Get Current with TheDetroitBureau’s Headlight News Podcast
TheDetroitBureau.com covers the top stories occurring in the auto industry in the latest edition of the Headlight News podcast. The weekly roundup includes news, features, reviews and more.
Holiday travel is expected to be heavy, and as if right on cue gas prices are … falling. The average price of a gallon of gas has fallen for five straight weeks and is now down to $3.30 a gallon in the U.S. Other things you need to know this week include:
- Gas prices may be down, but new and used vehicle prices are up as inventory levels are still at or near record lows for automakers. This resulting in another expected decline of new vehicle sales in December;
- The Biden administration rolled out its new emissions and fuel economy standards, and they eliminate the rollback installed by his predecessor. By 2026 the fleet average must be 40 mpg compared to the 32 mpg mandated by the Trump administration and higher than the Obama requirements;
- NHTSA announced another investigation into Tesla after it was revealed the company’s video games can be played by the driver — while the vehicle is moving. The EV maker quickly moved to announced it would eliminate that capability;
- Automakers are beginning to reveal what they’ll be showing at the Consumer Electronics Show next week, starting with the all-electric Chevrolet Silverado from GM and a plug-in hybrid Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Chrysler Airflow from Stellantis; and
- After Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak played Scrooge by denying a contest a win on the final puzzle — and a new Audi Q3 — the German automaker roared in to play Santa and giving Charlene Rubush the new SUV anyway.
Executive Editor Joseph Szczesny notes the final mileage standards released by the Environmental Protection Agency require cars and other light-duty vehicles to achieve a 40 miles per gallon standard during the next five years. These are much more rigorous than the 32 mpg set for by the Trump administration and even more arduous than those from the Obama administration. The new standard must be met by 2026.
The latest edition of the Subaru WRX rewards one of the most loyal fanbases in the industry with a slew of updates and upgrades for the 2022 model year, says Editor-in-Chief Paul A. Eisenstein. Find out more on the podcast. While the exterior updates are more evolutionary than revolutionary, the new model gets some changes that make it 31 pounds lighter … and lighter means faster. Find out more on the podcast.
The week between Christmas and New Year’s is generally similar to one the leading into the holiday — quiet, notes Managing Editor Michael Strong. That said, there is at least one big story to follow this week: CES and whether or not anyone be there to see it in person? GM is preparing Mara Barra to deliver her keynote virtually and it’s expected other makers will follow suit.
Executive Editor Larry Printz tells how the 1.5-mile Midtown Hudson tunnel opens this week in 1937 connecting New York and Weehawken, New Jersey. That tunnel, which gets two additional tubes, is actually ultimately named the Lincoln Tunnel. In 1958, the first four-seat Ford Thunderbird is built, causing fans of the two-seat model to mourn. Find out what else happened with the download.
Find out more the industry’s history and more by listening to TheDetroitBureau’s latest edition of the Headlight News podcast by clicking here. And look for a new episode every Monday!
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