EU February 2025 Car Sales Drop. Tesla Tanks

Posted on 25 March 2025 by Ken Zino
Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on EU February 2025 Cars Drop. Tesla Tanks

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During February 2025 European new car sales dropped -3% according to registration data released today by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, aka ACEA derived from its French name. Year-to-date February 2025, battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 15.2% of total EU market share, signifying an increase from the low baseline of 11.5% in the comparable period of January-February 2024. Hybrid-electric vehicles surged, capturing 35.2% of the market and remaining the preferred choice among EU consumers. Meanwhile, the combined market share of petrol and diesel cars fell to 38.8%, down from 48.5% over the same period in 2024.

“Notably, the bloc’s major markets saw declines, with Italy (-6%), Germany (-4.6%), and France (-3.3%). Spain conversely recorded an 8.4% increase,” ACEA said. Buried in the data, but not noted by ACEA is Tesla sales dropped significantly for the second straight month in Europe. Year to date Tesla is off 49% dropping from 37,311 in 2024 to 19,046 in 2025. This as the Chinese assault on the European market is just beginning. Continue reading →

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Genesis Offers Free NACS Adapters

Posted on 25 March 2025 by Ken Zino
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Genesis (Hyundai Motor Group KRX: 005380 KS) today announced that current U.S. EV owners* who purchased their vehicle on or before 31 January 2025 will begin receiving emails inviting them to redeem their complimentary North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapters starting the week of 7 April. This Genesis authorized adapter gives Combined Charging System (CCS1) port GV60, Electrified GV70 and Electrified G80 owners access to an additional 20,000 NACS DC fast chargers in the U.S. at the Tesla Supercharger Network.

“At Genesis, we pride ourselves on providing customers with the best possible ownership experience,” said Tedros Mengiste, chief operating officer, Genesis Motor North America. “By offering complimentary NACS adapters, we will make charging even more convenient for our current EV owners. This reinforces our commitment to treating every customer as our ‘son-nim,’ or honored guest.” Continue reading →

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Aston Martin Debuts Vanquish Volante

Posted on 25 March 2025 by Ken Zino
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Aston Martin in Gaydon today announced the arrival of the new Vanquish Volante. It is the fastest, most powerful open top (Brit speak: convertible – AutoCrat) series production Aston Martin to date. It shares with the coupe the claim as the fastest, most powerful front-engine production car on sale today.

“For 60 years, Aston Martin Volantes have defined the art of elegant, sporting, open-top motoring. With its stunning looks and outstanding V12 engine producing more power than any other front-engine production car on sale, Vanquish Volante has taken this philosophy to an entirely new level. At Aston Martin we are proud to be doing such justice to our heritage while, as the unprecedented performance of the Vanquish Volante shows, keeping our eyes firmly focused on the future,” said a chuffed Aston Martin Chief Executive Officer, Adrian Hallmark. Continue reading →

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Renesas Electronics Shows New Bluetooth Chip

Posted on 25 March 2025 by Ken Zino
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Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723) today introduced a new Bluetooth chip that combines a radio transceiver, an Arm® M0+ micro-controller, memory, peripherals and security features in a compact SoC (system on a chip) design.*

“The DA14533, the first automotive-qualified device in the company’s Bluetooth® Low Energy system-on-chip (SoC) family, includes advanced power management features to simplify system integration and reduce power consumption,” Renesas said. Continue reading →

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Ford Super Duty Pickup Recall – Detaching Steering Columns

Posted on 24 March 2025 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is recalling ~12,000 2025 model year Super Duty F-250, F-350, and F-450 vehicles. The steering column shifter may have been improperly welded  by Nexteer Corporation Mexico and detach from the steering column.

“If the shifter mechanism detaches while the vehicle is not in park, the driver will be unable to engage park. In this case, the vehicle may roll if the parking brake is not manually applied, increasing the risk of a crash. The driver will receive audible warnings and a cluster message indicating that the vehicle is not in park when they open the door or shut off the ignition. If there is a physical key, the driver will notice that the key cannot be removed and is retained in the ignition. The vehicle cluster will remain awake and the driver will receive these audible warnings and cluster message even if the vehicle is shut off,” Ford said in the required safety defect recall filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this morning. Continue reading →

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Ford Motor Recalls another Previous Recall

Posted on 24 March 2025 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is recalling ~50,000 2020-2023 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under NHTSA recall number 23V342. The video output may fail, preventing the rearview camera image from displaying. [Ford is also recalling 2021-2022 Edge vehicles, 2025 Escape SUVs previously repaired incorrectly under NHTSA recall number 22V151. A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank or distorted image when the vehicle is in reverse. Ford’s number for these recalls is 25S28 – AutoCrat.]

“According to Ford’s records certain 2020 – 2023 model year Ford Explorer, 2020 -2023 Lincoln Aviator, and 2020 – 2022 Lincoln Corsair vehicles did not have the remedy for Safety Recall 23S23 / 23V342 installed correctly but were recorded as having the repair successfully completed. Because the correct software update remedy may not be installed on the vehicle, the underlying condition specified in Safety Recall 23S23 / 23V342 may still exist, and customers may intermittently experience either a rear camera blue image or a full blue or black image on the SYNC screen when the vehicle is placed in reverse, or when the 360-degree view is selected and available during low- speed operation,” Ford said in the required safety defect recall filing made public this morning by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Continue reading →

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Ford Recalls a Prior Sudden Loss of Power Recall

Posted on 24 March 2025 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is recalling more than 12,000  2021-2024 Bronco Sport and 2022-2023 Maverick vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 24V-267. The body and power train control modules may fail to detect a change in the 12-volt battery state of charge. (Read AutoInformed.com on: Ford Bronco Recalls – Shocks and Batteries)

“Affected vehicles may not contain the remedy Powertrain Control Module and/or Body Control Module software for recall 24S24,” Ford said in the mandatory safety defect filing made public this morning by the apparently still functioning National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Continue reading →

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Tesla Cybertrucks Recalled For Bad Adhesives

Posted on 21 March 2025 by Ken Zino

Tesla is recalling more than 46,000 2024 and 2025 model-year Cybertrucks, according to documents made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The ironically named “cant rail,” a stainless-steel exterior trim panel, can de-laminate and detach from the vehicle creating a road hazard for other vehicles. (Cant railings are not Elon Musk’s and other DOGE defenses flying about although they create truth hazards that could harm the U.S. model year 1788 vehicle known as the Constitution – AutoCrat)

“The Cybertruck is equipped with a cosmetic applique along the exterior of the vehicle, known as the cant rail, which is an assembly comprised of an electro-coated steel stamping joined to a stainless steel panel with structural adhesive. The cant rail assembly is affixed to the vehicle with fasteners. On affected vehicles, the cant rail stainless steel panel may de-laminate at the adhesive joint, which may cause the panel to separate from the vehicle,” Tesla said in the mandatory U.S. Safety Recall document. Continue reading →

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CARB Using Methane Leak Satellite Data

Posted on 21 March 2025 by Ken Zino
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The California Air Resources Board (CARB) today announced that the state is moving forward with an innovative effort to reduce planet-warming methane emissions using satellite technology. The project is made possible by a $100 million state budget investment to purchase methane plume data collected by satellites. Methane is a climate pollutant that warms the atmosphere at least 25 times more than carbon dioxide. (Read AutoInformed.com on: CARB and United Nations Start Satellites for Climate Action)

“Decades of progress to protect public health is on the line with these EPA rollbacks. California isn’t having it. Thanks to our state investment, we’re using satellite technology to detect methane leaks as they happen. With this new data, we’ll be able to move faster to cut harmful methane pollution – protecting Californians and the clean air we’ve fought so hard for,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. Continue reading →

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Hino Motors Fined $1.6B for Emissions Fraud

Posted on 21 March 2025 by Ken Zino

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have announced that U.S. District Court Judge Mark A. Goldsmith for the Eastern District of Michigan has accepted Hino Motors, Ltd.’s guilty plea to a one-count criminal information charging it with having engaged in a multi-year criminal conspiracy to defraud both the United States government and American consumers and illicitly smuggle goods into the country. (Read AutoInformed.com on: Toyota’s Hino Motors Emissions Fraud – $1.6B Plea Deal)

“Hino falsely certified compliance with the Clean Air Act so that it could profit off Americans by sending illegal, polluting engines into the United States,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Jeffrey Hall for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. Continue reading →

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American Honda – Tesla Supercharger Network Coming

Posted on 21 March 2025 by Ken Zino
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Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX owners will gain access to more than 20,000 selected Tesla Superchargers across the United States starting in June 2025, American Honda said today. (Read AutoInformed.com on: Acura ZDX and ZDX Type S EVs Start at $64,500 and Honda Prologue SUV EV Gets $7500 Tax Subsidy)

 “Adding Tesla Supercharger network access to the charging networks already available to our EV customers means industry-leading fast-charging access for Honda and Acura EV drivers,” said Ryan Harty, assistant vice president of Sustainability & Business Development at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “By the end of this decade, we strive to provide Honda and Acura EV drivers with the most convenient and easy charging at more than 100,000 charge points nationwide, helping people choose to purchase an EV for the many benefits of driving one.” Continue reading →

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Annals of Marketing – Indy 500 Milk Cartons

Posted on 20 March 2025 by Ken Zino
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Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) said today that the American Dairy Association Indiana and Prairie Farms Dairy are collaborating to bring Indianapolis 500-branded milk pints and cartons to fans across the Midwest. The tradition of drinking milk after winning the Indianapolis 500 goes back to 1936 when Louis Meyer, an avid drinker of buttermilk, requested a bottle after winning his third Indy 500. As the story goes, a dairy industry executive saw the newsreel footage of the iconic moment and requested milk be made available to the winner of each Indianapolis 500 thereafter.

IMS said that “More than 13,000 retailers across Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin will be stocked with 16-ounce pints celebrating five winners of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” Continue reading →

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Autonomous Driving Systems – Magna and NVIDIA

Posted on 20 March 2025 by Ken Zino
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Magna said earlier this week that it will integrate NVIDIA DRIVE AGX, built on DRIVE Thor SoC, for next-generation vehicle intelligence. Magna plans to unveil a working demonstration platform that is expected in Q4 2025. As part of this, Magna will use NVIDIA Drive-OS for development, integration, validation and production workflows.

“Combining NVIDIA accelerated compute and AI capabilities with Magna’s extensive automotive expertise and innovation, we aim to explore new standards for next-generation software-defined vehicle intelligence and autonomy,” said Steven Jenkins, Vice President of Technology Strategy at Magna Electronics. “Our collaboration allows us to develop market applications for AI-powered solutions that could redefine the driving experience and address the evolving demands of the automotive industry.” Continue reading →

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Global Warming – Rising Weather and Climate Impacts!

Posted on 20 March 2025 by Ken Zino
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There are clear signs that human-induced climate change reached new heights in 2024, with some of the consequences being irreversible over hundreds if not thousands of years, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which also underlined the massive economic and social upheavals from extreme weather.

“Our planet is issuing more distress signals – but this report shows that limiting long-term global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius is still possible. Leaders must step up to make it happen — seizing the benefits of cheap, clean renewables for their people and economies with new National climate plans due this year, ” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. Continue reading →

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First Look – 2025 Audi RS-3 Sedan

Posted on 20 March 2025 by Ken Zino
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Audi of America today released pricing and specifications for the 2025 Audi RS 3. It retains the Nürburgring-Nordschleife record in the compact class. It also has the unique Audi five-cylinder engine.

Audi said the RS-3, “reaffirms the compact sport sedan’s position as the attainable entry point to the Audi Sport portfolio. Featuring a combination of visual enhancements to both the interior and exterior, more standard equipment, and performance benefits of fine-tuning; the latest rendition of the RS 3 invites drivers to experience the progressive union of luxury with the track-proven performance demonstrated through the new record lap set in the compact vehicle class on the Nurburgring-Nordschleife with 7:33.123 minutes.” Continue reading →

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