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Welcome to the automotive podcast that is sending you an audio Valentine.
On this episode of Throwin’ Wrenches…
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World News
Nissan to Reject Honda Deal to Create World’s No. 3 Automaker
Source: Wall Street Journal
Nissan’s board has determined that Honda’s terms for a combination of the two automakers are unacceptable, people familiar with the matter said, endangering a merger plan designed to shore up Nissan’s faltering business. In a statement, Nissan said no decision had been reached but one option under discussion was scrapping its December agreement with Honda to aim for a merger. Both automakers said talks were continuing and they aimed to announce their direction in mid-February.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
National News
US Moves to Repeal Biden Administration Vehicle Fuel Economy Standards
New U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy signed an order on Tuesday directing U.S. regulators to rescind landmark fuel economy standards issued under President Joe Biden that aimed to drastically reduce fuel use for cars and trucks.
In a memo, Duffy directed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to reconsider the 2022 model year through 2031 model years for cars and trucks.
The agency in June said it would hike Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) requirements to about 50.4 miles per gallon (4.67 liters per 100 km) by 2031 from 39.1 mpg currently for light-duty vehicles.
Duffy, who took office late Tuesday, also directed NHTSA to reconsider rules for heavy duty pickup trucks and vans through 2035.
“Artificially high fuel economy standards designed to meet non-statutory policy goals, such as those NHTSA has promulgated in recent years, impose large costs that render many vehicle models unaffordable for the average American family,” Duffy’s memo said. “They also put coercive pressure on automakers to phase out production of various models of popular (internal combustion engine) vehicles.”
Mazda Achieved Record Growth Last Year with Fewer Dealers
Increased throughput across Mazda’s dealer network helped the Japanese automaker achieve its highest sales in nearly four decades. “Mazda is focused on pushing more sales through the current dealerships rather than trying to add on more dealers for growth,” Rob Sickel, chairman of the Mazda National Dealer Advisory Council, told Automotive News after the automaker held a virtual franchise meeting on Jan. 30. Mazda has 545 dealers in its network. In 2024, they sold an average of 669 vehicles, up from 625 in 2023. Sickel said 21 Mazda dealers topped sales of 2,000 vehicles last year.
Those Super Bowl Ads Won’t Pay For Themselves:
Insurance Rates Are Up!
Car insurance rates are expected to continue to rise this year, though at a slower pace. Rates climbed 15% across the country last year and have jumped a cumulative 42% since 2022, according to insurance comparison-shopping website Insurify.
Insurify forecasts a 5% rate increase this year to a national average full-coverage rate of $2,435 by year-end.
South Carolina Blocks Scout Motors’ Direct Sales Despite $1.3B Incentive
Despite South Carolina granting Scout Motors $1.3 billion in incentives to build its $2 billion EV plant in Blythewood, state residents won’t be able to buy the company’s vehicles when they hit the market in 2027. Due to state laws prohibiting direct sales, even the 4,000 workers employed at the facility will have to go out of state to purchase a Scout EV.
Scout, owned by Volkswagen, has opted for a direct-to-consumer sales model, similar to Tesla and Lucid, aiming to provide a more transparent and cost-effective buying process. However, South Carolina is among the nearly 20 states that mandate vehicles to be sold exclusively through dealerships. Other states with similar restrictions include Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, and Kansas, while North Carolina allows direct sales.
Just So Everyone’s Clear: Scout And Rivian Are Not The Same
What an age of miracles we find ourselves in. The internet is the greatest tool for disseminating information that humanity has ever created, but it also allows anybody to just instantly broadcast whatever is on their mind at any given moment, regardless of how true it is or not. That does lead to the occasional bit of misinformation that news outlets like InsideEVs must correct.
Since the recent debut of two new electric concepts from Scout Motors, the American truck and SUV brand revived by the Volkswagen Group, we have noticed more than a few comparisons drawn to another EV truck company: Rivian.
The comparisons are fair; Scout’s two concept vehicles bear a strong resemblance to Rivian’s first two vehicles, the R1T truck and R1S SUV. And the lines between the two brands are further blurred by the fact that the Volkswagen Group and Rivian have recently started working together.
While Scout and Rivian have similar designs and will probably compete for the same customer, and Scout will use the new electrical architecture that VW is co-developing with Rivian, the two vehicles and brands are not the same. They do not use the same platform, are built (or rather, will be built) in different places and should have considerably different price tags.
Auto Industry Bracing for Further Disruption in 2025, Experts Say
Source: Detroit Free Press
Tariff threats, affordability issues and electric vehicle adoption hurdles are among the many dark storm clouds blocking projections of the 2025 auto industry landscape.
Analysts, experts and professionals from the auto industry spoke out about their concerns Wednesday at the 31st Annual Automotive Symposium hosted at the Detroit branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago on Wednesday.
Some key takeaways from the event include:
Kristin Dziczek, policy adviser for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, told guests and assorted news media that everything is changing when it comes to the auto industry — the vehicles sold and what fuels them; the infrastructure needed to support those new fuel sources; the technologies those products use; and how automakers produce them. The potential for disruption is absolute, but really, what else is new?
“What never changes is people need a car,” Dziczek said. “The U.S. is a large country.”
Local News
Photo Credit: Rivian
You Can Buy Rivian’s Van, But Don’t Come A Knockin’ On RIVN, Analyst Warns
Source: Investor’s Business Daily
Rivian (RIVN) has made its all-electric commercial van available for sale to the general public after years of it being only available to Amazon.com (AMZN).
Late Wednesday, the EV startup officially made the Rivian commercial van available with a starting price of $79,900 with deliveries slated to begin in April 2025. There are two variants, a 500 series and a 700 series, with both getting around 160 miles of range.
Rivian signed an agreement with Amazon in 2019 to design and develop electric commercial delivery vans and has prioritized production for Amazon since then. The online marketplace ordered 100,000 of Rivian’s electric vans and said in December 2024 it had 20,000 Rivian electric vans in its delivery fleet.
Amazon currently has a 15.6% stake in Rivian, according to FactSet. However, Amazon is also looking elsewhere to electrify its fleet.
However, Rivian in November 2023 amended its agreement with Amazon to allow the EV startup to sell commercial vans to any other commercial customers. At the end of the third-quarter, Rivian said it expected Amazon to increase its delivery order of vans in Q4 and announced it had launched the Rivian Commercial Van platform for the commercial market.
Meanwhile, Bernstein on Jan. 28 initiated coverage of Rivian with an underperform rating and a 6.10 price target, 52% below the current trading level.
The firm believes Rivian has built a brand based on adventure and has the resources to scale it, but it faces slower market growth, rising competition and limits to the segments its brand can address.
Bernstein analysts wrote that Rivian can succeed in its plan to reach more than 500,000 units by 2030, but that financial success for shareholders is not a given and that Rivian’s breakeven is “years away” and the company is facing “mounting risks.”
The Ferrari Blacklist: What It Is And How To Avoid Getting Your Name On It
You’ve probably heard of the so-called Ferrari blacklist, which is essentially a list of individuals the Italian automaker won’t sell cars to. Why does the list even exist? Well, Ferrari and its Prancing Horse logo have a carefully curated reputation, and it remains one of the most exclusive brands out there.
You may argue that a car company has no right to tell you what to do with an expensive car you paid for, but it works. Ferrari is one of the most valuable car brands in the world, and most of its vehicles can be found in the garages of any avid car collector. You may own the car, but Ferrari owns the brand, and it will go to great lengths to protect it from people like Justin Bieber.
Cars of the Weak
Eric: 1969 Fiat Classic 500 – $16,250
(Best Write-up Award-Winner)
Divorced? Single? Lonely? Confidence taken a hit?
Never fear, help is here! Cancel that Bumble account, put away those ED pills and grab this once-in-a blue-moon opportunity for permanent MoJo.
In fact, once finished digesting this advert, I suggest hitting a furniture store and acquiring a new bed. You can transport it home in your size-substitution pickup and prepare to embrace your new life.
Here in sunny Broad Ripple (46220), I offer you this fine 1969 Classic Fiat 500. Imported by myself from Naples (Italy, not Florida), this has been my (occasional) daily driver, and I am hoarse from shouting ‘I have a girlfriend’.
Powered by an eager 495cc, delivered to the rear (12”) wheel via an agricultural (it’s a 1969) 4 speed gearbox, fun and attention are a guarantee.
Proud in Ferrari Red with a black interior, the bodywork is in perfect shape. Drives as smooth as your new girlfriends panties.
Like a clown looking for a circus, I have decided, reluctantly to part with it.
If it is listed, it is available. ‘Is it available?’ will be ignored.
Low ballers will be forwarded to the MOJO Gods and you will forever sleep alone
Daryl: 1957 Oldsmobile 88 Hardtop – $17,900
The 88 is a full-size car that Oldsmobile produced from 1949 until 1999 and was an image leader for GM when first introduced. It was one of the best performing vehicles on the market at the time due to its relatively small sized, lightweight, high compression V8 engine whose performance enabled the Olds 88 to be considered the first muscle car by some even though the title is disputed.
Specific to the 1957 model year is the Golden Rocket 88 whose only badging was 88’s under each taillight. It was equipped with a 371ci Rocket V8 rated at 277hp. Styling highlights were more evolutionary than radical, with a three-piece rear window design marketed as the “Twin-Strut Rear Window.” This particular example is a two-family car that the original owner traded for a new vehicle in 1977. The original owner left his name & number for the 2nd owner and they became life-long family friends shortly after.
In the early 80’s the 2nd owner repainted it in its original color of Banff Blue. The 2nd owner sold it back to the original owner (and his son) in 1987. The original owner gifted the car to his son in 2016 and his son has been the sole owner since. At just over 100,000 miles the current owner had the original Rocket V8 and 4 speed Jetaway auto transmission rebuilt and both run incredibly.
Thanks for Listening!
We’re close to our 100th episode, so stay tuned for a special celebration.
The post Episode 98 – Love is in the Air (Unless You Drive a Nissan) appeared first on Throwin' Wrenches Automotive Podcast.
