Category Archives: AutoInformed Editorial

Michigan Governor Whitmer Offers Sensible Tariff Fixes

Posted on 9 April 2025 by Ken Zino

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer today delivered her “Build, America, Build” speech in Washington D.C. Simply put, it was a plan to show both parties and federal officials how to build America’s manufacturing might, increase jobs, invest in people and protect our national defense. It was based on Whitmer’s proven approach – work with friends and compete against adversaries.

“Before we dig in to my proposals today, I need to acknowledge what’s going on with tariffs. I’m not going to sugarcoat it… these last few days have been tough for Michigan. 20% of our economy is tied to the auto industry, which depends on a steady flow of goods from our largest and closest trading partners. We’re home to THE busiest international border crossing in North America. More than 10,000 vehicles carrying parts and materials cross the bridge between Detroit and Windsor every weekday. Continue reading →

Posted in AutoInformed Editorial, economy, engineering, environment, labor issues, manufacturing, news, news analysis, people, Trump Truth Tests | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tesla Cybertrucks Recalled For Bad Adhesives

Posted on 21 March 2025 by Ken Zino

Tesla is recalling more than 46,000 2024 and 2025 model-year Cybertrucks, according to documents made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The ironically named “cant rail,” a stainless-steel exterior trim panel, can de-laminate and detach from the vehicle creating a road hazard for other vehicles. (Cant railings are not Elon Musk’s and other DOGE defenses flying about although they create truth hazards that could harm the U.S. model year 1788 vehicle known as the Constitution – AutoCrat) Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, AutoInformed Editorial, customer satisfaction, engineering, manufacturing, news analysis, quality, recalls, safety, Trump Truth Tests | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trump Tariffs – His Next Economic Catastrophe

Posted on 4 March 2025 by Ken Zino

Shoot from the lip President Trump, aka Calamity Donald, today imposed tariffs of 25% across North America disrupting the North American auto market that has thrived on 30 years of free trade. Any new tariffs in place for any significant length of time will be disruptive. The tariffs at 25% are significantly higher than the profits made by the automakers and their suppliers. It is widely – if not universally – held by economists that this is an economic disaster. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, AutoInformed Editorial, economy, fools 'n frauds, manufacturing, news analysis, prices, sales, transportation, Trump Truth Tests | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Musk and Bezos Freeloading on Taxpayer Subsidies

Posted on 26 February 2025 by Ken Zino

Elon Musk, who is leading efforts to cut spending he alleges is wasteful, has himself benefited from more than $38 billion in government funding, according to a just-published exposé in the Washington Post. The Washington Post used Good Jobs First’s Subsidy Tracker to help tell the story of just how much companies controlled by Musk have received, according to a release today from the respected Good Jobs First (GJF) organization. Continue reading →

Posted in AutoInformed Editorial, fools 'n frauds, news, news analysis, people, Trump Truth Tests | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Significant 2024 Automotive Stories and Trends

Posted on 1 January 2025 by Ken Zino

Once again at the beginning of 2025 AutoInformed notes – matter-of-factly – that its vision is 20-20 on the consequences of long past occurrences. However, in the here and now our perception is cloudy. We do not have the advantages of historians re-assessing events years later with help from other news outlets, blogs, letters, memoirs, magazines and whatever new forms of expressed thought emerge. Thus far the most valued revisions and nuanced interpretations appear in books and essays after more documents and perspectives surface from the players or perpetrators engaged in them. These are not yet available, and under Trump 2.0 they would likely be banned anyway. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, AutoInformed Editorial, car sharing, connected vehicles, economy, environment, fools 'n frauds, global warming, labor issues, manufacturing, marketing, news, news analysis, sales, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Greetings from the White House Diplomatic Reception Room

Posted on 25 December 2024 by Ken Zino

“The holidays have always held a special place in our hearts, and we’ve loved opening the doors of the People’s House wider and wider each year, continuing the spirit of goodwill and gratitude. America’s story is your story, and we hope you feel at home here,” said the President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. Continue reading →

Posted in AutoInformed Editorial, milestones, news, news analysis, people, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Fourth of July 2024 – March to the Spirit of 1776

Posted on 4 July 2024 by Ken Zino

These ideas that they were – in the course of human events  – ultimately fighting for in our following War of Independence were bigger than the despots, Redcoats, Hessians and other mercenaries deployed against us. We overcame this oppression and the Divine Right of Kings against long odds. Continue reading →

Posted in AutoInformed Editorial, concept, fools 'n frauds, people | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Chinese EV Trade War Commences

Posted on 14 May 2024 by Ken Zino

The Biden Administration has announced today that it will increase tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 passed overwhelmingly under the Republican President Gerald Ford administration on $18 billion of imports from China to protect American workers and businesses.

“The President’s actions reflect the conclusions of U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai’s mandatory four-year review that China continues to engage in unfair practices, such as forced technology transfer and restrictions and intellectual property theft from U.S. companies,” media were told on a background briefing by National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard and Senior Administration Officials. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, AutoInformed Editorial, blog, economy, electric vehicles, fuel economy or emissions, manufacturing, milestones, news analysis, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

April 20 – aka 420 – Marijuana Impaired Driving is Illegal

Posted on 20 April 2024 by Ken Zino

Today being 420 for stoners,* AutoInformed says don’t believe that marijuana won’t affect your driving. Driving impaired by any substance—alcohol or other drugs, whether legal or illegal—is against the law in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Continue reading →

Posted in AutoInformed Editorial, distracted driving, people, public health, safety, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Petroleum Equivalency Factor Change Slows EV Adoption

Posted on 20 March 2024 by Ken Zino

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final greenhouse gas and criteria pollutant rules for light-duty vehicles covering model years 2027-2032 is about to be to be announced. It’s part of a tangled maze of regulations from multiple federal and state agencies affecting automakers and ultimately consumers in the US, often referred in shorthand as CAFE – corporate average fuel economy.

In the latest development, The Department of Energy last year proposed decreasing the so-called “petroleum-equivalent fuel economy factor” (PEF) for EVs by 72% in 2027. The Petroleum Equivalency Factor expresses electric vehicle efficiency as equivalent-miles-per-gallon of gasoline for purposes of the EPA’s calculation of manufacturers’ compliance with NHTSA’s CAFE regulations. DOE is responsible for establishing the value of the PEF. With a final rule, issued yesterday,  the PEF will be established for model years beginning in 2027. It slows forcing EV adaption, and in AutoInformed’s view this is a good thing. Continue reading →

Posted in alternative fuels, AutoInformed Editorial, blog, economy, electric vehicles, energy, engineering, environment, fuel economy or emissions, global warming, labor issues, manufacturing, milestones, news analysis, public health | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bidenomics and the State of the Union

Posted on 8 March 2024 by Ken Zino

Once again President Biden took on the failed economic polices of the party of no hope, aka Republicans, and the former mis-administration disaster that he inherited in his State of the Union address last night. Nowhere is the contrast between good public policy and the republican politics of hate more evident than the ongoing recovery from the pandemic.

During an inspiring campaign speech that lasted more than an hour, Biden addressed – among other things – our economy. “I came to office determined to get us through one of the toughest periods in our nation’s history. And we have. It doesn’t make the news but in thousands of cities and towns the American people are writing the greatest comeback story never told. … America’s comeback is building a future of American possibilities, building an economy from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down, investing in all Americans to make sure everyone has a fair shot … I inherited an economy that was on the brink,” Biden said. Continue reading →

Posted in AutoInformed Editorial, blog, customer satisfaction, economy, environment, financial results, labor issues, manufacturing, news analysis, public health, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Significant 2023 Automotive Stories and Trends

Posted on 1 January 2024 by Ken Zino

Our aspirations of becoming a more useful part of our society comprised of “We the People” is under daily news-cycle assault with an insurrection of can’t do characters and their apologists and power-hungry enablers who are our enemies within. They are the greatest threat to our upwardly mobile, inclusive democratic society. These illiterate book banners and burners are threatening our genuine American optimism and can-do past that still propels the best of us to keep moving forward with or without drums and fifes. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, AutoInformed Editorial, connected vehicles, economy, electric vehicles, energy, environment, fuel economy or emissions, global warming, people, public health, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fossil Fuel Phase Out or Cop Out at COP28?

Posted on 15 December 2023 by Ken Zino

Nations at the COP28 United Nations Climate Conference in Dubai approved this week a roadmap for “transitioning away from fossil fuels,” a first for a UN conference. However, the agreement is without any apparent way to enforce it. Worse, in the view of the many, many critics of the United Nations actions or lack thereof on planet-killing Climate Change, it did not clearly call for an end of using oil, coal and gas. The latest edition of the annual UN climate conference had been running in Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates, since 30 November. UAE of course is a major producer of fossil fuels and used the conference lobbying among attending countries to further its own self-interests, according to critics. Clearly we need to do better, much better. Continue reading →

Posted in alternative fuels, AutoInformed Editorial, electric vehicles, environment, fools 'n frauds, global warming, news analysis, public health, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Unifor Stellantis Agreement Good for All Workers in Transition

Posted on 30 October 2023 by Ken Zino

“After a short strike throughout the night Unifor has reached now a tentative agreement with Stellantis. The deal came about around 7:00 AM this morning, after bargaining throughout the night. And yes, as you can tell all of those here are tired, but also very, very proud of the work that we’ve done for Canadian auto workers. ” said Unifor National President Lana Payne said late this afternoon at a hotel in Toronto. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, AutoInformed Editorial, customer satisfaction, economy, environment, labor issues, manufacturing, milestones, mobility company, news analysis, people, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ford Thoughts on the UAW Strike at Kentucky Truck Plant

Posted on 12 October 2023 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor executives tonight presented their version of the latest developments in the 2023 UAW contract negotiations with a notable and commendable change in tone from the initial Ford response last night. Continue reading →

Posted in AutoInformed Editorial, blog, economy, labor issues, manufacturing, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment