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- Silverado and GMC HD Pickups Recalled for Sudden Stalling
- Windshield Wiper Failures – Ford Motor Recalls 605,000 SUVs
- Jeep Wrangler Finally Fixes Crash-Test Tipping
- Acura and Honda to Export U.S. Made Vehicles to Japan
- BMW Group Plant Spartanburg Largest U.S. Auto Exporter
- IIHS Pushing for Optimal State Safety Belt Use Laws
- Volvo Cars to Increase EX60 SUV Production to Meet Demand
- Volvo Cars – 2.5 Million Software Upgrades Are Now Free
- Annals of Marketing – Goodyear Vault Online Debuts
- Ganassi Racing’s Palou Rules 2026 NTT IndyCar Start
- Ford Transit Brake Failure Recall
- GM Canada Walks Together on Coldest Night of the Year
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- Porsche Motorsport Daytona Victory on Daytona 24 Hours – Old and New Stars Getting Ready to Run
- UAW Ford Department Director VP Laura Dickerson on Trump's Ford Plant Visit on Whitmer Stands in Stark Contrast to Trump at Detroit Auto Show
- Ken Zino on Ford Fuel Injector Leak Recall Now at ~694,000
- Laverne Oliver on Ford Fuel Injector Leak Recall Now at ~694,000
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Category Archives: connected vehicles
More Green Economy Jobs Coming to Michigan
Four economic development projects in Southeast Michigan representing~ $55 million in capital investment and 167 jobs in Wayne and Oakland counties were announced today by Governor Gretchen Whitmer. 3E Nano Inc, dba NxLite is a company providing nano-thin energy and solar control coatings for the polymer, glass, and window industries. Robert Bosch LLC., part of the Bosch Group intends to create a Regional Hydrogen Research and Development Hub at the company’s Farmington Hills headquarters. Envergia recovers minerals and metals from recycling of industrial lithium-ion and EV batteries. Software company dSPACE.
“Today, we are investing in advanced manufacturing companies across Southeast Michigan to create 167 good-paying jobs and build on our work to grow Michigan’s economy,” said Governor Whitmer. “From battery recycling to software testing to research and development, we are bringing good-paying, high-tech jobs home to Michigan, creating opportunities for our workers and securing the automotive supply chain.” Continue reading
Posted in auto news, connected vehicles, economy, electric vehicles, energy, engineering, environment, manufacturing, milestones, news analysis, shows and events, transportation
Tagged 3E Nano Inc, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, David Mather, Ken Zino, MEDC, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan Strategic Fund, NxLite, Peter Tadros, robert bosch, X @KenAutoinformed
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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer Defends Auto Industry
“To grow Michigan’s economy and fight for the auto industry, I’ll work with anyone who’s serious about solving problems in Lansing or DC,” said Governor Whitmer. “Right now, there’s an ongoing, global competition between Michigan, China, and other states to build the future of the auto industry. To make sure we win, we need commonsense, bipartisan tools that create good-paying jobs and bring supply chains home. We must also find a fiscally responsible, sustainable solution to fix the damn roads work with our Canadian neighbors to ensure tariffs don’t lead to higher costs for families and businesses. Together, let’s create Michigan jobs, fix Michigan roads, and grow Michigan’s economy. The road ahead is bright, so let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work.” Continue reading
Posted in auto news, awards, connected vehicles, economy, electric vehicles, engineering, environment, labor issues, manufacturing, marketing, news, news analysis, people, shows and events
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, detroit auto show, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, HIRE Michigan, Ken Zino, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Rebuilding Michigan bond plan, Road Ahead Address, road funding, Trump-Proposed Tariffs, Whitmer-Gilchrist administration, X @KenAutoinformed
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Census Bureau – Varying Veteran Employment Outcomes
The U.S. Census Bureau today released an expanded version of Veteran Employment Outcomes (VEO), an experimental data product showing earnings and employment outcomes for veterans of the U.S. armed forces.
“Coverage includes labor market outcomes one, five and 10 years after discharge, by military occupation, rank, demographics, industry and geography of employment. Among the findings, veterans with more specialized military training and work experience had higher civilian earnings and employment rates than infantry and combat veterans,” Census said. Continue reading
Posted in connected vehicles, economy, labor issues, news, news analysis, people, shows and events
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Ken Zino, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Defense, Veteran Employment Outcomes, X @KenAutoinformed
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New Tesla Recall for Bad Computers
Tesla, Inc. is recalling ~240,000 2024-2025 Model 3, Model S, 2023-2025 Model X, and 2023-2025 Model Y vehicles because a computer circuit board may short circuit, according to documents made public today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“On a small percentage of affected vehicles, upon vehicle power up, a reverse current may cause a shorting failure on the car computer board, resulting in the loss of rearview camera functionality,” Tesla said in the mandatory safety defect recall filing. Continue reading
Posted in connected vehicles, customer satisfaction, electric vehicles, electronics, engineering, manufacturing, news analysis, quality, recalls, safety, software recalls
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, elon musk, FMVSS 111 rear visibility, Ken Zino, NHTSA 25V002 or 25V-002, Tesla recall SB-25-00-001, Tesla Recalls, X @KenAutoinformed
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Significant 2024 Automotive Stories and Trends
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 auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Biden Administration, George Santayana, industrial policy, Ken Zino, Trump 2.0, X @KenAutoinformed
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BMW i Ventures Buys into Phoenix Tailings
BMW i Ventures announced today an investment in Phoenix Tailings, a inventive metals production company dedicated to creating a zero-waste, zero-emission future. The Series B financing, which was led by Envisioning Partners and included additional participation from Yamaha Motor Ventures and Escape Velocity, will enable Phoenix Tailings to scale its rare earth processing operations to produce ~200 tons of rare earth metals annually. The output can be used in electric motor magnet , batteries, semiconductors – among other applications.
Phoenix Tailings says it was “founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts to transform how critical metals are produced – metals essential to the technologies that power modern society.” The nascent firm was heavily subsided by U.S. taxpayers via the United States Departments of Energy and Defense, as well as the State of Massachusetts. With the monies, Phoenix Tailings secured initial off-take agreements, validated its technology to process mining waste, and hired a team of workers to make the metals. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, car sharing, connected vehicles, economy, electric vehicles, electronics, environment, global warming, insurance, manufacturing, milestones, news, shows and events
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, BMW i Ventures, electric motor magnets, Escape Velocity, Ken Zino, Nick Myers, Phoenix Tailings, US taxpayer subsidies, X @KenAutoinformed, Yamaha Motor Ventures
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GAC Honda Automobile Plant Starts Making EVs
Honda Motor (China) Investment Co., a wholly-owned Honda subsidiary in China, announced today that GAC Honda Automobile Co., Ltd. (GAC Honda), a Honda automobile production and sales joint venture in China, began operation of its newly-constructed plant for new energy vehicle (NEV) production, named the Development District NEV Factory. The new factory is located in the Guangzhou Economic and Technological Development District in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China. Under communist Chinese industrial policy 50% of the JV is owned by GAC.
The latest NEV production plant has state of the art production equipment to achieve a highly efficient, smart, and low-carbon production system. The stamping and welding processes completely eliminated logistics personnel by automating parts logistics. AI-based welding strength inspection was adopted for the first time at any Honda plant. In the assembly process, approximately 30% of the entire process is automated to achieve a highly efficient production line. Continue reading
Posted in connected vehicles, economy, electric vehicles, environment, global warming, manufacturing, news analysis, public health
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Chinese EV trade wars, Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment, GAC Honda Automobile, Guangdong Province, Ken Zino, X @KenAutoinformed
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Hyundai to Give Free NACS DC EV Adapters
Starting in the first quarter of 2025, current and new Hyundai EV owners* who have purchased or leased their vehicle on or before 31 January 2025 will be able to request a free NACS adapter (shipping included) through the MyHyundai owner portal, the Korean company said today. The 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 is the first non-Tesla vehicle on sale to have a factory-installed native NACS port. [footnote 1] Adapters will also be available for purchase through Hyundai authorized dealers. Continue reading
Posted in connected vehicles, electric vehicles, global warming, news analysis
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, CCS-port ready Hyundai models, DC fast charging stations, Genesis, Hyundai EV drivers, Ken Zino, Olabisi Boyle, X @KenAutoinformed
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Nissan and Honda Sign Integration MOU!
Nissan Motor Co. (7201T. NSANY ADR) and Honda Motor Co. (NYS: HMC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to start discussions and considerations toward a business integration between the two companies through the establishment of a joint holding company. In effect this will be the merger of the two companies with Honda as the stronger member so to speak given Nissan’s perilous operating results. It also raises questions about the continuance of Honda’s business ventures with General Motors.* What it does potentially do is create the world’s third largest automaker with potential annual sales of ~8-9 million, behind Toyota and struggling Volkswagen.
AutoInformed opines that as with all such complex multi-national corporate mergers, the details at the outset and more importantly in the final agreements and their implementation are key to its success. Given the twists and turns of the road and diverse corporate cultures of the participants – where there are no balance sheet entries – this is an endurance race that makes the 24 hours of Le Mans look like a 30-second TV spot. It also likely makes the venture subject to US SEC regulations, including form 4F and forward looking statements. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, car sharing, connected vehicles, economy, electric vehicles, engineering, manufacturing, marketing, milestones, mobility company, news analysis, people, shows and events
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, carlos ghosn, General Motors and Honda, Honda Motor Co and Nissan Motor Co integration MOU, Ken Zino, Makoto Uchida, Nissan Mitsubishi, Toshihiro Mibe, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Form F-4, X @KenAutoinformed
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EU Car Sales Weak Again in November
During November 2024, new EU car registrations fell by 1.9%. France led with a sharp 12.7% decline, followed by Italy (-10.8%), while the German market (0.5%). stagnated slightly [read AutoInformed on November Western European Car Sales Up]* Among the four most significant EU markets, only Spain recorded positive growth (6.4%), according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, aka ACEA derived from its French name.**
“Eleven months into 2024, new car registrations remained stable (+0.4%), reaching 9.7 million units. While the market in Spain performed positively (+5.1%), declines were witnessed in France (-3.7%), Germany (-0.4%), and Italy (-0.2%),” ACEA said in its monthly sales release. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, car sharing, connected vehicles, economy, insurance, manufacturing, marketing, news analysis, results, sales, shows and events
Tagged acea, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, EU Car Sales November 2024, European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, Ken Zino, X @KenAutoinformed
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Supply Chain Resilience – U.S. DOT Four-Year Review
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today released a four-year review of the Supply Chains for the Transportation Industrial Base– a new assessment of progress made strengthening supply chains. It’s part of the White House Council on Supply Chain Resilience, which when t was established in January 2021 saw America’s supply chains in poor shape from the COVID-19 pandemic and decades of under-investment.
“In less than four years, we’ve gone from supply chain disruptions unlike anything we’ve seen in peacetime, to much higher levels of resiliency and reliability. That work has helped make it possible to move record levels of cargo in and out of the U.S., bring shipping costs down, and ensure essential goods arrive on time,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, car sharing, connected vehicles, economy, manufacturing, news, news analysis, transportation
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Biden-Harris Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force, Freight Logistics Optimization Works, Ken Zino, Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy, Republican government shutdowns, supply chain resilience, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, X @KenAutoinformed
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CarMax FY Q3 Net Profit Up 1.2%
CarMax (NYSE: KMX) today reported results for the third quarter ended November 30, 2024. Total gross profit of $677.6 million increased by 10.6% year-over-year (YoY) because of higher volumes and margins. Gross profit per retail used unit was $2306, in line with the prior year’s Q3. Gross profit per wholesale unit was $1015, up $54 per unit. Extended Protection Plans (EPP) margin per retail unit of $573, was an increase of $53.
“I am pleased with the positive momentum that we are driving across our diversified business model. Our solid execution and a more stable environment for vehicle valuations enabled us to deliver robust EPS growth driven by increases in unit sales and buys, solid margins, growth in CAF income, and ongoing management of SG&A,” said Bill Nash, president and chief executive officer. Continue reading
US Auto Sales Forecast Trump Bump or Bumpy 25?
The experts at Cox Automotive said today that the U.S. Automotive forecast for 2025 is likely positive with what they termed the Goldilocks economy – not too hot nor too cold but just right.
“Instead of a slowing economy, we have a stabilizing economy and most importantly, a stabilizing labor market,” said the estimable Jonathon Smoke Cox, Automotive chief economist. “We can stop fretting about a soft landing and acknowledge we’ve navigated restrictive rates, slowing job growth and increasing unemployment. But as we end 2024, momentum is back on our side. And the labor market is expected to remain at full employment,” said Smoke. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, car sharing, connected vehicles, economy, electric vehicles, manufacturing, marketing, news analysis, sales, shows and events
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Charlie Chesbrough, Jonathon Smoke, Ken Zino, Stephanie Valdez Streaty, X @KenAutoinformed
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Toyota Slashes 2025 Electric Vehicle Prices $6000
Toyota said today in Plano Texas that the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price* (MSRP) for the 2025 bZ4X is $6000 lower for the XLE grade and $5380 lower for the Limited grade.** The 2025 bZ4X also adds a new Nightshade edition, making it the first-ever Toyota Nightshade BEV. There is more standard driver assistance technology on the Limited grade, including Traffic Jam Assist, Lane Change Assist, and Front Cross Traffic Alert.
“For drivers thinking about going all electric, the Toyota bZ4X just made the choice even easier,” Toyota said. “With a smooth, quiet ride, and an EPA estimated range rating of up to 252 miles on FWD models, the bZ4X is a great value for drivers that want a BEV from a trusted brand. For 2025, that value starts at an MSRP of $37,070 on the XLE FWD grade, a reduction of nearly 14-percent. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, car sharing, connected vehicles, electric vehicles, environment, global warming, marketing, news analysis, shows and events
Tagged 2025 bZ4X Nightshade edition, 2025 Toyota bZ4X, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Ken Zino, X @KenAutoinformed
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Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency Executive Order
“This Executive Order establishes the Department of Government Efficiency to implement the President’s DOGE Agenda, by modernizing Federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America,” President Trump said yesterday “it is hereby ordered (read AutoInformed.com on: New DOGE Scorecard Announced to Track Trump) Continue reading →