Tag Archives: autoinformed.com

GM Canada Leadership Change – Jack Uppal new President

Posted on 11 December 2025 by Ken Zino

General Motors(NYSE: GM) today announced the appointment of Jack Uppal to president and managing director, GM Canada, effective 1 February 2026. Uppal is currently president and managing director, GM Africa & Middle East. Uppal has more than a decade of international experience in China, India, Singapore and the Middle East. He will report to senior vice president and president, GM North America, Duncan Aldred. The latest Canadian shuffle comes on month after the appointment of Kristian Aquilina, formerly president and managing director, GM Canada, to vice president of global Cadillac, effective 1 January 2026. Aquilina reports to Duncan Aldred. Aquilina had continued to oversee GM Canada operations. 

“Jack’s proven global leadership experience and deep knowledge of Canada will be instrumental for building a strong future for GM in Canada,” said Aldred. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, news analysis, people, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Toyota Enhances Arizona Proving Ground

Posted on 10 December 2025 by Ken Zino

Toyota Motor North America (NYSE: TM, 7203T) today celebrated the completion of new construction and updated offerings at its Arizona Proving Ground. Joined by local government officials during an event, Toyota leaders discussed the improvements for vehicle and automotive technology testing and development.

“We are proud to strengthen the offerings at our world-class facility in Arizona, not only for Toyota, but for any company that has use for these amenities,” said Monte Kaehr, group vice president of Vehicle Development Engineering at Toyota Motor North America’s Research and Development. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, connected vehicles, electric vehicles, engineering, milestones, mobility company, news analysis, road test, shows and events, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Happy Nightmare! Holiday Travel to Set New Record

Posted on 10 December 2025 by Ken Zino

AAA* said today that it estimates that 122.4 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home over the 13-day year-end holiday period beginning 20 December  and ending 1 January 2926. This year’s forecast if accurate is a 2.2% increase over 2024, surpassing last year’s record of 119.7 million travelers.

“Year-end travel is a mix of family road trips, friend getaways, and tropical vacations” said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel. “Holiday celebrations look different for everyone, but a common thread is the desire to travel, whether it’s returning to your hometown or exploring new destinations.” Continue reading →

Posted in news, news analysis, people, shows and events, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

First Look – $34,995 Subaru Uncharted EV

Posted on 9 December 2025 by Ken Zino

Subaru of America (Subaru Corp. NASDAQ: FUJHF) today announced pricing of the new 2026 Uncharted EV due to arrive at dealers early next year. The all-new, all-electric compact crossover has standard Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive on most models, and an … Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, electric vehicles, marketing, milestones, mobility company, new vehicle, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Stellantis and Bolt Partner on Driverless Mobility

Posted on 9 December 2025 by Ken Zino

Stellantis (NYSE: STLA) and Bolt, a European mobility platform, today announced they have entered a partnership to jointly explore the development and use of Level 4 (driverless) autonomous vehicles for commercial operations across Europe. [The move is a defensive one as the Chinese undoubtedly are preparing to attack this lucrative segment – AutoCrat]*

“Our AV-Ready Platforms™ are designed for maximum flexibility, so we can deliver the best possible experience for European customers. Autonomous fleets can also contribute to a lower carbon footprint by enabling a shared and optimized mobility, reducing congestion and emissions. Partnering with Bolt is intended to bring this vision closer to reality, combining our engineering expertise with their operational reach in the hopes of making driverless mobility a trusted part of everyday life in Europe,” said Antonio Filosa, Stellantis CEO. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, autonomous vehicles, car sharing, environment, marketing, milestones, mobility company, news analysis, shows and events, software defined vehicles, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Detroit Auto Show – Official U.S. Route 66 Centennial Project

Posted on 9 December 2025 by Ken Zino

The Detroit Auto Show today announced it has been designated an Official Route 66 Centennial Project by the U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission. The exhibition is part of “The Drive Home VII: Route 66 – A Century of Adventure,” a … Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, milestones, news analysis, shows and events, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Genesis Recall for Sudden Unintended Braking

Posted on 8 December 2025 by Ken Zino

“The subject vehicles are equipped with Highway Drive Assist (“HDA”), an advanced driving assistance system that allows semi-autonomous driving on limited-access highways with continuous, direct supervision by the driver. The vehicles may falsely detect another vehicle entering its lane of travel and apply the brakes without warning when HDA is enabled at speeds below approximately 12 mph or when HDA is enabled along with the Lane Change Assist (“LCA”) feature, activated by the driver moving the turn signal lever to the desired direction to change lanes,” HMA said  in the required safety defect recall filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, autonomous vehicles, customer satisfaction, electronics, manufacturing, news analysis, quality, recalls, safety, software defined vehicles, software recalls | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Road Hazard – Ford Escape Liftgate Hinge Cover Recall

Posted on 8 December 2025 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) is recalling ~108,762 model year 2020-2022 Escape and 2025 Escape* compact SUVs with a Panoramic sunroof because the rear liftgate hinge covers can fall off. Ford back in the summer of 2012 had dismissed the problem as minor involving few vehicles. Ford is operating under a consent order from NHTSA because of its previous handing of recalls.

“A hinge cover that detaches while driving can create a distraction and/or road hazard for other road users, increasing the risk of a crash,” Ford said in the mandatory safety defect recall filing mad public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this morning. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, customer satisfaction, manufacturing, news analysis, quality, recalls, safety | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lando Norris Wins Formula One World Drivers’ Championship

Posted on 8 December 2025 by Ken Zino

Lando Norris took the 2025 FIA Formula One World Drivers’ Championship title with a third place finish in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. He beat race winner Max Verstappen to the title by two points, ending Verstappen’s dominance of the F1 championship for four straight seasons. Oscar Piastri finished the race in second place to end the season in P3 overall.

“It feels amazing,” said Norris post-race. “I want to congratulate Max and Oscar, my two biggest competitors the whole season. It’s been a pleasure to race against both of them. It’s been an honor. I’ve learned a lot from both of them as well, so I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been a long year. But we did it. And I’m so proud of everyone.” Continue reading →

Posted in news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Stellantis Shows Two Autonomous Driving Vehicles

Posted on 5 December 2025 by Ken Zino

Stellantis (NYSE: STLA. STLAM.MI) today showed its latest automated driving technologies. This occurred at the so-called Hi-Drive Final Event in Brussels. [Hi-Drive is a European technology demonstration project dedicated to advancing vehicle automation. “The program focuses on expanding automated vehicles’ … Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, autonomous cars, connected vehicles, electronics, engineering, mobility company, shows and events, software defined vehicles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lotus Esprit Refresh offered by Encor

Posted on 5 December 2025 by Ken Zino

“Production of the Encor Series 1 is limited to 50 individually commissioned cars worldwide. Prices begin at £430,000, excluding taxes, options and the required donor Esprit V8. Commissioning takes place either at Encor’s Chelmsford, UK HQ or via private consultation for international clients. Deliveries will begin in Q2 2026 and continue through 2027,” Encor claimed. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, design and styling, engineering, manufacturing, marketing, milestones, new vehicle, performance, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Japanese Top Consumer Reports 2026 Automotive Report

Posted on 4 December 2025 by Ken Zino

“We’re releasing new overall score rankings,” said Jake Fisher, CR’s Senior Director of Automotive Testing. “That’s really who makes the best cars along with new car reliability, used car reliability, which is really looking 5 to 10 year old models that are on out in the road, owner satisfaction, our road test scores, repair costs. … We have all the information for each one of the models on our website. That’s all live right now…. We are very excited that this year. We actually have the most amount of vehicles that we’ve had for a very long time. We’ve made some changes to make the survey easier to complete. … We’ve actually gone from 300,000 vehicles in the survey to 380,000 vehicles in the survey. That’s total.” Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, awards, customer satisfaction, design and styling, electric vehicles, manufacturing, news analysis, quality, results, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trump Mis-Administration Proposes a Weaker CAFE

Posted on 3 December 2025 by Ken Zino

The Trump Mis-Administration today proposed to reduce fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks. Obviously, this would significantly raise the cost of driving a car for years to come. It also could also damage the competitiveness of U.S. automakers in a global industry. The preliminary Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – not yet officially published in the Federal Registers as required –  would gut standards set by the Transportation Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2024. Those standards would save owners of personal vehicles an average of more than $600 in fuel costs over the life of a new vehicle. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, economy, energy, environment, fuel economy or emissions, global warming, news, news analysis, public health, transportation, Trump Truth Tests | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Toyota 2026 Mirai – Cordless EV with 402 Mile Range

Posted on 3 December 2025 by Ken Zino

“The 2026 Mirai continues to pave the road ahead, combining advanced hydrogen fuel-cell technology, elegant design, and exceptional performance. It sets a high standard for eco-conscious vehicles that deliver both style and driving excitement. As a pioneer in hydrogen mobility, the Mirai brings electric energy to the forefront, offering drivers a compelling and responsible choice for the road ahead,” Toyota said. Continue reading →

Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, electric vehicles, engineering, environment, fuel economy or emissions, global warming, mobility company, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Subaru of America November Sales Drop 10%

Posted on 2 December 2025 by Ken Zino

Subaru of America (Subaru Corp. NASDAQ: FUJHF) today reported 52,081 vehicle sales for November 2025 – a ~10% drop, and year-to-date sales of 586,154, a 3.3% decrease.* In November, Crosstrek remained the top seller for the seventh consecutive month with 16,142 vehicles sold (-4.8%). Forester sales were tolerable with 13,871 vehicles sold (-6.6%), and Outback sold 13,089 vehicles (-6.5%).

“Subaru retailers keep driving exceptional experiences with programs like Subaru Love-Encore™, earning top marks for sales satisfaction. Paired with a standout vehicle lineup and the Share the Love® Event supporting charitable impact nationwide, Subaru is set to finish the year strong,” claimed Troy Poston, Senior Vice President of Sales, Subaru of America. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, economy, manufacturing, marketing, news analysis, results, sales | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment