Tag Archives: auto informed

Penske Automotive Adds a Fisker Dealership in Arizona

Posted on 7 June 2012 by Ken Zino

Penske Automotive Group is opening the first Fisker dealership in Arizona – Fisker of Scottsdale. The addition of the new Arizona outlet bring to 80 the number of independent retail locations in the US, Canada and Europe selling Fisker EVs. The Karma model is sold through 48 outlets in North America, and will soon be distributed for the first time in China and the Middle East following new retail agreements. Continue reading →

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GM May China Sales Set Record. Ford China Sales Also Up

Posted on 7 June 2012 by Ken Zino

General Motors and its joint ventures sold a May record 231,183 vehicles in China. Demand was up for the market leader 21.3% from the same month in 2011 and 1.7% from April of this year. At Ford China, increased sales of passenger cars offset a slump in light commercial vehicles during May, which led to an 8% increase year-over-year at 48,608, vehicles. Volkswagen Group the number two seller in China by far has not reported May sales yet. Continue reading →

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Yazaki Exec and Autoliv Plead Guilty on Price Fixing Auto Parts

Posted on 6 June 2012 by Ken Zino

This is the first case filed relating to occupant safety systems sold to auto manufacturers as part of the DOJ’s ongoing antitrust auto parts investigation. An executive of Japan-based Yazaki Corporation has also agreed to plead guilty for his role in a separate conspiracy to fix prices of automotive wire harnesses and related products installed in U.S. cars. Continue reading →

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Honda Fit EV Rated by the EPA at 118 MPGe, the Highest Ever

Posted on 6 June 2012 by Ken Zino

The Fit EV’s 20-kWh lithium-ion battery provides the capacity to earn an EPA combined city/highway estimated driving range of 82-miles, meaning the Fit EV on paper and in press releases surpasses the EPA efficiency and range ratings of the Ford Focus Electric (105 MPGe, 76-mile range), Nissan Leaf (99 MPGe, 73-mile range), and Mitsubishi i-MiEV (112 MPGe, 62-mile range). Honda recently settled a class action lawsuit that said in effect that it had overrated the mileage on the Civic hybrid. Continue reading →

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Le Mans Test Day – Audi and Toyota Hybrids, Nissan DeltaWing

Posted on 6 June 2012 by Ken Zino

Two new unlimited racecar entrants – Toyota with a pair of TS030 hybrid cars and Nissan with its lightweight DeltaWing – successfully participated in the traditional test day to prepare for the Le Mans 24 Hours on 16-17 June. They were joined on the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans by Audi dieselR18 ultra and R18 e-tron Quattro models, the latter another hybrid design. Missing, sadly was Peugeot, which last year placed four Peugeot 908s in the Top Five finishing list, but whose endurance-racing program fell victim to the Eurozone crisis. Continue reading →

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Five of the Top Ten Sellers Are Now Detroit Three Vehicles

Posted on 5 June 2012 by Ken Zino

Five of the Top Ten selling vehicles in the U.S. during May came from the Detroit Three as strong pickup truck sales continued and the Chevrolet Malibu and Ford Fusion had solid months. As it has for 30 years, the F-150 led the list, and strong sales of the Chevrolet Silverado allowed it to nudge Honda out of third place with the Toyota Camry still in second place as it was in April. The Dodge Ram also reappeared in the Top Ten for the first time since February. All of the other spots were taken by Honda and Toyota, each with three models in the Top Ten. Continue reading →

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EPA, NIH start Contest to Develop Personal Air Pollution Tool

Posted on 5 June 2012 by Ken Zino

The Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institutes of Health will announce tomorrow a contest sponsored by EPA and NIH to develop a personal, portable sensor system that measures air pollution and a person’s physiological response to it. Awards will be given as part of a competition called the My Air, My Health Challenge at the Health Data Initiative Forum III. Continue reading →

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Mercedes-Benz Posts Global Sales Record in May

Posted on 5 June 2012 by Ken Zino

Mercedes-Benz in May 2012 delivered 113,136 vehicles, + 4% compared to the record figure for 2011. Year-to-date 531,382 units or +8.4% have been delivered globally, the earliest in a year the 500,000 threshold has been crossed. Continue reading →

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Fisker Expands Karma Battery Recall for Potential Fires

Posted on 5 June 2012 by Ken Zino

In an example of ongoing bad Karma, Fisker has told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it is expanding its recall of the $102,000 Karma EV because the A123 supplied battery pack can leak coolant and start fires. Continue reading →

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Congressional, Presidential State Voting Maps Now Online

Posted on 5 June 2012 by Ken Zino

The Census Bureau today released a menu-driven, interactive web page giving users access for any state a series of graphs showing percentages of adults who voted and registered in every congressional and presidential election between 1996 and 2010. Continue reading →

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Audi Lifer Johan de Nysschen Bolts to Infiniti

Posted on 4 June 2012 by Ken Zino

De Nysschen was with Audi for 19 years, serving in executive positions in South Africa, Japan and most recently as President of the Audi’s American operations. Continue reading →

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GM Pension Buyout Financial Engineering or Coup?

Posted on 4 June 2012 by Ken Zino

General Motors announced that it would offer lump-sum buyouts to 42,000 retired salaried employees while 76,000 others would have their pensions transferred to The Prudential Insurance Company of America, which would take over the GM white-collar plan. Continue reading →

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Mazda to Race Diesel Engines in U.S. Grand Am GX

Posted on 4 June 2012 by Ken Zino

With the RX-8 no longer in production for the U.S. market, Mazda is moving to bolster its marketing efforts by combining racing with a car that will be on sale here. The racing effort also begs the question when and where a Mazda Skyactiv-d production engine will appear in the United States. No Japanese automaker is currently selling a diesel in the U.S. – a possible area Mazda could exploit, building on its fuel-saving technologies. Continue reading →

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No Jobs Crisis Continues in May as Washington Dithers

Posted on 2 June 2012 by Ken Zino

The looming choices facing voters are clearly unpalatable. At the top of the ticket, you have the demonstrably job-destroying Harvard-educated Republican party 1 percenter Mitt Romney running against the demonstrably non-job creating Harvard-educated Democratic party 1 percenter Barack Obama. It is time to put the name “somebody else” on all ballots, which if somebody else wins starts another election with the other previously listed candidates disqualified from running again. Continue reading →

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Japanese Big 3 – Toyota, Honda, Nissan – Sales Up in May

Posted on 1 June 2012 by Ken Zino

Toyota Motor came close to displacing Ford Motor from its assumed Number 2 spot in the U.S. by posting monthly sales of 202,973 – within a rounding error of Ford’s 215,699 and firmly putting Toyota in the Number 3 sales spot for the year-to-date. The other Japanese powerhouse members were also back in shape. American Honda posted sales of 134,000 (576,000 ytd) easily ahead of the Nissan at 92,000 (485,000 ytd). With a new Accord and Altima due this fall, the family car market is about to becomes more competitive than it has been in years, which is good for buyers but might leave weaker and older entries as road kill. Continue reading →

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