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Category Archives: auto news
GM to Convert More than 650 US Temp Employees to Full-Time
General Motors says that more than 650 hourly employees at its sites in the U.S. will transition from temporary to regular full-time employment during January 2021. These employees work at nine GM manufacturing plants and other sites in Michigan, Indiana, … Continue reading
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Commerce – S. Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam Tire Dumping
Using Census Bureau trade numbers, AutoInformed figures this involves 85,330,506 tires with a value of more than $3.5 billion. The case will drag on well into this year. Continue reading
Miss Shilling’s Orifice Fixed Merlin Engines on Spitfires
In one of those odd and startling connections, we are in a war now against Covid that will require the collective sacrifice and patriotism that was on display during the British battle and subsequently – in another parallel – our struggles under the Roosevelt Administration that followed a demonstrably incompetent Republican one. Continue reading
Aston Martin Returns to Formula 1 in 2021?
Whether that holds true today given the tatters that F1 was in last year remains to be proven. The 2020 F1 season is one I won’t miss. (I guess the nicest way to characterize the last race is “strategic.” This is a polite way of saying there wasn’t any racing going on. Ferrari with six straight losing seasons. Mercedes dominating qualifying and the races as it had for years on years. YAWN. Changing 2021 down-force doesn’t appear to be anything but a meaningless tweak. I know: don’t write your lede on the way to Australia in 2021. Still it reminds me of the McClaren mid-1980s domination years that badly damaged F1 with its lack of racing. ) Continue reading
Posted in marketing, news analysis, racing
Tagged aston martin, auto industry commentary, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, Formula 1, Ken Zino, red bull, Sebastian Vettel
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Setback – Ford Motor and Mahindra End JV Discussions
The failure “was driven by fundamental changes in global economic and business conditions – caused, in part, by the global pandemic – over the past 15 months. Those changes influenced separate decisions by Ford and Mahindra to reassess their respective capital allocation priorities,” Ford said. Ford in AI’s opinion is on track to lose $400 billion this quarter. Ford and Mahindra announced an alliance in September 2017, and it was expected to be operational by mid-2020. Continue reading
Small Business Pulse Weak – Large Negative Covid Effects
A tip of the AutoInformed racing helmet to Census Bureau employees for doing their jobs whilst under constant and ongoing attacks from the Republicans and COVID19. Help is on the way for others, but it took the election of President Biden to signal the beginning of the beginning of recovery on 20 January 2021 at noon. Better late than never. But for the suffering it’s small compensation for enduring a President for four years who – based on his actions in office was unemployed all the while being pampered, housed, fed and subsidized – aka welfare for the rich – by taxpayers he disdains. Continue reading
Alexa Voice Now Available on FCA’s New Fiat 500 EV
The launch Alexa on the Fiat 500 continues a global collaboration between FCA and Amazon. FCA customers were initially introduced to Alexa through FCA’s custom Alexa Connected Car Skills, including MyJeep and MyAlfa, which allows customers with Alexa-enabled devices at home to easily ask Alexa to check the battery level of the car, lock/unlock doors, among other trifles. The integration of Alexa on the Uconnect Services suite “deepens the experience by bringing Alexa into the vehicle itself” claims FCA. Continue reading
Droning On: FAA Belatedly Issues Unmanned Aircraft Regs. Bits of Aircraft Rules Pilots Obey Now Will Eventually Apply
These rules come at a time when drones are the fastest-growing segment in the entire transportation sector – with currently more than 1.7 million drone registrations and 203,000 FAA “certificated” (not even close to what private pilots must know on the FAA written test) remote pilots. Continue reading
FAW To Enter EU with a Luxury Electric SUV – Hongqi E-HS9
FAW Hongqi is a premium manufacturer of passenger vehicles with a time-honored history in China as First Auto Works – established in 1953 under a communist 5-year plan and initially making Russian trucks. FAW became China’s first automobile manufacturer when it unveiled the nation’s first domestically produced passenger car, the Hong Qi, in 1958. Continue reading
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Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, faw, First Auto Works, Hongqi E-HS9, Ken Zino
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FAA Grants Santa Claus Special Flight and Launch Permissions
Santa knows this Christmas is different from other years and agrees with the FAA decision to give priority to flights carrying COVID-19 vaccines and other cargo critical to the nation’s response to the ongoing public health emergency aided by a naughty and decidedly not nice Republa-Grinch group. Follow Santa’s progress as he travels across the U.S. by visiting the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) website, where NORAD tracks Santa’s Christmas Eve voyage. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, aviation, people
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, faa, Ken Zino, norad, santa claus
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Telematics – New Ford and Lincoln Vehicles Enable Insurance Company Monitoring of Your Driving Behaviors
This is part of a sweeping change in the pricing of auto insurance. It also raises yet again larger privacy issues for the owners of connected vehicles along with intelligent phones and appliances. A vast amount of owner information is now available to companies – from Google and social media apps or computers running on Microsoft Dos or Apple computers and iPhones – for resale or for their own cash flows, sometimes without owner’s consent or any usage fees given back to the creators of the data. In Ford’s case, customers have a choice. Continue reading
New LG and Magna Joint Venture in Powertrain Electrification
The new company, tentatively called LG Magna e-Powertrain, is said to combine Magna’s strength in electric powertrain systems and automotive manufacturing with LG’s expertise in component development for e-motors and inverters. The stated goal is to hasten both partners’ growth in the electric powertrain market. The market for e-motors, inverters and electric drive systems is expected to have significant growth between now and 2030, and the JV will target this fast-growing global segment.The question in AutoInformed’s opinion is to how many electrification parts and services will be brought in-house by automakers and how much will go to suppliers? Continue reading
Ford Motor Announces Safety Defect Recalls on 2020-21 Ford Explorers, E-Series, and Lincoln Aviators
Ford Motor Company issued three safety recalls in North America this morning. Recalled are 2021 Ford E-Series vehicles with the 7.3-liter engine, as well as 2020-21 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator SUVs. Continue reading
2021 Nissan LEAF Starts at $32,545
The “extended range” LEAF PLUS has a standard 62-kWh lithium-ion battery and 160 kW electric motor, delivering an EPA range of up to 226 miles. Every 2021 LEAF has standard Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™. PLUS also has a more powerful 160 kW motor that produces 214 horsepower – an increase of 45% – and 250 lb.-ft. of torque. LEAF PLUS has three trim levels – S PLUS, SV PLUS and SL PLUS starting at, gulp, $39,145 and going to $44,845. Continue reading
Posted in electric vehicles, marketing
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, Ken Zino, Nissan Leaf pricing
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One-Millionth Subscriber Joins Subaru Connected Services
Subscription-based services are part of Subaru’s In-Vehicle Technology program that with variations is increasingly offered by other automakers in hopes of generating revenue. The Subaru system claims to provide multimedia content, smartphone connectivity, navigation, extra safety, and everyday convenience. Looming as these systems increase are privacy and security concerns as well as the re-selling of customer data, which critics argue the customer owns.
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