Category Archives: marketing

EVs Outsell Internal Combustion Vehicles in EU!

Posted on 27 January 2026 by Ken Zino

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 →

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Volvo Car Financial Services Extends BoA Deal

Posted on 27 January 2026 by Ken Zino

Volvo Car Financial Services (VCFS) and Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) today announced the extension of their long-standing relationship to provide auto loan and lease origination, financing, and servicing for Volvo Cars customers and Volvo Cars’ 280 U.S. retailers.* The collaboration, which began in 2012, will now continue through 2030. Continue reading →

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Tesla, Toyota Top Power 2026 U.S. ALG Residual Value Awards

Posted on 26 January 2026 by Ken Zino

“Strong wholesale retention, solid brand value and a disciplined approach on rental fleet and incentives propelled Toyota to the top spot among mainstream brands,” said Danny Battaglia, managing director of ALG customer success at J.D. Power. “Toyota topped six segments for 2026, including a four-peat for GR Supra and five-peat for Tundra. Meanwhile, Tesla avoided the high incentives of other luxury battery electric vehicle brands in 2025. That helped earn it the top rank among luxury brands with the highest performers in three segments–including the refreshed Model Y, which included introduction of a lower-priced base version and additional content on mid-level trims.” Continue reading →

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January 2026 U.S. Auto Sales Forecast Down

Posted on 23 January 2026 by Ken Zino

“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 →

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First Look – 2026 Mercedes-AMG F1 W17 Racer

Posted on 22 January 2026 by Ken Zino

The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team today unveiled the first images of its 2026 car, the Mercedes-AMG F1 W17 E PERFORMANCE. Race drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, at the carbon fiber wheel of the W17, completed 67 laps of the Silverstone 2.979 km circuit, combining for almost 200 km of total mileage. The 2026 season inarguably the biggest technical revamp in the sport’s history, with all-new chassis, Power Unit, and fuel regulations. 

“Formula One will undergo significant change in 2026, and we are prepared for that transition. The new regulations demand innovation and absolute focus across every area of performance. Our work on the new car, and the long-term development of the Power Unit and advanced sustainable fuels with PETRONAS, reflects that approach” said Toto Wolff, Team Principal & CEO. Continue reading →

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Volvo EX60 Mid-Size SUV Debuts

Posted on 21 January 2026 by Ken Zino

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 →

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First Look – the 2027 E-Z-GO Liberty

Posted on 21 January 2026 by Ken Zino

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 →

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Corvette ZR1X Runs 8.675-Second Quarter Mile

Posted on 19 January 2026 by Ken Zino

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 →

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Daytona 24 Hours – Old and New Stars Getting Ready to Run

Posted on 19 January 2026 by Ken Zino

Cadillac Racing completed a three-day test at the “Roar Before the 24” at last weekend’s sessions  prior to the running of the 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona this weekend in a twice-around-the-clock race on the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway road course. Cadillac’s cars were first and third fastest in an early session, with a Porsche in between.

No big deal, though. First, with 20 overall victories by Porsche race cars, four additional wins as an engine manufacturer and one noteworthy  triumph in 1959, Porsche is inarguably the most successful manufacturer running sports car endurance races where the drivers have to know how to turn right as well as left. Added to this are more than 40 class victories at the famous 24-hour classic in Florida.** The Porsche Penske Motorsport factory team aims to continue this success. The Top Ten GTP cars were only separated by ~1 second when practice ended. Continue reading →

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Cadillac Formula 1® – Checo Perez Completes First Track Laps

Posted on 19 January 2026 by Ken Zino

A Cadillac Formula 1 Team Filming Day happened this past Friday at the Silverstone track in England. The team was at the  track during a pre-season promotional day as it continues preparations for its debut Formula 1® campaign during 2026. The car ran entirely in black at Silverstone, with the final 2026 Cadillac Formula 1® Team livery set to be revealed on Sunday 8 February 2026 , via a globally televised championship broadcast during the Australian Grand Prix. [Let’s hope black isn’t symbolic of the first season of real racing – AutoCrat.] Continue reading →

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Porsche Sales Drop 10% in 2025

Posted on 16 January 2026 by Ken Zino

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 →

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American Honda Forecasts 2026 Sales as Flat

Posted on 14 January 2026 by Ken Zino

American Honda (7267.T and NYSE: HMC) today outlined its 2026 U.S. automobile business outlook during its annual media briefing. It also showed a prototype of the Honda Base Station, a towable travel trailer developed by engineers and designers at its U.S. R&D centers. Basically, the Japanese company is going to focus on lower cost models with package and trim changes because of the affordability crisis that is an industry-wide problem.* [The briefing also underscored another industry trend, the decline of traditional auto shows since it occurred during a media preview day of the Detroit Auto Show. -AutoCrat] Continue reading →

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Ford Carhartt Partnership on Products, Workforce Expansion

Posted on 13 January 2026 by Ken Zino

“The multi-year strategic partnership is designed to create long-term impact in three critical areas for the Essential Economy: workforce development, community building and durable products that help strengthen and support the skilled trades,” said Jim Farley, Ford Motor Company CEO, and Linda Hubbard, Carhartt CEO. Continue reading →

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First Look – Cadillac Formula 1 Camouflaged Livery!

Posted on 13 January 2026 by Ken Zino

General Motors President Mark Reuss today revealed the Cadillac Formula 1® Team’s Special Edition testing livery at GM’s new global headquarters, the Hudson’s Detroit building. The livery will be used at the all-team Shakedown Week in Barcelona, Spain, 26 – 30 January, ahead of unveiling the final livery on February 8 at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. [Practice starts in Melbourne, Australia on March 6. So it’s unlikely the practice cars will be camouflaged enough to hide the racing configuration. Sponsorship logos may be lacking – AutoCrat?] The racing car of sorts will also be on display at the Detroit Auto Show until 25 January. Continue reading →

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Rolls-Royce – 2025 Trends, Innovations, and Achievements

Posted on 12 January 2026 by Ken Zino

“Our clients’ increasing interest and engagement in more ambitious commissions are realized in our joint pursuit of perfection. Every motor car is a singular expression of its owner’s vision, and together they reflect the spirit of innovation, craft, and cultural fluency that defines Rolls-Royce today,” said Chris Brownridge, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Continue reading →

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