Reflective clothing may reduce the effectiveness of pedestrian detection technology: IIHS
High visibility clothing with reflective strips, which can help drivers see pedestrians at night, may also reduce the effectiveness of automated crash prevention systems, according to an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study. The IIHS study, published this month, examined how crash prevention systems in 2023 model year Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5 and Subaru Forester vehicles fared when encountering different pedestrian clothing amid varied lighting conditions. Each vehicle tested was equipped with automatic emergency braking, which in normal conditions reduced pedestrian crashes by 27% compared to vehicles without the technology, per IIHS research. However, researchers found reflective strips can hinder the performance of some vehicles’ AEB systems.
NHTSA opens probe of over 877K GM vehicles for engine failures
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation opened a safety probe on Jan. 16 for an estimated 877,710 General Motors vehicles after receiving reports of connecting rod bearing failures that have led to catastrophic engine damage in some cases. The vehicles include model year 2019-2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, and 2021-2024 Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade SUVs equipped with L87 6.2L V8 engines. The probe comes after the NHTSA’s ODI received 39 complaints and additional field reports alleging engine failures, some of which have occurred without any prior symptoms noticed by drivers.
Toyota Motor North America COO retires
Toyota Motor North America EVP and COO Jack Hollis retired from the company effective Jan. 22 following a more than three-decade career with the automaker, according to a press release. Hollis informed the company some time ago about his retirement plans, according to the release. He joined the company in 1992, holding numerous leadership roles for Toyota, Lexus and Scion.
Hyundai’s revenue jumped 11.9% in 2024
Hyundai Motor Co. sold 4.1 million vehicles globally in 2024, a 1.8% year-over-year decrease, the company reported in its full-year and Q4 business results on Jan. 23. The automaker’s Q4 revenue jumped 11.9% YoY to 46.62 trillion won ($32.5 billion), with an operating margin of 6.1%. The U.S. market was one of Hyundai’s biggest global sales regions, with retail sales of 988,000 vehicles in 2024, a YoY jump of 9%, according to its regulatory filing. However, the automaker said its YoY operating income fell by 17.2% in Q4 due to higher warranty costs and bigger incentives to boost sales.
New vehicle prices rose 1.3% YoY in December
New vehicle prices increased for the fourth consecutive month in December, nearly reaching the all-time record set at the end of 2022, Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book reported Jan. 15. The average purchase price of a new car last month was $49,740, a 1.3% year-over-year increase and a 1.5% gain from November, inching closer to the record-high of $49,958 set in December 2022, according to the report. Luxury vehicles tend to sell better in December and 2024 was no exception, with increased sales of high-end models boosting the average transaction price for the month, Kelley Blue Book said. Luxury models selling for over $80,000 represented 5.6% of total new car sales in December—a record high.
FTC announces proposed settlement with GM for selling connected vehicle data
The Federal Trade Commission has reached a settlement agreement with General Motors Co. and its OnStar subsidiary for collecting and selling driving behavior data from millions of vehicles in the U.S. without adequate consent, including precise geolocation data, the agency announced in a proposal order Jan 16. As part of the proposed agreement, GM will be banned from disclosing sensitive data to consumer reporting agencies for five years from the date the order is entered. The automaker must also provide greater transparency to consumers over the collection, use and disclosure of their connected vehicle data. It’s the FTC’s first-ever action related to connected vehicle data and follows the finalization of a Department of Commerce rule last week banning vehicle software and hardware from China and Russia over national security concerns that it can be used to collect data from U.S. citizens.
Stellantis reverses plans, will reopen Belvidere Assembly plant
Stellantis has committed to reopening its shuttered Belvidere Assembly plant in Illinois to build an all-new mid-size pickup truck in 2027 and return approximately 1,500 union-represented jobs, the United Auto Workers announced in a press release Wednesday. Stellantis also announced plans to build the next generation Dodge Durango SUV at its Detroit Assembly Complex in Michigan, which was previously canceled, according to the UAW. In response to Stellantis’ updated plans, the UAW has agreed to settle its past grievances with the automaker concerning the closure of Belvidere Assembly, as well as grievances surrounding its decision to end production of the previous generation Durango after the 2024 model year.
EV sales top 1.3M units in the US in 2024
U.S. sales of electric vehicles topped 1.3 million units in 2024, a 7.3% year-over-year increase, Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book said in a Jan. 13 press release. Q4 sales set a best-ever quarterly sales mark with 365,824 units sold, a 15.2% YoY improvement, according to the release. Sales benefited from strong automaker incentives and leasing deals, as well as federal and state programs. Cox Automotive’s report coincides with automakers’ Q4 sales numbers, with many reporting record-breaking domestic sales aided by surging demand for EVs.
Trump is taking aim at electric vehicles. He may not have the power to change things all that much
President Donald Trump took aim at federal and state support for electric vehicles on his first day in office. But it’s not clear he has the power he’s claimed on the topic. In his executive order, Trump said he was eliminating the “electric vehicle mandate.” But there has never been a federal mandate that prohibited Americans from buying gasoline-powered cars, as he claimed in his inaugural address.
Trump freezes IRA funding
President Donald Trump suspended all Inflation Reduction Act funding disbursements in an executive order Monday, part of a sweeping set of directives to begin setting the new administration’s energy agenda. The action, dubbed “Terminating the Green New Deal,” also pauses all funding disbursements for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The two laws were hallmarks of former President Joe Biden’s domestic policy agenda, rolling out billions of dollars in federal funding for clean energy construction and manufacturing projects. Federal agencies have 90 days to submit reviews and spending recommendations to the Office of Management and Budget and National Economic Council.