Tag Archives: automotive commentary automotive blog

Arcimoto Get $4.5m to Make Golf-Cart Like EV

The financing, led by FOD Capital, LLC, included the purchase of 500,000 shares of Arcimoto’s common stock at a purchase price of $3.00 per share, as well as the issuance of a $3.0 million senior secured note, which bears 10% interest over a one-year term, and a warrant to purchase 942,857 shares of registered FUV common stock for $3.50 per share. Continue reading

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CARB, 21 Attorneys Generals, Oakland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York Demand Trump Stop Clean Air Act Gutting

The comments include arduous legal and technical analyses outlining the consumer, climate and public health benefits of the current achievable standards. It says that Trump’s politically headed EPA (the agency’s extensive studies conclude the regulation is acting as intended) and NHTSA proposal has many flaws, use of faulty assumptions, incorrect modeling, cherry-picked data and a fundamental misunderstanding of consumer behavior. Continue reading

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New Ford Ads Promise Smarter Vehicles Tomorrow

The ads talk about Ford’s new vehicles in the hot-selling SUV and truck segments, including the Ranger pickup, which starts production this month at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant, and the new Escape and Explorer on sale next year. Continue reading

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Chattanooga Choo Choo – 100,000 VW Atlas SUVs Made

Volkswagen Chattanooga has achieved a production milestone with the completion of the 100,000th Volkswagen Atlas. This comes as President Trump is – for the moment with his short attention span – targeting very profitable European automakers – such as VW Group Members Audi and Porsche for punitive import tariffs. Continue reading

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Mahindra, Ford Agree on Connected Car, Powertrain Sharing

Both companies “continue to make progress on the remaining MoUs signed earlier this year. This includes leveraging their respective strengths on product development for India and emerging markets, including co-development of compact SUVs and electric vehicles.” Translation: Ford can’t afford to develop EVs on its own. Continue reading

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Arizona Picks Intel to Lead Automated Vehicle Safety Institute

Partners include Intel, the Arizona Department of Transportation, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Arizona Commerce Authority, Arizona State University, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University. Continue reading

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Beware of Self Interest in Mobility Promotion says NADA

“I get it. You can’t go to an automotive or a tech conference these days without hearing about the end of personal vehicle ownership,” he said. “But I’m asking you: Question the hype, ask for proof, and find out what they’re not telling you. The future will work itself out regardless. I just want us to be informed in the meantime.” Continue reading

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Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum to Begin Seven-Year $650m Renovation

For the first few years, some of the most popular artifacts will remain on display, including the “Spirit of St. Louis,” the 1903 Wright Flyer, Bell X-1, the Apollo Lunar Module and Skylab. The first set of galleries are scheduled to reopen in 2022. Continue reading

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Jami Miscik Appointed to GM Board of Directors

“Jami is a seasoned leader with experience in assessing the geopolitical and macroeconomic climate,” said GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra. Continue reading

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McLaren 570S Spider to £725,000 bid at Elton John Argento Ball

A McLaren 570S Spider auctioned earlier this year at the Elton John Argento Ball has been presented to the successful bidder by Amanda McLaren, daughter of the company’s founder Bruce McLaren, at a Pure McLaren driving event in North America. Special ‘Blade Silver’ 570S Spider raised £725,000 – four times retail – at an auction to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

The convertible was hand-finished in metallic ‘Blade Silver’ to honor the 25th anniversary of the charity foundation. Funds raised at the Argento Ball, which took place at Elton John’s Berkshire home in the UK in June 2018, are helping to provide many young people with information about HIV, the means to test themselves and access to medical care, if required. Continue reading

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Hyundai Indonesian Plant: Koreans Versus Dominant Japanese and Versus Looming Chinese Invasion Threat

“Despite having a presence in the Indonesian market for more than a decade, Hyundai’s local business has been relatively small, with sales of just 936 units in the first eight months of this year. The only vehicle currently assembled locally is the H-1 (Grand Starex) MPV. Hyundai’s other models sold in Indonesia – the Santa Fe, Tucson, i20 and i10 – are imported and therefore subject to import duties,” says LMC. Continue reading

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Critical TechWorks JV with BMW Group and Critical Software

Critical TechWorks represents an addition of unknown importance to the BMW Group’s global innovation network in IT and software development. With increased involvement in the field of digitalization, BMW Group is pursuing its transformation into a mobility-tech company and actively shaping the digital shift in the automotive industry. Continue reading

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World’s First Female Formula 1 World Champion?

The last woman to start a Formula 1 Grand Prix was Lella Lombardi more than 40 years ago. There has never been a female Formula 1 Grand Prix race winner. Gimmicky or not – and this could work at least as a business – racing remains one of the last sports heavily dominated by men, not only behind the wheel but everywhere you look: in the pit-lane, garage, workshop and laboratory. W Series aims not only to promote female drivers but also to encourage “girls and women” into engineering and science careers and to promote STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects in schools, colleges and universities. Continue reading

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Graphene the Latest Miracle Material?

Ford, along with Eagle Industries and XG Sciences, has found a way to use a very small amount of graphene – it’s very expensive – while “achieving major property improvements – more lightweight, better heat conductivity and noise reduction – a breakthrough application.” Continue reading

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NAFTA Lite – US-Mexico-Canada Agreement Hurts US Workers

Roughly 30% of the 2.33 million vehicles imported to the U.S. from Mexico in 2017 don’t meet the current 62.5% content requirement. Continue reading

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