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Category Archives: news analysis
EPA Ordered to Check State Plans Cutting Haze Pollutants
EPA initially issued a rule in 1999 requiring states to submit regional haze plans. These plans were due in December 2007. National Parks Conservation Association and other environmental groups sued the agency in August 2011 to take action on these plans. Today’s consent decree resolves the litigation. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, environment, fuel economy or emissions, litigation, news, news analysis, public health, results, transportation
Tagged air pollution, asthma, auto informed, auto news, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, epa, fine particle pollution, haze, Ken Zino, news, nitrogen oxides, regional haze plans, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds, zino
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Biofuels Now in Commercial Use at United and Alaska Airlines
The use of aviation biofuels looks promising since it was pushed forward by the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) established by the Federal Aviation Administration, which has been working to find sustainable fuels for airlines since 2006. As always the issues remain cost, and potential negative effects on global food supply. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, aviation, economy, environment, milestones, news, news analysis, transportation
Tagged alaska airlines, auto informed, auto news, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, aviation fuel, aviation news, biofuels, caafi, dot, faa, Ken Zino, news, synthetic fuels, united airlines, zino
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GM Moves Canadian Healthcare off Balance Sheet to Trust
This means that GM Canada is free from any obligations associated with the cost of providing retiree healthcare benefits for eligible CAW represented retirees, surviving spouses and dependents. In exchange, GM Canada will transfer C$0.8 billion in cash and issue C$1.1 billion of notes to the HCT.
In its Q2 earnings GM had obligations of $4.7 billion in debt, $5.5 billion in preferred stock (U.S. government owns 26.5% of GM), $10.8 billion in unfunded pensions, and $10 billion in other post-retirement employee benefits. It’s not clear how GM is going to fund these. It looks like issuing more common stock is not feasible given current share price of ~$24, far below the IPO price of $33 and its high of $39.48. GM will report Q3 earnings tomorrow. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, financial results, labor issues, news, news analysis, results
Tagged auto informed, auto news, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, canadian auto workers, caw, gm healthcare costs, hct, Ken Zino, news, results, uaw, veba, zino
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Honda Unveils new ASIMO Robot – World Debut of Autonomous Control – Production and Public Use Near?
Honda Motor Company today unveiled an all-new ASIMO humanoid robot equipped with what Honda claims is the world’s first autonomous behavior control technology. This means the all-new ASIMO can now continue moving without being controlled by an operator. In theory, with this improved artificial intelligence and the physical ability to adapt to situations, ASIMO is close to practical public use. How close production is remains to be seen. Continue reading
Toyota Loses ¥33 Billion in First Half FY 2012. Scraps Forecast
In North America – Toyota’s second largest market – vehicle sales totaled 689,000 thousand units, a decrease of 352,000 units compared to the same period last fiscal year. Operating income decreased by ¥84.4 billion to ¥61.5 billion, including ¥15.6 billion of valuation gains/losses on interest rate swaps. Operating income, excluding the impact of valuation gains/losses on interest rate swaps, decreased by ¥109.8 billion to ¥45.9 billion. Continue reading
GM China Sales Set October Record – Surpass U.S.
During October 2011, sales by GM in China surpassed 2 million, reaching 2,113,274 units – more than the 2,000,000 units it has sold in the U.S. ytd. Two of GM’s manufacturing joint ventures surpassed 1 million annual sales in China, with Shanghai GM’s sales totaling 1,009,536 units and SAIC-GM-Wuling’s sales coming in at 1,053,196 units. This was the earliest in their history that GM and its joint ventures reached these sales milestones. Continue reading
EPA to Study Hydraulic Fracturing Effects on Drinking Water
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced its final research plan on hydraulic fracturing, a controversial technique used to extract natural gas that critics maintain has a huge negative impact on the environment with costs passed on to the public by energy companies. Proponents of natural gas maintain that it is a cleaner fuel than oil, and the Federal government is subsidizing vehicles that use it. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, economy, environment, fuel economy or emissions, news, news analysis, transportation
Tagged auto informed, auto news, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, blueprint for a secure energy future, drinking water, energy, epa, hydraulic fracturing, Ken Zino, natural gas, president obama, zino
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The Film – Chevy 100, An American Story – Debuts in Detroit
Do not confuse this Chevy 100 infomercial with other serious documentaries sponsored by GM and produced by Ken Burns during his long association with the largest automaker in the U.S. Chevy 100 lacks an organizing theme – other than it’s time to sell more Chevrolets. Instead, Chevy 100 is comprised of sporadic observations along with snapshots of the history of the brand, supplemented with large amounts of quick-cut contemporary footage from collectors clubs and fawning owners. Be forewarned, you will not see the history of Chevrolet, or the history of the automobile in U.S.A. that Chevrolet is such a significant part of, given justice in this treatment. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, design and styling, fools 'n frauds, manufacturing, marketing, milestones, news, news analysis
Tagged auto informed, auto news, Autocrat, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, Chevrolet, chevrolet centennial, chevy 100, chevy 100 birthday, GM, gm bankruptcy, Ken Burns, Ken Zino, news, roger Sherman
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Ford Taking Orders for 2012 Focus Electric at $39,995
No lease is available, so a typical payment to buy – with $4,000 down for 48 months – is almost $800 per month at Ford’s 7% interest rate. The gasoline Focus starts at just over $17,000. This means that the sales volume of the EV will likely be limited to a few enthusiasts. And Focus Electric also faces tough competition from the Nissan Leaf, which can be leased for about $400 a month. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, electric vehicles, energy, environment, fuel economy or emissions, marketing, new vehicle, news, news analysis, prices, transportation
Tagged auto informed, auto news, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, chevrolet volt, chevy volt, electric vehicles, EVs, focus electric, Ford, hybrids, Ken Zino, leaf ev, news, Nissan leaf, taxpayer subsidies, zino
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Toyota to Export U.S.-Built Sienna to South Korea. FTA that UAW Supported, Also Helps Non-Union Plant Exports
The Korea FTA is opposed by all organized labor groups, except the United Auto Workers Union, which in the view of critics sold out organized labor for the promise that 75,000 UAW-built vehicles would be exported to Korea. Thus far Ford and General Motors, all with new four-year UAW contracts, have not announced plans to export to Korea. Continue reading
Mixed U.S. October Sales Results for Japanese Three. Toyota Sales Down 8%. Honda Sales +3%. Nissan October Sales +18%
Acura, Honda’s luxury label, posted sales of 11,115, an increase of 4.8% versus October 2010, with year-to-date sales of 100,261, compared to Infiniti’s 79,000. This means that natural disaster battered Lexus with ytd sales of 153,739 of cars and light trucks – virtually all of which are made in Japan – easily retains the Japanese luxury vehicle sales crown, but it will displaced from luxury sales leadership for the first time in more than a decade by BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Continue reading
Ford Motor Company October Sales up 6% from Trucks, SUVs
Ford is now emphasizing truck sales and adding crossover sales with them. This is because Ford Motor Company car and retail sales are down in October compared to last year, hurt by bad results at Lincoln (-11% at 6,100 units), and the absence of 7,500 units from now defunct Mercury. With the strength of trucks, though, overall Ford Motor sales of 1,771,801 units is up 10.9%. Fleet sales are 33% of the total, which based on early numbers, appears to be leading the industry, ahead of GM’s 23% of October sales. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, economy, marketing, news, news analysis, results, sales
Tagged auto informed, auto news, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, ford results, Ken Zino, lincoln sales, nes, october results, results, u.s. auto sales, zino
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Chrysler Group October Sales Up 27%. Comeback Continues
Chrysler Group today reported U.S. sales of 114,512, a 27% increase compared with sales in October 2010. It was the Number Three Detroit automaker’s best October since 2007. This wasn’t good enough to defend its recent Number Three U.S. sales position, as Toyota’s return to the market with better inventories moved it back into the Number Three spot by 20,000 units. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, marketing, new vehicle, news, news analysis, results, sales
Tagged auto informed, auto news, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, chrysler, chrysler group sales, Fiat, jeep dodge, Ken Zino, news, october results, october sales, ram, results, zino
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GM October Sales Up 2%. Three of Four Brands Down
Chevrolet was actually the only GM brand to increase sales year-over-year. Buick at -7%, Cadillac at -12% and GMC at -5% all posted sales declines during the model year changeover, which also saw Japanese makers return post earthquake with rebuilt inventories of news cars and trucks. Continue reading
California Institutes $15,000 EV Subsidy from Taxpayers
This light commercial EV subsidy is part of a larger program – or folly, according to critics – which will it’s hoped speed the adaptation of commercial electric vehicles. Heretofore, fleet operators who keep stringent track of costs have not been willing to invest in EVs because of their absurdly high costs and limited range – in the EV Transit’s case, ~$50,000 and 50 miles. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, economy, electric vehicles, environment, fuel economy or emissions, news analysis, prices, transportation
Tagged auto informed, auto news, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, electric vehicles, ev susdies, EVs, green math, incentives, Ken Zino, taxpayer ev subsides, transit connect ev, zino
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