U.S. Transportation Sector Unemployment Rises

Posted on 2 October 2026 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on U.S. Transportation Sector Unemployment Rises

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During September 2026, the transportation sector unemployment rate rose 0.4 percentage points from 4.3% in September 2025, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said today. [U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Transportation Economic Trends – AutoCrat]*

“Unemployment in the transportation sector was higher than the overall unemployment. BLS reports that the U.S. unemployment rate, not seasonally adjusted, in September 2026 was 4.0% or 0.7 percentage points below the transportation sector rate. Seasonally adjusted, the U.S. unemployment rate in September 2026 was 4.2%,” BLS said. Continue reading →

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Milestones – One Million BMW Ms at Plant Munich

Posted on 2 October 2026 by Ken Zino
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BMW M (XETRA: BMWG.DE) said today that it is celebrating production of its one-millionth BMW M vehicle. The milestone vehicle, a BMW M3 with BMW Individual Fire Orange III special paintwork, manufactured at BMW Group Plant Munich, was presented by Peter Weber, head of BMW Group Plant Munich, to Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW M GmbH, as part of an internal ceremony.*

“BMW M combines road and racetrack capabilities with everyday practicality,” said Franciscus van Meel. “The one-millionth BMW M vehicle shows that these values are still very much appreciated by our customers, 40 years after the market launch of the first BMW M3. This motivates us to continuously develop our BMW M high-performance vehicle portfolio based on BMW M Neue Klasse technology, including fully-electric models, in line with our core brand promise.” Continue reading →

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VW Ending Collective Bargaining Agreements. Strikes Loom?

Posted on 2 October 2026 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Volkswagen AG to End Collective Bargaining Agreements. Strikes Loom?

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Representatives of Volkswagen AG and IG Metall met this week in Hanover to discuss what was once unthinkable. Volkswagen’s stated objective is to systematically implement the previously agreed measures and fully exhaust all options for a socially responsible headcount reduction. Given current economic challenges, Volkswagen AG presented formal notice to terminate several collective bargaininng agreements, effective 31 December 2026.

[Simply put in VW management’s view, IG Metall’s demand for a 5% pay rise at the upcoming collective bargaining round is not compatible with the current situation of the company. VW management thinks it is even more important than before that Volkswagen reduces its overhead costs and adjusts them to a competitive level. VW group operating results lend much credence to this stance. As always the issue is who pays. More than 100,000 union jobs are threatened – AutoCrat.]* Continue reading →

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GM launches OnStar Fleet Intelligence Platform with AI

Posted on 30 September 2026 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on GM launches OnStar Fleet Intelligence Platform

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General Motors (NYSE: GM)* said that fleet customers can streamline fleet management with the newly launched OnStar Fleet Intelligence platform with AI.**

“Our fleet customers need simple, intuitive tools to manage their vehicles and efficiently manage operating costs,” said Ian Hucker, global vice president, GM Fleet. “The OnStar Fleet Intelligence platform meets this need head-on, streamlining complex data into one accessible dashboard so business owners can focus less on administrative hurdles and more on efficiently scaling their operations.” Continue reading →

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New Vehicle Transaction Prices Continue to Soar in U.S.

Posted on 30 September 2026 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on New Vehicle Transaction Prices Continue to Soar in U.S.

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The latest report from the JD Power Consultancy shows that automakers have managed to retain retail sales in the face of the Trump mis-administration foreign policy, trade, tariff and shooting wars. The JD Power Automotive OEM Intelligence Report* reviews supply chain management and segment mix, careful use of incentives and a focus on moving the right vehicles off dealer lots were among the key success factors. [The collateral damage is the consumer as the 2025 average consumer transaction price (CFTP – Customer-Facing Transaction Price – is Power’s term) was ~$45,500, and it has increased to $46,400 year-to-date in 2026, Worse, Power forecasts it will be $46,600 to $46,900 by year’s end – AutoCrat.]**

“While it isn’t time to don party hats and start tossing confetti, there is no doubt that the auto industry has been able to negotiate the slings and arrows of 2026 much more nimbly than might have been anticipated. A potentially toxic combination of historic supply chain challenges, spiraling fuel costs, record high new-vehicle prices and economic uncertainty could have caused retail sales to plummet. Instead, year-over-year retail sales volumes are in line with forecasts. In fact, fourth quarter retail sales are expected to be stronger than last year, bringing the full year result to nearly flat in 2026,” said Power this morning. Continue reading →

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Two Time Indy 500 Winner Gordon Johncock dead at 90

Posted on 29 September 2026 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Two Time Indy 500 Winner Gordon Johncock Dead at 90

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Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and 1976 IndyCar Series [USAC in those days. The series was the USAC National Championship Trail. I first saw him race at Langhorne in the late 1960s – AutoCrat.] champion Gordon Johncock  died Monday 28 September in South Branch, Michigan, at age 90.

“Gordon Johncock was known for his hard-charging, no-nonsense style of racing, and he left a lasting legacy on both Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar. While his 1973 Indianapolis 500 victory was overshadowed by tragedy, that race was an inflection point for safety, leading to a vital shift in track engineering and regulations,” said Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar President J. Douglas Boles this morning.* Continue reading →

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New 2027 VW ID. Tiguan Debuts in October

Posted on 28 September 2026 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on New 2027 VW ID. Tiguan Debuts in October

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Volkswagen AG (VOW.F) said today that it is continuing its naming strategy with its next model: following the ID. Polo and ID. Cross, the new ID. Tiguan will arrive in European markets in the beginning of 2027. The new ID. Tiguan succeeds the ID.4 and ID.5 and will be offered alongside the Tiguan globally with combustion and hybrid powertrains. The world premiere of the ID. Tiguan will take place in early October. Until then, the model will continue testing under camouflage.*

“More than 8.3 million Tiguan vehicles produced demonstrate the strength and trust associated with this model name,” says Thomas Schäfer, CEO of the Volkswagen brand, Head of the Brand Group Core and Member of the Group Board of Management. Continue reading →

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Trump’s New Fuel Economy Standards Will Cost You ~$600!

Posted on 28 September 2026 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Trump’s New Fuel Economy Standards Will Cost You ~$600!

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The Trump mis-administration’s final rule today lowering fuel economy standards for passenger cars will increase costs for drivers currently stuck spending over $1.5 billion a day on gasoline.*

“Gutting fuel economy standards means wasting fuel and spending more for every mile traveled,” said Rachel Aland, transportation director at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). “Efficient vehicles use less gas, saving drivers money every time they fill up. With families already feeling the squeeze of high gas prices, it makes no sense to roll back efficiency standards and lock in higher fueling costs for years to come.” Continue reading →

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Rivian Automotive Recall for ~100,000 Bad Rearview Cameras

Posted on 28 September 2026 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Rivian Automotive Recall for ~100,000 Bad Rearview Cameras

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Rivian Automotive, LLC (Rivian) is recalling ~100,000 model year 2022-2027 R1S, 2022-2026 R1T, and 2027 R2 vehicles. The rearview camera image may be obstructed by a notification when in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, “Rear Visibility.”*

“Customers, in rare instances while stability control is off in certain drive modes and where the customer has left the vehicle for a period of time and returned, may experience a safety alert on the center display informing them that stability control is off and asking if they would like to return to a mode with stability control on (per FMVSS 126 requirements). If the driver places the vehicle in reverse without making a selection, the drive mode change notification may overlap the camera image until the vehicle moves at which point the camera image appears. This overlap condition requires a very specific set of operations in a specific order to potentially occur. Because the rearview image may be overridden by a drive mode notification before the vehicle moves, it may not fulfill the requirements of FMVSS 111,” Rivian told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA made the mandatory filing public this morning. Continue reading →

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Jaguar Land Rover Recall for Loss of Drive Power

Posted on 28 September 2026 by Ken Zino

Jaguar Land Rover North America (Land Rover) is recalling ~24,000 model year 2019-2024 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, 2020-2024 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, Land Rover Range Rover, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Land Rover Defender, 2021-2024 Land Rover Range Rover Velar, Jaguar E-Pace, F-Pace, and Land Rover Discovery vehicles.* The DC-DC converter may malfunction due to an electrical overload that can occur during high power demand. Additionally, a software error can cause the DC-DC converter to stop functioning at vehicle start-up under certain circumstances. Failure of the DC-DC converter will result in the loss of 12-Volt system charging and can lead to complete loss of drive power and exterior lighting.

“A failure of the DCDC converter will result in a loss of 12V system charging, and a “Stop Safely Electrical Fault Detected” red warning. Should the customer ignore this warning and continue to drive, additional warnings may appear. Continuation of the journey will result in the vehicle losing motive power and coasting to a stop after a period of time, and eventually losing exterior lighting. A loss of motive power, or of vehicle lighting, will increase the risk of a crash, Land Rover said in the mandatory filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA made the filing public this morning. Continue reading →

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CARB Adopts Rules Supporting Use of E15 Gasoline

Posted on 25 September 2026 by Ken Zino

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The California Air Resources Board (CARB) yesterday adopted amendments to the state’s gasoline regulations to support the availability and use of E15 fuel in California. E15 is a vehicle fuel that is a blend of up to 15% ethanol, a low-carbon alternative fuel. Previous California rules allowed up to 10% ethanol which is the current standard at stations today. E15 is legal in 50 states and available in 36 states.*

“Thursday’s vote provides further certainty to fuel producers and providers interested in selling E15 in California. The decision follows Governor Newsom’s signing of Senate Bill 795 this week to accelerate the approval process for E15 dispenser components while also maintaining public health protections,” CARB said in a release. Continue reading →

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Gasoline Prices Heading for New September Record!

Posted on 24 September 2026 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Gasoline Prices Heading for New September Record!

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The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline continues to climb, according to the latest data from AAA and the Energy Information Agency (EIA). [Gasoline is up ~5 cents from last week as the Trump mis-administration policies continue to, well, bomb – AutoCrat.]

“At $4.48 per gallon, this is the highest the national average has ever been for this time of year. Typically, the start of autumn brings lower gas prices, but lingering volatility in the Strait of Hormuz and the high cost of crude oil are driving up pump prices. This month is on track to set a new September record. So far, the average for this month is $4.30, higher than the previous September record of $3.83 set in 2023,” AAA said in a release today.** Continue reading →

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ACEA – Hybrids Top August EU Car Registrations

Posted on 24 September 2026 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on ACEA – Hybrids Top August EU Car Registrations

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Hybrid-electric vehicles again ranked as the most popular powertrain choice amongst buyers during August 2026. Battery-electric cars accounted for 21.7% of new EU car registrations.* Plug-in hybrids captured 10% of the EU market, according to preliminary data released today by The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. [ACEA at AutoInformed after its original French name- AutoCrat.] The death of the diesel trend continued.

“New EU car registrations increased by 5.3% year-to-date, against a backdrop of rising energy prices and persistent geopolitical uncertainty. Demand for a range of electrified vehicles remained strong, driven by market support measures and a broader model offerings,” ACEA said.** Continue reading →

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Volkswagen Debuts In-Vehicle Gaming on Some 2027 Models

Posted on 23 September 2026 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Volkswagen Debuts In-Vehicle Gaming on Some 2027 Models

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Volkswagen of America* said today that it is introducing N-Dream’s AirConsole in-car gaming platform on some model-year 2027 vehicles. At the moment this is the first mass market automotive brand in the United States to offer this type of in-vehicle entertainment. AirConsole allows vehicle occupants to play multiplayer games directly through the vehicle’s infotainment display using their compatible smartphones as game controllers while the vehicle is parked. [Let the distracted driving debates ensue- AutoCrat.]**

“Volkswagen is committed to creating experiences that bring people together and make every interaction with our brand more meaningful,” said Rachael Zaluzec, Chief Marketing Officer, Volkswagen of America. “In-vehicle gaming helps turn everyday moments into shared experiences, giving families and friends a new way to connect, laugh, and spend time together while enjoying their Volkswagen.” Continue reading →

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By the Seat of Their Pants – Premium Seats Lag in Quality?

Posted on 23 September 2026 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on By the Seat of Their Pants – Premium Seats Lag in Quality?

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Vehicle seat quality in premium brands continues to lag that of mass market vehicles for the fifth consecutive year, according to the JD Power (aka J.D. Power) 2026 U.S. Seat Quality and Satisfaction StudySM, just released today.* Overall seat quality improves by 0.9 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) to 10.0 PP100 in 2026. The gap in problems between premium and mass market narrows to 0.7 PP100, down from 1.3 PP100 in 2025, as overall satisfaction improves. [This is part of a larger industry trend that sees people moving down-market for a variety of reasons. Here it’s simply quality, and perhaps how seat controls are displayed and accessed – AutoCrat.]**

“This year’s data demonstrates that better seat quality translates directly into a better ownership experience for both premium and mass market owners,” said Lisa Boor, director of customer success, OEM solutions at JD Power. Continue reading →

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