Automotive News

California’s new highway stripes herald self-driving cars’ arrival

SPONSORED CONTENT Self-driving cars are unlikely to be a common sight on America’s roads for several years. But that hasn’t stopped the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for preparing for their arrival. Caltrans will be placing six-inch stripes along Interstate 5, between Orland, California, and the Oregon border. The work will be performed through June 2018, and new strips will replace the current four-inch stripes. The longer stripes will help self-driving vehicles to read and navigate roads in the coming evolutionary shift. The new stripes’ makeup varies between a thermoplastic material and another similar tape. the former has a longevity of between two and three years; the latter is expected to last five years; Both materials are made with miniscule

Read more

RV expert believes industry is in chaos

Chuck Woodbury, editor and publisher of RVTravel.com, the industry’s largest online publication, is a full-time RVer and a mobile lifestyle advocate. But Woodbury says the RV industry is in chaos. Buyers must beware, owners must be more considerate and manufacturers need to re-evaluate their responsibilities. According to the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) in Reston, Va., wholesale shipments of RVs increased 17.2 percent in 2017 from the previous year. Motorhome shipments increased 14.4 percent last year from 2016 totals. But while the sales highlight the industry’s boom, it’s also fostered growing concerns of decreasing manufacturing quality. Additionally, with traditional homes increasing unaffordable in metropolitan areas, including the Bay Area, more city dwellers are living in RVs, sometimes in parking lots.

Read more

Elon Musk delays production of Tesla Model 3 – again

Production of Tesla Model 3, the affordable electric sports car the manufacturer’s owner, Elon Musk, hoped would bring his vehicles into the mainstream car-buying market, has a weak battery. Tesla has announced it won’t begin full production of the vehicle until the end of June. It will mark nearly a year since the Fremont, California-based company began manufacturing the entry-level Tesla in limited numbers. Musk previously announced an expected production of 5,000 model 3s a week by December 2017. In November, he announced a delay of that goal to March 2018. Now the company said it would produce 2,500 Model 3s by March and the original goal of 5,000 by June. Tesla said it has between 400,000-500,000 refundable deposits of

Read more
,

No place like home, office and car all in one new odd EV concept

No other vehicle at the recent Los Angeles Auto Show attracted any more bizarre reaction than the Redspace REDS EV concept. It’s the automotive version of a tiny house. It’s transportation. It’s living space. And it’s a mobile office all in one small, futuristic-looking machine. Chris Bangle, a former designer at BMW, originated the idea of the wacky electric vehicle for equally wacky, congested Chinese market. Bangle and his colleagues at the auto show touted the vehicle with statistics. In China, they stated, cars are stopped 90 percent of the time. With living and office space also at a premium, Bangle believes he will have success with buyers who wish to combine three components of their lives into one place.

Read more

Forget dealer stress, buy or lease a car via an app

After more than 40 years of buying and selling vehicles in dealerships across the country, Rod Buscher needed a new challenge. He started Blinker and said goodbye to the “brick and mortar” buying and selling traditions of the automotive industry. With the ever-expanding of business transactions available on computers, Buscher in 2013 joined a few other industry pioneers. With Blinker and similar apps like newcomer Fair consumers can safely acquire or sell vehicles — and all of the paperwork involved — via apps. “With Blinker you can do an entire transaction on a smartphone without going to a bank or a dealership,” said Buscher, who recently attended the Los Angeles Auto Show as did representatives from Fair. “And that’s what

Read more

2018 Honda Accord grabs two Kelley Blue Book best buy awards

After nearly 15 years of reviewing cars, the one question I get asked more than all other questions combined is “what new car would you buy?” There’s no right answer. With about 350 makes and models of new models, a case could be made for every car or truck available to be the best choice for someone. I often ask the person who’s asked a few followup questions — their available budget to their driving habits. I ask if they’re car buying for a one-person family or if they have a spouse and children and are car shopping for a larger family? Do they need cargo space? Will they often drive in inclement weather? Do they drive primarily in city

Read more

TheWeeklyDriver.com’s 2017 Best Cars of the Year

TheWeeklyDriver.com presents its 11th annual best cars of the year list. For the past two years, we selected 12 vehicles instead of 10 because we couldn’t decide what cars to leave off the lists. The selection was more clear-cut this year, so we’ve again chosen 10 vehicles. Volvo is the only manufacturer with two vehicles on the 2017 best cars list. Bentley, Genesis, Honda, Kia, Lincoln, Mazda, Volkswagen and Toyota are also represented. As editor and publisher of TheWeeklyDriver.com since 2004, I reviewed 38 cars and trucks in 2017 model years for at least a week. Most of the vehicles I drove in the calendar year; some 2017 models in 2016. I also drove at least a half-dozen other vehicles

Read more

Redspace concept: the new ugliest car never made — yet

Like all major auto shows, the LA Auto Show annually showcases a few dozen world debuts and a handful of concept cars. This year, the wildest was Reds, the short name for the Redspace Project. It’s arguably the ugliest vehicle never made. At least, not yet. The all-electric vehicle wasn’t designed in a high school auto shop class, although it might be an insult to those young entrepreneurs. Rather, the prototype is the design of Chris Bangle. He’s well-known in the auto industry and was the lead designer for 17 years at BMW. He also designed cars for Fiat and Opel. Bangle began his own design firm, Chris Bangle & Associates, in 2009. And his latest vehicle stretches the definition

Read more
,

Best buying practices make best used car purchases

The used car market is booming. According to industry analysts, about 40 million used cars get new owners each year in the United States. It’s nearly 2 1/2 times the amount of new cars sold in the United States each year. Used car superstores, private-party sellers, online sellers, specialty auctions, lease returns and combination new and used car dealerships flourish. But with so many used cars available, what’s the best way to find a used car? And what are best practices for buying a used car? And what manufacturers have the best reputations? Before selecting a vehicle, used car experts suggest the first step for a used car purchaser is to determine their budget or at least a budget range.

Read more

Honda Odyssey woes return with second massive recall

The Honda Odyssey is among the most versatile vehicles in the automotive industry. Now, about 800,000 units of the popular mini-van in the United States dating to 2011 are being recalled because of a second-row seating issue The voluntary recall covers Odysseys from 2011-17 model years. The issue: A release lever for repositioning the outer second-row seats may not latch properly, causing the seats to slide forward or backward without warning. The company will notify owners of affected minivans. Dealers will install additional brackets and springs to resolve the problem for free. Customers can call Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138 for additional information. In the meantime, the company also has posted instructions for properly latching the second-row seats. Honda said

Read more
,

Expanding electrical vehicle charging networks coming soon

If car industry analysts are correct, sales of electric vehicles will soon increase dramatically. With manufacturers offering more models of plug-in hybrids and battery-electric vehicles as well increasing gas-electric hybrids, some industry insiders believe “green cars” could account for as much as one-third of new car sales by 2025. The increase in battery-electric and plug-in hybrids could be even greater if states ban internal combustion engines. California is considering the ban, for example, and just think how the car industry would be affected if ban proposal occurred. Regardless of the severity of the increase, major questions loom: Where will the energy be produced to charge the influx of new vehicles? And how car owners will charge their vehicles? Will they

Read more

Fire risk prompts massive North American BMW recall

BMW is recalling more than 1.4 million cars and SUVs in the United States and Canada for two overlapping heating issues that could increase the risk of fires. According to a manufacturer representative, one recall includes more than 670,000 2006-2011 U.S. BMW 3-Series vehicles to address a wiring issue for heating and air conditioning systems. The first recall includes: the 323i, 325i, 325xi, 328i, 328xi, 330i, 330xi, 335i, 335xi and M3 from the 2006-2011 model years. Also covered are the 2007-2011 328i xDrive, 335i xDrive and 335is, and the 2009-2011 335d. The second recall includes more than 740,000 U.S. 2007-2011 vehicles with a valve heater that could rust and lead to a fire. The larger of the two recalls covers

Read more
,

Mecum Auctions Las Vegas debut live on Facebook

Mecum Auctions, the world’s largest collector-car auction company, will produce its inaugural Las Vegas collector-car auction, featuring an estimated 1,000 American muscle cars, classics, Corvettes, Hot Rods and Resto Mods, November 16-18 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Vehicles from approximately 20 states and and Canada, including a well-documented 1965 Shelby 289 Cobra Roadster (Lot 105.1) that retains its original aluminum body, red seat covers, 6-inch chrome wire wheels and is most original automatic-equipped Cobras in existence, will be among the main attractions. A 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster (Lot S108) documented with a copy of the original build sheet confirming its matching-numbers chassis, body, engine, four-speed transmission and differential, is also also among the expected most coveted vehicles. The consignments

Read more

2017 Fiat 500c Abarth: fun but flawed subcompact

Six years after Fiat returned to the United States, the Italian carmaker continues to struggle in the subcompact market. It’s a tough go with competition that includes perennial favorites like the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Beetle. For 2017, Fiat has streamlined its efforts. Novelty trims have been ditched; the entry-level Pop, upscale Lounge and performance-oriented Abarth remain. The 500c variants include a coupe, sliding roof cabriolet and fully electric, 500e. The cabriolet Abarth has a four-cylinder engine with 160 horsepower, an increase of 59 horsepower from its siblings. The Abarth name references the Italian carmaker’s founder Italian-Austrian Carlo Abarth. Its bold shield logo features a black scorpion on a red and yellow background. The base Fiat 500c has a dubious

Read more

Will Tesla be the first to offer affordable autonomous cars?

What company will be the first to make autonomous cars readily available in the United States? Will it be Tesla, Google or the Apple self-driving car? Or might it China and its manufacturers’ efforts? It’s hard to know what to expect or who will be at the front of the pack. Beyond pending infrastructure and legal issues, the successful company will likely be at the forefront with its design, functionality and affordability. Functionality involves ensuring the car can do what it is expected to do without failure. But how? Machine learning is a technology that allows machines to learn and adapt without specific programming based on data input from others. The more sources of input, the better and faster the

Read more

Electric cars are the future, but will they ever rule the road?

Electric cars are the automotive future when it comes to personal transportation. How quickly, however, will your current vehicle be obsolete? Will an electric car be the first vehicle your children or grandchildren drive? Carscoops reported in 2015 four European countries and several states were planning to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. The list included Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon and Vermont. International locations included Quebec, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway and the Netherlands. Earlier this month, China also announced it would ban the production and sale of gas and diesel-fueled vehicles. France has also pledged to stop the sale of these vehicles by 2040. Meanwhile, Germany is pushing for a ban on

Read more
Previous Next