Tickets On Sale for 2022 Chattanooga Motorcar Festival

Posted on 29 June 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Tickets On Sale for 2022 Chattanooga Motorcar Festival

Remember how to take a vacation? Here’s a suggestion.

Tickets to the 2022 Chattanooga Motorcar Festival on Oct. 14-16, 2022, are now on sale. Click Here Registration is also open for the Concours d’Elegance here, and the Pace Grand Prix at the Bend here.

Event tickets allow access to all the Festival events, including the Concours d’Elegance and the awards ceremony on Sunday, the Mecum Auctions on Friday and Saturday at the Convention Center, racing at the Pace Grand Prix at the Bend, and other events in West Village and nearby locations. Continue reading →

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

Hyundai Motor Ioniq 6 EV Partly Revealed

Posted on 29 June 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Hyundai Motor IONIQ 6 EV Partly Revealed

Click to enlarge

Hyundai Motor Company today revealed some of the IONIQ 6, the second model in its Ioniq all-electric-vehicle brand. Ioniq 6, which Hyundai describes as an Electrified Streamliner, is aerodynamically shaped and uses of sustainable materials, which it says, “reflect today’s EV customers’ values.”

The interior was developed simultaneously with the exterior. “Efforts were made to maximize and optimize the interior space, stretching it at the front and rear, resulting in a unique streamliner silhouette and spacious interior,” said Hyundai. To AutoInformed, it is strikingly similar to the Mercedes-Benz EQS (AutoInformed: First Look: Mercedes EQS All-Electric Sedan; Mercedes EQS Sedan Valet Parks Itself in Los Angeles) Continue reading →

Tweet
Posted in design and styling, electric vehicles, marketing, mobility company | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Vehicle Quality Flaws at 36-Year Record High

Posted on 29 June 2022 by Ken Zino

Initial vehicle quality drastically declined setting a record, according to the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Initial Quality StudySM (IQS)*. The disruptions caused by the pandemic: supply chain issues, record-high vehicle prices and personnel dislocations, contributed to quality woes. Compared with 2021 results, the auto industry experienced an 11% increase in problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), which is 18 PP100 worse than last year, resulting in an industry average of 180 PP100. A lower score reflects higher vehicle quality.

AutoInformed notes that not one US plant from any automaker had a quality award. They went to plants in Canada and Mexico. Continue reading →

Tweet
Posted in awards, customer satisfaction, manufacturing, quality | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Mercedes-Benz and Unions Agree on EV Production Plans

Posted on 29 June 2022 by Ken Zino

Mercedes-Benz said in Stuttgart today that it has reached agreement with “employee representatives”  on future European production plans for  its new electric portfolio. This means that the Works Council and the powerful IG Metall union, which represents the industrial sector in Europe’s largest economy, supports how the factories are being allocated. The production portfolio already includes six all-electric Mercedes-EQ models. These are being built at six locations on three continents.

“The shift toward an electric and digital future is a big challenge and at the same time an opportunity. What is clear is that our production portfolio is undergoing a transformation, and with it our tasks and employment profiles. Today we have once again shown that we, together with the works council, have reached viable and forward-looking solutions for our production sites, our company and its employees. I am delighted that we are able to offer our colleagues new opportunities in future,” said Sabine Kohleisen, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Human Resources and Labor Director. Continue reading →

Tweet
Posted in economy, electric vehicles, environment, global warming, labor issues, manufacturing, milestones, mobility company, news analysis | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Honda Recalls 2006-14 Ridgeline Pickups for Fuel Tank Failures

Posted on 27 June 2022 by Ken Zino

American Honda Motor is recalling 2006-2014 Ridgeline pickup trucks* because collected road salt may cause the frame mounting surface, where the fuel tank mounting bands are attached, to corrode and possibly detach the fuel tank, which can result in a fuel leak or fire.

As of June 9, 2022, Honda has received five customer complaints from the U.S. market between November 2016 through November 2021, and no reports of fires or injuries related to this issue. The driver may hear noises from the fuel tank and/or fuel tank mounting bands impacting the undercarriage area. Continue reading →

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

Watkins Glen: Rain, Red Flag, Busted Rules Cloud Results

Posted on 27 June 2022 by Ken Zino

Lightning in the area of Watkins Glen International Raceway caused the feature 6-hour endurance race to be red-flagged with just over 90 minutes remaining. As a result, racing against the clock took on new meaning as the minimum one-hour, 30-minute drive time applied for each driver in every class except DPi. When the stewards sorted it all out, the clock was adjusted to one hour, 17 minutes over what became five-plus hours. This nullified the pit stop strategy for several teams and meant some drivers were short of the 90-minute drive time.

The upshot: BMW M Team RLL and Winward Racing lost IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD PRO and GTD class victories, respectively. Andretti Autosport team finished third in Le Mans Prototype 3. Continue reading →

Tweet
Posted in racing | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Penske Motorsport Heads List of Porsche 963 WEC and IMSA Contenders During 2023. A New Golden Age of Racing?

Posted on 25 June 2022 by Ken Zino

Penske Motorsport Heads List of Porsche 963 WEC and IMSA Contenders During 2023. A New Golden Age of Racing?The Porsche Penske Motorsport team will run the new Porsche 963 in the toughest endurance races during 2023 as the factory team. Two of the hybrid LMDh-spec prototypes will be in both the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The racing car was unveiled on Friday 24 June at Goodwood in England. (AutoInformed: IMSA – 194 Cars Entered at Watkins Glen Races This Weekend)

This is an intercontinental program as sports car racing enters what could be a new golden age with ever increasing participants and global audiences. For the first time in some 30 years, it will be possible to compete for overall victories in the endurance classics at Le Mans, Sebring and Daytona with cars of identical construction. Continue reading →

Tweet
Posted in racing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bentley Mulliner to Build 12 New 1929-30 Le Mans Winners

Posted on 24 June 2022 by Ken Zino

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Bentley Mulliner to Build 12 New 1929-30 Le Mans WinnersBentley Mulliner  said today it will bring the Speed Six back to life with a new batch of 12 cars. Each will be mechanically and aesthetically authentic to the Bentley racers that won Le Mans in 1929 and 1930. Mulliner, the oldest coach-builder extant in the world, has pre-sold all of them starting at £1.5m each.

The buyers will get “identical” cars with a 6.5-liter straight-six engine, rated at 200 bhp, with a 125-mph top speed. The components are said to not only physically identical but in many cases are crafted using the same techniques used in the 1920s. Continue reading →

Tweet
Posted in design and styling, marketing, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

US June Vehicle Sales Forecast is Down on Record Prices

Posted on 24 June 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on US June Vehicle Sales Forecast is Down on Record Prices

Click to Enlarge.

New-vehicle retail sales for June 2022 are forecast to decline when compared with June 2021, according to a joint forecast from J.D. Power and LMC Automotive.

Retail sales of new vehicles this month are expected to reach 965,300 units, a 18.2% decrease compared with June 2021 when adjusted for selling days. June 2022 has 1 additional selling day compared to June 2021. Comparing the same sales volume without adjusting for selling days changes to a decrease of 15.0% from 2021.
 Continue reading →

Tweet
Posted in economy, sales | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Toyota to Build Suzuki SUV in India for Both Brands

Posted on 24 June 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Toyota to Build Suzuki SUV in India for Both Brands

This is an old, perhaps larger version used by both companies.

Toyota and Suzuki said today that the two companies will now start production of a new SUV model developed by Suzuki at Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd. (TKM) this August.

Maruti Suzuki India Limited and TKM will market the new model in India as Suzuki and Toyota models, respectively. It will likely be the Toyota Hyryder and Maruti Vitara. The two companies are planning to export the new model, code name D22, to markets outside India including Africa. Continue reading →

Tweet
Posted in manufacturing, marketing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Stellantis to be 2nd Largest Shareholder in Vulcan Energy

Posted on 24 June 2022 by Ken Zino

Stellantis and Vulcan Energy Resources today announced a Stellantis €50 million (~$76 million) equity investment in Vulcan. There is also an extension of the original binding off-take agreement to 10 years. Stellantis will become second largest shareholder in Vulcan.

The equity investment will go towards Vulcan’s planned production expansion drilling in its producing Upper Rhine Valley Brine Field (URVBF). Continue reading →

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

Infotainment: Mercedes-Benz Group and ZYNC

Posted on 23 June 2022 by Ken Zino

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Infotainment - Mercedes-Benz Group and ZYNC Mercedes-Benz Group has agreed to a partnership with ZYNC.  The California‑based company will provide the world-first implementation of its premium in-car digital entertainment platform for Mercedes-Benz. ZYNC will also provide the interface between content partners and existing compatible Mercedes-Benz hardware.

The aim of the partnership is to provide customers “with a digital entertainment experience tailored to the unique environment inside a Mercedes-Benz, while maximizing the benefits of the company’s UI/UX technologies such as the MBUX Hyperscreen.” Continue reading →

Tweet
Posted in connected vehicles, customer satisfaction, distracted driving, marketing | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nissan and Wallbox to Offer Home EV Charging

Posted on 23 June 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Nissan and Wallbox to Offer Home EV Charging

Let’s hope the budget for rebates is larger than the photo budget.

Nissan and Wallbox (NYSE:WBX) in early July will offer EV owners nationwide a way to purchase Wallbox’s Pulsar Plus level 2 home charger and schedule installation through the NissanUSA.com website. Nissan will provide an unspecified rebate on the charger and installation to customers who purchase through the program.

The Pulsar Plus charger, the company’s best-seller, is said to be one of the smallest smart universal EV chargers in North America. It can be installed in homes, apartment buildings and other multi-unit dwellings. Continue reading →

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

Automaker Profits Post-Covid Hiding Supplier Weakness

Posted on 23 June 2022 by Ken Zino

Supply constraints and demand that have made vehicle prices higher at lower volumes are creating operational inefficiencies and distress in the supply chain, according to new industry-wide analysis from AlixPartners LLP*, the global consulting firm. This imbalance will continue through 2024 as chip availability continues to improve.

The continued trend delivers a “complex backdrop for an industry committing $526 billion through 2026,” AlixPartners’ analysis finds, to fund the shift to battery-electric vehicles (BEVs). The transition, now taking place amid a weakening economic outlook, could cost automakers and suppliers $70 billion if not effectively managed. There are also  several implications for dealers and consumers here – not all of them benign.
Continue reading →

Tweet
Posted in connected vehicles, electric vehicles, financial results, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ford Europe Says Valencia Will Make Next Gen EVs

Posted on 22 June 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Ford Europe Says Valencia Will Make Nex Gen EVs

Then Ford CEO Alan Mulally in Valencia in 2011.

Ford in Europe today announced that it has chosen its plant in Valencia, Spain as the preferred site to assemble vehicles based on a next-generation electric vehicle architecture. Pending product approval, the Valencia plant could produce electric and connected vehicles beginning later this decade.

In the problematic world of labor relations, Ford is also moving ahead on the $2 billion conversion of its Cologne, Germany, operations to begin producing electric passenger vehicles starting in 2023. Continent-wide electric vehicle sales continue to grow rapidly (up 65% to 2.3 million in 2021*). Continue reading →

Tweet
Posted in global warming, labor issues, manufacturing, mobility company, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment