Tag Archives: Ken Zino

UAW Now on Strike at Mack Trucks in Three States

Mack Trucks and the UAW reached a tentative agreement minutes before the initial deadline on 1 October. UAW leadership recommended that members approve the deal. On Sunday 8 October Mack Trucks’ UAW members rejected the contract. UAW leadership then issued a strike notice to the company, citing “many topics [that] remain at issue, including wage increases, cost of living allowances (COLA), job security, wage progression, skilled trades, shift premium, holiday schedules, work schedules, health and safety, seniority, pension, 401(k), healthcare and prescription drug coverage, and overtime.” Continue reading

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September 2023 European Passenger Car Sales Drop

“All the top five Western European markets continued to experience double digit YTD growth over the weak performances seen in 2022. However, generally across the region, economies still face challenging conditions with high inflation and high financing costs. We continue to forecast solid growth for the full year, with 2023 set to be the best year since 2019,” said the European Light Vehicle Sales Forecasting Team. Continue reading

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Hands-Free Driving Ford Mustangs Now in Spain

BlueCruise uses Ford’s Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control (IACC), which can automatically keep pace with traffic within legal speed limits  down to a complete stop. Hands-free mode allows drivers on approved Blue Zone sections of motorways to drive with their hands off the steering wheel if they continue to pay attention to the road ahead. Before transitioning to hands-free driving, BlueCruise-equipped vehicles confirm that lane markings are visible, that the driver has their eyes on the road and that other conditions are appropriate. Continue reading

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SEC Sues Musk for Blatant Refusal of Subpoena

The filing in US Court for the Northern District of California concerns an ongoing investigation by the SEC regarding, among other things, potential violations of various provisions of the federal securities laws in connection with Musk’s 2022 purchases of Twitter stock, and Musk’s 2022 statements and SEC filings relating to Twitter. According to the filing, the SEC seeks Musk’s testimony to obtain information not already in the SEC’s possession that is relevant to its legitimate and lawful investigation. Continue reading

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Automakers Want US Taxpayer Subsidies for Aluminum

The letter was published on a website and in full page ads in five newspapers: The Albany Times-Union, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The Louisville Courier-Journal, the South Carolina Post and Courier, and the Indianapolis Star. Not coincidentally each newspaper is in a market with one of the remaining six primary aluminum smelters. The letter was also accompanied by a digital ad campaign and mobile takeover on Politico. The power of big special interest money is once again in play, and at least this time subject to public scrutiny and challenges by some as socialism or woke-ism for the one-percenters. Continue reading

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GM Employees in India Start Hunger Strike

The GM employee’s union in India started “an indefinite relay hunger strike” on 2 October, demanding that the workforce of General Motors’ Talegaon plant be absorbed by Hyundai Motors India as the plant is sold. General Motors Employees Union in … Continue reading

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CALTY Design Reveals Toyota Baby Lunar Cruiser

CALTY Design Research, the American base of Toyota’s global design network (NYSE:TM), marked five decades of creation today by revealing the Toyota Baby Lunar Cruiser. The BLC concept has so-called adaptive technology and heritage design cues from the original FJ40 … Continue reading

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LG Energy Solution, Toyota Sign Long-Term Battery Deal

The deal is LG Energy Solution’s largest single supply agreement secured outside of its many joint ventures. The company now supplies its batteries to all top five global automakers[based on 2022 sales]. The company has eight battery manufacturing facilities currently operating or under construction in North America, and continues to expand both its production network and supply chain in the region. Continue reading

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What Strike? September US Vehicle Market Grows Sharply

US light vehicle (LV) sales grew by 19.7% year-on-year (YoY) in September, to 1.34 million units, according to the latest analysis by the respected GlobalData consultancy. The UAW Big Three Strike that began halfway through September has thus far had little apparent effect. However, YoY comparisons are supercharged because of a low base of weak September 2022 sales. Ironically, Labor Day sales appears to bolstered sales. Continue reading

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Ford Motor 2023 Q3 Sales up 8%

“We saw strong balanced sales growth providing choice to our customers in the third quarter, with growth coming from our gas engine, electric, hybrid and commercial van lineup,” said Andrew Frick, vice president, sales, distribution and trucks. “Ford’s truck lineup remains the industry’s top seller.” Continue reading

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Chinese Light Vehicle Sales Up Again

Chinese Light Vehicle (LV) wholesales in August came in at 2.56 million units with growth of 7% YoY, according to the latest data and analysis from GlobalData.* Total passenger vehicle (PV) wholesale volume reached 2.32 million units with growth of 7% in the month. Simultaneously, the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV ) sector recovered well, increasing by 11% year-on-year (YoY) to a total of 243,000 units. On a month-on-month (MoM) basis, PV sales increased by 8%, and LCV sales also increased by 5% in August, in the world’s largest vehicle market. Continue reading

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GM Posts 21% US Q3 Sales Increase

General Motors (NYSE: GM) today posted strong Q3 sales results in the US with 674,336 vehicles sold and a market share gain of ~1%. There was a 16% retail sales increase year-over-year. The strong results were centered around its thriving truck and SUV lines, which fully participated in the ongoing Biden Administration economic recovery. Continue reading

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NHTSA Expands Ford Engine Failure Probe to 700,000 Vehicles

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation released today documents that shows it has expanded a preliminary Ford engine failure inquiry to an engineering analysis that covers more than 700,000 vehicles and questions Ford’s previous attempts to fix the safety defect. Explorer, Bronco, Edge Lincoln Nautilus, Aviator SUVs, as well as The F-150 pickup truck from 2021-2022 model years are susceptible to sudden loss of engine power. Continue reading

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Toyota Motor Enters Six Teams in Rebelle Rally

“The Rebelle Rally provides the perfect platform for Toyota team members to demonstrate their passion for learning and problem solving, develop their driving skills, navigate treacherous terrains, and work together as a cohesive unit,” said Kristen Tabar, group vice president, Advanced Mobility Research and Development at TMNA. Continue reading

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One-Third of UK Motorists Name Their Car

One in three UK motorists have given a nickname to their car based on its registration plate, color, or the make and model; and 34% of nickname-givers say cars without a light-hearted epithet are “missing something.” This come from a Volkswagen survey released today on National Name Your Car Day in the UK. Among amusing car nicknames British motorists have adopted are The Beast, The Flying Banana – and Flo – because its plate started with FL0. The poll of 1500 motorists found 32% believe a car can have “a real personality.” Continue reading

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