Category Archives: results

Covid – Drastic Changes to Commuting Have Slight Effect on Feelings about EVs and Self-Driving Technologies?

While the ongoing Covid plague has drastically changed American lives, what’s not new is that Inexperience and Lack of Knowledge Remain Barriers for Acceptance of EVs and Self-Driving Technologies. Nonetheless, automakers are investing heavily in electrification and self-driving technology despite an absence of substantive consumer interest in either. Continue reading

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Ford Q3 Net Income at $2.4B Treads Water. Q4 $500M Loss?

As a result, the Ford outlook is wobbly including a fourth quarter adjusted EBIT between break-even and a, gulp, $500 million loss. Continue reading

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US Vehicle Sales to Rise in October?

However, complete U.S. new-vehicle sales including all transactions for October are projected to reach 1,321,400 units, a -4.5% decrease from October 2019 when adjusted for selling days. The seasonally adjusted annualized rate, aka SAAR, for total new vehicle sales is expected to be 15.9 million units, down 0.8 million units from 2019, the least year-over-year decline since the pandemic began. This is the annual output of two to four final assembly plants, without considering the component parts plants from internal or external sources. Continue reading

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Ferrari Recalls 812 Superfast for Rear Glass Blowouts

Ferrari ultimately determined that the problem of the component could entail the full detachment of the rear window from the vehicle, thereby potentially creating a road hazard and increasing the safety-risk of a crash for following traffic. Continue reading

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Barrett-Jackson Renews Live Auctions as Covid Rages

Barrett-Jackson returned to in-person events during the Fall Auction at WestWorld of Scottsdale, October 22-24, 2020 as the Arizona Republic reported that Arizona continues a trend of higher COVID-19 case reports. There were 801 new cases, 1 new death The past several weeks have seen relatively higher daily case reports as the virus spreads at its fastest rate in Arizona since June. Continue reading

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Daimler Q3 Covid Results – Sales, Revenue Down. Earnings Up

Daimler expects that the significant unit-sales reductions recorded in the first nine months due to the COVID-19 pandemic will only be partially offset by the end of the year. Group unit sales and Group revenue in 2020 are forecast to be significantly lower than in the previous year. Continue reading

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Groupe Renault Q3 Revenues -8% at  €10,374m, Sales -6%

“This third quarter highlights the change in our commercial policy, which now focuses on profitability rather than volumes.” Our EV performance, our E-TECH hybrid models which have been very well received…” claimed Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault. Group revenues reached €10,374 million (-8.2%) in the quarter. Continue reading

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CARB Warns Vehicle, Engine Makers on Emissions Cheating

The move comes as CARB nears completion of a new testing lab that gives the agency greater ability to detect these unapproved programs. Given the sorry history of so-called cycle cheating on CARB and EPA compliance tests, it’s not surprising that CARB is increasing efforts to protect public health and reduce combustion pollution. Continue reading

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ZF Seatbelt Retractor Recall Bites Corvette, Jeep, Ram

The safety defect appeared at GM during barrier testing of a 2023 model year Corvette. GM worked with ZF to analyze the root cause of the retractor failure, including teardowns, computer analysis, and CAE simulations. That analysis showed that the retractor failure was caused by the locking mechanism not being properly engaged. The same part is used on current production models. Continue reading

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Covid Casualties – U.S. and China Images Declining

Few in the countries surveyed have confidence in the leader of either the U.S. or China, and many are critical of how both countries have handled the coronavirus outbreak. On most measures included in the survey, people are even more critical of the U.S. than of China. However more still have favorable opinions of the U.S. Continue reading

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Covid Causalities: US Trade Deficit Continues to Increase

Particularly worrisome for the Covid -Sick US economy were goods deficits with countries that effectively addressed the Covid-19 crisis with strong central government responses: In billions of dollars, with China ($26.4), European Union ($15.7), Mexico ($12.5), Germany ($4.6), Japan ($4.3), Italy ($2.6), France ($2.2), South Korea ($2.2), and Canada ($1.2). Continue reading

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New Mercedes-Benz Strategy Aimed to Help Higher Profits

This follows the Q2 Daimler disaster. The COVID pandemic or the Grim Reaper saw a decline in demand for cars, vans, trucks and buses. Group total sales decreased by -34% to 541,800 cars and commercial vehicles (Q2 2019: 821,700). Revenue slipped significantly by -29% to €30.2 billion (Q2 2019: €42.7 billion). EBIT was minus -€1,682 million (Q2 2019: minus -€1,558 million). Adjusted EBIT was -€708 million (Q2 2019: plus €2,447 million). Continue reading

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Toyota, Hino to Make Class-8 Fuel-Cell Electric Truck

Toyota Motor North America and Hino USA have agreed to jointly develop a Class-8 fuel-cell electric truck for the North American market. With the expanding interest in heavy-duty electric trucks prompted by government demands and the global warming crisis, it’s the latest foray into the well-funded and planet destroying fossel fuel wars by the latter day purveyorsand avatars of dinosaurs – Big Oil. Continue reading

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Ford Recalls Defective Rear-view Cameras on 620,246 Vehicles

Insufficient electrical conductivity within the printed circuit board (PCB) internal to the camera leads to intermittent rearview camera operation A rearview camera that intermittently displays a blank or distorted image does not comply can reduce the driver’s view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. Continue reading

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Porsche – First Virtual Annual Meeting Declares Risky €676 Million in Dividends. No Earnings Forecast Yet

The shareholders approved the proposed distribution of a dividend of €2.210 per preference share and €2.204 per ordinary share for the fiscal year 2019. The total distribution comes to around €676 million euro. It’s a risky move given the ongoing Covid pandemic that has infected global economies. Continue reading

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