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Category Archives: electric vehicles
Stellantis Sells NextStar Energy Canadian Battery Plant
NextStar Energy was established as a joint venture by the two companies in 2022 to build Canada’s first large-scale battery manufacturing facility in Windsor, Ontario, NextStar Energy’s facility is one of Canada’s most advanced manufacturing venture in the clean-energy sector. At its inception it was said to support Canada’s long-term industrial competitiveness. More than $CAD 5 billion has been invested in the facility to date, and it employs over 1300 employees, with a long-term target of 2500 employees as it scales to full production. [ That was before the Trump Administration’ war on Global Warming disregarding its planet threatening consequences – AutoCrat. ] Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, connected vehicles, electric vehicles, energy, manufacturing, news, news analysis
Tagged auto industry commentary, AutoInformed news, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Ken Zino of AutoInformed, Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com writing as AutoCrat, LG Energy Solution, NextStar Energy, Trump Administration, X @KenAutoinformed
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Stellantis €22.2B Charges. Dividend Cancelled. Stock Tanks
Stellantis N.V. (NYSE: STLA. STLAM.MI) on Friday announced a vast overhaul of its business and as it prepares for the communication of its new strategic plan in May of this year. In a release it claimed that “it has conducted a thorough assessment of its strategy and related costs required to align the Company with the real-world preferences of its customers.”[Translation – STLA is hemorrhaging cash and will take charges and add debt while it tries to return to profitability. The capital markets did not take a wait and see view. STLA dropped ~24% by the time the markets closed – AutoCrat] Continue reading
Posted in auto news, economy, electric vehicles, financial results, labor issues, manufacturing, mobility company, news analysis, results
Tagged Antonio Filosa, auto industry commentary, AutoInformed news, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Citroën C3 Aircross and C5 Aircross, dodge charger, Fiat 500 Hybrid, Fiat Grande Panda, Ken Zino of AutoInformed, Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com writing as AutoCrat, NYSE: STLA. STLAM.MI, Ram 1500, Stellantis N.V., X @KenAutoinformed
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Volvo Cars Posts a -44% Group Earnings Drop in 2025
“Our actions in 2025 have set us on a path to return to growth. We are confident of our long-term strategy and clear direction of travel,” said Håkan Samuelsson, President and Chief Executive. During 2025, Chinese-owned Volvo Cars sold more than 710,000 cars, 46% of them electrified. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, economy, electric vehicles, engineering, environment, financial results, manufacturing, marketing, news analysis, results, sales
Tagged auto industry commentary, AutoInformed news, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Geely Holding, GEELY.UL, Håkan Samuelsson, Ken Zino of AutoInformed, Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com writing as AutoCrat, Volvo Cars, Volvo Cars Q4 and full year 2025 Financial Results, X @KenAutoinformed
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Milestones – 40 Years for BMW Group Plant Regensburg
BMW Group Plant Regensburg* posted a a new production record of 356,901 vehicles during 2025, making it the BMW Group’s highest-volume car plant in Europe. Since the plant opened in 1986, 8.7 million vehicles have rolled off its production line.
“With this record production, we not only reached a new all-time high in the plant’s 40-year history but also – as in the previous year – helped the BMW Group’s German plants build more than one million vehicles again in 2025,” said Plant Director Armin Ebner. “For 40 years, the plant has been a central development powerhouse for the eastern Bavarian region. “Continuous and consistent efforts to increase our competitiveness remain the key to our success. Every single day in Regensburg, we demonstrate that competitive production is possible in Germany,” said Ebner. By implementing efficiency measures within its production system, BMW Group Plant Regensburg has lowered costs by more than a quarter since 2019. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, economy, electric vehicles, manufacturing, milestones, mobility company, news analysis, shows and events, transportation
Tagged Armin Ebner, auto industry commentary, AutoInformed news, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, bmw 3-series, BMW Group Plant Regensburg, BMW X1 series, BMW X2 series, eastern Bavarian region, Ken Zino of AutoInformed, Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com writing as AutoCrat, Neutraubling, X @KenAutoinformed
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Fires – Volkswagen Group of America Recalls 2023-2025 ID.4s
Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 2023-2025 model year ID.4 vehicles because the high-voltage battery may overheat and cause a fire. Two companies are involved in the safety defect recall of ~44,000 vehicles. Volkswagen supplied the software (BMCe Software); SK Battery America supplied the battery cell modules. [Owners should park outside. – AutoCrat]
“Defective high-voltage battery cell modules may overheat, increasing the risk of a fire. A joint analysis with the supplier has not led to a clear root cause determination despite extensive cell module and vehicle data analysis. Nevertheless, current analysis results show that certain deviations at the supplier of the battery modules may result in self-discharge,” Volkswagen said in the required safety defect recall filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this morning. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, customer satisfaction, electric vehicles, manufacturing, news analysis, public health, quality, recalls, software recalls
Tagged 2023-2025 ID.4 fire recalls, auto industry commentary, AutoInformed news, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Ken Zino of AutoInformed, Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com writing as AutoCrat, Volkswagen battery fire recall 93EA, Volkswagen Group of America, X @KenAutoinformed
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EVs Outsell Internal Combustion Vehicles in EU!
EV sales outsold internal combustion vehicles in EU during December 2025, according to data published today by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. Notably, Tesla at 150,504 dropped -38% for the year. Chinese maker BYD at 128,827 posted a 228% increase. [aka ACEA at AutoInformed after its original French name].* EV sales for the full year amounted to 17.4% of the European market. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, economy, electric vehicles, environment, fuel economy or emissions, global warming, manufacturing, marketing, milestones, news analysis, public health, results, sales, transportation
Tagged acea, auto industry commentary, AutoInformed news, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Chinese maker BYD, Death of the diesel, European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, Ken Zino of AutoInformed, Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com writing as AutoCrat, tesla, X @KenAutoinformed
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January 2026 U.S. Auto Sales Forecast Down
“January is historically the lowest volume sales month of the year and is also historically the least indicative of full-year sales performance. Nevertheless, January opens 2026 with a modest performance with retail sales expected to increase by 1317 units compared to a year ago,” said Thomas King, president of OEM solutions at J.D. Power. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, economy, electric vehicles, environment, global warming, manufacturing, marketing, news analysis, results, sales
Tagged auto industry commentary, AutoInformed news, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, David Oakley, GlobalData, j.d power, J.D. Power and GlobalData, January 2026 U.S. Auto Sales, Ken Zino of AutoInformed, Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com writing as AutoCrat, Thomas King, Tyson Jominy, X @KenAutoinformed
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Volvo EX60 Mid-Size SUV Debuts
Volvo Cars* today revealed the all-electric Volvo EX60 mid-size SUV. This is Chinese owned Volvo Cars’ first entry in the largest electric segment globally.** In theory this allows it to substantially increase its addressable market and electric market share. [Sales … Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, connected vehicles, electric vehicles, engineering, environment, marketing, mobility company, new vehicle, news analysis, shows and events
Tagged auto industry commentary, AutoInformed news, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Geely Holding, Håkan Samuelsson, HuginCore, Ken Zino of AutoInformed, Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com writing as AutoCrat, NVIDIA and Qualcomm Technologies, Volvo SPA3 platform, X @KenAutoinformed
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First Look – the 2027 E-Z-GO Liberty
Textron E-Z-GO (NYSE: TXT) today announced the next generation of its g E-Z-GO® Liberty™ vehicle for the 2027 model year. It’s said to be redesigned from the ground up to offer an unparalleled ride in a neighborhood or on the golf course.* Liberty will be available as a street-legal “low-speed vehicle,” or LSV, meeting the federally required FMVSS 500 and voluntary SAE J2358 standards, with a maximum speed of 25 mph and the qualifications to travel on most public roads with posted speed limits of 35 mph or less. E-Z-GO Liberty will be available this summer from E-Z-GO authorized dealers. Continue reading
Posted in electric vehicles, marketing, new vehicle, transportation
Tagged android auto, apple carplay, auto industry commentary, AutoInformed news, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, E-Z-GO ELiTE series vehicles, Ken Zino of AutoInformed, Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com writing as AutoCrat, Samsung SDI lithium battery technology, Textron E-Z-GO, X @KenAutoinformed
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Corvette ZR1X Runs 8.675-Second Quarter Mile
The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, the most advanced and expensive Corvette ever, is the quickest American production car available – and the fastest way to get down a quarter-mile drag strip for under a million dollars.
“Testing on the ZR1X culminated in October 2025 with validation at US 131 Motorsports Park – reflective of the real-world environments where Corvette customers exercise their vehicles. On a prepped surface, the ZR1X completed the quarter mile in 8.675 seconds at 159 mph(see footnote 1), on pump gas, using standard-equipment tires and production 50-state street-legal engine calibration, and achieving a 0-60 mph time of 1.68 seconds (1) on the same run. The ZR1X blasted to 60 mph in less than 100 feet, generating a peak of 1.75G of acceleration force,” Chevrolet said. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, electric vehicles, engineering, marketing, milestones, news analysis, performance, racing
Tagged auto industry commentary, AutoInformed news, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, Ken Zino of AutoInformed, Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com writing as AutoCrat, LT7 V8 engine, Stefan Frick, US 131 Motorsports Park, X @KenAutoinformed, ZTK Performance Package
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Porsche Sales Drop 10% in 2025
Porsche made the debatable claims that it re-positioned itself in 2025 and made forward-looking strategic product decisions. The delivery mix in 2025 offered combustion-engined, plug-in hybrid, and fully electric cars. In 2025, 34.4% of Porsche cars delivered worldwide were electrified (+7.4 percentage points), with 22.2% being fully electric and 12.1% being plug-in hybrids.
“This puts the global share of fully electric vehicles at the upper end of the target range of 20 to 22% for 2025. In Europe, for the first time, more electrified cars were delivered than pure combustion-engined models (57.9% electrification share), with every third car being fully electric. Among the Panamera and Cayenne models, plug-in hybrid derivatives lead European delivery figures. At the same time, the combustion-engined and T-Hybrid 911 set a new record with 51,583 deliveries worldwide,” Porsche said. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, electric vehicles, marketing, mobility company, news analysis, results, sales
Tagged auto industry commentary, AutoInformed news, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Ken Zino of AutoInformed, Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com writing as AutoCrat, Matthias Becker, P911.DE, X @KenAutoinformed
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Park Outside – 2025 Volvo EX30 Battery Fires
“The recall population is determined by the first and last vehicles that were produced with a high voltage battery from the Shandong Geely Sunwoda Power Battery Company in China. The start of production with these cell variants began on 6 September 2024, and ended on 25 October 2025. Vehicles produced after 25 October 2025 do not have the high voltage battery cell deviation. This recall affects certain model year 2025 EX30 vehicles,” Volvo said in the mandatory safety defect filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this morning. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, customer satisfaction, electric vehicles, manufacturing, quality, recalls, safety
Tagged auto industry commentary, AutoInformed news, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Ken Zino of AutoInformed, Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com writing as AutoCrat, Shandong Geely Sunwoda Power Battery Company, Volvo Car NHTSA recall 26V103 or 26V-103, Volvo Car NHTSA Recall Number 26V001 or 26V-001, Volvo Car recall R10355, Volvo Car USA recalls, X @KenAutoinformed
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Ford Motor Posts 2025 Loss of $8.2B on Record Revenue
Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) today announced its disappointing Q4 and full-year 2025 financial results. Q4 and full-year revenue reached $45.9 billion and $187.3 billion, respectively. This was the fifth consecutive year of full-year revenue growth. However, Q4 and full-year net losses of $11.1 billion and $8.2 billion, respectively, reflected impact of special items, some of them such as Trump tariff chaos and a shortage of aluminum because of a supplier fire were largely out of Ford management’s control.
“Ford delivered a strong 2025 in a dynamic and often volatile environment,” claimed Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO. “We improved our core business and execution, made significant progress in the areas of the business we control – lowering material and warranty costs and making real progress on quality – and made difficult but critical strategic decisions that set us up for a stronger future. Moving forward, we’ll continue building on our strong foundation to achieve our target of 8% adjusted EBIT margin by 2029.” Continue reading →