-
Recent Posts
- GM at Top of U.S. Auto Sales in 2025
- Audi Recalls Seat Belts for Child Seat Retention Failures
- Porsche Recalls More Than 173,000 Vehicles for Rear Visibility
- Ford Recalls Previous Expedition Roll-Away Recall Repair
- BMW Group Adds Alpina Brand
- Milestones – 50 Years of the VW Golf GTI
- EPA Administrator and Trump Booster Zeldin Praises Himself
- Happy Clean New Year California Air Resources Board!
- Chicago Auto Show Shrinks
- Porsche – Happy Birthday Hans-Joachim Stuck
- Ford Recalls Mavericks, Escapes, Mach Es, Transits, Broncos
- Annals of Marketing – Kia and Times Square New Year Partyers
- December U.S. Vehicle Sales Forecast Down. Global Sales Up
- Mazda Axes Advance, Production and Design Modeling Studios
- Detroit Auto Show 2026 – Winners of HS Poster Contest
Recent Comments
- Ken Zino on Ford Fuel Injector Leak Recall Now at ~694,000
- LAVERNE L OLIVER on Ford Fuel Injector Leak Recall Now at ~694,000
- Magna on its Share Repurchase Plan in reference to on Magna Posts Solid Q3 2025 Earnings Gain
- Daniel Ricciardo Global Ford Racing Ambassador on Ford Performance Rebranded as Ford Racing
- Gen 3 2026 Nissan Leaf Less than $30,000? | AutoInformed on Milestones – Nissan Begins Assembly of 2013 LEAF EV in Tennessee
Archives
Meta
Category Archives: results
Average Age of U.S. Vehicles Reaches Record High
Perhaps more significantly for automakers, 2011 ended the U.S. vehicle population decline that has occurred annually since 2008. This worrisome trend meant households were decreasing the number of vehicles. According to Polk, the total vehicles in operation – VIO – in July 2011 was just over 240.5 million, an increase of 500,000 units over July in the previous year, and nearly equal to 2009 VIO. The highest VIO on record was achieved in July 2008, when more than 242 million passenger cars and light trucks were on America’s roads. The financial markets collapsed that fall. Continue reading
Posted in aftermarket, auto news, news analysis, results, transportation
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, average vehicle age, Ken Zino, polk, vio
Leave a comment
Pickups, Compacts and Crossovers Lead Top Ten U.S. Sales
Three of the models, including the Ford F-Series – the top-volume model in the U.S. for the 30th straight year – were Ford products, while General Motors and Toyota Group each produced two of the 10 models with the highest sales volumes in the US market last year. Renault-Nissan Group and Fiat-Chrysler’s Ram each built one of the best-sellers. Continue reading
UK Starts Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Project with Automakers, Utilities and Gas Suppliers – Cars on Road Promised by 2014
The allure of fuel cells remains efficiency, roughly 50-60% compared to an internal combustion engine’s ~20%. Emissions are also attractive – no pollutants at the tailpipe and some studies indicate a drastically reduced overall well-to-wheel emissions when compared with today’s fossil fuel engines. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, energy, environment, fuel economy or emissions
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, daimler ag, fuel cell ukh2mobility, fuel cells, hyundai motor company, johnson matthey, Ken Zino, nissan motor manufacturing (uk), sa air products, the boc group, UK H2 Mobility
Leave a comment
NHTSA Scolds Ford over Minivan Torque Converter Recall
In an unusual acknowledgement of the Ford recall (11S25 or 12V-006) just made public, NHTSA said Ford made assertions – also unusual in my experience – in its required defect filing that are untrue and violate federal safety regulations. Continue reading
European Auto Sales down in 2011 for Fourth Straight Year
For the year American automakers General Motors finished fourth with a flat 8.7% share. Fifth place Ford Motor (8%, a slight decline) made no sales progress either, even though both companies have introduced a series of new models. Sixth place Fiat – the owner of Chrysler courtesy of American taxpayers – continues to struggle along with Italy, off almost a full percentage point in share to 7.1%. One bright spot – Jeep sales are up 63% from an admittedly small base to more than 22,000 units. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, marketing, news, news analysis, results, sales
Tagged 2011 results, acea, auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, eu, european auto sales, eurozone sales, hyundai, Ken Zino, Korean fta, marchionne, results eu results
Leave a comment
Tom Stephens GM Vice Chair and Chief Technology Officer to Retire
The retirement is major development at a recovering GM since Stephens was an extremely knowledgeable, no nonsense ‘car guy.’ Stephens started in 1969 as an hourly employee at the Chevrolet Engineering Center in Warren, Mich., under a University of Michigan Student Co-op Program. The affable Stephens – with some hearing loss from years of working in engine dynamometer test cells – got things done, and done well in the face of GM’s huge and largely inert bureaucracy. Stephens always pushed for the best product possible, according to GM insiders, even when he didn’t have the clout needed to effect change. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, milestones, news analysis, people
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, chevrolet volt, GM, Ken Zino, northstar, small block v8, tom stephens
1 Comment
BMW Delivers First All-Electric Active E in the US
The fully electric Active E with its lithium-ion batteries have a claimed a driving range of up to 100 miles on a full charge. With an output of 170 horsepower, maximum torque of 184 lb-ft from a standstill, BMW said Active E accelerates from 0–60 mph in under nine seconds. If the driver is a lead-foot – or is that now lithium foot? and/or the weather is cold – the Bimmer won’t go that far, of course. All such mileage claims await independent verification. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, electric vehicles, fuel economy or emissions, news, news analysis
Tagged active e, auto informed, auto news, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, bmw active e, bmw ev study, electric vehicles, EVs, i3, Ken Zino, mini e, u.c. davis plug-in hybrid & electric vehicle research center
Leave a comment
Chinese Maker to Pay EPA $680,000 Fine for Dirty ATVs
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a $680,000 settlement with recreational vehicle manufacturers, Loncin (USA), Inc., Longting USA LLC, and Chongqing Longting Power Equipment Co., Ltd., to resolve violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) caused by the import of 7,115 uncertified recreational vehicles into the United States. It was the latest in a series of actions against the Chinese company and its agents. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, customer satisfaction, environment, fools 'n frauds, fuel economy or emissions, litigation, news, news analysis, results
Tagged atv emissions, auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, caa, caa violations, chinese atvs, chongqing longting power equipment, clean air act, emissions, epa fines, Ken Zino, loncin, longting usa, motorscience, pep boys, uncertified vehicles
Leave a comment
Honda Accord Coupe Concept – Its 2013 Comeback Car?
Given the competitiveness of the segment – accounting for ~20% of the cars sold in the U.S., Honda is currently behind in technology. This is an unexpected lag for what normally is a company that resides at the top of the innovation column of the scorecard is puzzling. Continue reading
Stubby Buick Encore SUV Debuts – Revenge of CAFE Regs?
Buick today introduced the all-new 2013 Encore – a Korean-made small crossover that goes on sale in early 2013 in North America. Encore joins a line of Buick vehicles that has recently seen the additions of the Verano compact luxury sedan, the Regal GS sport sedan, as well as ongoing LaCrosse and Enclave models. The Encore SUV is a mere 168.5 inches long – about 10 inches shorter than the new Honda CRV. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, fuel economy or emissions, new vehicle, news
Tagged audi q3, auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, bmw x1, buick encore, encore, Ken Zino, korean buick, rav4
3 Comments
Lincoln MKZ Concept Derived off Ford Fusion Debuts at NAIAS
Lincoln needs some sales successes and in the U.S – virtually its only outlet for this fading regional brand – where luxury car sales range from ~10-13% of the market annually. There’s an enormous opportunity now posed by Generation Y types, 80% of whom say they would consider a luxury car in the $30,000 range, which hasn’t escaped impending product actions at Lexus, Acura, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, among others. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, concept, design and styling, news, news analysis, sales
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, Ken Zino, lincoln, luxury cars, mks, mkz, naias, u.s. luxury cars
Leave a comment
General Motors Sets Sales Record in China. Ford Up too
Both General Motors and Ford Motor finished 2011 with strong performances in China, the world’s largest automarket for the past three years. GM and its joint ventures sold a record 2,547,171 vehicles up 8.3% from the previous high of 2,351,610 … Continue reading
Posted in auto news, news, news analysis, results, sales
Tagged auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, china, china auto sales, currency value, ford china, gm china, Ken Zino, results, rmb, wto
Leave a comment
Ford Debuts Mondeo Based, Mexican-Built Fusion at NAIAS
Ford’s relative lack of success in car segments will make this launch one to watch. The Number 2 automaker in U.S. sales should have picked up more than a 3.7% increase in passenger car sales during 2011 while the industry gained 9% in the view of critics. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, fuel economy or emissions, new vehicle, news
Tagged accord, auto informed, autoinformed.com, automotive news, Camry, contour, fusion, Ken Zino, mondeo, mystique, naias
Leave a comment
Nissan and Daimler to Build Engines in Tennessee
For years Mercedes-Benz sold gas guzzlers in the U.S., paying millions in fines – passed on to customers – for its flouting of CAFE regulations. Much higher fines under the latest CAFE standards and growing pro-environmental standards globally makes this a risky strategy going forward. Continue reading
December U.S. Unemployment at 8.5% Remains at Crisis Levels
The 200,000 employment increase is roughly half of what is needed each month to return the almost 20 million under-employed and unemployed back to full-time work as taxpayers in the still ailing U.S. economy. At this rate it will take a decade or more to return to pre-Great Recession levels. Since 80% of workers in the U.S. commute to work in a vehicle, the unemployment crisis hurts the auto industry’s prospects and its own fragile, mostly jobless, recovery that is underway. Continue reading
