EPA – More Funding for DERA Tribal and Insular Area Grants

Posted on 15 March 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on DERA Tribal and Insular Area Grants

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that $5.4 million in grant funding is expected to be awarded for Tribal and insular areas to establish lower-emission diesel projects.

In total, 12 Tribal and insular area assistance agreements are expected to be awarded as part of the Diesel Emissions Reduction (DERA*) program, which funds projects to clean up the nation’s legacy fleet of diesel engines. The projects include replacing municipal trucks, marine engines used in fishing vessels, generators used for energy production in Tribal villages and four new electric school buses. Tribal projects will occur in areas across the country. Continue reading →

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FI Braking Points – New Regs, New Limits. More Passing?

Posted on 14 March 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on FI Braking Points - New Regs, New Limits. More Passing?

The latest FIA regulations shave wheel diameters increase from 13 inches to 18 inches. This of course requires larger, heavier brake discs.

For the first time in almost 50 years, Brembo is supplying calipers to all ten F1 teams. When the 2022 season opens at the Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend, nine teams will be supplied with Brembo calipers. The last will be supplied with calipers made by AP Racing, the Coventry-based company owned by the Brembo Group.

Brembo – as AutoInformed readers are likely aware – is a force in the Formula One and performance car worlds. It has hard won stopping expertise gained during 47 Formula One seasons, during which cars with Brembo brakes have won 27 Drivers’ World Championships, 31 Constructors’ World Championships and 463 Grand Prix races. The company will also supply most of the cars with hydraulics – calipers, pumps and by-wire units, as well as friction parts – carbon discs and pads. (AutoInformed: BWT Alpine F1 Team Reveals Its 2022 A522 Contender; Aston Martin’s Next Formula One car – AMR22 – Revealed, Mike Krack Leaves BMW for Aston Martin Formula One; Rolex 24 – Cold Beginning to Start a Sizzling Racing Season) Continue reading →

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Volkswagen, Ford Expand Cooperation on MEB EV Platform

Posted on 14 March 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Volkswagen Debuts ID. Buzz and ID. Buzz Cargo

VW’s version. Ford’s is yet to come.

Volkswagen Group and Ford Motor Company and are expanding their e-mobility partnership in an attempt by both makers to trim the ruinous costs of converting to EVs. Ford said today it plans to produce another electric model for the European market based on the MEB (Modular Electric Toolkit) platform. The Dearborn-based  automaker will also double its planned MEB volume to 1.2 million units over a six-year period.

The agreement was signed as part of the strategic alliance between Volkswagen and Ford, which includes e-mobility, commercial vehicles and autonomous driving. Designed as an open vehicle platform, it’s claimed MEB allows car manufacturers to electrify a portfolio quickly and cost-effectively. (AutoInformed:Volkswagen ID.4 – Most Affordable AWD Electric Vehicle in US?) Continue reading →

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Ford to Sell 600k EVs Annually in Europe by 2026?

Posted on 14 March 2022 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor said that in Europe, it will offer ”a new generation of seven, all-electric, fully-connected passenger vehicles and vans by 2024.” It plans to sell more than 600,000 electric vehicles each year in the region by 2026. The latest EV proclamation supports the previously announced acceleration of the Ford+ plan with its global goal of 2 million+ annual production of EVs by 2026 and 10% company adjusted EBIT margin by 2026.

“It’s also about the pressing need for greater care of our planet, making a positive contribution to society and reducing emissions in line with the Paris Climate Agreement,” said Stuart Rowley, chair, Ford of Europe. Ford – like virtually all automakers with similar pledges – wants to achieve zero emissions for all its vehicle sales and carbon neutrality across its European footprint of facilities, logistics and suppliers by 2035, it said today. Continue reading →

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BMW Group Posts Record Revenues, Earnings, Profits for 2021

Posted on 10 March 2022 by Ken Zino

BMW Group ended the financial year 2021 with all-time highs for Group revenues, earnings and net profit – all of which were “significantly higher” the company said today in Munich. Deliveries were up 8.4%, to 2,521,514 units, of which 13% were electrified vehicles (328,314 units, +70.4% YOY). Group revenues rose to.€111,239 million (prev. yr.: €98,990 million, +12.4%). Group net profit reached a new all-time high of €12,463 million (prev. yr.: €3,857 million, +223.1%). Continue reading →

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Cruise CEO – It Will Be Hard to Sell a Car That Isn’t Self-Driving

Posted on 10 March 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Cruise CEO - It Will Be Hard to Sell a Car That Isn’t Self Driving

I can see it now – AutoInformed’s best computer coded AV of the Year is…

“It will be hard to sell a Car that isn’t self-driving,” Cruise President Kyle Vogt said today. The Chief Executive Officer, Chief Technology Officer, President & Co-Founder of Cruise neatly summed up his view at a Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference. General Motors owns more than 60% of Cruise.

It’s a starting but ultimately compelling proposition. Moreover, General Motors already  has a huge foray into EVs underway that analysts mired in numbers and thinking of the past  have difficulty calculating. Continue reading →

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BMW Group Buys Customizer ALPINA

Posted on 10 March 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on BMW Group Buys Customizer ALPINA

ALPINA was active in BMW tuning and motorsports from the 1960s onwards and began manufacturing passenger cars based on BMW AG products in 1978.

The BMW Group said in Munich today that is buying the ALPINA brand. BMW AG and ALPINA Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH + Co. KG* have reached an agreement to this effect that likely will secure the future of the ALPINA brand, as well as the Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH und Co. KG.

The existing cooperation will continue in a different form: The company owned by the Bovensiepen family will continue to use its engineering expertise in developing, manufacturing, and selling BMW ALPINA vehicles within the existing agreement until the end of 2025. Continue reading →

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Volkswagen Debuts ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo

Posted on 9 March 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Volkswagen Debuts ID. Buzz and ID. Buzz Cargo

The Buzz-es will come from VW Commercial Vehicles plant in Hannover.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and VW Passenger Cars today debuted the all-new ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo. The two electric vehicles mimic the design of the T1 Microbus of hippie fame.

In keeping with VW’s German-eccentric focus, the first versions will come to the European market during Q3 with an 82-kWh battery powering 201-hp electric motor with maximum torque of 229 lb.-ft.  Continue reading →

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Ford Pro Adds Charging Hardware for Commercial EV Clients

Posted on 9 March 2022 by Ken Zino

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Ford Pro Adds Charging Hardware for Commercial EV ClientsFord Pro claims it is aiming to create a “smooth transition for commercial customers into an electric future by providing a one-stop shop for fleet operations and investing in key areas of the business.” The latest is the launch of six new home and depot chargers to offerings. From the 11.5-kilowatt Ford Pro AC Charging Station to the 180-kilowatt modular DC fast charging systems, Ford Pro says it has created a diverse lineup of chargers.

Ford Pro Charging** hardware launches alongside the all-new 2022 Ford E-Transit shipping to dealers now and the all-new 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Pro that is due to start arriving this spring, providing compatibility for customers who may operate other electric vehicle makes with secure OEM data. Continue reading →

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Mercedes-Benz Vans USA Unveils all-new Sprinter AWD

Posted on 8 March 2022 by Ken Zino

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Mercedes-Benz Vans USA Unveils all-new Sprinter AWDMercedes-Benz Vans today introduced a new all-wheel drive (AWD) system and 4-Cylinder Sprinter diesel and gas lineup that will be available for the U.S. market early next year. It’s part of a transition to a full 4-cylinder lineup for gasoline and, ahem, ultimately doomed diesel engines for model year 2023, creating a “more efficient portfolio.” Continue reading →

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Stellantis Launches Its First Women’s Resource Group to Increase XX Chromosome Management

Posted on 8 March 2022 by Ken Zino

Stellantis said today that it is celebrating International Women’s Day by launching Women of Stellantis Business Resource Group, which was also supplemented by regional employee activities across the Company. In  release Stellantis said that “diversity and inclusion are key in supporting the company’s drive to a sustainable mobility tech company, acknowledging the best performance results from employees bringing their true selves to work.” (AutoInformed: Dare Forward 2030 – Stellantis Survival Plan Unveiled; Stellantis Claims Record First Year with €13.4B Net Profit)

Women of Stellantis is Stellantis’ first global business resource group, a result of merging its two corresponding groups from its two former companies – FCA, aka Fiat Chrysler, and Peugeot. Globally, Women of Stellantis represents and supports nearly 3,000 current members and allies in 26 countries.
 Continue reading →

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EPA Grants $17M for EV School Buses to Cut Diesel Emissions  

Posted on 8 March 2022 by Ken Zino

Vice President Kamala Harris and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced the winners of two school bus rebate programs: the 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP) Electric School Bus Rebates, and the 2021 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) School Bus Rebates.

“The $7 million in ARP funding is directed toward school districts in under-served communities to replace old diesel buses with new, zero-emission electric models, and the $10 million in DERA rebates will assist with 444 school bus replacements across the country,” EPA said.   Continue reading →

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PG&E and GM to Test EVs as Power Source when Grid Fails

Posted on 8 March 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of Auto Informed.com on air quality data during the deadly Camp Fire

New Acronym? Vehicle to Home Power, aka VtHP.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company and General Motors today announced an alliance to pilot the use of GM electric vehicles as on-demand power sources for homes in PG&E’s service area.

PG&E and GM will test vehicles with bi-directional charging technology that it’s assumed can help power “safely” essential needs of a properly equipped home. The pilot will use various GM EVs with plans to open larger customer trials by the end of 2022. Thus a new automotive acronym is born; Vehicle to Home Power, aka VtHP  at AutoInformed.

EVs, of course, play a critical role in achieving California’s goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and already provide customers with many benefits. Bidirectional charging capabilities add even further value by improving electric resiliency and reliability. PG&E, of course, is beleaguered by civil and criminal lawsuits for its corporate actions and neglect that, among other things, ignited the deadly 2018 Camp Fire. In 2020, PG&E pled guilty to 84 felony counts of involuntary manslaughter, the largest homicide ever legally attributed to a United States corporation. Continue reading →

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West European Car Sales Flat Before Russian War On Ukraine

Posted on 7 March 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on West European Car Sales Flat in February

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West Europe’s passenger vehicle February selling rate saw only a modest increase to 10 mn units/year, from 9.7 mn  units/year in January, according to the LMC Automotive Consultancy.

“While this can be considered a step in the right direction, selling rates remain below the  December 2021 number of 3.1 mn units/year or indeed the pre‐crisis result of 3.6 mn units in 2019,” LMC said. “What the latest result continues to demonstrate is that the supply constraints faced by the automotive industry remain  a significant headwind to sales volumes,” LMC said.

“Our 2022 PV forecast has become more cautious since last month as supply bottlenecks are  expected to be exacerbated from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting sanctions. The selling rate is still anticipated to improve over the course of 2022 but at a slower rate than we forecast last month. Aside from the supply disruption, downward pressure is building on underlying demand through inflation and confidence,” LMC warned. Continue reading →

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Tesla Recalls Model S for Bad Side Curtain Airbags

Posted on 7 March 2022 by Ken Zino

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Tesla Recalls Model S for Bad Side Curtain AirbagsTesla is recalling some 2021-2022 Model S liftback vehicles because the right or left side curtain air bag inflators may have been assembled incorrectly. During manufacturing by supplier Joyson Safety System of Auburn Hills Michigan the inflator may have been installed into the side curtain airbag assembly with an additional spacer plate component. This results in an airbag that did not meet specifications. The replacement airbag was assembled with an inflator with a correct number of components that meet specifications. Continue reading →

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