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Recent Posts
- Toyota 2025 Mirai Fuel-Cell Sedan Due in Spring
- Porsche Adding Wider Range of Apps and Services
- GMC 2026 Sierra EV – Bring Money
- More Americans likely to Back PBS, NPR Funding
- Two-Faced UAW Endorsement of Trump’s Tariff Wars
- April Fool’s Day – Trump Tariffs Hurting Economy
- Electric Vehicle Sales Outpacing Public Chargers
- EU February 2025 Car Sales Drop. Tesla Tanks
- Genesis Offers Free NACS Adapters
- Aston Martin Debuts Vanquish Volante
- Renesas Electronics Shows New Bluetooth Chip
- Ford Super Duty Pickup Recall – Detaching Steering Columns
- Ford Motor Recalls another Previous Recall
- Ford Recalls a Prior Sudden Loss of Power Recall
- Tesla Cybertrucks Recalled For Bad Adhesives
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- Council for Foreign Relations on April Fool’s Day – Trump Tariffs Hurting Economy
- Ford Motor Statement on Trump Pause on Trump Tariffs – His Next Economic Catastrophe
- Douglas Irwin on Trump Tariffs – His Next Economic Catastrophe
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- US Auto Sales Forecast Trump Bump or Bumpy 25? | AutoInformed on Trump Presidency Effects on Auto Industry – All Bad?
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Tag Archives: auto industry commentary
Porsche Adding Wider Range of Apps and Services
Porsche AG (P911.DE) said this week that it is optimizing its hardware for improved performance so that its App center offers a wider range of services, including Dolby Atmos® for an immersive sound, the integration of the Amazon Alexa® voice assistant among other things. It will also be offering Porsche Connect at no charge for 10 years on the purchase of new Porsche models. Thus Porsche known for its automotive performance technology is finally updating its digital age technology.*
“With the start of the new model year, the 911, Taycan, Panamera and Cayenne model series will benefit from significant improvements in infotainment technology and an expanded range of new functions in this area,” Porsche said. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, connected vehicles, electronics, marketing, milestones, mobility company, news analysis
Tagged 911, Amazon Alexa, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, cayenne, Dolby Atmos, Ken Zino, Panamera, Porsche Connect, Taycan, X @KenAutoinformed
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GMC 2026 Sierra EV – Bring Money
GMC (NYSE: GM) today introduced the 2026 Sierra EV with a wide range of trims, capability, and battery configurations, giving customers more choice than in an electric GMC pickup due in showrooms this summer. The premium Elevation and offroad AT4 trims join the Denali to complete a lineup that now has a starting MSRP of $64,495 including $2095 DFC. The top of the line AT4 will start at an MSRP of $81,395. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, electric vehicles, electronics, engineering, marketing, mobility company, new vehicle, news analysis
Tagged 2026 GMC Sierra EV, 2026 Sierra EV AT4, 2026 Sierra EV Elevation, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Jaclyn McQuaid, Ken Zino, Sierra EV Denali, X @KenAutoinformed
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More Americans likely to Back PBS, NPR Funding
Chief executives of NPR and PBS faced questions yesterday in Congressional hearing [ or Republican media stunt to deflect attention from the Signalgate disclosure showing Secretary of Defense Hegseth’s revelation of detailed classified information war plans in an unsecured chat app with an Atlantic journalist as part of the group? – AutoCrat] as Congress considers legislation prohibiting federal funding for the public broadcasters. About a quarter of U.S. adults (24%) say Congress should remove federal funding from NPR and PBS, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted March 10-16.* A larger share (43%) say NPR and PBS should continue to receive funding from the federal government, while 33% say they are not sure.
“The funding structures for NPR and PBS are complicated, and much of their revenue comes from non-government sources like member donations and corporate sponsorships. But the proposed bill would ban all federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which has received $535 million annually in recent federal budgets. The CPB helps to fund NPR and PBS both directly and through individual local public media stations, many of which pay NPR and PBS in the form of membership or programming fees,” PEW observed. Continue reading
Two-Faced UAW Endorsement of Trump’s Tariff Wars
Late yesterday the UAW issued a complicated and nuanced endorsement of king Donald Trump’s imposition of tariffs on the auto industry. The 25% tariff covers cars and car parts or components imported into the United States. They are planned to take effect on 3 April, Trump decreed yesterday. Simply put roughly half of all vehicles sold in the United States are imported. Furthermore, ~60% of the parts used to assemble vehicles in the country are imported. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, economy, labor issues, manufacturing, news analysis, Trump Truth Tests
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Ken Zino, Mexican autoworkers, nafta, Shawn fain, Tarriff wars, trade agreements and economic policies, uaw, US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, USMCA, X @KenAutoinformed
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April Fool’s Day – Trump Tariffs Hurting Economy
The U.S. economy is at a turning point with the erratic actions of what AutoInformed* observes is the Trump mis-administration threatening the economic health of the nation. We are looking at a global trade war leading to a recession or if past Republican economic policies are any indication – a depression. The latest Cox Automotive Industry Forecast** conducted this morning reinforces that view. Brother can you spare a dime?
“We are at an interesting crossroads here in late Q one 2025,” said Jonathan Smoke, Chief Economist at Cox. “at the end of last year my wish for you all was that the economy and the auto market would perform to the upside. Today we will be talking about sides, but downward forecasts and darker downsides. The economy and auto market have been relatively strong over the last 6 months. The problem which we will be getting into is that a substantial change in trade through massive increases in tariffs will be highly disruptive to North American vehicle production and could lead to a full scale global trade war and a much weaker the economy. We’re not there yet but we’re a week away from moves that make the dark side more likely,” Smoke said. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, customer satisfaction, economy, electric vehicles, environment, financial results, fools 'n frauds, fuel economy or emissions, manufacturing, news analysis, Trump Truth Tests
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Cox Automotive Industry Forecast, Jonathan Smoke, Ken Zino, X @KenAutoinformed
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Electric Vehicle Sales Outpacing Public Chargers
Electric vehicles sold in the US during Q4 of 2024 comprised ~11% of all light duty vehicle sales. This is the highest quarter on record.* This also represents a 0.3% percentage-point market share increase from the 3rd quarter of 2024, according to an analysis released today by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade and lobbying group for automakers. There were about 433,843 EV sales from 144 different electric vehicle models sold in the 4th quarter alone of last year. Battery electric vehicles make up the majority of those, but plug-in electric as well as hybrid vehicle sales have been growing as well. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, connected vehicles, electric vehicles, global warming, news analysis, public health, sales
Tagged Alliance for Automotive Innovation, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Ken Zino, public EV charging ports, X @KenAutoinformed
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EU February 2025 Car Sales Drop. Tesla Tanks
During February 2025 new car sales dropped -3% according to data released today from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, aka ACEA derived from its French name. Year-to-date February 2025, battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 15.2% of total EU market share, signifying an increase from the low baseline of 11.5% in the comparable period of January-February 2024. Hybrid-electric vehicles surged, capturing 35.2% of the market and remaining the preferred choice among EU consumers. Meanwhile, the combined market share of petrol and diesel cars fell to 38.8%, down from 48.5% over the same period in 2024.
“Notably, the bloc’s major markets saw declines, with Italy (-6%), Germany (-4.6%), and France (-3.3%). Spain conversely recorded an 8.4% increase,” ACEA said. Buried in the data, but not called out by ACEA is Tesla sales have dropped significantly for the second straight month in Europe. Year to date Tesla is off 49% dropping from 37,311 in 2024 to 19,046 in 2025. This as the Chinese assault on the European market is just beginning. Continue reading
Genesis Offers Free NACS Adapters
Genesis today announced that current U.S. EV owners who purchased their vehicle on or before 31 January 2025 will begin receiving emails inviting them to redeem their complimentary North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapters starting the week of 7 April. This Genesis authorized adapter gives Combined Charging System (CCS1) port GV60, Electrified GV70 and Electrified G80 owners access to an additional 20,000 NACS DC fast chargers in the U.S. at the Tesla Supercharger Network. Continue reading
Posted in connected vehicles, customer satisfaction, electric vehicles, global warming, marketing, milestones, news analysis, public health
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Ken Zino, NACS adapters, North American Charging Standard adapters, Tedros Mengiste, Tesla Supercharger network, X @KenAutoinformed
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Aston Martin Debuts Vanquish Volante
Aston Martin in Gaydon today announced the arrival of the new Vanquish Volante. It is the fastest, most powerful open top (convertible in Brit speak – AutoCrat) series production Aston Martin to date. It shares with the coupe the claim as the fastest, most powerful front-engine production car on sale today. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, design and styling, electronics, engineering, marketing, milestones, new vehicle, news analysis, performance, shows and events
Tagged 5.2-liter V12 engine, Adrian Hallmark, Aston Martin twin-turbocharged, Aston Martin Vanquish Volante, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Ken Zino, X @KenAutoinformed
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Renesas Electronics Shows New Bluetooth Chip
Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723) today introduced a new Bluetooth chip that combines a radio transceiver, an Arm® M0+ micro-controller, memory, peripherals and security features in a compact SoC (system on a chip) design.*
“The DA14533, the first automotive-qualified device in the company’s Bluetooth® Low Energy system-on-chip (SoC) family, includes advanced power management features to simplify system integration and reduce power consumption,” Renesas said. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, connected vehicles, electronics, engineering, news analysis
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, battery management systems, Bluetooth SIG, Inc., Ken Zino, keyless entry, low energy system-on-chip, Renesas DA14533, Renesas Electronics, tire pressure monitoring systems, X @KenAutoinformed
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Ford Super Duty Pickup Recall – Detaching Steering Columns
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is recalling ~12,000 2025 model year Super Duty F-250, F-350, and F-450 vehicles. The steering column shifter may have been improperly welded by Nexteer Corporation Mexico and detach from the steering column.
“If the shifter mechanism detaches while the vehicle is not in park, the driver will be unable to engage park. In this case, the vehicle may roll if the parking brake is not manually applied, increasing the risk of a crash. The driver will receive audible warnings and a cluster message indicating that the vehicle is not in park when they open the door or shut off the ignition. If there is a physical key, the driver will notice that the key cannot be removed and is retained in the ignition. The vehicle cluster will remain awake and the driver will receive these audible warnings and cluster message even if the vehicle is shut off,” Ford said in the required safety defect recall filing made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this morning. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, customer satisfaction, manufacturing, news analysis, quality, recalls, safety
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Ford safety defect recall 25S20, Ford Super Duty pickup F-250 F-350 and F-450 recalls, Ken Zino, Nexteer Corporation Mexico, NHTSA recall25V163 or 25V-163, recalls, X @KenAutoinformed
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Ford Motor Recalls another Previous Recall
“According to Ford’s records certain 2020 – 2023 model year Ford Explorer, 2020 -2023 Lincoln Aviator, and 2020 – 2022 Lincoln Corsair vehicles did not have the remedy for Safety Recall 23S23 / 23V342 installed correctly but were recorded as having the repair successfully completed. Because the correct software update remedy may not be installed on the vehicle, the underlying condition specified in Safety Recall 23S23 / 23V342 may still exist, and customers may intermittently experience either a rear camera blue image or a full blue or black image on the SYNC screen when the vehicle is placed in reverse, or when the 360-degree view is selected and available during low- speed operation,” Ford said in the required safety defect recall filing made public this morning by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, customer satisfaction, electronics, engineering, news analysis, quality, recalls, safety, software recalls
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Ford Explorer Recalls, Ford Motor recall 25S28, Ford recall 25S27, Ken Zino, Lincoln Aviator recalls, Lincoln Corsair recalls, NHTSA recall 23V342 or 23V-342, NHTSA recall number 22V151, NHTSA recall or, NHTSA safety defect recall 25V159 or 25V-159, X @KenAutoinformed
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Ford Recalls a Prior Sudden Loss of Power Recall
“Affected vehicles may not contain the remedy Powertrain Control Module and/or Body Control Module software for recall 24S24,” Ford said in the mandatory safety defect filing made public this morning by the apparently still functioning National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Continue reading
Posted in auto news, customer satisfaction, news analysis, quality, recalls, software recalls
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Ford Bronco and Maverick safety defect recalls, Ford recall 25S26, Ken Zino, NHTSA Recall 25V158 or 25V-158, X @KenAutoinformed
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Tesla Cybertrucks Recalled For Bad Adhesives
Tesla is recalling more than 46,000 2024 and 2025 model-year Cybertrucks, according to documents made public by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The ironically named “cant rail,” a stainless-steel exterior trim panel, can de-laminate and detach from the vehicle creating a road hazard for other vehicles. (Cant railings are not Elon Musk’s and other DOGE defenses flying about although they create truth hazards that could harm the U.S. model year 1788 vehicle known as the Constitution – AutoCrat) Continue reading
Posted in auto news, AutoInformed Editorial, customer satisfaction, engineering, manufacturing, news analysis, quality, recalls, safety, Trump Truth Tests
Tagged 1788 vehicle known as the Constitution, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, automotive blog, Automotive news and analysis, Ken Zino, NHTSA Recall 25V-170 or 25V170, Tesla cant rail recall, Tesla Recalls, X @KenAutoinformed
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Toyota 2025 Mirai Fuel-Cell Sedan Due in Spring
“Mirai has an EPA-Estimated Driving Range Rating of 402 Miles running on hydrogen from onboard tanks and oxygen from the outside air to generate power for the vehicle,” Toyota said. “In essence, the Mirai is a ‘plug-less’ electric vehicle. A Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) generates its own electricity onboard from hydrogen, with water as the only tailpipe emission. The fuel cell system combines stored hydrogen, along with oxygen from the air, and then a chemical reaction produces electric current and water, which drops out of a vent pipe beneath the car.
“Instead of having to charge a large battery pack like in a battery–electric vehicle, which can take several hours, the Mirai’s driver fills the vehicle’s tanks with hydrogen. With an FCEV, the fuel is non-toxic, compressed hydrogen gas rather than liquid gasoline,” Toyota said. Continue reading →