Tag Archives: Kenneth Zino

Ford Motor US Sales Down in -3% 2019 as War Worries Increase

Posted on 6 January 2020 by Ken Zino

Overall, 2019  light vehicle sales fell 1.3% to 17.05 million vehicles, according to AutoData. Truck sales inched up 2.6% and passenger car sales dropped -10%. In total, 69% of new vehicles sold last year were trucks or SUVs. Electric vehicle sales were up 37% at ~236,000 – but that’s from a tiny baseline. Continue reading →

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Hyundai Motor 2020 Business Direction – Electrification, Autonomous Vehicles, Mobility Services. Sound Familiar?

Posted on 3 January 2020 by Ken Zino

The plan focuses on securing Hyundai’s leadership in the vehicle electrification, expansion of hydrogen industry ecosystem and self-driving commercialization, as well as the progressive expansion of its mobility services businesses. Continue reading →

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Reuters Reports Carlos Ghosn Jumps Bail Before His Trial and Flees Japan for Lebanon Where He Can’t Be Extradited

Posted on 31 December 2019 by Ken Zino

“Ghosn’s abrupt departure marks the latest dramatic twist in a year-old saga that has shaken the global auto industry, jeopardized the alliance of Nissan Motor Co Ltd and its top shareholder Renault SA and cast a harsh light on the fairness of Japan’s judicial system,” Reuters reported.   Continue reading →

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Honda Sets Monthly Record for Auto Production in China

Posted on 30 December 2019 by Ken Zino

All told Honda globally produced 4.81 million vehicles year to date. China now represents 29% of all Honda Motor production. Continue reading →

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RPM Act Introduced in U.S. House of Representatives

Posted on 29 December 2019 by Ken Zino

The RPM Act reverses the EPA’s interpretation that the Clean Air Act does not allow a motor vehicle designed for street use – car, truck or motorcycle – to be converted into a racecar. In 2015 the EPA said that converted vehicles must remain emissions-compliant, even though they are no longer driven on public streets or highways.  Continue reading →

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DOT Finally, Belatedly Admits Drone Remote ID Needed

Posted on 28 December 2019 by Ken Zino

Critics are quick to point out that this is similar to the process that failed at Boeing and killed hundreds of people – letting the regulated dictate the regulations. The 737 Max, belatedly grounded, is still grounded as the promised software fix is still a promise. Continue reading →

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COSCO Container Lines Fined $965,000 By CARB

Posted on 27 December 2019 by Ken Zino

The diesel air pollution violations were discovered during routine audits of the Shanghai-based company’s 2014-2017 fleet visits to the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach and the Port of Oakland. COSCO Container Lines committed over 2,600 air quality violations during visits to California ports. Continue reading →

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Shelby GT350, GT350R Heritage Packages on Sale

Posted on 26 December 2019 by Ken Zino

The 2020 Mustang Shelby GT350 has a starting MSRP of $60,440, plus taxes, title, delivery and license fees; GT350R has a starting MSRP of $73,435, plus taxes, title, delivery and license fees. The Heritage Edition Package is available for $1,965. Continue reading →

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Nissan Scandal – a Gift That Keeps on Giving – Executive Officer and Vice COO Jun Seki Unexpectedly Resigns

Posted on 25 December 2019 by Ken Zino

The Nissan Corporate governance crisis is ongoing and comes as Nissan has started its new management under Representative Executive Officer, president and CEO Makoto Uchida as of December 1, 2019. Seki was to be a key executive in administering the turn-around that seeks to halt slumping sales, confusing brand images and expensive incentive programs. Continue reading →

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SEMA Lawsuit – NHTSA Issues Draft Replica Car Rule

Posted on 24 December 2019 by Ken Zino

The FAST Act set a deadline of December 4, 2016, for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to issue any necessary regulations to implement the law. The agency sat on the legally required need for regulations in defiance of Congress. Sound familiar? Continue reading →

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PSA Group – Lease New Plug-In Hybrid and EVs at Free2move

Posted on 23 December 2019 by Ken Zino

“We are ideally placed to offer the wealth of forthcoming PSA LEVs to both existing and new customers, with DS Automobiles, Peugeot and Citroën having product available to order right now and Citroën in the near future,” claims Mark Pickles, General Manager, Free2Move Lease UK. Continue reading →

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Volkswagen Debuts 34 New Models Worldwide in 2020

Posted on 23 December 2019 by Ken Zino

Next year the ID.31 goes on sale in the summer, followed by the ID.Next2, VW’s first electric SUV. Vehicles and the VW group are to achieve a carbon-neutral balance by 2050. CO2 emissions from production are to be halved by 2025. Ambitious and subject to the whims of bureaucrats in Brussels, Beijing and Washington. Continue reading →

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High-Speed Runs Finish McLaren Speedtail’s Development

Posted on 23 December 2019 by Ken Zino

Build of the first of 106 Speedtails that will be hand-assembled to customer order has now commenced at the McLaren Production Centre in Woking, UK, with deliveries scheduled from February 2020. Continue reading →

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Auto Industry Sets Record for Transaction Prices, Incentive Spending in December 2019. However, US Sales Falling?

Posted on 23 December 2019 by Ken Zino

The combination of record prices with overall sales means that consumers will spend $462 billion on new vehicles in 2019. This is up $8.4 billion from last year and marks the first time that expenditures will exceed $460 billion. Continue reading →

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Toyota to Launch New Model Yaris in Japan in February

Posted on 20 December 2019 by Ken Zino

It is an important launch for Toyota because the next Yaris is the first model to adopt the TNGA platform (GA-B. Toyota New Global Architecture. Toyota’s company-wide global program to structurally transform automobile design.) The stated goal of TNGA is to “dramatically improve the basic performance and marketability of Toyota vehicles” for compact cars. Continue reading →

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