Mazda Software Recall on Forward Sensing Camera

Mazda North American Operations is recalling 2024 Mazda 3, CX-30, and 2025 CX-50 vehicles. A software malfunction in the forward sensing camera may prevent the automatic emergency braking system and the lane-keep assist system from functioning.

In addition, the headlights will not automatically adjust from high beams to low beams as intended, according to documents released this morning by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The recalled Mazda models were built at Mazda de Mexico Vehicle Operation. Continue reading

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Annals of Marketing – Shohei Ohtani and Taycan Turbo S

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In an updated social media twist on what was once known as the rag trade in the New York garment district, Porsche said this morning there was a meeting with Shohei Ohtani – the two-way player*  – recently in Los Angeles, his adopted home. With all the well-deserved tsunami level of publicity surrounding Ohtani since his arrival in 2018, many were hoping to sign the Japanese-born athlete as the next star player on their team following the announcement of his departure from the Los Angeles Angels in late 2023.

“The number 17 on the back of his in-demand jerseys has been a key component of his identity since his youth and is a symbol of his extraordinary celebrity. With this in mind, Ashley Kelly, the wife of Ohtani’s future teammate Joe on the Los Angeles Dodgers, went straight to work publishing videos in which she showcased jerseys and merchandise of all sizes sporting the number 17 under the hashtag #Ohtake17. The message: her husband, the current owner of the popular jersey number, would surrender it to Ohtani if he’d only join the Dodgers,” Porsche said in a release.** Continue reading

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McLaren P1 $449.99! Some Assembly Required

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McLaren F1™ driver, Lando Norris has completed a lap of the British racetrack, Silverstone, in a 1:1 scale LEGO Technic McLaren P1. Norris successfully lasted through the twist and turns of the 5.891 km (3.66 miles) track. You can buy the 1:8 scale LEGO Technic McLaren P1 Lego for $449.99 (£389.99, €449.99), but some assembly is required.* (Read AutoInformed.com on: McLaren Returns to Le Mans in 2024 FIA WEC)

“Having worked on the original P1 program for McLaren, it’s amazing to see so many of the elements from the original McLaren P1™ brought to life so realistically by the LEGO Technic team for the full-scale model. The car was an icon of its time. I hope that through this collaboration with the LEGO Group, we are able to inspire the next generation of designers and engineers to push the boundaries of automotive innovation,” said Ben Gulliver, Test & Development Director, McLaren Automotive. Continue reading

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Strange Clean Energy Bedfellows – GM and Hyundai

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General Motors (NYSE: GM) and Hyundai Motor Company (KRX: 005380 KS) said today that they have signed an agreement to explore collaboration across key strategic areas. The culturally different companies will look at joint product development, manufacturing and future clean energy technologies. They will also review prospects for combined sourcing in battery raw materials, steel and other areas. This calls into question is GM’s existing similar agreements with Honda Motor.*

“GM and Hyundai have complementary strengths and talented teams. Our goal is to unlock the scale and creativity of both companies to deliver even more competitive vehicles to customers faster and more efficiently,” said GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra. Continue reading

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Stellantis to Invest +$406M in Three Michigan Plants for EVs

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Stellantis (NYSE: STLA) in Amsterdam today announced it is investing more than $406 million in three Michigan facilities to support its multi-energy strategy.* It confirmed that the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (SHAP) will be the Company’s first U.S. plant to build a fully electric vehicle. The Ram 1500 REV electric light-duty pickup truck (BEV) will launch in late 2024. The range-extended all-new 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger will be built alongside internal combustion engine (ICE) models in Sterling Heights. Additional investments will be made to retool the Warren Truck Assembly Plant for production of a future electrified Jeep® Wagoneer, and the Dundee Engine Plant for battery tray production and beam machining for the STLA Frame architecture and STLA Large batteries.

“Sterling Heights Assembly has performed an incredible transformation in record time and I want to thank our colleagues for this great achievement,” said Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares. “Gearing up to build our first-ever Ram electric truck and the range-extended version in Michigan is a meaningful moment of pride for our teams. With these investments supporting both Jeep and Ram, we’re adding innovations to our Michigan manufacturing footprint to support a multi-energy approach that is laser-focused on customer demand.”** Continue reading

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Volkswagen Group Recalls 2021-2024 ID.4 Models

Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2021-2024 ID.4 vehicles. The door handles may allow water to enter the circuit board assembly, which can cause the doors to open unexpectedly. This is according to documents made public today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which had been investigating the safety defect on ~100,000 ID.4’s. The recall population was determined by production records starting from Start of Production of the ID.4 for the U.S. market in the Zwickau (Germany) and the Chattanooga (U.S.) production plant until the current end of Production in both plants for the U.S. market. The part came from U-Shin Mexico.

The affected vehicles may have been built with door handles that do not meet the factory specifications for protection against water ingress. Water ingress into the printed circuit board can lead to malfunctions causing an “open command” – signaling an open command by the door handle when the handle is not being activated by a person. An open door on a moving vehicle puts occupants at risk of injury, and can cause damage to objects and people who may be outside of the vehicle. If the recall problem is present in the vehicle, occupants may notice an audible clicking noise , similar to the sound of a vehicle door being locked/unlocked by the key fob. The planned recall remedy and series production countermeasures are still under development. It is not corrected yet in production. Continue reading

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North Carolina Parts Seller Fined for Emission Defeat Devices

North Carolina automotive parts manufacturer and seller, Rudy’s Performance Parts Inc. (Rudy’s), and its owner, Aaron Rudolf, have agreed to pay a total of $10 million in criminal fines and civil penalties for manufacturing, selling and installing devices, commonly known as “defeat devices,” used to remove or disable required emissions controls in motor vehicles, the U.S. Department of justice said today.

“Defeat devices, such as those sold by Rudy’s, can lead to pollution at high levels that pose health risks and harm the environment,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This plea agreement and civil settlement show that we will take strong action to enforce the Clean Air Act and emissions controls requirements for motor vehicles.” Continue reading

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Manheim – U.S. Wholesale Used Vehicle Prices Up In August

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Wholesale used-vehicle prices* were higher in August compared to July. The Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index (MUVVI)** rose to 203.9, a decline of 3.9% from a year ago. The seasonal adjustment to the index mitigated the impact on the month, resulting in values that rose 1.2% month over month. The non-adjusted price in August increased by 2.2% compared to July, moving the unadjusted average price down 4.6% year over year. The data are from the Manheim Market Report (MMR) from Cox Automotive.*** New-vehicle sales in August were up 7.6% from last year, and volume increased 11.2% from July. The August seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR), came in at 15.1 million, down 0.2 million from last year’s pace and lower than July’s 15.8 million.

“The trend of higher wholesale values at Manheim continued into August from July, as we saw prices appreciate every week except the last,” said Jeremy Robb, senior director of Economic and Industry Insights at Cox Automotive. “Sales conversion continued to rise and held at much higher levels than prior years for the month as more buyers came to markets to replenish supply for used retail inventory. We know lease maturities are on the decline, and used retail days’ supply has tightened over the last month. That will likely keep pressure on buyers at Manheim in the next several weeks.” Continue reading

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Unifor Bargaining Starts for GM CAMI Assembly Plant Workers

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Master bargaining between Unifor and General Motors opened today for Local 88 members employed at the CAMI Assembly plant and Battery Assembly facility in Ingersoll, Ontario. Negotiations at CAMI follow the union’s 2023 bargaining with Ford, General Motors and Stellantis on behalf of 20,000 Detroit Three members, where the pattern agreement was set.* As a result of the different bargaining cycle there is a significant, ongoing delay before CAMI workers receive the same pay as their counterparts at other GM locations.

“Our members at CAMI are on the frontline of the EV transition in Canada, and Unifor will fight to protect the good union jobs and secure future every autoworker was promised,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “These negotiations will focus squarely on securing workers the economic stability our members deserve and that includes aligning CAMI workers with the rest of our GM membership to eliminate the historical lag in wage increases and other negotiated benefits.” Continue reading

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Annals of Marketing – Porsche Turbonite at Fashion Week

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The Pantone Color Institute publishes the Pantone Fashion Color Trend Report, its preview of popular and innovative colors that provides important stimuli for the world of design and fashion. In the latest issue for New York Fashion Week (NYFW 6 – 11 September 2024), Pantone noted Turbonite *– the first time the report has featured a customized color from an automotive brand. Porsche has been varying the look of its Turbo derivatives with this metallic grey tone since late in 2023. The sports car manufacturer and the color specialist will celebrated the publication of ‘The Story of Turbonite’ at an event ahead of NYFW.

“Every designer and graphic artist knows the Pantone color cards. In the same way that the Porsche 911 is the archetype of all sports cars, for more than 60 years the US company’s color standard system has been the reference work for everyone that uses colors in design,” says Michael Mauer, Vice President Style Porsche. “We are proud to be the first outside brand represented in Pantone’s Fashion Color Trend Report. Turbonite is unique. An innovative, timeless, strong, but not loud color that gives our Turbo derivatives an unmistakable, self-assured look. Like all Porsche colors, the newly developed color shade was created over several years in a labor-intensive creative and development process,” Mauer claimed. Continue reading

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Global Warming – EPA Issues HFC Enforcement Alert

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today issued an Enforcement Alert about its work under the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act (AIM Act) to phase down production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). HFCs are super polluting greenhouse gases with a global warming potential that can be hundreds to thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide that are commonly used in refrigeration, air conditioning, and other sectors. EPA’s efforts under the AIM Act are part of a global HFC phase-down that when fully implemented, is expected to reduce global warming by up to 0.5 degrees Celsius.

“After another summer of record-breaking heat, the urgency of the climate crisis continues to accelerate. The Biden-Harris administration is committed to meeting our goals to phase-down HFCs, which contribute dramatically to near-term climate change, so that our children and grandchildren can have a sustainable future,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann, of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. Continue reading

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Toyota’s Next-Gen Battery Plan Certified by METI

Toyota Motor Corporation said today that the development and production plans for its next-generation batteries (performance version) and all-solid-state batteries were certified by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) as part of the Japanese government’s “Supply Assurance Plan for Batteries. Certification was granted for (1) production of next-generation batteries (performance version) at Prime Planet Energy & Solutions, Inc. (PPES), (2) production of next-generation batteries (performance version) at Primearth EV Energy Co., Ltd. (PEVE)* and (3) R&D and production of all-solid-state batteries.

“By advancing battery development and production in Japan, Toyota aims to contribute to the further development of the industry and the strengthening of the production infrastructure of batteries. Additionally, by enhancing the competitiveness of batteries, Toyota seeks to improve the marketability of electrified vehicles and achieve carbon neutrality through a multi-pathway approach,” Toyota said in a release. Continue reading

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Mazda and Panasonic Link on Cylindrical Lithium-Ion Batteries

Panasonic Energy Company and Mazda Motor Corporation today announced that they will prepare for the supply of next-generation cylindrical automotive lithium-ion batteries, in anticipation of their installation in Mazda’s battery electric vehicles with scheduled production from 2027 onward. In a release they said this follows their formerly concluded agreement and reflects their aim of establishing a medium- to long-term partnership.

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry also approved today their joint project for the expansion of battery production and technology development as part of its plan for establishing a stable supply of batteries. The Japanese government has positioned storage batteries as a strategic asset for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, and is working to expand the domestic battery supply chains and improve industrial competitiveness. It added a subsidy of ~28.3 billion Yen ($199 million).* Continue reading

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U.S. Light Vehicle Sales in August 2024 Disappoint

U.S. light vehicle sales totaled 1.42 million in August, the GlobalData* consultancy said today. The annualized selling rate for the month was 15.1 million a year, down from 16.0 million a year in July. The daily selling rate was estimated at 50,600 units per day in August, down from 51,400 in July. Expectations were high coming into the month, given the inclusion of Labor Day in August for the first time since 2019.**

August had long been earmarked as a potential bumper month for the auto industry, given a calendar that had not been seen since 2019. However, comparing August 2024 with the same month five years ago demonstrates that the market is still far from fully recovered, as sales were 222,000 lower than in August 2019. Although the industry as a whole is seeing higher incentives than has typically been the case in recent years, there appeared to be relatively few additional deals available for the Labor Day weekend, which may have held back August sales to some extent,”said David Oakley, Manager, Americas Sales Forecasts, GlobalData. Continue reading

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August U.S. Auto Sales Highest Year-to-Date

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After U.S. Labor Day holiday weekend sales, initial August new-vehicle sales results, as expected, are indicating healthy volume gains, according to Cox Automotive.* Full results will be in by the end of the week, but early reports suggest the extra selling days helped the auto market navigate August with strength, according to Cox Automotive Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke  in his latest Auto Market Report released this morning. (Read AutoInformed.com on Slight Labor Day Jump Forecast for August US Auto Sales)**

“New- and used-vehicle sales volumes are at the highest level for 2024. With growing demand, supply has tightened, and prices are creeping up. For the first time this year, the popular 3-year-old product – a staple of the used-vehicle business our team tracks closely – experienced a price increase in both the wholesale and retail markets,” said Smoke.
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