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Category Archives: news analysis
Honda Performance Development Shows CR-V Hybrid Racer
“The CR-V Hybrid Racer is our ‘rolling electrified laboratory,’ to investigate where the talented men and women of HPD and Honda could go with electrification, hybrid technology and 100% renewable fuels,” said Salters. “It epitomizes Honda’s fun-to-drive ethos, showcases electrification and it just rocks our car culture roots and racing heritage! We present the CR-V Hybrid Racer–aka ‘The HPD Beast’!” AutoInformed notes, wryly, that this isn’t in keeping with meeting the nicest people on a Honda, but it has, well, light comedy or entertainment value. Continue reading
Recession? US Consumer Auto Spending at Record Levels
Retail sales of new vehicles this month are expected to reach 907,900 units, a 0.1% increase from February 2022. New-vehicle transaction prices continue to rise, with the average price reaching a February record of $46,229, a 4.8% increase from a year ago. Consumers are forecast to spend ~$42.0 billion on new vehicles this month—the most ever for the month of February and an increase of 5.0% from February 2022, as the Biden Administration economic recovery continues. Continue reading
Posted in news analysis, sales
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, bevs, Elizabeth Krear, j.d power, Ken Zino, lmc automotive, PHEVs, Thomas King
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CHIPS Act – a Vision for America’s Technological Leadership
US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo today delivered a speech titled “The CHIPS Act and a Long-term Vision for America’s Technological Leadership” at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. In her remarks, Raimondo outlined the opportunity provided by the CHIPS and Science Act and the long-term goals she has set for the program to solidify America’s technology and innovation leadership while protecting America’s economic and national security. Continue reading
GM St. Catharines Plant to Build Ultium EV Drive Units
With hundreds of good-paying jobs at stake, it’s unlikely such supporting agreements won’t be forthcoming in AutoInformed’s view. We would be more troubled by the fate of the Toronto Maple Leafs as the NHL trade deadline and the Stanley Cup approach. Continue reading
Another Tesla Self-Driving Recall
The recall is a result of long standing investigations at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the controversial auto pilot system. Tesla, what seems to us arrogantly, did not agree with the NHTSA analysis but went ahead with the recall anyway. It is the latest pr disaster from the firm that no doubt will have social media, uh, all atwitter. Continue reading
January Western European Diesel Car Market Flat
Western European diesel car sales were flat, according to the latest data just released by LMC Automotive.* Even though the data are incomplete with the Greek market lacking, LMC notes that 147,000 diesel cars were sold in the month, the … Continue reading
IIHS – Crash Avoidance Technology Works But Tough to Fix
Repeated trips to a repair shop are not uncommon with other routine mechanical repairs, either, and most owners reported that their insurance or warranty covered the complete cost, minus any deductible. However, in the long run, post warranty, insurance companies might be responsible for their insureds. Hence the report is an attempt to mitigate the problem. Continue reading
Do No Harm – Center for Auto Safety Drafts AV Bill of Rights
Simply put the draft – covering a wide and formidable list of potential issues – says AVs should “Do no harm!” The draft is an ambitious attempt to learn from the more than a century of automobility and apply the knowledge at the outset of what is expected to be widespread AV use sometime in the, oh, next decade or three. Continue reading
Repair Act Introduced Again
US Representative Neal Dunn (R-FL) introduced H.R. 906, the “Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act,” as the result of the efforts of SEMA, MEMA Aftermarket, the Auto Care Association and the CAR Coalition, The Specialty Equipment Market Association said today. The REPAIR Act seeks to protect consumers’ rights to decide where and with what parts they can use to repair and maintain their vehicles. Representatives Brendan Boyle (D-PA-02), Warren Davidson (R-OH-08) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-03) are the current co-sponsors of the bill, which in various guises goes back more than a decade.* Continue reading
Renault and Nissan, Mitsubishi Alliance to Restructure
The transactions contained in the agreements would be subject to regulatory approvals, and completion is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2023. In the tangled web of individual country industrial policy this brings some measure of stability to a global, multi-national, politically diverse enterprise as the movement to electrified vehicles and other earth-saving technologies continues. The 24-year-old Alliance covers 100% of the world’s major global vehicle markets with Euro 85 billion in annual purchases. It already shares 60% of its vehicle platforms, and up to 90% of EV architectures, noted Jean-Dominique Senard, Chairman of the Alliance Board at the press conference. The upside for all is survival in a difficult environment, in our view. Continue reading
US Light Vehicles Sales in January 2023 Weak at 1 Million
The usual problems remain – record high transaction prices, economic uncertainty, the Federal Reserve’s determination to send the economy into a recession via its ongoing interest rate increases, skimpy inventory caused by supply chain disruptions for some major automakers, notably Ford and Toyota – all make for a rerun of the flop show Pandemic Blues. So good luck reopening that show in 2023 with the same cast and plot. Continue reading
Posted in economy, news analysis, sales
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, David Oakley, GlobalData, Jeff Schuster, Ken Zino, lmc automotive, nada, Patrick Manzi
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Ford Misses Q4 and Full Year 2022 Forecasts. Loses $2B
Nevertheless, Ford declared a regular dividend of 15 cents per share, plus supplemental dividend of 65 cents per share, enabled in part by the “nearly complete monetization of stake in Rivian Company.” Ford anticipates full-year 2023 adjusted EBIT of $9 billion to $11 billion and adjusted free cash flow of about $6 billion. Continue reading
Three Rows Have It – 2024 Mazda CX-90 Debuts
In a nod to US tastes and market reality, Mazda North American Operations today introduced the first-ever 2024 Mazda CX-90 due at dealers this spring. Built on Mazda’s new large platform, the three-row crossover with seating for up to eight passengers becomes the company’s new flagship vehicle that is wider and longer than any previous Mazda before after its long-standing hookup with a leading SUV maker, Ford Motor, which ultimately dissolved. Continue reading
Posted in marketing, new vehicle, news analysis
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, Ken Zino, Mazda CX-90
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First CHIPS for America Funding Applications Now Open
Awards will take the form of direct funding, federal loans, and/or federal guarantees of third-party loans. Awards are designed to complement—not replace—private investment and other sources of funding, and applicants are strongly encouraged to bring capital to the table. CHIPS for America awards will be made as soon as applications can be rigorously evaluated and negotiated. The automobile industry, of course, has been hobbled by interruptions in its supply of offshore-produced chips or semi-conductors. Continue reading →