Category Archives: news analysis

General Motors to Invest €4 Billion in Loss-Making Opel

Posted on 10 April 2013 by Ken Zino

GM has lost more than $18 billion in Europe since 1999, including $1.8 billion in 2012. GM also wrote down more than $5 billion in assets in the Eurozone, and it wrote off more than half the value of its PSA Citroën stock (-$220 million) acquired latest year in what GM said at the time was a collaboration that would, eventually, save billions. Nothing was really new in today’s speeches. Continue reading →

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U.S. Trade Deficit with Korea Highest on Record under FTA

Posted on 3 April 2013 by Ken Zino

The U.S. trade deficit with South Korea reached its highest level in history just ten months into the controversial trade agreement, according to the latest data released by the U.S. International Trade Commission. During January the deficit with South Korea was at -$2.4 billion — the largest monthly deficit with Korea on record. Continue reading →

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Offshore Brands Increase U.S. Sales and Share During March

Posted on 3 April 2013 by Ken Zino

U.S. vehicle sales of 1.45 million cars and light trucks during March made it the strongest month since 2007 as the Federal Reserve continued to print money and credit flowed freely. In spite of an ongoing recovery in pickup truck sales from the Detroit Three with gasoline prices roughly 30 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, offshore brands, led by the Asians increased their market share to 55.3% compared with 53.4% in February and 54.4% in January. This represented sales 803,554 vehicles from offshore nameplates, up from 636,912 in February and 567,313 units in January. Continue reading →

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Horses for Courses – GM’s Small Block V8 Versus Ford and Ram

Posted on 1 April 2013 by Ken Zino

This debatable engineering philosophy gained some credibility today when GM revealed that the 2014 Silverado and Sierra pickups with the 5.3-liter V8 engine – the most popular engine – will be rated at an EPA estimated 23 mpg highway. The trucks also have better fuel economy and higher load capacity at a maximum of 11,500 pounds than the 2013 model Ford EcoBoost V6, an expensive approach that uses two turbochargers and intercooling, among other tweaks. Ram is using a 5.7-liter double overhead camshaft multivalve V8 linked in its best version to an 8-speed automatic, and is rated at 20 mpg. Continue reading →

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2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Pickups Top F-Series and Ram in Fuel Economy with EPA 23 MPG Highway for V8

Posted on 1 April 2013 by Ken Zino

In a one-two punch, Chevrolet and GMC announced the best fuel economy of any V8 pickup for the 2014 Silverado and Sierra models at EPA estimated 23 mpg highway. The trucks also have better fuel economy and higher load capacity at a maximum of 11,500 pounds than the 2013 model Ford EcoBoost V6. Continue reading →

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EPA Proposes Stricter Emissions Standards, Lower Sulfur Fuel. Big Battle between Oil and Auto Industries Coming over Tier 3

Posted on 29 March 2013 by Ken Zino

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed new standards for vehicles and fuels that are the strictest in the history of the agency. EPA said the regulations would reduce both tailpipe and evaporative emissions from passenger cars, light-duty trucks, medium-duty passenger vehicles, and some heavy-duty vehicles. Continue reading →

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Scientists Urge Strong Government Policies to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Develop Alternative Fuels. Caveats Abound

Posted on 21 March 2013 by Ken Zino

The study was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Not surprisingly, it also calls for “strong government policies to overcome high costs and influence consumer choices.” Continue reading →

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Opel Union Members in Germany Vote Down Labor Deal

Posted on 21 March 2013 by Ken Zino

Today, IG Metall union member employees of Adam Opel AG in Bochum voted against a revised labor agreement that would have offered their location some long-term jobs while cutting others. Since Opel management at the loss making GM subsidiary previously said that no further negotiations on the proposed labor agreement will take place, the production of the Zafira Tourer and the exclusion of compulsory separations will run out by the end of 2014. Continue reading →

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March U.S. Auto Sales Forecast Up 8%. Six-Year Loans at Record Levels

Posted on 21 March 2013 by Ken Zino

Part of the reason for increasing sales appears to be the direct result of the U.S Treasury continuing increase in the money supply by running government printing presses non-stop in an attempt to keep the economy expanding. As a result, easy credit has returned to the marketplace. Customers also appear to be ignoring, if not mocking, the dire predictions of crisis, tragedy and collapse by bickering politicians in Washington. Continue reading →

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President Obama Calls for $2 Billion Energy Security Trust Using Fossil Fuel Development Taxes to Wean U.S. from Oil and Gas

Posted on 20 March 2013 by Ken Zino

Leaving aside the controversy over President George W. Bush’s plan to do so under the flawed Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which mandates ethanol that apparently is now adding $1 per gallon to the price of gasoline, the question remains is this just Washington politics from an Administration whose approval rating is dropping or sound national policy? Continue reading →

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Volkswagen Group Posts Record Profit of €11.5 Billion in 2012

Posted on 16 March 2013 by Ken Zino

Volkswagen Group’s sales revenue increased by 20.9% to €192.7 billion ($252 billion) in fiscal year 2012 a sizable gain from €159.3 billion in 2011. Operating profit rose to a record €11.5 billion, but this was only a slight increase from €11.3 billion the year before. Continue reading →

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Henrik Fisker Out at Fisker Automotive, the Firm He Co-Founded

Posted on 13 March 2013 by Ken Zino

Fisker Automotive announced today the resignation of its Executive Chairman, Henrik Fisker who in turn said there were disagreements with the oft-changing management team, which had three different CEOs during 2012. Fisker, a car designer by trade, had been executive chairman of the hybrid electric car company that he helped found in 2007. Continue reading →

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Customer Satisfaction Up at U.S. Dealer Service Departments

Posted on 13 March 2013 by Ken Zino

The CSI rankings are based on dealer service performance during the first three years of new-vehicle ownership, which typically represents the majority of the vehicle warranty period. After the warranty expires, dealerships traditionally have little chance of getting maintenance work as more than two thirds of customers then resort to independent repair shops and mass merchandiser tire, transmission, brake and muffler chains. Continue reading →

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Volkswagen to use CO2 as Air Conditioning Refrigerant

Posted on 12 March 2013 by Ken Zino

The Volkswagen Group is developing air conditioning systems that use CO2 as the refrigerant. Currently automotive air conditioners, depending on age, use R12, which is banned because of global warming effects, R134a, a replacement for R12, which is also now being phased out for its role in global warming, and its replacement R1234yf, which apparently poses safety threats. Continue reading →

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Volkswagen Group to Cut CO2 emissions to 95 g/km by 2020

Posted on 12 March 2013 by Ken Zino

In the ongoing battle of the green press releases, Volkswagen Group has restated its strategic goal of becoming the world’s most “environmentally sustainable” automaker by 2018. The announcement was originally made a year ago when VW Group undertook an ecologically oriented restructuring designed to coordinate responses to increasingly tough global regulations covering vehicles and how they are made and recycled. Continue reading →

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