1930 Ford Model A on 2040-cars

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Major automakers urge Trump not to freeze fuel economy targets

WASHINGTON — Major automakers are telling the Trump administration they want to reach an agreement with California to avoid a legal battle over fuel efficiency standards, and they support continued increases in mileage standards through 2025. "We support standards that increase year over year that also are consistent with marketplace realities," Mitch Bainwol, chief executive of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a trade group representing major automakers, will tell a U.S. House of Representatives panel on Tuesday, according to written testimony released on Monday. The Trump administration is weighing how to revise fuel economy standards through at least the 2025 model year, and one option is to propose freezing the standards through 2026, effectively allowing automakers to delay investments in technology to cut greenhouse gas emissions from burning petroleum. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not formally submitted its joint proposal with the Environmental Protection Agency to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review. Even so, last week, California and 16 other states sued to challenge the Trump administration's decision to revise U.S. vehicle rules. Auto industry executives have held meetings with the Trump administration for months and have urged the administration to try to reach a deal with California even as they support slowing the pace of reduction in carbon dioxide emissions that the Obama administration rules outlined. One automaker official said part of the message to President Donald Trump at a meeting on Friday will be to consider California like a foreign trade deal that needs to be renegotiated. Automakers want to urge him to get automakers a "better deal" — as opposed to potentially years of litigation between major states and federal regulators. On Friday, Trump is set to meet with the chief executives of General Motors, Ford, Fiat Chrysler and the top U.S. executives of at least five other major automakers, including Toyota, Volkswagen AG and Daimler AG, to talk about revisions to the vehicle rules. Senior EPA and Transportation Department officials will also attend. Environmental groups are eager to keep the rules in place, saying they will save consumers billions in fuel costs. A coalition of groups plans to stage a protest outside Ford's headquarters in Michigan.

Ken Block hoons his Ford F-150 RaptorTrax on the slopes

Ken Block drives Fords. Hoons the heck out of 'em, actually. Mostly Fiestas, but also the occasional Focus or Mustang. But earlier this year, the Gymkhana guru revealed his baddest Ford yet: an F-150 SVT Raptor on tracks. And true to form, here he is putting it to the test in the latest video from Monster Energy and Hoonigan Racing.
Filmed at Baldface Lodge in Nelson, BC, the video pairs Block up with snowboarders Zak Hale and Ethan Deiss for some deep-powder action. You'll want to watch the video for yourself, but the bottom line is that the RaptorTrax beats the heck out of waiting on line for the ski lift. It's enough to make us start to look forward to winter... almost.

You can now Uber a Ford F-150 for tailgating at NFL games

The Ford F-Series has been named as the official truck of the NFL, whatever that means. To kick things off, the automaker is giving fans in New York the ability to order a "Built Ford Tough Tailgate Truck" on demand through Uber. The NFL-backed tailgate F-Series trucks will bring fans tailgate food, tickets, and merchandise. The ability to get a tailgate truck through Uber is currently limited to New York, but Ford will also offer a tailgate tour in various cities where NFL fans can win tailgate parties, tickets to games, and access to their own Ford tailgate truck. The sponsorship is for three years and includes America's best-selling truck, the Ford F-150, along with the automaker's Super Duty trucks. Ford is also giving NFL fans the ability to enter the "Built Ford Tough Toughest Ticket" sweepstakes for a chance to win Super Bowl LI tickets, along with a new 2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty decked out to showcase the winner's favorite football team. The NFL has partnered with various automakers in the past, with the most recent being a four-year deal with Hyundai in 2015. The Korean automaker is currently the official car, SUV, and luxury vehicle of the NFL, which conveniently leaves a spot for Ford's F-Series trucks to slot into. Hyundai took the sponsorship from General Motors, which had been a sponsor since 2001. Ford's new sponsorship comes at the perfect time as the new season official starts tomorrow with the Carolina Panthers taking on the Denver Broncos. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Ford F-Series NFL Sponsorship News Source: FordImage Credit: Ford Celebrities Marketing/Advertising Ford Hyundai Truck Special and Limited Editions sponsorship