Category Archives: news analysis

BMW i Ventures Announces Investment in Zūm

BMW i Ventures is the venture capital arm of BMW Group. It invests money and resources in startups in the fields of autonomous driving, digital car and automotive cloud, e-mobility, artificial Intelligence and data, industry 4.0, shared and on-demand mobility, customer digital life, and energy services. Continue reading

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Ford Shakes up European and International Markets as CFO Shanks Retires. Restructuring Continues as Stock Languishes

The more significant news, perhaps, is happening at Ford’s European money pit and its struggling International Markets Group. Peter Fleet, president of IMG, has announced his intention to retire. Fleet, 51, held leading in Ford marketing, sales and service, and business operations globally for nearly 30 years. Prior to the establishment of the International Markets Group, Fleet served as president of Asia Pacific, leading all of Ford’s operations and partnerships across the region. Previously, he was president of Ford ASEAN and vice president, Sales, Ford of Europe. Continue reading

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Michigan to Make First AVs, but Loses Ford Transit to Mexico

In a transparent attempt at spin – in AutoCrat’s view laughable and tragic – Ford is re-adding a second shift at Flat Rock. The plant will become the production home to vehicles from the company’s next-generation battery electric flexible architecture. These vehicles will follow, ahem, the all-electric performance SUV coming in 2020 from Ford’s Cuautitlan, Mexico plant. Continue reading

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CAR: Automated Driving Technologies Can Contribute to Healthcare Industry? Great…

The healthcare industry, in CAR’s view is one of the industries that could benefit. “The human factor in the automated vehicle system—either as a driver in the very early stages of the technology or as passengers in the fully automated vehicles—creates a critical opportunity for the healthcare industry to become active in the discussions around CAVs,” claims Zahra Bahrani Fard, Transportation Systems Analyst at CAR. Continue reading

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Gen 12 Corolla Rolls Off the Line at Toyota Mississippi

More than 2,000 people come together each day in Blue Springs to build the world’s most popular compact sedan – 46 million vehicles sold globally since its introduction in 1966 – for customers across the Americas and the Caribbean. Continue reading

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Damning SEC Charges on Volkswagen ‘Clean Diesel’ Fraud

2. Winterkorn and other VW executives were made aware of the defeat device as early as November 2007, during a meeting with VW engineers, to discuss the emissions problems with VW’s “clean diesel” vehicles. Continue reading

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SEC Charges Volkswagen, Ex CEO Winterkorn of Defrauding Bond Investors During “Clean Diesel” Emissions Scam!

It’s a wide-ranging indictment that could lead to complicated litigation, ruinous fines and settlements,  while prompting similar charges and litigation from other countries. As such it’s the latest nail in the diesel coffin. Volkswagen did not immediately respond to AutoInformed. Continue reading

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Fiat-Chrysler Recalls More Than 850,000 Passenger Vehicles

In most of the country the real news is that this is a voluntary recall. But in California, drivers who fail to get the necessary repairs will not be able to register their vehicles. NOx emissions in California are the most important contributor to ambient ozone and a key contributor to fine particulate matter pollution (PM 2.5) which is associated with premature death, asthma emergency room visits, increased hospitalizations due to exacerbation of chronic heart and lung diseases, and other serious negative health problems. There is also a corporate health problem in that the cost of the health defect will likely be material to financial results, thereby requiring an SEC filing. Continue reading

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JAXA and Toyota Agree on Future Mobility – a Lunar Rover

Mobility is necessary for human exploration activities on the lunar surface. Even with the limited amount of energy that can be transported to the moon, the pressurized rover would have a total lunar-surface cruising range of more than 10,000 km. Continue reading

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Trade Wars: FCA to Expand Production Capacity in Michigan

Given his vast international experience, Manley appears ideal to negotiate the choppy waters of ongoing and yet unknown trade wars and protect FCA’s investment of nearly $14.5 billion since 2009, with ~30,000 jobs created to date. All automakers are against Trump trade policy by twitter. Continue reading

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Millennials – Soon Largest Generation in US electorate

The growing gap by education is even more apparent when looking at annual household income of the elite. For households headed by Millennials ages 25 to 37 in 2018, the median adjusted household income was about $105,300 for those with a bachelor’s degree or higher, roughly $56,000 greater than that of households headed by high school graduates. The median household income difference by education for prior generations ranged from $41,200 for late Boomers to $19,700 for the Silent Generation when they were young. Continue reading

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HondaJet Sales First in Class for Second Consecutive Year

Honda Aircraft Company has changed its aircraft production line from the original HondaJet to the HondaJet Elite and will continue to offer the performance package developed by the Advanced Performance Modification Group (APMG) for the original HondaJet. The company expects to maintain production of four to five aircraft per month. Continue reading

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Ford Exits Heavy Truck Business in South America

Most of these pre-tax special item charges and cash outflows of 4460 million will be recorded in 2019 and are part of the $11 billion in EBIT charges with cash-related effects of $7 billion the company expects to take in the redesign of its global business. Continue reading

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Global Light Vehicle Sales Start New Year with a Whimper

A worrisome ghost dancing across AutoInformed’s screen is that 2019 began in a cowed manner in most major markets with the weakness that has been evident for several months continuing. Chinese LV sales were again the most influential for the global market, with another double-digit YoY decline. China of course us is enmeshed in a Trump tariff tirade. Continue reading

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Japanese-brand Automakers Generate 1.52 Million Jobs in US

It doesn’t estimate how many are lost to oversees manufacturing and imports. Thus, go the one-sided volleys in the ongoing automotive trade wars. Continue reading

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