Tag Archives: autoinformed.com

Stellantis Simplifies European Financing and Leasing Services

“Today marks the birth of Stellantis Financial Services, a major player in European automotive financing, and of the new consolidated Leasys,” said Philippe de Rovira, Stellantis Chief Affiliates Officer. “This simplification allows for superior agility to serve our customers, better support of the commercialization across Stellantis brands**, and strengthened competitiveness by leveraging various synergies.” Continue reading

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Toyota Motor North American Sales in March and Q1 Drop 9%

“With 22 electrified vehicle options between both the Toyota and Lexus brands, the most among any automaker, we’re giving customers a choice that fits their lifestyle, pocketbook and needs,” said Jack Hollis, executive vice president, sales, TMNA. “We continue to make improvements to our vehicle inventory to satisfy customer demand, while doing all we can to exceed expectations as we introduce more electrified vehicles throughout the balance of 2023,” Hollis said. He did not address the disconnect between a growing overall market and TMNA’s decline. Continue reading

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GM Q1 2023 US Sales Increase 18% as Trucks and SUVs Lead

General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) and its dealers delivered 603,208 vehicles during Q1 in the US. This is  an 18% increase during the first quarter of 2023 compared year-over-year. GM also estimated that its market share increased by 1.5 percentage points, which would be the largest increase of any automaker. Complete competitive data won’t be available until later this week. GM sold 270,376 full-size and mid-size pickup  trucks and full-size SUVs during Q1. Continue reading

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Milestones: Subaru Recycling – 8 Million Pieces of Trash

During Subaru Loves the Earth month in April, and throughout the year, the automaker works with the global waste management firm TerraCycle® to offer recycling at more than 600 participating Subaru retailer locations nationwide to transform trash into products that benefit their communities. Items collected include disposable cups, lids, straws, snack wrappers, and single-use coffee capsules. Items collected include disposable cups, lids, straws, snack wrappers, and single-use coffee capsules. Continue reading

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Annals of EV Marketing – GMC and EarthCruiser

GMC claims that by working with EarthCruiser’s research and design division, and informed by its extensive experience in the field, GMC will produce a next-generation “upfit for electric vehicles that will be integrated onto the HUMMER EV Pickup.” In short here comes more premium-priced trucks. Continue reading

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EPA Approves New California Heavy-Duty Emissions Standards

In this latest victory for environmentalists, CARB requested two waivers for regulations relating to heavy duty vehicles and diesel engines. After reviewing the technical information provided by CARB, reviewing comments submitted by the public, and applying the limited authority for review under section 209 of the Clean Air Act, EPA said it was “appropriate” to grant the waiver and authorization requests. Continue reading

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Subaru to Launch Forager Granola on 1 April

“The closest thing you’ll find to eating compost for breakfast, Subaru Forager Granola is a companion snack to power you through life’s crunchiest pursuits. The ultimate driver’s seat treat (just ignore the crumbs) Forager can power even the busiest days, whether you’re scouting out trees to hug, talking to plants, or searching for a spot for your latest bumper sticker,” Subaru said in a release. Continue reading

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Chinese Vehicle Sales Still Slumping

However, the cumulative LV production from January to February in the world’s largest market, fell by -14% YoY. At the component level, passenger vehicle production in February increased by 12% YoY while cumulative PV production to February decreased by 14% YoY, the same as the decrease in LV overall. Light Commercial Vehicle output at 255,000 was up 9% YoY. but down by -17% YTD. The February selling rate was 21 million units/year, down 11% from a weak January, and the lowest rate since the Shanghai lockdown of April 2022. In YoY terms, however, sales (i.e., wholesales) increased by 14.3% against a low base, due to the timing of the Chinese New Year, said LMC. Continue reading

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Ford Collaborates with Chinese Huayou on EV Battery Nickel

“This framework gives Ford direct control to source the nickel we need – in one of the industry’s lowest-cost ways – and allows us to ensure the nickel is mined in line with our company’s sustainability targets, setting the right ESG standards as we scale,” said Lisa Drake, vice president for Ford Model e EV industrialization. “Working this way puts Ford in a position to help make EVs more accessible for millions and to do it in a way that helps better protect people and the planet,” claimed Drake. Unmentioned by Drake is that Vale is conducting research in bio-leaching, which eliminates acid for leaching metals from ore by using bacteria to convert the metals such as nickel into a soluble form. Continue reading

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Friends, Families Can Change Distracted Driving Behaviors

“It may come as a surprise, but many drivers still don’t realize how dangerous it is to check a text message or glance at their Instagram feed while they’re zipping along the road,” said IIHS Research Associate Aimee Cox, the lead author of the study. Continue reading

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J.D. Power and Motorq to Monitor EV Battery Health

Yes, your vehicle will be monitored. Clearly, privacy issues will have to be worked out. J.D. Power and Motorq, a connected vehicle analytics company, will use thousands of measurements taken from the vehicle over time to assess how an individual EV battery is performing. The two companies are in active discussions with vehicle manufacturers and other industry participants to bring empirical EV battery health to the market. Continue reading

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Mazda Adding Renewable Solar Power to Japanese Plants

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (MITI) provides subsidies to cover a portion of the expense of installing solar power generation facilities in cases where consumers of electric power coordinated with an electric power producer to establish such facilities. “These subsidies are intended to promote such collaborations and encourage wider adoption of independent initiatives to establish renewable energy sources, contributing to a reliable, long-term, supply-demand balance in energy use during the period up until 2030, thereby supporting the achievement of ambitious targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.” Continue reading

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Kia EV9 Joins the Three-Row SUV Parade

“The Kia EV9 transcends all aspects of traditional SUV thinking and represents the pinnacle of Kia’s design and engineering capabilities. Created to meet the needs of all family members, the EV9 also spearheads Kia’s rapid transition to a sustainable mobility solutions provider, not just by its advanced EV architecture, but also through the numerous recycled and sustainable materials used in its creation,” said Ho Sung Song, President and CEO. Continue reading

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Fuji Motorsports Forest to Be a New Corporation, Destination

Arranged around the Fuji International Speedway circuit, Forest will consist of various facilities where motorsports culture can be enjoyed such as the Fuji Speedway Hotel, which offers a luxury experience, the Fuji Motorsports Museum which exhibits historic racing cars symbolizing each era, and garages of Japan’s leading racing teams. There are also spas and restaurants for the enjoyment of all visitors. Continue reading

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Seattle Streets Safer Because of Lower Speeds

“When we talk about the Safe System approach, we always stress that nobody should have to die because of a mistake,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “These results illustrate the value of rethinking speed limits. Crashes still happened after Seattle’s changes, but they weren’t as dangerous.” Continue reading

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