Tag Archives: new vehicle reviews

Happy New Year or is that Old Year? Impaired-Driving Still Remains Primary Cause of Deaths

Posted on 29 December 2018 by Ken Zino

The first four states with legalized recreational marijuana use saw as much as a 6% increase in vehicle crashes compared with neighboring states without such laws, according to research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data Institute. Continue reading →

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Stefan Juraschek on BMW Electric Car Development

Posted on 29 December 2018 by Ken Zino

We currently produce the following electrified models: the BMW i3 (third model evolution with 120 Ah) , BMW i3s, BMW i8 Coupe, BMW i8 Roadster, BMW 740e, BMW 740Le, BMW 530e, BMW 225xe Active Tourer, MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 and, in China, the BMW X1 xDrive25Le. Continue reading →

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Hyundai Delivers First 2019 NEXO Fuel Cell SUV

Posted on 28 December 2018 by AutoCrat

Mr. Hochrad isn’t the typical automotive buyer. More than 15 years ago, he purchased his first hybrid car and over the years has driven dedicated electric vehicles as well. His new NEXO will deliver about five times the driving range of his first unnamed all-electric car. Continue reading →

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Mobility Company Capital Destruction. Latest German JV Attempts to Lessen Negative Effects on Shareholder Value

Posted on 28 December 2018 by Ken Zino

It’s just the latest example of the capital intensive, shareholder-value destroying transition to an ill-defined, but demonstrably expensive mobility company that all automakers are now pursuing. Continue reading →

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Milk Run – McLaren 720s Spa 68 – a Three Car Set

Posted on 27 December 2018 by Ken Zino

The McLaren 720S Spa 68 Collection car is available from McLaren Brussels – two of the three are sold. Maybe more should have been built? Continue reading →

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Hyundai Motor Claims World’s First Smart Fingerprint Technology. Big Convenience or Electronic Big Brother?

Posted on 24 December 2018 by Ken Zino

To unlock the vehicle, the driver places a finger on the sensor located on the door handle. The encrypted fingerprint information will be identified and delivered to the fingerprint controller inside the vehicle. The driver can also easily start the vehicle by touching the ignition that is also equipped with a fingerprint scanning sensor. Continue reading →

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November Used Vehicle Prices Drop for Third Month

Posted on 24 December 2018 by Ken Zino

Some of the worst losses are in the luxury mid-size car segment, which has seen steady year-over-year declines since 2012. Prices for this segment are expected to decline by more than 7% annually. Continue reading →

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NYSE Suspends Trading in Link Motion. Delisting Next Step

Posted on 24 December 2018 by Ken Zino

Chinese-based Link Motion offerings includes enabling technology and secure connected carputers for car businesses, consumer ride sharing services, as well as legacy mobile security, productivity and other related applications. Continue reading →

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Japanese Justice or Farce?

Posted on 23 December 2018 by Ken Zino

Carlos Ghosn remains in a tiny jail cell in jail for at least the rest of the year, a Tokyo court ruled today, Sunday 23 December 2018. Ghosn stays locked up until January 1, giving the Japanese “authorities” added time to question him – without his lawyer present – on more alleged wrongdoings as Nissan Motors CEO. Continue reading →

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First Fully-Electric Freightliner eM2 to Penske Truck Leasing

Posted on 22 December 2018 by Ken Zino

Penske Truck Leasing is going to operate the electric truck in local distribution traffic in the Northwest Pacific and in California. During 2019, Penske Truck Leasing Corporation will receive in total 20 fully-electric Freightliner trucks: ten medium-duty eM2 and ten eCascadia for heavy-duty transportation. In total the Freightliner’s test fleet will include 30 vehicles. Continue reading →

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British Car Manufacturing Declines -19.6% In November

Posted on 22 December 2018 by Ken Zino

While home production fell by -1.9% in the month, exports experienced a steeper -22.8% drop – falling for the fifth month in a row. Just over 105,000 cars were exported to global markets in November, still representing some eight in every 10 cars leaving British factories. Continue reading →

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The GM Grinch that Stole Christmas, or Did It?

Posted on 22 December 2018 by Ken Zino

There will be a 15% reduction in GM’s salaried workforce, the closing of the Lordstown and Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plants in the US and the Oshawa complex in Canada in 2019. Baltimore Operations and Warren Transmission plants will also be shut down in 2019. The arrival of year-end auto sales data makes things clearer in the view of consultancy LMC. Continue reading →

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Car Rental Rate Holiday Rip-Offs

Posted on 22 December 2018 by AutoCrat

Travelers in need of a rental car in Seattle this Christmas will pay a lot more than usual. According to a new survey from CheapCarRental.net, rental car rates have nearly quadrupled in the city for the holidays. Continue reading →

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2018 Auto Retail Sales Down. Transaction Prices Set Record

Posted on 22 December 2018 by Ken Zino

“Despite retail sales falling for the sixth consecutive month, the continued growth in transaction prices is allowing manufacturers to offset lower sales with higher revenue,” claims Thomas King, Senior Vice President of the Data and Analytics Division at J.D. Power. “Consumers are on pace to spend nearly $45 billion on autos in December, up 1% from last year and the highest level ever recorded.” Continue reading →

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European Court Annuls Real Driving Emissions Limits. Cleaner Diesel Deception Threatened. They Can Be Banned from Cities

Posted on 22 December 2018 by Ken Zino

Their argument is provocative: “While the European Commission did not seek to increase the headline 80 mg/km emissions limit for diesel vehicles, which must still be adhered to in the laboratory test, they granted “Conformity Factors” that in effect did increase the limits for the harder, on-road part of the test. As a result, all diesel vehicles only had to meet 168 mg/km by September 2019, falling to 114 mg/km by January 2021. This was in practice a large increase in the permissible emissions limit.” Continue reading →

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