1959 Chevrolet Impala on 2040-cars

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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.

Here's how Detroit is selling more luxury vehicles than Germany and Japan

Now there's an attention-grabbing headline, eh? Although the answer to the riddle - pickup trucks and SUVs - might be somehow deflating, the numbers involved deserve a going over. According to TrueCar's figures (click on the table to enlarge), six of the year's ten best-selling vehicles in the US that sell for a transaction price above $50,000 are body-on-frame, and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is the only foreigner to crack the top five. Every enthusiast knows that pickup trucks are 'Murica's most popular vehicle by a colossal margin, and there have been plenty of reports about the popularity of luxuriously appointed trucks and SUVs, but compare these figures from TrueCar: 70 percent of Chevrolet Tahoe sales have a transaction price above $50K, and The Bowtie is expected to make $3.9 billion in revenue on 66,945 predicted high-dollar sales; 95.1 percent of E-Class sales break $50K, so the German company will make $4.0 billion on 67,006 predicted sales in that pricing sphere. It's about the only time you'll see the Tahoe ranked right next to Mercedes' bread-and-butter sedan. Ram is ahead of those two with $4.2B coming from $50K-plus sales. The Ford F-Series does almost as much revenue as the next three combined, with an expected $10.8 billion coming from sales of trucks over $50K - more than a quarter of the model's total sales, when a base F-150 can be had for about $26,000. Yes, the Germans make a lot more money on fewer sales, but considering the comparison, the bottom line isn't too troubled by such facts. Weighing like-for-like, the full-size Ford walks it in every category; elsewhere, the Chevrolet Silverado outsells the Ram, but the Ram outsells the Chevy by 6.7 percent above $50K. And for all the flak GMC takes over swapping out grilles, the Sierra also outsells the Chevy in the well-appointed segment, 16.1 percent of sales versus 11 percent – the Professional Grade brand is a huge profit center for The General. You'll find more info in the TrueCar press release below. TrueCar finds pickup trucks far outsell premium brands among top 10 vehicles over $50,000 Ford F-Series pickup sales over $50,000 surpass combined BMW 3, 5, 7 Series luxury car sales SANTA MONICA, Calif. (December 10, 2014) - TrueCar, Inc., the negotiation-free car buying and selling platform, finds mainstream pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles dominate U.S.

Chevy Silverado Realtree Edition calls to your inner woodsman

Hunters and woodsmen, this could be your next pickup truck. It's a special-edition Silverado, done up with the camo specialists at Realtree. This truck packs all the off-road equipment you could want, and boasts a special appearance package to set it apart from ordinary citified pickups. The Realtree edition is based on the 2016 Chevy Silverado 1500 in LTZ trim with a crew cab and the Z71 package. It's all blacked out, from the bodywork and Bowtie emblems to the side steps and 20-inch wheels with their all-terrain tires. It features Realtree logos and camouflage graphics inside and out, and since it comes with the Z71 pack, it also features monotube shocks, a locking rear diff, an underbody shield, and hill-decent control. This special edition results from a decade-long partnership between Chevrolet and Realtree, but stops short of a full camo treatment. For that, you may want to scope out the Special Ops edition recently confirmed for production after its debut at SEMA (alongside another Realtree show truck). Outdoorsy types, however, may very well be more attracted to this Realtree special, which could prove just the foil GM needs to the Ram Mossy Oak Edition. It launches in the spring, just in time for hunting season – though you'll still need to fit your own gun rack. Related Video: CHEVROLET INTRODUCES SILVERADO REALTREE® EDITION HERE'S THE STORY Chevrolet today introduced the 2016 Silverado Realtree® Edition – an outdoors-inspired special edition that leverages the strength, versatility and personalization possibilities of the Silverado and distinguishes it with camo graphics from Realtree, the world's leading camouflage brand. It's the latest and strongest example of a decade-long partnership between Chevrolet and Realtree. PRODUCT DETAILS The new Realtree® Edition package is offered on Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71 crew cab models and includes exterior camo graphics and the Realtree logo embroidered on the front-seat headrests. Additionally, interior attributes feature the Realtree camo logo and graphics. The Silverado Realtree® edition also includes special blackout trim, black bow ties, off-road assist steps and black 20" wheels with all-terrain tires. Also included is the legendary Z71 off-road package featuring Rancho monotube shocks, Hill Decent Control, an underbody shield and the G80 auto locking rear differential.