Ford Motor Company is recalling 2023 Bronco and Ranger vehicles because lug nuts on the driver’s side wheels may have been improperly tightened and can fall off. At least one wild wheel struck another vehicle. Driving and dealer delivery holds are in place for the safety defect.
In a public filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Ford said the nut tightening machine was broken and that a manual – translation human – backup was in place. Continue reading
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) today approved a first-of-its-kind rule that requires a phased-in transition toward zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, aka ZEVs. Trucks represent only 6% of the vehicles on California’s roads. However, CARB noted that they account for more than 35% of the state’s transportation generated nitrogen oxide emissions, and 25% of the state’s on-road greenhouse gas emissions.
“We have the technology available to start working toward a zero-emission future now,” said CARB Chair Liane Randolph. “The Advanced Clean Fleets rule is a reasonable and innovative approach to clean up the vehicles on our roads and ensure that Californians have the clean air that they want and deserve. At the same time, this rule provides manufacturers, truck owners and fueling providers the assurance that there will be a market and the demand for zero-emissions vehicles, while providing a flexible path to making the transition toward clean air.” Continue reading
The US Environmental Protection Agency today is issuing an emergency fuel waiver to allow E15 gasoline, gasoline blended with 15% ethanol, to be sold during the summer driving season. EPA’s waiver is effective 1 May when terminal operators would otherwise no longer be able to sell E15 in the affected regions of the country.
It will last through 20 May, which is the statutory maximum of 20 days. EPA will continue to monitor the supply with industry and federal associates. EPA expects to issue new waivers effectively extending the emergency fuel waiver until such time as the “extreme and unusual fuel supply circumstances” due to the war in Ukraine are no longer present. Continue reading
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Stellantis N.V. (NYSE: MTA. Euronext Paris: STLA) and Alliance Nickel Ltd (formerly GME Resources – ASX: AXN, Alliance) today announced the signing of a binding offtake agreement for the supply of 170,000 tons of nickel sulphate and 12,000 tons of cobalt sulphate in total over a five-year period. This represents ~40% of forecast annual production of the NiWest Nickel-Cobalt Project in Western Australia. Pricing for the nickel and cobalt sulphate is linked to index prices. This advances the MoU on the sale of battery nickel and cobalt sulphate from Western Australia entered last October. (EV Battery Gold Rush Persists with Stellantis and GME)
NiWest is an advanced nickel-cobalt development project in Western Australia that hopes to produce ~90,000 tpa (tons per annum) of battery grade nickel and cobalt sulphate for the electric vehicle market. To date, more than AU$30 million has been invested into drilling, metallurgical test work and development studies. Continue reading
General Motors (NYSE: GM) announced today that Vice Admiral Jan Tighe, former US Navy Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare and Director of Naval Intelligence, has been nominated by GM’s Board of Directors to stand for election at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on June 20, 2023.
“GM’s future will be driven by a software-first approach that enables a faster cycle of innovation, an elevated experience for our customers and a more efficient enterprise,” said GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra. Continue reading
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Shipping companies, as with other progressive and awakened corporate citizens, spurred by regulation, customer demand, investor pressure, and internal goals, are probing ways to decarbonize fleets. Greener-fuel possibilities abound in the maritime world, and the industry is in a period of experimentation and exploration to understand the implications of adopting such fuels, according to t note from the respected McKinsey consultancy received by AutoInformed today. (autoinformed.com on: DOJ Thwarts Chinese Takeover of Shipping Containers)
To learn how industry leaders are thinking about future fuels, the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation, the Global Maritime Forum, and the Mærsk McKinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping conducted a survey (with analytical support provided by McKinsey) of shipping companies. Collectively, these companies own and operate fleets – including container ships, tankers, dry bulkers, gas carriers, car carriers, cruise ships, tugs, and offshore vessels – comprising ~20% of the world’s total capacity. Continue reading
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The California Air Resources Board (CARB) today passed a new rule designed to reduce emissions from locomotives when they operate within the state. Under the new In-Use Locomotive Regulation, operators will now be required to pay into a spending account, and the amount will be determined by the emissions they create while operating in California. Companies will be able to use the funds to upgrade to cleaner locomotive technologies. Locomotives also will have a 30-minute idling limit. Moreover, switch, industrial and passenger locomotives built in 2030 or after will be required to operate in zero-emissions configurations while in California, and in 2035 for freight line haul.
“Locomotives are a key part of California’s transportation network, and it’s time that they are part of the solution to tackle pollution and clean our air,” said CARB Chair Liane Randolph. “With the new regulation, we are moving toward a future where all transportation operations in the state will be zero emissions.” Continue reading
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Justice today announced that Tesoro Refining and Marketing Company will pay a $27.5 million penalty for violating a 2016 consent decree ordering the company to reduce air pollution at its petroleum refinery in Martinez, CA. Simply put, Tesoro failed to limit air emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOX), a pollutant that contributes to smog.
“Tesoro did not meet the consent decree pollution limit because it did not install adequate pollution controls,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “As this settlement shows, EPA will seek substantial penalties when companies delay installing appropriate pollution controls to meet environmental obligations.” Continue reading
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General Motors (NYSE: GM) said today that it is joining the Eclipse Foundation, a so-called open-source software foundation. GM has also contributed “uProtocol” as a starting point for standardization. In theory, this will allow increased software productivity across the automotive industry. GM said it can lead to easy-to-use, software-enabled customer experiences. The protocol aims to speed up software development by streamlining the creation of software that is distributed across multiple devices within vehicles as well as across the cloud and mobile applications.
GM will join the Eclipse Foundation’s Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) Working Group, which is focused on accelerating innovation of automotive-grade software stacks using open source and open specifications developed by and for a growing community of engineers and member companies. Collaborators on GM’s Ultifi software platform include Microsoft, Red Hat, and other automakers, participate in the group. Continue reading
Total US new-vehicle sales for April 2023, including retail and non-retail transactions will reach 1,316,500 units, a 9.8% increase from April 2022, according to a joint forecast from J.D. Power and LMC Automotive* released today. Comparing the same sales volume without adjusting for the number of selling days translates to an increase of 5.7% from 2022. Either way, the economic recovery continues under the current administration.
“The industry is poised for another favorable month in April, with projected retail sales expected to increase 5.9%, accompanied by a 2% increase in average transaction prices. Consequently, it’s expected that consumers will spend ~$47.5 billion on new vehicles this month, reflecting 2.9% growth compared with the same month a year ago,” said Thomas King, president of the data and analytics division at J.D. Power. Continue reading
Mercedes-Benz said in Atlanta today that EQE and EQS customers in North America can now opt for more performance with the new “Acceleration Increase On-Demand upgrade,” available as an Over-the-Air update (OTA) This applies to Sedan and SUV models. The upgrade raises the vehicle’s output by as much as 80 horsepower.
Mercedes claims that this improves acceleration from 0-to- 60 mph by as much as a full second. The upgrade is available to customers in the “Mercedes me connect Store.” There are several options – a one-time purchase for the lifetime of the vehicle or monthly and yearly choices. Welcome to the world of web marketing and instant customization. This being Mercedes, it is perhaps pricey at $60-90 a month or $3000 lifetime or maybe not. Continue reading
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Climate change-related effects in childhood can have lifelong consequences due to effects on learning, physical health, and housing security, according to an EPA report released today. The new national-scale, multi-sector EPA report shows some of the ways children are especially vulnerable to a variety of health effects from climate change due to physical, cognitive, behavioral, and social factors.
“Understanding health risks to children is critical for developing effective and equitable strategies that will protect our current and future generations,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Today’s report will help further efforts being taken by the Biden Administration across the Federal government to address the climate crisis and advance environmental justice.” Continue reading
General Motors (NYSE: GM) today reported first-quarter 2023 revenue of $40.0 billion, net income attributable to stockholders of $2.4 billion – EBIT-adjusted $3.8 billion. Earnings per share of $2.21 increased from $2.09 (diluted and adjusted) year-over-year. GM delivered 1.38 million vehicles globally, off slightly from Q4 2022. Overall, the decent, arguably championship, performance was highlighted by the restructuring of General Motors International (GMI) that resulted in record profits, excluding China. GM left Wall Street expectations in its dust as it surpassed them.
“Once again, we delivered strong earnings thanks to healthy customer demand for our vehicles, our intense focus on operational excellence, and great teamwork between General Motors, our dealers, our suppliers and our unions. I want to thank everyone for their efforts,” said CEO Mary Barra. Continue reading
Hyundai Motor Group in Seoul today said that its Boards of Directors approved plans to set up an electric vehicle (EV) battery cell production joint venture in the US with partner SK On. The Group affiliates Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation and Hyundai Mobis each approved the plan at their respective board meetings.
In November 2022, the Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with SK On to secure EV battery supply for North America. The total investment amount for the joint venture is expected to be ~$5 billion, with the Group and SK On each holding a 50% stake. Continue reading
First Look – 2024 GMC Sierra HD AT4X, and AEV
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GMC today announced 2024 GMC Sierra HD AT4X , emphasizing the premium Sierra HD AT4X AEV Edition*. AT4X includes a new Off-Road Mode. When engaged, the Off-Road Mode adjusts vehicle calibrations, such as the anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control, to provide what’s claimed to be optimized performance off-road. Additionally, Off-Road Mode alters throttle progression and transmission shifts to allow for better off-road control and performance. Say it ain’t so? GMC will continue to make the 6.6-liter Diesel engine available.
“GMC’s AT4X trim, which will be available across the entire GMC truck lineup, offers customers more premium choices when it comes to ‘do-it-all’ capabilities,” said Duncan Aldred, global vice president, Buick-GMC. “Each model delivers unique strengths, with the all-new Sierra HD AT4X taking it to the max, giving our customers the most luxurious and most off-road capable HD we’ve ever offered. AT4X means you can conquer almost any terrain, in complete comfort and with the towing power to bring your recreational toys, gear or camper along for the adventure,” Aldred effused. Continue reading →