Tag Archives: autoinformed.com

Toyota Konpon Research Institute Debuts

The Genesis Research Institute since its beginning in 1996 has used disciplines such as natural science and the humanities to “further the development of energy and environmental technologies.” It was established on 11 June 1996 the birthday of the late Kiichiro Toyoda with joint funding from 12 Toyota Group companies, including Toyota Motor Corporation.

Today Toyota said that the Genesis Research Institute is renamed Toyota Konpon Research Institute. “Twenty-seven years on, society finds itself in an era of great transformation, with the rise of AI and advances in various other fields of science and technology. Continue reading

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Ford Recalls 2019-2020 Fusion PHEVs for Fires

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling 2019-2020 Fusion Plug In Hybrid (PHEV) vehicles because the battery energy control module (BECM) may become damaged resulting in sudden loss of power or fires This is according to the National Highway Traffic Safety … Continue reading

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Alex Palou and Honda Outstanding at Mid-Ohio Indy 200

The result marks Palou’s third IndyCar win in a row in 2023 and fourth in the last five races. It also extends his championship lead to 110 points over teammate and now-second place driver in the standings, Scott Dixon who finished second. Will Power, driver of the #12 Chevrolet IndyCar V6 Verizon Team Penske – a fierce rival of Chip Ganassi the owner of  Palou’s and Power’s race cars took third place. It wasn’t all roses for Chip Ganassi – previously second place in the championship in the fourth Ganassi Racing car, Marcus Ericsson was involved in a lap one incident, ending his race. Continue reading

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Automotive Designer Peter Horbury Passes

Peter was charismatic and among the most influential UK automotive designers. He joined Lotus in 2021, the culmination of a career which had lasted nearly half a century, and which saw him design some of the world’s most significant and pioneering cars. Prior to joining Lotus, Peter was Executive Vice-President of Design for the Geely Group, overseeing the design for a huge portfolio of vehicles for its many brands. He had previously held senior global positions at Ford, Volvo and Chrysler. Continue reading

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General Motors Buys Israeli Battery Software Startup

The move  comes at a time of considerable turmoil and violence in Israel.  There is also the pending UAW contract negotiations where non-union EV partnerships and joint ventures are large, contentious issues. Continue reading

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US 2023 National Export Strategy – Jobs Through Exports

The 2023 NES was released during the Biden-Harris Administration’s inaugural meeting of the President’s Export Council (PEC), a body that serves as the major national advisory committee on international trade. The PEC is comprised of more than two dozen leaders from the private sector, labor, and academia who provide recommendations to the President on policies and programs that affect US trade performance. It is a decidedly awakened approach in stark contrast to the job losing export killing trade war polices of the previous Administration that voters dumped four years ago. Continue reading

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Toyota Motor North America EV Executive Shuffle

Toyota now directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who design, engineer, and assemble what totals ~45 million cars and trucks at 13 non-unionized manufacturing plants. The Research & Development, Manufacturing and Product Support changes are effective 3 July 2023. Continue reading

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Electrify America to add Tesla’s NACS EV Charging Connector

Electrify America said today it will add the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector to Electrify America and Electrify Canada’s fast charging networks to broaden charging s for electric vehicle (EV) drivers. NACS was previously known as the Tesla connector introduced more than a decade ago with its unique pin or plug design that can use both a/c and d/c charging. Electrify America will continue to provide the Combined Charging System (CCS-1) connector throughout its network as it transitions to also support automakers adding NACS charging ports. Continue reading

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Cox Automotive Study – EV Consideration at Record High

“Education for both consumers and dealers remains a critical factor in driving widespread confidence and adoption of electric vehicles,” said Kayla Reynolds, Manager of Research & Market Intelligence, Cox Automotive Mobility. “For dealers specifically, preparation is paramount, and our findings emphasize the urgency of equipping dealers with EV sales and servicing capabilities to meet the needs and demands of EV buyers.” Continue reading

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IIHS – Small Crew Cab Pickups Flunk Crash Tests

Most small pickups fall short when it comes to protecting passengers seated in the rear, according to the latest crash test ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released today. None of the five small crew cab pickups IIHS evaluated has a good rating. The Nissan Frontier is rated acceptable. The Ford Ranger earns a marginal rating, and the Chevrolet Colorado, Jeep Gladiator and Toyota Tacoma are all rated poor. The ratings only apply to the crew cab versions. Continue reading

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BMW Motorrad Links Rent A Ride and Fuel For Life

BMW Motorrad said in Munich this morning that it is combining its Rent A Ride motorcycle program with Fuel For Life. Simply put this offers one-stop shopping for motorcycling enthusiasts looking for experiences globally. Rent A Ride is not just … Continue reading

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GM to Use Ultium for Department of Defense Energy Storage

GM Defense will use GM’s advanced electric vehicle propulsion architecture, the Ultium Platform, to deliver  what it claims will be a scalable and adaptable energy storage unit that supports the tactical energy requirements of war. The prototype will provide uninterruptible and sustainable power for mission critical equipment, such as command and control, communications, radar and weapons systems in remote areas or where a stable power grid is absent. Continue reading

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US EV Market Growing – Problems Growing Too

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation today released its analysis of the US electric vehicle (EV) market for Q1 2023. More than 305,000 EVs sold in U.S. During  Q1, an increase of 56% compared to Q1 2022. This means that EVs represent 8.6% of new light-duty vehicle sales in Q1 2023, up slightly from 8.5% in Q4 2022 and 5.9% in Q1 2022. While this is relatively good news, supply constraints still hinder growth. This might not be as bad as it sounds for consumers since Q1 2023 public charging data show that the installation of US public chargers is not keeping up with current and – above all – projected EV sales. Continue reading

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EV Battery Gold Rush – GM and Element 25

General Motors (NYSE: GM) and Element 25 (ASX: E25) announced today in Detroit and Perth, Australia an agreement for Element 25 to supply up to 32,500 metric tons of manganese sulfate annually to support the annual production of more than … Continue reading

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Toyota, Mitsubishi to Debut Biogas Hydrogen Equipment

Toyota Motor, Toyota Tsusho and Mitsubishi Kakoki will introduce biogas-derived hydrogen production equipment for the first time in Thailand. The hydrogen production equipment to be introduced will be manufactured by Mitsubishi Kakoki and installed in Thailand in November 2023 to produce hydrogen from biogas derived from local chicken manure and food waste.  It’s the latest step announce by awakened companies to move, ultimately, to a carbon-neutral society. Continue reading

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