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November EU Commercial Vehicle Sales Flat. YTD -20%
Year-to-date reflects the ongoing Covid catastrophe. Sales at 1.5 million units were down -20.3% 11 months into 2020. All EU27 markets – including the four major ones – have recorded double-digit declines so far in 2020, although less steep than in the preceding months: Spain (-28.4%), France (-18.4%), Germany (-16.3%) and Italy (-15.6%). Continue reading
Posted in economy, sales
Tagged acea, auto industry commentary, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, COVID-19, eu commercial vehicle sales, Ken Zino
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Ford Motor Announces Safety Defect Recalls on 2020-21 Ford Explorers, E-Series, and Lincoln Aviators
Ford Motor Company issued three safety recalls in North America this morning. Recalled are 2021 Ford E-Series vehicles with the 7.3-liter engine, as well as 2020-21 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator SUVs. Continue reading
2021 Nissan LEAF Starts at $32,545
The “extended range” LEAF PLUS has a standard 62-kWh lithium-ion battery and 160 kW electric motor, delivering an EPA range of up to 226 miles. Every 2021 LEAF has standard Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™. PLUS also has a more powerful 160 kW motor that produces 214 horsepower – an increase of 45% – and 250 lb.-ft. of torque. LEAF PLUS has three trim levels – S PLUS, SV PLUS and SL PLUS starting at, gulp, $39,145 and going to $44,845. Continue reading
Posted in electric vehicles, marketing
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, Ken Zino, Nissan Leaf pricing
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Fisker Ocean to Be Made by Magna in Europe
Fisker claimed that interest in the Ocean continues “to build at an encouraging pace, with global paid reservations now standing at more than 10,400. Fisker plans to unveil a production-intent prototype of the Ocean in the summer of 2021. Production of the all-electric Fisker Ocean SUV is projected to commence in Q4 20 Continue reading
COVID Changes – Digital Auto Lending Infected
“The pandemic has severely disrupted dealer-lender communication, with many dealers reporting that lenders were delayed or not available when they needed them, or not able to assist in a timely manner,” said Patrick Roosenberg, director of automotive finance intelligence at J.D. Power. This of course begs the question of there’s another solution – such as borrowers dealing directly digitally with lenders, which will eliminate a lucrative profit center at dealerships. Continue reading
Artificial Intelligence Will Bring Scooter Riding to Bike Lanes?
The micro-mobility part of Ford Motor Company claims Spin Insight Level 2 with Drover AI’s computer vision and machine learning platform, equips Spin’s vehicles with a camera, an array of sensors, and on-board computing power. Spin claims Drover’s technology is highly adaptive and easily scaled to new environments, allowing an e-scooter to” understand its surroundings in real time and assist riders in making safe riding decisions.” Not a word was mentioned of potential privacy or legal issues or who owns the customer data produced and how it will be used. Future capabilities planned include detecting wrong-way riding, adjusting vehicle speed based on riding conditions, and collision warnings. Continue reading
Hendrick Motorsports Making Chrome-Moly Steel Roll Bars for New GM Defense Infantry Squad Vehicle
A key supplier is North Carolina-based Hendrick Motorsports, which brings its extensive experience developing race cars in NASCAR’s high-load, high-risk environments. Hendrick is responsible for providing the chrome-moly steel exoskeleton of the vehicle frame, including the ISV rollover protection system. Continue reading
COVID Changes – Porsche Starts Online Car Sales in Europe
The dealers in the nine countries offer most of their new and used cars on the platform. These include standard variants of the Porsche models as well as rare derivatives. There are also plans to further expand the platform, claims Porsche, who is dependent on dealers for distribution unlike Tesla. Continue reading
Posted in marketing, milestones, sales
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, Ken Zino, online selling, Porsche online
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Lyft and Motional to Deploy Fully Self-Driving Vehicles in 2023
Lyft with abundant self-interest and General Motors backing claims a rideshare network is “vastly important to making AVs become a reality.” This thesis in search of proof will balance AVs operating on Lyft’s network with human drivers and other options including bikes, scooters, and transit. Lyft claims it can ensure riders always have reliable transportation options regardless of where they need to travel. Lyft also claims that riders want a ride to arrive within minutes of requesting one and it’ll take years for AVs to reach the scale and technological sophistication needed to meet this service level for all ride scenarios. Rideshare networks might be where riders experience self-driving technology for the first time. Continue reading
First Look at a Technological Tour de Force – Toyota Gen 2 Mirai Fuel-Cell Electric Sedan, $9000 Cheaper vs Gen 1
With a switch to the Lexus LS400 platform, a price cut of -$9000 less with a MSRP of $49,500, and up to $15,000 of Hydrogen Fuel included with a Mirai purchase or lease, the technology tour de force sedan is poised to be a dream for US buyers and a nightmare for German and Korean automakers. Continue reading
EU – Truck Makers Agree to Be Fossil-Fuel-Free By 2040
This is a bold move considering that ~97% of new European trucks sold are powered with diesel engines. It also underscores a growing movement of citizen voters who hold corporations accountable for negative social effects produced by their goods and services. The incoming President Biden Administration has promised to address environmental issues mocked by loser Trump and has already said it will rejoin l’accord de Paris. This agreement is within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), dealing with greenhouse-gas-emissions mitigation. AutoInformed thinks that it is only a question of time before a similar deal is put in place in the US. Continue reading
Posted in alternative fuels, electric vehicles, energy, environment, milestones, news analysis, transportation
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, Henrik Henriksson, Ken Zino, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
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GM Investing $76 Million in Tonawanda, Parma Plants
The Tonawanda investment will be used to increase capacity on the engine block machining line and the Parma investment will be used to construct four new metal assembly cells to support increased truck production volumes. Continue reading
US Cuts Deal with UAW Union on Reform, Corruption and Fraud
In a partial UAW victory, the civil lawsuit was not filed pursuant to the federal anti-racketeering RICO law because the investigation by the United States did not uncover any involvement by organized crime or the mafia in the operations of the UAW. Instead, the civil complaint sets forth in detail a series of corrupt and fraudulent acts by former officers and board members of the UAW, as well as executives of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. GM’s RICO lawsuit against FCA is ongoing. Continue reading
US, Mexican Volkswagen Plants to Link with Industrial Cloud
The Industrial Cloud is an IT platform, designed to gather and analyze data from all connected Volkswagen Group facilities on a real-time basis to help increase efficiency and productivity. Volkswagen’s three North American plants are the first outside Europe to be networked with the Industrial Cloud. The three Volkswagen locations are expected to be connected by the end of the year. As early as spring 2021, Chattanooga, Puebla and Silao could access standardized software applications that are available for all factories in the Volkswagen Group connected to the Industrial Cloud. Continue reading
Honda Recalls 737,000 Accord, Insight Cars for Bad Software
These Hondas fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 103, “Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems” and number 111, “Rear Visibility” as well as FMVSS numbers 104, 108, 114, 118, and 305. Continue reading →