Category Archives: results

U.S. Ethanol Exports at Second-Highest Level on Record

U.S. ethanol imports fell 60% in 2016 to 36 million gallons, the lowest level since 2010. Imports were almost exclusively (99%) sugarcane ethanol from Brazil. Most of the imported ethanol went to the West Coast region, most likely for compliance with California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) Program, which uses scoring rules that count sugarcane ethanol as a fuel with a much lower carbon content than corn ethanol. Continue reading

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Equinox SUV Design Enhances Aero – Sort of – for a Box

Aerodynamic performance, of course, is a big contributor to fuel economy given the speeds ‘Mericans drive at when able, but the box-like shapes of crossovers and SUVs are not conducive to aero efficiency. The new Equinox’s overall length was reduced by 4.7 inches, making it easier to park and maneuver. Continue reading

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MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Ratings Run – Beats Fox, O’Reilly

Rachel Maddow’s 9 o’clock show beat every other prime time show during the week of March 6. This made her thoughtful, fact-filled show Number One for adults 25-54 years old in her time slot with an average 624,000 viewers. Maddow even beat the lying, racist pandering Bill O’Reilly of the non-news Fox Propaganda channel. Continue reading

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Ferrari 70th Anniversary – 125 S Drives Around Maranello

On 12 March 1947, Enzo Ferrari started his 125 S, the first car with his moniker for a test-drive on the streets of Maranello starting a tradition that is now Ferrari’s 70th anniversary. The tiny factory matured into an internationally-renowned made in Italy symbol. Exactly 70 years later, on Sunday 17 March 2017, Ferrari launches official merriments for this milestone. Continue reading

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27 Electric Trucks Coming to SoCal Freight and Rail Yards

Exposure to diesel exhaust, of course, can lead to serious health conditions like asthma and respiratory illnesses and can worsen existing heart and lung disease, especially in children and the elderly. These conditions can result in increased numbers of emergency room visits, hospital admissions, absences from work and school, and premature deaths. It also produces ground level ozone, a contributor to Global Warming. Continue reading

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Volvo Picks AeroVironment for Its First EV Charging Station

AeroVironment’s new charger is said to pair well with the TurboCord model that comes standard in the trunk of the Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid. Volvo Cars drivers can now have a charging station in their garage, and one in the trunk. Continue reading

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General Motors India to End Manufacturing, Sell Halol Plant

GM’s presence in India since 1996 – but going back to 1928 with Opel and forced out by the government in 1954 – revolves around the Chevrolet brand – Cruze, Sail, Sail Hatchback, Beat, Spark. GM is the 5th largest automobile manufacturing company in India after Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata Motors and Mahindra. Continue reading

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General Motors Sells Opel/Vauxhall to PSA Group for €2.2B

The deal includes all of Opel/Vauxhall’s automotive operations, comprising Opel and Vauxhall brands, six assembly and five component manufacturing facilities, one engineering center (Rüsselsheim, Deutschland) and approximately 40,000 employees. GM will retain the engineering center in Torino, Italy. Continue reading

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GM to Announce Sale of Opel/Vauxhall this Monday with Investors’ Call and a Press Conference

If the deal goes through, it would mean GM’s presence in Europe would be limited to niche sales of Cadillac, and Chevrolet Camaro and Corvette models – all of them exports. PSA is the third largest automaker in Europe behind Renault. Volkswagen Group leads in Europe PSA Group’s sales were 1,930,000 vehicles and increased by 3.6% in 2016. In 2016, global sales increased by 5.8%, to 3,146,000 units. Continue reading

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China Light Vehicle Sales Slow in January

Local brands have kept pace by adjusting their SUV product lines to meet this push up market. Examples within the Midsize SUV segment were seen with the Trumpchi GS8 and Changan CS95, both of which offer performance levels and visual appeal that have exceeded consumer expectations by industry observers. In terms of powertrain and comfort levels. Continue reading

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Daimler Expands ChargePoint to Europe

It’s well known that customer acceptance of electric mobility – thus far meager – is closely associated with the availability of a comprehensive infrastructure, one that is clearly deficient now. Continue reading

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February 2017 U.S. Sales Dip Slightly as Cars Tank

There was a rout in car sales with an overall decline of -12.1%. The Detroit Three lead the car sales decline: at GM -21.9% Ford Motor -21.2%, FCA -30.8%. Other that fared badly in the dwindling market included: Honda -8%, Nissan -10.7%, Hyundai -5.5%Kia -8.5%, Porsche -18.9%. Continue reading

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California, Quebec Results on Joint Cap-And-Trade Auction

Cap-and-trade program as one of the strategies California will employ to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that cause climate change. Continue reading

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Geneva – Mercedes-Benz Concept X-Class Pickup Truck

Irony here: the original post-WW2 Ford F-100 – it would be considered a mid-size today – was a smash hit because it used a passenger car interior, spawning the dominate F-Series of today – the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. for 40 years. Continue reading

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Light Vehicle Sales Strong in February But Down YoY

Utility segments should top the industry again, with projected growth for the compact and mid-size SUV segments in the 2 to 5% range. The market for SUVs remains strong. Light trucks are expected to make up 63% of sales in February 2017, up from 59% one year ago. Continue reading

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