Category Archives: results

GM Canada – Marissa West now President, Scott Bell moves to VP Global Chevrolet in US

West holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University. Marissa has four children with her husband Bob. Continue reading

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Chinese Junk Watch: Walmart’s Dimensions Bluetooth Speaker Helmets

The helmets are black with black straps and a black buckle. The white label on the inside of the helmet contains the Item # ACTGEAR-238BTS in the bottom left corner. Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled helmets and contact Sakar for instructions on receiving a free replacement helmet. Continue reading

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UK Plans to Up EV Chargers to 300K by 2030.

 “Ambitious and innovative chargepoint operators are already committed to installing an additional 15,000 rapid chargepoints across England’s entire road network, a quadrupling of the current offer,  and over 100,000 on-street chargepoints by 2025,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. Continue reading

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February EU Commercial Vehicle Registrations Drop -15.7%

From January to February, demand for commercial vehicles in the EU decreased by 13.5% to 257,127 units registered in total. Spain (-21.9%), France (-19.3%), Germany (-5.8%) and Italy (-2.8%) all recorded declines. The negative effects of Putin’s war on Ukraine have yet to be experienced. Continue reading

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CARB Tightens Diesel Emissions Regs for Commercial Harbor Craft. First Emissions Requirements For Some Boats

The amendments affect all categories of commercial harbor craft and establish the first emission standard requirements for commercial passenger fishing vessels, pilot vessels, tank barges over 400 feet, work boats and research vessels. Continue reading

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Stellantis, LG Energy Solution JV for Battery Plant in Canada

The new joint venture company will invest more than $5 billion CAD ($4.1 billion) to establish operations, which will include an all-new battery manufacturing plant located in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Plant construction is scheduled to begin later this year. Production is planned to launch in the first quarter of 2024. Stellantis is Windsor’s largest employer and has a long history there. Chrysler began operations in 1925 and has employed generations of Windsor–Essex workers at its facility. Continue reading

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SEC – New Rules on Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors

The required information about climate-related risks also would include disclosure of a registrant’s greenhouse gas emissions, which have become a commonly used metric to assess a registrant’s exposure to such risks. No doubt the anti-environment anti-democracy pro-Putin Republican party will fiercely fight the SEC. The global auto industry is rushing to address climate change with its headlong rush into electric vehicles. This should clarify the ongoing avalanche of green statements from makers and suppliers and help customers understand how committed the companies are. Continue reading

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The Sweet Song of EVs – Cadillac Starts Lyric Production

General Motors today passed another milestone in its move to an all-electric future as Cadillac celebrated the beginning of retail production of the 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ at GM’s Spring Hill, Tennessee, assembly plant. GM President Mark Reuss, Cadillac Vice President Rory Harvey, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, UAW representatives, plant employees and other officials were on hand. The real dignitaries were the workers who made it happen. Continue reading

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Ford Motor Recalls 160,000 F-150 Pickups for Bad Wipers

The front windshield wiper motor made by Trico in Mexico may become inoperative, causing the wipers to fail. An inoperative wiper motor has the potential for reduced visibility or loss of visibility, increasing the risk of a crash. In the require NHTSA filing Ford said, “The primary causal factors that led to inoperative or poorly performing wipers were poor quality motor brush plate spot welding, insufficient motor magnet adhesive being applied, and insufficient motor nut assembly torque. Continue reading

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Autonomous – GM Ups Stake in Cruise and Buys out Softbank

Cruise has made self-driving cars a reality and is arguably the leader on the pathway to commercial autonomous ridesharing and delivery, creating significant value for both GM shareholders and Cruise’s minority shareholders. Since Cruise was founded in 2013, it has run more than 2 million autonomous miles in California. It has 300+ all-electric AVs on roads in San Francisco and Phoenix. Funding is more than $9 billion with ~1900 employees, with a market valuation of, gulp, +$30 billion. Continue reading

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History of Japanese Car Making at Toyota Automobile Museum

The exhibition traces the first seven decades of the Japanese auto industry, from its beginnings in the early 20th century to the 1970s, when it established itself as the nation’s key industry. Continue reading

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Global Light Vehicle Sales Rate Drops in February

Even with the disruption to the world’s largest auto market due to the Chinese New Year, sales for the rest of the globe were weaker compared with the month before. Year-on-year (YoY) sales were 1% down on a poor base performance last February. Continue reading

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Hyundai, Kia Recall 2022 Seat Belts for Shrapnel Explosions

Hyundai Motor America and Kia Motors America are recalling seat belts because during a crash the front passenger-side seat-belt pretensioner may explode upon deployment sending metal fragments into the interior. The actual incident that remains under investigation occurred in February … Continue reading

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EPA – More Funding for DERA Tribal and Insular Area Grants

The DERA program is prioritizing projects that help achieve the goals of President Biden’s Justice40 initiative, which aims to ensure that federal agencies deliver at least 40% of benefits from certain investments to underserved communities. Older diesel engines emit much more air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter than newer diesel engines. EPA correctly notes that these pollutants are linked to a range of serious health problems including asthma, lung and heart disease, other respiratory ailments, and premature death. Continue reading

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Volkswagen, Ford Expand Cooperation on MEB EV Platform

The first Ford model to use the MEB will be an all-electric crossover. It is expected to roll off the assembly line at the Ford Electrification Center in Cologne from 2023. Ford  – lagging in EVs – had originally planned just one model based on MEB with a total volume of around 600,000 units. The company has not yet released any details about the second planned model. Continue reading

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