Category Archives: news

Polaris, Bobcat, Gravely Vehicles Recalled for Fire Risk

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled vehicles and contact Polaris or an authorized Polaris (Polaris vehicles only), Gravely (Gravely vehicles only), or Bobcat (Bobcat vehicles only) dealer to schedule a free inspection and repair. The dealer will replace the fuel pump or fuel tank, depending on the vehicle type, free of charge. Polaris, Gravely, and Bobcat have notified consumers to stop riding the vehicles and are notifying all dealers and registered owners about this recall. Continue reading

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Penske Automotive Group Buys BMW and Porsche Dealerships

Penske Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE: PAG)* today announced that it has acquired BMW of Wilmington and Porsche Wilmington. The move increases operations in the luxury vehicle segment. PAG forecasts that it will add ~$140,000,000 in revenue annually. (AutoInformed: Penske Automotive … Continue reading

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General Motors Canada and Unifor Open Contract Talks

The heads of  General Motors Canada and Unifor today opened 2023 collective bargaining for a new labor agreement covering ~4200 hourly workers at Oshawa Assembly Plant, St. Catharines Propulsion Plant and Woodstock Parts Distribution Center. Canada is GM’s third largest market and Unifor members are ~50% GM Canada’s total employment. Ford and Stellantis executives are also working on new collective agreements with Unifor. Confounding business as usual, for the first time since 1999 Unifor and the United Auto Workers  Union (UAW) will be negotiating with the so-called Detroit Three concurrently. Continue reading

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AC Cars Wins Right to AC Cobra Name

AC Cars, arguably Britain’s oldest active vehicle manufacturer, and Acedes Holdings, have prevailed in a legal challenge from Clive Sutton Limited about the ownership of the AC Cobra name in a London High Court. As a result, AC Cars retains the UK trademark of the AC Cobra name for automobiles, cars and sports cars. Continue reading

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Lotus Posts Record H1 2023

Lotus expects to deliver Eletre to UK and European customers later this summer. Lotus expanded its global retail network to 193 stores, opening 24 new outlets during the first half of 2023. Continue reading

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Lexus RZ Sport Concept at Monterey Car Week

Lexus will promote the latest additions to its lineup at Monterey Car Week 2023 at “The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering ®.” The Lexus RZ Sport Concept  – seen at Tokyo Auto Salon, and the 2024 Lexus LC 500 Inspiration Series. … Continue reading

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Honda Q1 FY2024 Profits Double – Stock Split Coming

A 3-for-1 stock split effective September 30th has been approved by management. Calculating on the current number of shares (~165,000,000) , the year-end dividend and the total annual dividend for fiscal 2024 are forecast at ¥75/share and ¥150/share. In current Tokyo trading the stock is up ~6% within ¥30 to its all-time (¥4,723) high posted in 2006. Continue reading

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Cadillac Escalading the 2025 SUV EV Wars

Cadillac (NYSE:GM) showed today its first-ever all-electric full-size SUV, the 2025 Escalade IQ. It has a Cadillac-estimated 450 miles of range (footnote 1) , Super Cruise driver assistance technology, bi-directional charging capability, different interior and exterior designs, and zero tailpipe emissions. The Power folding third row allows for seven total passengers and folds flat for more storage. The so-called eTrunk compartment under the hood has 12 cubic feet of storage. Pricing starts at ~$130,000 including destination charges. Continue reading

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UAW Publicly Pans Stellantis Contract Proposal

The UAW used social media last night to update members about the contract talks at Stellantis (formerly Fiat-Chrysler or FCA). Shawn Fain led of course with the oft used observation that “Stellantis just made $12.1 billion in net profits in the first half of 2023. What followed was an update that appears to show that little to no progress is being made. The UAW contract expires on Sept. 14, and it covers 150,000 autoworkers at Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares’ compensation has increased 72% over the last four years, the UAW noted. Continue reading

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Vehicle-to-Home Bidirectional Charging Coming on All GM EVs

General Motors (NYSE:GM) said today that it will expand vehicle-to-home (V2H) bidirectional charging technology across its retail portfolio of Ultium-based electric vehicles by model year 2026. The first vehicles to receive the technology include the previously announced 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST, followed by the 2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1, 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV, 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV, 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ and the upcoming Cadillac ESCALADE IQ.

Information on additional availability of V2H technology and specific timing of V2H rollout to individual vehicle models will be provided in future updates. Just bring money. The question is how much? Continue reading

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Zero Emissions – CARB Cal Fleet Advisor for Small Businesses

“The transition to zero-emissions transportation – and to cleaner air – means working collaboratively with the owners and operators who provide a critical service to California’s economy by transporting goods across the state,” said CARB Chair Liane Randolph. “Cal Fleet Advisor is an example of the innovative outreach and assistance that California has committed to provide to make a zero-emissions future a reality.” Continue reading

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Kia Hybrid Fire Recalls on Niro and Niro Plug-ins

Fluid may leak into the printed circuit board inside the hydraulic clutch actuator, which can result in an engine compartment fire. More than ~121,000 Kia hybrids are affected. Illumination of the HEV warning light is an indicator.

Kia will instruct dealers to inspect the HCA and replace, if necessary. Kia will also install a new HCA fuse with one of a higher capacity to mitigate the potential risk of fire caused by an electrical short circuit. Kia will reimburse owners for repair expenses already incurred. Continue reading

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UAW Wants 40% Wage Increase in 2023 Contract Negotiations

“Record profits mean record contracts,” Fain said. “Yes, we’re demanding double-digit pay raises. Big Three CEOs saw their pay spike 40% on average over the last four years. We know our members are worth the same and more.” Continue reading

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World Debut of the Acura ZDX at Monterey Car Week

The largish – grotesque to some AutoInformed readers – ZDX is being co-developed with GM using the highly flexible global EV platform powered by Ultium batteries. What fun for brand managers – a common platform for Cadillac and Acura SUVs? Acura eventually will launch additional EV models starting in 2026 based on the company’s own global EV Architecture. Continue reading

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EPA Rejects Alabama Coal Ash Management Plan

Coal ash is a byproduct of burning coal in coal-fired power plants that, without proper management, can pollute waterways, groundwater, drinking water, and the air. Coal ash contains contaminants such as mercury, cadmium, chromium, and arsenic associated with cancer and other serious health effects. Continue reading

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