There’s still time to get that full federal electric vehicle tax credit, Tesla reminds prospective buyers

A Tesla Model S, customized by Creative Bespoke, on display at SEMA 2018. Photo by Bill Hayward.

Maybe, on the day after Black Friday 2018, they were trying to stir up a bit of Cyber Monday mojo to score a few online orders for their vehicles before the end of the month. In a message sent yesterday afternoon to their email newsletter subscriber list, Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA), reminded prospective buyers that there is still time to take advantage of the full $7,500 U.S. federal tax credit on electric vehicle purchases.

The Black Friday through Cyber Monday window—and beyond—could present bargain opportunities for new-car shoppers too

Whether they’re seeking sports cars, sedans, trucks, crossovers, or SUVs, consumers may find that retail stores aren’t the only businesses offering bargains, with many car dealerships running promotions during the Black Friday through Cyber Monday window—and maybe even further into the holiday shopping season. Photos: Chevrolet Pressroom.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2018 are upon us. And if you’re like the more than 164 million consumers in the U.S. who plan to shop over the five-day period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, maybe you’re already pouring through websites, newspaper inserts, and other promotional outlets looking for bargains.

But what if you’re in the market for a new car as 2018 comes to a close? Will the Black Friday through Cyber Monday timespan be an opportune time to get great deals at car dealerships as well?

“Runs good, some rust, RECARO seats, needs bodywork”: As the taste of car enthusiasts evolves, a legendary seating brand endures—and looks ahead to our driving future

RECARO Automotive Seating CEO Martin Klein at SEMA 2018.
Photo by Bill Hayward

By Bill Hayward

Quick, how many brands of automotive seats can you think of, off the top of your head?

Don’t cheat. No Googling allowed.

Chances are, unless you’re highly steeped in automotive-industry minutiae, the list of seating brands you can think of is very short, with only one entry: RECARO.

Maybe you haven’t thought about spark plugs much lately, but NGK’s SEMA announcements show the technology continues to drive ahead

Drag-racing driver Megan Meyer, sponsored by NGK Spark Plugs,
greets automotive-industry attendees of the 2018 SEMA Show
at the NGK booth.

By Bill Hayward

If you don’t spend much time thinking about automotive spark plugs these days, don’t feel guilty. You’re in good company. Thinking about spark plugs a lot less often is something that has been to some extent encouraged since, say, the 1980s.

That said, some of us are old enough to still remember a time when folk wisdom, perhaps with a push from the auto repair industry, held that an “annual tune up” that included changing ignition parts like plugs, points, and ignition wires, was an essential element of automotive maintenance.

‘This Hellephant is a beast:’ FCA unveils 1,000-horsepower 426 Hemi engine at SEMA 2018. World so not shocked. World thinks it’s awesome anyway. World right.

Photo by Bill Hayward.

You’ve got to give FCA credit: they sure know how to put on one Hellephant of a show at a tradeshow.

A ginormous crowd was gathered at the FCA booth on the lower level South Hall at the Las Vegas convention center, well ahead of the traditional 4:26 p.m. start time, commemorating the 426-cubic-inch displacement of the original Mopar hemi engine.