Biden Nominates Acting NHTSA Chief Ann Carlson to Take Role Officially
By Dave Bean, Editor, In the Public Interest
President Joe Biden announced that he’d like former environmental attorney Ann Carlson to lose the “acting” descriptor in her job title and become the official Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Carlson assumed the interim role in September 2022 after serving as that department’s Chief Counsel. Prior to joining the NHTSA, she was an award-winning law professor at UCLA, focused on the environment and climate change.
One of her more noteworthy achievements came in the form of a trailblazing Standing General Order, mandating that data generated from vehicles with automated driving systems and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) be reported to her department in a timely fashion.
Auto Market Weekly Summary: February 13
Used retail-vehicle sales increased in January and were up from a year ago. Wholesale vehicle values also increased in January.
Our same-store estimates on Dealertrack indicate that used retail vehicle sales increased 16% in January from December and were up 5% year-to-year. Certified pre-owned (CPO) sales declined 10% from the previous month but were up 22% compared to January 2022.
Wholesale used-vehicle prices increased by 2.5% in January compared to December. The Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index rose to 224.8, down 12.8% from a year ago. January’s increase was driven in part by the seasonal adjustment.
Toyota Finally Admits ‘Timing is Right’ for an EV-First Mindset Amid Business Reshuffle
Amid new leadership changes, Toyota is reshuffling its business structure, claiming the “time is right” to accelerate battery electric vehicle (BEV) development.
Toyota plans to use its luxury brand Lexus to spearhead the approach with a full lineup of fully electric zero-emission vehicles by 2030. In particular, the automaker plans to make EV-specific parts like batteries and a dedicated platform to optimize and help expand its lineup and streamline production.
If Toyota doesn’t turn things around quickly and get on board, they will fall behind as the industry moves forward without them. Many automakers are already achieving double-digit sales (or 100% EV sales) while Toyota’s zero-emissions sales accounted for less than 1% of its total US volume.
Biden Officials Asked Musk to Open Superchargers to All EVs
Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently spent some time at The White House to talk about the prospects of opening up Tesla's Supercharger network – which is the largest and arguably most widespread and reliable DC Fast Charging network on our shores – to all electric vehicles, regardless of the brand.
We do know that the administration already promised that Tesla would be producing new Supercharger equipment to enable non-Tesla EV owners to use its network. There were also leaked details and images of a Tesla "Magic Dock" with a CCS connector for non-Tesla EVs.
If Tesla follows through with The White House's plan, it could stand to get a sizable portion of the initial $7.5 billion the Biden administration has earmarked for the expansion of public charging infrastructure.
American Drivers Have a Blinding Headlight Problem. It Could last For Years.
There are three primary factors that have shifted in the past few decades that caused headlights to appear brighter and cause more glare.
Vehicles are getting taller. Adding to that, the color of many headlights has shifted from a warmer, yellow hue to a harsher, blue-white one. And finally, most cars have at least one headlight that's misaligned. A key issue is that, as cars are produced, there isn't a specific entity tasked with ensuring alignment.
Adaptive driving beams automatically adjust the high beams emitted from LED car headlights in real time to avoid blinding pedestrians and other drivers. But don't expect to see it anytime soon on American roads due to the complexity of the NHTSA's regulations around adaptive driving beams, which differ tremendously from Europe.
