective than gas. Do you buy it?

While trucks like this have given diesel a bad name, the new clean diesel is gaining a lot of fans. A new study says the Total Cost of Ownership of diesel is way better than gas. Agree or disagree?