Category Archives: news analysis

Le Mans 2018 – Wrecks, Pit Stops, Safety Car – Pick Winners. Toyota Finally Wins P1 After Years of Breakdowns with a Record 388 Laps.

Toyota Gazoo Racing claimed a 1-2 result, with Fernando Alonso winning at his debut at one of the world’s most famous endurance races. The Spaniard – who together with Kazuki Nakajima and Sébastien Buemi – drove hard throughout the 24 hours in this second round of the FIA WEC Super Season. Continue reading

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U.S. Newspapers Continue to Decline in Readership, Employment, Revenue

Despite overall declines in newspaper circulation, digital circulation rose for some national newspapers. In recent years The (not failing) New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post have not fully reported their digital circulation to AAM, the group that audits the circulation figures of many of the largest North American newspapers and other publications. Continue reading

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U.S. Space Exploration Essential for Climate Monitoring

More than half of Americans say they would not be interested in going into space, citing cost, fear, and age or health concerns. * Therefore, an expanded definition of the automakers quest to transform into mobility companies does not include to go where no man has gone before at this time. Continue reading

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SoftBank Vision Fund to Invest $2.25 B in GM Cruise

The SoftBank Vision Fund investment will be made in two phases. At the closing of the transaction, the Vision Fund will invest the first tranche of $900 million. At the time that Cruise AVs are ready for commercial deployment, the Vision Fund will complete the second tranche of $1.35 billion. Continue reading

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CARB OKs Plan to Mitigate Harm from Volkswagen Diesel Defeat Devices. Heavy-Duty Vehicles to Get Clean Technology

“This is a landmark moment in the saga of Volkswagen’s environmental violations,” said CARB Chair Mary D. Nichols. “Over the next 10 years this plan will put in place not only tools to clean up VW’s excess emissions, but also to help achieve further reductions of smog-forming pollution for decades to come.” Continue reading

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Software Lightens Hardware

The new design technology provides significantly more vehicle mass reduction and parts consolidation opportunities that – it’s said – cannot be achieved through traditional design optimization methods. Continue reading

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U.S. Memorial Day Travel Primed to be a Near Record

INRIX, an analytics company, expects travel delays on major roads could be up to three times longer than normal, with the busiest days being Thursday and Friday (May 24-25) as commuters mix with holiday travelers. Continue reading

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Ecstasy and SUVs – Rolls-Royce to Launch Cullinan Tomorrow

Perhaps Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, should consider a brand name change to RR Vehicles – hardly engrossing, but now accurate. RRMC currently sells super-expensive automobiles, including the Phantom, Ghost, Wraith and Dawn range of models. Continue reading

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Failing Grade for Ford Motor Q1 Earnings

This promised 8% Automotive Operating Margin is normally obtained or surpassed by offshore automakers year in, year out. It gets worse when you consider Ford Motor costs have grown as fast as revenue; Grimmer still when capital spending has grown even faster. Continue reading

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Fewer Believe the Internet is Positive for Society

Those who were less positive offer a wider range of reasons. No single issue stands out. Some 25% of those who gave less-positive answers argued that the internet isolates people and encourages users to spend too much time with devices. Some 16% said the prevalence of fake news or false information was the reason for their belief that the internet was having a negative impact; 14% cited the effect of the internet on children, and 13% argued that it encouraged illegal activity. Just 5% expressed privacy concerns or worries about sensitive information being available online. Continue reading

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Diesel Truck Brokers Busted in California

Diesel trucks are among California’s biggest sources of air pollution. Because they are so durable, they can operate for decades and belch significant amounts of diesel pollution along the way. Continue reading

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Genesis Launches G70 Sedan in Russia

The trade wars – ongoing negotiations, threats and reversals of Trump Administration hard-line positions – sometimes within day – may or may not affect the Russian car market. Add the North Korean nuclear weapons standoff with the U.S. – a major Hyundai and Kia market – along with The Trump Administration’s withdrawal from the trans-Pacific trade pact, and a stalemate or checkmate against Hyundai in multiple markets is possible. Continue reading

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50 Mayors, 11 States to Defend +50 MPG CAFE Standard

In a statement like the American Revolution’s Declaration of Independence, local leaders are rejecting a corrupt central government out of touch with the people – one that instead is beholden to special interests, big oil, and big money for campaigns to keep the corruption and tyranny ongoing. Continue reading

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Monthly Sales Reports Die as GM Shifts to Quarterly Updates

“Thirty days is not enough time to separate real sales trends from short-term fluctuations in a very dynamic, highly competitive market,” said Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president, Sales Operations. Continue reading

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April Fools – Aston Martin Project Sparta

Project Sparta, which has been engineered in parallel with the brand’s upcoming DBX SUV, is set to wreak havoc in the Monster Jam series starting in 2019, taking on some of the world’s biggest names including Grave Digger, Big Kahuna, Ice Cream Man and Jailbird. Continue reading

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