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- Ford Motor Posts Q2 2026 Net Loss of $1.3B
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- Stellantis Sells Free2move to a Private Equity Firm
- CAR on King Trump’s Tariff and Trade Policies
- Non-Binding ‘cellcentric’ Fuel Cell Agreement Moves Ahead
- Ford Motor Recalls ~566,000 Broncos for Wiring Harness Fires
- Autokiniton Workers in Milan, Michigan Vote to Join the UAW
- Financing Costs Ease a Tad But Payments Set July Record
- EPA Certifies Higher Estimated Range for 2027 Volvo EX60
- J.D. Power 2026 APEAL Scores Rise Again
- ACEA – New EU Car Registrations Up 5.7% YTD
- AAA – Gasoline Prices Keep Rising!
- Penske Automotive Group Increases Dividend Again!
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- Magna International on Magna International Posts Q1 2026 EPS Loss of $0.04
- Council on Foreign Relations on Iran and Strait of Hormuz on AAA – Pump Gasoline Prices Still Soaring
- Autocrat on Stellantis Subordinated Perpetual Hybrid Bonds on Stellantis Posts Full Year 2025 Loss of €22.3B
- Michigan Governor Whitmer on Pew – Confidence in Trump Dips, Fewer Support His Policies
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Category Archives: news
July 2026 Light Vehicle Production Forecast Slightly Higher
“Against that backdrop, our near-term forecast moves mostly higher, except in Greater China, where soft consumer sentiment is still dragging sales and pulling production down,” said Mike Wall, Executive Director, Automotive Analysis, Mobility Global. “The important nuance: Chinese OEMs are leaning harder on exports to keep plants running, and that is reshaping pricing and competitive intensity across multiple regions.**
“At the same time, inflation is keeping buyers price-sensitive. Demand is resilient in many markets, but it can turn quickly if fuel prices rise, credit tightens, or confidence slips, especially in higher-priced segments where mix and margins move first,” said Wall. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, economy, manufacturing, news analysis, opinions, results, Trump Truth Tests
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Chinese vehicle production, inflation and car buyers, Ken Zino, Ken Zino commenting as AutoCrat, Middle East Wars, Mike Wall, Mobility Global, S&P Global Mobility, short-term vehicle production forecast, Strait of Hormuz, Trump tariffs wars and foreign policy, X @KenAutoinformed
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Annals of Marketing – Aston Martin’s Vanquish 25
“Anyone familiar with this iconic British brand knows the provenance of the name ‘Vanquish’ in our modern history,” said Vittorio Gabba, Head of Q at Aston Martin. “25 years on from the unveiling of the very first Vanquish it is only right that we mark this nameplate’s contribution to our heritage. Vanquish 25 builds on the extraordinary achievements of the modern, third-generation Vanquish with a carefully curated package of exterior and interior features that subtly celebrate this important milestone in our history.” Continue reading
Posted in auto news, design and styling, manufacturing, marketing, new vehicle, performance, shows and events
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Ken Zino, Ken Zino commenting as AutoCrat, Monterey Car Week, Q by Aston Martin, Vanquish 25, Vittorio Gabba, X @KenAutoinformed
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Annals of Marketing – Mercedes-Benz Studio Los Angeles
“As one of the world’s most valuable brands, Mercedes-Benz has always stood for combining engineering excellence with emotional experiences that bring our ‘Welcome home’ promise to life. That is why we are introducing Mercedes-Benz Studios, bringing our brand into the heart of the world’s most iconic cities. Los Angeles is an important part of this global network, creating new ways for people to experience Mercedes-Benz in everyday life and making our brand feel even more accessible, personal, and welcoming,” claimed Mathias Geisen, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Sales & Customer Experience. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, design and styling, marketing, milestones, shows and events
Tagged Adam Chamberlain, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Ken Zino, Ken Zino commenting as AutoCrat, MANUFAKTUR Made to Measure Hub, Mathias Geisen, Mercedes-AMG GT, Mercedes-AMG SL, Mercedes-Maybach GLS, Sindelfingen, Studio Los Angeles, X @KenAutoinformed
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IndyCar – Palou Wins at Nashville Superspeedway
“I can’t believe it! I started P4, shuffled a little bit from back to front and then we were a bit lucky with a yellow and we went from P3 to P1. It was great, it was awesome. The car was awesome. I was super confident in the end, but it was a close battle with Josef [Josef Newgarden Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet- AutoCrat] there for a little bit. Thank you to all the fans for sticking with us today, on the Monday. Thank you, Honda, for the amazing power we had today on track. And on to the next one,” said Palou. Continue reading
Posted in marketing, performance, racing, results, shows and events
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix, Chip Ganassi Racing Alex Palou, Josef Newgarden Team Penske, Ken Zino, Ken Zino commenting as AutoCrat, X @KenAutoinformed
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Ford Recalls ~288,000 Explorers for Flying Roof Rail Covers
“Affected vehicles are equipped with roof rail covers that may loosen over time, exhibiting a visible gap, developing a rattle, or detaching from the vehicle while in motion,” Ford said in the mandatory safety defect recall filing made public by NHTSA this morning.
“Vehicles with this condition may exhibit increased wind noise and/or squeaks and rattles as the roof rail cover begins to loosen. A visible gap or misalignment between the roof rail cover and the roofline may develop,” Ford said. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, customer satisfaction, manufacturing, recalls, safety
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Explorer recall 20N11, Ford Explorer roof rail cover recall 26S54, Ken Zino, Ken Zino commenting as AutoCrat, NHTSA Ford Explorer recall 26V448 or 26V-448. NHTSA Ford Explorer recall 21V316 or 21V-316, X @KenAutoinformed
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First Look – The 2027 Trendsetting Toyota Prius Hybrid
The 2027 Toyota Prius (NYSE: TM, 7203T)* is expected to arrive at Toyota dealerships this summer with a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price, of $28,755 plus a Dealer Processing and Handling fee of $1295. The top of the range MSRP is … Continue reading
Posted in auto news, connected vehicles, customer satisfaction, electric vehicles, fuel economy or emissions, global warming, new vehicle, news analysis, public health
Tagged 2027 Toyota Prius, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Fifth-Generation Toyota Hybrid System, Ken Zino, Ken Zino commenting as AutoCrat, THS 5, Toyota Audio Multimedia system, Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, X @KenAutoinformed
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WEC – Ford Hypercar V8 moves from Dyno to Race Car
Ford Racing’s (NYSE: F) WEC Hypercar program moved from dynamometer cells in Dearborn to race cars in France last week. Competing in the Hypercar class, the Ford-powered, Ford-built and Ford-raced prototype will make its Le Mans debut in the event’s 95th running in June 2027.*
“The engine’s development phase is already showing great promise on the dynos in Dearborn, where we’ve been pushing the limits of its performance and durability – and learning a lot at the same time. That dyno work, combined with parallel progress on the chassis side with ORECA, has now converged into a complete package ready for its next phase,” said Dan Sayers, WEC Hypercar Program Manager at Ford Racing. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, engineering, marketing, news analysis, performance, racing, shows and events
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Coyote V8 engine, Dan Sayers, Ford Racing, imsa, Ken Zino, Ken Zino commenting as AutoCrat, Logan Sargeant, Matt Campbell, Mike Rockenfeller, Nick Yelloly, Oreca, Sebastian Priaulx, Tom Blomqvist, wec, X @KenAutoinformed
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Stellantis Increases EU Registrations during H1 2026
“During the first six months of 2026, we confirmed the positive momentum that Stellantis began to demonstrate toward the end of last year. In line with the objectives set out in our FaSTLAne 2030 strategic plan, we consolidated our leadership in the A and B segments across the EU30 market, where our registrations have increased by 67,000 units year-on-year, rising to 93,000 units when Leapmotor sales are included. Similarly, the Stellantis Pro One family remains firmly at the top of the podium in the highly competitive light commercial vehicle market,” claimed Emanuele Cappellano, COO of Enlarged Europe. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, economy, marketing, mobility company, news analysis, results, sales
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Emanuele Cappellano, Ken Zino, Ken Zino commenting as AutoCrat, Stellantis EU Registrations H1 2026, Stellantis EU30 sales, X @KenAutoinformed
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Gasoline National Average Moves Higher Near $4 Gallon!
“Instability along the Strait of Hormuz is contributing to the increase at the pump and pushing crude oil prices toward $80 per barrel. Most states are still averaging less than $4 per gallon. Earlier this year, the national average remained in the $4 range all of April and May and most of June. Last time the national average was $4 or above was on June 17 when it was $4.02,” AAA said. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, customer satisfaction, economy, fools 'n frauds, news, opinions, transportation, Trump Truth Tests
Tagged aaa, AAA gas prices, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, eia, Energy Information Administration, gasoline prices, Ken Zino, Ken Zino commenting as AutoCrat, National Average Gas Prices 16 July 2026, Trump War Crimes, Trump-conomics, Trumpoline err Gasoline Prices, X @KenAutoinformed
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Transportation Costs Rising for Producers. You’ll Pay More Too
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today released the change in the costs faced by producers purchasing transportation services and industries producing them, from June 2025 to June 2026. Transportation equipment PPI indicate the changes in transportation equipment prices faced by transportation providers. Any increase raises providers costs, which ultimately are passed on to everyday Americans. The PPI shows that prices increased for freight transportation and equipment by 2.3% in June 2026 compared to June 2025. Continue reading
Posted in customer satisfaction, economy, news, news analysis, opinions, prices, transportation, Trump Truth Tests
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, bts, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Ken Zino, Ken Zino commenting as AutoCrat, transportation cost of consumer goods, Transportation equipment PPI, X @KenAutoinformed
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Cut Energy Waste. Save $4.8 Trillion or $31,000 a Household!
ACEEE found opportunities for progress in eight broad areas: buildings equipment efficiency, zero-emissions new buildings, existing building improvements, industrial energy efficiency and electric heat, reduced industrial materials, efficient and electric vehicles, transportation system efficiency and access, and electricity demand flexibility. Continue reading
Posted in customer satisfaction, economy, environment, fuel economy or emissions, global warming, news, news analysis, opinions, prices, public health, Trump Truth Tests
Tagged ACEEE, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, climate pollution, Electric efficiency measures, Energy costs savings, Ken Zino, Ken Zino commenting as AutoCrat, Lowell Ungar, The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, u.s. economy, X @KenAutoinformed
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Trump-conomics – Consumer Cost For Transportation up 6.5%
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) released today the change in the costs faced by consumers for transportation goods and services. From June 2025 to June 2026, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). [The annual change in CPI … Continue reading
Posted in economy, news, news analysis, opinions, Trump Truth Tests
Tagged Airline Fares, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, contributors to inflation, CPI, gasoline costs, Ken Zino, Ken Zino commenting as AutoCrat, Motor vehicle maintenance and repair, nhtsa recall, Trump Administration economy, X @KenAutoinformed
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Take Private Offer Made to Penske Automotive Group!
Late yesterday, the Penske Automotive Group (NYSE: PAG)* announced that it had received an unsolicited, preliminary and non-binding proposal from Penske Corporation (PC) and Mitsui & Co. (Mitsui) to acquire the remaining shares of the Company’s common stock that they and their affiliates do not currently own “for cash consideration of $210 per share.”
“The Board has established a special committee comprised of disinterested and independent directors to review and consider the Proposal. The special committee is authorized to retain advisors, including independent legal and financial advisors, to assist it in its work. There can be no assurance as to whether an agreement relating to any proposed transaction will be reached or as to the terms thereof if an agreement is reached,” PAG said. Continue reading →