Category Archives: marketing

GM to Federal and Ontario Governments – Oshawa Doomed

Posted on 15 January 2019 by Ken Zino

GM said it does not have a viable business case for production at Oshawa Assembly past the end of this year because of rapid changes in the North American car market, the cancellation of Oshawa products and persistent low utilization at the plant. Continue reading →

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Volkswagen and Ford Announce Alliance Without Cross Equity

Posted on 15 January 2019 by Ken Zino

The history of such industry collaborations is difficult and littered with road kill. The problem is whether the two global giants and hundreds of thousands of workers can walk in step together or stumble over each other. Continue reading →

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Chattanooga to Build US VW Electric Vehicles

Posted on 14 January 2019 by Ken Zino

Globally, Volkswagen Group plans to commit almost $50 billion (44 billion euros) through 2023 toward the development and production of electric vehicles and digital services. The Volkswagen brand alone has fore-cast selling 150,000 EVs by 2020 worldwide, increasing that number to 1 million by 2025. Continue reading →

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First Look – 2020 Explorer Adds More Driver-Assist Systems

Posted on 9 January 2019 by Ken Zino

Traditional virtues for a rear-wheel drive vehicle introduction might be overshadowed by added new smart technology that foreshadows Ford’s quest to produce and sell autonomous vehicles. Continue reading →

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Almost Showtime for the Last Winter Weather NAIAS

Posted on 7 January 2019 by AutoCrat

Next year the 2020 NAIAS moves to June, starting the week of the 8th. Continue reading →

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Ford Police Interceptor Claws Back the Profitable Business that Dearborn Abandoned by Killing the Crown Victoria in 2011

Posted on 6 January 2019 by Ken Zino

As of last year, The Explorer based Police Interceptor accounted for nearly two-thirds of police vehicle sales in the United States. The limousine business also abandoned when Ford Killed the Lincoln Town car is another losing matter. Continue reading →

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Ford Motor 2018 US Sales drop -3.5% to 2.5 Million. Cars at 486,000 dive -18%. Trucks Up Again

Posted on 3 January 2019 by Ken Zino

The continued stronger mix of trucks and SUVs at Ford Motor meant an expanded transaction pricing for another new record of $38,400 in December, a $1,600 increase compared to December last year. This outperforms the industry average of a $470 increase for the overall industry at $34,000 per vehicle. Continue reading →

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Toyota N. America Sales Flat in 2018. Truck Sales Set Record

Posted on 3 January 2019 by Ken Zino

For the year, TMNA reported sales of 2,426,672 vehicles, a -0.3% decrease on a volume basis and down -0.6 percent on a DSR basis. Continue reading →

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Hyundai Delivers First 2019 NEXO Fuel Cell SUV

Posted on 28 December 2018 by AutoCrat

Mr. Hochrad isn’t the typical automotive buyer. More than 15 years ago, he purchased his first hybrid car and over the years has driven dedicated electric vehicles as well. His new NEXO will deliver about five times the driving range of his first unnamed all-electric car. Continue reading →

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Mobility Company Capital Destruction. Latest German JV Attempts to Lessen Negative Effects on Shareholder Value

Posted on 28 December 2018 by Ken Zino

It’s just the latest example of the capital intensive, shareholder-value destroying transition to an ill-defined, but demonstrably expensive mobility company that all automakers are now pursuing. Continue reading →

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Arcimoto Get $4.5m to Make Golf-Cart Like EV

Posted on 27 December 2018 by Ken Zino

The financing, led by FOD Capital, LLC, included the purchase of 500,000 shares of Arcimoto’s common stock at a purchase price of $3.00 per share, as well as the issuance of a $3.0 million senior secured note, which bears 10% interest over a one-year term, and a warrant to purchase 942,857 shares of registered FUV common stock for $3.50 per share. Continue reading →

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Milk Run – McLaren 720s Spa 68 – a Three Car Set

Posted on 27 December 2018 by Ken Zino

The McLaren 720S Spa 68 Collection car is available from McLaren Brussels – two of the three are sold. Maybe more should have been built? Continue reading →

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Hyundai Motor Claims World’s First Smart Fingerprint Technology. Big Convenience or Electronic Big Brother?

Posted on 24 December 2018 by Ken Zino

To unlock the vehicle, the driver places a finger on the sensor located on the door handle. The encrypted fingerprint information will be identified and delivered to the fingerprint controller inside the vehicle. The driver can also easily start the vehicle by touching the ignition that is also equipped with a fingerprint scanning sensor. Continue reading →

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November Used Vehicle Prices Drop for Third Month

Posted on 24 December 2018 by Ken Zino

Some of the worst losses are in the luxury mid-size car segment, which has seen steady year-over-year declines since 2012. Prices for this segment are expected to decline by more than 7% annually. Continue reading →

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The GM Grinch that Stole Christmas, or Did It?

Posted on 22 December 2018 by Ken Zino

There will be a 15% reduction in GM’s salaried workforce, the closing of the Lordstown and Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plants in the US and the Oshawa complex in Canada in 2019. Baltimore Operations and Warren Transmission plants will also be shut down in 2019. The arrival of year-end auto sales data makes things clearer in the view of consultancy LMC. Continue reading →

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