Tag Archives: auto industry commentary

NHTSA Eases CAFE Regs For 2027-2031 Model Years

“Not only will these new standards save Americans money at the pump every time they fill up, they will also decrease harmful pollution and make America less reliant on foreign oil,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “These standards will save car owners more than $600 in gasoline costs over the lifetime of their vehicle.” Continue reading

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NHTSA Fire Alert – Park Outside! 2020-2024 Kia Tellurides

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said today in a Consumer Alert that Kia America has issued a “park outside” recall for 462,869 model year 2020-2024 Telluride vehicle. There is a risk of fire while parked or driving in the vehicles. Kia is advising owners to park their vehicles outside and away from other vehicles and structures until the recall repair has been completed. Continue reading

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Milestones – Three Millionth Subaru Outback

The first-generation Outback, was a more expensive variant of the Legacy wagon, with two-tone paint, white-letter tires, large fog lights, and a raised roof. Equipped with a 2.5-liter Boxer engine, symmetrical all-wheel drive and 7.5 inches of ground clearance, it was a crossover support utility of sorts. During 30 years of production, Outback has won many awards and has been an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick for 16 years running (2009-2024). Renowned for its reliability, 97% of Outbacks sold in the last 10 years are still on the road today. Continue reading

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GM Annual Meeting Vote Strongly Endorses Board’s Strategy

The first item of business was  the election of 12 directors Each year the shareholders elect directors to serve for the coming year until their successors are elected.* The vote tally was based on the preliminary report provided by the Inspector of Elections, for the first item of business, the election of directors, all of the company’s director nominees were elected. Directors received on average a favorable vote of 97% of the votes cast (it will be official with exact numbers when an SEC filing is made.) More importantly in AutoInformed’s opinion is that all dissident shareholder proposals following that the Board recommended a vote against were soundly defeated. Continue reading

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Toyota to Expand Huntsville Engine Plant

The Huntsville-assembled engines power the Corolla, Corolla Cross, Highlander, RAV4, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra. Toyota Alabama is the company’s largest engine producer in North America, employing more than 2000 non-union workers who assembled more than 770,000 engines in 2023. Continue reading

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US Light Vehicle Sales Strong in May

“May is usually an important month for the automotive industry, with warmer temperatures and Memorial Day sales events traditionally bringing consumers out to buy vehicles. This year was no different, with incentives being significantly higher than a year ago, allowing for some buyers to make deals that were not possible when inventory levels were low,” said David Oakley, Manager, Americas Sales Forecasts, GlobalData. Continue reading

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Mazda Releases Certification Results in Japanese Fraud Cases

Mazda Motor Corporation (MMC) in Hiroshima today said it investigated all of its 2403 tests (*1) for applications for Type Designation as requested by the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT Notification No. 2018). “The investigation results confirmed irregularities in a total of five tests in two test categories, which was reported to the Ministry on 30 May. The irregularities identified this time encompass 150,878 units produced and 149,313 units sold. (*2),” Mazda said. Continue reading

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Toyota Releases More Details on Vehicle Certification Fraud

“All the cases are related to certification. The certification system in Japan verifies whether a product meets the established standards mainly in the fields of safety and environment using measurement methods in accordance with rules. Vehicles can only be manufactured and sold after meeting certification test standards. The point of this issue is that the vehicles were mass-produced and sold without going through the correct certification,” Toyoda said. Continue reading

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Michigan Central Station Reopening June 6th

“Michigan Central means a great deal to us all. In many ways, this building tells the story of our city. This Station was our Ellis Island – a place where dreamers in search of new jobs and new opportunities first set foot in Detroit. But once the last train pulled out, it became a place where hope left. In 2018, I decided it was time to change that by re-imagining this station as a place of possibility again. Over the past six years, Ford Motor Company and teams of forward thinkers, designers, community leaders, and more than 3000 skilled tradespeople have worked to bring this landmark back to life,” said Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford. Continue reading

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GM Changing Software and Services Organization

“GM’s journey toward a tech-forward future is clearer than ever, thanks to the exceptional talent within our team and the leadership of Baris and Dave,” said GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra. “They bring energy and vision, combined with extensive technical and management experience, that will continue to strengthen our software engineering and product teams. These elevated roles will ensure continuity, speed, and quality as software becomes even more central to the vehicle.” Continue reading

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Supplier Relations Study – Toyota Ascending, Ford Slumping

The two big  issues – cost and fairness – have been created and compounded by changing electric vehicle (EV) demand that sees automakers switching to hybrid configurations, or canceling EV programs and again ramping up conventional powertrain production. These are occurring while rising costs are squeezing automaker’s suppliers. Continue reading

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Department of Labor Sues Hyundai U.S. Over Child Labor

“A 13-year-old working on an assembly line in the United States of America shocks the conscience,” said Wage and Hour Division Administrator Jessica Looman. “As we work to stop illegal child labor where we find it, we also continue to ensure that all employers are held accountable for violating the law.” Continue reading

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Subaru 2025 WRX tS Debuts at Wicked Big Meet

Today Subaru announced its new performance 2025 model WRX tS will make its first public appearance at Wicked Big Meet, America’s largest Subaru enthusiast festival, on June 2. The tS trim level offers increased performance and handling capability and ride comfort with a new STI-tuned suspension featuring electronically controlled dampers and revised suspension tuning. Pricing has yet to be announced for the 2025 model, which will be at dealers early next year. Continue reading

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Don’t Drive 2002-2006 Nissan and Infiniti Models

NHTSA is urging all vehicle owners to immediately check to see if their vehicle has an open Takata air bag recall. If it does, owners should contact their dealership to schedule a free repair as soon as possible and follow any warnings from the vehicle manufacturer. Nissan and Infiniti are offering free towing, mobile repair, and in some locations, loaner vehicles. Continue reading

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OPTIQ EV- Cadillac Introduces an Entry Level Compact SUV

Cadillac today revealed the new 2025 OPTIQ, an entry-level Cadillac luxury EV. OPTIQ is the least-expensive EV in lineup. This is Cadillac’s fourth EV, positioned below the barely-selling LYRIQ mid-size crossover, with a base price of ~$59,000. This fall OPTIQ joins the expensive ~$300,000+ CELESTIC sedan and the Escalade SUV (~ $130,000). Next year, the VISTIQ appears in showrooms. OPTIQ pricing starts at an estimated $54,000 for the Luxury trim, Sport will be more  expensive [footnote 10],* including destination charges, excluding tax, title, license, and dealer fees. Obvious competitors include Tesla Model Y, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Mercedes-EQ EQB, and Lexus RZ. Continue reading

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