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- Milestones – 15 Million Honda Accords Sold in U.S.
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- June 2026 U.S. Auto Sales Forecast Up 3.6%
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- Trumped! – 2026 Vehicles Sales Forecasts All Down
- Annals of Marketing – Chevrolet Heartbeat of America Revived
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Category Archives: economy
Death of the Diesel – EPA Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grants
In the United States, the transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. It is also a prominent source of health-harming pollution. Most of the vehicles eligible for replacement are powered by internal combustion engines that pre-date recent EPA emission standards. These vehicles emit harmful pollutants such as nitrogen oxide, fine particulate matter, and greenhouse gases. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, economy, electric vehicles, environment, global warming, news analysis, public health
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Biden-Harris Administration, Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Grant Program, Inflation Reduction Act, Ken Zino, Michael S. Regan, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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EPA Grants Emergency Fuel Waiver for Ethanol
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today issued an emergency fuel waiver to allow E15 gasoline – gasoline blended with 15% ethanol – to be sold during the summer driving season. This allows Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations to sell the fuel that otherwise would be banned for the summer. Estimates show that on average, E15 is about $0.25 a gallon cheaper than E10. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, economy, energy, environment, fools 'n frauds, news analysis, people
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Bidenomics, clean air act, department of energy, epa, Fuel Waiver for E-15 Sales, Ken Zino, Michael S. Regan, President George H. W. Bush, reid vapor pressure
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March 2024 Global Light Vehicle Sales Effectively Flat
The Global Light Vehicle (LV) selling rate stood at 85 million units/year in March, roughly the same with February 2024, according to numbers and analysis released by the GlobalData* consultancy. Worldwide, 8.0 million vehicles were sold last month, a 2% … Continue reading
UAW Practice Picketing at Daimler Truck in the US South
Daimler Truck workers from six different local unions in North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee continue to conduct so-called “practice pickets” to demonstrate that they are strike-ready when their contract expires on 26 April. Practice pickets are not work stoppages or walkouts am no entrances will be obstructed. Workers will report to their shifts as usual. Continue reading
Honda EV Hub in Ohio is Retooling
Non-unionized Toyota Motor, Honda and Hyundai, among other manufacturers in the US, have been increasing wages in an attempt to stop what appears to be impending successful UAW organizing efforts at plants owned by off-shore automakers following the UAW Detroit Three contract sweep last October. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, connected vehicles, economy, electric vehicles, environment, labor issues, manufacturing, mobility company, news analysis
Tagged american honda, Anna Engine Plant, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, East Liberty Auto Plant, Ken Zino, Marysville Auto Plant
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EPA – U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Increase in 2022
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released its latest annual Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks (GHG Inventory),* which presents an overview of annual greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2022. Net U.S. greenhouse gas emissions were 5,489 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2022, a 1.3% increase in emissions from 2021. EPA said the increase is mostly due to higher energy use in 2022, reflecting the continued recovery in economic activity following the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Crucially, emissions have declined 17% overall since 2005. Continue reading
Posted in economy, environment, fuel economy or emissions, news analysis, public health
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, carbon dioxide, hydrofluorocarbons, Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Joseph Goffman, Ken Zino, methane, nitrogen trifluoride, nitrous oxide, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
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March Western European Passenger Vehicle Sales Up. But…
The Western Europe passenger vehicle (PV) selling rate slipped backwards in March, to 11.3 million units/year, with 1.3 million vehicle registrations, according to the respected GlobalData* consultancy. This is 2.5% below March of 2023. However, year-to-date (YTD) sales increased by … Continue reading
Posted in auto news, economy, manufacturing, marketing, new vehicle, news analysis, results
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, GlobalData, Ken Zino, March EU passenger vehicle sales, March Western European Passenger Vehicle Sales
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More US Jobs Coming from Chips and Science Act
With investments such as those at TSMC Arizona, the United States is now on track to produce roughly 20% of the world’s leading-edge chips by 2030. With total capital expenditures of more than $65 billion, TSMC Arizona’s investment is the largest foreign direct investment in a greenfield project in U.S. history. Continue reading
Posted in economy, electric vehicles, electronics, manufacturing, milestones, news analysis
Tagged 2 Nanometer or More Advanced Chips, AMD, apple, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Bidenomics, CHIPS and Science Act, Dr. Mark Liu, Ken Zino, large-scale datacenters, machine learning, NVIDIA, President Joe Biden, Qualcomm, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, The U.S. Department of Commerce, TSMC Arizona Corporation
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Mercedes-Benz Alabama Workers Ask NLRB for Union Vote
Energy appears to be on the side of the union. Alabama has been a so-called “right to work state (for less?) since 2016, meaning that union-membership is not required for employment. By late February, less than two months after Mercedes workers went public with their drive to join the UAW, a majority of them had signed union cards.
The Mercedes workers are part of the growing national movement of non-union autoworkers organizing to join the UAW in the wake of the historic Stand Up Strike victory at the Big Three auto companies last fall. More than 10,000 non-union autoworkers have signed union cards in recent months, with public campaigns launched at Mercedes, Volkswagen, Hyundai in Montgomery, Ala., and Toyota in Troy, Mo. Workers at least two dozen other facilities are also actively organizing. The main event in this fight will likely be at Tesla in AutoInformed’s view with Twitter owner Elon Musk, mustering all the anti-worker tweets he can. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, customer satisfaction, economy, labor issues, manufacturing, milestones, news analysis, people
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, elon musk, Ken Zino, Mercedes-Benz Tuscaloosa Alabama, National Labor Relations Board, tesla, uaw
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US Auto Sales Hitting Streak – 20 Months of Growth in March
US Light Vehicle (LV) sales grew 5.5% year-on-year (YoY) in March to 1.44 million units, according to an analysis just released by the respected GlobalData consultancy.* This means that under the Biden Administration the economy had another month of YoY … Continue reading
Posted in auto news, economy, marketing, news analysis, results, sales
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Biden Administration economy, Bidenomics, David Oakley, GlobalData, Jeff Schuster, Ken Zino, March 2024 US light vehicle sales
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Baltimore Bridge – Japanese, Korean, German Makers at Risk
“Japan, Korea and Germany are the main origins for vehicles entering the US market, so brands with heavy production concentrations in those locations have the potential to be impacted more significantly, especially those in Europe,” said the GlobalData* consultancy. “It is no surprise that Hyundai and Toyota were the top importers, though General Motors (GM) was the third largest, with vehicles coming from Korea and China. VW Group is among the top 5 importers, while BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Stellantis are also exposed to potential disruption.” Continue reading
Heavy-Duty Emissions Standards – Missed Opportunity?
“The final rule also leaves more work to be done, and state legislatures should spur use of electric and other zero-emission trucks by adopting the Advanced Clean Truck rule. By delaying the final standards for sleeper cabs until model year 2030 vehicles, EPA missed out on the additional climate and health benefits that would have started accruing much earlier from some of the highest-polluting vehicles on the roads. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, economy, electric vehicles, energy, environment, fools 'n frauds, fuel economy or emissions, global warming, milestones, news analysis, public health, transportation
Tagged ACEEE, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Biden-Harris Administration, Daivie Ghosh, federal highway administration, Ken Zino, National Highway Freight Network, National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy, The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, US Department of Energy, zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles
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Greenhouse Gas Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles Set
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced final national greenhouse gas pollution standards for heavy-duty vehicles for model years 2027 through 2032 – the “Greenhouse Gas* Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles – Phase 3.” Trucks and other heavy-duty vehicles are central to the economy by moving goods and freight as well as providing services for industry, transit, among other sectors. Heavy-duty vehicles account for 25% of all greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, which is itself the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Under these new standards, the heavy-duty industry is expected to realize annualized savings of $3.5 billion compared to annualized costs of about $1.1 billion from 2027 through 2055 Continue reading
Posted in auto news, economy, environment, fuel economy or emissions, global warming, milestones, news analysis, public health, transportation
Tagged air toxics, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Biden-Harris Administration, catastrophic wildfires, climate change, coastal flooding, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles, greenhouse gas pollution, Inflation Reduction Act, Ken Zino, nitrogen oxides, nox, particulate matter, PM
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EPA Finalizes Pollution Reduction Standards for Power Plants
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a series of final rules to reduce pollution from fossil-fuel-fired power plants, which have been and likely will continue to be the subject of litigation paid for by special interest money. The rules under separate authorities including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, will significantly reduce climate, air, water, and land pollution from the power sector as they go forward. During 2024 the United States is forecast to build more new electric generation capacity than it has for two decades. About 96% of that will be clean, according to the current Administration. Continue reading →