Tag Archives: automotive news

EPA Banning D-Con Mouse and Rat Poisons Because of Children

Posted on 30 January 2013 by Ken Zino

About 10,000 children a year are accidentally exposed to mouse and rat baits, and EPA has worked with companies to ensure that products are both safe to use around children and effective for consumers, EPA said in a statement. Reckitt Benckiser, the British maker of D-Con brand products, is the only producer of poisons that has refused to adopt EPA’s safety standards for all of its consumer use products. Continue reading →

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Chrysler Group Posts 2012 Net Income of $1.7 Billion

Posted on 30 January 2013 by Ken Zino

Marchionne says he will merge the two groups by 2015. However, he surprised analysts by changing his business plan forecast for Chrysler, slashing free cash flow from $3 billion to only $1 billion for 2014, with 2013 at about half of the $2.2 billion 2012 generated. He needs the cash to develop new products for both Groups while shoring up Fiat’s foundation. Continue reading →

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Toyota Recalls More than 1 Million Corolla and Lexus IS Cars

Posted on 30 January 2013 by Ken Zino

Bad airbags and windshield wipers are forcing the recalls of 752,000 Corolla and Corolla Matrix models and 270,000 Lexus IS cars by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S. The two separate safety recalls are the result of a defective airbag control module … Continue reading →

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BP Sentenced to Pay $4 Billion for Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Crimes

Posted on 29 January 2013 by Ken Zino

Nevertheless, the penalty remains a small fraction of the actual damage caused by pumping at least 5 billion gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. This means that BP is paying less than $1 a gallon for the criminal spill and destruction of the environment. Continue reading →

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Ford Makes $8 Billion in 2012 – Almost all in North America

Posted on 29 January 2013 by Ken Zino

Ford remains heavily dependent on the slowly recovering North American auto market, where it earned $8.3 billion, with an operating margin of 10% on sales of 2.8 million vehicles during 2012. Because of Ford’s 2012 financial performance, the company will make profit sharing payments to 45,800 U.S. hourly employees of $8,300 each. Ford expects similar North American results in 2013, with perhaps a profit increase if the pickup truck – where it is the sales leader – market continues to recover. Continue reading →

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DOT Secretary Ray LaHood Resigns

Posted on 29 January 2013 by Ken Zino

Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood announced to the employees of the DOT that after serving for four years in President Obama’s Cabinet, he is leaving. LaHood’s successor is thus far unknown. People who have been rumored as replacements for LaHood include Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, chair of last year’s Democratic National Convention; Debbie Hersman, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board; ex congressman Jim Oberstar of Minnesota, once head of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Continue reading →

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GM to Invest $600 Million in Fairfax Plant and Keep 4,000 Jobs

Posted on 28 January 2013 by Ken Zino

Sadly in the current language of multinational corporations operating in the ailing U.S. economy and its largely jobless recovery, the investment will not create any new jobs but keep 4,000. For this taxpayers of Kansas, according to The Kansas City Star approved $120 million in revenue bonds last September to subsidize the new paint shop. Continue reading →

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Court of Appeals Throws Out EPA Cellulosic Mandate for Refiners

Posted on 26 January 2013 by Ken Zino

While the enabling legislation was noble at least in its publicly stated intent – the U.S. sends over $1,000,000 a minute to oil exporting nations, many of whom are hostile to us – it was in the end a sordid tale of special interests feeding at the public trough. Worse, the legislation dictated the types and amounts of fuel to be used to gain energy independence – in effect a dreaded and ineffective design standard – instead of a performance standard that sets broad goals and lets industry and the marketplace work out the issues. Continue reading →

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Wind Turbines Headed for Honda Transmission Plant in Ohio

Posted on 25 January 2013 by Ken Zino

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

Posted on 25 January 2013 by Ken Zino

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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GMAC-SAIC Finance More than One Million Car buyers in China

Posted on 25 January 2013 by Ken Zino

GMAC-SAIC Automotive Finance Company says its customer base has now surpassed one- million car buyers in China. The first and largest auto finance company in China since its founding in 2004 also has a continuous record of profits. In August 2012, GMAC-SAIC reached 880,000 customers when it celebrated the company’s eighth anniversary. Continue reading →

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

Posted on 25 January 2013 by Ken Zino

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

Posted on 24 January 2013 by Ken Zino

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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BMW and Toyota Sign Deal for Joint Fuel Cell and Battery Programs

Posted on 24 January 2013 by Ken Zino

BMW Group and Toyota Motor Corporation today in Japan signed a contract for the joint development of a fuel cell system, a new architecture and components for a sports vehicle, and research in lightweight technologies. Continue reading →

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

Posted on 23 January 2013 by Ken Zino

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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