Category Archives: news analysis

Ford Airbag Recall – 2023 F-150, F250, F350, F450, F550, F600

Posted on 2 January 2024 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is recalling 2023 F-150 and Ford SD F250, F350, F450, F550, and F600 vehicles. The steering wheel clock spring from supplier BCS Automotive Interface Solutions may have an bad weld, causing a loss of electrical connection to the driver’s frontal air bag. The customer may notice loss of illumination and function of switches on the steering wheel, such as radio controls, inoperative horn and an airbag warning light. Continue reading →

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Happy New Year United States – All ~335 Million of You!

Posted on 1 January 2024 by Ken Zino

The US. Census Bureau calculates that the US. population will be 335,893,238 today on New Year’s Day, an annual increase of 1,759,535 or 0.53%.

“The combination of births, deaths and net international migration increases the U.S. population by one person every 24.2 seconds. In January 2024, the United States is expected to experience a birth every 9.0 seconds and one death every 9.5 seconds. Meanwhile, net international migration is expected to add one person to the U.S. population every 28.3 seconds. The combination of births, deaths and net international migration increases the U.S. population by one person every 24.2 seconds,” said Derick Moore, senior communications specialist in the Census Bureau’s Communications Directorate. Continue reading →

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Japan Inc – Automakers Start Advanced SoC Research

Posted on 29 December 2023 by Ken Zino

ASRA aims to establish in-vehicle chiplet technology by 2028 and to install SoCs in mass-produced vehicles from 2030 onward. By combining Japan’s technological capabilities and experience in automotive, electrical components, and semiconductors, ASRA will work with industry, government, and academia to promote domestic and international collaboration as a world-leading technology research group, the socially and environmentally awakened firms said. Continue reading →

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Ford F-Series Truck Best Seller Again

Posted on 28 December 2023 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company said today that during calendar year 2023 more than 700,000 customers chose a new F-Series truck, making it the best-selling truck in the United States for the 47th consecutive year. (AutoInformed: Ford Claims F-Series Retains Title of Best-Selling Truck in 2022) Continue reading →

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Ford Recalls Maverick Pickups for Defective Software

Posted on 26 December 2023 by Ken Zino

In the required recall documents just made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Ford said the Mexican built Mavericks contain rear tail-lamps with two turn signal lamp bulbs on each side. The body control module will not provide an outage notification to the driver if only one of the two rear turn signal lamp bulbs has failed. Continue reading →

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Honda, Mitsubishi, Tokuyama Studying Fuel Cell Recycling

Posted on 25 December 2023 by Ken Zino

Honda Motor, Tokuyama Corp., and Mitsubishi Corp. will run a joint demonstration to operate a data center using by-product hydrogen and a stationary fuel cell (FC) power station. It will reuse FC systems from fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Project Members will explore the potential of reusing automotive FC systems in a stationary application. The objective of the Demonstration Project is to reduce the economic liability on customers installing and operating stationary FC systems, which will contribute to the decarbonization of electric power. Continue reading →

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Isuzu and Honda Public Road Testing Fuel Cell HD Truck

Posted on 23 December 2023 by Ken Zino

The demonstration testing, scheduled to run through September 2024, will collect data and detect technical issues in preparation for a 2027 market introduction of production trucks, the companies said. Continue reading →

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Chinese BYD to Build Hungarian EV Factory

Posted on 22 December 2023 by Ken Zino

Hungary is an essential transportation hub and has a rich history of expertise in the automotive industry, according to BYD. With a mature infrastructure and a well-established industrial foundation, Hungary has been chosen by several premium European manufacturers as a production location for passenger cars. “This further supports BYD’s decision to make Hungary the center of European production operations,” the company said. However, there is an ongoing dispute about whether Hungary can maintain its status as an EU member, which could hurt BYD’s plans to have 10% of the market. Continue reading →

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Cummins to Pay $1.675B for Clean Air Act Violations

Posted on 22 December 2023 by Ken Zino

“Today, the Justice Department reached an initial agreement with Cummins Inc. to settle claims that, over the past decade, the company unlawfully altered hundreds of thousands of engines to bypass emissions tests in violation of the Clean Air Act. As part of the agreement, the Justice Department will require Cummins to pay $1.675 billion, the largest civil penalty we have ever secured under the Clean Air Act, and the second largest environmental penalty ever secured,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland. Continue reading →

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Stellantis Implements First Employee Share Purchase Plan

Posted on 21 December 2023 by Ken Zino

“The success of this step of Shares to Win in Italy and France demonstrates our employees’ confidence in the sustainable future of our Company supported by the execution of our Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan, which maps out the path to achieving carbon net zero by 2038 and creating value for all our stakeholders,” claimed Xavier Chéreau, Chief HR & Transformation Officer. Continue reading →

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Bidenomics – People Spend Record $578B on New Vehicles

Posted on 21 December 2023 by Ken Zino

“December results cap off the year with a strong performance, illustrated by double-digit year-over-year sales growth and the second-highest consumer expenditure on new vehicles ever recorded for the month. Total sales of just under 15.5 million for 2023, represent a significant increase of 12.8% from 2022, when just 13.7 million vehicles were sold. What’s even more noteworthy is that consumer expenditure on new vehicles in 2023 set a record of $578 billion. This is the third consecutive year in which U.S. consumers spent more than half a trillion dollars buying new vehicles,” said Thomas King, president of the data and analytics division at J.D. Power. Continue reading →

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Chrysler Pacifica Gets Top Safety Pick Award from IIHS

Posted on 20 December 2023 by Ken Zino

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety* said today that the 2023-24 Chrysler Pacifica minivan is rated as a Top Safety Pick. The Pacifica had a good rating in the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front and original moderate overlap front tests, as well as an acceptable or good rating in the updated side test. Continue reading →

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November 2023 EU Car Market Grows on Mixed Results

Posted on 20 December 2023 by Ken Zino

In November 2023, the EU’ car market grew by 6.7%, according to data just released by ACEA.* This was the sixteenth consecutive month of expansion. There were substantial double-digit gains in some markets, including two of the largest: Italy (+16.2%) and France (+14%).

However, the German car market retracted, recording a -5.7% decline compared to November 2022, which provided a small base line for comparison across the EU. Overall new car registrations were  +6.7% in November; with a battery electric market share at 16.3%. Eleven months into 2023, new car registrations increased by 15.7%, reaching nearly ten million units. With the exception of Hungary, all EU markets grew during this eleven-month period. The four largest markets contributed to this trend: Italy (+20%), Spain (+17.3%), France (+16.2%), and Germany (+11.4%). Continue reading →

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Audi, Porsche, Scout Motors and VW EVs to offer NACS in 2025

Posted on 19 December 2023 by Ken Zino

“This is great news for our electric vehicle customers in the North American Region,” said Pablo Di Si, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. “This potentially provides them with access to more than 15,000 additional charging points as well as the current near-4,000 DC fast charging outlets operated by Electrify America.” Continue reading →

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Forecast is Finally Normal for 2024 US Auto Market

Posted on 19 December 2023 by Ken Zino

“Our research suggests that Americans are putting more emphasis on buying/owning personal transportation, in contrast to 2018 and 2019, when consumers put a higher value on “access to transportation,” said Jonathan Smoke Cox Automotive Chief Economist. “And after tumbling in 2021 and 2022, satisfaction with the car buying process is expected to improve in the year ahead, thanks in part to better inventory and the return of discounting, but also from improved processes at the dealership that save time and make car buying more efficient.” Continue reading →

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