-
Recent Posts
- Rising EV Sales Deepen Need for Charging Systems
- ACEA – EU November Car Sales Flat. Tesla Wilts
- Honda Aircraft Company Offers Performance Upgrade Package
- November 2025 UK Vehicle Production Plunges
- US New-Vehicle Sales Q4 Forecast Down in 2025. Year Up a Tad
- Toyota to Export U.S. Made Vehicles to Japan
- Nissan Claims to Kill Wireless Phone Charging Bugs
- Electrify America EV Charging Adds WS Development
- Q3 2025 Airline Profits in Trump Slump
- Honda Recalls 2025 CR-V Fuel Cell EVs
- Ford Motor Eliminates Model E in Profit Seeking About Face
- Wadda You Say? Personalized Sound at Nissan, Infiniti
- Bye Sauber – Hi Audi Revolut F1 Team
- Pre-Owned Vehicle Marketing – Stellantis, Cox Automotive
- Chinese Junk Watch Death Risk – Luyuan Youth ATVs
Recent Comments
- Magna on its Share Repurchase Plan in reference to on Magna Posts Solid Q3 2025 Earnings Gain
- Daniel Ricciardo Global Ford Racing Ambassador on Ford Performance Rebranded as Ford Racing
- Gen 3 2026 Nissan Leaf Less than $30,000? | AutoInformed on Milestones – Nissan Begins Assembly of 2013 LEAF EV in Tennessee
- ACSI – Customer Satisfaction with Autos Dropping | AutoInformed on New DOGE Scorecard Announced to Track Trump
- Cadillac Off-Roader – Elevated Velocity | AutoInformed on Annals of Marketing – Cadillac Opulent Velocity Concept EV
Archives
Meta
Tag Archives: auto industry commentary
2022 US Light Vehicles Sales Worst Since 2011
However, December posted the highest volumes of 2022, ahead of March by ~26,000 units. The daily selling rate was estimated by LMC as 47,500 units/selling day, compared to 44,900 units/selling day in November. LMC thinks that shows how the annualized selling rate was affected by the historical seasonality rather than the pace of sales necessarily slowing down. According to preliminary estimates, retail sales totaled around 1,057,000 units, unchanged from December 2021, while fleet accounted for approximately 225,000 units, representing 17.6% of the total market. Continue reading
Posted in economy, news analysis, sales
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, David Oakley, GlobalData, Jeff Schuster, Ken Zino, lmc
Leave a comment
Trade Deficit Drops $16 Billion in November 2022
The goods and services deficit was $61.5 billion in November, down $16.3 billion from $77.8 billion in October (revised) the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced today.* However, it was because November exports were $251.9 billion, $5.1 billion less than October exports; but November imports were $313.4 billion, $21.5 billion less than October imports.
In short, the US economy stopped buying more imports at an amount greater than its exports increased. Whether this is good or bad depends on your economic ideology. Continue reading
Posted in economy
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, goods and services deficit, Ken Zino
Leave a comment
Mercedes-Benz to Open a Global EV Charging Network
General Motors is arguably well ahead of Mercedes in offering charging stations. Even though more public charging stations are in operation than ever, customer satisfaction with public Level 2 charging declined from last year, dropping to 633 (on a 1,000-point scale) from 643 in 2021, while satisfaction with the speedier DC (direct current) fast charger segment remains flat at 674, J.D. Power told AutoInformed last August. Continue reading
GM, Andretti Global to Seek Formula One Cadillac Entry
The two well-known American brands in the automotive and motorsport sectors, have announced their intent to pursue the opportunity to compete in the FIA Formula One World Championship. GM would be represented by the Cadillac brand. The Andretti Cadillac team would be based in the U.S. with a support facility in the U.K. The Andretti Cadillac team is planning to submit an Expression of Interest when the FIA opens the formal process. If selected, the team is seeking to compete as soon as practical with at least one American driver. Let the speculation begin. Continue reading
GM Canada Sales Up 42% in Q4, 5% During 2022
For EVs, Canadian shipments for the Cadillac LYRIQ have already begun, with the first customer deliveries expected in January. Also launching in 2023 are the Chevrolet Equinox EV, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, and GMC HUMMER SUV EV. Continue reading
Posted in sales
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, EVs, gm canada, Ken Zino
Leave a comment
Toyota Motor North America 2022 Sales Drop Notably
“As the industry closes out 2022, we’re expecting the year to end around 13.9 million SAAR. And for 2023, we’re predicting a SAAR to grow to approximately 15 million. And while we still have many of 2022 challenges carrying into 2023, we’re moving in the right direction, and doing whatever we can to get vehicles to our customers as quickly as possible. So, we’re cautiously optimistic about our future. Now let me turn it over to Andrew to talk about our two brands,” said Jack Hollis, executive vice president of Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) and president of Toyota Motor Sales. Continue reading
Posted in sales
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, Jack Hollis, Ken Zino, TMNA
Leave a comment
Stellantis to Make Archer Electric Airplanes
Stellantis now will work on Archer’s recently announced manufacturing facility in Covington, Georgia. The companies plan to begin manufacturing the Midnight aircraft in 2024. Midnight is claimed to be safe, sustainable, quiet and, with an expected payload of more than 1000 pounds. It can carry four passengers plus a pilot. With a range of 100 miles, Midnight is meant for back-to-back short distance trips of around 20 miles, with a charging time of approximately 10 minutes in-between. All this of course is dependent on The Federal Aviation Administration issuing a type certificate and approving other air worthiness requirements including training and operating limitations. Continue reading
General Motors Posts US Sales Leadership for 2022
General Motors (NYSE: GM) said today that GM and its dealers delivered 2.8 million vehicles in the U.S. in 2022 (+3%), leading the industry in total sales. GM also claimed that it extended its leadership in key market segments including full-size pickups and full-size SUVs.
Industry sales results will be forthcoming during the next couple of days, which will allow for a more nuanced analysis. Continue reading
Posted in economy, sales
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, Ken Zino, Steve Carlisle
Leave a comment
FHWA Large Bridge Project Grants Underway
This program is part of the Administration’s largest dedicated investment in highway bridges since the construction of the Interstate highway system. Almost $40 billion projected to be spent over five years that will help repair or rebuild ten of the most economically significant bridges in the country. Thousands of other bridges across the country are covered by the program as well. Continue reading
Ford Claims F-Series Retains Title of Best-Selling Truck in 2022
However, since Ford’s Edsel and Mercury brands are long gone and Lincoln is not in this segment, there is room to debate that General Motors with it Chevrolet, GMC and Hummer pickup lines might sell a greater number of pickups when final sales numbers are in. This also means that Ford Maverick, Ranger, F-150, Super Duty, all the way up to F-750 should also be included in the competitive tally. Continue reading
Posted in marketing, sales
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, Chevrolet, f-150, F-750, gmc, Hummer, Ken Zino, Maverick, pickup up truck sales, ranger, Super Duty
Leave a comment
US Construction Spending For November 2022 Flat
Construction, aside from being an indicator of the overall health of the US economy, is particularly important to automakers with a substantial stake in the highly profitable pickup truck segments at the Detroit Three – General Motors with Chevrolet and GMC; FCA with Ram; and Ford Motor with F-series. While the Biden administration recovery is continuing, The Federal Reserve interest hikes appear likely to send the US economy into an unneeded and unwanted recession. Continue reading
Mercedes-Benz USA Recalls Sunroofs for Flying Off
This latest recall of a previous recall goes back to December 2017, when Mercedes Benz in Germany launched initial investigations based on what it said were isolated field reports from outside the US claiming that the sliding roof panel detached from vehicles. No damage or injuries were reported as a result of these unsafe incidents.
However, the sliding roof assemblies of the affected vehicles were requested and returned by individual markets, including the US. The returned parts were analyzed by the supplier and an external laboratory. Continue reading
Significant 2022 Automotive Stories and Trends
With that in mind, here’s our latest takes on the 2022 annum of automobility, from autonomous and electric vehicles needed to foil planet-killing global warming, to driving caused deaths, to trade, tariffs, allies and, alas, the still ongoing threats from American fascism and racism that are opposing our collective growth. We undertake this with an awareness that AutoInformed conducts its education in public with our deficiencies apparent. We begin our annual taking stock with comments on significant automotive stories of 2022 as we look to endure another year of plagues – covid variants, political insurrections, social unrest and others to come. Continue reading
US Recovering from Covid. Greenhouse Gasses a Problem
This is an important report for policy makers and the rest of us because Transportation accounted for 8.4% of the US gross domestic product in 2021, up from 7.7% in 2020, but down from 9.1% percent in 2019. During 2021, the wholesale and retail trade sector continued to require more transportation services than any other sector to produce one dollar of gross output. Continue reading
US December Unemployment at Record Low of 3.5%
Nevertheless, the Federal Reserve seems determined to send the US economy into a deep recession. The Fed has done this in the past with reckless interest rate increases from an ideology that thinks it is good when people lose jobs to keep demand and inflation down. However, consider that during December, average hourly earnings for all employees on private non-farm payrolls rose by 9 cents, or a mere 0.3%, to $32.82. During the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 4.6%. In December, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and non-supervisory employees rose by 6 cents, or 0.2%, to $28.07. AutoInformed doesn’t consider the latest data as cause for inflationary worries, let alone more interest rate increases. (Autoinformed.com: Federal Reserve Chair Powell Says Inflation Remains Too High) Continue reading →