Some shocking news from car manufacturers about an immediate need to stop putting chrome on things.

Hexavalent chromium, or “chromium 6,” the form of the element chromium involved in the plating process, is an aggressive cancer-causing agent, according to government regulators in the United States and Europe.

“Hexavalent chromium is a carcinogen that is the second most potent toxic air contaminant identified by the state,” the California Air Resources Board said in a statement provided to CNN. “It is 500 times more toxic than diesel exhaust and has no known safe level of exposure.”

No known safe level.

It’s interesting to see Jeep top the list of cancerous brands. Reminds me I once had to replace a solid chrome bumper on my Jeep. That was decades ago and I thought the choice of material odd even back then.

A car without chrome actually sounds to me long overdue, like a car without brass. Can’t move fast enough to get away from that awful past.

Likewise, I always removed chrome from my motorcycles or covered it up, since polishing the mirror before or after a ride seemed to be the antithesis of freedom.