Rivian Gets $500 Million for New Ford Battery Electric Vehicle

Posted on 24 April 2019 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on Rivian R1T pickup

Ford intends to develop a new vehicle using Rivian’s flexible skateboard platform.

Rivian today announced an equity investment of $500 million from Ford Motor Company as the companies have agreed to work together to develop an all-new, next-generation battery electric vehicle for Ford’s growing EV portfolio using Rivian’s skateboard platform.

Rivian has developed two new vehicles– the five-passenger R1T pickup and seven-passenger R1S SUV. It’s claimed they will deliver up to 400-plus miles of range and provide off-road capability and utility, starting in late 2020. Continue reading →

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DOT Secretary Chao Announces FAA Certification of Commercial Package Delivery, aka Pizza Pie in the Sky

Posted on 24 April 2019 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on drones

There goes the neighborhood as drones eventually will return with a pizza…

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao today attempted to change the subject from the Boeing certification scandal by announcing the Federal Aviation Administration awarded the first air carrier certification to a drone delivery company, Wing Aviation.

This allows Wing Aviation to begin commercial package delivery in Blacksburg, VA. Wing partnered with the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership and Virginia Tech, as one of the participants in the Transportation Department’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program. Continue reading →

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Prices on 370Z Coupe, NISMO, 50th Anniversary Edition

Posted on 23 April 2019 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on 2020 Nissan Z and NISMO pricing

Change the paint, remove the front and rear spoilers – and charge $1600 more for, well, neo nostalgia?

Nissan today announced U.S. pricing for the 2020 370Z Coupe and 370Z NISMO, which are on sale now at Nissan dealers nationwide. The starting Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices (MSRPs) for the 370Z Coupe and the high-performance 370Z NISMO are $30,090 and $45,790 respectively. (add $895 Destination and Handling)

The big selling move for 2020 is the addition of a new 370Z 50th Anniversary Edition package, which uses five decades of the sports car to promote and justify a an additional $2,600 above the 370Z Coupe Sport MSRP of $30,090 + $895. Continue reading →

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First-Ever ‘King of the Street Bike Weekend at Graceland’

Posted on 21 April 2019 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on Elvis Presley and His Harley-Davidson

See the new Graceland Exhibition Center.

From his first Harley Model 165 to his beloved 1956 Pepper Red Harley-Davidson KH, Elvis Presley loved buying and riding motorcycles. On May 31 – June 2, Elvis Presley’s Graceland will host its first ‘King of the Street Bike Weekend at Graceland.’

“If you’ve ever seen the ‘Presley Cycles’ exhibit in Elvis Presley’s Memphis, it’s obvious Elvis had a love for all things on two wheels, and we’re excited to recapture that same passion that comes with riding life,” said Debbie Miller, CMO of Elvis Presley Enterprises.

The idea aside – from making a buck-  is to bring motorcycle enthusiasts and Elvis fans together for an “incredible experience.” Continue reading →

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Dallas and Houston Are Now Fourth and Fifth Most Populous

Posted on 21 April 2019 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on U.S. Population Changes 2110 - 2018

Click to Enlarge.

Two of the top three largest gaining metropolitan statistical areas from 2010 to 2018 were in the state of Texas. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro areas each gained over 1,000,000 people, according to July 1, 2018, population estimates just released. “With estimated populations of 7,539,711 and 6,997,384, respectively, Dallas and Houston are positioned as the fourth and fifth most populous metro areas in 2018,” said Kristie Wilder of the United States Census Bureau.

Phoenix, with an estimated gain of 664,835 people since 2010, ranks third in cumulative numeric growth and is about to become one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the U.S. Continue reading →

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Tsinghua University and Toyota Form Joint Research Institute

Posted on 21 April 2019 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com

Toyota Models on sale in China: Corolla via FAW Toyota, and Levin through GAC Toyota.

Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) and Tsinghua University announced today that they have agreed to establish the Tsinghua – Toyota Joint Research Institute. Through the Joint Research Institute, the two entities plan to conduct various research together during the next five years.

In a joint statement, Toyota claimed there is an opportunity to contribute to the development of China and become a mobility company capable of meeting the needs of Chinese consumers through the development and popularization of vehicles equipped with new technology. By equipping new technology, the aim is to excel in solving environmental problems and in reducing traffic accidents. Continue reading →

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Ballot 3/8 LC Due at 2019 Hampton Court Concours of Elegance

Posted on 20 April 2019 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed,com on Ballot 3/8 LC

The two French Ballots competing in the Italian Grand Prix took first and second spots, while a Fiat 802 – the Italian crowd’s favorite of course – took third.

The winner of the first ever Italian Grand Prix, a Ballot 3/8 LC, is one of the astonishing cars set for this year’s Concours of Elegance, which  takes place in the Fountain Gardens of Hampton Court Palace this September 6-8.

The cutting-edge French racing car, capable of 124 mph, was driven to victory at the 1921 Italian Grand Prix in Brescia by Jules Goux. The engine’s double overhead camshafts, four valves-per-cylinder and hemispherical combustion chambers were the works Ernest Henry. This preserved example was also owned by Sir Malcolm Campbell, who raced it at Brooklands in 1923. Continue reading →

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Audi Hires Marvel Studios on “Avengers: Endgame”

Posted on 20 April 2019 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on Brie Larson as Captain Marvel

“Speed limits are still a thing.”

Brie Larson as Captain Marvel gets a lesson on the past and present in humorous video with the all-electric Audi e-tron Sportback concept and Audi e-tron GT concept, appear in Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Endgame.” The video, called “The Debriefing,” follows Larson as Captain Marvel and her re-introduction to society after years away from Earth. The video also promotes the Audi e-tron SUV, the brand’s first all-electric vehicle, unveiled in the U.S. last fall.

When Captain Marvel returns to Earth after years away, a government agent recaps all she’s missed, including advances in the war on gluten, technology and the formation of the Avengers. In her efforts to embrace the future, Captain Marvel is introduced to the all-new Audi e-tron SUV and takes it for a spin – where the agent notes: “Speed limits are still a thing.” Continue reading →

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Government Trust at / or Near Historic Low Levels

Posted on 20 April 2019 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on Trust In Government Lowest Ever

It’s been downhill for decades. Is Trump the bottom? Likely not if you look at the trend line.

When the National Election Study began asking about trust in government in 1958, about three-quarters of Americans trusted the federal government to do the right thing almost always or most of the time. Now Trust in Government is at or near historically low levels across generational lines.

Trust in government began eroding during the 1960s, amid the escalation of the Vietnam War, and the decline continued in the 1970s with the Watergate scandal and worsening economic struggles. Continue reading →

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Watt? Electric Cars Cause Another Great Generational Divide

Posted on 20 April 2019 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on ACEEE 2018 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard

ACEEE 2018 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard
States up efficiency by investments and power savings, push net-zero buildings and electric vehicles. NJ, CT, CO, SD improve most. MA and CA lead.

A new study suggests more Millennials in the Northeast are embracing electric cars faster than Baby Boomers, even as all acknowledge electric cars are the future. According to Drive Change. Drive Electric. campaign, Millennials are more accepting of electric cars than Baby Boomers in the Northeast. While more than half of all people surveyed are considering an electric car when shopping for a new vehicle, this increases to 63% when considering only Millennials and falls to 38% with Baby Boomers alone.

If either group follows through on its level of interest in electric vehicles, the Northeast will see a huge spike in electric vehicle sales, which currently make up about 2% of new vehicle purchases in the region. Continue reading →

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Volkswagen ID. R Ready for Nordschleife Record Attempt

Posted on 20 April 2019 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on Volkswagen ID. R Ready for Nordschleife Record Attempt

The two electric motors in the ID. R provide 500 kW (680 PS) of power to drive all four wheels.

The Volkswagen ID. R has completed the next series of tests in preparation for the record attempt on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife this summer. After working on the aerodynamics in the wind tunnel, the most recent tests at the racetracks in Le Castellet and Alès (both France) focused on the energy management software. The goal was to establish the ideal set-up for the electric drivetrain Nordschleife. (VW Plans Electric Record Run on Nürburgring-Nordschleife)

The ID. R is a marketing gimmick as the sporty forerunner of the ID. family of fully-electric production vehicles from Volkswagen starting in 2020. Thus, it aims for  a new record lap time for electric vehicles at the historic Eifel circuit, with Romain Dumas at the wheel. Continue reading →

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50 Years of Porsche 917 to be Celebrated at Goodwood

Posted on 19 April 2019 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on Porsche 917

Driving the cars at Goodwood will be Le Mans winners Richard Attwood and Neel Jani along with former F1 and LMP1 racer Mark Webber.

Four world premieres will be at 77th Goodwood Members Meeting in Great Britain as Porsche shows driving examples of the 917 around the Goodwood Motor Circuit – including the first 917, chassis 001 which has been restored in Sussex in time for this year’s jubilee. The 917-001 and the 917/30-001 meet for the first time at a driving event.

Joining the first ever built 917 and the 917/30-001 will be the 917 KH and the 917/30 Spyder. One of the most iconic is the 917 KH short-tail car, chassis 15 in Gulf Oil livery. After having won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 917 short tail did it again the following year by carrying Martini Racing colors and the number ’22’ and with Gijs van Lennep and Helmut Marko sharing the driving. They averaged 222 km/h and covered a distance of 5,335 kilometers – a record which stood for 39 years. Continue reading →

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McLaren Confirms Multi-Year Deal with IMSA Sportscar Championship

Posted on 19 April 2019 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on McClaren IMSA Sponsorship

A storied English brand that is currently getting its fannie kicked in F1 is doing better in sports car racing and planning a return to Indianapolis.

McLaren Automotive says it confirmed a multi-year agreement with IMSA – the International Motor Sports Association – which will see customer teams racing as part of the US- and Canada-based IMSA WeatherTech Sprint Cup season in 2019.

McLaren is officially entered as a manufacturer for the largest GT3 championship in the US market. This announcement comes as McLaren customer team Compass Racing unveils new paint for its 2019 challenger, in the form of the McLaren 720S GT3 which will contest the newly-launched Sprint Cup championship this season. The 720S GT3 will make its North American debut at the Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, in Lexington, Ohio. The event takes place 3-5 May.
Continue reading →

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Wards 10 Best Interiors Announced at New York Auto Show 

Posted on 19 April 2019 by Ken Zino

AutoInformed.com on Lincoln Nautilus Interior

Lincoln Nautilus ($67,630). Click to Enlarge the photo, not the price.

The Wards 10 Best Interiors list recognizes outstanding achievement in aesthetics, comfort, ergonomics, materials usage, fit-and-finish and user-friendliness of displays and controls, according to its quirky but oh so knowledgeable editors. Eight of them based in soul-less, car clogged Southfield, MI, selected the best interiors from a list of 32 nominated vehicles with all-new or significantly improved cabins available in the U.S. There is no price cap for 10 Best Interiors it’s claimed, but the list shows that value – or money does play a role. 

“Utility vehicles represent the biggest growth in vehicle sales, and automakers aren’t launching as many coupes, sedans and wagons as they have in the past, which makes it remarkable that half the list this year is conventional cars,” says Wards Senior Content Director (aka editor) Drew Winter. Continue reading →

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Ride and Cost Sharing: Toyota, DENSO and SoftBank Vision Fund Invest $1 Billion in Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group

Posted on 19 April 2019 by Ken Zino
AutoInformed.com on Uber and Toyota

The mobility gold rush for companies continues. For stockholders so far it’s a bust.

In a transaction made far from the usual automotive development centers, Toyota, Denso and SoftBank Vision Fund are expanding a “partnership to accelerate development and deployment of automated ridesharing services” by investing $1 billion in Uber Technologies Inc.’s Advanced Technologies Group (Uber ATG). The transaction is expected to close in Q3 of calendar year 2019.

The investment, in a newly formed ATG corporate entity, aims to accelerate the development and commercialization of automated ridesharing services. Under the terms, Toyota and DENSO will together invest $667 million and SVF will invest $333 million, valuing the new Uber ATG entity at $7.25 billion on a post-money basis. Continue reading →

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