NYT Claims Automakers Want Trump To Keep EV Mandates. One of Them Tells the Free Beacon That's Bogus.

The three largest American automakers, Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, are, according to a recent New York Times report, planning a coordinated lobbying push to convince President-elect Donald Trump to maintain a suite of climate rules forcing electric vehicle purchases. The Thursday report—titled "Automakers to Trump: Please Require Us to Sell Electric Vehicles"—cites unnamed "lobbyists and […]

The post NYT Claims Automakers Want Trump To Keep EV Mandates. One of Them Tells the Free Beacon That's Bogus. appeared first on .

Is the auto industry headed for a crash?



Plant closures in Europe. Layoffs in America. Plunging sales everywhere.

The auto industry is in trouble — and we could all end up suffering the consequences.

EV woes have hit Ford as well. Later this month, the carmaker will suspend operations at its F-150 Lightning EV plant for the rest of year.

Let's start with Volkswagen. The company stands proud as the biggest carmaker in Europe, and it has never closed a factory in its home country of Germany.

Until now.

Punch buggy blues

At the end of October, the company asked workers to take a 10% pay cut as part of an ongoing campaign to cut costs across the VW Group. Industry insiders fear that domestic plant closures — the first in the company's 87-year history — could be next, with up to three German factories shutting down, costing more than 100,000 jobs.

“Management is absolutely serious about all this. This is not saber-rattling in the collective bargaining round,” warned Volkswagen works council head Daniela Cavallo in a speech to employees.

These cuts would reduce the number of domestic plants to seven and cut the workforce by a third.

The plants that do stay open would also endure cost-cutting measures, according to a separate report, with downsizing and wage freezes on the table.

VW aims to save about €10 billion (roughly $10.8 billion USD) by 2026.

Thomas Schaefer, the head of the Volkswagen brand, has previously noted that German factories are operating at between 25% and 50% above targeted costs. This is largely due to Europe’s high energy costs, which German carmakers say are four times higher than in China and the United States.

Compounding this problem are increased competition from Chinese brands and a lack of demand for electric cars.

Volkswagen hasn’t commented on the report, and it hasn’t announced plant closures or layoffs yet.

Previously, Volkswagen had considered buying Audi's struggling EV plant in Brussels. Those plans changed, and with no other suitable buyers on the horizon, the plant may close its doors for good.

The outlook isn't much sunnier stateside, either.

GM feels the heat

General Motors is laying off some 1,000 software workers globally, 600 of whom are employed at its tech center in Warren, Michigan.

In a memo to workers obtained by Automotive News, GM said the cuts were to enable it to “move faster, pivot when needed, and prioritize investing in what will have the greatest impact.”

This is certainly a pivot from the last several years, in which GM has been expanding its software team to help with its electrification and autonomous efforts. The company had predicted that those services could generate $25 billion in revenue by 2030.

While General Motors has claimed that these cuts target "software and service" employees, that's not exactly true. The layoffs come from GM's Ultium division, which is the sub-EV company GM created to differentiate it from its gasoline engine department.

I can confirm that Ultium has let go a number of thermal engineers without warning. Thermal engineers, as you might guess, are crucial to thermal management: keeping EV batteries, power electronic systems, and motors from overheating.

Is this a sign that GM is no longer all-in on electric and is drastically reducing R&D on future EVs?

Sure looks like it.

Ford's loser Lightning

EV woes have hit Ford as well. Later this month, the carmaker will suspend operations at its F-150 Lightning EV plant for the rest of year.

The highly touted electric pickup loses the company $40,000 on each vehicle sold. Hardly sustainable, especially given that Ford's Q3 net income is down 26%, and cost issues have caused it to drop its full-year adjusted earnings projection to around $10 billion.

Mercedes: Bust in class

The luxury car market isn't what it used to be, either.

Mercedes Benz has cut production on its S-Class line in response to declining sales: down 13% in China, 19% in the U.S., and 27% in Europe. The high-end vehicles have been rolling off the company's cutting-edge Factory 56 assembly line in Germany since 2020 — always in at least two shifts.

Now, for the first time since Mercedes opened what it touts as the most modern car factory in the world, one shift will suffice.

The plant also builds the electric EQS as well as Maybach and AMG models. Mercedes will refresh the S-Class next year, so demand could pick back up with a new model.

Ram tough

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares has been heaping scorn on his previous U.S. management team and no wonder: Third-quarter sales in North America were a disaster, falling 20%, and down 17% for the year.

That's bad news for iconic American brands Jeep, RAM, Dodge, and Chrysler — and it has investors heading for the exits.

But times are tough all over for the car conglomerate. Sales in Europe fell 17%, with even Maserati relegated to the slow lane with a stunning 60% drop.

Business isn't much better in China, India, and Asia Pacific, where sales fell 30%.

Border run

And in a move that is sure to infuriate the UAW, Tavares plans to move production of Ram's full-size 1500 pickup truck from the U.S. to its Saltillo, Mexico, plant, which already produces Ram heavy-duty pickups and vans.

While Mexico offers lower labor costs, no doubt the move is also to prevent the UAW from choking off production during any future strike. We think that’s the same reason Ford moved part of its heavy-duty truck production to Canada. It’s a game of chess, and both Ford and Stellantis are working to escape checkmate.

For more on the ongoing car industry crisis, check out my video below:

10 ways to lower your car insurance rates



Car insurance rates are going up — and your driving record has nothing to do with it.

Why? It's not you — it's your car.

We all know automakers have been collecting data from their cars for a long time. At first, the idea was to use it strictly to identify problems. Let's say they notice a consistent pattern of idling problems across a certain model — now they can issue a technical service bulletin or a recall and get it fixed.

Fairly benign, right?

Except that somewhere along the line they figured out they could make money from your data. And these days the losses they're taking on every electric vehicle they make means money is tighter than ever.

It's a lot more effective than other cash grabs they've tried, such as charging subscription fees for amenities like heated seats and navigation (customers got peeved) and getting rid of AM radio (turns out drivers want their AM radio).

The best part is, the customer doesn't even have to know about it.

Who wants this data? The federal government, the police, and especially insurance companies.

Here's an example. Let's say you work in a neighborhood with high crime rates. They see you're there every day, Monday through Friday, nine to five. From that they conclude that your vehicle is in greater danger of being damaged or stolen.

Higher rates for you!

"But I park in a parking garage!"

They don't know that. This is all done by computer or AI.

The computer also makes decisions based on your driving style. Maybe there was a squirrel on the road or there's a pothole you avoid every day. So you make a perfectly safe defensive maneuver.

As far as the computer's concerned, you may as well have been eating a slice of pizza while taking a selfie. Only the inputs matter: The computer records this swerve without knowing why you did it. It adds up, and soon you're not quite the safe driver you thought you were.

The computer knows how fast you drive, where you go, and more. You create that data, but it's not yours. It belongs to the car companies. And I've actually asked car manufacturers, "What are you doing with that data?"

And they always say, "It's secure. We don't just post it somewhere."

"No, but you're selling it to make up for your losses on the EVs nobody wants!"

That's the bad news. Here's what you can do about it.

1. Shop around for insurance every six months

Nobody's idea of a good time, but it can save you money. You can compare rates online with sites like Get Jerry or Progressive's AutoQuote Explorer.

2. Bundle insurance

If you've got renter's insurance, homeowner's insurance, or other vehicles, bring them all together under the same insurer — that can make a huge difference.

3. Pay your premium in advance

Opting to pay your entire premium up front instead of spreading it out over six months can often save you a few bucks.

4. Increase your deductible

Got a $500 deductible? Raise it to $1000.

There's obviously a downside to this: If you do have an accident, you'll be on the hook for $1000, not $500, out of pocket. But if you're willing to assume the risk, it's a good way to keep more money.

5. Go paperless

Many companies will offer you a 5-10% discount if you switch from paper to electronic billing.

6. Get good grades

Got a student driver on your insurance? Some companies will let you save 10-25% if he or she is at least a B student. You just have to let them know. It could be well worth it, especially if you have multiple kids driving.

7. Take a defensive-driving course

We know that having a clean driving record keeps rates low. You can also be proactive about your skill behind the wheel by taking a defensive-driving course.

AAA offers one, as does the National Safety Council and many private companies.

Usually it's just a couple of hours, which are well spent if you can save on your insurance rate.

8. Improve your credit score

Having a higher credit rating can mean lower rates. Sites like Credit Karma and NerdWallet have tips on how you can do this.

9. Sign up for telematics, or usage-based insurance

Telematics insurance means you pay according to how many miles you drive.

I don't recommend this. While you could save money if you drive less, this will also capture other data, which could raise your rates.

Or you could try what a friend of mine did. He would drive his car down the street, park it, and then drive his wife's car, so it looked like he was barely driving his car at all. Did it work? I don't know — but it seems like a lot of effort to game the system.

10. Talk to your elected officials

As I've told you in a previous article, there's a push to install AI cameras on roads to issue citations. Are you speeding? Are you wearing a seatbelt? Do you have a phone in your hand or on your lap? A computer, not a police officer will decide — so no chance to explain yourself.

It's already passed as part of the $15.6 billion infrastructure bill — money going to towns, counties, and local municipalities around the country. So now is the time to talk to your elected officials on a local level and say, "I don't want this, and I don't want to give up my privacy." The more people speak up, the better.

Chinese Billionaire Who Works To Spread CCP Influence Worldwide Is Benefiting From $208M Biden-Harris Grant

Chinese billionaire and auto industry magnate Li Shufu is a senior Chinese Communist Party member who has explicitly devoted his career to spreading Chinese influence worldwide. According to data reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon, he is also set to personally benefit from President Joe Biden's latest taxpayer-funded initiative to boost electric vehicle manufacturing.

The post Chinese Billionaire Who Works To Spread CCP Influence Worldwide Is Benefiting From $208M Biden-Harris Grant appeared first on .

Biden’s Tariffs Are Bad. Biden’s Tariffs Coupled With EV Mandates Are Even Worse

Biden's tariffs play on the good intentions of voters, but all they do is raise costs for consumers and businesses and undermine innovation.

Levin unpacks Trump's rally rhetoric twisted by the mainstream media: 'This is totalitarianism'



Former President Donald Trump is no stranger to the media taking him out of context, and its reaction to recent remarks he made about the automotive industry is no exception.

After a recent speech at a rally, multiple outlets ran out-of-context headlines on a prediction the former president made about there being a “bloodbath” in the auto industry job market if Biden wins and can continue his disastrous policies.

Trump was simply explaining to his audience that China was building manufacturing plants in Mexico to sell cars in the United States “with no tax at the border.”

“Those big, monster car-manufacturing plants that you’re building in Mexico right now and you think you’re going to get that,” Trump said, addressing China’s president, “you’re going to not hire Americans, and you’re going to sell the cars to us?”

“No. We’re going to put a 100% tariff on every single car that comes across the line, and you’re not going be able to sell those cars if I get elected. Now, if I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the country. That will be the least of it,” he said.

“He’s talking about our auto industry because communist China is trying to get around the tariffs he put in place,” Mark Levin explains, adding, “Donald Trump says, ‘No, that’s not going to happen. I’ll put 100% tariff on them,’ and in that context, he talks about a bloodbath.”

The media spun his words to sound like he was calling for violence if he loses the 2024 presidential election.

“This is totalitarianism,” Levin says. “This is how you lose countries, this is how you lose societies. When the truth is irrelevant, when the law is irrelevant. When you can say whatever you want to say and it sticks.”

“You see the lies, you see the propaganda, and it’s one after another after another,” Levin adds.


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UAW backs Biden's 'strongest-ever' vehicle emission standards, claims it won't cut autoworker jobs



The United Auto Workers union recently voiced its support for the Biden administration's finalized vehicle emission standards, according to a Wednesday statement from the union.

The administration's Environmental Protection Agency unveiled the "strongest-ever" pollution regulations, effectively forcing most new car sales to be electric vehicles by 2032, Blaze News previously reported.

The regulations impact light-duty vehicles starting with the model year 2027, ensuring that more than 56% of new cars sold are zero-emissions by 2032. The restrictions targeting gas-powered vehicles aim to push the American market to opt for hybrid- and electric-powered alternatives.

The finalized standards scaled back on the agency's previous proposal by rolling out a slower implementation to allow automakers additional time to reach the administration's goals. The decision to pull back the standards was made after several manufacturers called the EPA's initial proposal impractical.

However, EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan assured reporters this week that the slower rollout would not impact the end target.

"Let me be clear: Our final rule delivers the same, if not more, pollution reduction than we set out in our proposal," he stated.

On Wednesday, the UAW declared its support for the new EPA restrictions on light-duty vehicles, noting that the agency considered its concerns when finalizing the standards. It called the new regulations "more feasible" than the agency's initial proposal.

The union reaffirmed its support for "protecting the environment" by "creat[ing] a cleaner domestic auto industry," claiming that the "climate crisis has taken a heavy toll on working people."

"We reject the fearmongering that says tackling the climate crisis must come at the cost of union jobs. Ambitious and achievable regulations can support both. We call on the Biden Administration to hold automakers accountable so that this rule is not used as an excuse to cut or offshore jobs," the UAW said.

Late last year, Stellantis announced upcoming layoffs, partly due to "the need to manage sales of the vehicles they produce to comply with California emissions regulations that are measured on a state-by-state basis."

The union called on the federal government to implement "tariff protections" to ensure the EV industry would not become dominated by import automakers.

In January, the UAW endorsed President Biden in the upcoming presidential election, stating that he is "someone who stands up with us and supports our cause."

Jim Farley, the CEO of Ford Motor Company, posted a statement on X in response to the EPA's announcement.

"The @EPA final rule is ambitious and challenging, and meeting these goals will require close public-private cooperation. @Ford is absolutely committed to lowering CO2 emissions while offering customers real choice across hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles," Farley stated.

Even the UAW claims that the EV market is "growing." However, car rental company Hertz, which committed significant investments to expanding its EV fleet, announced in January that it would sell off 25% of its inventory due to "expenses related to collision and damage." On Monday, the company announced that its CEO, Stephen Scherr, who supported the switch to EVs, would be stepping down at the end of the month. The company stated that it would use the profits from the sale of the EVs to purchase gas-powered vehicles to restock its fleet.

Meanwhile, thousands of automobile dealerships nationwide have reported that the demand for EVs has significantly slowed. In November, a coalition of nearly 4,000 dealerships urged the Biden administration to roll back its new "unrealistic" emissions standards, claiming that EVs are "stacking up on our lots" despite "deep price cuts, manufacturer incentives, and generous government incentives." The auto dealers called the EPA's proposed regulations "unrealistic based on current and forecasted customer demand."

The EPA contends that the move to zero-emission vehicles will "avoid more than 7 billion tons of carbon emissions and provide nearly $100 billion of annual net benefits to society, including $13 billion of annual public health benefits due to improved air quality, and $62 billion in reduced annual fuel costs, and maintenance and repair costs for drivers."

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'Bulls**t!' Joe Scarborough pushes Trump 'bloodbath' false narrative, takes muzzle off his potty mouth in the process



Joe Scarborough got the profanity percolating early on his MSNBC "Morning Joe" show Monday, blurting out, "Bulls**t!" while pushing the false narrative regarding former President Donald Trump's "bloodbath" utterance over the weekend.

What's the background?

As readers of Blaze News know by now, Trump in a speech Saturday in Ohio warned of an auto industry "bloodbath" if he's not elected in November — but leftists in the media and in politics took a snippet of his speech and used it to push a false narrative that he's calling for political violence if he's not elected.

Trump said if he's elected, a "100% tariff" would be applied to Chinese cars manufactured in Mexico that come across the border, warning Chinese leader Xi Jinping, "You’re not going to be able to sell those cars."

Trump added, "Now, if I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the whole — that’s gonna be the least of it. It’s going to be a bloodbath for the country. That’ll be the least of it. But they're not going to sell those cars."

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Say it ain't so, Joe

Here's how Scarborough interpreted Trump's words. Watch spouse/cohost Mika Brzezinski manage a noticeably pained expression as he lets his profanity fly. Content warning: Language:

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"Obviously he's talking about a bloodbath for America. It's laid out in the terms of it. And these idiots on Twitter, these idiots on cable news, these idiots on Sunday shows," Scarborough said before shifting to a mocking, cartoonish voice for his perceived detractors, "Presidents, you know, he was talking only about the auto industry, and this is one more ..."

With little left in the tank to bolster his point, Scarborough attempted to punctuate it by unleashing his potty mouth — not once, but twice: "It's just bulls**t! Let me say that at 6:15 a.m. It's just bulls**t! He knows what he was doing. We're not stupid. Americans aren't stupid. He was talking about a bloodbath. Sometimes a bloodbath means a bloodbath. And when he finishes by saying that's just going to be the least of it, seriously, these people may be stupid; we're not."

Others weren't buying what Scarborough was selling:

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Biden Finally Built an Electric Vehicle Charging Station. People Aren't Using It.

The Biden administration touted the opening of its first taxpayer-funded electric vehicle charging station as proof that "Bidenomics is delivering for Americans." Just days after the opening, the station sat empty.

The post Biden Finally Built an Electric Vehicle Charging Station. People Aren't Using It. appeared first on Washington Free Beacon.

'Union Joe' Biden Teamed Up With GM Chief To Push a Transition to Electric Vehicles. It Could Come Back to Haunt Them.

President Joe Biden praised General Motors chief executive Mary Barra at a 2022 event, saying "we owe you big" for pushing the auto industry towards all-electric production over the next decade. The president’s kind words for Barra, and their decision to team up to back a transition to electric vehicles, could come back to haunt both parties amid a historic United Auto Workers strike.

The post 'Union Joe' Biden Teamed Up With GM Chief To Push a Transition to Electric Vehicles. It Could Come Back to Haunt Them. appeared first on Washington Free Beacon.