Category Archives: results

Record Sales for Ford China in August at 48,631

Posted on 6 September 2012 by Ken Zino

Ford China posted its highest ever August sales, with 48,631 units sold, up 39% from last year. Year to date, Ford China has sold 368,513 vehicles, up 8% from January – August 2011. Market leader General Motors sold in 220,996 units in August and 1,837,546 year-to-date. Number Two Volkswagen Group has yet to report its August China sales. Continue reading →

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GM Posts August Sales Record in China as Its Biggest Maker

Posted on 5 September 2012 by Ken Zino

General Motors and its government-mandated joint ventures set a new August sales record in China as sales increased rose 7% from the previous August and 11% from July to 220,996 units. All three of GM’s large manufacturing joint ventures set sales records for the month. Shanghai GM’s domestic sales were up 12% on an annual basis to 110,209 units. SAIC-GM-Wuling’s sales in China rose 3% to 106,500 units. FAW-GM’s domestic sales increased 17% to 4,117 units. Continue reading →

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First Look – 2014 Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid Sedan

Posted on 5 September 2012 by Ken Zino

Since electric driving depends on a tiny 6.7 kilowatt-hour (kWh) lithium-ion battery, this means the Accord plug-in will be hard pressed to stay on electricity for more than 10 or 15 miles, although it will look good on the window sticker with a projected EPA rating of greater than 100 MPG-e. The electric motors are rated at 124-kilowatt (kW). Thank goodness there is also power dense gasoline on board, so the projected range of the plug-in is almost 500 miles. Continue reading →

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EPA Approves Fuel Waiver for States Hit by Hurricane Isaac

Posted on 5 September 2012 by Ken Zino

EPA has temporarily waived some clean gasoline requirements for fuel distributed in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina. The request for federal help come from the governors of the states most affected by delays in production and delivery of Gulf coast refineries. Continue reading →

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GM, Ford and Chrysler Post Strong August Sales but Lag Market Growth as Japanese Production Recovers and Car Sales Soar

Posted on 4 September 2012 by Ken Zino

Coming at the opening of the Democratic Presidential convention, the ongoing recovery of job and wealth creating Detroit companies will be political fodder for the Administration in the face of Mitt Romney’s well established “let ‘em die stance” even though his firm Bain capital accepted a federal bailout as Rolling Stone magazine has just revealed. Continue reading →

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U.S. Airline Employment Rises Slightly in June

Posted on 29 August 2012 by Ken Zino

U.S. scheduled passenger airlines employed 1.4% more workers in June 2012 than they did in June 2011 but still remain below pre-Great Recession levels, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today. Continue reading →

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Navy Week Comes to Detroit Commemorating War of 1812

Posted on 29 August 2012 by Ken Zino

Five days of activities will take place in downtown Detroit next week commemorating the War of 1812, which gave us a burnt White House, the Star Spangled Banner and finally convinced the British that we were no longer colonies, among other things. Continue reading →

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DOT and EPA Issue Record 54.5 MPG Fuel Economy Standards

Posted on 28 August 2012 by Ken Zino

Realistically, the fuel economy average will likely be in the 38-40 mpg range. Therefore, your mileage not only can vary but will vary from big numbers being touted in a closely contested Presidential election year. This, by the way, is where European fuel economy is right now, so if you want to know what the roads will look like a decade hence, travel to Spain or Italy whose governments desperately need tourist revenues to cover their massive deficits. Continue reading →

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Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Breaks Ground for Chongqing 3

Posted on 27 August 2012 by Ken Zino

The $600 million expansion will make Chongqing the largest Ford production site in the world by far – a latter day Rouge for communist customers. Chongqing 3 includes a new assembly line, body and paint shop. The first vehicle is expected to come off the flexible assembly line in late 2014. CFMA already operates two assembly plants and an engine plant in Chongqing, with another engine plant and a transmission plant currently under construction. Continue reading →

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CODA Recalls 2012 EVs for Defective Airbags

Posted on 27 August 2012 by Ken Zino

CODA Automotive is recalling 78 of its 2012 model year EVs because a manufacturing error incorrectly installed the side curtain airbags. Because of the defect, the airbag may not deploy properly in its four-door sedan, which only recently went on sale. In a statement the small, privately-held California company said it knows of no injuries. Continue reading →

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U.S. August Auto Sales Tepid at a Projected 12 Million Units

Posted on 24 August 2012 by Ken Zino

LMC Automotive has revised the outlook for total light-vehicle sales in the United States downward to 14.3 million units from 14.5 million units, with retail auto sales at 11.4 million units, down from 11.5 million units. Weaker U.S. economic growth and concerns with the deepening Eurozone crisis are cited as factors for slower growth during the second half of the year. The U.S. auto industry is still projected at a 15-million-unit level in 2013, but the outlook has been cut from 15.2 million units, as the risks in could carry over into next year. Continue reading →

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Auto Loan Delinquency Rate Declines by 35%

Posted on 23 August 2012 by Ken Zino

Mirroring a trend in many consumer lending categories, auto loan delinquency rates have declined significantly in July year-over-year. Equifax’s latest monthly National Consumer Credit Trends Report released today says that auto loan 60-day plus delinquency rates declined 35% in dollars.CNW Research also has good news for automakers and their stockholders. Its latest Loan-to-Value Ratio data shows a rise, especially for sub-prime borrowers. Banks are once again chasing auto loans because of low repossession rates and a minimum of late-payers. In the heyday of sub-prime lending, those with the lowest acceptable FICO score (credit rating in industry jargon) had LV ratios in the near-100% range. Continue reading →

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Volkswagen Barely Increases Sales in Germany During July

Posted on 23 August 2012 by Ken Zino

Europe’s strongest brand is showing the negative effects of the ongoing Eurozone crisis in July as year-to-date Volkswagen sales in Germany rose to 361,400, only a 2.5% increase year-over-year. In the rest of Western Europe sales dropped 5% from the comparable prior-year period. Results were better elsewhere, so much so that the VW brand posted an an overall increase of 11.9% to 468,300 (July 2011: 418,600) for the month of July. Continue reading →

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Union Pacific Unveils Low Emissions Hybrid Locomotive

Posted on 22 August 2012 by Ken Zino

Union Pacific Railroad (NYSE: UNP) today unveiled an experimental locomotive that will test three emissions-reducing technologies – exhaust gas recirculation, diesel oxidation catalysts and diesel particulate filters. While automotive enthusiasts might snicker about how far behind the heavy-duty diesel engine industry is lagging what are now virtually emissions free automobiles, the new locomotive is a significant step toward meeting EPA Tier 4 emission standards that are finally addressing large commercial vehicles. Continue reading →

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Consumer Reports Auto Tester David Champion Joins Nissan

Posted on 22 August 2012 by Ken Zino

Nissan today announced the hiring of former Consumer Reports Auto Test Center Senior Director, David Champion, for a newly created position of executive adviser, competitive assessment and quality. The Japanese automaker is launching five new vehicles in 15 months, and its quality reputation is decidedly uneven. Consumer Reports rates 13 of 25 Nissan and Infiniti models this year as recommended buys. The J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability report has both Nissan and Infiniti well below industry average. Continue reading →

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