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Toledo mayor, Jeep champion Michael Collins dies from heart attack

The city of Toledo is mourning the loss of its mayor and the campaign to keep production of the Jeep Wrangler in the Ohio city has lost a champion after Michael Collins suffered a heart attack behind the wheel recently. Born, raised and educated in Toledo, Collins was a Marine Corps veteran and a city councilor. He was elected mayor in 2013 and assumed office on January 2, 2014, a little over a year ago. He was driving an SUV provided by the city in a snow storm on February 1 of this year when he suffered a heart attack and crashed into a utility pole. He remained in critical condition for days until he was taken off artificial life-support. During his relatively short term in office, Collins became an outspoken and energetic advocate of keeping the Jeep plant in Toledo, where it has been assembled for decades. The next-generation Wrangler is set to switch to aluminum construction, which could lead to moving its production to another location, but Collins (alongside Governor John Kasich and others) had worked hard to convince FCA US to keep it in town. Whether his efforts will prove successful remains to be seen, but our hearts go out to his friends, family and constituents. Michael is survived by his wife Sandy, three daughters and eight grandchildren. He was 70 years old.

NHTSA, IIHS, and 20 automakers to make auto braking standard by 2022

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and virtually every automaker in the US domestic market have announced a pact to make automatic emergency braking standard by 2022. Here's the full rundown of companies involved: BMW, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo (not to mention the brands that fall under each automaker's respective umbrella). Like we reported yesterday, AEB will be as ubiquitous in the future as traction and stability control are today. But the thing to note here is that this is not a governmental mandate. It's truly an agreement between automakers and the government, a fact that NHTSA claims will lead to widespread adoption three years sooner than a formal rule. That fact in itself should prevent up to 28,000 crashes and 12,000 injuries. The agreement will come into effect in two waves. For the majority of vehicles on the road – those with gross vehicle weights below 8,500 pounds – AEB will need to be standard equipment by September 1, 2022. Vehicles between 8,501 and 10,000 pounds will have an extra three years to offer AEB. "It's an exciting time for vehicle safety. By proactively making emergency braking systems standard equipment on their vehicles, these 20 automakers will help prevent thousands of crashes and save lives," said Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx said in an official statement. "It's a win for safety and a win for consumers." Read on for the official press release from NHTSA. Related Video: U.S. DOT and IIHS announce historic commitment of 20 automakers to make automatic emergency braking standard on new vehicles McLEAN, Va. – The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced today a historic commitment by 20 automakers representing more than 99 percent of the U.S. auto market to make automatic emergency braking a standard feature on virtually all new cars no later than NHTSA's 2022 reporting year, which begins Sept 1, 2022. Automakers making the commitment are Audi, BMW, FCA US LLC, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Tesla Motors Inc., Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo Car USA.

2018 Jeep Wrangler might get power sliding roof panels

A user at JL Wrangler Forums snapped a few photos of a prototype 2018 Wrangler driving around, and one of the shots revealed some interesting switchgear. On the ceiling are a couple of handles that further confirm it will still have a multi-piece removable roof, something already expected when images of the truck leaked out. Just ahead of those handles is a binnacle of switches with no clear explanation for their existence. The folks at JL Wrangler Forums believe they have the answer. They suspect that the controls are for a Jeep Renegade-style My Sky roof. In case you forgot, the Renegade's My Sky roof is a cross between a sunroof and the Wrangler's removable roof. One of the panels can slide back like a sunroof, or it and a second panel can be pulled out entirely. The forum members believe the large center button and smaller buttons ahead of it are controls for sliding back either or both front roof panels. Of course the roof panels will still be removable, too. They also cite anonymous sources that say the forum's speculation is on the right track. A few years ago, rumors of a power top were circulating, too. We can certainly see this as a possibility. It would offer Wrangler owners the option of some open-air fun without requiring the unfastening of multiple latches and stowage of large roof panels. Although it would likely add plenty of cost, that won't be much of an issue for Jeep. It's already possible to spend remarkable amounts of money in heavily accessorized Wranglers, and Jeep doesn't have trouble getting them sold. We're still not completely convinced, though. It's also possible we could be looking at switchgear for overhead lights or other interior features, maybe even storage for sunglasses. We just can't be positive without getting a closer look at the switches. Also, there's at least one reason Jeep might want to avoid a feature like this. Power sliding top panels could add weight. Now Jeeps aren't amazing performers, save for the SRT and Trackhawk Grand Cherokees, so speed won't be an issue, but if the weight goes into the top panels, it could make top removal more difficult thanks to heavier components. We'll have to wait to find out for sure. Related Video: