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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EV Battery Gold Rush – GM, POSCO Chemical JV Expansion

Posted on 7 March 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on EV Battery Gold Rush – GM, POSCO Chemical JV Announced in Canada

Construction begins immediately.

In the latest confirmation that the complicated electric vehicle transformation of the global auto business will be ruled by companies that figure out how to inexpensively make batteries, today General Motors (NYSE: GM) and POSCO Chemical* announced that they are working with the governments of Canada and Quebec to build a new facility in Bécancour, Quebec, estimated at $400 million (C$500 million).

The new plant will produce cathode active material (CAM) for GM’s Ultium batteries, which will power electric vehicles such as the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC HUMMER EV and Cadillac LYRIQ. AutoInformed readers might remember that the companies previously announced plans to form a CAM processing joint venture in December 2021, majority owned by POSCO Chemical.

Putin’s war on Ukraine has heightened the focus on an automotive supply chain rife with totalitarian countries such as China and its EV plans, which is arguably the biggest risk to automakers operating or buying components there.  Continue reading →

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University of Michigan, Ford – EV Greenhouse Gas Reductions Greater than Others. Pickups Best Over Their Life Cycle?

Posted on 4 March 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on UM, Ford - EV Pickup Truck Greenhouse Gas Reductions Greater than Others

Researchers found that switching an internal-combustion-engine vehicle to a BEV results in greater total tonnage of emissions reductions as the vehicle size increases, due to the greater fuel consumption of larger vehicles.

University of Michigan and Ford Motor Company researchers in a new study that evaluated the savings in greenhouse gas emissions between electric and gasoline-powered vehicles say light-duty, battery-electric vehicles have ~64% lower cradle-to-grave life cycle greenhouse gas emissions than internal-combustion-engine vehicles on average across the United States.

“This is an important study to inform and encourage climate action. Our research clearly shows substantial greenhouse gas emission reductions that can be achieved from transitioning to electrified powertrains across all vehicle classes,” said study senior author Greg Keoleian, a professor at the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability and director of the U-M Center for Sustainable Systems. Continue reading →

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US Vehicle Sales Weakest Since 2011 – Drop 12% in February

Posted on 3 March 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on US Light Vehicle Sales Weakest since 2011 Drop 12% in February

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US Light Vehicle sales continued to struggle in February due to sparse inventories. According to  the LMC Automotive consultancy, sales fell to 1.05 million units, down by -12% YoY. Only four of the main OEMs – Tesla, BMW, Mazda and Hyundai – had positive results during the month, which was the weakest February since 2011.

The annualized selling rate, aka SAAR, of 14.0 million units declined in both the monthly and annual comparisons. However, the February SAAR was still 1 million higher than the average rate during the second half of 2021. With the same number of selling days as in January, February’s daily average grew by ~2,000 units/day, to 43,600 units/day – it has floated above the 40,000-unit threshold since November 2021 after President Biden was elected and a recovery from the economic reverses and job losses from the Trump Administration began.

Continue reading →

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EPA – Toxic Chemical Releases Drop 10% between 2019-2020

Posted on 3 March 2022 by Ken Zino

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released its 2020 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) National Analysis, which shows that environmental releases of TRI chemicals by facilities covered by the program declined by 10% between 2019 and 2020. The 2020 TRI National Analysis summarizes TRI chemical waste management activities, including releases, which occurred during calendar year 2020.

More than 21,000 facilities report annually on 800 chemicals they release into the environment or otherwise manage as waste. EPA, states, and tribes receive TRI data from facilities in industry sectors such as manufacturing, mining, electric utilities, and commercial hazardous waste management. (AutoInformed: EPA ChemView Web Site Expands Info on Toxic Chemicals; District of Columbia,15 States to Completely Wipe Out Toxic Diesel Fumes By 2050 in New MOU; CARB Warns of Toxic Metal Contaminants in Smoke from Fires) Continue reading →

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Honda Expands Work with Renesas Electronics for ADAS

Posted on 3 March 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Honda Expands Work with Renesas Electronics for ADAS

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Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723), a supplier of advanced semiconductors, today announced the expansion of its collaboration with Honda in the field of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). Honda adopted Renesas’ R-Car automotive system on a chip (SoC) and RH850 automotive MCU for its Honda SENSING Elite system featured in the Legend, which went on sale in March 2021. Honda SENSING Elite incorporates advanced technology that qualifies for Level 3 automated driving (conditional automated driving in limited areas). (AutoInformed: Dangerous Marketing Tower of Babble: The Actual Meaning and Real Performance of Driver Assist and Autonomous Vehicles)

Now Honda has selected R-Car and RH850 for use in the Honda SENSING 360 omnidirectional safety and driver assistance system, which builds on the knowledge and expertise gained through research and development work on the earlier technology. The first automobile model equipped with Honda SENSING 360 is scheduled for release in China in 2022, with adoption in a broader range of models to follow. Continue reading →

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BMW to Add New Press Shop in South Carolina Plant

Posted on 2 March 2022 by Ken Zino

BMW announced today that it will invest more than $200 million to construct a 219,000-square-foot press shop at its South Carolina plant. The investment includes more than 200 new jobs. The announcement was made by BMW Manufacturing President and CEO Dr. Robert Engelhorn at the South Carolina Automotive Summit in Greenville, SC. The new press shop, which will start production in the summer of 2024, will take raw coils of steel, cut them into blanks, and stamp sheet metal parts for future BMW models. Those components include “hang-on parts” such as the vehicle’s four doors, fenders, exterior body sides, and lift gate. (AutoInformed: BMW Manufacturing is Largest US Auto Exporter Again)

A new press shop requires manufacturing jobs with advanced-level training. These include tool and die technicians, electrical and mechanical maintenance for automated machinery, and specialized line operators. More than 45 Plant Spartanburg associates are currently training at BMW Group press shops in Leipzig, Germany, and Swindon, England. These associates also train with partners from the Schuler Group, which manufactures automated servo press lines for all BMW Group plants. While Schuler will manufacture the automated press line, all tooling for Plant Spartanburg’s press shop will come from BMW tool shops in Eisenach, Munich, and Dingolfing.  Continue reading →

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State of Our Union and the Auto Industry

Posted on 2 March 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on State of the Union and the Auto Industry

Fighting against Despots and for Democracy. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness… 

Only fools deny that interconnected worldwide trade is essential to the United States as well as the global auto industry. Outmoded mercantilism, failed trade wars and bullying talk by our political leaders against our allies can’t be tolerated. We The People have the right to choose and vote-out leaders such as Trump*– no matter how much they lie about election outcomes or violent insurrections that are not legitimate political discourse. Democracy means we are a nation guided by laws and protected by our willingness to uphold our Constitution. It requires leadership that upholds our values whilst looking for ways to make things better. We have voted in such leadership. (AutoInformed: Building Forward Better – President Biden, DOT, DOE Announce $5B National EV Charging Network; Biden Administration Cuts Republican Budget Deficit by 66%; Biden Proposes New Clean Energy Policies and Actions on Offshore Winds, Public Lands, Transmission Lines; Biden’s Build Back Better Act Decreases Budget Deficit!, Biden Bets on Detroit, Union Workers at GM’s EV Factory ZERO)

The auto industry’s economic impact reaches all 50 states, sustaining 10 million American jobs and more than $650 billion in paychecks. The Biden Administration – in the face of Republican opposition and treasonous praise for Putin’s war against Ukraine – has proposed a forward-looking plan that will help the auto industry continue to provide economic growth via a cleaner, safer and smarter automotive future. We need to control our destiny here. This is clear. We need to rid ourselves of alleged leaders who mock our alliances, favor rich despots and are long on talk, but weak on foreign policy and even weaker on our defense. Continue reading →

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Ford Motor Structure Threatens Viability. Vast Reorg Coming

Posted on 2 March 2022 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor President and CEO Jim Farley said today that it is continuing to transform its global automotive business, accelerating the development and scaling of electric, connected vehicles, “while leveraging its iconic nameplates to strengthen operating performance and take full advantage of engineering and industrial capabilities.”

Executive summary – here comes a sweeping reorganization needed to survive in the 21st century mobility business. There will be two separate automobile businesses – one  is the old blacksmithing business – Ford Blue. The other  is the emerging EV business Ford e, where it is spending $5 billion on battery electric vehicles in 2022 with much more needed in the future.
 Continue reading →

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Dare Forward 2030 – Stellantis Survival Plan Unveiled

Posted on 1 March 2022 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Dare Forward 2030 - Stellantis Survival Plan

“Dare Forward 2030 inspires us to become so much more than we’ve ever been,” said Tavares.

Stellantis N.V. today unveiled Dare Forward 2030, its strategic survival plan for the coming decade that will drive Stellantis employees to be ‘second to none’ in value creation for all stakeholders. Stellantis, the merged FCA and PSA,  claims it will be “the industry champion in the fight against climate change, reaching carbon net zero emissions by 2038.” The revised, sweeping and difficult plan as presented is aspirational and similar to other global automaker’s plans (see AutoInformed on GM and Toyota) as the deadly effects of climate change continue to worsen, which according to the latest UN Report out yesterday might be irreversible. Stellantis is far behind industry leaders on electrification.

Stellantis to survive must operate under the “frame of mobility” set by governments and societies, particularly the EU and US, Tavares said while acknowledging the “traps” of moving too fast he previously warned of still exist. “Who can afford to let a big car company fail,” he asked? That will be up to governments or states as Tavares calls them. How much in incentives for consumers – and for how long  – will be needed to spur electrification?
Continue reading →

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