Author Archives: Ken Zino

About Ken Zino

Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.

Ford Motor Recalls for Brakes, Corrosion and Fires

Affected are 2015-18 Ford Edge and 2016-18 Lincoln MKX 2020 Lincoln Corsair crossovers, and 2020 Ford F-150 pickups. All told more than ~560,000 vehicles are being recalled for dangerous safety defects. Continue reading

Posted in manufacturing, recalls, safety | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

NASCAR and BetMGM to Offer In Race Sports Betting

Live, in-race betting will begin in 2021. BetMGM is currently licensed for sports betting in seven states and has plans to be in 11 states by the end of 2020. NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. (See list of AutoInformed.com on NASCAR below.) Continue reading

Posted in marketing, news analysis, racing | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

J.D. Power to Buy ALG from TrueCar

The acquisition is predicted to augment offerings from the data & analytics division of J.D. Power. It is subject to the necessary regulatory approvals. Upon approval and close, all 40 ALG employees will join J.D. Power. Continue reading

Posted in economy, marketing, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Federal Deficit for FY 2020 To Date – $2.8 Trillion or +$1.9 Trillion Year-over-Year

The cumulative federal budget deficit for the first 10 months of fiscal year 2020 reached $2.8 trillion, +$1.9 trillion more than the deficit recorded during the same period last year. Revenues were 1% lower and outlays were 51% higher through July 2020 than during the same 10-month period in fiscal year 2019. Continue reading

Posted in economy, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cadillac LYRIC – Taking Back the Luxury EV Lead?

“You can tune the car to the personality of the customer. The Lyric will continually get better  throughout the ownership experience… the vehicle you drive today may not be what you want to drive tomorrow which we can change with over the air technology. If I had one word to describe it,  I would say personal,” Reuss concluded. Continue reading

Posted in electric vehicles, electronics, engineering, environment, mobility company, new vehicle | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Nissan to Keep Production and Employment in Spain

The agreement is the result of gritty union actions. After starting indefinite strike on 4 May, unions mobilized a nationwide protest movement against the factory closures. A convoy of Nissan workers traveled across the country to build support for the struggle, and demonstrations were held at Nissan dealerships. Continue reading

Posted in labor issues, manufacturing | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BMW Posts $786 Million Loss in Q2. Sales Off -25%

“At this point, we are cautiously optimistic about the second half of the year. The new BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé, 4 Series Coupé, the 5 Series, the 6 Series Gran Turismo and the iX3, along with plug-in hybrids like the X2, 3 Series Touring, and 5 Series will all create fresh momentum,” claimed Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. Continue reading

Posted in financial results | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Carvana Q2 Results – Sales, Revenue Up by Double Digits

“It is still hard to say exactly how powerful the effects of all of this will be in the long run, but based on the data we see, we believe the long-term opportunity of the business is even larger than we previously thought… Continue reading

Posted in economy, financial results, results | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Auto Plant Downtime Looming as COVID-19 Thrives?

LMC notes that projected regional and export demand, along with inventory replenishment, has it forecast that US automakers will produce nearly 40,000 vehicles daily in the second half of 2020. Continue reading

Posted in economy, manufacturing, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ford Motor Changes CEO from Jim Hackett to Jim Farley

Farley, an automotive leader with global experience and a successful track record (He launched Lexus at Toyota), collaborated with Hackett over the past three years to develop and execute Ford’s Creating Tomorrow Together plan. Continue reading

Posted in auto news | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

GM and EVgo to Add EV Fast Chargers Nationwide

The two companies say they will add fast charging stations to cities and suburbs, providing increased charging access to drivers who live in multi-unit homes, rent their homes and can’t install chargers, or might not have access to workplace charging. Continue reading

Posted in alternative fuels, electric vehicles, environment | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

GM Offers Three New 350 Service Engines

“Building on the history and versatility of the original 350 first available in Chevrolet models such as the Camaro and Corvette, this engine continues to deliver.” Continue reading

Posted in aftermarket, marketing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A New Leaf – Nissan Takes Electricity to Pay for Parking

The Nissan Pavilion opens to the public tomorrow. Nissan says the payment system is “just one of the many innovations customers can experience at the Pavilion, built to show how Nissan moves people to a better world.” Continue reading

Posted in alternative fuels, electric vehicles, marketing, milestones | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ford Motor Q2- Sales Drop -53%. Debt Grows $10B

Analysts, a mysterious species to AutoInformed were surprised and delighted. AutoInformed noted an ongoing warranty cost disaster, which is a management failure not a Covid issue. It remains troubling as Ford is introducing increasingly complex vehicles. Continue reading

Posted in economy, financial results, news analysis, results | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Lordstown and Lithium. A New GM Constellation is Rising

Back in March GM revealed a third-generation global EV platform powered by proprietary “Ultium” batteries. GM claimed it will allow the company to compete for almost every customer in the market today, whether they are looking for affordable transportation, a luxury experience, work trucks or a high-performance machine. A space that is largely occupied by Tesla, which caught all global automakers napping. Covid 19 has complicated launch plans across the industry and timing on such projects is unstable. Continue reading

Posted in electric vehicles, environment, manufacturing, milestones | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment