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Toyota Motor North America says effective April 1, 2020, Jim Lentz, chief executive officer TMNA, will retire after 38 years with the company.
Tetsuo “Ted” Ogawa, chief operating officer TMNA, will succeed Lentz as CEO, reporting to Didier Leroy, TMNA Vice Chairman and president of business planning and operations, Toyota Motor Corporation. In his 38-year career, Lentz has been a part of a number of key moments in Toyota’s history, including:
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Same unnamed supplier, same post-crash smoky interior? Click to Enlarge.
Ford Motor Company is issuing a safety recall for 2017-19 Ford Super Duty and SuperCrew vehicles with carpet flooring due to the risk of a post-crash interior fire. It appears to be carpet from the same unnamed supplier that prompted a GM safety defect. (GM Recalls More than 500k Pickup Trucks for Possible Burning Cloth Carpet After Seat Belt Pretensioners Activate)
In affected Ford Super Duty and SuperCrew trucks, a front seat belt pretensioner that deploys during a crash can generate excessive sparks. In some cases, this could ignite the carpet or carpet insulation in the area of the B-pillar, which may spread and increase the risk of injury. Continue reading
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Government mandates sometimes fiercely lobbied against behind the scenes in K-Street “pay to play” Washington, and independent safety ratings can have positive effect on the rate automakers make driving safety improvements in vehicles. “Voluntary” manufacturer commitments sometimes used to block more comprehensive regulations – also play a positive role on how quickly they become widespread, studies from the Highway Loss Data Institute show.
However, it still takes decades for improvements to influence the entire fleet of registered vehicles. Drivers don’t abandon older vehicles when automakers make safer ones.
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The safety perils of an all-new platform?
The redesigned 2020 Ford Explorer, a midsize SUV, offers better protection in the driver-side small overlap front test than earlier models, but hasn’t improved enough to qualify for a 2019 safety award, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Crashworthiness ratings for the Explorer also apply to the all-new 2020 Lincoln Aviator. (see: Driving 2020 Explorer: Big Size and Complexity, Bigger Price)
In the driver-side small overlap test of the Explorer, “the structure held up well overall — an improvement over the severe intrusion seen in the Explorer prior to the redesign. However, in the test of the new model, there was enough intrusion into the outboard part of the footwell to elevate the risk of injury to the driver’s left leg, as indicated by measures taken from the dummy, resulting in an overall rating of acceptable,” said IIHS.
A good rating in the driver-side small overlap crash test is a requirement for both the 2019 Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards, so neither the Explorer nor Aviator is eligible.
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This sounds like Judy Garland singing The Company that Got Away (FCA). “The road gets tougher…
The Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission (“SESC”) has recommended that the Financial Services Agency (“FSA”) should issue an administrative monetary penalty payment order of 2,424,895,000 yen against Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. For false disclosure documents. (The Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission is Japanese, which is under the authority of the Financial Services Agency. It is responsible for “ensuring fair transactions in both securities and financial futures markets.”) *
They were:
Nissan still reeling from the Ghosn matter and its lax governance processes that benefited senior executives naturally played for time. It said in a statement: “The Company takes this recommendation extremely seriously and will consider its response after receiving the FSA’s official notice. In the absence of any special circumstances or other reasons, the Company intends not to dispute the alleged facts and the amount of the administrative monetary penalty.”
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Arguably, the most popular, fastest growing segment in the world. It pays to cross brand shop.
Ford says the revised 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid is the best in the small SUV class with a combined EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of 41 mpg, although final EPA ratings are pending for other makes. The freshened Escape front-wheel drive version also surpasses its class driving around town, with an EPA-estimated 44 mpg city. The 2020 Escape Hybrid Titanium with front-wheel drive has an EPA-estimated rating of 37 mpg on the highway.
Escape, which debuted the world’s first hybrid SUV in 2005, brings back two hybrid choices for 2020 – a full hybrid and a plug-in variant – and introduces technologies that include selectable drive modes, available driver-assist features and on-board connectivity. Escape pricing, in the $26,000 to +$36,000 range, is roughly $1000 higher than 2019 but competitive in a class dominated by the Toyota RAV4, Honda CRV, and Nissan Rogue hybrid models.
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It is the worst “do-nothing” Congress since 1995, as Moscow Mitch McConnell has refused to bring hundreds of passed bi-partisan bills to the Senate floor.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has announced settlements with former republican U.S. Rep. Christopher Collins, his son Cameron Collins, and Stephen Zarsky, all of whom were charged with insider trading and pleaded guilty to related criminal charges. The sentencing memos have not been issued due to complications caused by ongoing criminal investigations, presumably into Trump’s campaign practices.
Collins was the first U.S. Representative to endorse Donald Trump for President of the United States, perhaps recognizing a kindred spirit in his approach to self-serving actions. He also served on Trump’s presidential transition team, where financial irregularities are under investigation. He resigned his seat in 2019 and afterwards pled guilty to insider trading and lying to the FBI. House Democrats this morning released two articles of impeachment charging President Donald Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Senate led by Mitch McConnell,aka Moscow Mitch, is looking for ways to take a long Christmas holiday instead of beginning the Constitutionally mandated trial.
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Another milestone on the road to a dealer-less sale?
In what is billed as part personal shopper and part interactive digital showroom, Cadillac Live launched today in the United States. This enlarges the reach of Cadillac’s “immersive luxury-shopping experience” to mobile devices and desktops across the country.
With Cadillac Live, shoppers can enter a digital showroom to view the features and specifications of 10 Cadillac models, and also speak with a Live product specialist, who can answer vehicle and purchase-consideration questions thereby eliminating the need for a dealership salesperson.
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A simple diagram for a difficult and safety critical task. Click to Enlarge.
OmniVision Technologies today announced the first two members of its new automotive image sensor platform—the 8MP, front-view OX08A and OX08B.
“The optimal clarity and range offered by this platform, in combination with integrated ASIL-C features, is vital for front-view automotive applications, such as ADAS and level 3+ autonomous vehicles, where the ability to accurately detect people and objects from far away in all lighting conditions is safety-critical,” said OmniVision.
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Ford Motor Company is issuing two new safety recalls in North America on some of its newest, best-selling vehicle lines – F-Series, and Explorer. Some 2017-19 Ford F-250, F-350 and F-450 Super Duty vehicles experience unintended tailgate openings. In affected vehicles with an electric tailgate latch-release switch mounted in the tailgate handle, water entering the electrical wiring system may cause a short circuit, resulting in unintended switch activation and release of the tailgate latches. This could cause the tailgate to open unintentionally, whether the vehicle is in motion or parked.
This electrical safety defect may result in the loss of unrestrained cargo, increasing the risk of a crash. Vehicles with a mechanical tailgate release handle are not affected. Continue reading
Where’s Waldo, err Ken? Click to Enlarge.
The Chicago Auto Show 2020 public show dates are Feb. 8-17. There is a new website with updated online ticketing and additional social media integration. (Midwest Automotive Media Association Family Vehicles of Year, Pacifica Family Vehicle of Year – Midwest Auto Media Assn)
What purports to be the nation’s largest and best-attended auto show, held annually at McCormick Place, will open to the public Saturday, Feb. 8, and run through Monday, Feb. 17, Presidents Day. The show is open 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. each day, except for the final day of the show, Presidents Day, when it closes at 8 p.m.
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A larger issue remains amorphous US strategy conducted and directed in Washington by big money interests that care not about the health and welfare of US citizens.
General Washington himself in December of 1777 reveled on a day of “Thanksgiving” after the defeat of the British at Saratoga during what is known as our War of Independence. This war was conducted when we were still a loose confederation of colonies who rebelled, in part, because we were resisting the taxation needed to pay for the ongoing folly of foreign wars and entanglements of our government run by the rich, privileged British Monarchy and enabling peerage.
It was a war that was won – against all odds by militias, and irregulars forcing a standing 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. Now, once again, the courtiers of privilege and wealth are presiding over our fate. Continue reading
It isn’t only Shane Bieber who can bring on some high heat.
General Motors is recalling 556,399 2019-2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500, and 2020 Silverado 2500, Silverado 3500, Sierra 2500, and Sierra 3500 vehicles equipped with carpet floor covering. These are among GM’s most popular best-selling models and might be the reason took a large Q3 charge against earnings.
When the front seat belt pretensioners deploy, hot gas may vent through an opening in the pretensioner bracket, possibly igniting the cotton fibers in the carpet. GM has been aware of the potential problem since July of this year. ZF is the supplier.
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Mercedes-Benz USA. (MBUSA) is recalling 24,226 2013-2017 vehicles due to a software defect that causes the date and time for the emergency call system (eCall) to differ from the actual date and time, potentially relaying an inaccurate vehicle location.
It’s the latest software glitch that can threaten customers lives because of bad computer code. A wrong vehicle location may delay emergency responders, increasing the risk of injury.
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WEC Race 4 – Aston Martin Beats Ferrari at 8 Hours of Bahrain
They even look like the cars you can buy.
Aston Martin Racing recorded won the first ever Bapco 8 Hours of Bahrain, after Danes Nicki Thiim and Marco Sørensen came in first after a race-long duel with FIA World Endurance Championship GTE Pro rivals Ferrari. (All Race Results here)
It was the second win of the season for the #95 Aston Martin Vantage GTE, securing its drivers a 14-point championship lead as the series now heads into a two-month winter break. Team-mates Alex Lynn (GB) and Maxime Martin (BEL) continued their run of third-place finishes at every race, also ensures that Aston Martin leads the GT Manufacturers’ Championship with 153 points. Continue reading →