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.
Editor-in-Chief Paul A. Eisenstein reveals if you’re looking to buy a new vehicle, expect to pay more for it than at this time last year. The price of a new vehicle exceeded $47,000 on average in December, a more than 14% jump compare to the year-ago period. Used cars are of little help as they’re up even more on a percentage basis.
Other things you need to know this week include:
- While some industry experts believe automakers will begin to get some relief from the ongoing chip shortage and begin to rebuild inventories, others aren’t so certain, including Honda EVP Dave Gardner who told reporters it will be difficult to match 2021 sales this year;
- Honda offered up a rendering of the soon-to-come new HR-V as well as some more teaser videos and pictures of the long-awaited new Civic Type R;
- Although EV sales jumped 83% in the U.S. last year and a slew of new models are coming, it’s not all sunshine and roses as some EVs will be delayed — some permanently. The Tesla Cybertruck is now pushed back to 2023 and Bollinger Motors is put its B1 truck and B2 SUV in cold storage to focus on commercial EVs;
- The buzz for EVs is still growing, but a new study by Deloitte shows 65% of prospective buyers are waiting for prices to drop and range to increase — past 500 miles on a charge — before they’re comfortable plunking their cash down and,
- Toyota announced plans to begin using solid-state batteries in 2025, but declined to reveal which vehicle will get the revolutionary cells.
Executive Editor Joseph Szczesny can’t ignore the big story this week: the North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year awards. For the second straight year, Ford captured two of the three categories. The Ford Maverick was named Truck of the Year while the Bronco capture Utility of the Year honors. The 11th-gen Honda Civic was Car of the Year. Find out why this was the toughest year yet to select winners.
In a land besotted by crossovers, trucks and SUVs, the 2022 Audi RS 6 Avant stands out, says Executive Editor Larry Printz. The high-performance station wagon offers real world utility that owners will actually use while putting out nearly 600 horsepower. It also has the handling to match the speed. Check out the review the TheDetroitBureau.com.
The week between the end of CES and the start of earnings season is usually pretty quiet, notes Managing Editor Michael Strong. However, there are a few events will be attending, including the Automotive Press Association’s annual roundtable about the industry and the International Motor Press Association’s meeting about what to expect in 2022. Also, we’ll get a chance to offer our driving impressions of the new Lexus LX 600, the luxury brand’s full-size SUV.
Executive Editor Printz notes that on this week in 1904 Henry Ford and an associate set a new land speed record on frozen Lake St. Clair in the Ford 999. How fast? 91.37 mph. In 1942, Henry Ford is back in the spotlight, receiving a patent for his Hemp Car. While actually made of soybean-based plastics, its lighter and just as strong as its steel counterparts, but World War II pushes it to the back burner and its’ eventually destroyed. Additionally, it’s this week Chrysler makes history by offering buyers cash to purchase its cars. Yup, the rebates so many of today’s buyers rely on began just after the 1975 Super Bowl.
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!
