2014 Fiat 500c Abarth on 2040-cars

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Carmakers ask Trump to revisit fuel efficiency rules

Car companies operating in the US are required to meet stringent fuel efficiency standards (a fleet average of 54.5MPG) through 2025, but they're hoping to loosen things now that President Trump is in town. Leaders from Fiat Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota and VW have sent a letter to Trump asking him to rethink the Obama administration's choice to lock in efficiency guidelines for the next several years. The car makers want to revisit the midterm review for the 2025 commitment in hopes of loosening the demands. They claim that the tougher requirements raise costs, don't match public buying habits and will supposedly put "as many a million" jobs up in the air. The Trump administration hasn't specifically responded to the letter, although Environmental Protection Agency nominee Scott Pruitt had said he would return to the Obama-era decision. The automakers' argument doesn't entirely hold up. While the EPA did estimate that the US would fall short of efficiency goals due to a shift toward SUVs and trucks, the job claims are questionable. Why would making more fuel efficient vehicles necessarily cost jobs instead of pushing companies to do better? As it is, even a successful attempt to loosen guidelines may only have a limited effect. All of the brands mentioned here are pushing for greater mainstream adoption of electric vehicles within the next few years -- they may meet the Obama administration's expectations just by shifting more drivers away from gas power. This article by Jon Fingas originally appeared on Engadget, your guide to this connected life. Related Video: News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images Government/Legal Green Chrysler Fiat GM Honda Hyundai Nissan Toyota Volkswagen Fuel Efficiency CAFE standards Trump

FCA-Renault revival may hinge on willingness to cut Nissan stake

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Renault are looking for ways to resuscitate their collapsed merger plan and secure the approval of the French carmaker's alliance partner Nissan, according to several sources close to the companies. Nissan is poised to urge Renault to significantly reduce its 43.4% stake in the Japanese company in return for supporting a FCA-Renault tie-up, two people with knowledge of its thinking also told Reuters. It is still far from clear whether any concerted effort to revive the complex and politically fraught deal can succeed. FCA Chairman John Elkann abruptly withdrew his $35 billion merger offer in the early hours of June 6 after the French government, Renault's biggest shareholder, blocked a vote by its board and demanded more time to win Nissan's backing. Nissan representatives had said they would abstain. The failure, which FCA and Renault blamed squarely on the French government, deprived both companies of an opportunity to create the world's third-biggest carmaker with 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion) in promised annual synergies. It also shone a harsh light on Renault's relations with Nissan, which have gone from frayed to fried since the November arrest of former alliance Chairman Carlos Ghosn, now awaiting trial in Japan on financial misconduct charges he denies. REVIVAL TALKS Italian-American FCA — whose brand stable encompasses Fiat runabouts, Jeep SUVs, RAM pickups, Alfa Romeo luxury cars and Maserati sports cars — has so far turned a deaf ear to suggestions by French officials that its merger proposal could be revisited. But since the breakdown, Elkann and his French counterpart Jean-Dominique Senard have had talks about reviving the plan that left the Renault chairman and his Chief Executive Thierry Bollore upbeat about that prospect, three alliance sources said. Renault and a spokesman for FCA declined to comment. One of Elkann's senior advisors on the Renault merger bid, Toby Myerson, was expected at Nissan headquarters in Yokohama on Monday for exploratory discussions with top management, two people with knowledge of the matter said. Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa is likely to attend. Myerson did not respond to a message from Reuters seeking comment. The meeting comes amid mounting strains that may preclude compromise, after Senard warned Saikawa that Renault was prepared to block key Nissan governance reforms in a dispute over board committees.

In the Fiat 500X, the little things leave big impressions

When it comes to evaluating cars, we at Autoblog strive to tell you about the important things like how well they handle, how fast they are, and how comfortably they ride. These are all key pieces in the good car puzzle. The thing is, some cars also have small, but endearing details that are glossed over because they won't make or break our opinions of the vehicles. But they're features that make us smile anyway, and our long-term 2016 Fiat 500X happens to have a couple of them. The other week I had the Italian crossover for a day, and when I took off for lunch, I found the first surprise between the front seats. Unlike some other automatic transmissions with manual shift gates, this one actually uses the proper, racing-style sequential layout: pull back to shift up, and push forward to shift down. Some car companies flip that pattern, which I can only assume makes more sense to people that don't think about shifting. The 500X's other little surprise came that night as I drove home, but to properly explain why I loved it, I have to first talk about a different car. I own a 1999 Mazda MX-5 Miata, and one of my favorite things about it is that I can cruise around with one hand on the steering wheel and my elbow resting on the window sill. It's the most chill driving position imaginable. Unfortunately, as beltlines have crept higher and higher, and doors have migrated farther from the edges of the seats, the opportunity to drive this way has effectively vanished. To my delight as I drove home in the 500X, I discovered the little crossover bucked the trend. I'm not sure how, but it has window sills that are prime elbow perches. Neither of these features change my overall opinion of the vehicle, but they're worth noting because Fiat didn't have to include either of them. It's just a mass-market crossover, so a racing-style shifter and a comfy window sill would probably go unnoticed by most buyers. Yet, despite those facts, some designers decided the car would be better with these details. For that reason, I'm happy to draw attention to these designers' extra effort, and I will appreciate it every time I'm behind the wheel of our 500X. Related Video: