Tag Archives: auto informed

Honda Opens Advanced Design Studio in Downtown Los Angeles

Honda R&D Americas today opened an Advanced Design Studio in downtown Los Angeles for the creation of future Honda and Acura “automobile and mobility design concepts.” Continue reading

Posted in auto news, design and styling | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lexus and Mini Lead in New U.S. Sales Satisfaction Survey

Whether it is possible to draw meaningful conclusions from closely ranked sales satisfaction numbers remains an open question among industry marketing executives and observers. Power maintains, not without considerable economic self-interest, that its study is a “comprehensive analysis” of the new-vehicle purchase experience. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, awards, customer satisfaction, marketing, news analysis, sales | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bankrupt Saab Automobile Car Auction Now Underway

The receivers of bankrupt Saab Automobile AB are conducting an action of 68 cars, some of them rare models, in order to raise funds. These include cars where only a few examples were ever made, as well as a number of the models Saab began to produce, but were never sold. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, economy, sales | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Melbourne Airport Caught Stealing from Taxpayers in NASA Scam

The misuse of NASA funding by two airport entities has resulted in millions of dollars of fines under the False Claims Act, which is used to look after taxpayer funded government grants. The Technological Research and Development Authority will pay $15 million to resolve allegations that it violated the Act in connection with grants from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Economic Development Administration (EDA) of the Department of Commerce, the Justice Department said Continue reading

Posted in aviation, fools 'n frauds, litigation, news, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SAIC-GM-Wuling to Build Third China Complex in Ford’s Chongqing

Chongqing of course is the original home of Ford China and now contains a sprawling manufacturing center. Changan Ford Mazda Automobile (CFMA) last August broke ground for a third assembly plant, Chongqing 3, in China. CFMA has also signed a letter of intent with the Municipality of Chongqing to explore expanding its research and engineering capability in Chongqing. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, economy, manufacturing, milestones | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BP Barred from Federal Contracts as Oil Spill Costs Mount

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that it has “temporarily suspended” BP Exploration and Production, BP PLC and affiliated companies from new contracts with the federal government. In a statement EPA said, “BP’s lack of business integrity as demonstrated … Continue reading

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

GM to Increase Electric Vehicle Development in China

General Motors is increasing the development of electrified vehicles in China, the company’s senior technology leader said during a speech at the FISITA 2012 World Automotive Congress in Beijing. In September 2011, GM China opened the Advanced Materials Lab in Shanghai. The facility, which is part of the GM China’s sprawling Advanced Technical Center, is engaged in research on battery technology and lightweight materials.

This is the result of a deal between SAIC Motor Corporation and GM for the co-development of a new electric vehicle architecture in China. Communist Chinese industrial policy requires local partners as a condition of access to the market. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, economy, electric vehicles, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Global Light Vehicle Sales Flat in October at 80.6 Million SAAR

Global sales of light vehicles were flat in October as declines in the EU offset modest gains elsewhere. Nonetheless, on a seasonally adjusted annual basis or SAAR, 2012 is tracking at a rate of 80.6 million units a year, with 68 million vehicles sold year-to-date. This means that the trend line of ever increasing global sales is now restored to a pre-2008 slope, before the global collapse of the financial and real estate markets created a Grand Canyon-sized dip from more than 70 million units in 2007 to a trough of ~55 million in 2008 and 2009. Continue reading

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

Louisiana Generating to Pay $14 Million for Clean Air Act Violations

Louisiana Generating has agreed to a settlement under the Clean Air Act at its Big Cajun II coal-fired power plant in New Roads, which will result in the elimination of more than 27,300 tons of harmful emissions per year Continue reading

Posted in alternative fuels, electric vehicles, environment, litigation, news | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Chinese Qoros Defends Name against Kia Quoris in EU

Upstart Chinese automaker Qoros Automotive Company has successfully defended it brand name against South Korean Kia in a German Court. A district court in Hamburg granted Qoros’ motion for a preliminary injunction against Kia Motors Corporation that bars Kia from using the name “Quoris motor vehicles in the European Union. The court found that coexistence of “Qoros and “Quoris” in a car market would cause consumer confusion. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, fools 'n frauds, marketing | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Volkswagen Recalls Mexican Built Beetles for Defective Airbags

Volkswagen is recalling model year 2012-2013 Beetles equipped with leather seats because the airbags may not deploy properly in an accident. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, engineering, recalls, safety | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

GM Buys Overseas Finance Business from Ally for $4.2 Billion

GM said that with addition of Ally’s international operations, GM Financial will be able to provide credit for customers and dealers in markets that make up about 80% of GM’s global sales. In essence, GM is recreating GMAC. Continue reading

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

Thanksgiving for Our Democracy

What is often called the most American of holidays, Thanksgiving, had its roots in pilgrim and other colonial celebrations of refugee and immigrant survival and bountiful harvests going back to the early 17th century. Continue reading

Posted in AutoInformed Editorial, concept, economy, people, shows and events | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Toyota Recalls 150,000 Tacoma Pickups for Rust and Corrosion

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. is recalling 150,000 Tacoma pickup trucks from the 2011 to 2004 model years because corrosion can suddenly jettison the spare tire from under the bed. While U.S. Tacoma sales for those years are much higher, only vehicles originally sold or currently registered in 20 cold climate states and the District of Columbia will be inspected and have the spare tire carrier assembly replaced if need be. Critics of such limited actions maintain they do not fix all the potentially unsafe vehicles. Automakers use them to cut down on the costs of a full recall. Continue reading

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

U.S. Auto Sales to Continue Upward in Latest November Forecast

November U.S. auto sales for new retail vehicles are now predicted at 931,900 cars and light trucks, a 14% bump up year-over-year, which would mean a seasonally adjusted annualized rate or SAAR of 12.9 million units. If accurate, November would see the highest retail rate for the auto industry since January 2008, before the corrupt practices of Wall Street collapsed the global economy and caused the Great Recession alter that year. Retail transactions are said to be the most accurate measurement of true underlying consumer demand for new vehicles. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, economy, sales | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment