Category Archives: results

EPA Says US Fuel Economy at All Time High – 24.1 MPG

New vehicles achieved record fuel economy in 2013, the Environmental Protection Agency announced today. Model year 2013 vehicles achieved an average of 24.1 miles per gallon, a 0.5 mpg increase compared with 2012 previous year and an increase of nearly 5 mpg since 2004. However, year-over-year it was only 2%. Continue reading

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GM Declares 30-Cent Dividend on Common Stock

With GM stock being hammered because of analyst skepticism about short-term improvements possible in Europe, as well as the Russian and South American crisis, and now 24 deaths from ignition switches – all bad for business, the current sell-off of GM presents a challenge to investors. Trading today in the $30-32 per share range the $1.20 annual dividend represents a good return on a stock that analysts said recently could be at $55 in a couple of years with a $42 one-year target. Continue reading

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Say It Ain’t So! GM Recalls 500,000 Cadillac, Chevy, Saabs

GM CEO Mary Barra’s claim that GM recalls are behind it was mocked today by two more recalls covering half a million vehicles including 2015 Cadillac SRX models. Continue reading

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Pickup Trucks at GM, Chrysler Claw Back U.S. Auto Market Share in September. Luxury, Family Cars Remain a Problem

Powered by thriving pickup truck sales, Chrysler and GM recaptured U.S. auto market share from offshore companies in September Continue reading

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Huge Toyota Tacoma Pickup Corrosion Recall

Toyota claimed it is not aware of any fires, crashes, injuries or fatalities associated with its latest safety defect that it has told NHTSA about in its required legal filing. However, NHTSA has several hair-raising complaints from Tacoma owners about incidents. Continue reading

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Volt Camouflage Designed to hide Freshened Sheet Metal

The camouflage package on the next-generation Volt was started six months in advance of early development. The tricks are constantly updated to keep spy photographers – Jim Dunne, who graciously contributes to AutoInformed – and the curious guessing. Continue reading

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September US Vehicle Sales Continue Growing

The sales of new light-vehicles are projected to increase by 6% to 1 million in September compared to last year, continuing the strong momentum of August. Continue reading

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CA Governor Brown, AKA Moonbeam, Increases EV Subsidies

California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. yesterday signed half a dozen bills to increase EV subsidies for California’s electric vehicle market. Continue reading

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August US Auto Sales Up as Detroit Loses Share

The bad news for Detroit supplicants and the UAW came from the fact that offshore brands took a 56.5% share of the August auto market, up from 55.9% last month and 53.8% in June. Continue reading

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Voice Recognition Growing Problem in New Cars

Automakers continue to struggle with the growing demand for automotive electronics in the so-called connected car. It turns out the car is not always connected to the web or phone or is linked in an ineffective way that is turning customers off. As a result, there is a growing case of, well, Bluetooth blues among drivers. More than half (52%) of these owners use an iPhone and 41% use an Android phone. Continue reading

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Dark Money at $50 Million. Congress Bought by Unnamed Interest Groups

The OpenSecrets Blog and the Center for Responsive Politics reported today that political spending by non-disclosing or secret political non-profit lobbying funds, aka dark money groups, has reached $50 million, a record at this point in the election cycle. Continue reading

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Forecast for August US Auto Sales Strong

It looks like the recovery in the automobile business is continuing as preliminary data indicate that US Auto sales – both retail and total – will surpass last May for the highest levels thus far in 2014. Retail light-vehicle sales … Continue reading

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Legal Woes at Porsche Continue

The so-called Higher Regional Court of Stuttgart will try two former executive board members of Porsche Automobil Holding SE in the aborted takeover caper where Porsche attempted to win control of the Volkswagen Group. Continue reading

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Chrysler Group Posts Q2 Net Income of $619 Million

Chrysler Group today reported preliminary financial results for Q2 and the first half of 2014, including net income of $619 million for the quarter, up 22% from $507 million in the year-ago quarter. Chrysler net revenue for the Q2 was $20.5 billion, up 14% from a year ago. Continue reading

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Incentives, Closeouts Keeps US July Sales Hot

Incentives, cheap money and a recovering US light truck market kept July sales hot as 1.435 million light vehicles were peddled, an increase of 9.1%. All of the Detroit Three befitted, particularly Chrysler, but ironically, it was the Asian brands with growing truck and crossover sales that benefited the most. At a SAAR – Seasonally Adjusted Annual Selling rate of 16.48 million (July ’13 was 15.76m), there is enough business for all major makers. Overall incentives were up 8% from July 2013, averaging $2,774 per vehicle, according to AutoData. Continue reading

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