Monthly Archives: April 2021

Q1 US Real Gross Domestic Product at 6.4% Annual Rate

Commerce says that real gross domestic product increased at a 6.4% annual rate. Personal consumption expenditures increased by a vigorous 10.7% annual rate, while business investment in equipment and intellectual property products continued to grow steadily. Continue reading

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CARB Fines Plasti Dip International for Air Quality Violations

Plasti Dip International has been developing and manufacturing specialty coatings and adhesives since 1972. It started with its most popular product, Plasti Dip. The air-dry rubber coating began as a “grip solution” for tool handles and has become a DIY commodity for crafters, handymen and automotive enthusiasts. Continue reading

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Toyota Developing Hydrogen Engine with Motorsports

Plans are for the hydrogen-engine-powered race vehicle  – 1.6-liter turbocharged and intercooled – to be fueled during races using hydrogen produced at the Fukushima Hydrogen Energy Research Field in Namie Town, Fukushima Prefecture.  Continue reading

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FY2021 Toyota Sales, Production Drop Less than 10%

Toyota’s global sales and production have both been up year-on-year since September 2020, enabling Toyota to limit the year-on-year decline in sales and production to less than -10% in FY2021 ending 31 March 2021. Additionally, Toyota has maintained domestic production at the 3-million-unit level. Continue reading

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Ford Posts Q1 Income of $3.3B. Semiconductors Still Difficult

The company anticipates full-year 2021 adjusted EBIT to be between $5.5 billion and $6.5 billion, including an adverse effect of about $2.5 billion from the semiconductor supply issue. Adjusted free cash flow for the full year is projected to be $500 million to $1.5 billion, a large range reflecting the uncertainty in a global economy still reeling from the Covid pandemic. Continue reading

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Ford Exec Re-shuffle in Struggling India, South America, China

Both Watters and Armstrong are Ford corporate officers.  Armstrong will report to Kumar Galhotra, president, Americas and International Markets Group, along with Dianne Craig, who became president of Ford’s International Markets Group in February.  Continue reading

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April US Auto Sales About to be Highest Ever. Blip or Trend?

Total new-vehicle sales for April 2021, including retail and non-retail transactions, are forecast to reach 1,479,800 units, a 107.1% increase from April 2020 and a 7.8% increase from April 2019 when adjusted for selling days. Reporting the same numbers without controlling for the number of selling days translates to a 107.1% increase from April 2020 and a 12.1% increase from April 2019. The seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) for total new-vehicle sales is expected to be 18.1 million units, up 9.4 million units from 2020 and up 1.7 million units from 2019. Continue reading

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Boss-Napping at Renault’s Fonderie de Bretagne Ends

AutoInformed first became aware of the union action late yesterday when Renault issued an unusual statement on its website: “Renault Group strongly condemns these actions and calls for the lifting of the blockade and an immediate return to calm. Renault Group recalls that the search for a buyer is currently underway in order to maintain the site’s activities and ensure the continuity of jobs. This process must continue with dialogue and calm.” Continue reading

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Penske Automotive Posts All Time Record Q1 Results

Penske – as a diversified international transportation services company – is a good leading indicator of the overall health of the transportation sectors with the caveat that it is heavily biased toward luxury brands. Continue reading

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Ford Ion Park – New Global Battery R&D Site in Michigan

It is supposed to accelerate research and development of battery and battery cell technology, including future battery manufacturing – areas where Ford is lagging behind other automakers, notably General Motors in the US and global makers such as Nissan, Toyota and Honda. Continue reading

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Suzuki, Subaru, Daihatsu, Toyota and Mazda form JV on Technical Specs for Next-Gen Vehicle Communications Devices

Within the field of CASE (connected, autonomous/automated, shared, and electric), which is bringing about major alterations in the auto industry, advances are being made in the connected domain. These include the communications and data aspects of technology and business such as cloud services, IoT, big data, and AI. These are the basic functions of the connected car. Regulators thus far appear to be oblivious to the anti-trust and monopoly or cartel implications of such consolidations and their possible negative effects on customer pricing. The industry views connected cars as a major new source of revenue. Therefore, more is better. Continue reading

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2021 Mustang Mach-E GT and GT Performance Edition On Sale

Mustang Mach-E GT has electric all-wheel-drive and permanent magnetic dual motors, including an upgraded secondary electric motor that powers the front wheels for a combined power output of 480 peak horsepower and 600 lb.-ft. of torque. It aims for a 0-60 mph time of 3.8 seconds while targeting an EPA-estimated 250 miles of range. Continue reading

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Gaming Technology for Autonomous Vehicles at Porsche?

This – in theory – shortens development times, saves costs and makes mobility safer, according to Porsche. Furthermore, in the nascent Porsche Car Configurator, Game Engines are intended to help the customer in the configuration of her vehicle in retail. In the future, customers in Porsche Centers will see an “almost photo-realistic, three-dimensional simulation of their configured vehicle” via a gaming PC with connected VR glasses. Continue reading

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Salty Diversions – Maserati Multi 70 and Giovanni Soldini Break Channel UK-to-France Sail Boat Racing Record

The Italian Team’s time is 18 minutes better than the 2015 record set by Lloyd Thornburg and Brian Thompson aboard Phaedo. The elapsed times have been collected by the two competing teams; they will have to be ratified by the World Sailing Speed Racing Council. Aboard the trimaran, Soldini sailed with a six-man crew: Ambrogio Beccaria, Vittorio Bissaro, Guido Broggi, François Robert, Carlos Hernandez Robayna and Matteo Soldini. Continue reading

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Daimler Raises Financial Targets After Strong Q1 Results

The good operating performance in the first-quarter translated into an EBIT surge to €5,748 million (Q1 2020: €617 million). Adjusted EBIT, reflecting the underlying business, also multiplied to €4,970 million (Q1 2020: €719 million). China, the world’s largest vehicle market, was a key component in the comeback after it successfully fought off the Covid pandemic that Europe and the Americas are still struggling with. Continue reading

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