Production Starts on Prototype Volta Electric Truck

Posted on 17 November 2021 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Volta Trucks Fully-Electric Commercial Zero

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Volta Trucks has started production of the first road-going ‘Design Verification’ (DV) prototype Volta Zero* vehicle in Coventry, UK. The DV prototypes are the first full-electric Volta Zero commercial vehicles to be built in a production-ready design. A total of 25 vehicles will be manufactured.

When completed in January, the fleet will start a testing scheme. This will involve Volta Trucks engineers replicating a wide range of customer usage and delivery cycles, as well as taking the Volta Zero to the extremes of cold weather environments in the Arctic, hot weather in equatorial conditions, and crash testing,. This according to Volta will validate the safety, durability, and reliability of the vehicle. (Volta Trucks Fully-Electric Commercial Zero to Debut in Italy; Solid Power – More Money from BMW, Ford, Volta Energy Technologies for Solid-State EV Batteries) Continue reading →

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IMSA Petit Le Mans Sees Cadillac, Corvette, Win Season Titles

Posted on 15 November 2021 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on IMSA Petit Le Mans Sees Cadillac, Corvette, Win Season Titles

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In an action packed, multi-incident endurance race at Road Atlanta this past weekend the old adage to keep pushing no matter what class you’re in or where you are at the moment once again held true.

There were at least ten caution periods that kept reshuffling and closing up the field. The 10-hour Petit Le Mans race in Braselton, Georgia, is the end of the 2021 IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship. Since its 1998 inception, the race has grown is now one of the most sought-after prizes in GT and sportscar racing. Following are highlights of the grueling contest. Continue reading →

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President Biden to Attend GM Factory ZERO Grand Opening

Posted on 12 November 2021 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on President Biden to Attend GM Factory ZERO Grand Opening

The Democrats are the party of Hope, as in building a better future for all. The Republicans are the party of Nope, unless you are super-rich and white.

GM will welcome President Biden to Factory ZERO on Wednesday 17 November 2021, as the company opens the doors to its all-electric assembly plant in Hamtramck, Michigan. Factory ZERO, aka Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center, is the first automotive plant in the U.S. to install dedicated 5G fixed mobile network technology. EVs, a robust national electricity grid, charging stations and internet access are without question the Interstate Highway system of the next decades. Without them, many of us will suffer economically, socially and medically.

Want proof? Look at what happened to communities that weren’t linked to the Interstates. The one that were thrived, ironically now represented by politicians who are against what made Texas, Arizona, West Virginia, California, New Mexico and Florida, among others – prosper. The Biden Administration’s $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, aka BIF, was supported last September by Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and 18 other Senate Republicans. The 13 Republicans who helped pass it in the House of Representatives during a close almost straight party-line 228-206 vote a week ago have received death threats. (Environmental About Face – General Motors Ditching Internal Combustion Engines by 2035. Carbon Neutral by 2040?; GM Needs Range, Battery Cost Cuts to Speed EV Plans) Continue reading →

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Toyota Subaru JV Spawns Global Debut of Solterra EV

Posted on 11 November 2021 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Toyota Subaru JV Spawns Global Debut of Solterra EV

Awkward covered remains of an internal combustion grille has one gasping for air.

Subaru Corporation today in Japan unveiled a new battery electric vehicle called Solterra. The brand’s first BEV to be launched globally next year, it’s the product of a joint venture with Toyota. This e-Subaru Global Platform is a BEV-dedicated platform.

“The e-Subaru Global Platform enables a driving experience with superior driving dynamics, which brings high stability and handling linearly responds to driver’s steering operation,” said Subaru. Notably, but not uniquely, high-capacity battery packs are placed under the floor. By using the battery as structure, a low center of gravity, high body strength and rigidity are achieved. (Toyota JV Will See SUV EV Branded Subaru Solterra in 2022) Continue reading →

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Corvette Racing Goes Global – IMSA, FIA WEC in 2022

Posted on 11 November 2021 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Corvette Racing Goes Global - IMSA, FIA WEC in 2022

For 2024, the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R race car debuts with a customer racing the focus.

In long overdue marketing and racing efforts that are good for motorsports, Corvette Racing said today it will contest multiple endurance racing championships during its 2022 racing program. Chevrolet also confirmed that it will build and sell the Corvette Z06 GT3.R* race cars to customers beginning for the 2024 racing season. Continue reading →

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GM Revamps Information Technology for Growth

Posted on 10 November 2021 by Ken Zino

Today, General Motors announced the immediate restructuring of its Information Technology function into two groups. One is a Digital Business Software team; the other is a Global IT organization. GM said it’s to allow software-enabled services revenue to increase to $20-25 billion annually by 2030. (Connected Cars – GM Debuts Ultifi for Saleable APPs, Services to Buyers, GM’s Dual Platform Strategy – Doubling Revenues by 2030?) Continue reading →

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COP26 – CARB’s Liane Randolph New Chair of Transportation Decarbonisation Alliance

Posted on 10 November 2021 by Ken Zino

California today assumed the presidency of the Transportation Decarbonisation Alliance* (TDA) taking over its leadership from the Netherlands at COP26. Liane Randolph, Chair of the California Air Resources Board, will become the new TDA chair, assuming the role from the Netherlands Minister for Infrastructure and Water Management Steven van Weyenberg.

Under Governor Newsom, California has made the rapid shift to zero-emission transportation a top priority. The recent $3.9 billion Zero Emission Vehicle package advanced by the Governor in partnership with the Legislature will support the Governor’s Executive Order to ensure 100% ZEV sales for cars and medium trucks by 2035, and a 100% zero emission fleet of heavy-duty trucks and related equipment everywhere feasible by 2045. Virtually all Republicans in California and Nationally led by Senator majority leader Mitch McConnell oppose infrastructure improvements or positive actions on Global Warming. See Mark Ruffalo and Jonathan Scott on Electile Dysfunction the cure for Limp Democracy. Continue reading →

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Citroën Helps Make Chalki a Zero Emission Greek Island

Posted on 9 November 2021 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Citroën Helps Make Chalki a Zero Emission Greek Island

“People on the island will gain a significant improvement in their daily life with less noise, a better air quality, a cleaner environment, as well as lower energy costs.”

The Greek island of Chalki is at the center of an inventive project to transform the island into an area of sustainable, zero-emission mobility energy. Chalki’s green energy transition is being implemented with several partners with specialized knowledge such as Syngelidis Group, Citroën’s Greek importer, Vinci and Akuo Greece among others.

Following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Greek Government, Citroën/Syngelidis Group, Vinci and Akuo Greece, work is underway to transform the island of Chalki into a zero-emission economy. Citroën and Syngelidis Group are offering a range of electric vehicles that will only use renewable energy. The aim is to make this progress available to all residents and businesses on the island. Continue reading →

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California, New Zealand, Québec Sign Joint Agreement on Net Zero Green House Gases

Posted on 9 November 2021 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on California, New Zealand, Québec Sign Joint Agreement on Net Zero Green House Gases

There’s a chance of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. The science shows we now have eight years to almost halve global greenhouse gas emissions.

Today the California Air Resources Board, for the state of California, signed a Joint Declaration on cooperation in the fight against climate change with the New Zealand and Québec governments. The agreement follows the California law requirement of AB 32* to consult with other nations to aid “the development of integrated and cost-effective regional, national, and international greenhouse gas reduction programs.”

The Joint Declaration accepts the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the latest findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It acknowledges the common intent of the three jurisdictions to transition toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions while creating new, quality jobs in low- or zero-emission sectors and facilitating a just transition for people impacted by the shift towards a carbon neutral economy.
 Continue reading →

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Ford to Take $1B Charge to Buy Back Expensive Debt

Posted on 8 November 2021 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company is proceeding with a cash tender offer to repurchase up to $5 billion of the company’s higher-cost debt. In a move that will restore the now suspended dividend to shareholders, including the Ford Family, John Lawler, Ford’s CFO, said this is consistent with Ford’s objectives “to further strengthen its balance sheet and financial flexibility and return its credit ratings to investment grade.”

Last April, Ford sold $8 billion of bonds as the coronavirus pandemic closed Ford’s factories with a corresponding drop in sales. Actions such as the debt tender offer and the issuance of 0% convertible notes earlier this year, together with a “bet on the come line” of awaited broader access to capital from a “sustainable financing framework,” combine with Ford’s objectives to further strengthen its balance sheet and financial flexibility and return its credit ratings to investment grade. (Ford Motor Posts -$2 Billion Q1 Loss; Ford Posts Q1 Income of $3.3B. Semiconductors Still Difficult; Ford Motor Posts Q2 Revenue $26.8B, Net Income $56M, Earnings $1.1B as Market Share Drops; Ford Motor Earns $3.0 Billion in Q3) Continue reading →

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8 Hours of Bahrain: Toyota, Alpine Podiums at WEC Finale

Posted on 7 November 2021 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on 2021 WEC 8 Hours of Bahrain

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The finale to the WEC season saw Toyota’s Kazuki Nakajima finish his endurance career with victory in the #8 GR010 HYBRID shared with Sébastien Buemi and Brendon Hartley.

Le Mans winners Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and José María López, in the #7 GR010 HYBRID, retained the drivers’ title by finishing Saturday’s race, the sixth and final round of the season, in second place. Continue reading →

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First Aston Martin Valkyrie Hypercar Completed

Posted on 4 November 2021 by Ken Zino

Technicians are hand-building 150 cars, with each Valkyrie taking more than 2000 hours to create.

Aston Martin said today today that the Valkyrie coupe has finally entered full production. The first customer car is now complete, with deliveries planned in the coming weeks. Only 150 of the oft-hyped Valkyrie Hypercar are scheduled to built at ~£2.5 million each. How many owners of what is essentially a Formula One race car with a sports car wrapper will use them on a track is unknown. Many, no doubt, like the McLaren F1 hyper car will be put in storage awaiting unknowable appreciation before they change hands again. (Aston Martin Valkyrie: Formula One Drivers Get First Laps)

Before each Valkyrie is delivered, it is track-tested at the Aston Martin high performance facility at Silverstone where much of the development of the hypercar has taken place. The hybrid V12 powertrain provides a maximum power of 1,155PS, it’s claimed. The electric boost from the hybrid is 160 horsepower and 207 lb. ft. of torque. Continue reading →

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US October Light Vehicle Sales Drop -23% YoY

Posted on 4 November 2021 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on US October Light Vehicle Sales Drop -23% YoY

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The US daily volume average of light vehicle sales dropped to the lowest level so far in 2021 due to extremely lean inventories, according to LMC Automotive, an independent global forecasting and market intelligence consultancy. Sales totaled 1.05 mn light vehicles, down -23% YoY. Ford led the market, but Toyota outsold GM once again and is now the only OEM that has sold more than 2 million units in the year to date. Several brands, including Hyundai, Kia and Tesla, have already surpassed their 2020 total sales.

Overall vehicle sales were, however, 5% higher than September with the 2 extra selling days in October. The annualized rate grew to 13.1 million units from 12.1 million in the previous month and back to the level registered in August. “However, OEMs sold just 39,000 vehicles per selling day, compared to 40,000 units last month, way down from a peak of 62,000 vehicles in March,” said LMC. Continue reading →

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Illustrious Road Trip – Maserati, Pacific Coast Highway and Four Seasons Hotels?

Posted on 3 November 2021 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Illustrious Road Trip – Maserati Levante, Pacific Coast Highway and Four Seasons Hotels

“Luxurious accommodations in a suite, daily breakfast for two and complimentary valet parking for the new 2021 Maserati Levante SUV.”

Four Seasons Hotels and Maserati have produced a trip package that reflects the shifting winds in the luxury goods market. It starts at the Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel, where the first 24-hour complimentary use of the Maserati Levante SUV begins. The Maserati Levante SUV, of course, is all-wheel drive and powered by a twin-turbo V6 or V8 engine. (Maserati Debuts Levante Hybrid SUV at Shanghai Auto Show; Maserati Notes Tipo 300s Win at Venezuela Grand Prix; Glub? Aston Martin Going into Submarine Business!)

Then you can go north along the Pacific Coast Highway. Suggested stops along the drive are the Danish village of Solvang, the seaside village of Morro Bay – a favorite of mine from my Road&Track sports car testing days – Hearst Castle, Big Sur and Carmel-by-the-Sea. Continue reading →

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FAA, Finally Five Years After Deadly Accident, Wants a Medical Certificate for Commercial Hot-Air Balloon Pilots

Posted on 2 November 2021 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on FAA Finally Wants Medical Certificate for Commercial Hot-Air Balloon Pilots

The FAA will publish the draft rule in the Federal Register in November. The public will have 60 days to comment. The FAA will review comments before publishing a final rule. Eventually.

The Federal Aviation Administration proposed a rule today requiring commercial hot-air-balloon pilots to hold medical certificates when operating for hire. The rule mandates a second-class medical certificate, the same standard required for commercial pilots.

“Balloon pilots are responsible for the safety of their passengers,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. “This proposed rule would ensure that balloon pilots meet the same medical requirements as pilots of other commercial aircraft.” The rule in AutoInformed’s view is more than five years too late because of regulatory capture by the industry, a common problem at the FAA as recently exhibited with the Boeing 737 Max fiasco 1. Continue reading →

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