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Category Archives: engineering
Tidbits – Leaf, Marchionne, Volt, Politics, Rust, Electronics
Nissan has re-opened “reservations” for the 2012 Nissan Leaf electric vehicle in Delaware, Indiana, Louisiana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. Deliveries will begin next spring. Nissan LEAF is now available for order in 30 states, including Washington, D.C. National … Continue reading
Milestones: GM Builds 100 Million Small Block V8 Engines
GM also announced Tuesday that the fifth-generation small-block under development will feature a new direct-injection combustion system that will help enhance efficiency over the current-generation engine. Chevrolet now sells more four-cylinder engines than V8s, and the traditional powerplant of Detroit cars and trucks is threatened with extinction as fuel economy and emission regulations become more stringent. Continue reading
GM Will Lend Cars to Concerned Chevrolet Volt Owners as NHTSA Volt Battery Fire Investigation Continues
General Motors announced Monday that any Volt owner concerned about safety can contact his or her Volt advisor to arrange for a free GM vehicle loan until resolution of the issue. A letter to Volt owners will go out today. The aggressive customer satisfaction move came after the National Highway traffic safety Administration announced on Friday that it would open a preliminary evaluation of Volt battery assemblies after NHTSA test results caused electrical fires up to three weeks after an initial vehicle New Car Assessment Program side pole crash test. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, customer satisfaction, electric vehicles, engineering, fuel economy or emissions, marketing, new vehicle, news, news analysis, results, transportation
Tagged auto informed, auto news, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, chevrolet volt, GM, Ken Zino, nhtsa, volt battery fires, zino
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Chevrolet Volt Earns 5 Stars in Euro NCAP with No Battery Fires. GM Announces Volt Export Plans to China Next Year
At the same time the National Highway Traffic safety Administration was preparing to announce that a formal investigation had begun over Chevrolet Volt battery fires, the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) released its latest results, which gave the Opel Ampera a top 5-star rating. The Ampera is a virtual clone of the Chevrolet Volt.
Posted in auto news, economy, electric vehicles, engineering, environment, news, news analysis, safety
Tagged auto informed, auto news, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, chevrolet volt, euro ncap, gm china, iihs, Ken Zino, nhtsa, volt, volt exports, volt fires, zino
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Toyota Recall Active on 420,000 Lexus and Toyota V6 Models
Toyota Motor Sales today announced that it will conduct a safety recall involving approximately 283,200 Toyota and 137,000 Lexus vehicles to replace the crankshaft pulley on the V6 engine. No other Toyota or Lexus vehicles or these Toyota models with 4 cylinder engines are involved. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, engineering, manufacturing, news, recalls, safety
Tagged auto informed, auto news, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, Avalon, Camry, es 350, highlander, highlander hybrid, Ken Zino, lexus, lexus recalls, nhtsa, recalls, rx 350, rx 400h, safety recall, sienna, solara, toyota, toyota recalls, zino
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GM Airbag Recall Active for All 2008-2009 Pontiac G8 Models
GM is recalling all model year 2008-2009 Pontiac G8 vehicles because the front occupant can be harmed in crash. The GM airbag recall is prompted by head injury criteria (hic) measurements that far exceed the limits imposed by U.S. regulations. More than 38,000 vehicles are involved in the U.S. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, engineering, news, recalls, safety
Tagged auto informed, auto news, auto recalls, auto safety, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, gm airbag recall, Ken Zino, news, nhtsa, pontiac airbag recall, recalls, zino
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U.S. Automakers Push for Single EV Fast Charging Standard
Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche and Volkswagen agreed to support a harmonized single-port fast charging approach for use on electric vehicles in Europe and the United States. Noticeably absent thus far is Nissan, arguably the leader in EV’s along with Alliance Partner Renault. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, electric vehicles, engineering, environment, news analysis, transportation
Tagged acea, auto informed, auto news, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, electric cars, eu electric cars, european commission, ev charging, ev recharging in north america, EVs, Ken Zino, north american evs, zino
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More Jobs to China as GM Will Develop a New Global Engine Family with SAIC and Pan Asian Technical Center
General Motors will develop an all-new global family of small-displacement “Ecotec” gasoline engines over the next several years in China in conjunction with the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC), Shanghai General Motors (SGM) and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC). Continue reading
Posted in auto news, economy, engineering, labor issues, manufacturing, news analysis
Tagged auto informed, auto news, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, china, GM, gm engines, Ken Zino, saic, zino
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Volkswagen Recall for Leaking Diesel Engine Fuel Lines Active
A Volkswagen recall is now active for leaking fuel lines on Jetta, Golf and Audi A3 vehicles. The 2-liter TDI diesel engine is susceptible to a resonance that cracks the number two cylinder fuel line. The resonance is caused by the operation of the EGR system, which decreases emissions of nitrous oxides, a particular problem with diesel engines. More than 168,000 VW and Audi cars are affected by the fuel line safety defect, which because of the high pressure fuel system makes the cars susceptible to fires if the fuel line fails. Continue reading
NHTSA Probes GM Electric Power Steering Sudden Failure
Complicating matters for General Motors is the EPS system used in those vehicles is the same as that used in 2005 -2010 model year Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 models. In March of 2010, GM recalled more than 1 million of them to fix a defect with the EPS assist motor. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, engineering, news analysis, recalls, safety
Tagged auto informed, auto news, auto safety, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, Chevrolet Cobalt, chevrolet malibu, electric power steering failures, electric power steering sudden failures, Ken Zino, nhtsa, odi, Pontiac G5, safety defects, Saturn Ion. Pontiac G6, steering defect investigation, zino
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General Motors to Debut World’s First Center Airbag in 2013
A GM analysis of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System database (FARS) found that far-side impact crashes accounted for 11% of the belted front occupant fatalities in non-rollover impacts between 2004 and 2009. Also implied in the data GM looked at is that much more work remains to be done on interior design, including seat belts that don’t hold an occupant laterally, the now ubiquitous center consoles that are causing serious and fatal injuries, and the seat itself, which allows deadly movement. With intense engineering, some of these problems could be dealt with by passive solutions, which could be far less expensive than adding another airbag to every new vehicle. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, engineering, new vehicle, news analysis, safety
Tagged 2013 gm crossovers, airbags, auto informed, auto news, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, Buick Enclave, center airbag, Chevrolet Traverse, fars, gm airbags, GMC Acadia, iihs, Ken Zino, nhtsa, zino
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NHTSA Ups Scrutiny of Failing Chrysler Minivan Headlights
According to NHTSA, the minivan headlights randomly shut off and remain dark on Town & Country and Dodge Caravan minivans. More than 600,000 vehicles are potentially affected according to a NHTSA filing. Continue reading
2012 Cadillac SRX Dries Wet Brakes Automatically
Building on ESC technology, Cadillac has announced that 2012 SRX SUVs will use its electronic stability control (StabiliTrak) to automatically dry wet brakes. This is not as frivolous as it may seem on first glance: data that predates Hurricane Irene, the U.S. Department of Transportation says 620,000 crashes on the nation’s roadways in 2009 or 10% occurred in the rain. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, engineering, new vehicle, safety
Tagged 2012 crossovers, auto dry brakes, auto informed, auto news, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, crossovers, esc, Ken Zino, rain brake assist, srx cadillac stabilitrak, stability control, suv rollover deaths, wet brakes, zino
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Amerigon Gets Taxpayer Funds for Thermo Energy Recovery
Amerigon will share the $8 million grant with project partners including Ford, BMW of North America, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)/California Institute of Technology, and Faurecia Emissions Controls Technologies. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, energy, engineering, environment
Tagged amerigon, auto informed, auto news, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, bmw taxpayer subsidies, d.o.e funded auto research, Daniel coker, department of energy grants, doe grants, energy recovery, ford taxpayer subsidies, Ken Zino, taxpayer subsidies, thermoelectric generator, zino
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Milestones: 100 Millionth Chevy Small Block to be Built in 2011
From 1929 and 1955, Chevrolet only offered six-cylinder engines – in spite of Ford Motor’s runaway success with the Flathead V8 introduced in 1932, and Oldsmobile’s Rocket V8 of 1949. Chevrolet chief engineer Ed Cole set out to design a V8 that was powerful, lightweight and affordable. Continue reading
