Category Archives: results

Mixed Results on Trump Auto Tariff, Policy Scorecards

Posted on 11 June 2026 by Ken Zino

Plante Moran shared its North American Production Outlook 2026 – 2033 forecast with the Society of Automotive Analysts this week. It is investigating at the mid-2026 point how electrification continues to influence auto industry direction as the year unfolds. The estimable mega-consulting firm that deals in audit, tax, consulting, and wealth management globally has a significant advisory presence in the auto industry.  It says changes are coming later this decade and into the early 2030s. 

“The North American production volume outlook for growth remains, but we’re seeing some geographic shifts, mostly to the US. And amount of this growth will be encountered in the later years of our projections,” said Dan Lee, principal at the Southfield, MI office. And that’s largely due to the delays in EV adoption that we’ve seen whether that’s planned to be paused or not.” Continue reading →

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Striking UAW Reaches Tentative Agreement at American Axle

Posted on 11 June 2026 by Ken Zino

After walking out on strike at midnight on June 1, UAW Local 2093 members at American Axle/Dauch Corporation have reached a tentative agreement with the company, the UAW said last night. The as yet unratified contract gets the workers’ “topline demand” of $30 per hour by 2030, a more than 36% increase to the top wage rate over four years. The UAW claimed there are other “historic gains in a record contract” at the Tier 1 parts supplier to GM.

“Tonight, after 10 days on strike, I am proud to announce that UAW Local 2093 has reached a tentative agreement at American Axle,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “And tonight, after 18 years of sacrifice, these workers are finally winning back a big chunk of what was taken from them.” Continue reading →

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Large Honda and Acura Recall Started for Suspension Failures

Posted on 11 June 2026 by Ken Zino

Dealers will inspect the rear sub-frame and install a rear sub-frame reinforcement kit and, as necessary, repair or replace the rear sub frame components, free of charge as required by U.S. law. Owner notification letters are not expected to be mailed until 7 July 2026. Continue reading →

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Harley‑Davidson On-Shoring Motorcycle Production

Posted on 10 June 2026 by Ken Zino

Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE: HOG) said this week that it is bringing production of the Revolution® Max platform for North America back to the United States as part of the Company’s so-called Back to the Bricks strategy. [The venerable company has been clobbered by Trump Administration economic policies – AutoCrat.]. The move returns machining, powertrain assembly, painting, and final vehicle assembly work back to Harley-Davidson facilities in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, with union jobs. The motorcycles are Pan America, Sportster® S, and Nightster models. The production transition is expected to be completed ahead of the start of Model Year 2028 production in 2027. Harley-Davidson expects to manufacture more than 100,000 motorcycles out of the Company’s York, Pennsylvania facility in 2027. Continue reading →

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Beware! Catalytic Converters are Pursued by Thieves

Posted on 10 June 2026 by Ken Zino

“There are a wide range of vehicles impacted, and most of these are pickup trucks and SUVs, which tend to sit higher off the ground, making it easier for thieves to get in and out,” said Patrick Olsen, Editor-in-Chief at CARFAX. “Experts also tell us that while thieves can make anywhere from $25-$300 for a standard catalytic converter, converters from hybrid vehicles can sell for up to $1400 because they have even more of those precious metals inside.” Continue reading →

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Magna CEO Swamy Kotagiri Speaking on Decisions That Will Shape the Next Decade of Automotive Manufacturing

Posted on 9 June 2026 by Ken Zino

“There is no single future. We are no longer moving towards one predictable outcome. We are navigating in multiple plausible futures or paths at a time, and you see that in the different adoption curves. Across regions, you see different investment logic across companies and obviously different policy priorities by margin. Electrification is a good example. The direction is clear for the long term. But the pace and the path are not uniform, and that creates fragmentation. Product mix evolves differently by region. We are seeing that investment timing varies. Industrial policies influence footprint decisions in real time.

“Historically, success came from getting the forecast right. Today’s success comes from staying effective when the forecast is wrong. So the shift is pretty fundamental from optimizing for one expected future to building systems that can perform across several realities. So that’s a different capability and increasingly a competitive one,” said Magna CEO Swamy Kotagiri. Continue reading →

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Trump Thumped – U.S. Air Carriers Fuel Costs Climb 26%!

Posted on 8 June 2026 by Ken Zino

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics [BTS  is part of the Department of Transportation – AutoCrat.] released today the April 2026 fuel cost and consumption numbers of U.S. Air Carriers. The airlines used 1.573 billion gallons of fuel, 2.6% less fuel than in March 2026 (1.615 billion) and 0.2% less fuel than April 2025 (1.575B).*

“Total fuel expenditure ($6.47B) of U.S. scheduled service airlines was up 26.2% from March 2026 ($5.12B) and up 78.0% from April 2025 ($3.63B). The cost per gallon of fuel in April 2026 ($4.11) was up 94 cents (29.6%) from March 2026 ($3.17) and up 181 cents (78.2%) from April 2025 ($2.31),” BTS said. All fuel consumption data is in regard to fuel paid for by the carrier. Continue reading →

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Nissan to Build Chinese Chery Vehicles in UK?

Posted on 3 June 2026 by Ken Zino

Nissan (7201T and NSANY ADR) and Chery International UK (9973.HK) said today they have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the study of contract manufacturing for Nissan to manufacture Chery International UK passenger vehicles at its Sunderland Plant. … Continue reading →

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Honda Hybrid-Electric Vehicles Set U.S. May Sales Record

Posted on 2 June 2026 by Ken Zino

American Honda Motor Company (NYSE: HMC) said today that it posted a May 2026 sales increase of 9.9% at 148,903 units, with year-to-date sales reaching 623,139. Honda hybrid-electric vehicles set a new monthly sales record of 42,583 units, led by the CR-V hybrid setting a new May sales record, accounting for 54% of model sales in May, with Accord at 50% hybrid mix and Civic sales at 31% hybrid.

“A strong lineup of affordable and fuel-efficient vehicles powered American Honda to strong May sales results,” AHM said. Continue reading →

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BTS – May 2026 Fuel Prices Are Sky-High Up 32-50%

Posted on 2 June 2026 by Ken Zino

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) today released monthly motor fuels prices for May 2026. The news shows the dire straits motorists are in with the prices at the pump confirming the ongoing trend under the Trump mis-administration. This comes as Iran on Monday has charged the Trump administration with ceasefire violations in Lebanon, saying it will close the Strait of Hormuz and stop swapping messages with the U.S. through intermediaries.

“In May 2026, the average price for regular motor gasoline was $4.48 per gallon; up 9.2% from April 2026 and up 42.2% from May 2025. The average price for diesel no. 2 was $5.60 in May 2026, up 1.8% from April 2026, and up 60.0% from May 2025,” BTS said. Continue reading →

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Wheels Off? GM Front Wheel Bolt Recall on 24-in Wheels

Posted on 1 June 2026 by Ken Zino

If a bolt breaks or completely loosens during vehicle operation, additional load could be placed on the three remaining bolts and lead to partial loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash. Continue reading →

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Airbag Failures – American Honda Recalls ~99,000 Vehicles

Posted on 1 June 2026 by Ken Zino

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling ~99,000 Acura and Honda models because the front passenger seat weight-sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the airbags to deploy unintentionally during a crash. This is an expansion of a previous recall for the same safety defect.

“In the event of a crash, the front passenger frontal and knee airbags may deploy despite the presence of an occupant (infant in child seat, child, or person smaller than AF5) for whom deployment should be suppressed, increasing the risk of injury.” Honda said in the mandatory safety defect filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this morning. Continue reading →

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UAW Members at American Axle’s Three Rivers Plant on Strike

Posted on 1 June 2026 by Ken Zino

“After the company now known as Dauch Corporation failed to offer a fair deal after weeks of negotiations, nearly 1000 UAW Local 2093 members walked out on strike in Three Rivers, MI starting Monday 1 June at 12:01 am. Mass picket lines started at 6:00 am,” the UAW said. Continue reading →

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California Air Resources Board Tweaks Cap-and-Invest

Posted on 1 June 2026 by Ken Zino

“At a moment when climate policy is under attack and global economic upheaval is creating real uncertainty, this rule-making is critically important for California,” said CARB Chair Lauren Sanchez. “California has both an opportunity and a responsibility to lead with consistency. By moving forward today, we are responding to real affordability concerns while sending a clear and unwavering signal to the world that we remain committed to long-term investment in clean energy, good jobs, and healthier communities.” Continue reading →

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Trump-conomics – May 2026 U.S. Auto Sales Forecast Flat

Posted on 29 May 2026 by Ken Zino

U.S. new-vehicle sales volume in May is expected to be mostly flat from year-ago levels, increasing a modest 0.1%, according to the latest forecast from Cox Automotive. There are 26 selling days this May, which is the same as last month, but one less than May last year.*

“May sales appear to be holding up despite significant economic uncertainty,” Cox Automotive Senior Economist Charlie Chesbrough said. “New-vehicle buyers today are more affluent than ever, so they may not be as impacted by inflationary pressures as much as other consumers who are more acutely feeling the sharply higher fuel costs. If the economy and stock market can remain on this growing but volatile path, new-vehicle sales will likely follow. However, those are two large necessities during extremely volatile times.” Continue reading →

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