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Tag Archives: Ken Zino
Cruise CEO – It Will Be Hard to Sell a Car That Isn’t Self-Driving
The challenges are the cost of the technology that works and customer satisfaction – make the riders happy. Cruise is 6 weeks into dozens of driverless vehicles on the roads. The technology is scalable from two cities, to three, to 20 to… exponential growth. Hence the capital market interests. Continue reading
BMW Group Buys Customizer ALPINA
The existing cooperation will continue in a different form: The company owned by the Bovensiepen family will continue to use its engineering expertise in developing, manufacturing, and selling BMW ALPINA vehicles within the existing agreement until the end of 2025. This results in ‘base’ BMW cars receiving extensive modification by the ALPINA – including the engine and transmission, as well as the chassis, aerodynamics, and interior equipment. BMW ALPINA vehicles are pre-assembled on BMW production lines before final assembly of the vehicles taking place in workshops in Buchloe, also with individual interiors built to customer specifications. Continue reading
Volkswagen Debuts ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo
As with other models of Volkswagen’s all-electric family, the new ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo are based on the Group’s Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB). The MEB is a scalable large-production-run platform. It provides the basis across the brands for different models and segments. At present, 30% of the few electric vehicles in the Group are based on the MEB. By 2025, it’s planned to be more than 80%. For Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, the all-electric ID.Buzz is a building block to help reduce the carbon footprint of the whole product portfolio. Continue reading
Posted in electric vehicles, marketing, new vehicle
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, ID. Buzz, ID. Buzz Cargo, Ken Zino, VtHP, VW Hannover
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Ford Pro Adds Charging Hardware for Commercial EV Clients
“We are investing heavily in products and services to help commercial customers accelerate into an electric future, which means helping to ensure our hardware and software can plug and play with other manufacturers, as we know many customers operate mixed-make fleets,” said Ted Cannis, Ford Pro CEO. “These chargers can be completely customized to unique commercial environments and can work even better when paired together with Ford Pro electric vehicles and Telematics to enable OEM-grade data transparency.” Continue reading
Posted in connected vehicles, electric vehicles
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, Ken Zino
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Mercedes-Benz Vans USA Unveils all-new Sprinter AWD
It’s part of a transition to a fully 4-cylinder lineup for gasoline and, ahem, ultimately doomed diesel engines for model year 2023, creating a “more efficient portfolio.” Continue reading
Stellantis Launches Its First Women’s Resource Group to Increase XX Chromosome Management
Women of Stellantis is Stellantis’ first global business resource group, a result of merging its two corresponding groups from its two former companies – FCA, aka Fiat Chrysler, and Peugeot. Globally, Women of Stellantis represents and supports nearly 3,000 current members and allies in 26 countries. Continue reading
EPA Grants $17M for EV School Buses to Cut Diesel Emissions
The two rebate awards of ~$17 million in combined funding for schools and bus fleet owners to replace older, high-polluting diesel school buses. Replacing these buses will improve air quality in and around schools and communities, reduce greenhouse gas pollution, and help improve children’s health. Since 2012, EPA’s school bus rebates have awarded, or are in the process of awarding, more than $73 million to replace more than 3,000 old diesel school buses. Continue reading
PG&E and GM to Test EVs as Power Source when Grid Fails
EVs, of course, play a critical role in achieving California’s goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and already provide customers with many benefits. Bidirectional charging capabilities add even further value by improving electric resiliency and reliability. PG&E, of course, is beleaguered by civil and criminal lawsuits for its corporate actions and neglect that, among other things, ignited the deadly 2018 Camp Fire. In 2020, PG&E pled guilty to 84 felony counts of involuntary manslaughter, the largest homicide ever legally attributed to a United States corporation. Continue reading
West European Car Sales Flat Before Russian War On Ukraine
Our 2022 PV forecast has become more cautious since last month as supply bottlenecks are expected to be exacerbated from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting sanctions. The selling rate is still anticipated to improve over the course of 2022 but at a slower rate than we forecast last month. Aside from the supply disruption, downward pressure is building on underlying demand through inflation and confidence,” LMC warned. Continue reading
Posted in economy, sales
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, Ken Zino, Putin’s War, Ukraine, West European Car Sales
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Tesla Recalls Model S for Bad Side Curtain Airbags
This results in an airbag that did not meet specifications. The replacement airbag was assembled with an inflator with a correct number of components that meet specifications whereas the recalled airbag was assembled with an inflator with an additional component that did not meet specifications. Continue reading
EV Battery Gold Rush – GM, POSCO Chemical JV Expansion
The new plant will produce cathode active material (CAM) for GM’s Ultium batteries, which will power electric vehicles such as the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC HUMMER EV and Cadillac LYRIQ. AutoInformed readers might remember that the companies previously announced plans to form a CAM processing joint venture in December 2021, majority owned by POSCO Chemical. Continue reading
University of Michigan, Ford – EV Greenhouse Gas Reductions Greater than Others. Pickups Best Over Their Life Cycle?
“This is an important study to inform and encourage climate action. Our research clearly shows substantial greenhouse gas emission reductions that can be achieved from transitioning to electrified powertrains across all vehicle classes,” said study senior author Greg Keoleian, a professor at the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability and director of the U-M Center for Sustainable Systems. Continue reading
US Vehicle Sales Weakest Since 2011 – Drop 12% in February
The annualized selling rate, aka SAAR, of 14.0 million units declined in both the monthly and annual comparisons. However, the February SAAR was still 1 million higher than the average rate during the second half of 2021. With the same number of selling days as in January, February’s daily average grew by ~2,000 units/day, to 43,600 units/day – it has floated above the 40,000-unit threshold since November 2021 after President Biden was elected and a recovery from the economic reverses and job losses from the Trump Administration began. Continue reading
Posted in sales
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, Biden Recovery, February vehicles sales, Ken Zino, lmc automotive, saar
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EPA – Toxic Chemical Releases Drop 10% between 2019-2020
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released its 2020 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) National Analysis, which shows that environmental releases of TRI chemicals by facilities covered by the program declined by 10% between 2019 and 2020. The 2020 TRI National … Continue reading
BMW Group Posts Record Revenues, Earnings, Profits for 2021
Deliveries were up 8.4%, to 2,521,514 units, of which 13% were electrified vehicles (328,314 units, +70.4% YOY). Group revenues rose to.€111,239 million (prev. yr.: €98,990 million, +12.4%). Group net profit reached a new all-time high of €12,463 million (prev. yr.: €3,857 million, +223.1%). Continue reading →