Tag Archives: autoinformed.com

Vehicle-to-Home Bidirectional Charging Coming on All GM EVs

General Motors (NYSE:GM) said today that it will expand vehicle-to-home (V2H) bidirectional charging technology across its retail portfolio of Ultium-based electric vehicles by model year 2026. The first vehicles to receive the technology include the previously announced 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST, followed by the 2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1, 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV, 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV, 2024 Cadillac LYRIQ and the upcoming Cadillac ESCALADE IQ.

Information on additional availability of V2H technology and specific timing of V2H rollout to individual vehicle models will be provided in future updates. Just bring money. The question is how much? Continue reading

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Mazda Motor Q1 Sales Surge from Large SUVs

Mazda Motor Corp. (Tokyo 7261) said today that for the first three months of the fiscal year ending 31 March 2024 net sales amounted to ¥1,091.0 billion, an increase of ¥473.8 billion or +76.8% compared to the matching period in the previous fiscal year. Increased sales of the CX-60 and CX-90 in Europe and the US were largely responsible for the Q1 surge. Continue reading

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Zero Emissions – CARB Cal Fleet Advisor for Small Businesses

“The transition to zero-emissions transportation – and to cleaner air – means working collaboratively with the owners and operators who provide a critical service to California’s economy by transporting goods across the state,” said CARB Chair Liane Randolph. “Cal Fleet Advisor is an example of the innovative outreach and assistance that California has committed to provide to make a zero-emissions future a reality.” Continue reading

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Hyundai Fire Recalls – Palisade, Tucson, Sonata, Elantra, Kona; Kia Soul, Sportage, Seltos

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling 2023-2024 Palisade, 2023 Tucson, Sonata, Elantra, and Kona vehicles. The recall also includes 2023 Kia Soul, Sportage, and 2023-2024 Seltos vehicles. The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump controller to overheat, according to the require recalls documents released today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Owners of the ~98,000 defective vehicles are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Continue reading

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Kia Hybrid Fire Recalls on Niro and Niro Plug-ins

Fluid may leak into the printed circuit board inside the hydraulic clutch actuator, which can result in an engine compartment fire. More than ~121,000 Kia hybrids are affected. Illumination of the HEV warning light is an indicator.

Kia will instruct dealers to inspect the HCA and replace, if necessary. Kia will also install a new HCA fuse with one of a higher capacity to mitigate the potential risk of fire caused by an electrical short circuit. Kia will reimburse owners for repair expenses already incurred. Continue reading

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Red Hot and Red Flagged – IndyCar at Nashville

With hot and humid conditions in downtown Nashville during an 80-lap race that was remarkable for its lack of yellow flags – which is why it’s called Crashville – Kyle Kirkwood in a Honda* won 2023 at the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix.

There were tire marbles all over the course just off the racing line because of the unexpected amount of green flag laps. “It was like going on ice,” said Felix Rosenqvist, (driver of the No. 6 Chevrolet) at Arrow McLaren. As a result, the pre-race strategies of all the teams were worthless. Moreover, there was a red flag followed by a three-lap sprint to the checkered flag. Another factor in the sweltering heat was the use of cool suits. Continue reading

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UAW Wants 40% Wage Increase in 2023 Contract Negotiations

“Record profits mean record contracts,” Fain said. “Yes, we’re demanding double-digit pay raises. Big Three CEOs saw their pay spike 40% on average over the last four years. We know our members are worth the same and more.” Continue reading

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World Debut of the Acura ZDX at Monterey Car Week

The largish – grotesque to some AutoInformed readers – ZDX is being co-developed with GM using the highly flexible global EV platform powered by Ultium batteries. What fun for brand managers – a common platform for Cadillac and Acura SUVs? Acura eventually will launch additional EV models starting in 2026 based on the company’s own global EV Architecture. Continue reading

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EPA Rejects Alabama Coal Ash Management Plan

Coal ash is a byproduct of burning coal in coal-fired power plants that, without proper management, can pollute waterways, groundwater, drinking water, and the air. Coal ash contains contaminants such as mercury, cadmium, chromium, and arsenic associated with cancer and other serious health effects. Continue reading

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Former Nikola and GM Engineer Joins Volkswagen of American

“Lyndon brings incredible experience to the Volkswagen brand, which will help us achieve our goal of growing our market share across North America in this decade,” said Pablo Di Si, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. “Designing and engineering our vehicles to meet the unique needs of our markets is more critical than ever before. To achieve this, we continue to take proactive steps to strengthen our capabilities and experience within the North American market.” Continue reading

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US Sales Lengthen Bidenomics Growth Streak in July

“At the risk of sounding like a broken record, July continued the trends that we have observed for several months now. As vehicle availability has improved, sales have grown, and the economy remains sufficiently strong to support the market’s activity, despite high transaction prices, rising interest rates and fears of a recession later in the year or in 2024,” said David Oakley, Manager, Americas Sales Forecasts, GlobalData. Continue reading

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First Look – Automobili Pininfarina PURA Vision

Automobili Pininfarina today in the Cambiano part of Turin introduced its PURA Vision design concept of an electric luxury vehicle – e-LUV in marketing babble. The new design concept will inspire the next generation of Automobili Pininfarina’s pure electric luxury vehicles and will make its public debut at Monterey Car Week in August, where it will appear alongside the recently revealed Battista Edizione Nino Farina hyper GT and another new production vehicle. Continue reading

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Parts Maker Sinister Diesel to Pay $1 Million After Guilty Plea

The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced in the criminal case by US District Court Judge John A. Mendez for the Eastern District of California on 14 November 2023. Although Sinister Diesel agreed to pay a $500,000 criminal fine under its plea agreement, the company faces – for each count – a maximum fine of $500,000 or twice the gross pecuniary gain derived from the offense. Its sentence will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of all applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which consider a number of variables. Continue reading

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First Look – 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser

Toyota (NYSE: TM) has finally officially acknowledged that its longest-running nameplate will return to the North American after a three-year hiatus. Moreover,  the off-road vehicle is less expensive with a MSRP in the mid-$50,000 range. (The Lexus LX 600 version of the platform is on sale now in the US at ~$100,000.) Now built off of the less expensive TNGA-F global truck platform, the new Land Cruiser is available with the range-topping i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain producing 326 horsepower and 465 lb.-ft. of torque. Continue reading

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EPA Awards Grants to 21 Student Teams on Public Health

“EPA’s P3 program, now in its twentieth year, is an exciting and unique program that recognizes the power of students to translate imagination and science into new solutions that protect human health and the environment,” said Chris Frey, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. Continue reading

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