Unions, FCA Sign Agreement on Workplace Health and Safety

Posted on 9 April 2020 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on FCA restarting manufacturing in the U.S.

Soon to be adapted for the U.S.?

Today Fiat Chrysler Automobiles signed an agreement with trade unions FIM-CISL, UILM-UIL, FISMIC, UGLM, AQCFR and FIOM-CGIL that establishes a series of measures at company sites in Italy to ensure maximum protection of the health of workers when it restarts production activities. The same COVID-19 measures will be applied to all external personnel entering FCA sites. These measures will be jointly monitored by both company and unions.

The guidelines established focused on “rigorous implementation of government directives aimed at combating the spread of the Covid-19 virus and application of best practices implemented by the Group at its sites around the world.” This presumably will be adapted and  applied to the United States where the ‘Do Nothing’ Trump Administration claims that this is a job for the states, not national leadership. (COVID-19: UAW, GM, Ford, FCA to Improve Protection for Manufacturing and Warehouse Workers) Continue reading →

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Electrify America, Kia Offer DC Fast Charging Plan for Niro EV

Posted on 9 April 2020 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on Kia Select Flat Rate Electrify America Charging Plan

Click to Enlarge.

Electrify America today announced an agreement with Kia Motors America to offer ‘Kia Select,’ a new charging program with optimized pricing for the Kia Niro electric vehicle (EV) model on Electrify America’s direct current (DC) fast charging network.

The ‘Kia Select’ program offers a flat rate of 35 cents per-minute charging for current Kia Niro EV drivers, designed specifically for the unique DC charging characteristics of the model. The program also waives session fees and has no subscription fees for participants.
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Porsche “Gives” Employees A Voluntary Bonus

Posted on 9 April 2020 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on Porsche 6 Month 2019 Financial Results

Porsche continues to grow meeting its €4.4 billion target for the fiscal year 2019. Then there’s 2020?

Porsche* is combining an optional bonus to its employees with an appeal for donations to support the “Porsche aid” program. The bonus of  €9,000 Euro will be paid out to the Porsche workforce for the 2019 financial year; €700 will be available as a special contribution to the Porsche VarioRente or to the individual pension plan. Employees are encouraged to make voluntary donations to charitable organizations.

It’s another example of the power of unions working with corporations to the benefit of members and society at large. (Porsche Proposes 41% Dividend Rise at May Annual Meeting)  “The success of our company is only possible through the work of our colleagues. All of them have worked for Porsche with great commitment in the past year. It is part of our Porsche culture that the workforce is also rewarded for this,” said Werner Weresch, Chairman of the General and Group Works Councils of Porsche AG.
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Teamsters, CtW Investment Group Demand Amazon Reveal Workplace Safety Record

Posted on 8 April 2020 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on Amazon Helat and Safety Problems

A questionable record on caring for workers exposed during the COVID pandemic.

The Teamsters General Fund and the CtW Investment Group today called on the board of directors of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) to put up for a vote and support a shareholder proposal, asking the board to issue a report on how the company oversees workplace safety at its own and its contractors’ facilities.

The request comes after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) allowed Amazon to exclude a shareholder proposal that the two investors had filed to be voted on at the online retailer’s annual meeting of shareholders, scheduled for May 27. It’s the latest example of government agencies suppressing democracy under the current administration. The investors are appealing the SEC’s staff decision to the full Commission today.
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Goodyear, Just Tires Offer “Zero Contact” Service

Posted on 8 April 2020 by Ken Zino

Goodyear Auto Service and Just Tires locations in the U.S. now offer “zero-contact” service. This is designed “to help to limit personal contact” and keep customers, including those in essential roles such as law enforcement, first responders, doctors, nurses and grocers, on the road and moving forward. Potential customers have a choice between coming into a store or conducting the entire exchange with zero contact.
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Airbag Shrapnel at Nissan Prompts Recall of 216,678

Posted on 7 April 2020 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on Infiniti Takata Recalls

The recall is expected to begin 25 May.

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2012-2017 NV Cargo and NV Passenger Van, 2013-2015 Titan and Armada and 2011-2012 Infiniti QX56 vehicles. Due to a manufacturing defect, the air bag inflator may not function properly or may rupture during deployment.

The rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death. The so-called PSDI-5D inflator – no surprise here – was made by now bankrupt Takata at Monclova, Mexico. How long Nissan new about the deadly defect is unknown. In the required NHTSA filing, it said the Chronology will be supplied later.
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Corona Crisis – March UK New Car Registrations Fall -44.4% 

Posted on 7 April 2020 by Ken Zino

AutoInformed.com on Plunging UK Car SalesThe UK new car market declined -44.4% in March, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). During the important plate change month, 203,370 fewer cars were registered than in March 2019, as showrooms closed in line with government advice to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

The performance represented a steeper fall than during the 2009 financial crisis and the worst March since the late nineties when the market changed to the bi-annual plate change system. With lock-downs taking place in many European countries earlier than the UK, even more dramatic falls have been reported elsewhere, with Italy down -85%, France -72% and Spain down -69% in March.
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IMSA: Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Canceled for 2020

Posted on 6 April 2020 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.con on Detroit Grand Prix Cancelationation

Half mast finally.

The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) received official notification today from the organizers of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix that this year’s event, scheduled from May 29-30, has been canceled for 2020.

“Over the last several weeks, IMSA and the event promoter exhausted every option to conduct this race in 2020. Many factors made it impossible, including our scheduled races in the second half of the year. We all look forward to returning to the iconic Belle Isle circuit in June of 2021, said IMSA which is owned by COVID-19 denier NASCAR. Continue reading →

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German Tax Payer Funded Driverless Vehicle Testing Shows Need for Complex, Expensive Redundant Systems.

Posted on 5 April 2020 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on German Government 3F Research Program on Driverless Shuttles

Expensive systems and complex programming are needed for safety.

A German government research program – dubbed 3F – running on test grounds in Renningen and Aachen reports that automated shuttles can move around safely, even if a technical malfunction occurs or obstacles appear suddenly. However, expensive, redundant systems are involved in keeping an autonomous vehicle running. That’s the conclusion thus far of what €4.3 million euros in grants from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs bought taxpayers.

With the auto industry in full collapse given the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting and still emerging Global Depression, it is unknown if automakers will continue to rush into developing and producing autonomous vehicles – always a dubious business proposition, which is now likely at some makers a survival issue. Invest in the unknown future, or use resources to keep the existing business alive?
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NASCAR Finish Line Tweaked with E-Racing as COVID Thrives

Posted on 3 April 2020 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on NASCAR E-Racing

The fan base of NASCAR has been severely threatened – medically, economically – by the ongoing lack of US preparedness and actions around COVID-19. Click to Enlarge the simulation.

NASCAR today announced a series of new fantasy and prop betting offerings on the eNASCAR iRacing.com Pro Invitational Series, created by NASCAR’s gaming partner, Penn Interactive. Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, crowds aren’t returning to public spaces anytime soon despite the happy-talk of the Trump Administration.

In February when NASCAR was still in deep denial about the gravity of the Corona crisis, it and Penn Interactive announced a new multi-year partnership that led to the creation of a brand new, free-to-play, mobile game dubbed NASCAR Finish Line. It offered users the chance to win a $50,000 jackpot every race. Now, today in absence of real racing, the app is being relaunched to include eNASCAR contests. (NASCAR Still Racing So Far, Buffers and Restrictions Added, NASCAR Bans Fans at Races, NASCAR Ends Denial of COVID-19 Pandemic, eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series to Bootup) Continue reading →

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US Trade Deficit $39.9 Billion in February

Posted on 3 April 2020 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on the US Trade Deficit in February 2020

The smaller the trade deficit, the bigger the trouble we are in because of our lack of preparedness for COVID-19. Click to Enlarge.

The nation’s international trade deficit in goods and services decreased to $39.9 billion in February from $45.5 billion in January (revised of course), as imports decreased more than exports as the economy slowed down and consumers cut buying. However, Census doesn’t  have sufficient statistical* evidence to conclude that the actual change is different from zero.

March, given an economy in free-fall, will see a bigger decrease in the deficit, but that’s not good news. Roughly two-thirds of the US economy comes from consumer spending. Yesterday, the Labor Department reported that a record number of 6.6 million people applied for unemployment last week. During the last two weeks more than 10 million people in the US were out of work. That should take your breathe away – sadly, like Corona virus. 
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NASCAR Delays NextGen Car Until 2022. So Far

Posted on 3 April 2020 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on eNASCAR iRacing Simulation

It sure looks like racing – except for no smell or the roar of the crowd.

NASCAR, slow to understand the corona virus threat, just like the governor of Florida where it is based has changed the course of its racing once again. It said: “Due to challenges related to the coronavirus pandemic, the debut of the Next Gen car will be delayed until 2022. The decision was made in collaboration with the OEMs and team owners.” So E-racing it is.
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GM and Honda to Jointly Develop Honda Electric Vehicles

Posted on 2 April 2020 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on GM's electric vehicle technologies

General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra on 4 March 2020 detailing GM’s electric vehicle technologies and upcoming products in the Design Dome, GM Tech Center Warren, Michigan.

General Motors and Honda have agreed to jointly develop two all-new electric vehicles for Honda, based on GM’s highly global EV platform powered by proprietary Ultium batteries. The exteriors and interiors of the new EVs will be exclusively designed by Honda, and the platform “will be engineered to support Honda’s driving character.” (GM Shows New Batteries and a Flexible Global EV Platform, Honda, GM Expand Cooperation for Next Gen Battery)

As part of the agreement, Honda will incorporate GM’s OnStar safety and security services into the two EVs, integrating them with HondaLink. Additionally, Honda plans to make GM’s hands-free advanced driver-assist technology available.
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Recapturing Lease Customers Critical J.D. Power Finds

Posted on 2 April 2020 by Ken Zino

New-vehicle leases accounted for 31% of the new retail vehicle market in 2019, while lease transactions this year account for 52% of captive lenders’ new retail business. These percentages indicate how important it is for dealers and lenders to work together to retain lease customers as the market heads into a downturn thinks J.D. Power. AutoInformed says it’s a great time to be a lease holder. Don’t like the residual price? Walk away. Want a new lease? Aggressively negotiate and/or change brands.

According to the J.D. Power 2020 U.S. End of Lease Satisfaction Study, released today, effective communication and marketing efforts that factor in key decision-making timeframes can play a significant role in improving lease retention rates.
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Only 34% of Jobs in US Can Be Done Remotely

Posted on 2 April 2020 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on US Unpreparedness for COVID-19

The virus is now spreading more rapidly in the US than Europe or Asia because of the slow response from many American political leaders. They have blood on their partisan hands. Click to Enlarge.

A new study from the University of Chicago find that only 34% of U.S. jobs could be performed at home. Using average hourly wages by occupation and assuming that all occupations involve the same hours of work, Jonathan Dingel and Brent Neiman determine that these jobs account for 44% all wages. It’s an important supplement to the growing body of COVID-19 research and the total unpreparedness – still only partially resolved – of the Federal and State Governments to provide for the health and security of our people.

“Our estimate is an upper bound on what might be feasible and greatly exceeds the share of jobs that in fact have been performed entirely at home in recent years,” they say. Jonathan Dingel and Brent Neiman conclude that identifying which jobs cannot be performed from home could help to target social insurance payments to those who need them the most.
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