Category Archives: auto news

Congress Investigating Face Verification Vendor ID.me

The Oversight and Reform Committee is looking for records detailing all of ID.me’s federal, state, and local contracts, the number of people who submitted face scans to ID.me, the number of facial recognition errors, and information on the company’s use of many facial recognition technologies. Continue reading

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GM CAMI – Becoming Canada’s First Full-Scale EV Plant

By September, the GM team will have prepped the building and installed the new BrightDrop production equipment. CAMI expects to begin returning employees in October for training on the new line. The first BrightDrop Zevo 600 is planned to roll off the line at CAMI in before the end of the year. Continue reading

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M-B Group Runs Self-Congratulatory First Annual Meeting

Well, in the face of  the ongoing pandemic and supply bottlenecks, as well as German funding of the Russian war on Ukrainian men, women, children and babies by buying Russian energy products, the financial year 2021 at Mercedes-Benz Cars, Mercedes-Benz Vans and Mercedes-Benz Mobility was successful. A dividend of €5.00 was proposed with €4.30 new reference point for dividend payments. Continue reading

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Green Autonomous Mobility at Michigan State University

The Spartan bus completed on-campus testing, which did not include written college admission tests. More than 650 test runs of its route during all hours of the day helped make the official deployment possible. As part of the process to accept passengers, validation of the bus, route and infrastructure was granted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It appears to be the first and only SAE Level-4 automated bus that has NHTSA approval. Continue reading

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Kentucky Derby – BMW to be First Luxury Auto Sponsor

Additional paid advertising and marketing elements will include BMW as presenting partner of the American Turf Stakes race on Kentucky Derby day, a brand display at the VIP entrance and “The Ultimate Macaron Bar” at Taste of Derby. BMW will also have an interactive product display located at the main entrance of Churchill Downs. Continue reading

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Milestones – Production Begins for Ford F-150 Lightning EV

Ford Motor, whose existence was tenuous during the Great Recession, is now the top automaker in America in terms of 2021 production, sales of US-made vehicles and employment of hourly autoworkers. The F-150 Lightning is the only full-size electric pickup available now with a starting price less than $40,000. Ford F-Series has been America’s best-selling truck for 45 years running and is second only to the iPhone in revenue among all American consumer products, according to a 2020 study. Continue reading

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Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Expands Mentoring

“Helping the pupils to think beyond the bounds of school and home can spark aspirational ideas and the motivation to accept the challenges that lie ahead. By sharing their own journeys, which have not always followed conventional educational and employment paths, the mentors demonstrate that no doors are closed, and opportunities come with the desire to pursue things they enjoy and are interested in, however bold,” Rolls said. Continue reading

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Subaru 2023 Solterra Electric SUV Starts at $46,220

The “late to the EV party” Solterra has new electrification and in-vehicle technology. The Solterra name was created using (marketing babble alert> “the Latin words for ‘Sun and Earth’ to represent Subaru’s commitment to deliver traditional SUV capabilities in an environmentally responsible package.” Continue reading

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Chinese Commerce – Dongfeng Honda Begins Sale of NS1 EV

The all-new e:NS1 and e:NP1 are the first of the so-called “e:N Series” models developed as the first Honda-brand EV models in China. The newly created e:N architecture consists of an electric motor that delivers instantaneous output and a claimed subtle control in various driving situations. A large-capacity battery enables a range of 510 km (CLTC base in China). It also allows dedicated body frames. Continue reading

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GM Ultium-based EVs Now Have a Heat Pump

Since EV batteries, power electronics and other propulsion components produce heat, this is another step toward the more efficient use of energy. The Ultium Platform can recover and store this waste heat from the Ultium propulsion system. It can also capture and use humidity from both inside and outside the vehicle, including body heat from passengers. Continue reading

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GM Asks Suppliers to Pledge on Taking Global Climate Actions

Companies comprising 53%  of its annual purchase value of GM’s tier 1 materials have already signed the pledge. The Environmental, Social and Governance Partnership Pledge is significant because it calls for social and governance commitments, including human rights protections and fair operating practices. The supplier pledge expands on GM’s goal to bring “Everybody In” for the all-electric future with a commitment to establishing a collaborative supply chain that endeavors to minimize environmental impact and enhance long-term sustainability. GM will continue to provide support as it identifies opportunities for significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, provide educational webinars and resources, and develop tools to help remove barriers in the transition to renewable energy.
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NLRB Sues Starbucks for Unfair Labor Practices

The lawsuit seeks immediate reinstatement of the three. Section 10(j) of the National Labor Relations Act authorizes the National Labor Relations Board to seek injunctions against employers and unions in federal district courts to stop unfair labor practices where, due to the passage of time, the normal Board processes are likely to be inadequate to effectively remedy the alleged violations. Continue reading

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Aston Martin Announces Its Sustainability Strategy

While some of the language and actions around climate change from automakers remain vague, perhaps inevitably so, Aston now joins virtually all automakers who have a roadmap to electrification. Aston Martin will sell its first hybrid electric car, in 2024. Its first Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) is due in 2025. It will have a fully electrified Sport/GT and SUV portfolio by 2030. The question facing all of us even remotely connected to automobility: is this too little too late? Continue reading

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First Look – Ferrari 296 GTS V6 Hybrid

It’s roughly a ~$400,000 version of an open wheel formula racer with a spider wrapping with a 2.9 second zero-to-100km/h elapsed time. Continue reading

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Endangered Species – Subaru BRZ Sports Car $29,615+

For 2023, the BRZ is offered in two trim levels, Premium and Limited. BRZ will be the lightest rear-wheel drive 2+2 sports car in U.S. market, by our calculation at 2815 pounds curb weight for the Premium manual; for 2881 pounds for  the automatic Limited. Continue reading

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