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Monthly Archives: January 2012
Toyota Leads Auto Brands in New Consumer Perception Study
What this really means to auto marketers is unclear as automakers are facing another tough year in the U.S. as the economy languishes and long-term unemployment remains at record highs not seen since the Great Depression. Preliminary sales data for January indicate another weak month for automakers who are now watching brand reputations level out. Continue reading
Tougher DOT Airline Regulations Take Effect This Week
In addition, airlines will be required to promptly notify passengers of flight delays of over 30 minutes, as well as flight cancellations and diversions, and they will generally be prohibited from increasing the price of passengers’ ticket after it is bought. Continue reading
Kia Airbag Recall Active for Optima and Rondo Models
If the so called clock spring contact assembly becomes damaged, the driver’s air bag electrical circuit will have high resistance condition, which will cause the “AIR BAG” warning lamp on the instrument panel to illuminate. It’s possible the resistance would prevent the air bag from inflating in an accident. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, recalls, safety
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, Ken Zino, kia airbag recall, kia recall, nhtsa, optima recall, recalls, rondo recall
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NHTSA Closes Volt Battery Fire Investigation with No Recall
NHTSA also said it remains unaware of any real-world crashes that have resulted in a battery-related fire involving the Chevy Volt or any other electric vehicle. The world’s most prominent auto safety agency set a precedent back in November by opening a safety defect investigation without any supporting data from real-world incidents. Continue reading
Beware of Super Bowl Air Travel Ticket Scams DOT Warns
DOT’s rules state that if a tour was described as including a game ticket and you do not receive one, you are entitled to a full refund of the entire package price upon your return. Continue reading
NRC Agrees Toyota Unintended Acceleration Mechanical – but NHTSA Didn’t Address Auto Electronics Safety Concerns
One simple step – the requirement of electronic data recorders that would show the actual driver or computer inputs immediately before and during an accident – doesn’t appear immanent. While this will end many false accusations used by product liability attorneys to garner huge fees from large lawsuits against automakers, there appears to be little appetite for the reform in lawyer- dominated Washington. Continue reading
GM is World’s Largest Automaker Led by Chevrolet Sales
This makes GM the global sales leader once again. In 2011, the Volkswagen Group sold more than eight million vehicles for the first time in a twelve-month period, a total of 8.16 million vehicles (2010: 7.14; +14.3%). Natural disaster impeded Toyota has not reported final numbers yet but will move from first where it has been since 2008 to third. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, news analysis, results, sales
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, GM, gm global sales results, Ken Zino, results
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Average Age of U.S. Vehicles Reaches Record High
Perhaps more significantly for automakers, 2011 ended the U.S. vehicle population decline that has occurred annually since 2008. This worrisome trend meant households were decreasing the number of vehicles. According to Polk, the total vehicles in operation – VIO – in July 2011 was just over 240.5 million, an increase of 500,000 units over July in the previous year, and nearly equal to 2009 VIO. The highest VIO on record was achieved in July 2008, when more than 242 million passenger cars and light trucks were on America’s roads. The financial markets collapsed that fall. Continue reading
Posted in aftermarket, auto news, news analysis, results, transportation
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, average vehicle age, Ken Zino, polk, vio
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GM Working on Rear Window Apps for Children of All Ages
If such interactive windows were put into automotive production they likely would use electronically charged “smart glass” technology, which is capable of variable states of translucence and transparency, and can reflect projected images. Smart glass is now used in architectural and display applications, but outside of movies like Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is rarely seen in cars. Alas, there are no immediate plans for production. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, concept, news, people
Tagged auto informed, auto infotainment, autoinformed.com, automotive news, bezalel academy, electronics, GM, infotainment, Ken Zino, rear window apps, smart glass
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Pickups, Compacts and Crossovers Lead Top Ten U.S. Sales
Three of the models, including the Ford F-Series – the top-volume model in the U.S. for the 30th straight year – were Ford products, while General Motors and Toyota Group each produced two of the 10 models with the highest sales volumes in the US market last year. Renault-Nissan Group and Fiat-Chrysler’s Ram each built one of the best-sellers. Continue reading
UK Starts Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Project with Automakers, Utilities and Gas Suppliers – Cars on Road Promised by 2014
The allure of fuel cells remains efficiency, roughly 50-60% compared to an internal combustion engine’s ~20%. Emissions are also attractive – no pollutants at the tailpipe and some studies indicate a drastically reduced overall well-to-wheel emissions when compared with today’s fossil fuel engines. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, energy, environment, fuel economy or emissions
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, daimler ag, fuel cell ukh2mobility, fuel cells, hyundai motor company, johnson matthey, Ken Zino, nissan motor manufacturing (uk), sa air products, the boc group, UK H2 Mobility
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Hyundai Joins ACEA as European Auto Sales Slump Continues
The irony is that European automakers remain opposed to the terms of the Korean FTA, which went into effect last July. Automobiles are now the largest export product of the South Korean economy. Its car industry with a production of 3 million cars per year, of which 2 million (64%) are exported – 300,000 of which were sent to the EU in 2010. ACEA points out that by contrast, 74% of cars produced in the EU are also registered in the EU. Because of its size and importance, the EU is a key target market for Korean manufacturers, but “uneven implementation will place the whole EU economy at a disadvantage,” according to the trade group. Continue reading
Posted in auto news
Tagged acea, auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, eu, eurozone crisis, hyundai, Ken Zino, Korean fta
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NHTSA Scolds Ford over Minivan Torque Converter Recall
In an unusual acknowledgement of the Ford recall (11S25 or 12V-006) just made public, NHTSA said Ford made assertions – also unusual in my experience – in its required defect filing that are untrue and violate federal safety regulations. Continue reading
European Auto Sales down in 2011 for Fourth Straight Year
For the year American automakers General Motors finished fourth with a flat 8.7% share. Fifth place Ford Motor (8%, a slight decline) made no sales progress either, even though both companies have introduced a series of new models. Sixth place Fiat – the owner of Chrysler courtesy of American taxpayers – continues to struggle along with Italy, off almost a full percentage point in share to 7.1%. One bright spot – Jeep sales are up 63% from an admittedly small base to more than 22,000 units. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, marketing, news, news analysis, results, sales
Tagged 2011 results, acea, auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, eu, european auto sales, eurozone sales, hyundai, Ken Zino, Korean fta, marchionne, results eu results
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Tom Stephens GM Vice Chair and Chief Technology Officer to Retire
The retirement is major development at a recovering GM since Stephens was an extremely knowledgeable, no nonsense ‘car guy.’ Stephens started in 1969 as an hourly employee at the Chevrolet Engineering Center in Warren, Mich., under a University of Michigan Student Co-op Program. The affable Stephens – with some hearing loss from years of working in engine dynamometer test cells – got things done, and done well in the face of GM’s huge and largely inert bureaucracy. Stephens always pushed for the best product possible, according to GM insiders, even when he didn’t have the clout needed to effect change. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, milestones, news analysis, people
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, chevrolet volt, GM, Ken Zino, northstar, small block v8, tom stephens
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