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"The Relay" Online Newsletter
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What has caused this change? The election of President Trump is a big factor but I think the real reason for the change has been Elon Musk buying Twitter and turning it into X with free speech. Climate change is the reason given for crazy changes - we must save the planet and do it now. Musk let anyone post anything and what happened is actual climatologists posted that climate change is not really a big deal. A lot of people noticed when Bill Gates stated that climate change was no longer a big deal.
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Trump Rolls Back Biden-Era Fuel Standards, Admin Says It Will Save Americans $109 Billion
From The Epoch Times
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump eliminated fuel standard regulations imposed by President Joe Biden with an executive order signed on Dec. 3 in the Oval Office.
“We’re officially terminating Joe Biden’s ridiculously burdensome, horribly actually, [fuel economy] standards that imposed expensive restrictions and all sorts of problems,” Trump said.
“Today my administration is taking historic action to lower costs for American consumers, protect American auto jobs, and make buying a car more affordable and safer.”
His directive reduced the number of miles a vehicle must travel on a gallon of gasoline, a move that will mitigate car price increases of about $1,000 and save Americans approximately $109 billion, according to administration officials.
The president rejected his predecessor’s actions and efforts by California and other states to outlaw gas-powered vehicles as detrimental to the economy.
“It put tremendous upward pressure on car prices,” Trump said, blaming Biden’s policies for an increase of more than 25 percent for new car prices.
Companies spent money attempting to reach objectives proposed by the Biden administration, including miles-per-gallon standards as high as 62 miles per gallon, which were ultimately unattainable, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said during the event.
“These rules are going to allow auto makers to make vehicles Americans want to purchase,” he said. “This is jobs, this is freedom, and this is common sense.”
Representatives from Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis joined the president for the signing ceremony.
“Today is a victory for common sense and affordability,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said during the ceremony. “This allows us to invest in affordable vehicles made in the U.S., which we will take the lead on, and will allow us to make vehicles more affordable.”
The president said domestic auto manufacturing has jumped by 10 percent this year.
“We’re bringing auto manufacturing back,” Trump said.
Upcoming rule changes will also allow for the manufacture of smaller vehicles, like those seen on roads in Europe and Asia, he said.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a division of the Department of Transportation, oversees the Corporate Average Fuel Economy regulations enacted by Congress in 1975 to reduce fuel consumption by setting miles-per-gallon standards for vehicles.
Differences of opinion in recent administrations—with Democrats preferring electric vehicles and pushing to increase fuel efficiency for gas-powered vehicles and Trump’s presidencies focusing on reducing costs and regulations—have resulted in a series of policy reversals.
Biden strengthened fuel economy standards in June 2024 by 2 percent annually for passenger vehicles and light trucks.
Increases of 8 percent to 10 percent annually were proposed for some new vehicles.
President Barack Obama ramped up standards and set a goal in 2012 of achieving 54.5 miles per gallon for light passenger vehicles by 2025.
Trump rolled back Obama’s initiatives in 2020 during his first term in office.
In June, the president also rescinded California’s electric vehicle mandate, which sought to ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2030. He signed three related congressional acts on June 12, including one that revoked the Golden State’s ability to impose tailpipe emissions limits.
Trump has signed dozens of executive orders since returning to the White House in January, including one called “Unleashing American Energy,” which aligns with his agenda of increasing domestic energy production and limiting regulations that he has said are negatively affecting the economy and driving inflation.
The most recent order continues the trend of transforming federal policy.
“Today we’re taking one more step to kill the green new scam,” Trump said.
Jewels Found On Ebay
Here are a couple of hot finds from Ebay Motors.
eBay item number: 236508386373
$1967
eBay description: Details. All that is left of a 1967 Big Block Super Sport Chevelle (see photos) that will obviously require a doner car to complete. It does have a clean, not salvage, Nebraska Title in my name with original VIN tag and Original Trim Tag. I think the trim tag indicates that it was originally a white car with black interior but you need to decide that for yourself. I do not know much about decoding Chevelle trim tags. I am told the "38" in the VIN means that it was a big block car. Being sold as is shown in the photos. It is located in Springfield, Nebraska which is close to Omaha. This is a no reserve, high bidder takes it. I am not a car dealer but I was told there would be a serious interest in these remains, so here it is. Seems a little crazy to me. Winning bidder must pay in full with a bank transfer or cashiers check within 7 days of the end of the auction and have 21 days to pick up or have shipped. I will not ship. However, if the high bidder wants a small piece that can be mailed or shipped with a small UPS package prior to pick up, that can be arranged. This should be interesting.
Yes, this is interesting - up for auction - with secure purchase no less - is the cowl of a 67 Chevelle. The "38" in the VIN means Super Sport and not big block. It could have been a Super Sport with a small block. And you might be able to get it via UPS. I like that it will need a donor car. I'm guessing that you have a 67 Chevelle that you want to make a Super Sport so you use this guy's title, VIN plate and trim plate on your car. That would be illegal by state and federal laws.
Next up is a "project".
eBay item number: 167965665192
$5,600 or best offer
eBay description: Up for sale is a 1969 Camaro V-8 4 speed body shell only. All numbers are intact and comes with an Oklahoma title and current registration in my name. The VIN verifies Camaro, V-8 coupe, 1969, built at Norwood plant. The cowl tag shows exterior color to be frost green paint with medium green standard interior. Tag also has X44 which is a base model. The X44 was also used to build a lot of the 427 COPO Camaros. The firewall picture shows a hole with partial rubber boot for the clutch push rod. The body is very rusty and missing all of it's parts. This is a major project and needs everything.... Only comes with what is seen in the pictures. Look at pictures close to help with description and condition. I can store the vehicle for you to make arrangements to pick up. No charge for 30dys, contact me if you need more.
I think this is the worse 69 Camaro I have ever seen. The lip around the windshield and rear glass is gone. There is no steering, suspension or even a front subframe. And he thinks you could build this into a 427 COPO. That would require the purchase of a whole Camaro and not rusty pieces of one.
eBay item number: 167965529466
$5,200 or best offer
eBay description: Up for sale is a 1968 Camaro body shell only. All numbers are intact and comes with an Oklahoma title and current registration in my name. The body is rusty and missing a lot of parts. I was told it was an RS SS. You can see in the pictures the rear body panel has factory cut-outs for the back-up lights below the bumper. The firewall picture shows the rubber grommet with 2 holes for the vacuum hoses to go too and from the headlight switch. Those are both RS option indicators. The firewall picture also shows the hole with partial rubber boot for the clutch push rod. The small block SS would have been a 350, but no way verifying what V-8 came in this car. Chevrolet did not put any numbers or codes in the VIN or Cowl Tag on a '68 Camaro that will verify RS, SS, or Z28. The VIN on this body tells us it is a Camaro V-8 coupe, 1968, built at the Norwood plant, that's it. The cowl tag tells us the paint was an Ash Gold with a black vinyl top. The interior was black with black and white houndstooth. Regardless, an RS or RS SS, 327/350 4 speed Camaro would be a fun car to own. This is a major project and needs everything.... Only comes with what is seen in the pictures. I can store vehicle for the buyer up to 30dys, free. Contact me if you need longer. Look at pictures close to help with description and condition.
Next up is one of the worse 68 Camaros ever seen. Yes the 1968 Camaro can be made into anything: RS, SS, you name it since Chevy didn't have any codes to tell them apart. This could be why there are more 68 RS SS ones than the factory ever made. Under statement of the new year: this is a major project and needs everything. You can bring your trailer and he will load it with the fork lift.
Ford to record $19.5 billion in special charges related to EV pullback
From CNBC
Ford Motor expects to record about $19.5 billion in special items related to a restructuring of its business priorities and a pullback in its all-electric vehicle investments, the company announced Monday.
The Detroit automaker said most of those charges will occur during the fourth quarter. That will be followed by $5.5 billion in cash to be charged through 2027, and the majority of that chunk will be paid next year, Ford said.
The charges will impact the automaker’s net results but not its adjusted earnings. The automaker said Monday it was increasing its guidance of adjusted earnings before interest and taxes to about $7 billion in 2025. That’s in line with a target from earlier this year, before the company lowered expectations to between $6 billion and $6.5 billion in adjusted EBIT in October.
The charges announced Monday, including $8.5 billion in write-downs of EV assets, are connected to major changes to Ford’s business plans.
The new plans include refocusing investments on hybrid vehicles, including plug-in models rather than pure EVs; canceling a next generation of large all-electric trucks in exchange for smaller, more affordable EVs; and a rebalancing of its investments in core products such as trucks and SUVs.
The changes are the latest under Ford CEO Jim Farley and his “Ford+” restructuring plan that has taken on many different forms since he initially announced it as an EV growth plan in 2021.
“We evaluated the market, and we made the call,” Farley told CNBC’s “Closing Bell Overtime” on Monday. “We’re following customers to where the market is, not where people thought it was going to be, but where it is today.”
Tories (Great Britain) say they’ll scrap petrol car ban if they win next election – what does it mean for drivers?
From Metro (UK)
The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, has promised to ditch the ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars if her party wins the next election.
Following hesitation and pauses by previous Conservative governments, the ban is well on its way to coming into force from 2030 as part of efforts to make the UK less polluting.
But Badenoch pledged to drop the ZEV mandate, which is the Zero Emission Vehicle law requiring 80% of car manufacturers’ production to be zero emission by the 2030 deadline.
Writing in the Telegraph, Badenoch said her move is inspired by Italy’s prime minister, Georgia Meloni, and her ‘common sense approach to net zero.’
She said: ‘It’s time to scrap the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate. This little-known law bans future sales of petrol and diesel cars and is a well-meaning but ultimately destructive piece of legislation.’
Badenoch accused the government of not listening to car manufacturers, and putting the UK’s domestic car industry at a ‘disadvantage’ against global powers like China, a major producer of EVs.
Her comments come after the EU is reportedly planning to back down from its own 2035 target to ban the sale of diesel, petrol and hybrids. Six EU countries, including Poland and Italy, have called for the policy to be revamped for fears it could hurt industrial competitiveness.
But what is the petrol and diesel ban, and how does it impact drivers directly?
What is the ban on sale of petrol and diesel cars?
In short, the ban is about phasing out the sale of petrol and diesel cars by the start of the next decade.
However, no existing cars already owned by people will be forced off the road or banned, but the move is part of the government’s push to decarbonise and reach net zero targets in all areas of industry, including motoring.
Instead, the new law will ban the sale of petrol and diesel guzzling vehicles from 2030, while hybrids could be sold until 2035.
As part of the mandate, manufacturers have to sell a fixed and rising number of zero-emission vehicles every year. They have to reach 80% rate for new cars sold and 70% for new vans by 2030, rising to 100% by 2035.
This means car buyers are more likely to be offered an EV in the coming years when on the market for a new vehicle.
And the mandate also dictates that owners must be given a battery warranty of eight years or 100,000 miles for new EVs. And if the battery drops below 70% capacity in that time, they must be offered a replacement, Auto Car reports.
But now the EU’s hesitation on the 2035 target has cast a shadow over policy.
Mike Hawes, the chief executive of the industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers, told Metro: ‘Europe is the biggest market for UK automotive exports and the largest source of products for UK car buyers.
‘So what happens in Europe matters to the U.K. industry. Whilst no one has yet seen the details of what might be agreed at EU level, a relaxing of regulation may give rise to the need to bring forward the UK review of its own regulation.’
However, the EV charging industry urged against pulling back on the ZEV mandate.
Vicky Read, the chief executive of ChargeUK, said: ‘The charging sector is investing billions of pounds in the UK, creating jobs as well as a nationwide infrastructure which is critical to drivers and to car manufacturers in order to sell EVs.
‘This is all underpinned by the certainty of the ZEV Mandate — to weaken it would be to pull the rug from underneath this industry yet again.
‘Our sector has already delivered close to 90,000 public charge points, building ahead of demand. To continue to do this we need policy stability, not knee-jerk reactions, so that the charging sector has the confidence it needs to keep investing.’
One of the biggest changes affecting EV drivers will be the 3p per mile tax announced in the autumn budget, which will see electric drivers pay around £250 a year from April 2028.
The Briefs
A Department of Transportation review found that 44 percent of the nation’s approximately 16,000 truck driving schools may not comply with government licensure requirements and could be forced to close.
The U.S. tariff on South Korean automobiles will be lowered to 15 percent retroactively to Nov. 1, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said. The move followed South Korea’s introduction of parliamentary legislation to codify the government’s investment commitments to the United States.
Waymo begins testing self-driving vehicles in Philadelphia and launches manned drives in Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis to collect road data.
Waymo announced a voluntary recall on its fleet of self-driving cars after Texas authorities reported that the vehicles have passed stopped school buses on at least 19 occasions since the start of the academic year.
A San Francisco woman got into a Waymo early Tuesday morning, headed to the hospital with contractions already coming strong. Halfway there, things moved faster than expected. Her baby boy decided he wasn’t waiting for a parking spot. With her partner in the backseat and the car seat still folded in the trunk, the little guy arrived right on the leather seats, healthy and loud.
The Waymo support team noticed what was happening on the interior camera, called the passengers to check in, and immediately rerouted the car to the nearest hospital entrance while sending paramedics to meet them. Three minutes later, mom and newborn were wheeled inside; both were perfectly fine.
Waymo later said they were thrilled everyone was safe and that the car would get a very thorough cleaning before its next ride. Just a normal rush-hour morning in 2025: traffic, fog, and one very punctual baby who took “door-to-door service” literally.
In San Francisco, where self-driving taxis are ubiquitous, one rider recorded a video during his early November journey in a Tesla Robotaxi, KRON-TV reported. The Tesla taxis are required to have a "safety driver" -- a human who sits behind the wheel but doesn't drive. And while that just makes all sorts of sense, if the driver isn't awake, it's not much use. "The safety driver literally fell asleep at least three times during the ride," the passenger said. "Each time, the car's 'pay attention' safety alert went off and the beeping is what woke him back up." The rider waited a week to post the video on Reddit, as he gave Tesla a chance to respond. In the meantime, the California Public Utilities Commission said it is "aware of the video and taking follow-up actions to gather more information." The rider chose Waymo for his return trip.
On Nov. 11, an unnamed 36-year-old man entered a bus in Hamilton, Ontario, while the driver was taking a short break outside, Fox5-TV reported. Then the man drove off, with all the passengers still inside. He drove around, making stops to let people off and on, and even denied one person trying to board without a bus pass. Police followed the bus and eventually took the rogue driver into custody, but praised his skills: "There was not a ding on the bus," said Trevor McKenna of the Hamilton police. "He did a great job." He was charged with theft over $5,000, possession over $5,000, obstructing police and driving while prohibited.
Pope Francis' popemobile has been repurposed as a mobile health clinic for children in war-torn Gaza, NBC News reported on Nov. 25. Francis used the vehicle during a visit to Bethlehem in 2014 and blessed the project before his death in April. The open platform where he stood has been enclosed and converted to a treatment area. Caritas, the Catholic organization tasked with the conversion, said the vehicle will be able to treat about 200 children per day.
On Nov. 14, a mom popped into W.A. Wright Elementary School in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, to deliver some paperwork, leaving her 10-year-old son in the car outside. She returned to the parking lot to find the car gone, WSMV-TV reported, and assumed it had been stolen with her son inside. A witness said they'd seen the car driving recklessly out of the parking lot. But when police checked the family home about a mile away, they found the car in the garage and the child in the house with his dad. He explained that he'd had an argument with his mom and decided to drive himself home. Officers declined to charge the boy because he's too young to be held criminally responsible.
How a bad day begins
A woman driving to work on Nov. 19 in Bryson City, North Carolina, was stunned when a cat fell from the sky and crashed through her windshield, shattering about half the glass on the passenger side. The Charlotte Observer reported that the cat had been seen by a witness struggling with the eagle that was flying with it; the car was traveling at about 55 mph when the cat made impact. The driver was uninjured, the cat didn't make it, and the eagle made a quick exit.
On Nov. 7 at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Corey Johnson, 35, of Alexandria, Louisiana, tried to exit the short-term parking lot, but he wasn't able to pay the fee. People magazine reported that Johnson at first refused to move his Jeep out of the exit lane but later agreed to pull aside while he worked out payment. Around 10 p.m., while Johnson was still stuck in the parking lot, the airport's Aviation Communications center received a threatening phone call, suggesting a bomb would be detonated if the operator did not "page Hassan." The center received another call around 10:35, saying he wanted "Hassan" "to bring the bomb to level three." Deputies pinged the phone making the calls and traced it back to Johnson; by 11 p.m., he was under arrest. On Nov. 20, Johnson was indicted for willfully conveying a bomb threat. He could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine -- way more than the parking fee.
No good raccoon deed goes unpunished, as a man in Cherokee County, Georgia, learned during Thanksgiving week. CBS News reported that the unnamed man saw the injured animal in the road and stopped to help it, wrapping it in his coat and holding it against his chest as he drove to the Chattahoochee Nature Center more than an hour away. At some point, the raccoon became loose and bit the man on his face and hands. At the center, employees urged him to go to the hospital; meanwhile, the raccoon was euthanized and tested for rabies. Result: Positive. "Please take a minute and assess the situation before attempting to capture wildlife without direction," the center posted.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said more than 9,500 commercial truckers have been taken out of service for failing English-language proficiency checks.
Kia has introduced a gasoline-scented air freshener for electric vehicle owners in Finland, designed to help them transition from traditional combustion engines. This unique product aims to evoke nostalgia for the smell of gasoline, blending scents like motor oil and jasmine to create a familiar experience for new EV drivers.
The lights and sirens of many ambulances in Virginia Beach are going dark and silent. This is to try and curb unnecessary risk, as research cited by city officials found responses by emergency medical services were not significantly helped by using lights and sirens. In a majority of cases, the research suggests, responding without using either has proven to be the safest option. The difference in response time for Virginia Beach EMS was found to be between 2 and 3 minutes, he said. The risk of traffic accidents nearly doubled while lights shined and sirens blared.
Senator Rand Paul's annual Festivus Report on federal government wasteful spending included to $7 billion allocated for electric vehicle charging stations that resulted in just 68 stations built nationwide.
World Record Tyre Throw?"
Repair Mistakes & Blunders
From Rock Auto
As a young boy, I was always curious about the mechanics of everything, especially cars. At ten years old and following guidelines from a Popular Science magazine, I decided to surprise my mother by giving her 1962 Ford Galaxy 500XL a tune-up!
With money I earned mowing lawns and returning roadside collected pop bottles, I bought eight spark plugs and proceeded to do my “tune-up.“ After the new plugs installed, it was time to check the ignition points. They were slightly corroded so I filed them a bit and then gapped them using the paper from a matchbook cover. I finished my work and went to start the car. The starter engaged, the engine cranked, but it would not start! After a few minutes of shear terror and planning my escape, I calmed down, reviewed my work, and found that I forgot to remove the piece of matchbook from between the points! I removed it, and the Galaxy started right up. Lesson learned.
RockAuto is my go-to source for my car parts - I appreciate the value and quick delivery service for my continued shade tree wrenching at 72 years old!
Gary in Florida
Ford Makes Massive EV Pivot, Replaces F-150 Lightning EV with Range-Extender Hybrid
From Hagerty
Like rival Ram, Ford is getting out of the electric truck market. The battery-powered Ford F-150 Lightning has officially been cancelled after a three-year production run. The nameplate will return on a hybrid model with a range-extender combustion engine.
Ford announced the end of the current-generation Lightning as it detailed how the company is embarking on a comprehensive overhaul of its electrification strategy.
“Ford no longer plans to produce select larger electric vehicles where the business case has eroded due to lower-than-expected demand, high costs, and regulatory changes,” the brand explained in a statement. How much is this change in plans costing Ford? $19.5B in accounting charges or “special items,” most of which will be reflected in its Q4 2025 results. That write-down figure includes $5.5B in cash effects, the majority of which will be paid in 2026, with the rest coming in 2027.
While the Lightning nameplate will stick around, it won’t denote a street-focused, high-horsepower truck. The next F-150 Lightning will use an extended-range electric drivetrain that uses a gasoline-burning engine as a generator. Ram is adopting this solution; Scout is, too. Ford estimates that the next Lightning will offer over 700 miles of driving range, compared to about 350 for the current truck equipped with the Extended-Range battery. The model will be capable of hitting 60 mph from a stop in fewer than five seconds, and it will retain the ability to power tools and toys off the grid. The next-gen F-150 Lightning will be built in Detroit. We don’t know when it will debut, though.
Stop us if this sounds familiar: EVs are out, and hybrids are in. Ford will expand its range of hybrid options until, by the end of the decade, it offers some degree of electrification on nearly every model in its portfolio. “By 2030, about 50% of Ford’s global volume will be hybrids, extended-range EVs and electric vehicles, versus 17% today,” says the release. Is a hybrid Mustang around the corner? Stay tuned.
Looking ahead, Ford plans to build “new affordable gas-powered trucks” at BlueOval City, in Tennessee, starting in 2029. The campus, originally the Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center, will be renamed Tennessee Truck Plant. These gas-powered trucks are a direct replacement for the “previously planned next-generation electric truck.”
Also in 2029, Ohio Assembly Plant will build a new commercial van that will be available with both gasoline and hybrid power. The truck will replace a previously planned EV in Ford’s product pipeline, and we’re betting that the van will replace the Transit, which was launched globally in 2014. Additional details haven’t been announced yet, but Ford says that launching the new models will require hiring thousands of new employees across the nation in the next few years.
Ford isn’t leaving the EV segment entirely. It’s still developing a modular architecture called Universal EV Platform that will underpin what it refers to as “smaller, affordable models.” The first car built on the platform will be a “fully connected midsize pickup” that will be built in Louisville starting in 2027.
Ford is also pushing back the timeline for when it expects Ford e, the part of the business dedicated to electric vehicles, to be profitable. As CNBC reported in March of 2023, Model e was targeting a positive EBIT margin of 8% for the unit by the end of 2026. Now, Model e is expected to reach profitability by 2029, “with improvements beginning in 2026.”
Plucking electric models from the product pipeline leaves Ford with excess battery-building capacity. The brand will end up manufacturing fewer battery packs than it expected to. It’s cleverly going to leverage its battery plants to move into the booming and lucrative energy storage business. Factories in Michigan and Kentucky will start to ship batteries that can be used in data centers, among other applications, in 2027.
Ram and Ford are both out of the EV truck game, and it stands to reason that the market, industrial, and regulatory forces that drove them out are affecting General Motors as well. Chevrolet and GMC haven’t announced plans to cancel or hybridize their respective battery-powered pickups (Silverado EV and Sierra EV). Rivian is still in as well; Its entire business plan is built around the prediction that demand for big EVs would be high. That’s seemingly not the case, and it will be interesting to see how the segment evolves in the next few months.
Trump Wants Tiny Cars in America: What to Know
From: The Epoch Times
Emerging in the late 1940s, kei cars were created to provide low-cost personal transportation during Japan’s postwar reconstruction.
Microcars could be driving on a street near you.
The affordability issue has also extended to the car market. At a time when the average price of a brand-new automobile is almost $50,000, the White House is seeking to offer motorists other affordable options.
Japan may have inspired President Donald Trump’s latest decision to allow U.S. manufacturers to produce tiny automobiles—also known as kei cars.
Administration Actions
Trump, speaking at a White House event earlier this month, expressed admiration for tiny cars after seeing them in Japan, comparing these models to the classic Volkswagen Beetle.
“They’re very small, they’re really cute,” Trump told reporters. “And everyone seems to think they’re good, but you’re not allowed to build them.”
He confirmed that he authorized Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to “immediately approve the production” of these smaller vehicles, which are common throughout Malaysia and South Korea.
“So, you’ll be able to buy,” the president said.
In a Dec. 5 Truth Social post, Trump reiterated the charm of these miniature cars.
“Manufacturers have long wanted to do this, just like they are so successfully built in other countries. They can be propelled by gasoline, electric, or hybrid,” the president wrote.
“These cars of the very near future are inexpensive, safe, fuel efficient and, quite simply, amazing!!! Start building them now!”
In a Dec. 4 interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Duffy stated that if there is market support for low-cost microcars, he wants to afford U.S. manufacturers the opportunity to satisfy consumer demand.
While they might not be functional on freeways, the secretary noted that they could work in urban settings.
“If that’s where you drive, it could be a great solution for you,” he said. “And, by the way, much more affordable than other options that are on the market today.”
Terminating CAFE Standards
The president’s comments came as he moved to dismantle his predecessor’s fuel-economy rules, formally scrapping the Biden administration’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards.
The original program required automakers to average 50.4 miles per gallon by 2031, but Trump’s rollback lowers the target to 34.5 miles per gallon over the next six years.
The White House estimates that the change will trim at least $1,000 from sticker prices and deliver about $109 billion in consumer savings over the next five years.
Driving a Kei Car
Emerging in the late 1940s and ‘50s, tiny automobiles—kei cars—were created to provide low-cost personal transportation during Japan’s postwar reconstruction. Their compact size suited the era’s infrastructure, when most roads were narrow, winding, and frequently unpaved.
The federal government does not explicitly ban Japanese-style microcars. However, regulatory exclusions effectively prevented automakers from producing these types of vehicles, forcing them to manufacture larger, heavier cars.
Since the 1970s, the United States has implemented modern federal crash-safety and highway-safety standards under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. This includes airbags, crash-test performance, side-impact protection, and structural strength.
Kei cars—designed with small dimensions and engines—cannot comply with these standards without adding weight and size, ultimately undermining the very concept.
‘Game Changer’ for US Automakers
The president’s public support and policy actions regarding kei cars are a “game changer,” says Lauren Fix, a sector analyst and industry expert at Car Coach Reports.
“This is not an overnight process, but the tooling could be shipped to the U.S. and produced within a year,” Fix told The Epoch Times.
One automaker is already putting the pedal to the metal to see if Americans want smaller cars.
Chrysler parent Stellantis said on Dec. 8 that it will begin offering an all-electric small car called the Fiat Topolino—translated to “little mouse”—in the United States in 2026.
Fiat CEO Olivier François stopped short of providing more information, but he stated in a news release that “more details to come next year.”
“The Fiat Topolino, our small, joyful, colorful car that is now everywhere in Europe, has made several appearances in the U.S. over the past year, including last month at the LA Auto Show, where it’s creating tremendous excitement among consumers,” Francois said in the statement.
“So much so that I’m happy to share that we’ll be bringing the Fiat Topolino to the U.S., with more details to come next year.”
Trump’s enthusiasm for tiny cars, meanwhile, could also lead to savings for families, Fix notes.
Affordability Versus Market Demand
In Japan, brand-new gasoline-powered kei cars range from $8,000 to $14,000—electric alternatives can run as high as $27,800.
Stellantis sells the Topolino in Europe for approximately $11,500.
By comparison, the average transaction price of a new automobile in the United States is almost $50,000, according to Cox Automotive’s Kelley Blue Book report, released on Dec. 9.
But availability and cost may not be enough to entice motorists to hop into a kei car anytime soon.
Two in five Americans say an SUV or crossover is their primary vehicle, according to YouGov survey data—a preference reflected clearly in the country’s best-selling models.
The U.S. auto market remains dominated by SUVs and pickup trucks—sedans account for a smaller share of domestic sales. In the first seven months of 2025, the top-selling cars have been the Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Silverado, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Ram trucks.
If there is market demand, models like Toyota’s Hilux pickup truck or the Fiat Topolino could be hitting American streets in the coming years.
Man charged with destroying more than a dozen Flock cameras in Suffolk
From The Virginian-Pilot
A Suffolk man has been charged with destroying more than a dozen Flock cameras over the course of six months dating back to April.
Jeffery Scott Sovern, 42, is charged with 13 felony counts of destruction of property, six felony counts of possessing burglary tools and six misdemeanor counts of petty larceny. He’s also facing two misdemeanor counts of intentional destruction of property valued at less than $1,000 in Chesapeake.
Each damaged camera cost $1,300, according to Suffolk police. The damaged cameras have been replaced.
Investigators believe Sovern worked alone. It’s unclear where the damaged cameras were located. According to records, he is scheduled to appear in Suffolk General District Court in January.
The Pilot reported last month that there are 70 Flock cameras total in Suffolk. There are more than 600 Flock cameras across Hampton Roads, according to recently unsealed court documents stemming from a lawsuit against the city of Norfolk that argues the cameras violate citizens’ right to privacy.
EU to Relax 2035 Gas Engine Ban, Welcome E-Fuels … and Hybrids, Too?
From Hagerty
Vehicles with internal-combustion engines may be sold in the European Union past 2035 after all.
Under increasing pressure from Germany, the car-making powerhouse of the world’s third-largest automotive market, the European Union (EU) Commission is officially planning to relax its 2035 emissions standards, which in 2023 set an extinction date for gas- and diesel-powered vehicles by requiring that any new vehicle sold in 2035 must not emit any CO2. EU transport commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas told German publication Handelsblatt yesterday that the upcoming “automotive package” of legislation will allow for “all technological developments,” specifically including zero- and low-emission fuels and advanced biofuels.
This is great news for high-end, EU-based automakers like Bugatti, Maserati, Ferrari, and Porsche. (Porsche’s first synthetic fuel factory was up and running three years ago.) But biofuels aren’t an immediate solution to the most pressing problem: Europeans need affordable cars. As our UK-based European correspondent Nik Berg pointed out, “Short of Dacia, you won’t find a brand selling new cars for less than £15,000 today.” In Germany, the Dacia Sandero costs about €12,500 ($14,500).
Adding to the anxiety of European manufacturers, Chinese automakers are doing their best to fill this hole. This spring, BYD (China’s fifth-largest manufacturer by sales) launched its best-selling EV in Europe as the Dolphin Surf, starting at €22,990. While that could be welcome news for European customers, it signals a grave threat to the bottom lines of European automakers and to the EU itself.
A few months ago, the EU hinted that it would relax the 2035 engine ban for this very reason. “Millions of Europeans want to buy affordable European cars, so we should also invest in small, affordable vehicles,” said EU president Ursula von der Leyen. Could this determination lead to the return of small, cheap, and fuel-efficient cars? It is no coincidence that, about a week before von der Leyen’s declaration, Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, slammed the 2035 ban during a speech at the IAA auto show in Munich, as the CEOs of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen sat in the front row and clapped.
“We need more flexibility in regulation,” Merz said. “Unilateral political commitments to specific technologies are fundamentally the wrong economic policy approach.”
Hybrids were a focal point of Merz’s letter to the European Commission president sent on Friday. In that same interview with Handelsblatt, published days after, the EU transport commissioner said the letter was “very well received.” If you’re wondering why Merz has so much leverage, consider that Germany produces 20% of the cars in the EU. The EU’s automotive sector employed 13 million people directly and indirectly as of January 2025 and contributed nearly €1 trillion to the EU’s 2024 GDP of approximately €17.9 trillion.
Make no mistake, climate neutrality is still very important to the European Commission. But Tzitzikostas is admitting the need to make the transition “economically viable and socially fair.” There are many ways to lower CO2 tailpipe emissions, including plug-in hybrids with their short EV-only ranges, parallel hybrids like the Prius, and series-hybrid (or range extender) models that use a gas engine to charge the traction motor. Will he take these into account alongside novel solutions like biofuels?
“We want to stick to our goals, but we must take all recent geopolitical developments into account. We must ensure that we do not jeopardize our competitiveness while simultaneously helping European industry maintain its technological edge,” Tzitzikostas told Handelsblatt. “That is why we are also examining how we can best strengthen the European automotive value chain—for example, through targeted EU preference criteria.”
Why doesn’t he give us the details already? Because the EU Commission is still deciding. The “automotive package” was initially scheduled to be announced on December 10, but Tzitzikostas shared yesterday that it’s delayed until early January.
“We are still working on it. We want to present an automotive package that is truly comprehensive and includes all the necessary aspects.” The issue is crucial “for European industry, citizens, and our competitiveness.”
Take your time, European Commission—the world’s second-largest car market needs you to get this one right.
New Kent expects 100,000 I-64 speeding tickets by year’s end, netting the county millions in revenue
From The Virginian-Pilot
The cameras have already netted $3.5 million for the county, according to Sheriff Lee Bailey. That number is expected to be considerably higher after a backlog of tickets is handled.
New Kent’s interstate speed enforcement cameras are on course to clock 100,000 violators by the end of the year and have already netted $3.5 million for the county, according to Sheriff Lee Bailey.
The sheriff said the cameras appear to be having a deterrent effect, citing evidence that the number of violations is falling.
Speed enforcement via mobile cameras went live in the Interstate 64 work zone in August following a spate of serious accidents caused by speed, along with high-profile pursuits of drivers at over 100 mph. However, the cameras have proved to be controversial with some motorists who claim they were unaware they would receive a citation.
Drivers receive a violation fine of $100 in the mail for speeds of 11 mph or more over the variable limit. Although the usual speed limit on that stretch of I-64 is 70 mph, it is reduced to 60 mph when workers are present in construction zones.
From when enforcement began on Aug. 12, the sheriff’s office processed 95,764 citations through the end of November, Bailey said.
Of those, 51,103 citations had been paid by the end of November, totaling $3.5 million in revenue, Bailey wrote in an email. Given the backlog of tickets, which has placed a strain on the sheriff’s department, the amount of money received in 2025 is likely to be considerably higher.
Daily citations have dropped significantly and the Virginia Department of Transportation has reported a reduction in the average speed, Bailey said.
“It appears the program is doing what it was designed to do, which was to slow motorists down and reduce the crashes on Interstate 64,” he said.
County Administrator Rodney Hathaway told the planning commission on Dec. 15 that the county had not yet used any revenue from the cameras, which are mounted on trucks.
“We are still trying to get a good handle on that revenue before we start spending it,” he said.
Hathaway said the number of violations has fallen from about 40,000 a month to 24,000 in November.
“That means the citations are doing what we want people to do, that is to slow down and obey the speed limit,” Hathaway said.
Lee asked the Board of Supervisors for additional staff to process the citations earlier this year.
However, Hathaway pointed out the cameras will be removed once construction is finished on the I-64 widening. He said the camera revenue could fund additional deputies for three or four years before the county’s fund balance is affected.
He said the money could be used to reduce debt on a new courthouse replacement project in the county’s capital improvement program.
Some drivers, however, have complained about the citations.
Roger Crook of Yardley, Pennsylvania, who has a second home in Williamsburg, said he received a fine in September. He said the permanent speed limit signs say 70 mph and that the 70 mph limit is on Google navigation systems.
The 60 mph limit only appears on electronic signs set up along the interstate.
“If the sheriff wants compliance, he should cover the 70 mph signs and reach out to Google so the driving public are not being fed false data,” Crook wrote in an email.
Supreme Court rejects free speech case over controversial vanity plate
From USA Today via MSN
The Supreme Court won’t get involved in states’ regulation of vanity license plates, rejecting an appeal from a Tennessee woman challenging the rejection of her controversial '69PWNDU’ personalized plate.
The court on Dec. 8 declined to hear an appeal from Leah Gilliam, who argued that states’ rules for what is and isn’t allowed on personalized plates are often unclear and can amount to a “dizzying array of censorship.”
She wanted the court to find that she is expressing her own views through a vanity plate, not the government’s, a decision that would have limited states’ ability to control that message.
The justices reached the opposite conclusion in 2015 in upholding restrictions on the design of specialty license plates that support a cause or organization. States that sell specialty plates can prohibit images such as the Confederate flag, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision.
"States have long used license plates in this country to convey government messages," Justice Stephen Breyer wrote for the majority.
But Gilliam’s attorneys argued judges have disagreed about whether the same is true for the combination of letters and numbers on personalized license plates.
“And intervention is needed promptly, given that a car owner’s First Amendment speech rights change when she moves states,” they told the Supreme Court. “The same personalized plate that appears on cars in Maryland, Oregon, Delaware, Rhode Island, Kentucky, California and Michigan can be prohibited in Tennessee, Indiana and Hawaii.”
Tennessee argued there’s no reason for the Supreme Court to revisit the issue.
“This Court does not need another license-plate case on government speech,” Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti wrote in response to Gilliam’s appeal. “One is plenty.”
Vanity plate revoked for reference to 'sexual domination'
In Gilliam’s case, Tennessee initially approved her request for a personalized license plate that read “69PWNDU.” She said the letters referenced “pwnd u,” an online gamer phrase meaning to beat an opponent. The numbers, she initially said, reflected part of her phone number and were not a sexual reference. Gilliam later said she’s an astronomy buff and “69” refers to the year of the moon landing.
But the state received a complaint 11 years after allowing the plate, and later told her it should be revoked because it referred to sexual domination. Gilliam sued, arguing that Tennessee violated her freedom of speech. She said she’s not contesting states' rights to reject profane, sexualized, or vulgar plates as long as there are parameters on what states are allowed to ban.
Tennessee’s top court said the state’s rules are consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 decision in Walker v. Texas Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans.
“Although personalized alphanumeric combinations differ from specialty plate designs in some respects, a faithful application of Walker’s reasoning compels the conclusion that they are government speech too,” the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled.
Most of Gilliam’s arguments, the court said, are really attacks on how the Supreme Court decided the 2015 case.
“Those arguments would be more properly directed to the United States Supreme Court, which is the only court with authority to overrule or abrogate that precedent,” the court said.
Tennessee AG said plates are not a big national issue
Tennessee’s attorney general argued the issue is far more complicated than Gilliam acknowledges because license plates involve at least some government speech.
“Surely, the part of a license plate (a government ID) that identifies the vehicle – the registration number – qualifies as government speech,” Skremetti wrote in urging the high court not to get involved.
The bottom line, he said, is that states’ regulation of vanity license plates is not a pressing question of national importance that’s worthy of the justices’ time.
Free-speech groups backed appeal
But several free-speech groups, including the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and the First Amendment Lawyers Association, had argued that the case has larger implications.
In a brief backing Gilliam’s appeal, those groups said the protections government speech enjoys are “catnip for government officials, who have a strong incentive to push its boundaries because it frees them from any burden under the First Amendment.”
“If allowed to stand,” the groups said of the Tennessee Supreme Court’s rejection of Gilliam’s suit, “the decision will cause constitutional injuries reaching beyond the bumpers of vehicles registered in Tennessee.”
Best Homer Simpson Quotes
By Roy Sutton
Trying is the first step toward failure.
Operator! Give me the number for 911!
If he’s so smart, how come he’s dead?
I never apologize. I’m sorry, but that’s the way I am.
Marge, you know it’s rude to talk when my mouth is full.
Stupidity got us into this mess, and stupidity will get us out.
If I could say a few words, I would be a better public speaker.
Kids, just because I don’t care doesn’t mean I’m not listening.
I’ll make the money by selling one of my livers. I can get by with one.
The problem in the world today is communication; too much communication.
It’s so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don’t say it.
I thought I had an appetite for destruction, but all I wanted was a club sandwich.
If God didn’t want me to eat chicken in church, then he would have made gluttony a sin.
I’ve learned that life is one crushing defeat after another until you just wish Flanders was dead.
Volunteering is for suckers. Did you know that volunteers don’t even get paid for the stuff they do?
Weaseling out of things is important to learn; it’s what separates us from the animals; except the weasel.
Kids are great. You can teach them to hate what you hate, and, with the Internet and all, they practically raise themselves.
Marge, try to understand. There are two types of college students, jocks and nerds. As a jock, it is my duty to give nerds a hard time.
I want to share something with you: The three little sentences that will get you through life. Number 1: Cover for me. Number 2: Oh, good idea, Boss! Number 3: It was like that when I got here.
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