France – HYVIA JV Unveils First Hydrogen Prototype

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on HYVIA unveils its first hydrogen prototypes

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Hyvia today showed a Renault Master Van H2-TECH prototype that it claims enables zero CO2 emissions*, increased range, and fast refueling time. It is a large van for transporting goods and packages, with 12m3 of cargo volume and a range of up to 500km that will be made in France and on sale in 2022 if all goes well.

Next prototypes to come include a Master Chassis Cab H2-TECH,a large van with more cargo space (19m3) and a range of about 250km; Master Citybus H2-TECH, an urban minibus that can carry up to 15 passengers for businesses, municipalities, and local public services, with a range of about 300km. Continue reading

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Stellantis on SAE Level 3 Public Road Autonomous Driving

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Kia battery-electric EV6

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Stellantis has made known its contributions to the L3Pilot automated driving project at the L3Pilot final event in Hamburg, Germany, in conjunction with ITS World Congress. The four-year project is critical to automated driving data collection and validation in order to perform extensive tests of SAE Level 3 autonomy technology functions.

At SAE Level 3, the driver does not need to monitor the driving circumstances constantly but must take back control when the system requests. L3Pilot, the flagship research and innovation project in Europe, is arguably one of the most important for the future of automated driving since it is focused on testing and evaluating the technology as a safe and efficient means of transportation in real traffic conditions. It also assessed technical aspects, driving behavior, user acceptance and impact on traffic and safety. Continue reading

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China: Nippon Steel Sues Toyota over Steel Sheet Patent

 Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Nippon Steel Sues Toyota on Electromagnetic Steel Sheet Patent

About the only place Toyota appears vulnerable is China, where war memories cause problems.

Nippon Steel is suing Toyota for violating its electromagnetic1 steel sheet patent. Toyota in a characteristically Japanese reply said today “that such matters should be discussed between material manufacturers, and we have learned of this lawsuit with great regret.”

The conflict arises from Baoshan Iron & Steel, based in Shanghai, China, and a subsidiary of state-owned China Baowu Steel Group. It is listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Toyota uses Baoshan steel sheet. It comes at a time when the Biden Administration is wrestling with US trade policy with China. The former administration started a trade war that cost US jobs, damaged the agricultural sector, and was a disaster for the US auto industry in China, the world’s largest vehicle market. It is also involved in a dispute about whether proposed lavish EV buyer tax credits should apply to imported and non-union made electric vehicles. Continue reading

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Honda Aircraft Shows First Light Jet Able to Cross US Nonstop

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Honda Aircraft Shows First Light Jet Able to Cross US Non-Stop

Hello Cessna and Gulfstream. Click for more.

Honda Aircraft Company today unveiled the “HondaJet 2600 Concept” with a range of 2,625 nautical miles making it the world’s first light jet capable of nonstop US transcontinental flight. If produced it will have a high-speed cruise of 450 knots and a class-leading ceiling of 47,000 feet.

The HondaJet 2600 also has the tallest cabin height. It has class-leading pressurization with a cabin altitude of 6,363 feet at its max operating altitude. HondaJet 2600 will offer 3 types of modular and customizable cabin configurations. (Read AutoInformed.com on: HondaJet Sales First in Class for Second Consecutive Year, First HondaJet now In Private Service and HondaJet China Expanding Operations) Continue reading

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LG Electronics to Reimburse GM for $1.9B Bolt EV Recall Costs

General Motors (NYSE: GM) announced today it has reached an agreement whereby LG Electronics will reimburse GM for costs and expenses associated with the recall of Chevrolet Bolt EVs and EUVs due to manufacturing defects in battery modules supplied by LG. (Confirmed: General Motors to Recall more Bolt EVs at $1B Cost; NHTSA – Urgent Fire Recall Again on 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolts; GM and LG Energy to Build Second Battery Cell Plant in US)

As a result of the agreement, GM will recognize an estimated recovery in its third-quarter earnings that will offset $1.9 billion of $2.0 billion in charges associated with the recalls. Continue reading

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Operator Error – Ford Recalls 2021 Bronco for Bad Airbags

Ford Motor is recalling 2021 Bronco vehicles for unsafe airbags. During passenger air bag deployment, an air bag vent could open prematurely and result in an improper deployment. The new Bronco trucks fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, “Occupant Crash Protection.” The defect was traced to a Mexican assembler who improperly folded the airbags. (Ford Bronco Production Underway at Michigan Assembly Plant) Continue reading

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Stellantis EV Trifecta – $229 Million to Three Kokomo Plants

Stellantis (NYSE: STLA) today said it would invest a total of $229 million in three of its Kokomo, Indiana, plants to help the company reach its goal of achieving 40% low-emission vehicle sales in the U.S. by 2030. This announcement, which will retain 662 jobs, comes three months after the company laid out its long-term electrification strategy, where it committed to investing $35 billion through 2025 in electrification and software. (Stellantis Ups Electrification Strategy by $35.54 Billion)

In the U.S., Stellantis’ LEV mix for passenger cars and light-duty trucks is expected to be more than 40% by 2030. In the U.S., Stellantis’ LEV mix for passenger cars and light-duty trucks is expected to be more than 40% by 2030. The Company is targeting for the total cost of ownership – not buying price – of EVs to be equivalent to internal combustion engine vehicles by 2026. (Toyota, Subaru at Shanghai Introduce Latest Joint-Venture EVs, Volkswagen ID.4 – Most Affordable AWD Electric Vehicle in US?, Renault Group to Launch 10 Battery-Electric Vehicles by 2025) Continue reading

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Endurance Racing – Alpine Signatech in LMDh from 2024

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on Alpine will compete in the LMDh premier class – aka Hypercar - starting in 2024

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Alpine says it will continue and extend its endurance program. The brand will compete in the LMDh premier class1 – aka Hypercar – starting in 2024 with the support of Signatech, which is currently working with the Alpine F1 Team.

A French team – Alpine Elf Matmut took the third podium spot at LeMans this year, with the Alpine A480 Gibson driven by Andre Negrao, Nicolas Lapierre and Matthieu Vaxiviere finishing four laps behind the race-winning Toyota.
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Dealer Demise? The Hyundai Amazon Digital Retail Experience

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on The Hyundai Amazon Digital Retail Experience

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Hyundai and Amazon Ads are modifying car shopping with new features launching today on Hyundai’s Evolve showroom on Amazon. The expansion of the digital showroom allows shoppers to discover available vehicles at participating dealers and begin the vehicle selection process directly on Amazon.

How long the dealers remain part of the process is an interesting question. “Customers can configure and estimate the price of their desired Hyundai vehicle, locate real-time inventory and contact dealers to complete the sale,” Hyundai said in a release. (Kia America Dabbles with On-Demand, At-Home Car Shopping) Continue reading

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September West EU Car Sales in Severe Supply Slump

The West European passenger car selling rate dropped to 9.7 million  units annually during September. This was a sharp drop from the 11.9 mn units/year in August, according to consultancy LMC Automotive.

“The latest monthly results are clear evidence of the major sourcing issues that are haunting global vehicle production currently, with dealerships unable to meet consumer demand. Adding to market headwinds, those vehicles that are available are generally higher priced, as OEMs look to target the production of higher margin products,” said LMC. Continue reading

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GM’s Dual Platform Strategy – Doubling Revenues by 2030?

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on GM’s Dual Platform Strategy – Doubling Revenues by 2030

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General Motors (NYSE: GM) told investors today that it plans to double annual revenues by the end of the decade while growing EBIT-adjusted margins as it transitions to an all-electric future. GM has already announced plans to invest $35 billion through 2025 in all-electric and autonomous vehicles and launch more than 30 new EVs globally, of course

However, the success of the prediction will depend on GM smoothly transitioning from internal combustion engines, traditional blacksmithing manufacturing, while keeping dealers and training them for what is the most significant transformation the auto industry has ever seen. This is how science fiction becomes science fact with GM selling more than one million EVs by 2025; 30 million connected vehicles in North America on the road by 2030. Along the way the United States and ultimately the world will turn into an environmental culture that uses technology to make things cleaner and safer. Continue reading

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GM to Invest in New Battery Building to Lower EV Costs

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on GM to Invest in New Battery Building to Lower EV Costs

The future is electric, so to speak.

General Motors today said that the Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center will be located on the campus of GM’s Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. The all-new building “will significantly expand the company’s battery technology operations and accelerate development and commercialization of longer range, more affordable electric vehicle batteries,” GM said in a release. GM will also use the facility to integrate the work of GM-affiliated battery innovators, helping the company to reach its stated goal of at least 60 % lower battery costs with the next generation of Ultium.

The latest GM announcement comes just one day after it said it reached a deal with Wolfspeed (to develop and provide silicon carbide power devices for GM’s future electric vehicle programs. Wolfspeed’s silicon carbide devices will allow GM to “install more efficient EV propulsion systems that will extend the range” of its growing EV portfolio. Continue reading

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September US Auto Sales at 2021 Low Point

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on September US Auto Sales at 2021 Low Point

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Affordability and supply problems dropped US September light vehicle sales to their lowest point during Covid-plagued 2021. They were, in fact, at their lowest level for the month of September since 2010, according to LMC Automotive, a respected independent automotive global forecasting and market intelligence company.

Automakers sold just under 1 million during September, down by -25% YoY. The annualized rate fell to 12 million units, the same level registered in May 2020 and 1 million units under the August Seasonally Adjusted Annualized Rate, aka SAAR. During Q3 light vehicle sales totaled 3.36 million units, down by -14% YoY and the lowest Q3 since 2011 as volumes plunged -22% from the pre-pandemic level in Q3 2019.  (GM Q3 US Sales Drop -33% as Semiconductor Shortage Bites) Continue reading

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GM Recalls 15,000 SUVs for Sudden Stalling

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on GM Recalls 15,000 SUVs for Sudden Stalling

Not a winning performance by Vitesco Technologies of Texas.

General Motors recalling 15,000 2021 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. The fuel pump power control module may cause the fuel pump to fail or operate intermittently, which can interrupt fuel flow to the engine. The worst case is an unexpected engine stall.

Dealers will replace the fuel pump power control module, free of charge as required by US law. Analysis of field data and returned warranty-replaced parts indicates that the condition was caused by a supplier manufacturing issue by Vitesco Technologies in Seguin Texas. Continue reading

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EV Battery Gold-Rush – GM and Wolfspeed Cut Deal

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on GM and Wolfspeed Cut Deal for silicon carbide power devices

GM will participate in the so-called (and unproven) Wolfspeed Assurance of Supply Program, which “is intended to secure domestic, sustainable and scalable materials for EV production.”

General Motors (NYSE: GM) and Wolfspeed (NYSE: WOLF) today announced a supplier agreement to develop and provide silicon carbide power devices for GM’s future electric vehicle programs. Wolfspeed’s silicon carbide devices will allow GM to “install more efficient EV propulsion systems that will extend the range” of its growing EV portfolio. The silicon carbide involved will be used in the integrated power electronics contained within GM’s Ultium Drive units in its next-generation EVs. (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; GM Ups Bet by $35B in Autonomous, Electric Vehicle Games)

In a move that is designed to ensure supply and assuage the doubts of the capital markets about the semi-conductor shortage disaster, as part of the agreement, GM will participate in the so-called (and unproven) Wolfspeed Assurance of Supply Program (WS AoSP), which “is intended to secure domestic, sustainable and scalable materials for EV production.” During September, Toyota outsold General Motors by 123,000 units. In fact September was such a weak month for GM that four other OEMs had stronger volume performance, with Hyundai topping GM for the first time ever. Continue reading

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