Category Archives: electric vehicles

Kia Niro Recalls for Air Bags or Seat Belts

Posted on 27 January 2025 by Ken Zino

Dealers will inspect, replace and reroute the floor wiring assembly, as necessary, free of charge as required by long-standing Federal safety regulations. In addition, dealers will install wiring covers. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed 14 March 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia’s number for this recall is SC332. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to nhtsa.gov about NHTSA 25V024. Continue reading →

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First Look – 2026 Model Cadillac LYRIQ-V

Posted on 24 January 2025 by Ken Zino

Cadillac is adding a significant model to its high-performance V-Series family with the 2026 Cadillac LYRIQ-V – the first-ever all-electric V-Series performance vehicle. Cadillac- estimates it has 615 horsepower and 650 lb.-ft . (880 Nm) of torque, which deliver a Cadillac-estimated 0-60 time of 3.3 seconds with Velocity Max. This makes it the quickest Cadillac ever starting at $79,990. The timing is unfortunate given Trump’s emerging trade and economic policies that likely will negatively affect Lyric’s prospects in the U.S., Canada and globally. LYRIQ-V will also be sold in the Australia, New Zealand, as well as other markets to be announced. Production starts early 2025 at General Motors’ Spring Hill Manufacturing plant in Tennessee. Continue reading →

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Pre-Trump US Q3 EV Sales Set All Time Record

Posted on 23 January 2025 by Ken Zino

During Q3 of 2024, automakers sold 408,688 electric vehicles (EVs include battery, plug-in hybrid, and fuel cell electric vehicles) in the United States, meaning 10.6% of overall light-duty vehicle sales. This represents a 0.6 percentage point (pp) market share increase compared to the second quarter of 2024 amounting to an increase of ~22,000 vehicle sales. Simply put this makes EV Sales volume in Q3 the highest on record according to data released today by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade and lobbying group for automakers. Continue reading →

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More Green Economy Jobs Coming to Michigan

Posted on 17 January 2025 by Ken Zino

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 →

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First Look – 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid

Posted on 16 January 2025 by Ken Zino

Subaru of America today announced the new 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid. The third-generation Subaru Crosstrek returns with a hybrid model for 2026 in the fall of 2025, equipped with a next-generation Subaru series-parallel hybrid system, a high-capacity lithium-ion battery and standard Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive. Continue reading →

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Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer Defends Auto Industry

Posted on 15 January 2025 by Ken Zino

“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 →

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New Tesla Recall for Bad Computers

Posted on 13 January 2025 by Ken Zino

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 →

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First Look – Elaphe Sonic.1 Performance EV Motor

Posted on 8 January 2025 by Ken Zino

Elaphe debuted a high-performance front-wheel in-wheel motor (IWM), dubbed Sonic.1, at CES 2025. Sonic 1 it’s – claimed – is a drop-in performance upgrade for ICE and BEV vehicles where it was previously not possible to fit additional drives.

“The integration of the Sonic.1 in-wheel motor (IWM) directly into the wheel not only optimizes space and weight, but also contributes to a more controllable wheel. 20-times greater wheel control enables increased vehicle performance in acceleration, stability and braking. Furthermore, Sonic.1 design enables easy integration into existing and new supercar models. It enables significant design improvement opportunities, from aerodynamics, to component placement and styling,” Elaphe said. Continue reading →

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Honda 0 Saloon and Honda 0 SUV Protypes Debut

Posted on 7 January 2025 by Ken Zino

Honda today held the world premiere of the first two models in the company’s new 0 Series line of battery electric vehicles at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show. The so called Honda 0 SUV and Honda 0 Saloon(sedan in U.S. car speak)  use the 0 as a reference to emissions levels and their SAE Level 3 eyes-off autonomous driving – not as seems appropriate here to the amount of styling that went into the boxes. Production models based on both prototypes will launch in North America in 2026 followed by global markets. Both will initially be built at the Honda EV Hub in Ohio. Continue reading →

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EV Market Stays as Customer Satisfaction Leader

Posted on 7 January 2025 by Ken Zino

The 2024 Car Buyer Journey (CBJ) Study by Cox Automotive* published today shows record highs in new-car buyer satisfaction, driven by advancements in digital tools helping seamlessly integrate online and in-dealership activities. This seamless integration – an omnichannel buying experience  in industry jargon – saves time, reduces repetition and ultimately improves satisfaction with the overall car-buying journey. The 2024 CBJ also highlights the growing satisfaction among electric vehicle (EV) buyers, who are once again leading the way in satisfaction during the car-buying process. Continue reading →

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Mazda to Make its First Pure EV in Hiroshima

Posted on 6 January 2025 by Ken Zino

Mazda Motor Corporation said today in Hiroshima that it will build a new module pack plant for automotive cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. The new plant will produce modules and packs of automotive cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells procured from Panasonic Energy Co. The completed battery packs will be installed in Mazda’s first battery EV that uses a dedicated EV platform and will be manufactured at Mazda’s Hiroshima plant. The annual production capacity is planned to be 10 GWh. Continue reading →

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Ford Motor Battery Fire Recalls – Escape and Corsair Hybrids

Posted on 6 January 2025 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor (NYSE: F) is recalling 20,484 Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair SUVs from model years 2020 to 2024 because of defective batteries, according to documents made public today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high-voltage battery cells used in the compact hybrid vehicles may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure. The supplier is Samsung SDI Hungary. Ford has  been aware of the safety defect since September of 2024.* The high voltage cell’s separator layer between its cathode and anode may be susceptible to damage as a result of the cell manufacturing process. Separator damage may result in a cell internal short circuit leading to sudden power loss and battery fires. Continue reading →

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BMW 2024 U.S. Sales Up Slightly

Posted on 4 January 2025 by Ken Zino

“This is a fantastic result, which is a direct reflection of the BMW brand’s strength and superior product line-up. U.S. customers really love our ‘Ultimate Driving Machines’ – regardless of drivetrain – which fueled sales growth of both ICE and BEV vehicles,” said Sebastian Mackensen, President & CEO, BMW of North America. Continue reading →

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GM 2024 U.S. Sales 2.7 Million

Posted on 3 January 2025 by Ken Zino

GM claimed it had a strong 2024 today in a social media post saying, GM expanded overall U.S. sales by 4%, to 2.7 million vehicles, its highest total since 2019. GM estimates its 2024 U.S. market share at 16.5%.

“We finished the year with inventory of about 54 days, meeting our target. All of our brands -Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac – posted strong sales gains. For the fourth quarter, sales were up 21% from the year-earlier period,” said Rory Harvey, GM executive VP and president of global markets. “How did we do it? By investing to have the best portfolio in the industry. We have something for everyone, no matter what they like to drive.” Continue reading →

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Volkswagen ID.4 Stop Sale Lifted After Recall

Posted on 3 January 2025 by Ken Zino

The long-delayed availability of new parts once again allows existing vehicles in dealer stock to be sold. Assembly of ID.4 will resume in Volkswagen’s Chattanooga, TN, factory in the coming weeks. “Owners have been advised that the affected parts can be replaced,” Volkswagen said. Year-over-Year, ID.4 sales at ~17,000 during 2024 dropped -55%. Continue reading →

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