Category Archives: news

EU April 2026 Sales Dominated by Electrified Vehicles

Posted on 27 May 2026 by Ken Zino

“The market continued to benefit from strong consumer demand for a range of electrified technologies, supported by new and revised tax benefits and incentive schemes across major European countries. Hybrid-electric vehicles lead as the most popular power type choice among buyers, while the battery-electric car market share reached 19.7%. Meanwhile, plug-in hybrids captured 9.6% of the market,” ACEA said. Continue reading →

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Indianapolis 500 Purse at Record $30,906,400

Posted on 26 May 2026 by Ken Zino

The purse for the 110th Indianapolis 500 totaled a record $30,906,400. First-time winner Felix Rosenqvist of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian earned a record-high $4.34 million. That translates to $21,700 per lap for the 200 lap race presented by Gainbridge. The announcement came at the Victory Celebration, held this year at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis on Monday night. [The Indianapolis 500 purse consists of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and NTT IndyCar Series awards, plus other designated and special awards. – AutoCrat]* Continue reading →

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Indianapolis 500 in 2026 – Closet Finish in 110 Years!

Posted on 25 May 2026 by Ken Zino

The final lap of wheel-to-wheel racing to take the checkered flag at the Indianapolis 500 culminated in the closest finish in the 110-year history at the Brickyard. However, it was only one of the “500” or more heart-throbbing moments that inarguably supports the claim that the 500 is the “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Felix Rosenqvist drove the high line against the concrete wall exiting Turn 4 on Lap 200 in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian and powered past the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet of David Malukas to triumph by .0233 of a second. The previous closest finish in “500” history came in 1992, when Al Unser Jr. held off a charging Scott Goodyear by .043 of a second. Continue reading →

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Chinese Junk Watch – E-Bully Youth Electric 1000W ATVs

Posted on 25 May 2026 by Ken Zino

The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) warns that E-Bully Youth Electric 1000W ATVs sold under various brand names including “Seangles” and “Offroad Mall” fail to comply with mandatory U.S. Federal ATV safety standards. They create a risk of serious injury or death.

“The youth ATVs fail to meet mechanical suspension requirements, and the reverse indicator light fails to illuminate, posing a crash hazard. The parking brakes fail to hold, posing a collision hazard. Additionally, the surfaces near the footwell can reach high temperatures posing a risk of severe burns,” CPSC said in a release. Continue reading →

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Annals of Marketing – NISMO Coming to Australia

Posted on 24 May 2026 by Ken Zino

“NISMO represents one of the most authentic expressions of Nissan’s passion for performance, innovation and customer excitement,” said Ivan Espinosa, President and CEO, Nissan Motor Company. “As we advance our long-term vision of mobility intelligence for everyday life, we will continue to deliver new experiences to our customers. The expansion of the NISMO brand in markets such as Australia is an important step in bringing exciting experiences to customers who value performance and authenticity,” Espinosa claimed. Continue reading →

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Annals of Marketing – BMW LEGO M3 E30

Posted on 22 May 2026 by Ken Zino

“The BMW M3 E30 is now available as a LEGO® Speed Champions set. The exclusive kit featuring a special-edition livery design is a unique heritage item for fans of all ages,” BMW said.

“The distinctive livery pays tribute to the car’s legendary heritage and draws inspiration from the BMW M Motorsport division. Besides the visually captivating forms and colors of the livery, it is unique in that it is applied not only to the scaled-down replica LEGO® Speed Champions BMW M3 E30 version, but also to the actual BMW M3 E30,” BMW said. Continue reading →

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Aftermarket Auto Service – Cost and Affordability Are Key

Posted on 22 May 2026 by Ken Zino

“Affordability is playing an increasingly important role in the aftermarket service experience, but delivering on the fundamentals remains critical,” said Lisa Nguyen, manager of OEM Solutions at JD Power. “Index data show that aftermarket providers are largely executing where it matters most, with the majority of impactful key performance indicators (KPIs) completed more than 70% of the time and the top two – the service advisor being completely focused on customer needs and providing helpful guidance – exceeding 90% completion rates across segments. Continue reading →

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UAW Files Unfair Labor Practice Against American Axle

Posted on 21 May 2026 by Ken Zino

“Calling the police on your own dedicated workforce for holding union flyers isn’t just a violation of federal labor law – it’s a desperate attempt to bully workers into submission,” said UAW Region 1D Director Steve Dawes. “But that’s not going to work with UAW Local 2093 members. These workers are going to stay strong for a record contract.” [See Police Body Cam footage at a link below – AutoCrat.] Continue reading →

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Stellantis FaSTLAne 2030 Financial Reform Revealed

Posted on 21 May 2026 by Ken Zino

“We have great people, the muscle of global scale, unmatched brands that connect and inspire, the deep local roots of our regions and dealer partners to meet our customers’ distinctive needs, and a relentless focus on innovation and excellence in execution. With these strengths, we are uniquely positioned to offer delight, functionality, and affordability. Adding to these the accelerating and amplifying benefits of our ‘win-win’ partnerships, we have everything we need to deliver our FaSTLAne 2030 ambitions,” claimed Filosa. [This is the corporate equivalent of betting on the come line in the Casino at Monte Carlo – AutoCrat.] Continue reading →

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Memorial Day Weekend Gas Prices Highest in Four Years

Posted on 21 May 2026 by Ken Zino

As holiday travelers start running the roads today in record numbers, Memorial Day weekend gas prices are the highest they’ve been in four years, according to the latest data from AAA. The national average for a gallon of regular is at $4.56, up 3 cents over last week and $1.38 higher than this time last year.

“Current prices are close to what drivers were paying 4 years ago, when the national average on Memorial Day was $4.61. With gasoline demand on the rise and the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz, pump prices are likely to remain elevated as the summer travel season gets underway,” AA said. Continue reading →

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Chinese Dongfeng Voyah Vehicles Coming to EU Via Stellantis

Posted on 20 May 2026 by Ken Zino

Stellantis (NYSE: STLA) and the Dongfeng Group today announced their intention to form a European joint venture for shared sales, distribution, manufacturing, purchasing, and engineering activities. The joint venture would take responsibility for the sales and distribution of Dongfeng’s Voyah-branded vehicles in designated markets in Europe. This would circumvent EU tariff’s on Chinese-made vehicles. [Stellantis and Dongfeng Group recently announced the production of all-new Peugeot and Jeep models in China for the domestic market and export – AutoCrat]*

“The plans we are announcing today take our recently strengthened cooperation with Dongfeng to an all-new dimension of an international partnership to the benefit of customers around the world,” said Antonio Filosa, Stellantis CEO. “With this new chapter in our collaboration, we will give our customers an even greater choice of competitive products and pricing, leveraging the best of Stellantis’ global footprint alongside Dongfeng’s access to China’s advanced new energy vehicles ecosystem.” Continue reading →

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Stellantis, Jaguar Land Rover Sign MOU on Tech Development

Posted on 20 May 2026 by Ken Zino

Stellantis (NYSE: STLA. STLAM.MI) and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore opportunities to collaborate on product development in the United States. Under the terms of the non-binding MOU, Stellantis and … Continue reading →

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Volvo Cars and Google Gemini Add AI Tech

Posted on 19 May 2026 by Ken Zino

“The EX60 provides an ideal platform to explore the future of contextually aware driving experiences,” said Alwin Bakkenes, Head of Global Software Engineering at Volvo Cars. “Working closely with Google as a lead device partner allows us to help bring the latest advances in AI into the automotive environment faster and more collaboratively than ever before.” Continue reading →

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HondaJet APMG S Upgrade Expands to Mexico

Posted on 19 May 2026 by Ken Zino

Honda Aircraft Company said today that the so-called APMG S program (footnote 1) is now available to owners in both the U.S. and Mexico of HondaJet Classic and APMG aircraft. This improves performance and adds the capabilities of recent technical innovations.

“We are excited to provide our customers in Mexico the opportunity to upgrade their aircraft with the advanced technology and performance of more recent iterations of the award-winning HondaJet,” said Amod Kelkar, Senior Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer at Honda Aircraft Company. “We are pursuing additional international certifications and hope to expand availability of the APMG S upgrade package to more HondaJet customers around the world soon.” Continue reading →

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May 2026 Light Vehicle Production Forecast is Down Again

Posted on 19 May 2026 by Ken Zino

“North America’s vehicle production outlook was reduced by 13,000 units for 2026 and 339,000 units for 2027. Near-term production remains relatively steady as automakers continue building key high-volume vehicles to meet demand and support lean inventory levels, especially in pickups and core utility segments. However, the forecast assumes manufacturers will not cut output preemptively unless demand weakness or supply disruptions become more visible. As a result, the brunt of the downside risk shifts into 2027, especially for vehicles and segments more exposed to high fuel costs and softer consumer spending. [Such as the gas guzzling pickup trucks and SUVs that are (were?) extremely profitable offerings from what used to called the Detroit Three. Now GM, Ford and Stellantis – AutoCrat.] Continue reading →

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