When I was in 8^th grade, my class went to a Chinese exhibit at a Philadelphia museum. I distinctly remember the guide stating 1,006,000,000 people inhabited China; today, that number is estimated to be 1,400,000,000. Marketers from around the world tend to salivate over the potential number of Chinese consumers but, these days, Jeep is experiencing dry mouth as it plans to exit its manufacturing presence in the Celestial Empire.

Peripherally, this sounds like a bonehead move considering the Chinese LOVE American cars — that’s why Buick received a lifeline in 2009, right? Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares even said in 2020, “No global car company can afford not to be in the largest car market in the world.” However, like all good tales, there’s more to the story than meets the eye.

According to Tavares, the increased “political influence” in doing business with partners in China is to blame. As such, the joint venture between Stellantis (FCA), the owner of the Jeep brand, and Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) will file for bankruptcy. This actually was preceded by news in July that FCA decided to end its joint venture with GAC, which itself was preceded by an announcement that FCA would raise its stake from 50 to 75%.

So, what gives? We know the bureaucracy of Chinese politics is an easy whipping boy, but what have Jeep sales have been like in China? After all, a “lifestyle” brand must have mass (and mass) appeal in a country with so many inhabitants. Let us examine Jeep sales in China: In 2017, sales were 204,976, which fell to almost 124,780 the following year. Another 72,9790 were sold in 2019, which fell to 40,659 for 2020, and then 50% of that for 2021. So far, for 2022, sales have been under 2,000.

During most of those years, we’ve had a global pandemic, so the business of producing vehicles — if not producing vehicles in the epicenter of the pandemic — has been a challenge. However, according to Bill Russo, a former Chrysler executive and consultant for Shanghai-based consultancy Automobility Ltd, the venture between FCA and GAC has not kept abreast of the Chinese market. “It had every right to be successful in a market that embraced sport-utility vehicles. But you can’t be running a 1980s business model when the 21st century has arrived.”

Jeep first arrived in Beijing in 1984 when Jeep’s then-owner, American Motors Corporation, became the first American brand to invest in a joint venture in China. Chinese regulations generally insist on joint ventures for sharing technology with local automakers (usually advantageous to only one side of the relationship), though Tesla is the only global automaker to produce cars in China without a joint venture.

Insiders feel this is the first of several joint ventures that will unravel over the next few years. Chee-Kiang Lim, managing director China at Detroit-based consultancy Urban Science, says, “We have to expect more JVs to unwind in the coming years” because Chinese automakers are more “confident that they have closed the gaps with or even surpassed their foreign partners.”

FCA suggests its business model would now be import-based, which also hints that FCA brands Peugeot and Citroen may also follow. This also will mean higher retail prices for FCA vehicles sold in China.

Of course, FCA will continue to support existing and future Jeep customers in China. 

Volkswagen has signed a multi-year partnership extension with the U.S. Soccer Federation. The partnership will maintain Volkswagen as the presenting partner of U.S. Soccer including its Men’s and Women’s National Teams, Youth National Teams and Extended National Teams. 

“We are thrilled to renew our partnership with U.S. Soccer,” said Pablo Di Si, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. “We look forward to continuing to help grow this great sport in the U.S. and all over the world. Just as Volkswagen is the People’s Car, soccer is the People’s Sport—both represent accessible fun for everyone.”

Volkswagen will continue to aid U.S. Soccer in its mission to become the preeminent sport in the United States through increased visibility, player and coach development, lifting up sustainability and participation initiatives and promoting greater fan engagement across the country. At the National level, Volkswagen branding will appear on the training and warmup tops of U.S. Soccer National teams, including the Women’s and Men’s National Teams, all Youth National Teams, and Extended National Teams.

As part of their efforts to create an inclusive environment in soccer for all, Volkswagen and U.S. Soccer will continue to feature the CHAMP Virtual Player Honoree at select matches. CHAMP, a Volkswagen custom robot, was developed to expand the reach, visibility, and impact of the existing U.S. Soccer player honoree program. With its telepresence technology, CHAMP allows young soccer fans experiencing hardships or unique circumstances the opportunity to participate as a player honoree virtually, bringing them closer to the game.

“We’re incredibly proud to continue our strategic partnership with Volkswagen,” U.S. Soccer Chief Commercial Officer David Wright said. “VW has played an integral role in increasing accessibility to our sport and we look forward to continuing to work together as we drive forward to make soccer more fun, inclusive and ultimately, the preeminent sport in our country.”

Icon founder Jonathan Ward loves to hide modern technology beneath a layer of patina. He calls his blends of old and new Derelicts, and recently he brought what might be the most extreme car in the series to Jay Leno’s Garage.

It may look like a worn-out 1949 Mercury Coupe on the surface, but this ultimate sleeper has an electric powertrain cobbled together with Tesla tech. The Derelict Mercury broke cover in 2018, but this video provides a more detailed look at this creative build.

A pair of electric motors are mounted where the transmission used to be, retaining the stock rear-wheel-drive system. While some electric conversions of classic cars retain the stock transmission, Ward said this Mercury’s factory-installed 3-speed manual transmission was made superfluous by the dual motors’ combined 500 lb-ft of torque.

In the space vacated by the engine, you’ll find controllers, cooling hardware, and some of the Tesla battery modules (more are located over the rear axle) arranged like a classic V-8. Ward said he wanted a look that would appeal to old-school hot rodders, while also optimizing weight distribution. Together, the battery modules add up to 85 kwh of capacity, which Icon said in 2018 are good for 150-200 miles of range.

A cooling system based around a semi truck air conditioning compressor manages battery, motor, and controller temperatures, as well as the climate control. Like other Derelict builds, the Mercury has a custom chassis with modern suspension and brake components.

Paintwork is the same condition it was when the Mercury was purchased from a Southern California owner off Craigslist. This generation of Mercury was popular with car customizers, so many survivors have been chopped and sectioned into lead sleds. Ward retained the stock appearance, though, as both he and the car’s buyer found it appealing. The only styling changes are a lowered suspension and 18-inch wheels wearing the stock hubcaps.

Ward and Icon found some clever ways to maintain the old-school look. The stock fog lights were rebuilt with LED elements, and charge ports for CHAdeMO and Tesla Supercharger plugs were hidden behind the front license plate and in the location of the stock fuel filler, respectively. And while the interior’s leather upholstery is new, it was aged to match the rest of the car.

Icon has churned out several Derelict builds over the years, including a 1971 Mercedes-Benz 300SEL with the heart of a C6 Corvette ZR1, but they’ve all been gasoline-powered. The engineering behind the Mercury’s EV conversion, and Ward’s commitment to the Derelict theme, makes it stand out even among those other builds.

This article was originally published by Motor Authority, an editorial partner of ClassicCars.com.

This story is for you if:

• You get angry seeing a hybrid or EV in the carpool lane while you’re stuck sitting in traffic.
• You see electric cars as a government conspiracy against the oil industry.
• You think electric cars are one step towards automated transportation and remove the fun of driving.

If any of those scenarios sounds like you, then we have something that will elicit a Nelson Muntz-style “Ha-ha!”

You see, the recently introduced GMC Hummer EV has been recalled due to an issue with its Magna high-voltage battery. “Water accumulation in the high voltage battery pack can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash,” reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In response, General Motors is recalling certain 2022-23 GMC Hummer EV Pickup and 2022 BrightDrop EV600 electric vehicles because improper urethane sealing of the high voltage battery pack enclosure may allow water to enter. The NHTSA says that 824 vehicles are potentially affected, with InsideEVs claiming the distribution is 735 Hummers and 89 BrightDrop vans, both of which are built on GM’s Ultium platform. Currently, only three vehicles have borne the brunt of this defect.

The NHTSA’s remedy? It’s actually currently under development. Letters notifying owners of the safety risk should be mailed by the end of November 2022, with follow-up correspondence being sent once the remedy is available.

If you own one of these vehicles, you are encouraged to contact EV Concierge at 1-833-HUMMER-EV, and be sure to give the code N222380031. Owners also may contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-88-327-4236 or visit www.nhtsa,gov.

The 2022 SEMA show is just around the corner and Acura on Wednesday previewed a trio of tuned 2023 Integras bound for the annual tuning fest in Las Vegas.

Previous Integra generations have been, and still are popular, among tuners, and Acura has sought to highlight the potential of the new 2023 model by partnering with top tuning talent to complete the builds. Those talents include Daijiro “Dai” Yoshihara, Sara Choi, and Coco Zurita.

Dai Yoshihara is professional racing driver and has competed in events such as Formula Drift and the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. His Integra build was handled by California’s Evasive Motorsports and features a design inspired by modified Integras from the 1980s and ’90s.

Key modifications include an aero kit from EVS Tuning, 18-inch BBS REV7 forged alloys, a Whiteline adjustable suspension, Spoon intake and exhaust upgrades, Sparco seats with a harness, and an EVS Tuning carbon-fiber center console.

Sara Choi is a tuner from Hawaii, having started her career at just 15 years of age at a tuning company by the name of Sonic Motorsports. She worked with California’s Tony Star Performance on her build, which features a custom wide-body kit.

The wide body was designed by Choi and Walter Kim. It’s joined on Choi’s Integra by GReddy cooling systems under the hood, 19-inch Advan RSDF wheels, a Tein Suspension Flex Z coil-over suspension, and a Dogfight Race Pro steering wheel.

Coco Zurita is a BMX rider from Chile, and he looked to action sports for inspiration for his build, which was handled by California’s Autotuned. It features a coil-over suspension, carbon-fiber body panels, and a custom wrap designed by artist Andreas Wennevold.

Other modifications include an A’PEXi exhaust, a GReddy intercooler, 18-inch Kansei KNP wheels, Wilwood brakes, an Auto Tuned aero kit, and plenty of MOMO interior goodies.

This year’s SEMA show is scheduled for Nov. 1-4.

This article was originally published by Motor Authority, an editorial partner of ClassicCars.com.