Tag Archives: autoinformed

EU Car Sales Decline 10% in March as Crisis Continues

Sales of new light vehicles in the EU declined once again in March as the rate of contraction increased. During the month passenger cars sales dropped -10.2% compared to – 9.8% less in the first three months of 2012. It was the eighteenth consecutive month of sales declines. Q1 sales of 2,989,486 were weak and apparently getting weaker as the year continues. Continue reading

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Spark EV Electric Motor Manufacturing Starts in Baltimore

General Motors today celebrated becoming the first U.S.-based automaker to manufacture electric motors and drivetrains in the U.S. for electric vehicles for the upcoming Chevrolet Spark EV. GM moved the jobs from a plant in Mexico to its Baltimore Operations plant in White Marsh, Maryland. The Baltimore plant is also GM’s exclusive manufacturer of A1000 transmissions for heavy-duty pickup trucks. Continue reading

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Global Light Vehicle Sales Steady in March at 81.3 Million Rate

Global light vehicles sales stabilized in March with an annualized selling rate of 81.3 million units. China, the United States and Japan continued posting strong, growing results, moving the overall global auto market to near record levels. A slowing in some emerging markets, including India and Russia, is thought to be temporary according to LMC Automotive economists. Continue reading

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Wind Turbines Headed for Honda Transmission Plant in Ohio

When the turbines begin operating later this year, the Honda plant will be the first major automotive manufacturing facility in the United States to obtain a significant amount of its electricity directly from wind turbines located on its property. Continue reading

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Shoppers Don’t Worry about Reliability as Cross Consideration Grows

As perceptions of both reliability and actual vehicle dependability improve, new-vehicle shoppers are considering more models before making their purchase decision, according to a new study. As vehicle quality improves across the industry, new-vehicle shoppers now consider an average of 3.3 vehicles in 2013, compared with 3.1 in 2012 and 2.9 in 2010. Continue reading

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January 2013 U.S. Vehicle Sales Forecast as Highest in Five Years

January 2013 new vehicle sales are predicted to come in at 812,600 vehicles for a seasonally adjusted annualized rate or SAAR of 12.9 million units. This is 14% higher than January 2012. Total light-vehicle sales in January 2013 in the United States are projected to reach 1,027,700 units, an 8% increase from January 2012. The encouraging January sales prediction, if true, is well ahead of the forecast of 12.4-million-unit annual level for 2013. Continue reading

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Record 2012 Sales in China for GM, Volkswagen Group, Ford Motor

General Motors and its joint ventures sold a record 2.84 million vehicles in China during 2012, an increase of 11% from 2011 in the world’s largest auto market, which is now tracking at 19.1 million or more units annually. GM has led sales in China for eight consecutive years. GM just barely stayed Number One , though, because the VW Group, China’s Number Two automaker, sold 2.81 million vehicles, a +24.5% increase compared to 2011. Continue reading

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Honda Recalls 748,000 Pilot, Odyssey Models for Defective Airbags

Honda is recalling 2009-2013 Pilot crossover models and 2011-2013 Odyssey minivans built in Alabama because rivets that attach the airbag module to the airbag cover may be missing. The absence of more than one rivet could alter the performance of the driver’s airbag during deployment,increasing the risk of injury. Continue reading

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Second Alabama Cop to Serve Time for I-65 Motorist Thefts

A second Alabama police officer has been sentenced to serve time because of his thefts from motorists on I-65. Former Fort Deposit police officer Carlos Tyson Bennett, 37, was sentenced to 37 months in prison, two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $500 in restitution. Bennett stole money from motorists during traffic stops with another ex Fort Deposit cop, Jessie Alan Fuller, on Interstate 65 in 2009. Continue reading

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Automakers Protest EU Korean FTA Deal is One Sided

European automakers are protesting that EU-South Korea FTA one year later has resulted in massive increases for Korean exports of passenger cars, yet only relatively modest gains for the EU auto industry. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) took the opportunity of the first anniversary of the Korean FTA coming on 1 July to draw attention to what it called an “unbalanced situation.” Continue reading

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Mopar Debuts Third Factory Built Hot Rod off Chrysler 300

Still working its muscle car roots, the Mopar 300 has a 363 horsepower (hum the Charger was 370?) 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine and a now dated five-speed automatic transmission. A change from a 3.06:1 to a 3.91:1 final-drive means zero-to-60 mph times in the low 5-second range, according to Chrysler, same as the Charger. Continue reading

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PBGC Says American Airlines Workers Should Worry About Pensions and Medical Care – So Should Taxpayers

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation has called out what it says is misleading statements to American Airlines employees by its management about their pension plans under a bankruptcy reorganization. “American Airlines is telling their workers and retirees not to worry, … Continue reading

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BMW Delivers First All-Electric Active E in the US

The fully electric Active E with its lithium-ion batteries have a claimed a driving range of up to 100 miles on a full charge. With an output of 170 horsepower, maximum torque of 184 lb-ft from a standstill, BMW said Active E accelerates from 0–60 mph in under nine seconds. If the driver is a lead-foot – or is that now lithium foot? and/or the weather is cold – the Bimmer won’t go that far, of course. All such mileage claims await independent verification. Continue reading

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Camry Gets Top NHTSA Safety Rating. Accord Still Leads

Starting with 2011 models, NHTSA introduced tougher tests and more rigorous requirements for its five-star safety ratings that provide more information about safety performance and crash-avoidance technologies. Safety rating changes include a new side barrier test and a new side pole test simulating a 20-mph side-impact crash into a 10-inch-diameter pole or tree at a 75-degree angle just behind the A-pillar on the driver’s side. New overall safety ratings, which combine the results from the various tests, are now provided. Continue reading

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Honda Airbag Recall Grows. More than 300,000 Vehicles Added

Initially, Honda only recalled 4200 vehicles three years ago and ignored the rest of the world. However, this Honda problem was ongoing as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was fining Toyota for safety defect cover-ups – ones that ultimately resulted in millions of dollars in fines and a shredded Toyota corporate and vehicle quality reputation. During the past year or so, Honda has issued more than 22 public statements about various safety defects and recalls in the U.S. Continue reading

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