Category Archives: results

DOJ – Cruise Deferred Prosecution for Pedestrian Crash

GM’s Cruise autonomous vehicle company* based in San Francisco, fixed a criminal charge in federal court for providing a false record to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) with the intent to impede, obstruct, or influence the investigation of a crash involving one of Cruise’s autonomous vehicles. Cruise has agreed to resolve the charge through a deferred prosecution agreement and payment of a $500,000 criminal fine.

“Federal laws and regulations are in place to protect public safety on our roads. Companies with self-driving cars that seek to share our roads and crosswalks must be fully truthful in their reports to their regulators,” said Martha Boersch, Chief of the Office of the U.S. Attorney’s Criminal Division. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, autonomous vehicles, connected vehicles, litigation, mobility company, news analysis, quality, safety, software defined vehicles, software defined vehicles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Toyota Huntsville Finishes 168-acre Solar Array

Toyota (NYSE: TM) and Toyota Tsusho America (TAI) and Huntsville Utilities have completed 168-acre solar project. The renewable energy produced will generate ~70 % of Toyota Alabama’s total energy. It is in keeping with the automaker’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality at all of its North American facilities by 2035. In total, the array will generate approximately 62,000 megawatt hours of energy annually, reducing an estimated 22,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year.

“Toyota is committed to clean and sustainable power. We know that the collective future for our community and our team members depends on clean mobility, clean air, clean water, and biodiversity,” said Jason Puckett, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Alabama. “We are thankful for our partners on this project who have created a model of environmental stewardship in North Alabama.” Continue reading

Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, energy, environment, global warming, manufacturing, milestones, news analysis, public health, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

October Global Light Vehicle Sales Rate at 93 Million

The Global Light Vehicle (LV) selling rate for October stood at 93 million units/year, according to an analysis released today by the respected GlobalData consultancy.* Year-over-Year, market volumes rebounded from the previous months’ downward trend. YoY sales were up 6% versus October 2023. However, Year-to-Date sales have a modest increase of 1% compared to the same period last year.

“In October, sales experienced a resurgence across most regions. Sales in China grew 5% YoY, as the domestic market saw a modest recovery driven by subsidies and the ongoing price war. In the US, sales grew nearly 12% for the month, driven by additional selling days and new model releases. Finally, sales in Western Europe remained broadly flat, as the region continues to experience significant political and economic headwinds,” the GlobalData forecast team said. Continue reading

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

Chinese EV Trade Wars Hits Volvo Cars

Volvo Cars (VOLCAR B:STO) today announced the selling of its 30% stake in Lynk & Co to Zeekr, a transaction representing a consideration of RMB 5.4 billion (~ SEK 8 billion). The transaction will be paid in cash, with 70% of the amount paid at closing, and 30% plus interest paid one year after closing. The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of 2025. Volvo Cars is currently trading near its all time low.

The transaction involves Volvo Cars (China) Investment Co., Ltd, an indirect subsidiary of Volvo Car AB, selling its share in Lynk & Co Automotive Technology Co., Ltd to Zhejiang Zeekr Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd, an indirect subsidiary of Zeekr Intelligent Technology Holding Limited. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, electric vehicles, financial results, news analysis, results, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

NHTSA Fines Ford $165M for Flouting Recall Law

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today announced a consent order with Ford Motor Company for failing to comply with federal recall requirements. The consent order includes a civil penalty of $165 million, the second-largest civil penalty in NHTSA’s history after the Takata airbag fiasco and the Takata airbag consent order.

“Timely and accurate recalls are critical to keeping everyone safe on our roads,” NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman said. “NHTSA is committed to ensuring manufacturers comply with the laws designed to keep our roads safe. When manufacturers fail to prioritize the safety of the American public and meet their obligations under federal law, NHTSA will hold them accountable.” Continue reading

Posted in auto news, electronics, engineering, milestones, news analysis, quality, recalls, safety | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

GM Recall for Wheel Lockup on Diesel Pickups and SUVs

General Motors (NYSE: GM) is recalling ~462,000 pickup trucks and large SUVs with diesel engines because the rear wheels can lock, increasing the risk of a crash, according to a required recall report made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The huge U.S. safety defect recall covers 2020-2022 model year Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups, as well as the 2021 Cadillac Escalade, GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban.

“A transmission control valve in some of these vehicles may be susceptible to excess wear over time, resulting in a gradual loss of pressure within the valve that can cause harsh shifting. In rare cases, the rear wheels may experience a momentary lock up,” GM said in the mandatory filing. “Excessive wear within the transmission control valve body can cause a fluid leak leading to a pressure drop that causes certain valves to move unexpectedly,” GM said. Continue reading

Posted in customer satisfaction, news analysis, quality, recalls, safety, software recalls | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

McKinsey and Hire Heroes USA – Bridging Veteran Career Gaps

McKinsey& Company said today that it is working with Hire Heroes USA to bridge the career gap for veterans. About 60% of the estimated 150,000 U.S. active-duty service members who transition from the military each year earn less during their first year after being discharged versus what they earned during active duty, according to a recent McKinsey article.

“Hire Heroes USA gave me the confidence and tools to return to the workforce. After six years out of the workforce, three years battling cancer, I didn’t know how to navigate job searches and resume writing,” said Samantha Bell, a U.S. Navy veteran who works as a clinical instructor in ABA therapy. “The coaching, friendship, and resources were invaluable as someone who felt lost and alone.” Continue reading

Posted in economy, milestones, news, news analysis, people, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

VW Ensnared in More Takata Airbag Shrapnel Recalls

Volkswagen Group of America is recalling 2017-2019 model year Beetle, Beetle Convertible, 2012-2014 Passat, 2017 Passat Wagon, and 2006-2007 Passat Sedan vehicles, according to documents made public today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Volkswagen had been refusing to recall the inflators arguing since 2020 about NHTSA’s interpretation of Takata defect data.*

“The driver’s side frontal air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling,” VW said in the required safety defect recall filing. Volkswagens included in this recall are equipped with the Takata SDI-D driver frontal airbag. “An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death,” VW acknowledged. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, customer satisfaction, news analysis, quality, recalls, safety | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Renesas and Nidec Announce New EV E-Axle Systems

Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723)* today announced what it claims is the world’s first “8-in-1” proof of concept (PoC) for E-Axle systems for electric vehicles. It controls eight functions using a single microcontroller (MCU). Developed in collaboration with Nidec Corporation, this PoC integrates a motor, a reduction gear, an inverter, a DC/DC converter, and an on-board battery charger (OBC). System-level testing was also completed to ensure its performance. This of course awaits verification in deployments on the road.

“The E-Axle is a unit in EVs that combines a drive motor, a gear, and an inverter. By integrating multiple functions, the E-Axle system can reduce system size and weight, simplifying EV design. Renesas provided key components, including semiconductors and a reference design for the new 8-in-1 E-Axle system. Renesas also plans to deliver turnkey semiconductor solutions for various X-in-1 systems based on the reference design verified through this PoC. Armed with these solutions, developers can implement and evaluate X-in-1 systems instantly, accelerating EV development,” Renesas said. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, electric vehicles, electronics, engineering, milestones, news analysis, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Stellantis Embraces and Adapts HVO Diesel Fuel

Stellantis (NYSE: STLA)* said today that its entire assortment of cars and light-duty commercial vehicles is fully compatible with Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) diesel fuel. HVO diesel has the same performance as traditional diesel and is derived from renewable sources, such as vegetable oils or animal fats.

“The hydrogenation process used to produce HVO results in a cleaner, sulfur-free fuel with significantly reduced levels of aromatic compounds and pollutants, making it a sustainable and environmentally friendly option,” Stellantis claimed.

Well, yes, but with caveats, AutoInformed observes. Some sustainable-fuel industries are still budding. McKinsey & Company research says that most sustainable fuels (other than clean hydrogen) are projected to see significant growth by 2030. By 2050, McKinsey expects demand for sustainable fuels to quadruple. Depending on net-zero objectives across countries, the share of demand for sustainable fuels could account for as much as 37% of all energy used in the transportation sector. [The respected McKinsey consultancy has many ongoing studies on Sustainability and Oil & Gas Practices. – AutoCrat] Continue reading

Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, energy, environment, fuel economy or emissions, global warming, milestones, news analysis, public health | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

American Airlines and JetBlue Alliance Blocked

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit last Friday affirmed the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts’ ruling in favor of the Justice Department and the Attorneys General of six states and the District of Columbia in their civil antitrust lawsuit to stop the Northeast Alliance between American Airlines and JetBlue. Continue reading

Posted in aviation, customer satisfaction, litigation, news, news analysis, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Porsche Penske Motorsport Wins – Rename the 963 to 967?

The 2024 season was one of the most successful in Porsche’s long-distance racing history as the Porsche 963, won seven of eight possible titles together with the works team Porsche Penske Motorsport. Maybe it should be call 967 to honor the success in only the second year of racing the 963. The overall result of the 2024 season in the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship was six out of six possible titles in North America, as well as the world championship crown for the works drivers Kévin Estre from France, André Lotterer from Germany and Laurens Vanthoor from Belgium in the FIA WEC. Porsche missed the manufacturer’s title in the world championship with the 963 this year by two points.

‟ ‘Nobody’s perfect’ – we already used this slogan in 1983, when only one third-party manufacturer appeared in the top 10 of the 24 Hours of Le Mans,” said Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport in a release celebrating the season today. It turns out that 41 years ago, Porsche publicized the Le Mans result under the ‘Nobody’s perfect’ on a now well-known poster. It depicted the racing cars from Stuttgart in the first eight places in the overall classification and in tenth place, with a Sauber BMW in between in the ninth spot. In AutoInformed’s view it also is just another example of Porsche’s sense of humor – counter the false stereotype on the lack of German humor. Remember the pink pig Porsche 917 endurance racer at Le Mans in 1971with the cuts of ham stenciled on the car? Continue reading

Posted in engineering, news analysis, performance, racing, results, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Slight Improvement in J.D. Power 2024 Sales Satisfaction

Customer satisfaction with the vehicle purchase process continues to rise as new-vehicle inventory and pricing improve year over year, according to the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study, SM released this week.* Overall customer satisfaction with the vehicle purchase experience is 801 (on a 1000-point scale), up from 793 in 2023.** Continue reading

Posted in auto news, customer satisfaction, news analysis, results, sales, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nissan Motor Posts Disastrous First Half Results

Nissan Motor Company today in Japan announced weak financial results for the six-months ended 30 September 2024. Net revenue decreased by ¥79.1 billion year-over-year (YOY) to ¥5.98 trillion yen, with consolidated operating profit decreasing ¥303.8 billion to ¥32.9B. This was a paltry operating profit margin of 0.5%. Net income was ¥19.2 billion. Global sales volumes decreased year-on-year to 1.6 million units.*

“Profitability was affected by higher selling expenses and inventory optimization efforts, particularly in the US, along with rising manufacturing or monozukuri costs,” Nissan said in its earnings release. It’s also selling 149,028,300 shares of Mitsubishi, which will reduce Nissan’s stake in Mitsubishi from 34.07%. It could be the beginning of the end of alliances within the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance or the complete demise of the Alliance. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, financial results, manufacturing, marketing, mobility company, news analysis, results | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BMW Q3 2024 Profits Drop 61%

BMW AG posted results yesterday for Q3 of 2024 that saw earnings at €1696 million compared to 2023 at €4352M for a plunge of -61.0%. It was the worst quarterly performance in ~four years. Consequently, its stock took a beating.

“Group revenues remained significantly down on the previous year in the third quarter of 2024 at 32,406 million (2023: € 38,458 million; -15.7%; adjusted for currency effects -15.3%). The primary reasons for this decline were negative volume effects and product mix effects in the Automotive segment resulting from delivery stops related to the supplied ABS [There were ~1.5 million vehicles recalled for a bad braking system- Autocrat], among other factors,” BMW said in an earnings release. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, economy, financial results, manufacturing, marketing, mobility company, news analysis, results | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment