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2018 wrap-up, Ford Ranger and Mercedes A-Class | Autoblog Podcast #566

In the final Autoblog Podcast of 2018, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor Alex Kierstein and Associate Editor Reese Counts. They kick off the conversation by talking about a couple of hot new vehicles: the Ford Ranger and Mercedes-Benz A 220 4Matic. Then they round up the biggest stories of 2018 before helping a listener choose a new car in the "Spend My Money" segment. Thanks for listening, and happy holidays. The Autoblog Podcast will be back next year. Autoblog Podcast #566 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Driving the 2019 Ford Ranger Driving the 2019 Mercedes-Benz A-Class 2018 news roundup The ups and downs of Tesla and Elon Musk Losing Sergio Marchionne and the arrest of Carlos Ghosn Lots of layoffs Trump and tariffs Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

New pictures of Tesla's not-yet-open battery swap station

Katie Fehrenbacher from GigaOm drove down to the Tesla's first battery-swap station in Coalinga, CA to check on its progress. Tesla had said in a blog post that it would start an invite-only pilot pack swap program last month; it doesn't appear that it's begun yet, but based on the almost-finished state of the not-yet-open swapping station, it could start up quite soon. Sited across the street from the Supercharger station at Harris Ranch, the $500,000 swapping lean-to appeared to Fehrenbacher to be a repurposed car wash. It's got signage for its new use, the restrooms are in order, and the mechanicals for changing out batteries have been installed in a bay large enough for one car at a time. This is the 'fee' part of the "Fee or Free" options for recharging a Tesla. Drivers with a bit of time can 'refill' at the supercharger station for free. Those who don't want to stop for more than three minutes - the time it's expected to take to change out the battery - will pay around $50 to $60 for a loaner battery so they can continue their trip. On their return trip, they will return to the swap station and return the loaner pack for their original one; it's said they can also pay to have their battery shipped to them - which seems odd - or pay the difference between the usage of their battery and the loaner. There have been a few articles written about how the battery stations can restore a revenue stream for Tesla, selling ZEV credits to other manufacturers. After CARB rules switched to provide maximum credits only to vehicles that could "accumulate at least 190 or 285 miles, respectively, in 15 minutes or less" - which the superchargers can't do - Tesla's ZEV credit sales dropped to $0 by the end of 2013. The swap stations could fulfill the requirement, although there was once talk that CARB would bar the technology, disallowing battery changing for actual recharging solutions. But that won't matter in the short term; we should find out what the Tesla-buying public thinks of swapping soon. Head over to GigaOm for more pictures of the station.

Tesla appears to be winning direct sales battle in Missouri

Last week, it looked like Missouri would join the list of states where Tesla Motors would not be allowed to sell its all-electric vehicles directly to consumers. Without warning, language was inserted into a bill about off-road vehicles what would have prevented direct sales in the state. Tesla called it a "sneak attack" and tried to get supporters to let lawmakers know the law was a bad idea. "It is not clear that the statues apply to a seller like Tesla" – Missouri Department of Revenue Thanks to some digging by Tesla fans over at the Tesla Motors Club, it became clear that one of the main drivers of the anti-Tesla legislation was conservative state senator Mike Kehoe, a former Ford and Lincoln-Mercury auto dealer. For some time, Kehoe has been asking the Missouri Department of Revenue if Tesla should have gotten a license to operate its one store in the state (in St. Louis) and said that the automaker's moves were, "clearly designed to circumvent the traditional franchise model for the distribution and sale of new motor vehicles." The DOR responded by saying, "It is clear under Missouri law that traditional manufacturers who already have franchised dealerships in the state may not sell cars directly to consumers. It is not clear that the statues apply to a seller like Tesla, which apparently has not entered into franchise relationships with independent dealers." After Kehoe got that response, it seems, he added the language to the bill. You can read the bill here. The tide may be turning against the proposed law, though. Tesla has apparently hired 10 lobbyists to makes its case. Local newspaper The Kansas City Star published an opinion column yesterday in support of the automaker. "As a business offering something new and better for the environment overall, Tesla should have been given allowances to operate in a different way in the state," the paper wrote. And the state House Republican majority leader, John Diehl, says he has no plans to move the bill forward because lawmakers are worried it would put a limit on the free market and have unintended consequences. Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2014/05/12/5019618/missouri-house-leader-not-fond.html#storylink=cp