Renault and TheArsenale Unveil AIR4. What?

Posted on 26 November 2021 by Ken Zino

This is a well-traveled marketing road or is it airway? At the conclusion of the year-long publicity events for the 60th anniversary of Renault4, a concept car was virtually revealed today. The French automaker called it a  reinterpretation of Renault 4L, a car that has sold more than 8 million units in ~100 countries over a period of more than 30 years. (Oshkosh Silliness? First Flying Car Slated for 2019)

The original Renault 4 was a simple, efficient and versatile vehicle built between 1961 and 1992. A “blue jeans” car, as the former head of Renault Group, Pierre Dreyfus, used to describe it. It transported families, businesses and the likes of the gendarmerie and La Poste, as well as helping several generations of young motorists just getting behind the wheel. Now there’s a 4L designed to drive along above our heads. AIR4 claims the air as the new road of the future, according to Renault. Continue reading →

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Daimler Truck Moves Past MB Commercial Vehicles to Wörth

Posted on 26 November 2021 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Daimler Truck Moves Past MB Commercial Vehicles to Wörth

The digital archive will be widely available.

With Daimler splitting into two independent companies* on 1 December 2021, Daimler Truck has transferred the first batch of historic Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles and parts of its truck and bus archive to a location in Wörth. Daimler Truck’s collection contains ~130 vehicles. About 30 were previously located in Stuttgart and the surrounding area.

The classic vehicles and the archive of Daimler AG have been centrally managed in Stuttgart until now. After the corporate split, the Group archive for overarching, company-wide topics pre-separation will remain in Stuttgart along with the archive for cars and vans. The Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim will continue to be the primary publicly-accessible location for the shared company history, including trucks and buses.
 Continue reading →

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Thanksgiving 2021 – We Celebrate Our 401st Annual Feast

Posted on 25 November 2021 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Thanksgiving 2021 – We Celebrate Our 401st Annual Feast

There are 27 versions of the flag with stars added as states entered the Union.

General Washington in December of 1777 partied on a day of Thanksgiving after the British defeat at Saratoga during our War of Independence. This war was conducted when we were still a loose confederation of colonies who rebelled, in part, over resistance to taxation of poorer classes needed to pay for foreign wars or entanglements of our government run by a rich, privileged British Monarchy.

The war was won – against all odds by common militias and irregulars. They compelled a superpower British Army to surrender in the field for the first time since the tyrant Napoleon – because the Crown and its privileged generals were fighting an idea first put forth in our Declaration of Independence, then codified in our Constitution that “We the People” would govern ourselves. This WE idea was bigger than a richly privileged class who hired others to fight for them. Now, once again, the courtiers of privilege and wealth – if not the masters of mega-wealth itself – are presiding over our fate using hatred and drummed up grievances on un-social media that omit WE in favor of traitorous behavior aimed at burning Our Constitution via the proud boys of insurrection.
 Continue reading →

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US November Light Vehicle Sales Forecast Down Again

Posted on 24 November 2021 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on US November Light Vehicle Sales Forecast Down

 Total retailer profit per unit with gross profit and finance & insurance income will reach a record ~$5,164, an increase of $3,060 Y-o-Y. This is the second consecutive month above $5,000.

In the face of the healthy Biden Administration economic recovery, new-vehicle retail sales for November 2021 are expected to decline when compared with November 2020, according to a joint forecast from J.D. Power and LMC Automotive. The seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) for total new-vehicle sales is expected to be 13.6 million units, down 2.2 million units from 2020. Buyers are tracking to spend $41.1 billion on new vehicles this month, the highest on record for the month of November. (US October Light Vehicle Sales Drop -23% YoY)

Tight inventories are colliding with strong consumer demand that continues to maintain prices, and profit per unit sold, at record levels. Average transaction prices are expected to reach a November record of $44,043, a sixth consecutive month above $40,000, and 18.1% higher than November 2020 when prices were $37,284. Continue reading →

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Daimler Buses Sells Minibus Plant to AEQUITA

Posted on 24 November 2021 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Daimler Buses Sells Minibus Plant to AEQUITA

The plant has produced  Sprinter minibuses since 2019. To date more than 20,000 have been made in Dortmund.

Daimler Buses has sold the Dortmund-based Mercedes-Benz Minibus+ plant to a hedge group called AEQUITA*. In the future Daimler Buses will focus on the production of buses over 8 tons and chassis.

AEQUITA takes over the minibus company with around 240 employees, thereby safeguarding the Dortmund site for the near future. The companies signed a purchase agreement on November 22, 2021. The transaction will be completed on January 01, 2022. The production of Mercedes-Benz brand minibuses at the Dortmund plant will continue. “There will be a continued close partnership between Daimler Buses and AEQUITA in the areas of sales and aftersales,” Daimler claimed. Continue reading →

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Cadillac LYRIQ In Pre-Production Tuning

Posted on 22 November 2021 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ Pre-Production Tuning

Note the old style gasoline engine grille where none is called for?

Cadillac engineers have completed the so-called 80% validation drive for the 2023 LYRIQ, milestone in Cadillac’s first luxury EV’s development. With proof  that all components and technologies are at or beyond 80%, engineers now start fine tuning LYRIQ prior to production in the fall of 2022.

For evaluation of LYRIQ’s performance on different road surfaces and in varying traffic conditions, Cadillac developed routes that included freeway, urban, and rural driving scenarios. Under these conditions, engineers assessed drive quality, systems calibrations, and other elements that directly affect the in-car encounter of a customer kind. (Cadillac LYRIC – Taking Back the Luxury EV Lead?) Continue reading →

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FAA Fines Passengers for Alcohol-Related Unruly Behavior

Posted on 22 November 2021 by Ken Zino

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on FAA Fines Eight Passengers for Alcohol-Related Unruly BehaviorThe U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration has proposed$161,823 in civil penalties against eight airline passengers for alleged unruly behavior involving alcohol in its latest action.

Some of the cases have been referred to the Department of Justice for criminal action1. Federal law prohibits passengers from consuming alcohol aboard a flight that is not served by a flight attendant. In August, the FAA administrator sent a letter to airports requesting that they work to prevent passengers from bringing “to-go” cups of alcohol aboard the aircraft. Continue reading →

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EV Boats – GM Buys Into Pure Watercraft

Posted on 22 November 2021 by Ken Zino

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on EV Boats - GM Buys Into Pure Watercraft General Motors (NYSE: GM) announced today it has acquired a 25% ownership stake in Pure Watercraft, a Seattle-based company that specializes in all-electric boating. The collaboration between GM and Pure Watercraft “advances a shared vision to promote sustainability through an expansion of zero-emissions mobility for future generations and reflects the holistic approach necessary for widespread EV adoption,” GM said in a release.

The so-called Pure Outboard from Pure Watercraft uses efficiency to benefit a boat’s performance while reducing environmental pollution with a much lower operating costs and maintenance than traditional marine propulsion systems, it’s claimed. An open issue with EV technology remains the thus far unexplored anti-trust implications as giant global automakers and battery companies appear to be well on the way to owning and controlling electric mobility. Continue reading →

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Honda, Lexus at Top of ALG Residual Value Awards

Posted on 20 November 2021 by Ken Zino

ALG says the recipients of the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. ALG Residual Value Awards, were topped by Honda and Lexus being named brand award winners in the mass market and premium segments, respectively.

Residual Value Awards are claimed to be key in recognizing vehicle models projected to hold the highest percentage of their manufacturer’s suggested retail price following a three-year period of ownership. Value retention is a major variable in the lease cost of a vehicle, underlining an automaker’s success in the areas of long-term quality and design, as well as the overall desirability of automotive brands and their models. Continue reading →

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CARB OK’s Record $1.5B for Clean Vehicles, Mobility Options

Posted on 20 November 2021 by Ken Zino

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on CARB OK’s Record $1.5B for Clean Vehicles and Mobility OptionsThe California Air Resources Board has approved a $1.5 billion investment plan that will increase access to clean vehicles and clean mobility options through a wide variety of projects moving to the transformation of California’s vehicle and equipment fleet to zero-emissions.

The plan is thus far the largest annual investment in clean transportation incentives to date, more than double the amount of the largest past investment. Projects include consumer rebates for clean cars, incentives for cleaner trucks, and so-called mobility options. More than half of the $1.5 billion Fiscal Year 2021-22 Funding Plan for Clean Transportation Incentives is targeted to benefit lower income communities and those disproportionately burdened by environmental pollution.

The CARB approval came the same week as the Biden Administration passed its forward looking, far reaching enlightened infrastructure bill will also move the U.S. toward a cleaner*, job-creating society for all that not only builds back better, but positions he U.S. for successful leadership in dealing with extreme climate and life-killing global warming.(Biden’s Build Back Better Act Decreases Budget Deficit!; Biden Bets on Detroit, Union Workers at GM’s EV Factory ZERO) Continue reading →

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2020 Vehicles Post Fuel Economy, Low Emissions Records

Posted on 19 November 2021 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on EPA US 2020 MY Cars Post Record Fuel Economy, Low Emissions

More good public policy is coming! Click to Enlarge.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released its annual Automotive Trends Report today which shows model year 2020 vehicles achieved record high fuel economy and record low emission levels. Large automakers also were in full compliance with greenhouse gas emission standards. EPA Projections indicate sales of hybrid and electric vehicles will more than double from 2020 to 2021 – the latest reason, as if any more were needed, to pass Build Back Better.

In August, President Biden signed an Executive Order that sets good policy for US citizens with an ambitious new target to make half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 zero-emissions vehicles, including battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, or fuel cell electric vehicles. EPA also proposed a new rulemaking under the Clean Air Act that by 2026 would establish the strongest greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and light duty trucks in history. Continue reading →

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Biden’s Build Back Better Act Decreases Budget Deficit!

Posted on 18 November 2021 by Ken Zino

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office released today estimated budgetary effects of Title XIII, Committee on Ways and Means, H.R. 5376, also known as the badly named, but enlightened policy bill – the Build Back Better Act. BBBA according to CBO estimates would result in a net decrease in the unified deficit totaling $797.7 billion over the 2022-2031 period. That decrease in the deficit would result from an increase in direct spending of $411.5 billion and an increase in revenues of $1,209.3 billion.

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Trump's failed economic policies for the middle class

Good Riddance – we couldn’t afford his disastrous policies… and will be paying for them for years.

Some of those budgetary effects are associated with programs that are classified as off-budget. The decrease in the on-budget deficit over that period would be $783.3 billion. To do the math for insurrectionist Republicans, this adds to ~$14 Billion dollars in the black, which likely because of the color means that most Republicans will no doubt oppose it. The failed former president, currently the insurrectionist in chief residing in Flori-duh, not only didn’t actually do anything to repair the infrastructure despite voluminous weekly (weakly?) announcements that it was infrastructure week, his tax cuts for the rich ran up record deficits as well.*see below. Continue reading →

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Automotive Chips – Ford Adds GlobalFoundries to Help Design and Supply

Posted on 18 November 2021 by Ken Zino

GlobalFoundries Inc. (Nasdaq: GFS) (GF), a semiconductor manufacturing firm, and Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) yesterday announced “a strategic collaboration to advance semiconductor manufacturing and technology development within the United States, aiming to boost chip supplies for Ford and the U.S. automotive industry.” The strategic announcement about semiconductors garnered limited media attention because it was in the same news cycle as President Biden’s visit to GM’s Factory Zero EV plant in Detroit.

GF and Ford have signed a non-binding agreement for GF to create more semiconductor supply for Ford’s current vehicle lineup, as well as joint research and development to address the growing demand for feature-rich chips to support the automotive industry. Continue reading →

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Biden Bets on Detroit, Union Workers at GM’s EV Factory ZERO

Posted on 18 November 2021 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Biden Bets on Detroit, Union Workers at GM’s EV Factory ZERO

“Masterpieces of modern manufacturing. Built by union workers. And proof (applause) and proof that America has what it takes to win the competition of the 21st century…

Yesterday at GM’s first dedicated EV assembly plant, Factory Zero in Hamtramck, adjacent to Detroit, President Biden presented his case for investing in the future by fixing our neglected infrastructure, thereby building and boosting the middle class. Virtually everyone knows that the future of the auto industry is electric; Some maintain the Chinese are leading. The President posed a question he has asked before: Will America lead or fall behind in the race to win the future?

Before his remarks at a plant once managed by Mary Barra, CEO of GM, Biden spoke to the country about what are the latest talking-trash points from the Republicans, the party of nope and insurrection. “Before I begin, I just want to mention three pieces of good news today. First, two of the leading rating agencies on Wall Street confirmed today, not a liberal think tank, two Wall Street outfits, that the economic proposals we put forward for the nation, the infrastructure law we just signed and the Build Back Better plan are being considered this week in Congress, will not add to inflationary pressures in the economy,” Biden said. “The reason? Because the policies I proposed, quote, ‘help…lift long-term economic growth via stronger productivity… labor force growth,’ as well as taking the edge off of inflation.” Continue reading →

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Re-Run: Subaru of America Unveils 2023 Solterra EV

Posted on 17 November 2021 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Re-Run: Subaru of America Unveils 2023 Solterra EV

Note to design staff – EVs don’t need a grille or awkward old-style grille surrounds.

Subaru of America today revealed its first-ever all-electric SUV, the 2023 Subaru Solterra, at what remains of the Los Angeles Auto Show in the Surging Covid-plus-Flu era.The product reveal comes one week after the actual debut was down in Japan. (Toyota Subaru JV Spawns Global Debut of Solterra EV)

The “late to the EV party” Solterra has new electrification and in-vehicle technology. The Solterra name was created using (marketing babble alert> “the Latin words for ‘Sun and Earth’ to represent Subaru’s commitment to deliver traditional SUV capabilities in an environmentally responsible package.” Continue reading →

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