Category Archives: news

Penske Automotive Group Buys Transolutions Truck Centers

“We are thrilled to expand our North American presence with the Freightliner, Western Star and Thomas Built Bus brands. For more than 30 years, Transolutions Truck Centers has built a strong legacy of providing quality service to customers across Manitoba,” said Premier Truck Group President Ron Long. Continue reading

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Pato O’Ward Fastest in Practice for Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix

Pato O’Ward was fastest in during Friday practice for Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. Continue reading

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US Auto Sales Soar in May

“After a particularly robust result in April, it would not have been surprising if May sales were a little disappointing, but instead, we interpret May’s outcome as another encouraging one for the industry,” said David Oakley, Manager, Americas Sales Forecasts, GlobalData. Continue reading

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GM Expanding Ultium CAM EV Battery Joint Venture

General Motors (NYSE: GM) and POSCO Future M announced today the second phase of their Ultium CAM joint venture, an investment forecast to exceed $1 billion to increase production capacity of Cathode Active Material (CAM) for EV batteries. While CEO Mary Barra admits that GM was slow to embrace EVs, GM is now clearly among the leaders in what is the future of automobility. Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of actions GM has taken to build a more secure EV supply chain. Continue reading

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Ford Next with Uber to Offer Drivers Mustang Mach-Es

“We understand uptime and ease of use are critical to every rideshare driver. As more of them make the switch to electric vehicles, we’re building the Ford Drive program around their unique needs,” claimed Bill Knapp, who heads Ford Drive. Continue reading

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Stellantis, Vulcan Sign Deal for Renewable Energy at Mulhouse

Mulhouse is where the DS7, Peugeot 308 and e-308, 508, and the new 408 are made. Based on current assumptions, the project could provide a significant portion of the industrial site’s annual energy needs starting in 2026, Stellantis said. It’s the latest move in the Stellantis fight against climate change with its ambitious goal of reaching carbon net zero emissions by 2038, with a 50% reduction by end of this decade. Continue reading

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GM Adding Active Safety Systems to 98% of its 2023 Vehicles

“GM has gone well beyond the safety commitment we made to our customers for the 2023 model year, with a handful of additional standard safety features shown to bring real-world results,” claimed John Capp, director, Vehicle Safety Technology, Strategy and Regulations. “As we look ahead toward a future vision of zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion, these technologies are significant building blocks with proven benefits for reducing common crashes.” Continue reading

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Toyota Motor Establishes Hydrogen Factory

The goal is to promote sustainable commercialization of hydrogen fuels. The former Hydrogen business area will be abolished as a result. This is in keeping with the global auto industry’s moves toward sustainable fuels. Continue reading

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Chinese April Sales Soft – EV Exports Threaten Global Trade

AutoInformed notes here that the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act is actual a climate change and industrial policy bill that has global trade implications among US allies, trading partners and hostile states – say Russia and China. This is leading to the creation of a new term that will replace “offshoring” in trading and policy jargon.  How about “friend shoring,” which is starting to emerge in automotive circles. Continue reading

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Toyota to Assemble Three-Row Electric SUV in Kentucky

Toyota claims it currently offers 22 electrified vehicle options in the US at the Toyota and Lexus brands, the most among any automaker. By 2025, Toyota plans to have an electrified option available for every Toyota and Lexus model globally. During the last two years, Toyota said it has invested more than $8 billion in its US manufacturing operations primarily to support its product electrification efforts. Continue reading

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Short Circuit – Electric Vehicle Smartphone Apps

 “Even though EV app usage has increased over time, the app features EV owners say are most important to them are among those that have the lowest satisfaction,” said Jason Norton, senior manager of global automotive consulting at J.D. Power. “Manufacturers need to focus on improving the performance of the areas that matter most to EV owners in order to maximize their impact and elevate the user experience.” Continue reading

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Stellantis, TotalEnergies, Mercedes-Benz Open Battery Factory

Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), TotalEnergies and Mercedes-Benz, celebrated today the inauguration of  the Automotive Cells Company’s (ACC) battery factory in Billy-Berclau Douvrin, France, the first of three planned in Europe. Continue reading

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GM Defense and Black Sage Technologies to Work on Drones

“We understand how critical optionality is for our customers, who look for ways to outmaneuver increasingly complex threats from around the globe,” said Steve duMont, GM Defense president. “Our teaming agreement with Black Sage helps us offer greater flexibility to warfighters while continuing to develop mobility solutions that perform in diverse environments. This collaboration enables GM Defense and Black Sage to leverage the synergies of our respective companies, extend battlefield capabilities and showcase solutions that can drive mission readiness.” Continue reading

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Heavy Duty – Mitsubishi Fuso and Hino Motors to Merge

How this works under various anti-trust laws and regulations is unclear to AutoInformed. Details on the scope and nature of the collaboration including the name, location, shareholding ratio and corporate structure of the new holding company will be decided during the next ~18 months. The parties predict signing of definitive agreements in the first quarter of 2024. They aim to close the transaction by the end of 2024. Once all parties involved reach an agreement, they will move forward based on the approval of the relevant boards of directors, shareholders, and authorities. Continue reading

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Toyota, Honda, GM Lead in Supplier Relations

“The industry continues to face unprecedented challenges in the shift to EVs that unless effectively addressed will only get worse,” said David Andrea, Principal in Plante Moran’s Strategy and Automotive & Mobility Consulting Practice, which conducts the annual Study. “During Covid, a ‘war room’ approach was adopted to quickly resolve critical issues. That approach is what auto manufacturers need to maintain during the transition to EV technologies. The industry needs that level of collaboration, even without the pressure of a crisis.” Continue reading

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