Category Archives: news

Recalls – Hyundai Motor America Backup Cameras

Posted on 2 December 2024 by Ken Zino

Hyundai Motor America is recalling 226,118 model year 2021-2022 Santa Fe, Santa Fe HEV, Elantra, Elantra HEV and 2022 Elantra N and Santa Fe PHEV vehicles, according to the required safety defect filing made public today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“Due to a damaged printed circuit board, the rearview camera image may fail to display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, Rear Visibility,” Hyundai told NHTSA. Continue reading →

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Mercedes-Benz USA Recall – Sunroofs Flying Off

Posted on 2 December 2024 by Ken Zino

Mercedes-Benz USA is recalling 33,456 model year 2001-2011 C-Class, CLK, E-Class, and CLS vehicles because the glass sunroof panel from Webasto Roof & Components may not be properly secured and can detach, according to the required safety defect filing made public this morning by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Continue reading →

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Carlos Tavares Out as Stellantis CEO

Posted on 2 December 2024 by Ken Zino

Stellantis (NYSE: STLA ) in an unusual but not surprising Sunday release said that the Company’s Board of Directors, under the Chairmanship of John Elkann, has accepted Carlos Tavares’ resignation on 1 December 2024 as Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect. The process to appoint the new permanent Chief Executive Officer is well under way, as AutoInformed* previously reported, managed by a Special Committee of the Board. It will conclude within the first half of 2025. Until then, a new Interim Executive Committee, chaired by John Elkann, will be established. Continue reading →

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Bernie Ecclestone Selling His F1 Car Collection

Posted on 2 December 2024 by Ken Zino

“I have been collecting these cars for more than 50 years, and I have only ever bought the best of any example. Whilst many other collectors over the years have opted for sports cars, my passion has always been for Grand Prix and Formula 1 cars,” said Ecclestone. “A Grand Prix and in particular a Formula 1 car is far more important than any road car or other form of race car, as it is the pinnacle of the sport, and all the cars I have bought over the years have fantastic race histories and are rare works of art.”

“I love all of my cars but the time has come for me to start thinking about what will happen to them should I no longer be here, and that is why I have decided to sell them. After collecting and owning them for so long, I would like to know where they have gone and not leave them for my wife to deal with should I not be around,” said Ecclestone. Continue reading →

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F1 – Qatar Investment Authority Buys Into Sauber

Posted on 29 November 2024 by Ken Zino

QIA was founded in 2005 to invest and manage the state reserve funds. QIA is among the largest and most active sovereign wealth funds globally. QIA invests across a wide range of asset classes and regions as well as in partnership with institutions around the world “to build a global and diversified investment portfolio with a long-term perspective that can deliver sustainable returns and contribute to the prosperity of the State of Qatar.” It is the subject of controversies, including its dealings with Russia, embezzlement charges of former executives, it’s ownership of Heathrow airport, the PGA tournaments, the football World Cup, among others. Continue reading →

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Battery Electric Vehicle Sales In EU Slumping

Posted on 29 November 2024 by Ken Zino

Roughly half of all European markets saw a drop in battery electric vehicle sales through September 2024, compared to the same period in 2023. There was a slight improvement in Q3.

“This was contrary to consensus market projections. Battery electric vehicle sales in the EU experienced a year-on-year decline of 4% during the first nine months, prompting most OEMs to re-evaluate and rescale their investment plans and strategies towards electrification,” said Vivek Satheesh, a powertrain analyst at the respected  GlobalData consultancy. Continue reading →

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U.S. November New Vehicle Sales – 16M SAAR

Posted on 27 November 2024 by Ken Zino

The election has sparked much speculation about the potential effects of a new Trump mis-administration on the auto market, particularly concerning electric vehicles and emissions standards given the general economic incompetence of Trump ‘s first term that destroyed the economy and jobs, as well as abandoning valuable global alliances and scoffing at climate change as a “Chinese Hoax,” AutoInformed observes. Continue reading →

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Annals of Marketing – Broad Arrow Auctions and BMW

Posted on 27 November 2024 by Ken Zino

Thus Broad Arrow Auctions makes its overseas live auction debut following annual North American sales events, including the Monterey Jet Center Auction and The Amelia Auction, where Broad Arrow is the official auction house of The Amelia (Concours d’Elegance). At each of these auctions, Broad Arrow claims rapid growth, continuing to increase total sales and the average value of cars sold year-over-year.

Founded in 1929, the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este is one of the world’s oldest concours d’elegance events. Hosted by BMW Group Classic and Grand Hotel Villa d’Este, Saturday’s tickets for the events at Villa d’Este are limited, while the parade of Historic Cars is open to the public on Sunday at Villa Erba. Broad Arrow’s auction will be held on Saturday 24 May 2025 at Villa Erba. Continue reading →

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Honda – Global Expansion of Electric Motorcycles

Posted on 27 November 2024 by Ken Zino

Honda in Tokyo today announced two electric personal commuters in India continuing 2024 as the first year for its global expansion of electric motorcycles. The new ACTIVA e and QC1 are the 12th and 13th models, respectively, of Honda’s “30 electric models to be launched globally by 2030” target. The ACTIVA e is equipped with two Honda Mobile Power Pack e with swappable batteries as its power source. QC1, has a fixed battery.

“Both ACTIVA e: and QC1 will be manufactured in India, strengthening the electric commuter lineup to meet the growing needs for electric mobility in the Indian market. In addition, Honda Power Pack Energy India Private Limited will operate Honda e:Swap, a battery sharing service, in three major Indian cities (Bengaluru, the National Capital Territory of Delhi, and Mumbai [footnote 3], providing customers mobility experience with more peace of mind,” Honda said. Continue reading →

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Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles – Japan vs Korea

Posted on 26 November 2024 by Ken Zino

“This rivalry is more than a market battle – it’s a bid for energy independence and environmental sustainability. FCEVs (fuel cell electric vehicles) offer several advantages over traditional fossil-fuel vehicles and even BEVs (battery electric vehicles), such as longer range and faster refueling, making them a potentially transformative solution, especially for long-haul and heavy-duty applications,” GlobalData said. Continue reading →

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EPA – US Fuel Economy Record High. CO2 Record Low

Posted on 26 November 2024 by Ken Zino

“This annual report indicates EPA’s commitment to provide the public with information about new light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas emissions, fuel economy, technology data, and auto manufacturers’ performance in meeting the nation’s emissions standards. EPA’s annual Automotive Trends Report is separate from the agency’s regulatory process, which is far more complex and has been subject to political and judicial interference funded by special interest groups. – AutoCrat.” Continue reading →

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General Motors via Cadillac F1 Bound in 2026

Posted on 25 November 2024 by Ken Zino

The move comes after Max Verstappen took the 2024 driver’s title driving for Red Bull at Las Vegas over the past weekend. An announcement of some sort was widely rumored in the paddock. This starts another era in F1 as Cadillac would be the first new team to join F1 since 2016 and the eleventh team on the grid. In addition to the Cadillac F1 partnership with GM, TWG Global owns and operates Andretti Global, Wayne Taylor Racing, and Spire Motorsports. [It will also open up a couple of driver’s seats in the world’s most expensive motor sports series.  Seven different drivers won more than one race in 2024, which has two races remaining. Gentleman, let the driver speculation intrigue begin. Gentlewoman? – AutoCrat] Continue reading →

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Genesis, Hyundai, Kia recalls for Sudden Power Loss

Posted on 25 November 2024 by Ken Zino

Hyundai Motor is recalling Genesis, Hyundai and Kia models from the 2022 though 2025 models years because of sudden power loss. Warning symptoms may occur during “fail-safe” mode driving over period of ~20-40 minutes through various illumination of dashboard MIL; an audible chime; warning messages displayed in vehicle information display(s); and noticeable degradation in vehicle motive power or speed.

In the required filing made public today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it said “the Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) may become damaged and stop charging the 12-volt battery, which can result in a loss of drive power.” The vehicle’s “fail-safe” mode will trigger upon detection of a fault associated with over-voltage induced at the start and end of the vehicle’s battery charging cycle or thermal loading during charging/driving. Continue reading →

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Abgewürgt – Volkswagen German Collective Bargaining

Posted on 23 November 2024 by Ken Zino

The negotiating committees of Volkswagen AG and IG Metall Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt held  negotiations on the 2024 collective bargaining round in Wolfsburg yesterday without reaching an agreement on plant closings or cutting labor costs. However, they did agree to meet again on 9 December 2024. (Read AutoInformed.com on: Large European Job Cuts Coming at Ford, Again, and Pablo Di Si Out at VW Group of America)

“We view it as a positive signal that the employee representatives have shown openness to reducing labor costs and capacity reductions. However, the counter-proposal they submitted must be judged on whether it creates both sustainable financial relief for the company and offers clear prospects for the workforce,” said Arne Meiswinkel, lead negotiator at Volkswagen AG. “For Volkswagen AG, the sustainable achievement of financial targets remains crucial in order to ensure competitiveness in an extremely challenging phase for the German automotive industry,” said Meiswinkel. Continue reading →

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Subaru 2025 Forester Wilderness SUV – $36,415

Posted on 22 November 2024 by Ken Zino

Subaru of America today said pricing on the rugged 2025 Forester Wilderness SUV will range from $36,415 to $38,415 with the only option package including destination.* In addition to longer coil springs and shock absorbers, the 2025 Subaru Forester Wilderness adds 17-inch matte-black alloy wheels with All-Terrain Yokohama GEOLANDAR® tires for increased traction on muddy, wet, or snowy roads or trails. A full-size spare is underneath the cargo area. Continue reading →

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