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Category Archives: news
Trump Tariff Chaos Continues Despite Court Ruling
The U.S. Court of International Trade ruling Wednesday against Trump Administration tariffs is just a bump in the road. Although it was widely and loudly hailed as a defeat for President Trump and his whimsical, constantly changing tariff executive orders it is actually just a continuation of the economically damaging Administration policies, irrelevant to the misleading Wall Street TACO moniker – Trump Always Chickens Outs.
By late Thursday, the Administration had swiftly obtained an emergency stay. Tariffs on steel aluminum, automobiles and auto parts and remain in place.
“The CIT’s ruling affects the tariffs that Trump imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which gives the president some power to regulate commerce after declaring a national emergency. It does not affect other, more specific tariffs he has imposed on commodities such as steel,” said Inu Manak, a fellow for trade policy at the Council on Foreign Relations. Continue reading
Posted in AutoInformed Editorial, economy, fools 'n frauds, litigation, news, news analysis, Trump Truth Tests
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, IEEPA tariffs, International Emergency Economic Powers Act, Inu Manak, Ken Zino, The Council on Foreign Relations, U.S. Court of International Trade, Wall Street TACO moniker, X @KenAutoinformed
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EV App Gap Frustrates Growing Number of Users
“The report includes apps from the top 28 award-eligible brands that sell EVs in the United States; 10 profiled EV brands in China; and eight profiled EV brands in Europe. Brands from China and Europe are included in this report given their expanding presence in the EV marketplace. Additionally, 1966 EV owners in the United States were surveyed in March-April 2025 to gather insights on app usage; feature desirability; and app overall execution for the 2025 report,” said Power. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, connected vehicles, customer satisfaction, electric vehicles, news analysis
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, j.d power, Ken Zino, mobile app satisfaction, mobile apps, Violet Allmandinger, X @KenAutoinformed
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Belle Macchine – Italian Automotive Design at BMW
Today BMW said that on 7 June, the “Belle Macchine. Italian Automotive Design at BMW” exhibition will open its doors at the BMW Museum. The exhibition extends over five platforms and ramps within the BMW Museum’s “Bowl.” It starts with … Continue reading
Posted in auto news, concept, design and styling, shows and events
Tagged Anna Schleypen, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, BMW 2800 GTS Frua and BMW Nazca M12 by Fabrizio Giugiaro, BMW 3000 V8, BMW Garmisch concept car by Marcello Gandini, BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé, Glas, Ken Zino, Klaus-Anton Altenbuchner, X @KenAutoinformed
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Antonio Filosa New Stellantis CEO
Stellantis will now hold an Extraordinary Shareholder Meeting, which will be called in the coming days for Antonio Filosa to be elected to the Board to serve as an executive director of the Company. “Meanwhile, to give him full authority and ensure an efficient transition, the Board has granted him CEO powers effective June 23.”
John Elkann will continue in his role as Executive Chairman when Antonio Filosa takes up his position as Chief Executive Officer on June 23. At that time, Antonio Filosa will also announce Stellantis’ new leadership team. Continue reading
UAW Members Ratify Contract at Electric Boat
The UAW said this morning that UAW Local 571 members have ratified a new contract with General Dynamics – Electric Boat. Members voted by 85% to ratify the new agreement.
“During the campaign, the local leadership rejected closed-door bargaining, and instead regularly updated their membership on negotiations. Union members built a new network of over 100 strike captains, and signed up 2,200 members, or more than 90% of the bargaining unit, for picket duty – mounting a serious threat of a strike,” the UAW said.
“We did negotiations differently this time,” said Bill Louis, the President of Local 571. “Our members worked hard and got involved in our campaign. After more than a decade of ‘living to fight another day,’ we finally stood up and won the respect that all workers deserve.” Continue reading
Posted in labor issues, manufacturing, news, news analysis, results
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, General Dynamics - Electric Boat Groton CT, Ken Zino, Marine Draftsmen Association, uaw, UAW Marine Drafters, United Automobile Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, X @KenAutoinformed
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Trump Tariff Chaos – May Auto Sales Crash
Per Cox Automotive’s vAuto Live Market View, strong vehicle sales in March and April led to tighter inventory levels. New-vehicle inventory at the start of May totaled 2.49 million units on U.S. dealer lots, down 7.4% from the start of April and lower by 10.5% from a year ago. Days’ supply was 66 at the beginning of May, down six days from the previous measure at the start of April.
“Available inventory on dealer lots has declined significantly over recent weeks,” said Chesbrough. “Finding the right vehicle will be more challenging for shoppers. Additionally, prices will be high as existing inventory becomes less available and more valuable due to tariffs on incoming replacement supply. As more tariffed products replace existing inventory over the summer, prices are expected to be pushed higher, leading to slower sales in the coming months.”
The Q2 Cox Automotive Dealer Sentiment Index out last week said that dealers are increasingly wary of future market conditions. While many acknowledged the short-term lift in sales from tariff-driven urgency, the broader sentiment reflected anxiety about a cooling market and the long-term impact of trade policies. As expected, newly implemented tariffs by the Trump administration were a dominant theme in dealer responses, reinforcing the forecast of a cooling market in the months ahead. Continue reading
ACEA – April EU Car Sales off 1%. Tesla -53%
During April 2025 year-to-date (YTD), new EU car registrations fell by 1.2% compared to the same period last year, according to data released today by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, aka ACEA at AutoInformed. The lobbying group of 15 major European automakers said that “nonetheless, registrations in April rebounded with a 1.3% year-on-year (YOY) increase, showing signs of recovery despite the ongoing unpredictable global economic environment.”
The battery-electric car market share for April 2025 YTD stood at 15.3%, far from where it was forecast to be. Hybrid-electric models continue to grow in popularity, retaining their place as the most popular power type amongst buyers. The big news in the registration report shows that Elon Musk of DOGE infamy continues to struggle with Tesla sales plummeting ~-53% YOY. Continue reading
Palou Wins the Indy 500 Ways to Cheat
What’s sometimes billed as the greatest spectacle in racing has turned from the drama high-speed oval racing to farce as rampant cheating has emerged in the Indy500 and the IndyCar Series. On Sunday Three-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou earned the first oval victory of his career winning the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.*
“Best milk I’ve ever tasted,” Palou said on the Victory Podium after a gulp from the traditional winner’s bottle of milk. “It tastes so good. What an amazing feeling.” In AutoInformed’s view the milk is sour. Both the IndyCar series and the Indianapolis Motor Speed are owned by Roger Penske via Penske Entertainment. Penske cars have participated in the cheating for more than one year. Moreover, there is no independent review organization to deal with the inherent conflict of interest of Penske, or what has emerged as rampant cheating that is endemic in IndyCar. Both Chevy and Honda powered teams are involved in modifying the Dallara supplied race cars. Continue reading
Posted in AutoInformed Editorial, fools 'n frauds, news analysis, racing, results, shows and events
Tagged Andretti Global IndyCar cheating, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Callum Ilott, Dallara-supplied Energy Management System cheating, Ken Zino, Kyle Kirkwood, Marcus Ericsson, Penske Racing IndyCar cheating, PREMA Racing IndyCar cheating, X @KenAutoinformed
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Newgarden Leads Final Indy 500 Practice
Josef Newgarden led the final practice for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” with a top lap of 225.687 mph in the No. 2 Shell V-Power NiTRO+ Team Penske Chevrolet. Newgarden is trying to become the first driver to win three consecutive Indy 500s. However, due to the Team Penske Cheating Scandal, he’ll need to do it from the 33rd starting spot. Newgarden and Team Penske teammate Will Power were moved to the rear of the field Monday due to a modified attenuator on their respective cars that violated IndyCar rules Sunday during PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying. The record for the deepest starting spot of a “500” winner is 28th, by Ray Harroun in the inaugural race in 1911 and Louis Meyer in 1936. Continue reading
Posted in news, news analysis, performance, racing, results, shows and events
Tagged 2025 Indy 500 final practice, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Devlin DeFrancesco, Graham Rahal, indycar, Ken Zino, Oscar Mayer Pit Stop Challenge, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Robert Shwartzman, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Scott Dixon, Team Penske, X @KenAutoinformed
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House Republicans Flunk Math on Energy Incentives
On 22 May the U.S. House of Representatives passed its budget reconciliation bill. The bill. among other economic disasters for U.S. inhabitants and businesses includes proposals to alter existing federal energy tax credits – from fast elimination of several credits to new phase-down schedules, and adding new requirements, including provisions related to foreign entities of concern. Are any of our representatives paying attention to Chinese state-owned and directed capitalism? Take a look at the Chinese lead in new energy vehicles, the adoption of solar energy, the making of 21st century industrial goods and above all the funding of a University research in advanced transportation products, manufacturing technologies and medical drugs. AutoInformed notes the Trump’s big, beautiful bill, obsession with job destroying and inflation creating tariffs, among other things adds up to negative numbers for our economy. Republicans flunk math. Continue reading
BMW Teases New 2026 M2 CS
The design of the new BMW M2 CS was unveiled today as part of a the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2025 23 on Lake Como.
“The official communication launch of the BMW M2 CS, including all technical data, will take place on 28 May 2025, 00:01 CEST,” BMW said.
We do have fuel consumption and emissions figures at combined: 10.0 l/100 km [28.3 mpg imp]; CO2 emissions, combined: 226 g/km in the WLTP cycle, CO2 class: G. Continue reading
Light Truck Tread Separation Recall from Michelin Tire
Michelin North America is recalling ~7000 Agilis Cross Climate C-Metric tires, size 185/60R15C. This is a an aftermarket replacement all weather tire. If placed into service, the affected tires may not provide the expected performance and could potentially increase the risk of a crash.
“Chunks of tread rubber may detach from the shoulder blocks. As such, these tires fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 139, New Pneumatic Radial Tires for Light Vehicles,” Michelin told the National Highway Traffic Safet Administration in the mandatory safety defect recall filing. NHTSA made the Michelin tire recall public this morning. Continue reading
Posted in aftermarket, auto news, customer satisfaction, quality, recalls, safety
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Ken Zino, Michelin Agilis Cross Climate C-Metric tires, Michelin North America tire recalls, NHTSA Tire Recall Campaign Number 25T008, X @KenAutoinformed
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CARB – U.S. Senate Dumping Clean Air Act Waivers Illegal
The California Air Resources Board Chair Liane Randolph today reacted to a vote by the U.S. Senate purporting to disapprove California’s Clean Air Act waivers for Advanced Clean Cars II, Advanced Clean Trucks and Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Omnibus using the Congressional Review Act (CRA).
“California profoundly disagrees with today’s unconstitutional, illegal and foolish vote attempting to undermine critical clean air protections. It’s an assault on states’ rights the federal administration claims to support that puts national air quality standards out of reach and will have devastating effects for the 150 million Americans who breathe unhealthy air every day,” said CARB Chair Liane Randolph. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, economy, environment, fools 'n frauds, fuel economy or emissions, global warming, litigation, news analysis, people, public health, transportation, Trump Truth Tests
Tagged Advanced Clean Cars II, Advanced Clean Trucks, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, carb, CARB Chair Liane Randolph, Congressional Review Act, Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Omnibus, Ken Zino, X @KenAutoinformed
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More IndyCar Cheating Penalties Coming to Detroit
IndyCar this morning announced a six-position starting grid penalty for the entries of No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing and No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing According to Rule 16.1.6.1.2., the penalty is a six-position starting grid penalty on road and street course events and nine positions at oval events and will be served at the series’ next event, which is the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear Sunday, 1 June on the Streets of Detroit. Ironically the violations are both on Honda powered cars. Continue reading →