Category Archives: news analysis

GM Woes Continue with New Recalls and Legal Actions

Posted on 22 September 2014 by Ken Zino

Troubles for GM and its shareholders continue because of new legal and product quality developments. Late last Friday a U.S. Judge in New York ruled that plaintiffs could request documents related to accidents, injuries and lost vehicle value associated with … Continue reading →

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August US Auto Sales Up as Detroit Loses Share

Posted on 15 September 2014 by Ken Zino

The bad news for Detroit supplicants and the UAW came from the fact that offshore brands took a 56.5% share of the August auto market, up from 55.9% last month and 53.8% in June. Continue reading →

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GM Throws Technology Gauntlet – V2V Cadillacs in 2 Years

Posted on 8 September 2014 by Ken Zino

GM’s CEO Mary Barra said yesterday that GM would offer vehicle-to-vehicle communication, V2V in that awful techie jargon, as well as vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, and ultimately, fully autonomous driving starting two years from now in a 2017 model Cadillac CTS. Continue reading →

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Dark Money at $50 Million. Congress Bought by Unnamed Interest Groups

Posted on 28 August 2014 by Ken Zino

The OpenSecrets Blog and the Center for Responsive Politics reported today that political spending by non-disclosing or secret political non-profit lobbying funds, aka dark money groups, has reached $50 million, a record at this point in the election cycle. Continue reading →

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Chinese Students Out Spend US Ones

Posted on 26 August 2014 by Ken Zino

Average price paid by Chinese students for new car tops $52,000 wih cash purchases at31.8%, the opposite of non-Chinese students at the same schools Continue reading →

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Legal Woes at Porsche Continue

Posted on 26 August 2014 by Ken Zino

The so-called Higher Regional Court of Stuttgart will try two former executive board members of Porsche Automobil Holding SE in the aborted takeover caper where Porsche attempted to win control of the Volkswagen Group. Continue reading →

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FAA Warning on Syria as US remains Ensnared in Conflict

Posted on 18 August 2014 by Ken Zino

There is no question the ongoing armed conflict and volatile security environment in Syria poses a serious threat to civil aviation. Continue reading →

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Chinese Government Accusing Automakers of Price Gouging

Posted on 18 August 2014 by Ken Zino

Reports coming out of China from a state news agency say the government in Jiangsu Province found Mercedes-Benz guilty of antitrust price gouging. Continue reading →

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FAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Sites in Place

Posted on 18 August 2014 by Ken Zino

The unmanned planes represent the latest government and/or private industry assault on personal privacy. If you think speeding cameras are bad, wait a couple of years. They also pose a real safety threat to other aircraft, and depending on how you cut the statistics they are up to 300 times more likely to crash than small, manned aircraft that are currently used for surveillance and traffic enforcement. Continue reading →

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Stronger New Vehicle Sales to Weaken Used Prices?

Posted on 4 August 2014 by Ken Zino

The continued recovery of new US vehicle sales might result in some price cuts in used rides for the first time since 2008 when the Bush Administration’s Great Recession took hold. The economy is still hurting and the US labor force participation rate and long term unemployment are disgraceful, no matter what the ‘no jobs’ Obama Administration claims. Continue reading →

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Toyota Bests VW and GM as largest Automaker at 2014 Half

Posted on 1 August 2014 by Ken Zino

Toyota Motor Corporation retained its Number One global sales lead over a formidable and expanding Volkswagen Group by selling 5.1 million vehicles through the first two quarters of 2014. Continue reading →

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Delphi Ducks Senate Bullet over GM Ignition Tragedy. Part Number Red Herring as Industry doesn’t Always Change Them

Posted on 22 July 2014 by Ken Zino

Normally, suppliers are resentful over the credit original equipment automakers take for all the work they do. Not in the case of the deadly GM ignition switch, where Delphi – the supplier of the switch – was finally called upon to testify in front of the Senate last week. Continue reading →

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New VW SUV Goes to Chattanooga. UAW forms a Local. Further State Subsidies in Anti-Union South in Doubt?

Posted on 14 July 2014 by Ken Zino

In a compromise that involves the formation of a UAW local, Volkswagen Group has announced that its new midsize SUV will the built in Chattanooga starting at the end of 2016. The expansion was held up over the lack of a union and a works council structure that exists in every other VW plant in the world. State and local officials – including the Governor and Senior Senator – threatened to withhold subsidies if a union was formed for the expansion that doubles the workforce to 4,000. Continue reading →

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AFL-CIO, ETUC Release Principles for TransAtlantic Trade Deal

Posted on 14 July 2014 by Ken Zino

However, critics say provisions threaten the environment, decrease food safety, allow financial institutions to escape regulation that could prevent another global meltdown, drive down wages, and give up US sovereignty in many legal areas, including labor commitments. In the auto sector, it gives European luxury carmakers a free pass to keep importing cars into the US at a time when more manufacturing jobs are desperately needed. Continue reading →

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Anti-Green Aviation Industry Finally Getting the Lead Out

Posted on 10 July 2014 by Ken Zino

The general aviation industry through trade groups, airplane and engine makers, as well as members of Congress who fly has fiercely resisted doing anything about this destructive and toxic use of lead in so-called 100 low lead fuel (100LL) going back to the last century. Continue reading →

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