Category Archives: people

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

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TMC Honorary Chairman Shoichiro Toyoda Passes at 97

“With great sadness Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announced the passing of TMC Honorary Chairman Shoichiro Toyoda this morning in Nagoya. Shoichiro Toyoda died at 4:48 pm on 14 February 2023 of heart failure. He is survived by Akio Toyoda his eldest son. TMC plans to hold a farewell gathering for Honorary Chairman Toyoda at a later date. Continue reading

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New Toyota Motor President Koji Sato on Evolution

“The hallmark of our management as a team, like a soccer team, will be flexibility in changing formation. Underlying this are the concepts of having the right person in the right place and emphasizing roles over titles,” Sato said. Continue reading

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Salt Lake City Motorcars Now Automobili Pininfarina Dealer

As deliveries of the pure-electric Battista** hyper GT continue, Automobili Pininfarina Salt Lake City is led by Dealer Principal Tom Buckley. “He and his team will provide a highly personalized client experience to prospective and current owners,” Pininfarini said in a release. Continue reading

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Mercedes Donates Emergency Earthquake Aid in Turkey, Syria

Mercedes-Benz Group said in Stuttgart today that it is donating one million euros to the German Red Cross (GRC) for the people in Turkey and Syria affected by the severe earthquakes. The donation will be used for emergency humanitarian aid on the ground in order to quickly provide the suffering population with the bare necessities. The relief operation of the GRC has already started. Mercedes-Benz is in contact with major aid organizations. Continue reading

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Annals of Marketing – GM and Netflix Promoting EVs

“Entertainment has a huge impact on culture. We want to make EVs famous on streaming, small and silver screens to build an EV culture through storytelling that incorporates the experiences of driving and owning an EV,” said GM Global Chief Marketing Officer Deborah Wahl. Continue reading

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NASCAR – Johnson, Rockenfeller, Button to Drive Camaro ZL1 at the 24-Hour Le Mans Race in June

The Garage 56 project is a business and/or marketing deal among NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear – the winning-est team, manufacturer and tire in the sport’s 75-year history. All three drivers will participate in next week’s two-day test at Daytona International Speedway. The Camaro will have to have working headlights and taillights of course, not the usual NASCAR decals simulating them at NASCAR races. Jordan Taylor, who currently competes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Corvette Racing, will serve as the backup driver and “help coach the drivers.” Taylor won the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans GTE Pro Class and has finished on the podium four times. He is a four-time IMSA champion. Continue reading

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Corporate Climate Change – Honda Reveals Reorganization

Today’s announcement concerns the restructuring of Regional Operations and Corporate Functions, as well as the creation of what is called “Electrification Business Development Operations.” EBDO is an outgrowth of the Business Development Operations established last April to strengthen electrification business. Continue reading

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Red Card – Premier League Scandal Rocks Stellantis Board

Exor – (EXOR.AS), the Agnelli family holding company that controls the English Premier League Juventus football club, will designate a successor director at the AGM in accordance with Article 19.3 of the Stellantis’s Articles of Association.

The billionaire Juventus Chairman Andrea Agnelli could be tried over the football club’s accounting procedures and alleged illegal commissions or payments, as well as false transactions. He also resigned today  as president from Juventus and his position at Exor. Curiously the BBC – normally rife with Premier League football coverage – is not featuring this news item as far as I can tell.   Continue reading

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Becoming One of Us – Mercedes-Benz Recruiting Globally

Mercedes said “that people are more motivated, more efficient and happier when they are constantly developing and can contribute their personality and identity as is. The company creates and promotes equal opportunity and a culture of appreciation and respect. For example, Mercedes-Benz has set the goal of filling 30% of senior management positions with qualified women by 2030. The Management Board is already 37.5% female. Continue reading

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Automakers Rapidly Increasing EV Prices

AutoInformed thinks two factors are in play here: First demand for EVs is strong, particularly among affluent buyers. Second, EVs are more costly to develop and batteries are still expensive and the covid pandemic supply chain interruptions are making them scarce. One click bait headline had it that “EVs are Bringing Out the Worst in Us” because, among other things, a Hummer EV battery pack weighs as much as a Honda Civic. It consumes minerals that could otherwise be used to build several electric-sedan batteries or hundreds upon hundreds of e-bike batteries. Perhaps such thinkers are unaware of the ongoing mood amongst that tawdry cast of Capital characters along the banks of the Potomac who will not legislate SUVs and Pickup trucks out of existence. Yes, there is a Santos clause and his party wants to legislate the government out of business. Continue reading

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US December Unemployment at Record Low of 3.5%

Nevertheless, the Federal Reserve seems determined to send the US economy into a deep recession. The Fed has done this in the past with reckless interest rate increases from an ideology that thinks it is good when people lose jobs to keep demand and inflation down. However, consider that during December, average hourly earnings for all employees on private non-farm payrolls rose by 9 cents, or a mere 0.3%, to $32.82. During the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 4.6%. In December, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and non-supervisory employees rose by 6 cents, or 0.2%, to $28.07. AutoInformed doesn’t consider the latest data as cause for inflationary worries, let alone more interest rate increases. (Autoinformed.com: Federal Reserve Chair Powell Says Inflation Remains Too High) Continue reading

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Political Climate Change – Man Sentenced in Foiled Michigan Governor Kidnapping Conspiracy

A jury in an earlier trial was unable to reach a verdict. In my view, things have changed significantly in many people’s minds about the Big Lie and the associated, often violent, assaults against institutions and people as the January 6 Committee during the past year presented its devastating case of what went on and who was part of it. Call it a national warming toward protecting our Democracy after the melting of the last Republican ice age.  National security is also a critical issue in Trump’s case, of course, with his unexplained stolen documents. Continue reading

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Covid Pandemic Recovery Shows US Population Growing

Eventually the shifts in population will have effects on the automobile and transportation businesses as the economy evolves toward a sustainable future and the adoption of EVs, construction equipment, railroads and airplanes with non-fossil fuels, which local politicians will either support or sabotage. As the nation ages, there are also other mobility questions. Continue reading

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Min Kyu Song is New Global Head of Genesis

“He will be responsible for accelerating Genesis’ global presence with his proven strategic and operational skills,” Hyundai said. Yesterday Genesis further expanded its customer-focused retail experience with the grand opening of Genesis of Greer, the brand’s second standalone retail facility in the United States, and first in South Carolina. Continue reading

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