If you’ve driven past any new or used car dealerships lately, you might notice something doesn’t look quite right. Every lot seems to be suffering from a car inventory shortage, so what’s going on? As co-owner of Jones and Sons Auto Sales, I can personally vouch for trouble getting cars in stock right now. Here are some insights I’ve walked away with.

COVID-19 Link

We posted about many Coronavirus interruptions, whether it caused chip plants to shut down or car factories to halt production. This pandemic is surely where the problems began. During this time, we also started noticing trouble with the supply chain, even after facilities opened back up. It seems that production never fully recovered.

Increased Prices

With the shortage going on, car prices went way up. There were fewer cars to choose from, so consumers were paying far more than sticker price to get them. Even pre-owned vehicles went up nearly 40% due to the inventory shortage.

Supply vs. Demand

Even with the increased pricing, supply can’t keep up with the demand. It’s unclear how long we will wait until something changes. There continues to be issues keeping workers and getting supplies needed to build new cars. With the lack of new cars, pre-owned vehicles also continue to be priced higher than what most people are comfortable paying. Where does it all end?

Car Inventory Shortage: Is There an End in Sight?

It’s hard to remain positive when looking at the big picture. Unless something major changes, the auto industry isn’t poised to turn around any time soon. If anything, it might only get worse as time goes on. We project that many dealerships will go out of business in the process. For now, many of them are relying upon the service department to keep an income flowing through, but is only going to last for so long.

What are your thoughts? Are you discouraged by what you see?

You may not parallel park as often as you once did, but there are still times when it’s necessary. Thankfully, ZF, a prominent automotive manufacturer has come out with EasyTurn, that should make the stressful maneuvers much easier. What is this innovative system and how can it help you. Let’s take a look.

Understanding EasyTurn Technology

With the EasyTurn system, you gain a special strut suspension configuration that allows the front wheels to turn eighty degrees. That’s more than twice that of what’s found on most cars. This innovative system adds a special link between the steering rack and tie rod. With this design, articulation is increased for smoother turning.

ZF has already installed the unique system on the BMW i3 EV. With this system, it becomes more simple to make a U-turn. The rear wheels pivot within the provided space to show maneuverability. The EV can be backed into its space, even at an angle.

The biggest struggle ZF is going to have with this equipment is finding somewhere to put it. There’s no enough room under every hood for the wheels to move through such a large range of motion. For this reason, it’s not likely that we’ll see this included in every model anytime soon.

Perfect for the EV

EasyTurn pairs much better with EVs because there isn’t a lot of equipment under the hood blocking the wheels. In most, have an extra trunk in the front (the frunk) that could be used, if needed. It’s also possible to use motors in the wheels to eliminate the driveshaft design. With this configuration, you could also expect four-wheel-drive function.

We see a similar system in the GMC Hummer EV. This EV can turn the rear wheels ten degrees in the same direction as the front. This system allows the vehicle to drive diagonally while operating at lower speeds. GMC calls this the Crab Walk mode.

For now, ZF has no plans to add this system to any vehicle. With that said, we expect that it’s a sign of things to come with steering systems in the future.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has elevated its probe into the Tesla Autopilot feature. The agency already had open investigations regarding how this automated feature responds when coming up to emergency vehicles on the shoulder. Now the case moved to the engineering analysis because of several crashes. These crashes occurred when Autopilot was activated and the Traffic Aware Cruise Control system was on.

Tesla Autopilot Crashes

The NHTSA is examining 14 crashes total. One of these instances led to a fatality and there are 15 injuries total among them. Additionally, Tesla has reported two more occurrences. Last yet, the Autopilot software was updated so it could detect any emergency lights that were on the side of the road, even in low light conditions. However, this update didn’t involve a recall, so it’s possible not every car has received the technology it needs.

The government agency is analyzing what degree the Autopilot technology has played into these incidents. Some of the accidents could have been avoided if the driver had been in control. If so, this problem would undermine how effective the system is and its benefits.

What’s most alarming is that more than 800,000  Tesla vehicles include some form of NHTSA action since 2014. Considering these cars aren’t everywhere on the road, that’s a good majority of what’s available. That leads people to wonder if a Tesla is worth owning at all.

What’s Coming Next?

We might see a decision from the NHTSA within the next year, but it’s unclear what will happen next. In the meantime, you should carefully consider driving a Tesla. After all, many other problems exist. It’s questionable how save the EV lineup actually is.

What are your thoughts? Are you comfortable driving a Tesla or are they dangerous? Weigh in and let us know.

According to new National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regulations, automakers must reach 49 mpg by 2026 across their entire fleets. These regulations were announced on Friday by Pete Buttigieg, the Secretary of Transportation.

NHTSA Regulations Benefits/Concerns

Buttigieg claims that these new NHTSA regulations are going to save more than 230 billion gallons of fuel throughout 2050. However, these new regulations rollback the standards set by President Trump just a few years ago. They also exceed those that were established by President Obama. So, will automakers be able to meet these lofty goals?

To meet the deadline, automakers must increase fuel economy across the lineup by 8% by 2024 and 2025. Then, in 2026, the automakers must jump another 10% to reach the level required.

While the NHTSA points out that drivers could save $1,400 during the lifetime of the car that’s bought in 2029, they didn’t estimate how much more these vehicles might cost. To meet this goal, automakers will need to pump out many more hybrid and electric vehicles. It’s going to be a delicate balancing act, with many balls up in the air at the same time. We could see multiple automakers fail to meet the goal when the time arrives.

Ready to Go Electric?

There’s a lot of push-back to these regulations. Not everyone wants to drive an EV, as seen by our list showing the reasons people don’t buy electric cars.

It’s going to be difficult getting peoples’ mindsets to shift. In fact, we estimate that many people will simply keep their older vehicles and keep fixing them instead. It’s something that has been seen in other countries that have required EV cars.

Still, we would love to get your thoughts? Do you think automakers will comply or will there be pushback? Also, tell us how you think the average consumer is going to respond. We look forward to hearing from you.

It’s official – the Volkswagen Passat is the next sedan to hit the chopping block. The last VW Passat model recently rolled off the production line in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Many people are surprised to learn that the vehicle has been on American roads since 1974, but originally as the VW Dasher.

Volkswagen Passat History

The original Passat shared many of the same styling features as the Scirocco and Golf models. It was meant to appeal to a higher-end market than the Beetle attracted. In the late 1970s, Volkswagen hailed the Dasher as the brand’s luxury model.

The Dasher was first introduced as a sedan or coupe model, but both had hatchbacks. Plus, there was a wagon option, making the lineup complete with three models. It wasn’t until the third generation in 1990 that the car was called a Passat. At this time, it was only a sedan or wagon model with a transverse engine design.

In 1998, the VW Passat entered its fifth-generation by riding on the Audi A4 platform. However, problems with the American market started in the early 2000s. Customers weren’t happy with the higher price tag and the company also needed to create a larger model to appeal to the revised market. The company started assembling the Passat at the Chattanooga factory to cut expenses. This is where it remained through the last days.

What’s Happening Next?

The Passat might have ended production, but Volkswagen has plenty in store for the Chattanooga plant. All new Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport SUVs are built at this plant. Plus, it will be the home of the ID.4 EV later this year.

If you are hoping to find a mid-size sedan, you can still opt for the Volkswagen Arteon. However, we don’t foresee this model taking over the clientele from the Passat. Instead, most customers are going to choose another brand, maybe even the Honda Accord.