Mandatory Compensation for Delayed Airline Passengers

Posted on 8 May 2023 by Ken Zino

The US. Department of Transportation (DOT) today announced plans to launch new rule-making that is aimed at requiring airlines to provide compensation and cover expenses for amenities such as meals, hotels, and rebooking when airlines are responsible for stranding passengers.

No airline now guarantees cash compensation when an airline problem causes a significant delay or cancellation. Obviously, the rule will have limited effect on Supreme Court justices who travel on billionaire’s private jets. (DOT Imposes Millions in Airline Fines for Cancellations. Paltry Penalties for an Abundance of Abuses; DOT Wants Airlines to Seat Families Together for Free) Continue reading →

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Kia Recalls 2023 Sportage, Niro, Soul and Telluride Models

Posted on 8 May 2023 by Ken Zino

Kia America is recalling more than 108,000 2023 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid, Soul, and Telluride vehicles equipped with a digital instrument cluster containing a 4.2″ LCD screen. The instrument cluster may fail to display any information when the vehicle is started. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 101, “Control and Displays,” and 138, “Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems.”

In the required filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today, Kia said, “the instrument cluster software installed in the subject vehicles, in combination with electrical noise due to voltage instability while the vehicle is starting, may result in cluster booting errors. Such booting errors can cause the instrument cluster screen to become blank resulting in the driver’s inability to see the telltales and indicators required by certain Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.” It is illegal for a dealer to deliver a new motor vehicle covered by this recall under a sale or lease until the defect is fixed. Continue reading →

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FCA Recalls Jeep Wrangler Hybrids, Again

Posted on 8 May 2023 by Ken Zino

Chrysler (FCA US) is recalling a small number of 2022-2023 Jeep Wrangler Plug-In Hybrid Electric vehicles (PHEV). The high voltage (HV) battery pack assembly was built with incorrect fasteners to secure the 200-amp fuse, which can generate excessive heat.

“Excessive heat in the fuse interface may cause the fuse to fail resulting in a loss of motive power, which can cause a vehicle crash without prior warning. Customers may notice a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL), a change in drivability, and/or noise at the HV battery pack assembly,” FCA said in the required filing, which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration made public this morning. This is an expansion of  NHTSA recall 22V-768. Continue reading →

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Mercedes-Benz USA Recalls 2020-23 Hybrids

Posted on 8 May 2023 by Ken Zino

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) is recalling 2023 EQE 350, S580e, 2022-2023 EQS 450, EQS 580, 2022 AMG EQS 53, and EQS 450+ hybrid electric vehicles. The high-voltage battery monitoring system software may not alert the driver of a battery malfunction. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 305, “Electric-powered vehicles: Electrolyte Spillage and Electrical Shock Protection.”

The recall was made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this morning. In the required filing MBAG said it “is not aware of any warranty claims, field or service reports, or reports of property damage, death, or injury related to this defect. Continue reading →

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Ford Recalls Ranger Airbag Recall for Bad Repairs Again

Posted on 8 May 2023 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company is recalling more than 230,000 2004-2006 model year Ranger pickups that received replacement front-passenger air bag inflators under a previous recall. The replacement front passenger air bag inflators may have been installed incorrectly, which was also the problem that forced the previous recall and now its latest expansion.

NHTSA made the latest recall public this morning. An incorrectly installed inflator may not properly inflate the passenger air bag, increasing the risk of injury during a crash. (Ford Recalls Ranger Airbag Recall for Unsafe Repair) Continue reading →

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Toyota Auto Insurance Now in California

Posted on 8 May 2023 by Ken Zino

Toyota Auto Insurance,* the Japanese automaker’s “branded” insurance product, is now available to customers living in California, Toyota said today in a release from Plano, Texas. Introduced in some markets in 2021, Toyota Auto Insurance offers customizable coverage at what it claims are affordable rates. California is the US’s most populous state and largest auto market.

Toyota Auto Insurance, underwritten in California by 21st Century Casualty Company, is available for both Toyota and non-Toyota vehicles in a customer’s household. It’s just the latest example of how the auto insurance market with connected cars is being altered by data-based pricing and sophisticated almost real-time risk calculations. Toyota and other automakers are processing and analyzing data from vehicle use from the growing worldwide fleet of connected vehicles Continue reading →

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Department of Transportation Wants Tougher Pipeline Regs

Posted on 5 May 2023 by Ken Zino

The U.S Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)* today announced it is proposing a new rule to significantly improve the detection and repair of leaks from gas pipelines. As directed by the bipartisan PIPES Act of 2020,** the proposed rule would “deploy pipeline workers across the country to keep more product in the pipe and prevent dangerous accidents. These actions, if finalized, would boost efficiency, cut harmful pollution and waste, and create an estimated up to $2.3 billion annually in benefits,” PHMSA said.

“Quick detection of methane leaks is an important way to keep communities safe and help curb climate change,” said US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “We are proposing a long-overdue modernization of the way we identify and fix methane leaks, thereby reducing emissions and strengthening protections for the American people.” Continue reading →

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Drip, Drip, Drip Marketing – Hummer Omega Edition

Posted on 5 May 2023 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Drip, Drip, Drip Marketing – Hummer Omega Edition

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GMC revealed today the 2024 HUMMER EV Omega Edition, a limited-edition vehicle with a so-called Neptune Blue Matte1 exterior color that GMC hopes will attract buyers for a set of wheels that will be priced at levels among the planets. Pricing will be announced closer to production, expected in the first half of 2024. However, this is a UAW contract year, which means anything can happen at GM’s Factory ZERO Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center5  or the GM plants that supply it. (AutoInformed.com on:Drip, Drip – GMC Debuts 3X Trim for HUMMER EV Pickup, SUV; Annals of EV Marketing – GMC and EarthCruiser; GMC Adds Hummer SUV EV. Direct Selling Without Dealers?)

“The HUMMER EV is one of the hottest vehicles on the market today, and it just got even more desirable with the striking and strictly limited Omega Edition,” said Duncan Aldred, global vice president, Buick-GMC. “With traffic-stopping design provided by the exclusive, space inspired Neptune Blue Matte1 exterior color with premium blacked-out details, the HUMMER EV Omega Edition will be a standout on every city street while continuing to deliver the capability and ground-breaking performance our customers expect from GMC.” Continue reading →

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April US Transportation Sector Unemployment Up Slightly

Posted on 5 May 2023 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on US Transportation Sector Unemployment Up Slightly

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The unemployment rate in the U.S. transportation sector was 3.8% (not seasonally adjusted) in April 2023 according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data posted on the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Unemployment in Transportation site.

The April 2023 rate was above the April 2022 rate of 3.6%. This was just above the pre-pandemic April level of 3.7% in 2019. Unemployment in the transportation sector reached its highest level during the COVID-19 pandemic (15.7%) in May 2020 and July 2020 during the Trump administration. Under the Biden administration COVID deaths are now at pre-pandemic levels. Continue reading →

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Porsche Posts €1.8B Operating Profit in Q1 2023

Posted on 5 May 2023 by Ken Zino

Porsche AG achieved solid results in its first quarter after becoming a public company. Sales revenue rose by 26% compared to Q1 last year at €10.10 Billion (previous year: €8.04B). Group operating profit rose by 25.4% from €1.47B to €1.84B. Group operating return on sales at 18.2% was about the same for Q1 last year.

Q1 automotive net cash flow was €1.43B (€778 million). The cash flow margin for the automotive segment rose to 15.3% (10.6 %). Net cash flow for the previous year was of course hurt by disruptions in the supply chain that hurt virtually all global automakers. Porsche increased deliveries to customers by 18% year-on-year in Q1 at 80,767 vehicles (68,426). Continue reading →

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NADA – 2023 US Sales Forecast at 14.6 Million

Posted on 4 May 2023 by Ken Zino

US light vehicle sales for 2023 are now forecast at 14.6 million units, according to Patrick Manzi, Chief Economist  of the National Automobile Dealers Assn. Light-vehicle sales in April 2023 rose significantly year-over-year at a 15.9 million unit Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR), which was an increase of 11.4% compared with a 14.3 million SAAR for April 2022. (AutoInformed: April US Light Vehicle Sales up 10%). This means that April’s volumes were comparable with pre-pandemic levels as the Biden recovery continues. The question is for how long?

“Increased vehicle availability, which alleviated some consumer and fleet pent-up demand, helped fuel the sales rise. According to Wards Intelligence, fleet sales are forecast to account for 16% of April 2023 sales,” Manzi said. “We expect continued sales improvement driven by greater vehicle availability as more OEMs move past the chip shortage. Our forecast for 2023 is 14.6 million units,” according to Manzi. Continue reading →

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Pre-Order 2024 Acura Integra Type S on 11 May

Posted on 4 May 2023 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Pre-Order 2024 Acura Integra Type S on 11 May

Click photo for more Information. Given the price, Gold is appropriate.

Acura said this morning in Torrance CA that the 2024 Acura Integra Type S, “best performing Integra ever,” will be available for limited reservations of  the first 200 production units before the high-performance model officially begins arriving at dealerships next month. The pre-order is available at Acura.com/Integra starting 11 May at 10:00 am Pacific time.*

So-called premium features and technologies include heated front sport seats, a 10.2-inch Acura Precision Cockpit™ digital instrument cluster, head-up display, wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ compatibility, wireless phone charging and a 16-speaker ELS STUDIO 3D® premium audio system, the 2024 Integra Type S carries a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $51,9953. Continue reading →

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Ford Motor Q1 Sales, Profits, Cash Flow Up. But…

Posted on 3 May 2023 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Ford Motor Q1 Sales, Profits, Cash Flow Up

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Late yesterday Ford Motor posted Q1 2023 revenue of $41.5 billion, up 20% from the same period a year ago on shipments ~1.1 million vehicles, a 9% increase with $1.5B in net income. A year ago Ford posted a net loss of $3.1 billion. However, in an SEC filing today, Ford said it projects restructuring charges between $1.5 billion and $2 billion in 2023 by reducing employees and exiting unprofitable locations. Brazil, Europe and India appear to be likely restructuring targets. US headcount cuts remains an open question.

“The first quarter of organizing around and running the company on behalf of distinct customer groups produced solid operating results and a glimpse of the promise of its Ford+ growth plan,” said Ford CEO Jim Farley. Ford reaffirmed guidance for full-year 2023 adjusted EBIT of $9 billion to $11 billion. Profitability in Q1 was helped by a favorable mix of products, higher net pricing and increased volume and was broadly based geographically. However its EV business is still hemorrhaging money, posting a loss of $722 million. Continue reading →

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Nel Announces Automated Hydrogen Fuel Factory in Michigan

Posted on 3 May 2023 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on Daimler Truck and Rolls-Royce to unite on stationary fuel-cell generators. Courtesy of and Copyright Daimler.

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Nel (NEL.OL) today announced plans to build a new automated electrolyzer manufacturing facility in Michigan. When fully established, the Michigan facility of the Norwegian hydrogen company will have a production capacity of up to 4GW of Alkaline and PEM electrolyzers.*

Nel said it will build on its fully automated Alkaline manufacturing concept invented at Herøya in Norway. The company’s expansion of the facility in Wallingford will play a critical role in creating a blueprint for scaling up the production of PEM electrolysers. Continue reading →

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April US Light Vehicle Sales up 10%

Posted on 3 May 2023 by Ken Zino

US light vehicle sales grew by 10.2% year-on-year (YoY) in April to 1.36 million units, according to according to preliminary estimates just released by the LMC Automotive* consultancy. This means that April’s volumes were comparable with pre-pandemic levels as the Biden recovery continues. In month-on-month (MoM) terms, April is forecast to be up slightly (+0.2%), even though seasonality would normally suggest that March would be a significantly stronger month – and it had an additional selling day compared to April, LMC noted. (March Global Light Vehicles Sales Up 12%; US New Vehicle Sales Soar in April 2023 at 1.3 Million)

“While sales throughout 2023 to date had given us some reason to be encouraged, the April result was comfortably the most impressive outcome since 2021. As the market appears to be finally moving beyond supply chain woes, and pricing begins to become slightly more favorable to the consumer, thanks to higher incentives, we are now seeing sales comparable to pre-pandemic levels. There are some differences with the pre-COVID landscape – customers are waiting longer for vehicles, as OEMs learn the benefits of tighter inventories – but in some ways the market is returning to something approaching normal,” said David Oakley, Manager, Americas Sales Forecasts, LMC Automotive. Continue reading →

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