NHTSA Consumer Advisory – 2021 Expedition, Navigator Fires

Posted on 19 May 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Ford Expediton and Lincoln Navigator Fires.

See the story below the jump for the recall link.

Ford Motor Co. is warning rental car companies and other owners of 2021 Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators to park their vehicles outside due to the risk of fire. The automaker has confirmed 16 fires, mostly in vehicles that were unattended. Fourteen of these fires were in rental cars, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warned today.

“Until further notice, owners of these affected vehicles should not park them inside – they should only be parked outside and away from homes and other structures. Fires have occurred in vehicles that were parked and turned off. Continue reading →

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EU Passenger Car Sales Drop 21% in April

Posted on 19 May 2022 by Ken Zino

During April 2022, new passenger car registrations in the European Union saw a significant drop (-20.6%), as supply chain issues continued to disrupt car production.

With the exception of the pandemic year in 2020, this was the weakest April result in terms of volumes sold since records began. Put another way, Russian roulette is a bad game. All major markets contributed to the region’s negative performance: Italy (-33.0%), France (-22.6%), Germany (-21.5%) and Spain (-12.1%), according to ACEA*. Continue reading →

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Europe’s Diesel Car Problem – 20% of the Market!

Posted on 18 May 2022 by Ken Zino

Europe’s diesel vehicle sales continue the counter-intuitive trend of  strength this year as the move to plug-in electrification has slowed in part because of a diminished focus on tougher CO2 targets. Another factor: diesel popularity is also due to price increases starting to negatively affect BEV buyers in particular, the respected LMC Automotive consultancy said today.

The latest diesel sales information comes at a time when 27 automakers are lobbying the EU to ban the sale of all, yes all, internal combustion vehicles by 2035 and replace them with zero emissions vehicles  – aka electric –  if  the Global Warming goals of net zero emissions are to be met by 2050 to avoid the worst impacts of planet- and people-killing climate change. Continue reading →

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ASEAN Light Vehicle Sales Still Soaring in March

Posted on 17 May 2022 by Ken Zino

ASEAN LV sales continued to grow in March (+17% YoY +32% MoM), improving Q1 2021 sales by 23% YoY, according to the LMC Automotive consultancy. LMC attributed this to falling COVID-19 cases normalizing economic activity and mobility in the region. “As a result, overall ASEAN LV sales are now increased to 3.10 mn units, or a 13% YoY increase, this year,” said LMC. Toyota Group remains the dominant force in the market. Continue reading →

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CARB to Open New SoCal Headquarters to Public

Posted on 17 May 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on CARB to Open New SoCal Headquarters to Public

CARB’s new Mary D. Nichols Campus in Riverside.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) said today it will host an open house of its new state-of-the-art “green” Southern California Headquarters at its Mary D. Nichols Campus in Riverside*. People are invited to tour the facility from 2- 5 p.m. as well as experience an electric zero-emission car Ride and Drive, interactive booths, a display of zero-emission trucks and buses, and what is likely the largest art collection dedicated to air quality. CARB Board Members, CARB Executive Officers, Riverside City and County Representatives will be in attendance.

“This world-class facility houses the newest advanced vehicle emissions testing laboratory in the world. The new headquarters and laboratory will enable CARB to continue its globally recognized research and achievements in reducing air pollution and fighting climate change over the coming decades. Continue reading →

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Honda Title Sponsor of the 2022 F1 Japanese Grand Prix

Posted on 17 May 2022 by Ken Zino

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Honda Title Sponsor of the 2022 F1 Japanese Grand PrixHonda Motor Company today announced that it has spent an unspecified sum to become the title sponsor of the Japanese Grand Prix in this season’s 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship. The Japanese Grand Prix will be held at Suzuka Circuit (Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture), 7-9 October. 2022 as the Formula 1 Honda Japanese Grand Prix 2022.

“It is great pleasure for Honda to be named as the title sponsor of the F1 Japanese Grand Prix to be held at the Suzuka Circuit which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year,” Koji Watanabe, Operating Executive, Head of Corporate Communications Supervisory Unit, Honda Motor Company. Continue reading →

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Restricted Sale of Genesis GV60 EV Starts Today at $60,000

Posted on 17 May 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Restricted Sale of Genesis GV60 EV Starts Today at $60,000

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Today, Genesis Motor America announced the start of sales of its first electric vehicle, the 2023 GV60 SUV. The GV60 will be offered in two packages in the United States. Initially,  Genesis GV60 will only be sold at some Genesis retailers in California, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. It is as much a biometric information sales experiment as it is a vehicle. Customer response will be worth watching. No range numbers were in the release? (AutoInformed: Genesis Electrification Follows Hyundai Motor Group Ideas)

The Genesis GV60 is a first step in the brand’s move towards a lineup of fully electrified vehicles. GV60 delivers  apparent world-first automotive technologies including so-called Face Connect, a system enabling drivers to unlock and lock their vehicle securely with facial recognition, and optional Genesis Digital Key 2 with Ultra-Wideband (UWB) applicability. Continue reading →

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A Closer Look at Biden’s 49 MPG CAFE Standard

Posted on 14 May 2022 by Ken Zino

The new Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards proposed by the Biden Administration# last month require an industry-wide fleet average of ~49 mpg for passenger cars and light trucks in model year 2026, the strongest fuel efficiency standards to date. On the face of it it appears to be sound policy. However, the devil is in the details. And lobbyists for special interests are largely hidden from public view.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration set standards that will increase fuel efficiency 8% annually for model years 2024-2025 and 10% annually for model year 2026. They will also increase the estimated fleet-wide average by nearly 10 miles per gallon for model year 2026, compared to model year 2021 when voters Dumped the Trump anti-environment mis-administration. This badly needed revision is a 43% increase from the previous standard of approximately 28 mpg, thereby undoing the Trump Administration’s rollback of Obama-era standards in 2020.

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on A Closer Look at Biden’s 49 MPG CAFE Standard

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Mercedes-Benz USA – Stop Driving ML, GL, R-Class Vehicles

Posted on 12 May 2022 by Ken Zino

Mercedes-Benz USA said today that Mercedes-Benz AG has determined that on model-year 2006-2012 ML, GL and R-Class vehicles, the brake booster might be affected by advanced corrosion and fail. 

Mercedes-Benz AG has found that moisture may wick under a rubber sleeve installed around the brake booster housing. Following extended time in the field with significant water exposure, “this safety defect could result in corrosion in the joint area of the brake booster housing, thus contributing to a vacuum leak at the brake booster. The brake force support might be reduced, leading to an increase in the brake pedal forces required to decelerate the vehicle and/or to a potentially increased stopping distance,” Mercedes said. In some cases it could be impossible to stop the vehicle with the brake pedal.
Continue reading →

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CBO – Taxpayer Cost is $31B for Troubled Asset Relief Program

Posted on 12 May 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on CBO - Taxpayer Cost is $31B for Troubled Asset Relief Program

This is a pittance when viewed against the ongoing effects of Republican  tax cuts for the rich.

CBO today estimated the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) net cost to taxpayers will be $31 billion. This is roughly what it reported in July 2021, although a tad less than OMB’s latest estimate*. The estimated cost of the TARP stems largely from ongoing grant programs aimed at preventing foreclosures on home mortgages, assistance to American International Group (AIG), and aid to the automotive industry. Taken together, other transactions with financial institutions have yielded a net gain to the federal government from dividends, interest, and capital gains.

TARP, arguably the most contentious of the Federal government’s numerous attempts in 2008 to stop the U.S. and global economies from sliding into another Great Depression or worse, prevented the collapse of the financial system by bailing out profligate and reckless Wall Street firms and insurance companies. Continue reading →

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Nissan Posts First Annual Profit in Three Years.

Posted on 12 May 2022 by Ken Zino

In Japan early this morning, Nissan Motor posted an annual fiscal-year 2021 net profit of 215.5 billion yen (~$1.67 billion) – its first net profit since fiscal year 2018-19. This was better than its forecast of 205 billion yen. However, like Toyota yesterday,  Nissan said operating conditions require caution so it is predicting a net profit for the current fiscal year of 150 billion yen. (AutoInformed – Toyota Annual Results Show Profitability Struggle Goes On)

“It is clear that our industry and therefore our performance was impacted by intensifying headwinds in the last fiscal year,” said chief operating officer Ashwani Gupta, warning that conditions remain uncertain to an unprecedented degree.
Continue reading →

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Ford India Shelves EV Manufacturing Export Plans

Posted on 12 May 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Ford India Shelves EV Manufacturing Export Plans

Ford once exported to growth markets from its manufacturing plant in Chennai.

Early this morning in India, Ford told employees in the Chennai plant that it is dropping plans to manufacturer EVs for export, according to Ketan Thakkar of the Economic Times.

“The company is likely to pursue its initial plans to sell its factories in Sanand, Gujarat and Chennai. The production at both the plants has stopped. While the Sanand plant sale talks with Tata Motors are progressing well, it is still pursuing multiple suitors for its Chennai factory, say people in the know,” the Economic times said. (AutoInformed: Washington Diddles. India Puts Billions into Securing EV Jobs; Ford India Stops Manufacturing Vehicles For Sale; Ford Exec Re-shuffle in Struggling India, South America, China) Continue reading →

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Volta Trucks Says it Has a US Market Strategy

Posted on 12 May 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Volta Trucks Fully-Electric Commercial Zero

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In the world of capital markets and press release EVs, Volta Trucks’ 100% battery electric commercial vehicles are coming to North America it says.  leading the way in 2023 will be a Volta Zero Class 7 truck, the startup claims. This is roughly equivalent to the existing European 16-ton truck, with a dry or refrigerated cargo box.

The Volta Zero is a purpose-built 100% battery-electric medium duty truck specifically designed for urban logistics. The Volta Zero uses an innovative compact eAxle, comprising the electric motor, transmission, and axle all in one unit, supplied by Michigan-based Meritor, and high-voltage batteries located within the chassis rails from California-based Proterra. Continue reading →

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Toyota Annual Results Show Profitability Struggle Goes On

Posted on 11 May 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Toyota Annual Results Show Profitability Struggle Goes On

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Toyota posted its fiscal year 2022 operating results this morning that showed a record full-year net profit on increased sales and a cheaper yen.

However, the world’s largest selling automaker in 2021 made wary forecasts as the Covid pandemic and Putin’s war in Ukraine continue to play havoc with  supply chains. Toyota reported a net profit of 2.85 trillion yen ($22 billion), up 27% percent from 2021. However, for the current  fiscal year ending March 2023, it forecast an annual net profit of 2.26 trillion yen ($17.3 billion).
Continue reading →

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Driverless Cars – People Less Positive Than You Might Assume

Posted on 10 May 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Driverless Cars - Americans Less Positive Than You Might Assume

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If you’re like most auto enthusiasts, likely you are comfortable with the progress of technology from manual chokes to feed-back carburetors to port and then direct fuel-injection. When looked at through the windshield of a sports car, electronic shifting and brake by wire via computer controls are just part of the evolving automotive landscape. Driver assistance safety systems and autonomous vehicles are just the latest technical trends made possible by the relentless pace of Automobility funded by the huge transportation universe of designing, testing, manufacturing, marketing and globally selling ~90 million machines each year.

However, aggregated research from Pew* indicates that these technologies raise critical questions about work, the autonomy of human beings and the ethics of a universe dominated by the latter day avatars of Alan Turning’s machines, aka computers. Continue reading →

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