Category Archives: news analysis

Chevrolet Bolt Returns as 2027 Model at ~$30,000

Posted on 9 October 2025 by Ken Zino

“The Chevrolet Bolt was the industry’s first affordable mass-market, long-range EV and it commanded one of GM’s most loyal customer bases thanks to its price, versatility and practicality,” said Scott Bell, vice president, Global Chevrolet. “After production ended, we heard our customer’s feedback and their love for this product. So the Bolt is coming back, by popular demand and better than ever, for a limited time. Continue reading →

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Negative Consequences – Trump Tariffs on Input Goods

Posted on 9 October 2025 by Ken Zino

“While income taxes have been the cornerstone of U.S. federal tax policy since the early 20th century, the Trump administration is shifting tax burdens away from income taxes and toward import taxes. Kimberly A. Clausing of the University of California, Los Angeles, and Maurice Obstfeld of the Peterson Institute estimate that a U.S. effective tariff rate of 20% would generate roughly $300 billion in revenue per year, which amounts to less than one-sixth of the revenue raised annually by personal income taxes. Tariffs also generate considerable deadweight losses—expanding import-competing sectors and shrinking export and non-traded goods sectors—that will amount to approximately $113 billion per year, or more than one-third of the revenue raised by the tariffs. Continue reading →

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Bosch Puts Its First Hydrogen Fuel Cell Truck Into Service

Posted on 8 October 2025 by Ken Zino

Bosch said today that it has taken another step toward climate-friendly logistics. Its Nuremberg plant recently started using a fuel-cell electric truck in plant traffic. The truck is equipped with the Bosch fuel-cell power module (FCPM). [The Germans, who once scoffed at Japanese technological prowess  appear to be trailing them in fuels cells – AutoCrat.]

“When we decided to make our plant traffic more climate-friendly, it was clear that we wanted a truck featuring Bosch’s FCPM,” said Alexander Weichsel, the commercial plant manager in Nuremberg. “This deployment is an important building block that helps us reduce our emissions in logistics. The fact that several thousand trucks with Bosch fuel-cell systems are already on the road worldwide shows that the concept is proving its worth.” Continue reading →

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First FIA Extreme H World Cup Starts Tomorrow

Posted on 8 October 2025 by Ken Zino

The first-ever FIA Extreme H World Cup kicks-off tomorrow, Thursday 9 October, with the Time Trial contest.* Eight teams and 16 drivers have been getting their first runs of the new Pioneer 25 hydrogen-powered race car in Qiddiya City ahead of the real racing.

“The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and it’s been great to hear the teams are talking about how to get the best performance out of the car, rather than talking about reliability issues,” explained Mark Grain, Technical Director, FIA Extreme H World Cup. “The drivers are using all the tools that are available to them, the new tools like the Fox live valve and those damper maps are actively being used. The more toys you can give great racing drivers, the better – they love all this.” Continue reading →

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First Look -Volvo Car USA 2026 EV Lineup

Posted on 7 October 2025 by Ken Zino

Volvo Car USA today announced details of its 2026 fully electric lineup with upgrades to the 2026 Volvo EX90, as well as the arrival of the EX30 Cross Country and Single Motor variants for U.S. customers.

“The 2026 EX90 has a new 800-volt electrical architecture that delivers faster, more efficient charging**- adding up to 155 miles of range in just 10 minutes at a compatible 800-volt charging station. This figure is the typical time to charge from 10 to 80 % at a 153kW DC fast charging station (CCS2). Figures are preliminary and derived from estimates and calculations performed for the Volvo EX30,” Volvo Cars said. Continue reading →

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Mercedes-Benz Group Posts So-So Q3 Sales

Posted on 7 October 2025 by Ken Zino

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) reported Q3 2025 retail sales of 73,500 passenger cars. Year-to- date, U.S. retail sales to customers rose 6% to 223,800 units, helped by strong demand for Mercedes-Benz SUVs and expensive models. Mercedes-Benz Vans reported third quarter 2025 sales of 9500 units. The MBUSA overall total is 83,000 units retailed in the third quarter. Mercedes-Benz Group globally sold 441,500 cars in Q3 2025. [This gives the bragging rights to BMW Group at 588,300 – AutoCrat. BMW Group – Small Sales Increase YTD. Board Slashes Outlook]

“With sustained strong demand across our entire product lineup, our third-quarter sales results demonstrate the strength of the Mercedes-Benz brand and reflect the hard work and determination of our employees and outstanding dealer partners. We remain focused on consistently delivering our customers class-leading products and benchmark experiences with our 2026 models now arriving, including the stunning Mercedes- Maybach SL 680 at the very top end of the portfolio through to a highly compelling new all-electric entry point to the brand with the CLA that will reach U.S. dealerships before the end of the year,” said Adam Chamberlain, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA. Continue reading →

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BMW Group Sales – Small Increase YTD. Board Cuts Outlook

Posted on 7 October 2025 by Ken Zino

The BMW Group today posted Q3 Sales that increase of +8.8%. From January to September 2025, the BMW Group delivered a total of ~1.8 million BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce vehicles to customers, This is a sales growth of only +2.4%. During the same period, the company increased sales of fully-electric vehicles by +10.0% to 323,447 units. Between January and September, the BMW Group delivered a total of 470,313 electrified vehicles (BEV and PHEV) to customers (+15.0%). However, the Board of Management of BMW AG today changed the outlook downward for the 2025 financial year. Continue reading →

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Porsche Dumps World Endurance Cup!

Posted on 7 October 2025 by Ken Zino

Porsche AG (P911.DE)* said this morning will in future focus on two factory projects in motorsport. Porsche Motorsport will run the Porsche 99X Electric in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Porsche will also run 963 in the North American IMSA WeatherTech series SportsCar Championship. The surprise move abandons some racing that Porsche was long involved with. Porsche Penske Motorsport will end its involvement in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) at the end of the current season. (However, the cost of new model introductions as well as Trump’s tariff wars and formidable Chinese competition on EVs, dividends for shareholders no doubt weighed heavily on the retreat – AutoCrat.)**

“We very much regret that, due to the current circumstances, we will not be continuing our involvement in the WEC after this season,” said Dr Michael Steiner, Deputy Chairman and Member of the Executive Board Research and Development, Porsche AG. Steiner has been at Porsche since 2002 after leaving Daimler AG. Continue reading →

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Toyota Tacoma Recall for Bad Driveshafts

Posted on 6 October 2025 by Ken Zino

“The subject vehicles are equipped with front driveshaft assemblies that include a constant-velocity joint (CV joint), which uses a ball cage in a bearing sub-assembly. A specific supplier [GKN Driveline Mexico – AutoCrat] used incorrect material during a specific production period that did not meet the specification for the ball cage. Under normal driving conditions, the ball cage could deform or break,” Toyota said in the mandatory safety defect filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this morning. Continue reading →

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Fires – BMW Recall for Starter Motor Overheating

Posted on 6 October 2025 by Ken Zino

BMW of North America (BMW) is recalling 145,102 model-year 2020 340I, X6, 2020-2025 840I, 2020-2022 740LI, 2019-2020 X7, and X5 vehicles. After repeated attempts, the DENSO Europe supplied starter motor may overheat from an electrical overload. (This is a recall of a previous recall – AutoCrat. Read BMW Recalls More than 100,000 SUVs, Cars for Software Glitch)

“This safety recall involves the engine starter. In certain cases, the engine starter may not start the vehicle properly. These improper starting attempts could result in local overheating of the engine starter,” BMW said in the mandatory safety defect filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this morning. Continue reading →

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Nissan Leaf Recall for Fires While Charging

Posted on 6 October 2025 by Ken Zino

Nissan North America (Nissan) is recalling 19,077 model year 2021-2022 LEAF vehicles equipped with a Level 3 quick charging port. The lithium-ion battery may overheat during Level 3 charging via the so-called CHAdeMO connector. There is no prior warning to the customer that a battery fire can happen.

“While the vehicle is Level 3 quick charging, the increased electrical resistance could result in rapid heating of the battery. If quick charging continues, a battery fire may occur increasing the risk of injury. Owners are advised not to use Level 3 quick charging until the remedy is completed,” Nissan said in required safety recall defect filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this morning. Continue reading →

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Gasoline Demand Dropping, Pump Prices Flat

Posted on 3 October 2025 by Ken Zino

“Tis the season for lower gas prices as demand drops and gas stations make the switch to winter-blend gasoline which is cheaper to produce. Crude oil supply remains robust as OPEC+ – a group of oil-producing countries – is likely to announce in the coming days another production increase in November. That surplus coupled with weaker demand is keeping pump prices down, even as some U.S. refineries are expected to go offline this month for seasonal maintenance,” said AAA. Continue reading →

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Lawsuit Filed Against Trump-Vance National Data Banks

Posted on 3 October 2025 by Ken Zino

“This country was founded on the principle that government has no business arbitrarily intruding in our private affairs,” said John Davisson, Director of Litigation for the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC). “Yet this administration is trampling on our privacy at the grandest scale, illegally hoarding our sensitive personal information and threatening our most cherished rights. The law is clear: no national data bank. Together we’ll put a stop to this in court.” Continue reading →

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Milestones – Volvo Cars One Millionth Plug-In Hybrid

Posted on 2 October 2025 by Ken Zino

Volvo Cars (VOLCAR-B.STO)* said today it reached a milestone in its electrification goal in September when it delivered its one millionth plug-in hybrid. The Chinese-owned company** is transitioning to becoming a fully electrified car maker with plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) as part of the plan. Volvo posted a significant loss in Q2 2025 as it was caught in the crossfire of resident Trump’s ongoing tariff chaos.

“Volvo Cars is committed to a fully electric future, and we will get there in a pace that suits our customers,” says Erik Severinson, chief commercial officer at Volvo Cars. “Our plug-in hybrid cars are a crucial bridge towards that future for those customers who are not yet ready to go fully electric.” Continue reading →

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Mercedes-Benz Opens Robotic Lighting Test Center

Posted on 2 October 2025 by Ken Zino

Mercedes-Benz said today that it has opened Europe’s most advanced light-testing center with robots at the wheel at its Global Proving Ground in Immendingen in Baden-Württemberg. The Immendingen site is a one-hour drive from the Group headquarters in Stuttgart. It has 53 miles of road amid its 1285 acres.

“The Immendingen Test and Technology Center is the first digitized Mercedes-Benz proving ground – here, real and virtual vehicle testing merge seamlessly. By digitally mapping the proving ground, using automated test programs and employing state-of-the-art sensor technology, we are making vehicle development more efficient, faster and more sustainable than ever before,” said Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Chief Technology Officer, Development & Purchasing. Continue reading →

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