Category Archives: results

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 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

Posted in auto news, environment, fuel economy or emissions, new vehicle, news, news analysis, sales | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 , , , , , , , , , | 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 , , , , , , , , , | 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 , , , , , , , , , , , | 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 , , , , , , , , , , | 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

Posted in auto news, fuel economy or emissions, manufacturing, news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted in auto news, AutoInformed Editorial, economy, labor issues, news, results | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ford Motor December Sales Up 10% Tracking Market Growth

How Ford’s sales performance is interpreted depends on whether the Number 2 U.S. automaker in sales should have picked up more than the 3.7% increase in passenger car sales (industry +9%) with all the major Japanese automakers virtually out of the market for months – May to September or later – because of natural disasters. Ford car sales were actually down 16% in December. Lavishly publicized Fiesta sub-compact and Focus compact launches were not strong successes as sticker price resistance appeared to overcome their relatively good fuel efficiency in a year when U.S. gasoline prices stayed well above $3 a gallon. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, marketing, news, news analysis, results, sales | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

GM U.S. Sales Up 5% in December, +14% 2011. Share Increases

GM expects full-year 2012 light vehicle sales to be in a range of 13.5 million to 14.0 million units. In previous years, GM’s forecasts were based on total vehicle sales, which included medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, or about 300,000 additional units. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, marketing, news, news analysis, results, sales | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Chrysler Group December 2011 U.S. Sales Up 37%; Year +26%

Nevertheless, the sales gains were not large enough to hold off resurging Toyota Motor Sales, which displaced Chrysler from the Number Three U.S. sales spot when Toyota inventories rebuilt this fall after the Japan earthquake and tsunami tragedy in March that removed Toyota and other Japanese automakers from the market. In October and November Toyota picked up 2 market share percentage points, with December results due later today. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, marketing, news, news analysis, results | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Milestones: First U.S. Diesel Powered Car – Cummins Packard

Fuel prices have risen since then, now ranging between $3 to $4 a gallon. The company Clessie Lyle Cummins founded in 1919 – Cummins Engine Company of Columbus, Indiana – to build engines based on Rudolf Diesel’s compression engine (patented 20 years before) has grown to be a Fortune 500 company with more than $18 billion in annual sales. Continue reading

Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, milestones, news, people | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Car Spy Jim Dunne Catches Revised Lincoln MKS or MKZ?

Following the Ford Jaguar debacle, success is also not a word that can be applied to Ford’s management of Lincoln, which is a poseur in the world of luxury cars dominated by the German Brands and Toyota’s Lexus, which even though it was out of the U.S. market for five months this year because of the Japan earthquake, still managed to outsell Lincoln by a better than 2:1. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, customer satisfaction, design and styling, distracted driving, new vehicle, news, news analysis, safety | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Federal Appeals Court blocks Enforcement of EPA Cross State Rule until Dozens of Power Company Lawsuits are Resolved

The rule requires reduction in emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which the auto industry successfully undertook decades ago. The Appeals court will consider the legality of the rule sometime next year. Continue reading

Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, electric vehicles, energy, environment, fuel economy or emissions, litigation, news, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

U.S. Treasury Says China Continues to Undervalue its Currency

In what will undoubtedly become a Presidential campaign issue next year, as a result of the undervalued renminbi, China continues to increase its global export market share, and it remains heavily dependent on exports. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, economy, financial results, news, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment