Category Archives: news

Automaker Profits Post-Covid Hiding Supplier Weakness

Posted on 23 June 2022 by Ken Zino

The continued trend delivers a “complex backdrop for an industry committing $526 billion through 2026,” AlixPartners’ analysis finds, to fund the shift to battery-electric vehicles (BEVs). The transition, now taking place amid a weakening economic outlook, could cost automakers and suppliers $70 billion if not effectively managed, the analysis finds. There are several implications for consumers here – not all of them benign. Continue reading →

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Ford Europe Says Valencia Will Make Next Gen EVs

Posted on 22 June 2022 by Ken Zino

In the problematic world of labor relations, Ford is also moving ahead on the $2 billion conversion of its Cologne, Germany, operations to begin producing electric passenger vehicles starting in 2023. Continue reading →

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EV Consideration is Up but Skepticism is a Challenge

Posted on 22 June 2022 by Ken Zino

AutoInformed notes once again that Republican Party opposition to the Build Back Better Bill, which has substantial funding for charging stations needed to help automakers sell EVs, is yet another puzzling position reversal for a party that is now against supporting business? Continue reading →

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Toyota, Redwood Materials to Recycle Electric Vehicle Batteries

Posted on 21 June 2022 by Ken Zino

Redwood Materials claims it is reducing the environmental footprint and cost of lithium-ion batteries by offering large-scale sources of domestic anode and cathode materials produced from recycled batteries. Redwood receives more than ~6 GWh of end-of-life batteries annually for recycling, which are then refined and remanufactured into critical battery materials. The company plans to increase production of anode and cathode components in the US to 100 GWh annually by 2025, enough to produce more than one million electric vehicles a year. Continue reading →

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Hyundai Motor, Michelin MoU to Develop Tires for Premium EVs

Posted on 20 June 2022 by Ken Zino

It appears a prime motivator of the new research is on tire performance to accommodate the increases in vehicle weight that will occur as automakers rush to convert or spawn EVs in the utility vehicle and luxury segments, which generally speaking are larger and less efficient than their counterparts in the more modestly priced car segments. As the size, weight and range of EVs continue to increase, so do the demands placed on the tires. Continue reading →

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Safety Performance of Advanced Vehicle Technologies Murky

Posted on 16 June 2022 by Ken Zino

The set of crashes, which automakers and operators reported to NHTSA from the time the SGO was issued last June, are clearly important. They provide NHTSA with direct information about crashes that occur with vehicles that have various levels of automated driving systems deployed at least 30 seconds before a crash occurred. Continue reading →

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Europe’s Diesel Addiction Continues Starting with Germany

Posted on 15 June 2022 by Ken Zino

This was “in a depressed market that is suffering not only from supply issues, but perhaps starting to feel the beginnings of a consumer slowdown, although that is thought to be a relatively minor part of the problem as the order backlog remains significant,” the respected LMC Automotive* consultancy said today. Continue reading →

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No Joy in May Global Light Vehicles Sales

Posted on 14 June 2022 by Ken Zino

In year-over-year comparison terms, sales were down 10%. In China, the reopening of manufacturing facilities in mid-April supported a rebound in sales for a moment. In the US, the industry is beset with problems, many of them self-inflected, including record high transaction prices, low inventory, and low incentives. Continue reading →

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Le Mans 2022 – Toyota, Porsche, Jota, Aston Martin Win

Posted on 13 June 2022 by Ken Zino

Toyota Gazoo Racing brought its winning record at LeMans to an extraordinary total of five this year in the top Hypercar class. The number of kilometers traversed by the winning #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid was 5,177.17 at an average of … Continue reading →

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GM Defense Expands into Global Markets

Posted on 13 June 2022 by Ken Zino

GM Defense uses commercial technologies to develop products to aid the fighting of wars. GM Defense can scale to nearly any level of production while providing its military customers access to maintenance and support on a global scale. Continue reading →

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Hyundai Motor Group to Test Autonomous Car-Hailing

Posted on 10 June 2022 by Ken Zino

For the ride-hailing experiment, the Group has obtained a temporary autonomous driving operation permit from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) of Korea. It will collaborate with Jin Mobility, a Korean startup operating the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered car-hailing mobility platform ‘i.M.’. Jin Mobility will be in charge of operating the two IONIQ 5 RoboRide units on its i.M application. The Group also plans to expand the pilot service, while further developing autonomous driving technology “with consideration for various conditions, such as driving stability.” Continue reading →

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Cadillac to Return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans After 22 Years

Posted on 9 June 2022 by Ken Zino

The prototype has a new Cadillac 5.5-liter DOHC engine package working in conjunction with the LMDh common hybrid system.T he engineering challenge remaining – of course – is to bring the old success of Cadillac’s DPi V.R, which won two titles and four consecutive Rolex 24s in its six years in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship, to the new car. Continue reading →

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IIHS Says Toyota Tacoma 2022 MY Marginal in Crash Test

Posted on 9 June 2022 by Ken Zino

Still, this was an improvement. The marginal rating applies to vehicles built after October 2021, when Toyota modified the rear leaf springs. Vehicles built prior to that date are rated poor. In an earlier test of a vehicle built before the changes, one of the rear leaf springs punctured the fuel tank, resulting in a fire risk and an automatic downgrade. Continue reading →

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Aftermarket Services Beat Dealers Again in Latest Survey

Posted on 8 June 2022 by Ken Zino

The study, now in its third year following its debut in 2019, measures customer satisfaction with aftermarket service facilities, providing a numerical index ranking of the highest-performing facilities in the U.S. aftermarket doing full-service maintenance and repair; quick oil changes; and tire replacement. Continue reading →

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Digital Media Decimating Print Publishing Revenues

Posted on 7 June 2022 by Ken Zino

The explosive growth of digital media and technology continues to have a ruinous impact on print publishing industry revenues, the US Census Bureau said today. Continue reading →

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