Tag Archives: Ken Zino

Toyota e-Palette Hits Pedestrian at Paralympic Games

On Thursday 26 August 2021, a Toyota e-Palette, an autonomous vehicle used to support mobility within the Athletes’ Village at the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo, collided with a visually impaired person about to cross at a pedestrian crossing. At … Continue reading

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What Car? Britain’s Most and Least Reliable Cars

“Our latest study also shows that a high price tag isn’t always a guarantee of reliability, because some of Britain’s cheapest cars are among the most reliable,” said What Car? editor Steve Huntingford. Continue reading

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Milestones: 50 Million Toyota Corollas or 12 Generations

Tracking the seeming inevitable fate of automobiles and trucks in America, Corolla quickly evolved to offer more room, comfort and performance for close to three generations of customers. The 2022 Corolla combines advanced tech, sporty style and top-level comfort with up to 53/52/52 EPA estimated MPG in the hybrid model and the protection of standard Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 with automatic emergency braking. And, gasp, the first-ever Corolla Cross SUV-like version. Toyota invites everyone with a Corolla story to share it using #MyCorollaStory. Continue reading

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VW Starts Car-Net Carrier of Choice with Verizon and T-Mobile

In the fast-growing world of connected cars there remain large questions about anti-trust regulations and their application – if any has been attempted – to protect consumers from cartel or monopoly pricing. Car-Net, with in-car Wi-Fi capability when you subscribe to a data plan, is standard equipment on most 2020 model year and forward Volkswagen vehicles. The Carrier of Choice program will be available starting late September this year. Continue reading

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US Auto Sales Forecast Down Again in August

Overall new-vehicle sales for August 2021, including retail and non-retail transactions, are projected to reach 1,094,500 units, a 13.7% decrease from August 2020 and a 25.3% decrease from August 2019. Comparing the same sales volume without adjusting for the number of selling days translates to a decrease of 17.0% from 2020 and a decrease of 33.3% from 2019. The seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) for total new-vehicle sales is expected to be 13.1 million units, down 2.1 million units from 2020 and down 4.0 million units from 2019. Continue reading

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Toyota to Assemble Fuel Cell Modules at Kentucky Plant

“We’re bringing our proven electric technology to a whole new class of production vehicles,” said Tetsuo Ogawa, president and chief executive officer, Toyota Motor North America. “Heavy-duty truck manufacturers will be able to buy a fully integrated and validated fuel cell electric drive system, allowing them to offer their customers an emissions-free option in the Class 8 heavy-duty segment.” Continue reading

Posted in alternative fuels, environment, fuel economy or emissions, global warming, milestones, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

BMW and Rolls Note Rolls-Royce Founder’s Birthday

As the third son of Lord and Lady Llangattock, he was born into a life of wealth and privilege, going on to be educated at Eton and Cambridge and enjoying the freedom to indulge his passions for aviation and motor racing. By contrast, his business partner, Henry Royce, came from a humble background. Continue reading

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Mazda MX-30 EV Starts at $33,470 in CA this October

The all-new 2022 Mazda MX-30 EV is a baby step toward the brand’s lagging electrification. Initially launching in California dealerships this fall, the battery-electric MX-30 has an EPA estimated range of only 100 miles on a full charge Continue reading

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Chinese Junk Watch – Six More Recalls from CPSC

CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products – such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals – contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years. However, in AutoInformed’s view, Chinese products remain a problem both in their design and manufacturing quality control. Herewith are some of the latest in Chinese Junk. Continue reading

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Khan, Mercedes Chief Technology Officer, Leaves Prompting Reorganization with Focus on Electric Only

Magnus Östberg will assume overall responsibility for the MB.OS vehicle operating system as Chief Software Officer on 1 September 2021 – a newly created position that is the result of the unexpected executive shuffle. Östberg will report both to Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG for Group Research and Chief Operating Officer Mercedes-Benz AG, and directly to the Chairman of the Boards of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG, Ola Källenius. Continue reading

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Cadillac Developing All-New LMDh Endurance Racecar

Cadillac and constructor Dallara are designing the new Cadillac LMDh. The two companies’ cooperative efforts led to the design of the championship-winning Cadillac DPi-V.R. A new GM developed engine will integrate with the LMDh common hybrid system. Continue reading

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Chinese Covid Recovery Policies is Zero-Sum Game for Automakers Overall. Luxury, Compact Segments Benefit Most?

As with most statistics though, the devil is hiding in the details. Consultancy LMC Automotive says there is an enduring imbalance in the economy’s internal structure: the performance of the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) among medium and large enterprises is significantly better than that among smaller enterprises. Continue reading

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Eruption Green, Hot Pepper Red Paints Set for 2022 Bronco

“Automotive enthusiasts, and especially Bronco fans, are passionate about colors and will be excited about Eruption Green,” said Barb Whalen, Ford color and materials manager. “Paint has a wonderful way of evolving because of technology. Eruption Green is a contemporary color, but there’s a connection with Bronco heritage. It’s evergreen-inspired, with yellow highlights that really tie it into nature.” Continue reading

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Toyota First Hypercar Winner at Le Mans in Fourth Straight Victory. Ferrari First then Corvette, Porsche in GTE Pro

The No. 7’s win is only the second time ever that an Argentine (Jose Maria Lopez) has won Le Mans and is the team’s seventh consecutive WEC race victory. The Hypercar finished two laps ahead of the sister No. 8 car with Brendon Hartley, Kazuki Nakajima and Sebastien Buemi sharing the wheel. Continue reading

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Confirmed: General Motors to Recall more Bolt EVs at $1B Cost

General Motors is expanding the current Chevrolet Bolt EV recall to cover the remaining 2019 and all 2020-2022 model year vehicles, including the Bolt EUV. With this expansion, all Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles are now recalled due to the risk … Continue reading

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