Category Archives: news

EV Grumblings – VW ID.7 Luxury Sedan Delayed or Killed?

In a terse statement issued by Volkswagen today in Reston VA, the German automaker said that it is delaying the introduction of the ID.7 sedan in the U.S. and Canada, “as market dynamics continue to change.” Rough translation from AutoInformed: the car market in the US continues to shrink and VW has been a weak player in this segment for decades. More economic dollars and sense can be obtained promoting the ID.Buzz van due in the Fourth Quarter and marketing the already on sale 2024 ID.4 SUV. Continue reading

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Biden Administration Chinese Trade War Tariffs Start August 1

“Today, I am following through on my commitment to stand up to the People’s Republic of China’s unfair trade practices by issuing a formal proposal to modify the tariff actions,” said Ambassador Katherine Tai. “The President has directed me to make substantial tariff increases on targeted, strategic products, and this is an important step to carry out that vision. The President and I will continue to fight for American workers, and for our economic future and national security.” Continue reading

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First Level 4 Autonomous Fuel Cell EV Truck Demonstrated

Hyundai Motor Company and an autonomous driving software firm called Plus* today unveiled what’s claimed to be the first SAE Level 4 autonomous Class 8 hydrogen fuel cell electric truck in the U.S. at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. A Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell truck, equipped with Plus SuperDrive™ Level 4 (SAE) autonomous driving technology, is on display at the Plus ACT Expo booth (#2044).

Ultimately, software driven vehicles can replace drivers completely so further developments put global truck makers and their customers on a collision course with driver’s unions. Continue reading

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SubieEvents Starts 2024 at Stafford Motor Speedway

“The joy of Subaru fans celebrating together is the best part of the SubieEvents series. We have it all, from Lightning Lap leaders to Goodwood Festival favorites to enthusiasts’ own rides, and we’re excited to share amazing vehicles and experiences with even more attendees this year,” said Alan Bethke, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Subaru of America. Continue reading

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Honda 2025 Civic Hybrid – Most Powerful and Safest Ever

“The new Civic hybrid is a perfectly-timed addition to the Honda lineup as hybrid-electric sales continue to grow, providing Honda with an important building block toward 100% zero-emissions vehicle sales by 2040,” said Lance Woelfer, assistant vice president of Honda National Auto Sales, American Honda Motor Company. “Honda hybrid-electric models represented over one-quarter of our overall brand sales in 2023, and the fun-to-drive Civic hybrid is a fantastic new product at the gateway of our popular electrified lineup along with Accord hybrid, CR-V hybrid and the all-electric Prologue.” Continue reading

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Subaru to Relocate and Expand Central Region Office

“We are excited to expand our footprint and capabilities in the southern U.S., further supporting our customers and retailer network. Dallas is a vibrant area with diverse talent that will add fresh perspectives and further enhance our company culture,” said Jeff Walters, President and Chief Operating Officer at Subaru of America. Last year, Subaru sold 632,086 vehicles in the U.S. through a network of more than 630 retailers. Continue reading

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Team Penske Front Row for 108th Indianapolis 500, But…

Chevrolet now holds 13 earned pole awards historically, and seven in the 2.2-liter twin turbo V6 era since 2012. Reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden led the two-hour practice today as teams shifted from the all-out speed of PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying last weekend to stable setups for the race Sunday, 26 May. Newgarden turned a best lap of 226.238 mph in the No. 2 Shell Powering Progress Team Penske Chevrolet. However, 17 of the 33 starting positions are occupied by Honda, always a formidable racing competitor on any track. Continue reading

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Forced Labor Official Vehicles – BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, VW

“Automakers are sticking their heads in the sand and then swearing they can’t find any forced labor in their supply chains,” Senator Wyden said. “Somehow, the Finance Committee’s oversight staff uncovered what multi-billion-dollar companies apparently could not: that BMW imported cars, Jaguar Land Rover imported parts, and VW AG manufactured cars that all included components made by a supplier banned for using Uyghur forced labor. Automakers’ self-policing is clearly not doing the job. I’m calling on Customs and Border Protection to take a number of specific steps to supercharge enforcement and crack down on companies that fuel the shameful use of forced labor in China.” Continue reading

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UAW Loses Mercedes Alabama Vote

Workers at Mercedes in Alabama narrowly defeated a vote (2642 or 56% against with 2045 for) to join the UAW* in an election that was made public late Friday night. This was in stark contrast to the record contract approved by workers at Daimler Truck or the ratification of the union at Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Alabama has been a so-called “right to work state” (for less?) since 2016, meaning that union-membership is not required for employment. By late February, less than two months after Mercedes workers went public with their drive to join the UAW, a majority of them had signed union cards. Whether this is the end of the matter is far from clear. The UAW lost the vote at VW two times prior to its win.* Continue reading

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Nissan to Use Only Low-CO2 Emission Aluminum by 2030

Aluminum accounts for approximately 10% of vehicle weight. By using low CO2 emission aluminum, Nissan said this is A significant step towards achieving carbon neutrality. Nissan aspires to achieve carbon neutrality in the entire lifecycle of its vehicles by 2050. Continue reading

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April Global Light Vehicle Sales Tick Up Slightly

The Global Light Vehicle (LV) selling rate was 86 million units annually in April 2024, a modest improvement on the previous month, according to an analysis just released by the respected GlobalData consultancy.* With 6.8 million vehicles sold in April, this was a 2.8% improvement year-on-year (YoY), with year-to-date (YTD) sales increasing 3.8%.

Regional selling rates continued to see mixed results GlobalData said. In the US, the selling rate grew month-on-month (MoM). China’s selling rate eased despite the continuation of the price war. Europe also saw a moderate contraction in the selling rate in April versus March. In Japan, sales bounced back after production disruptions at major brands. Continue reading

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EVs – Honda to Invest ~$65 Billion Through 2030

Honda Motor company Global CEO Toshihiro Mibe said today that it will invest ¥10 Trillion (~$65 billion) through 2030 on its electrification strategy as part of a vast reorganization or re-prioritization of its corporate strategy. Through the establishment of a vertically-integrated EV value chain with a central focus on batteries, as of 2030, Honda will reduce the cost of the battery to be procured in North America by more than 20% compared to the cost of current batteries. Honda promised it will establish a competitive business structure with an aim to reduce overall production cost by approximately 35%. Honda already has secured enough batteries for the planned production of approximately 2 million EVs per year. Continue reading

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Germany Opens Anti-Union Investigation at Mercedes-Benz

Germany’s Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control has opened a formal investigation about the alleged illegal anti-union conduct at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance, Alabama. The German Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control was responding to UAW filed charges against Mercedes-Benz Group AG in early April for violating Germany’s new law on global supply chain practices. The powerful German automotive trade union IG Metall has thus far not publicly commented.

Voting is now underway at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where large majority of workers have come out in support of the union . The UAW says they have been subjected to a brutal, months-long campaign of illegal intimidation by management and outside anti-union consultants hired by the company. Continue reading

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Honda and IBM MoU on Software-Defined Vehicles

“The MOU outlines areas of potential joint research of specialized semiconductor technologies such as brain-inspired computing *[2 ] and chiplet technologies, with the aim to dramatically improve processing performance while, simultaneously, decreasing power consumption. Hardware and software co-optimization is important to ensure high performance and fast time to market. To achieve such benefits and manage design complexity for future SDVs, the two companies also plan to explore open and flexible software solutions,” Honda said in a release from Tokyo. Continue reading

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NHTSA Again Warns Drivers on Steering Wheel Decals

NHTSA said it is aware of at least one other driver who suffered a severe injury from an aftermarket steering wheel decal in a vehicle crash. In that case, the driver lost sight in one eye after the rhinestone-adorned decal dislodged from the steering wheel and hit the driver in the face. Continue reading

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