Automotive News

Gas station pumps pose severe coronavirus concerns

Gas stations across the United States are considered essential and remain open during the coronavirus crisis. But gas pumps and keypads like other public use areas — escalator rails, shopping carts, mailboxes and ATM machines — often have high levels of contamination. According to a report by the maker of Kleenex, Kimberly-Clark, 71 percent of gas pump handles have high levels of contamination. The study was done in 2011, but the coronavirus has quickly rekindled concerns. But are the concerns warranted? While viruses and bacteria are not the same, virus contamination on public surfaces is a problem in a pandemic. John Eichberger, executive director of the nonprofit Fuels Institute, says gas station owners and operators are doing what they can

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Ford rules best used trucks for $10,000

With its dominance in new truck sales, it only seems logical the Ford has the same good reputation used truck sales. It does, and it’s good news for truck buyers with a budget of $10,000 whether in the market for a work truck or a vehicle to tow an RV or boat. Chris Ford, a writer for HotCars.com, has compiled an interesting list featuring used trucks from 1999 to 2018 — all in the affordable $10,000 price range. As the best-selling vehicles in the United States for more than 40 years, Ford has five trucks on the list, dating from 1999 to 2014. Chevrolet has three vehicles on the list, dating from 2004 to 2014. Toyota is represented by two

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Toyota Land Cruiser, Honda Ridgeline top 200K list

The Honda Ridgeline is arguably the most unusually designed truck on the road. It has a large fan base and detractors. But one area in which there’s no disagreement, the Ridgeline has the best longevity of any of its competitors. Although the Toyota Land Cruiser has the top ranking, the Ridgeline is among the three trucks in the top-15 vehicles reaching 20,000 miles, according to iseecars.com. The result of the survey makes a good case for consumers considering buying a used vehicle instead of purchasing a new car or truck. The iSeeCars.com site is a comprehensive platform for all car buyers. It calculated data from more than one million vehicles to determine the models and manufacturers with the highest percentage

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Uber, Lyft suspend group rideshares nationwide

Uber and Lyft, the country’s two largest rideshare companies, have both suspended their group rideshare services in response to increasing coronavirus concerns. “Our goal is to help flatten the curve of community spread in the cities we serve,” said Andrew Macdonald, an Uber executive. “We remain in close contact with local leaders and will continue to work with them to discourage nonessential travel.” Uber and Lyft will continue to offer single-passenger rides. Via has suspended shared rides in New York City, but will offer individual rides in line with the Mayor’s mandate at 20 percent off. In other cities, Via  has reduced the total passenger count of our shared rides to provide for proper social distancing in line with CDC

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GM adds to new corps of pending electric trucks

General Motors has joined several other manufacturers and will debut a Chevrolet electric pickup by 2025. It’s another boost to the truck industry as buyers continue to abandon sedans for trucks and sport utility vehicles. The manufacturer, which revealed concept sketches of the pending vehicles to Car and Driver, reports the electric truck won’t be identical to the recent announcement of the electric GMC Hummer. The Ford F-150 electric, Tesla Cybertruck, Rivian R1T, Bollinger B2, the Lordstown Motors Endurance are all predicted to debut within the next few years. The Hummer EV SUT will debut in the fall of 2021. While the Hummer is being billed as a lifestyle vehicle, the new Chevy truck is expected to more resemble a

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Is Ford soon announcing a new pickup truck for 20K?

It may be called the Courier or the Ranchero. It currently has the codename 758. For now, it’s wait and see as Ford is likely to officially announce a new, small pickup truck with a base cost of less than $20,000. The unnamed vehicle, according to various industry publications, will debut in late 2021 with perhaps a return to the new of two former iconic vehicles. Ford has used the Courier nameplate on several cars and trucks, dating to the early 1950s and ending less than a decade ago in Brazil. Ranchero was the name of the coupe utility vehicle made by Ford from 1957 to 1979. The new truck, which has been discussed for several years, will continue Ford’s

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Why not tow your RV with a Tesla Cybertruck?

The design resembled a vehicle is a Sci-Fi movie, and the flashy, carnival-like debut of the electric Tesla Cybertruck was everything Elon Musk desired. If nothing else the flash unveiling last November at the Los Angeles Auto Show was polarizing. The truck drew cheers and jeers. Officially, it’s “an all-electric, battery-powered, light commercial vehicle. Three models have been announced, with range estimates of 250–500 miles and an estimated 0–60 mph time of 2.9–6.5 seconds, depending on the model.” Is it possibly a precursor to more utilitarian vehicle creations or was Tesla owner Elon Musk pranking the industry? For RV enthusiasts, the prevailing question was, is it really a truck and, if so, can it tow an RV or trailer? Tesla

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$2 million Bentley made from ancient wood sold out

Even by Bentley standards, the British automaker known for its rare combination of elegance and performance, the just-unveiled Mulliner Bacalar reeks of pretentiousness. The $2 million open-topped cars will feature an interior made from 5,000-year-old trees and be powered with 650 horsepower, a 12-cylinder engine, with all-wheel-drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission. The small production vehicle — only 12 will be made — was scheduled for its debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The annual prestigious event was scheduled to begin March 5, but it was canceled due to concerns about the coronavirus. Like many other manufacturers that altered plans, the new Bentley was unveiled online. All 12 Bacalar cars have already been pre-sold to customers, who will work with

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Nvidia GTC GTU Tech Conference set (virtually only)

Danny Shapiro, Senior Director of Automotive at Nvidia Corporation in Santa Clara, is as knowledgeable as anyone in the autonomous automotive segment. It’s a good thing because the industry is accelerating as quickly as a Tesla. The autonomous driving future is among the more recent challenges for Nvidia, which started in the gaming industry. But the technology company is at the forefront of delivering solutions to automakers for self-driving cars, infotainment, digital instrument clusters, rear-seat entertainment and advanced driver assistance systems. Not much of the ever-changing automotive technology world won’t be examined in Nvidia’s GTC GTU Technology Conference. It’s just that this year, it will be a virtual conference. Conference organizers, citing the uncertainty of the coronavirus, have changed the

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Coronavirus seriously stalling global auto industry

Like it has in many other industries, the coronavirus is affecting the global automotive industry, and the repercussions are fluid. Here’s a round-up of some of the issues in the car industry as COVID-19 spreads throughout the world, with its reach to more than 50 countries: * The Geneva Auto Show, scheduled to begin March 2 for the media and March 5-15 for the public, has been canceled due to concerns about the coronavirus. Annually among the most important car shows, the event was canceled because the Swiss government has banned gatherings of more than 1,000 people to prevent the spread of the virus. The show will not be rescheduled for this year. Switzerland has tested hundreds of people and

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Genesis upends Lexus as most dependable carmaker, says J.D. Power

The banner across the top of the entrance to the Los Angeles Convention Center couldn’t have been any bigger. It proclaimed the 2019 Genesis G70 as a prominent automotive publication’s Car of the Year. The occasion was the Los Angeles Auto Show last November and the banner remained hoisted for about two weeks. It was another award for the upstart manufacturer, the former luxury trim from Hyundai but now on its own. And now comes another award: J.D. Power has named the Genesis, the industry’s most dependable in the renowned analysts’ detailed Dependability Study. The study is a comprehensive overview of owners’ repair history of their three-year-old models. Now in its 31st year, the study quizzes original owners of 2017

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Buyer beware: Average price for a new pick-up truck now $50,000

Considering buying a new pick-up truck? Beware. Just like new cars, the average price of a new pickup truck in the United States has increased. It’s now around $50,000, according to automotive analytics businesses like Edmunds and JD Power. With its calculations, the average price of a new pick-up truck in 2019, according to Edmunds.com was $49,543; JD Power determined the average 2019 new truck price was $51,700. Not all manufacturers’ 2020 models have been unveiled, but the average price is expected to further increase. Regardless of the source, the new pick-up truck average cost is the highest in history. Various financial incentives and rebates lower the prices, but industry analysts say truck prices have increased about three percent annually

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Rats keep warm, eat well and ruin lots of car engines

Several years ago, a service mechanic at a local Honda dealership in Sacramento looked across the service garage and said: “See all those Hondas up on the racks? They’re all just like your wife’s CR-V. Rats have eaten the engine wires.” I’d taken my wife’s then five-year-old Honda CR-V to the dealership across town for a yet-undiagnosed problem. Turns out, rats like to keep warm and feast on engine wires, hoses and nearly anything else, particularly if it’s made with Polypropylene. If you live near a river or a tree-lined area (like Sacramento), the problem is often prevalent. Rats aren’t against eating the wiring other manufacturers’ vehicles, but Honda’s lineup has Polypropylene in some engine parts and it’s a rodents’

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Big, badass and beautiful? Hummer set for 2022 return

It may be hard to imagine, but the pending resurrected Hummer will have 1,000 horsepower and is being marketed to accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in three seconds. The truck was “teased” during the recent yearly Super Bowl extravaganza of commercials and is the idea of General Motors. The new Hummer is scheduled to arrive in dealerships next year. The resurrected Hummer will be made and sold under the GMC brand at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck factory. The automaker is investing $2.2 billion into its mass production of electric vehicles. With the country’s continued increase in truck sales and electric vehicles, don’t be surprised if the new Hummers are the vehicles of choice for pulling small RVs as well

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Massive airbag recall includes six million Honda, Toyota models

Another day, another airbag recall. This time, it involves more than six million Honda and Toyota vehicles. Toyota has recalled 3.4 million vehicles worldwide with ZF airbags that may not properly inflate. Honda is recalling 2.7 million vehicles for problems with Takata airbags. The Honda recall covers certain Honda and Acura vehicles from the 1996 to 2003 model years. The Honda vehicles included: 1998 to 2000 Accord coupe and sedan, 1996 to 2000 Civic coupe and sedan, the 1997 to 2001 CR-V, the 1998 to 2001 Odyssey and the 1997 and 1998 EV Plus. Toyota’s upscale brand Acura has an equally wide recall list: vehicles 1997 and 1998 2.2CL, the 1997 to 1999 3.0CL, the 1998 and 1999 2.3CL, the

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Important steps to follow after a car accident

SPONSORED CONTENT Being involved in a car accident can be frightening. In addition to the physical damage to your vehicle, you and your passengers may have sustained injuries. If you’ve never been involved in an accident, you may not know what to do. Below are the steps to take after a car accident and how a personal injury attorney can help. Make Sure Everyone is Alright If you aren’t injured, make sure the other driver and their passengers are safe. If anyone is injured, call paramedics immediately. If you were injured, you’ll need to report it to your insurance company. If the need arises, hire a personal injury attorney. Sometimes, injuries develop hours or days after the initial impact. Contact

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