Category Archives: shows and events

Cap-and-Invest Cleans Air in Most Polluted Areas

Posted on 25 July 2025 by Ken Zino

A new report released today by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) shows that the California law funded by Cap-and-Invest dollars improves air in the state’s most polluted communities. In each of the 19 communities the program supports, CARB and the local air districts established partnerships to develop plans to address local pollution problems where people live, work and play. CARB is now expanding the program’s offerings to 64 communities in coordination with other regulatory partners. In AutotInformed’s view this is democracy in action – in sharp contrast to the politics of grievances by the super-rich.

“The Community Air Protection Program has become a critical tool for improving air quality in areas most impacted by sources of pollution,” said CARB Chair Liane Randolph. “As one of the hallmark efforts funded by Cap-and-Invest revenue, it is recognized as a national model for substantially and cost-effectively reducing harmful emissions in vulnerable communities. The success of the program is a testament to the power of partnerships and a result of our collective commitment to the pursuit of clean air for all Californians.” Continue reading →

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CARB Amends Clean Truck Regs With Trucking Industry!

Posted on 24 July 2025 by Ken Zino

“California’s commitment to cleaner trucks has created an ecosystem of programs and incentives that will continue to drive progress despite the federal administration’s unlawful actions challenging our state’s efforts to reduce emissions and deploy to clean transportation technologies,” said CARB Chair Liane Randolph. “The amendments approved today provide manufacturers with flexibility, and we look forward to continued collaboration with manufacturers in efforts to reduce emissions, protect public health and ensure global competitiveness as the rest of the world shifts to zero-emission technologies.” Continue reading →

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Another Corvette C9 Concept from SoCal

Posted on 24 July 2025 by Ken Zino

“Our Advanced Design teams are dedicated to shaping the future, driving innovation, and exploring what’s possible,” said Bryan Nesbitt, vice president of global design. “The California Corvette concept is another example of forward-thinking design. We invited multiple GM studios to envision Corvette-inspired hypercars, the first of which was revealed by our UK studio in March. The California team has now delivered a complementary study that honors Corvette’s legendary performance, while infusing it with their own distinctive vision.” Continue reading →

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Penske Automotive Group Increases Dividend Again

Posted on 23 July 2025 by Ken Zino

“We are pleased to provide shareholders with another increase in the quarterly dividend, reflecting the continued strength of our balance sheet and strong cash flow,” said Penske Automotive Group President Robert H. Kurnick, Jr Continue reading →

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BMW i Ventures Invests in Estes Energy Solutions

Posted on 23 July 2025 by Ken Zino

“What makes Estes different isn’t just the unique technology, it’s the people.” said Baris Guzel, Partner at BMW i Ventures. “This is a team that’s been in the trenches, building rugged, high-density battery systems with real-world safety and scale in mind. It’s that rare blend of deep engineering chops, operator mindset, and execution urgency. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with them.” Continue reading →

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Football marketing – BYD and FC Internazionale Milano

Posted on 23 July 2025 by Ken Zino

The BYD Group, a massive China-based electric vehicle company (1211 HKG) announced the launch of a three-year strategic partnership with FC Internazionale Milano (Inter), becoming the club’s Global Automotive Partner. It’s the latest foray of Chinese EV companies into established markets. 

“BYD’s name means Build Your Dreams, and I think this partnership is a dream for young people, for everybody with a passion for football. Inter Milan is well recognized for its energy, for never giving up, for always fighting for success and for its rapid growth into a global brand with a worldwide fanbase that extends beyond the San Siro stadium and Serie A. These are qualities that BYD shares as a fast-growing brand too – we’re a global green technology company with the dream to fight climate change and cool the earth by one degree. We’re working so hard to do this – we have 120,000 engineers working day and night, producing 45 patents every working day because they love their job and they want to win. This determination, this constant pushing for change and working so hard to make it happen, is something that is really shared between BYD and Inter,” said Stella Li, Executive Vice President of BYD. Continue reading →

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GM Posts Q2 Earnings of $3 Billion

Posted on 22 July 2025 by Ken Zino

“Despite slower EV industry growth, we believe the long-term future is profitable electric vehicle production, and this continues to be our north star. As we adjust to changing demand, we will prioritize our customers, brands, and a flexible manufacturing footprint, and leverage our domestic battery investments and other profit-improvement plans,” said Mary Barra, GM Chair and CEO, “Overall, GM is well positioned to succeed in an ICE market that now has a longer runway, Barra said. Continue reading →

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BMW Group – My Trips Apps Now Show Driver’s Carbon Footprint

Posted on 21 July 2025 by Ken Zino

The BMW Group said today that it is now offering customers an analysis of their driving personal carbon footprint stats in the My BMW App and MINI App for the first time. This in AutoInformed’s view is a breakthrough that will ease the ride on the sometimes-bumpy road to electrification.

“Our usage research shows: The information in My Trips is one of the most popular features in the app,” said Dirk Wiedmann, Senior Vice President Sales Steering and Strategy, Digitalization. “We are now expanding this successful function with carbon footprint calculation, giving our customers simple and straightforward access to sustainability-related information via a popular and widely used channel.” Continue reading →

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Streets of Toronto – O’Ward Wins with a Chevy Engine!

Posted on 21 July 2025 by Ken Zino

Arrow McLaren driver Pato O’Ward yesterday broke the Honda winning curse at the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto by winning his second race in eight days as Alex Palou finished 12th. Series leader Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing qualified second in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. He held a 129-point lead over the field before the race with five races remaining as he attempts for his third consecutive season championship and fourth in five years. Palou finished fourth in in the Toronto race last year, which was extended by five laps this year.

“Oh, man, I can’t say I saw this (win) coming,” O’Ward said. “But I was feeling so good on the (primary) tires all weekend really. We were just struggling to get the alternates to work in qualifying. Sadly, that’s the one you need to transfer. But I knew we had a great car under me to race with, and (the crew) nailed it on the strategy.” Continue reading →

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First GMC Acadia Denali Ultimate Debuts in Late 2025

Posted on 17 July 2025 by Ken Zino

GMC (NYSE: GM) said today that the 2026 Acadia mid-size SUV will be the  latest vehicle in GMC’s lineup to receive the so-called ultra-premium Denali Ultimate trim.

“Denali Ultimate represents the pinnacle of premium expression for the GMC brand, delivering an innovative mixture of stunning craftsmanship and real-world capability,” said Jaclyn McQuaid, global vice president, Buick and GMC. “Expanding Denali Ultimate’s innovative technologies and exclusive design elements to the Acadia nameplate allows us to further differentiate our mid-size offering in a highly competitive segment.” Continue reading →

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Volvo Cars Posts Q2 2025 -10B SEK Loss

Posted on 17 July 2025 by Ken Zino

Volvo Cars (VOLCAR-B.STO) said today that it posted a Q2 group operating profit (EBIT) of SEK -10.0 billion. The gigantic loss followed a warning this week that it would take an impairment charge( read AutoInformed.com on: Chinese Trade Wars – Volvo Q2 2025 Impairment Charge). The Chinese owned company also said that it would build its best-selling car in the U.S. in South Carolina starting in late 2026 (Volvo Cars to Build XC60 SUV in Ridgeville). The loss, down from a profit of 8B SEK year-over year, appears to have surprised analysts who thought the loss would be much higher.

“The market continued to be challenging in Q2 as well,” said Håkan Samuelsson, President and CEO of Volvo Cars. “Demand remains under pressure from the macroeconomic environment, tariff-related uncertainties and tougher competition. However, our turnaround actions are starting to show results. In a Q2 market with headwinds we made a clear improvement of free cash flow versus Q1 and our EBIT margin excluding items affecting comparability was slightly higher.”

Continue reading →

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Nissan to Close Oppama Plant!

Posted on 15 July 2025 by Ken Zino

Nissan Motor Company (7201T and NSANY ADR) said today that, as part of its global production restructuring under its recovery plan dubbed Re: Nissan, it plans to transfer and integrate vehicle production at the Oppama Plant, located in the Oppama district, to Nissan Motor Kyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture. The company will cease vehicle production at the Oppama plant at the end of fiscal year 2027. Following this, both current and future models scheduled for production at Oppama will be manufactured at Nissan Motor Kyushu. Nissan posted a net loss of ¥670.9 billion (~$4.5 billion) during the Japanese Fiscal Year 2024.

Today, Nissan made a tough but necessary decision. It wasn’t easy—for me or for the company—but I believe it’s a vital step toward overcoming our current challenges and building a sustainable future. The Oppama Plant is a proud part of our history, and its legacy will endure. I want to sincerely thank our employees, the local community, and our partners who have supported this plant with dedication and heart. We will continue to operate in the Oppama area with strong support for the local community, as we carry forward the spirit of Oppama plant and work to restore Nissan’s true value,” said Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa. Continue reading →

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China – BMW Group Links with Momenta for ADAS

Posted on 15 July 2025 by Ken Zino

“This collaboration of partners sharing the same mindset, will enable us to offer our customers in China a unique automated driving experience. We are combining 20+ years of pioneering safety with locally trained driving knowledge and state of the art Chinese AI technology,“ said Dr. Mihiar Ayoubi, Senior Vice President, Driving Experience, BMW Group. Continue reading →

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Spring Hill to Make Advanced LFP Batteries

Posted on 15 July 2025 by Ken Zino

“At GM, we’re innovating battery technology to deliver the best mix of range, performance, and affordability to our EV customers,” said Kurt Kelty, VP of batteries, propulsion, and sustainability at GM. “This upgrade at Spring Hill will enable us to scale production of lower-cost LFP cell technologies in the U.S., complementing our high-nickel and future lithium manganese rich solutions and further diversifying our growing EV portfolio.” Continue reading →

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IndyCar Iowa Speedway – Palou’s Seventh Honda Win

Posted on 14 July 2025 by Ken Zino

Alex Palou has been a strong driver in NTT IndyCar Series 2025. However lady luck [an old, outdated CART term] played a role in his victory at Iowa Speedway yesterday. Palou was running in third place late in the Farm to Finish 275 powered by Sukup when time came for the final round of pit stops. Josef Newgarden and David Malukas brought their Chevrolet-powered cars in for fuel ahead of Palou. However, Palou’s Honda, in perhaps an over-cut move, stayed out. However, a caution flag waved because of Colton Herta’s wall contact on the backstretch. Advantage Palou, – he was able to stop under yellow while the other front runners did under green. The race resumed with 11 laps remaining, and the driver of the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda kept the lead and held on for his seventh race win of the season. Continue reading →

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