Category Archives: safety

Chinese Junk Watch – Knape & Vogt Workstations

They are sold under the brand names: Adas Elevo Sit-to-Stand Desktop, K&A Manufacturing Helium Surface, 3M Precision Standing Desk, Inscape Rockit, Neutral Posture Ergonomics StandUp X1, Workrite Ergonomics Solace Desktop, Volante and IMOVR Ziplift. Continue reading

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Bad BMW Recalls on X, Battery Hybrid and Electrical Models

BMW of North America is recalling 2019 X3 sDrive30i, X3 xDrive30i, X3 M40i, and X4 M40i vehicles. The instrument panel assembly may have been improperly manufactured, affecting the deployment of the passenger’s frontal air bag. The German maker is also recalling 2018 i3 BEV and i3 REx hybrid electric vehicles.  Continue reading

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The Product Liability Swamp – Louisiana Ford Investigation

Beginning in January 2018*, several consumer class action lawsuits were filed against Ford on numerous grounds, including fraud and racketeering, based on alleged misrepresentations it made regarding the emissions standards of certain Ford vehicles including 2011-2017 F250 and F350 Super Duty trucks when promoting and marketing them.  Allegedly the vehicles with the help of Robert Bosch employed “defeat devices” to turn down emissions controls to give Ford the ability to obtain and market higher power and fuel efficiency ratings from its engines while still passing emissions certifications tests. Continue reading

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Toyota AI Ventures Launches New $100M Fund

With Fund II, Toyota AI Ventures will expand its search for entrepreneurs to invest in as part of its mission to discover what’s next for Toyota. Toyota AI Ventures will also use Fund II to continue to strengthen its portfolio services. Continue reading

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Unperformed Used Car Recalls in Headlines Yet Again

The “Used Car Safety Recall Repair Act,” has been kicking around Congress forever AutoInformed readers know. The last time around it was an amendment to a broader transportation bill, proposed by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) requiring auto dealers to fix all outstanding safety recalls before selling or leasing any used passenger motor vehicle. Continue reading

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Subaru Recall – Ignition Switch May Turn Off

The ball spring inside the ignition switch may break, reducing the strength of the ignition switch. If this occurs, the weight on the key ring and certain road conditions could cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position to the accessory position, turning off the engine. Continue reading

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Ford, Autonomic, Amazon Web Services to Collaborate on Advanced Vehicle Connectivity. Future Boon or Debacle?

Ford Motor Company and the creators of the Transportation Mobility Cloud (TMC) Autonomic have signed a multi-year, global agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS), which will allegedly expand the availability of cloud connectivity services and connected car application development services for the transportation industry. Continue reading

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DOT Secretary Chao Announces FAA Certification of Commercial Package Delivery, aka Pizza Pie in the Sky

This allows Wing Aviation to begin commercial package delivery in Blacksburg, VA. Wing partnered with the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership and Virginia Tech, as one of the participants in the Transportation Department’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program. Continue reading

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Ride and Cost Sharing: Toyota, DENSO and SoftBank Vision Fund Invest $1 Billion in Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group

The investment, in a newly formed ATG corporate entity, aims to accelerate the development and commercialization of automated ridesharing services. Under the terms, Toyota and DENSO will together invest $667 million and SVF will invest $333 million, valuing the new Uber ATG entity at $7.25 billion on a post-money basis. Continue reading

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Nissan Moves China Design Center to Shanghai

Nissan Design China, previously based in Beijing, will continue creating products for global customers including those in China, and presumably (pay no attention Trump) Japan, the Americas and Africa and Europe.   Continue reading

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World Piece or Pieces? SAE Joins International Alliance for Mobility Testing & Standardization

IAMTS is founded “to develop and grow an international portfolio of advanced mobility testbeds that meet the highest quality implementation and operational standards.”  Continue reading

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Renault Nissan Establish Joint Innovation Hub in China

he Alliance Automotive Research and Development (Shanghai), Ltd., dubbed as Alliance Innovation Lab Shanghai (AIL-SH) has Renault and Nissan each hold 50% of this new entity. It conducts research and development on autonomous drive, connected vehicles and electric vehicles. Technologies pioneered by the innovation hub will be potentially applied to Renault and Nissan vehicles sold in China and around the world. Continue reading

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Ford Recalls 327,000 F-150s as Previous Fire Recall Failed

In inspected recalled trucks the engine block heater cable splice connectors may have “inadvertently become damaged during that service procedure.” A damaged block heater cable can cause an inoperative engine block heater and/or tripping of household breakers or GUCCI-equipped outlets or a resistive short, which can increase the risk of overheated or melted wiring and fire while the vehicle is parked, and the block heater is plugged in. Continue reading

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Ghosn – Muzzled – Bites Back After Nissan Board Ouster

“This is not about greed or dictatorship, this is about a plot, this is about a conspiracy, this is about a backstabbing,” Ghosn said. “I am innocent of all the charges that have been brought against me,” he said. Continue reading

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Directors Carlos Ghosn, Greg Kelly Voted Out at Nissan

Hiroto Saikawa, President, among others, came under shareholder scrutiny for his protested innocence of having any knowledge of the scandal even though he was one of Ghosn’s “ right hand men…” Continue reading

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