World Debut of the Acura ZDX at Monterey Car Week

Posted on 3 August 2023 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on World Debut of the Acura ZDX at Monterey Car Week

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Acura said today that the world debut of the all-electric 2024 ZDX will be on 17 August during the Monterey Car Week. Acura will also launch with a ZDX Type S performance variant. The ZDX will be the first production model to use  styling themes of the new Acura design direction introduced last year during Monterey Car Week in the form of the Acura Precision EV Concept. (AutoInformed: ZDX and Type S To Be Acura’s First Pure EVs in 2024; GM, Honda to Develop New EVs for Sale in 2027; Honda Prologue EV – Vapor Ware Until 2024)

 “Acura’s unyielding commitment to delivering on the Precision Crafted Performance brand promise will continue in the electrified future, exemplified by Type S models that put the driver experience first,” said Emile Korkor, assistant vice president of Acura National Sales. “As the most powerful and quickest accelerating SUV in the brand’s history, the ZDX Type S will deliver on this promise and bring an exhilarating driving experience to the electric vehicle market.” Continue reading →

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EPA Rejects Alabama Coal Ash Management Plan

Posted on 3 August 2023 by Ken Zino

The US Environmental Protection Agency today released a proposed denial of Alabama’s permit program to manage coal combustion residuals – CCR or coal ash – in landfills and surface impoundments. This is the first proposed denial of a state coal ash* permit program. Three others have been approved in Georgia, Oklahoma and Texas. EPA maintains that the Alabama permit program is significantly less protective of people and waterways than federal regulations require.**

“Exposure to coal ash can lead to serious health concerns like cancer if the ash isn’t managed appropriately,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Low-income and under-served communities are especially vulnerable to coal ash in waterways, groundwater, drinking water, and in the air. This is why EPA works closely with states to ensure coal ash is disposed of safely, so that water sources remain free of this pollution and communities are protected from contamination.” Continue reading →

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Former Nikola and GM Engineer Joins Volkswagen of American

Posted on 3 August 2023 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Former Nikola and GM Engineer Joins Volkswagen of American

Lyndon Lie.

Volkswagen of American said today that Lyndon Lie is now Chief Engineering Officer. He will oversee the development and launch of future VW vehicles in the North American Region. Lie will be based in Chattanooga, TN. He has  vehicle engineering experience in the design, development and launch of multiple battery electric vehicles (BEVs), as well as developing and launching advanced driver assistance systems. (AutoInformed: VW Patents High-Speed Wireless EV Charging System)

“Lyndon brings incredible experience to the Volkswagen brand, which will help us achieve our goal of growing our market share across North America in this decade,” said Pablo Di Si, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. “Designing and engineering our vehicles to meet the unique needs of our markets is more critical than ever before. To achieve this, we continue to take proactive steps to strengthen our capabilities and experience within the North American market.” Continue reading →

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US Sales Lengthen Bidenomics Growth Streak in July

Posted on 3 August 2023 by Ken Zino

US Light Vehicle sales totaled 1.30 million units in July, according to GlobalData.* The annualized selling rate increased from 15.7 million vehicles a year in June, to 15.8 million in July. July’s daily selling rate was estimated at ~52,200 vehicles per day, compared to 53,000 in June. According to early estimates, retail sales totaled around 1,076,000 units, while fleet sales accounted for approximately 228,000 units, representing around 17.5% of total sales.

“At the risk of sounding like a broken record, July continued the trends that we have observed for several months now. As vehicle availability has improved, sales have grown, and the economy remains sufficiently strong to support the market’s activity, despite high transaction prices, rising interest rates and fears of a recession later in the year or in 2024,” said David Oakley, Manager, Americas Sales Forecasts, GlobalData. Continue reading →

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First Look – Automobili Pininfarina PURA Vision

Posted on 2 August 2023 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on First Look - Automobili Pininfarina PURA Vision

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Automobili Pininfarina* today in the Cambiano part of Turin introduced its PURA Vision design concept of an electric luxury vehicle – e-LUV in marketing babble. The new design concept will inspire the next generation of Automobili Pininfarina’s pure electric luxury vehicles and will make its public debut at Monterey Car Week in August, where it will appear alongside the recently revealed Battista Edizione Nino Farina hyper GT and another new production vehicle.

“PURA Vision is the bridge from our present to an exciting new chapter in the history of Automobili Pininfarina. In our fifth year, we have already celebrated our unique heritage with the introduction of the Battista Edizione Nino Farina. PURA Vision previews an exciting future and shows what can be achieved if we apply our PURA design principles to an entirely new kind of vehicle,” said Paolo Dellachà, Chief Executive Officer for Automobili Pininfarina. Continue reading →

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Parts Maker Sinister Diesel to Pay $1 Million After Guilty Plea

Posted on 2 August 2023 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Parts Maker Sinister Diesel to Pay $1 Million After Guilty Plea

Ramming the law home, so to speak

Diesel performance parts manufacturer Sinister Mfg. Company, Inc. – dba Sinister Diesel – pleaded guilty to criminal charges in federal court in Sacramento, California, and agreed to pay a total of $1 million in criminal fines and civil penalties. The company also agreed to implement a compliance program and to not manufacture, sell or install any device that defeats a vehicle’s emissions controls. Sinister Diesel pleaded guilty to two-counts charging it with conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act (CAA) and defraud the United States, and with violating the CAA by tampering with the monitoring device of an emissions control system of a diesel truck. Under the plea agreement, the defendant agreed to pay a $500,000 criminal fine.

“Businesses that manufacture and sell illegal devices to defeat a vehicle’s emissions controls foster pollution and risk decades of progress in curtailing harmful emissions from motor vehicles in this country,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The plea agreement and civil settlement show that we will take strong action to enforce the Clean Air Act and ensure that emissions control requirements for cars and trucks are being followed.” Continue reading →

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First Look – 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser

Posted on 2 August 2023 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on First Look - 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser

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Toyota (NYSE: TM) has finally officially acknowledged that its longest-running nameplate will return to the North American after a three-year hiatus. Moreover, the off-road vehicle is less expensive with a MSRP in the mid-$50,000 range. (The Lexus LX 600 version of the platform is on sale now in the US at ~$100,000.) Now built off of the less expensive TNGA-F global truck platform, the new Land Cruiser is available with the range-topping i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain rated at 326 horsepower and 465 lb.-ft. of torque. It’s slightly smaller and narrower than the outgoing 200 Series model, and incorporates off-road tech that has debuted on the newest Toyota trucks. Limited to 5000 units for the first two months of production, Land Cruiser will be offered in a First Edition grade that includes new two-tone paint colors and additional off-road equipment. (AutoInformed: Toyota Teases New Land Cruiser)

“This icon belongs in our lineup,” said Toyota group vice president and general manager Dave Christ. “For 2024  Land Cruiser returns to its origin with a heritage-inspired design paired with the legendary capability and durability Land Cruiser is known for, and it will take even more customers on adventures across the globe as it has done for generations.” Continue reading →

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EPA Awards Grants to 21 Student Teams on Public Health

Posted on 1 August 2023 by Ken Zino

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $523,796 in funding to 21 student teams for their research and solutions to address environmental and public health challenges as part of the Agency’s People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) Program. The 21 Phase I recipients announced today will receive grants of up to $25,000 each to help them develop their proof of concept and will be eligible to compete for a Phase II grant of up to $100,000 to further implement their designs.

“EPA’s P3 program, now in its twentieth year, is an exciting and unique program that recognizes the power of students to translate imagination and science into new solutions that protect human health and the environment,” said Chris Frey, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. Continue reading →

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Toyota Posts Strong FY 2024 Q1 Results – $9.2 Billion Net

Posted on 1 August 2023 by Ken Zino

Toyota Motor – the world’s largest automaker – posted impressive operating results for  Q1 of the 2024 Japanese fiscal year with an operating profit margin of ~11% up from ~7% a year ago.

“We faced many challenges, including those posed by COVID-19 and production restrictions due to tight semiconductor supplies, but the results showed the efforts of each front-line employee, including those of our suppliers and dealers, each recognized what they needed to do and acted accordingly, and a management structure and profit structure that was built to be resilient to crises,” said Koji Sato, president. (AutoInformed: New Toyota Motor President Koji Sato on Evolution)   Continue reading →

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New Pattern Bargaining – UAW and Unifor Strike All Makers?

Posted on 1 August 2023 by Ken Zino

The second week of September looms large in the US and Canada this year because for the first time since 1999 the UAW and Unifor contract agreements with Stellantis, GM and Ford are set to expire. Bargaining with what used to be called the Detroit 3, aka Big Three, starts this month with job security, joint-venture plants with non-unionized offshore companies, and of course higher wages and pensions are the main priorities in limited public comments thus far.

However, the new reform UAW leader Shawn Fain* and International Executive Board members instead of kicking off Big Three negotiations last month with what was called “a dog and pony show shaking hands with CEOs,” went to shake hands with workers at what previously would have been called Detroit Three plants. “The only limits we face are our own limits that we put on ourselves. I don’t see any limits to what we can achieve when we unite in a common cause,” said Shawn Fain, UAW president. (AutoInformed: UAW Dumps Traditional Negotiation Opening Handshake; EV Politics – Biden versus the UAW). Continue reading →

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Ford Motor Recalls 2023 Super Duty Pickups

Posted on 31 July 2023 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company is recalling some 2023 Super Duty F250, F350, F450, and F550 vehicles because of defective power windows. The required safety recall documents were made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this morning.

Ford said, “If the driver and front passenger door module experiences a low power condition and resets while the window is moving, the anti-pinch function may not detect an obstacle near the top edge and may not automatically reverse direction.” Continue reading →

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Toyota China Re-Org as EV and Trade Wars Proceed

Posted on 31 July 2023 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Toyota China Re-Org as EV and Trade Wars Proceed

Click on the Yangwang U8 for more information.

Toyota Motor Corporation said this morning in Changshu that it is increasing its local development of “intelligence and electrification technology” to provide electrified vehicles that are competitive in the Chinese market. China of course is the world’s largest auto market, and its totalitarian government is setting the pace, the standards and often the incentives on electrification. Moreover, Chinese customers have abandoned their traditional taste for imported vehicles and are flocking to local brands.

At the Shanghai Auto Show in late April more than 80% of the new models that were displayed were so-called NEVs (New Energy Vehicles). The BYD Yangwang U8 electric SUV (which debuted at Shanghai priced at ~ $160,000) has more than 30,000 orders it’s said. The BYD Qin, the BYD Song, and the BYD Dolphin (all NEVs) were the top three selling models in the domestic market. (AutoInformed: Chinese April Sales Soft – EV Exports Threaten Global Trade;  BYD Toyota EV Technology Company Debuts bZ3 EV in China; Ford CEO says China is the Main Competitor, Not GM) Continue reading →

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USDOT Proposes 58 MPG Fuel Economy Standard

Posted on 28 July 2023 by Ken Zino

The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today issued a proposal to update fuel economy standards for passenger cars and light trucks. The “preferred alternative” among several in NHTSA’s proposal includes a 2% per year improvement in fuel efficiency for passenger cars and a 4% per year improvement for light trucks beginning in model year 2027. This increases through model year 2032, potentially reaching an average fleet fuel economy of 58 miles per gallon by 2032. However, NHTSA notes that real word fuel economy is ~20-30% lower than estimated CAFE fuel economy.*

“Better vehicle fuel efficiency means more money in Americans’ pockets and stronger energy security for the entire nation,” said US. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. NHTSA is being technology neutral here. NHTSA does not take electric and other alternative fuels into account in setting the standards. However, manufacturers may use all available technologies, including advanced internal combustion engines, hybrid technologies and electric vehicles – for compliance. Continue reading →

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Lotus Engineering Shows New Olympic Bike

Posted on 28 July 2023 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Lotus Engineering Shows New Olympic Bike

Performance of the human sort.

Lotus Engineering showed today gen 2 of the Hope-Lotus bike with revised front forks and handlebars and the HBT Paris Frame, developed by Hope Technology. Lotus Engineering has collaborated with the Great Britain Cycling Team (GBCT), Hope Technology and Renishaw to modify the Tokyo 2020 track bike which contributed to the track team winning seven Olympic medals and leading the event medal table. The competitive track debut will be in August at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.

Lotus and GBCT have developed the cockpit of the bike, evolving the unique front fork* and handlebar design to allow for greater aerodynamic efficiency. This is coupled with the Hope HBT Paris frame which includes refinements to the headstock and seat stays. Renishaw has provided support in design and production of wind tunnel models and other components on the final bike. Continue reading →

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Porsche to Buy All of IT Consultancy MHP

Posted on 28 July 2023 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Porsche to Buy All of IT consultancy MHP

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Porsche said today in Stuttgart that it will take over all shares in the MHP GmbH by January 2024. Already the majority owner, Porsche said it intends to use the growth potential of the management and IT consultancy MHP. Ralf Hofmann, co-founder, shareholder and Chairman of the Board of Management, held 18.2% of the shares. Hofmann will remain at the helm of MHP as CEO.

The global auto industry is in the midst of a digital transformation after a century of blacksmithing metals. Internal processes, customer interactions, computer-based charging or other services are all becoming competitive requirements. (AutoInformed: Porsche Opens Digital Lab to Explore IT Innovations) Continue reading →

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