Tag Archives: autoinformed.com

GM Q1 $4 billion. Net $2.9B

“We are now in a rapid launch cycle thanks to investments and initiatives we have undertaken across our entire company over the last several years,” said CEO and Chair Mary Barra in a letter to shareholders released with the earnings. Continue reading

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Kentucky Derby – BMW to be First Luxury Auto Sponsor

Additional paid advertising and marketing elements will include BMW as presenting partner of the American Turf Stakes race on Kentucky Derby day, a brand display at the VIP entrance and “The Ultimate Macaron Bar” at Taste of Derby. BMW will also have an interactive product display located at the main entrance of Churchill Downs. Continue reading

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Milestones – Production Begins for Ford F-150 Lightning EV

Ford Motor, whose existence was tenuous during the Great Recession, is now the top automaker in America in terms of 2021 production, sales of US-made vehicles and employment of hourly autoworkers. The F-150 Lightning is the only full-size electric pickup available now with a starting price less than $40,000. Ford F-Series has been America’s best-selling truck for 45 years running and is second only to the iPhone in revenue among all American consumer products, according to a 2020 study. Continue reading

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Ford Recalls 653,000 F-Series, Expeditions, Navigators for Bad Wipers – 18 Products Affected by Safety Defect

During August of 2021, Ford became aware of stripped wiper arm splines on certain Expedition vehicles as the defect was brought to Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group for review (CCRG). “Routine Ford monitoring of field data had identified reports related to driver or passenger wiper arms coming loose, not working, or detaching. Passenger and driver side wiper arms are independently attached to the wiper system linkage assembly. Several warranty reports contained technician comments indicating stripped splines in the wiper arms, as well as assembly alignment keys that fell out or were missing.” Ford said. Continue reading

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Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Expands Mentoring

“Helping the pupils to think beyond the bounds of school and home can spark aspirational ideas and the motivation to accept the challenges that lie ahead. By sharing their own journeys, which have not always followed conventional educational and employment paths, the mentors demonstrate that no doors are closed, and opportunities come with the desire to pursue things they enjoy and are interested in, however bold,” Rolls said. Continue reading

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Subaru 2023 Solterra Electric SUV Starts at $46,220

The “late to the EV party” Solterra has new electrification and in-vehicle technology. The Solterra name was created using (marketing babble alert> “the Latin words for ‘Sun and Earth’ to represent Subaru’s commitment to deliver traditional SUV capabilities in an environmentally responsible package.” Continue reading

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Chinese Commerce – Dongfeng Honda Begins Sale of NS1 EV

The all-new e:NS1 and e:NP1 are the first of the so-called “e:N Series” models developed as the first Honda-brand EV models in China. The newly created e:N architecture consists of an electric motor that delivers instantaneous output and a claimed subtle control in various driving situations. A large-capacity battery enables a range of 510 km (CLTC base in China). It also allows dedicated body frames. Continue reading

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GM Ultium-based EVs Now Have a Heat Pump

Since EV batteries, power electronics and other propulsion components produce heat, this is another step toward the more efficient use of energy. The Ultium Platform can recover and store this waste heat from the Ultium propulsion system. It can also capture and use humidity from both inside and outside the vehicle, including body heat from passengers. Continue reading

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EPA Sued to Set New Limits on Soot, Sulfur, Nitrogen Pollution

Plaintiffs appear to have a compelling case. According to the pleadings, EPA’s latest update and review of the welfare-based standards for sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides was in June 2012; new standards were due in June 2017. The EPA last updated the particulate matter welfare-based standards in March 2013, so new updates to those standards were due in March 2018. Continue reading

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NLRB Sues Starbucks for Unfair Labor Practices

The lawsuit seeks immediate reinstatement of the three. Section 10(j) of the National Labor Relations Act authorizes the National Labor Relations Board to seek injunctions against employers and unions in federal district courts to stop unfair labor practices where, due to the passage of time, the normal Board processes are likely to be inadequate to effectively remedy the alleged violations. Continue reading

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President Biden Signs Executive Order to Boost Wildfire Resilience, Combat Global Deforestation

It is indisputable that wildfires and extreme weather events are growing in frequency and ferocity, engulfing communities in the West and across the country. In spite of the obstructionism to change by those funded by the fossil fuel industry, this is demonstrably costing lives, destroying homes, and creating a ruinous economic climate. Biden reaffirmed his calls on Congress to address the climate crisis. Continue reading

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Happy Earth Day to CO2 Producers

This  prompted several organizers, helped by Wisconsin Senator  Gaylord Nelson who was appalled by an 800-sqaure-mile oil slick floating in the Santa Barbara Channel to start a renewed environmental movement. This led to events synchronized globally by EarthDay.org (previously Earth DayNetwork) including it’s said at least 1,000,000,000 people in more than 193 countries. Continue reading

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Aston Martin Announces Its Sustainability Strategy

While some of the language and actions around climate change from automakers remain vague, perhaps inevitably so, Aston now joins virtually all automakers who have a roadmap to electrification. Aston Martin will sell its first hybrid electric car, in 2024. Its first Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) is due in 2025. It will have a fully electrified Sport/GT and SUV portfolio by 2030. The question facing all of us even remotely connected to automobility: is this too little too late? Continue reading

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First Look – Ferrari 296 GTS V6 Hybrid

It’s roughly a ~$400,000 version of an open wheel formula racer with a spider wrapping with a 2.9 second zero-to-100km/h elapsed time. Continue reading

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EU Registrations: Q1 -12.3%, March -20.5%

The ongoing supply chain interruptions, further exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, negatively affected car production. As a result, most countries in the region recorded double-digit drops in sales, including the four key markets: Spain (-30.2%), Italy (-29.7%), France (-19.5%) and Germany (-17.5%). This compares to Passenger car registrations: -6.4% first two months of 2022; -6.7% in February, which means the trend line is increasingly negative. Continue reading

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