The 2024 Chevy Equinox EV – a $30,000 Breakthrough?

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on The 2024 Equinox EV - a $30,000 Breakthrough?

The 2024 Equinox EV has range, space and technology. Quality is also likely to be high as well.

Chevrolet says that the all-new 2024 Equinox EV will be an affordable all-electric SUV to help customers transition to an EV with the lowest entry price thus far in the compact SUV segment, which like all EV segments is dominated by luxury vehicle pricing.

With a starting price of ~$30,0001 on the 1LT, the Equinox EV plugs Chevrolet into the critical compact SUV segment and is expected to be the most affordable EV in its class11. Equinox EV joins an electrified portfolio that covers major segments, including full-size trucks (Silverado EV), mid-size (Blazer EV) and compact SUVs (Bolt EV and Bolt EUV). It can also come with an optional GM-estimated 300 miles of range on a full charge2. It will go on sale in the Fall of 2023. Continue reading

Posted in news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hispano Suiza Coming to New York City Concours

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Hispano Suiza Coming to New York City Concours

Click to Enlarge.

Hispano Suiza* will be the main sponsor of “The New York City Concours,” an exhibition of classic cars in Manhattan on September 17. The Hispano Suiza Carmen Boulogne will be on 72nd Street between Madison and Fifth Avenue. The US has a role to play, so to speak, in the expansion of Hispano Suiza internationally.

Hispano Suiza says it accepted the invitation from the Madison Avenue Business Improvement District, to be “the featured attraction” of their Men´s Style Month. Madison Avenue has pretentions of being “the main luxury district in the United States, where the most important fashion and jewelry boutiques are located.” Continue reading

Posted in electric vehicles, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jeep Shows Recon and Wagoneer Electric SUVs

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Jeep Shows Recon and Wagoneer Electric SUVs

Well, it has a Jeep grille.

Stellantis (NYSE / MTA / Euronext Paris: STLA) today said that its next generation of fully electric 4xe vehicles includes four all-electric SUVs in North America and in Europe by 2025. (AutoInformed.com on Finally – First Jeep EV Teased by Stellantis)

The Jeep brand showed the first images of two fully electric SUVs, all-new Jeep Recon and Wagoneer, code-named Wagoneer S, planned for North America and other regions around the world. Stellantis also said that the all-new, all-electric Jeep Avenger will launch in Europe early next year after its debut at the Paris Motor Show on October 17. Continue reading

Posted in connected vehicles, electric vehicles, environment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nissan OKs First Bi-Directional Charger for LEAF

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Nissan OKs First Bi-Directional Charger for LEAF  - Courtesy of and Copyright Nissan all rights reserved

A two-way fleet, so to speak…

Nissan said today that working with Fermata Energy* it approved the first bi-directional charger for use with the LEAF in the US. With Nissan’s approval and its UL 9741 certification for bi-directional charging systems, the Fermata Energy FE-15 charger is now verified to be compatible with the Nissan LEAF.

Usage of the approved charger will not impact the LEAF’s battery warranty. Moreover, in theory,  it allows some business owners to use a Nissan LEAF to help reduce energy costs. Bi-directional charging technology means that it is possible to charge the LEAF and also send energy stored in the vehicle battery back to the building or the grid. This could save money with their local electric utility, as well as cut the total cost of ownership of the vehicle.
Continue reading

Posted in connected vehicles, electric vehicles, energy, mobility company | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Mecum Auctions Returns to Chattanooga Motorcar Festival

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Mecum Auctions Returns to Chattanooga Motorcar Festival

Time to have some auto related fun again.

The Chattanooga Motorcar Festival said today that Mecum Auctions is returning to Chattanooga as part of the October 14-16 Chattanooga Motorcar Festival for the second straight year. The auction will take place on the same weekend as the Mecum Chicago 2022 auction, the first time a singular collector car auction company has staged auctions in two different cities on the same dates.

Following last year’s sales of $18.7 million and 84% sell of the nearly 550 vehicles consigned to the inaugural Mecum auction in Chattanooga in 2021, the world’s largest collector car auction company will return with ~600 American muscle cars, classics, Corvettes, trucks, exotics, Hot Rods, customs among other vehicles to cross the auction block at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
Continue reading

Posted in shows and events | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

US Transportation Unemployment Below Pre-Pandemic Rate

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on US Transportation Unemployment Below Pre-Pandemic Rate

Click to Enlarge.

The unemployment rate in the U.S. transportation sector was 4.6% in August 2022,* according to Bureau of Labor Statistics  data updated on the Bureau of Transportation Statistics Unemployment in Transportation dashboard.

The August 2022 rate fell 1.8 percentage points from 6.4% in August 2021 and was below the pre-pandemic August level of 4.8% in August 2019. Unemployment in the transportation sector reached its highest level – an all-time record high – during the COVID-19 pandemic (15.7%) in May 2020 and July 2020 under the Trump Administration. The voted out President of course made many false statements about Covid in those dark days of denial.
Continue reading

Posted in customer satisfaction, economy, labor issues | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Honda and Hanwa Combine to Buy Battery Metals

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Honda and Hanwa Combine to Buy Battery Metals

Hanwa has handled materials for rechargeable battery manufacturing since the 1990s. In addition to nickel and cobalt, Hanwa is also focusing on lithium by investing in the Bacanora Lithium.

Honda Motor Co. said in Japan yesterday that it has established a strategic partnership with Hanwa* Co., a Japanese trading company, to buy essential metals for batteries necessary for its electrified vehicles.

Through the Hanwa partnership, Honda said it will ensure stable procurement in the medium to long term, of essential metals necessary for batteries such as nickel, cobalt and lithium, with the mined resources secured by Hanwa. It’s the latest move in what has become and EV battery ‘Gold Rush’ albeit centered on nickel, cobalt, and lithium. It remains problematic that China is well entrenched in EV research and development, manufacturing and various processes needed to support EVs.
Continue reading

Posted in electric vehicles, global warming | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Solar Trees with 3D Leaf-Shaped Photovoltaics?

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Solar Trees with 3D Leaf-Shaped Photovoltaics?

Click to Enlarge.

SolarBotanic Trees today in London said it has an “aesthetically pleasing and sustainable energy Tree” that uses new Photovoltaic leaf-shaped nano-technology to channel solar energy for charging and energy storage.

It claims that this first-generation Tree will eventually generate a family of products primarily aimed at the rapid Electric Vehicle charging market for homes, businesses and commercial car parks, where solar power can be captured and stored for charging points.  Continue reading

Posted in electric vehicles, electronics, energy | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Parked: August US Light Vehicle Sales Still at 1.1M

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Parked: September US Light Vehicle Sales Still at 1.1M

Click to Enlarge.

Thanks to an accounting quirk, US Light Vehicle sales were up by 4% YoY compared to August 2021. This positive number comes from a weak 2021 base and an extra selling day, instead of a real recovery of the market, according to an analysis by LMC Automotive* just released. However, actual volumes in the last three months have been flat at ~1.13 million units.

Perhaps in an inadvertent nod to the ongoing Biden Administration recovery, LMC observed that “the sales ranking resembled normal times, with General Motors, Toyota and the Ford F-150 leading the sales charts by OEM, brand and model, respectively. This was Kia’s best-ever August, and the brand moved into the fourth position in terms of sales volume last month. Trucks accounted for 79% of sales.”
Continue reading

Posted in economy, news analysis, sales | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ford Fires: 200k Expeditions and Navigators Recalled

Ford Motor Company’s (NYSE: F) runaway quality meltdowns were confirmed once again today as it recalled ~200,000 model year 2015-17 Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators for blower motor fires. In the required NHTSA filing just made public, Ford said “if the customer experiences blower motor symptoms (inoperative, intermittent, excessive noise, burning smell, etc.) prior to the availability of the remedy blower motor, the dealer will install a new blower motor service part of the current design.”

No cause of the Expedition and Navigator fires has been identified to date. Ford “believes they originate in the blower motor, which is located on the passenger side interior behind the glovebox.” Ford was alerted by NHTSA of the potential fire problem during October of 2020 because of consumer complaints to the Federal safety Agency. Mailing of owner notification letters is expected to begin September 12, 2022 and is expected to be completed by September 16, 2022. The supplier of the defective part is the ironically named Detroit Thermal Systems of Romulus Michigan.
Continue reading

Posted in customer satisfaction, quality, recalls, safety | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

More EV Tires Added to Goodyear Replacement Line

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on More EV Tires Added to Goodyear Replacement LineThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company said today it has launched the all-new Goodyear ElectricDrive™ all-season tire along with two new sizes for its claimed ultra-high-performance tire, the Goodyear ElectricDrive™ GT.

With the addition of four new sizes to its EV tire lineup, Goodyear said ElectricDrive now fits 44% more battery electric vehicles operating in the U.S. today.* Goodyear also launched two new sizes for its ElectricDrive™ GT  performance tire originally introduced in December 2021. (AutoInformed.com on: Goodyear’s Aftermarket EV Tire. Web Ordering Skips Stores) Continue reading

Posted in aftermarket, electric vehicles | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

CARB: Small E-Fleet Project Spurs Shift to Electric Trucks

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Death of the Diesel - CARB Approves Truck and Bus Smog Checks

There are more electric trucks coming.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) today announced the opening of the Innovative Small E-Fleet (ISEF) $25 million set-aside within the state’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP). ISEF is intended to encourage small fleets to make the transition to zero-emission trucks.

Privately owned and nonprofit trucking fleets of 20 or fewer vehicles and with an annual revenue of less than $15 million are eligible. They will have access to funding that can cover costs related to the purchase and operation of zero-emission trucks, aka ZETs. ISEF is administered by CALSTART, a national clean transportation non-profit consortium. Continue reading

Posted in electric vehicles, environment, global warming, transportation | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Night Testing Scores of Pedestrian Automatic Braking Poor

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Night Testing Scores of Pedestrian Automatic Braking Poor

Automated eyes have trouble seeing too.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, (IIHS) is starting a night time test of pedestrian automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems to address the high percentage of pedestrian crashes that occur on dark roads. IIHS introduced the daytime vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluation in 2019 and made an advanced or superior rating a requirement for a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ award in 2020.

However, since reaching a low point in 2009, federal estimates for 2021 show pedestrian crash deaths have risen ~80%. The ~7300 pedestrians killed in 2021 accounted for almost a fifth of all traffic fatalities. Three-quarters of those fatalities occur at night, when research shows most pedestrian AEB systems are less effective. Continue reading

Posted in autonomous vehicles, insurance, safety | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

New 2022 Jeep Gladiators Recalled for Rollaways

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on New 2022 Jeep Gladiators Recalled for Rollaways

Don’t want it rolling away here…

Chrysler (FCA US) is recalling 2022 Jeep Gladiator vehicles. The transmission parking wheel from ZF may not properly engage with the parking mechanism. An improperly crimped parking wheel could become loose and move towards the rear of the transmission housing and potentially compromise the engagement with the parking pawl. Compromised engagement of the parking wheel to the parking pawl could result in a loss of park position which may result in inadvertent vehicle movement, which could cause a vehicle crash without prior warning.

FCA US will notify dealers and begin notifying owners on or about 14 October 2022. Dealers will replace the transmission, free of charge as required by law. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 14, 2022. Owners may contact FCA US, LLC customer service at 1-800-853-1403. FCA’s number for this recall is Z84. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov. Continue reading

Posted in customer satisfaction, quality, recalls, safety | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Air Travel Consumer Complaints Up 2.7X Pre-Pandemic levels

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Air Travel Consumer Complaints Up 2.7X Pre-Pandemic Levels

Number One in June cancellations!

The  latest US Department of Transportation Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) on airline operational data compiled for the month of June and for the second quarter of 2022 shows a 35% increase in air travel service complaints from May to June. Complaints are up nearly 270% compared to pre-pandemic levels.

DOT uses the data from the ATCR, consumer complaints, and other information it secures from the airlines to inform its enforcement activities and the adequacy of existing rules. Judging by DOT’s own data, clearly its so-called rules from its Office of Aviation Consumer Protection are ineffective to laughable in AutoInformed’s view. However if you are in the automobile business, it’s an incentive to use vehicles for your transportation needs. Free marketing from the Airline industry and the US Government.
Continue reading

Posted in aviation, customer satisfaction, quality, transportation | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment