{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Episode 87 - Bridges and Bentley's","description":" Welcome to the auto podcast that is pondering the question\u2026 Do you still want an EV? On this episode of Throwin\u2019 Wrenches\u2026   EV\u2019s\u2026  Are they still hot?    Eric buys a Bentley.  Rivian has some new ideas All that and more on This episode of Throwin\u2019 Wrenches.  Thanks for listening.  To join in on the fun of the show, just email us at info@throwinwrenches.com or post a review on itunes to be heard around the world! Sponsors Fort\u2019s Toyota of Pekin PATREON - Thanks to our Patreon supporters.  Welcome new members!  Itunes Premium -  people love it!  Full integration into the Apple Podcasts Ap. Thanks for listening.    Thanks for sharing. Thanks for commenting. THANKS FOR REVIEWING!!!!   33 Five Star Reviews cant be wrong? Projects Eric: Trailer antics for the eclipse Celica title in hand Celica for the weekend. Daryl: In the home stretch for the basement remodel. Most of it anyway. Fixed brake lights on my \u201855 Plymouth, and got the Fury fired up again. Goal is to drive that more this summer and get the \u201855 Caddy going once I wrap this basement stuff. I\u2019m on a roll, baby!  NEWS WORLD: BMW Sees Top-End EVs Driving Profit Even as Demand Cools BMW AG said its top-end electric vehicles like the 7-Series sedans, X7 and Rolls Royce Spectre will drive profit this year, even as faltering global demand weighs on broader EV sales. The German luxury-car maker expects its priciest models to be key contributors to a 8% to 10% margin for its automotive segment, in line with its long-term target. BMW sees overall sales increasing slightly. Source: Bloomberg  Nissan Returns to Sales Playbook to Move Old Rogue Supply Nissan has a Rogue problem \u2014 and it's turning to an old playbook to fix it. Even as 2024 Rogues are dropped off at Nissan stores this month, Edmunds data shows that the brand's dealerships have as many as 24,000 previous model-year crossovers on their lots. Nissan has a "big time" issue with its bestseller, said a retailer, one of a half-dozen interviewed by Automotive News. According to a memo obtained by Automotive News last week, Nissan is offering dealers $1,000 on each 2023 Rogue sold if they hit their March sales targets for the compact crossover, which vary by store. Dealers may count 2024 Rogue sales toward the goal, but the bonus is paid out only on last year's models. If dealers miss the target by even one vehicle, they don't get the bonus for any of them. Source: Automotive News  China EV push leaves zom\u00adbie factor\u00adies in its wake Plants geared to pet\u00adrol engines are moth\u00adballed as for\u00adeign car\u00admakers lose mar\u00adket shareSource: Financial Times In 2017, Hyundai inves\u00adted $1.15bn in a new fact\u00adory in Chongqing, south-west\u00adern China, with the goal of reach\u00ading an annual out\u00adput of 300,000 internal com\u00adbus\u00adtion engine cars. But six years later, the rapid switch by Chinese con\u00adsumers to elec\u00adtric vehicles has stalled sales, for\u00adcing the car\u00admaker to sell the fact\u00adory in Decem\u00adber for less than a quarter of the invest\u00adment value. \u201cThe Chongqing plant con\u00adtin\u00adued to be in the red and China\u2019s auto mar\u00adket is grap\u00adpling with over\u00adsup\u00adply,\u201d said Lee Hang-koo at the Jeon\u00adbuk Insti\u00adtute of Auto\u00admot\u00adive Con\u00adver\u00adgence Tech\u00adno\u00adlogy, a South Korean research group. \u201cNo one was will\u00ading to buy the plant at a high price.\u201d That plant is one of the hun\u00addreds of zom\u00adbie factor\u00adies that ana\u00adlysts are pre\u00addict\u00ading over the next dec\u00adade in the Chinese car mar\u00adket, the world\u2019s biggest across sales, pro\u00adduc\u00adtion and, since last year, exports. In 2023, China pro\u00adduced 17.7mn internal com\u00adbus\u00adtion engine cars, a 37 per cent fall from its peak in 2017, accord\u00ading to data from Auto\u00admobil\u00adity, a Shang\u00adhai con\u00adsultancy. While some older factor\u00adies will be repur\u00adposed for plug-in hybrids or pure bat\u00adtery elec\u00adtric vehicles, oth\u00aders will never pro\u00adduce another car, pos\u00ading a prob\u00adlem for both for\u00adeign and Chinese com\u00adpan\u00adies. Many car\u00admakers in China, Russo said, ulti\u00admately faced two choices: \u201cLeave the fact\u00adory moth\u00adballed or crank out some volume and send it to Rus\u00adsia, send it to Mex\u00adico.\u201d That\u2019s right, China is now doing the same stuff other countries used to do to China. NATIONAL GM, Ford Will Reroute Baltimore Shipments After Bridge Collapse U.S. automakers General Motors and Ford will reroute affected shipments after a bridge collapse in the U.S. shuttered the Port of Baltimore, but the companies said on Tuesday the impact will be minimal. The Port of Baltimore is the busiest U.S. port for car shipments, handling at least 750,000 vehicles in 2023, according to data from the Maryland Port Administration. Motor vehicles and parts accounted for 42% of all Baltimore port imports. Source: Reuters CAR FROM JAPAN The Biden administration moved Wednesday to throttle pollution from the nation\u2019s cars and light trucks, imposing tailpipe emission limits so stringent they will compel automakers to rapidly boost sales of battery-electric and plug-in hybrid models. Though the near-term requirements were eased after pushback from automakers, the Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s mandates would nevertheless require manufacturers to make a rapid shift toward zero-emission vehicles. The National Automobile Dealers Association said the regulation outpaces consumer demand, adding the group is \u201chighly skeptical that consumers will adopt EVs anywhere near the levels required.\u201d Source: Bloomberg Electric vehicle owners are noticing vehicle tires wearing faster than those on gasoline-powered vehicles, according to the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study. Findings from the study highlight EV owners having less satisfaction with the durability of their tires, expecting them to wear similar to gasoline-powered vehicle tires. However, EV tires naturally wear quicker because of greater vehicle weight and higher torque. Source: Automotive News Dealers See the Good and Bad Out of Unchanged Interest Rates The average interest rate on auto loans for new vehicles was 7.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023, up from 6.1 percent a year earlier, according to Experian. The average used-vehicle auto loan charged 11.9 percent, up from 10.4 percent a year earlier. Cox Automotive Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke told Automotive News anticipation of future rate cuts hurts today's auto market. Source: Automotive News  Stellantis uses \u2018mandatory remote work day\u2019 to cut 400 white-collar jobs Source: Yahoo! Finance White-collar workers at Chrysler-parent Stellantis have reason to be nervous if they ever receive a company notice telling them it\u2019s mandatory that they work remotely on a particular day. That\u2019s what happened to 400 or so of their colleagues on Thursday. They were informed via a notice that the next day the carmaker would be \u201cholding important operational meetings that require specific attention and participation." "To ensure everyone can effectively participate," the notice continued, "we have decided to implement a mandatory remote work day." Employees, it indicated, were \u201cexpected to work from home unless otherwise instructed by your manager.\u201d The Car Dealership Guy X account shared the notice on Thursday. The workers in question were salaried, nonunion employees in technology and engineering in the U.S. During the remote meeting on Friday, they were informed that they were being laid off. The automaker\u2014which counts Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, and Dodge among its brands\u2014said in a statement: \u201cAs the auto industry continues to face unprecedented uncertainties and heightened competitive pressures around the world, Stellantis continues to make the appropriate structural decisions across the enterprise to improve efficiency and optimize our cost structure.\u201d At least they\u2019re efficient.  Moment of Musk The price of dogecoin has doubled in the last month amid rumours that it could soon be integrated into Elon Musk\u2019s X platform. The tech billionaire, who is a vocal advocate of the meme-inspired cryptocurrency, has previously spoken of his plan to build an \u201ceverything app\u201d that incorporates messaging, marketplaces and online payments. On Monday, he shared an animation from X user DogeDesigner showing his former payments platform X merg ing with the social media app he took over in 2022. \u201cThe circle will be complete,\u201d he commented. Cars of the Weak   Eric:  This 2010 Bentley Continental Flying Spur is powered by a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W12 that drives all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transaxle, and it is finished in Cypress Gray Metallic over beige leather. Equipment includes a Torsen center differential, 20\u2033 twin-spoke wheels, a glass sunroof, bi-xenon headlights, soft-close doors, parking sensors, heated and ventilated front and rear seats, a rearview camera, a 12-speaker sound system, cruise control, four-zone automatic climate control, and infotainment with navigation. The seller purchased the car in December 2012 and has since added approximately 30k of the 39k indicated miles. This Flying Spur is now offered in California with the owner\u2019s manual, a damage-free Carfax report, and a clean Hawaii title in the seller\u2019s name. I love this car for a couple of reasons\u2026 Hawaii car.  When does that ever happen? W12 engine.  6 liter.  Yes, please   39,000 miles MSRP was 177,000 bucks.   It qualifies for the additional 5% luxury tax  (20,000 extra in tax!) Sold for 34,000!!!   14 years old\u2026  Thats 163K in depreciation\u2026  Only $11,642 a year! Or\u2026 Even better\u2026  $4+ per mile.   (17 miles to COSTCO from my house\u2026  Roundtrip\u2026  136 bucks in depreciation\u2026 plus gas) https:\/\/bringatrailer.com\/listing\/2010-bentley-continental-flying-spur-7\/   Daryl: 1947 Packard Custom Super Clipper Seven-Passenger Sedan - $42,500 Source: Facebook    Marketplace This is a pretty rare and very beautiful 1947 Packard Custom Super Clipper Seven Passenger.  You don't see these to often because they only made 1,790 of them!  This Packard was restored several years ago, but it still looks incredible!  The black acrylic enamel paint still shines beautifully.  The interior was completely restored as well using period correct fabrics and materials.  The 356 cu in. straight eight cylinder engine runs like a Swiss watch.  It was professionally rebuilt with only 500 miles on it currently.  The complete brake system was also completely rebuilt 500 miles ago.  The transmission is a three speed manual with electromatic overdrive, which was a pretty rare option.  The chrome and glass are in excellent condition with the front and rear bumpers also having the custom center bars.  It has the rare, four heater option and the front and rear radios as well!  It was retrofitted with a modern alternator (original generator included) and an electric fuel pump. Asking $42,500. ","author_name":"Throwin' Wrenches Automotive Podcast","author_url":"http:\/\/www.throwinwrenches.com","html":"