Honda, Lexus and, Kia Crowned Best Performers in J.D. Power’s Residual Value Awards
J.D. Power’s annual ALG Residual Value Awards has named Honda the best mass-market brand and Lexus the best premium brand. The annual study looks at the resale values of models that are projected to hold the highest percentage of their manufacturer’s suggested retail price following a three-year period of ownership. This year, some 13 different automakers received awards in the 29 segments that were analyzed. Carscoops reports no less than 291 models were considered for the awards. While Honda was named the best mass-market brand, it was Kia that walked away with the highest number of awards, being named the best option in the small class (Kia Rio), midsize classic (Kia K5), micro-SUV segment (Kia Soul), compact SUV (Kia Sportage), and in the midsize SUV 3-Row segment (Kia Telluride). Elsewhere, Honda walked away with awards in the compact, small SUV, midsize SUV 2-row, and minivan segments with the Civic, HR-V, Passport, and Odyssey respectively. Toyota also performed well and picked up awards for the Tundra (large light-duty pickup), Tacoma (midsize pickup), 4Runner (off-road utility), and Supra (premium compact sports car). Click here for the full story.
Largest U.S. Rail Labor Union Votes Against Contract, Raising Strike Possibility
Workers at the largest U.S. rail union voted against a tentative contract deal reached in September raising the possibility of a strike in the coming weeks. Train and engine service members of the transportation division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD) narrowly voted to reject the deal, while members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen voted to ratify the agreement and SMART-TD yardmasters voted to ratify their national agreement, the unions said. The split vote by the unions representing conductors and engineers could put pressure on Congress to intervene to prevent a strike ahead of the holiday season, reports Reuters. "The ball is now in the railroads’ court. Let’s see what they do. They can settle this at the bargaining table," said SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson. "This can all be settled through negotiations and without a strike." The National Carriers’ Conference Committee, which represents the nation’s freight railroads in talks said the "continued, near-term threat" of a strike "will require that freight railroads and passenger carriers soon begin to take responsible steps to safely secure the network in advance of any deadline." Click here for the full story.
Mazda Will Invest $11B Into Electrification in Catch-Up Plan
Electric vehicle laggard Mazda Motor Corp. will plow $10.6 billion into electrification through 2030 with a string of new partnerships targeting everything from batteries and motors to computer chips in an attempt to catch up in global race for new technologies. Automotive News reports the plan could include EV production in the U.S. as early as 2026-2027, the second phase of the company’s just-updated mid-term business plan, CEO Akira Marumoto said. Under the strategy, Mazda will partner with Envision AESC Group, a Chinese-owned battery maker that also has investments from Nissan Motor Co. Another tie up on tap is a semiconductor partnership with Japanese electronics group Rohm Co. for advanced inverter chips. Marumoto unveiled the new direction in a revised mid-term plan on Tuesday, conceding his small-sized automaker now envisions hotter EV demand than it earlier imagined. Mazda now expects EVs to comprise between 25 percent to 40 percent of its global sales in 2030. That is up from Mazda’s early outlook of EVs accounting for just a quarter of all volume. The roll out ramps up from 2028 with the major push of battery electrics. Click here for the full story.
Porsche Wants to Use 3D Holograms to Talk to Other Cars
According to a new patent unearthed by CarBuzz at the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA), Porsche has figured out a way to make 3D holograms a viable possibility to help cars communicate with other road users. Porsche's hologram system is made possible by advancements in digital signal processing and micro-electronics and probably flows from their research into hologram-based head-up display (HUD) systems. According to the patent document, the projector will be downsized to be near-invisible on a vehicle's roof, and a compact control module in the car can handle the visual data processing. Should this system reach the market, it will likely be fitted to their electric Porsche Taycan range first to add an extra visual identifier as compensation for the EV's near-silent running. According to the patent drawings, the holographic projector unit looks somewhat underwhelming. It consists of a small module perched in the middle of the illustrated car's roof - much like a satellite radio antenna, only flatter. In the patent application, Porsche says that the hologram projector is shaped to be advantageous for the vehicle's aerodynamics. Click here for the full story.
Honda and Sony's Joint Cars Could Have Playstation 5 Baked in
Sony and Honda have announced they're going to build electric vehicles together and introduce them by 2025. The cars' "killer app" would be Sony's vast library of entertainment options, including its PlayStation video game console. As Autoblog reported in January, the PlayStation would be built into the car, so a separate console wasn't necessary. Now reports are saying the cars will play the most advanced games in Sony's portfolio, from the PlayStation 5. According to Eurogamer, the president of the Sony-Honda joint venture, Izumi Kawanishi, told the Financial Times that it's "technologically possible" to fuse PS5 capabilities into the car. "Sony has content, services and entertainment technologies that move people. We are adapting these assets to mobility, and this is our strength against Tesla," Kawanishi said. For Honda, the shift to in-car entertainment first may require a reset of its car building philosophy. The company was once known for imbuing even its most basic economy cars with driver-focused technologies derived from its Formula 1 program, such as double-wishbone suspensions and variable valve timing. Click here for the full story.
Around the Web
The Genesis G90 Is the 2023 MotorTrend Car of the Year [Motortrend]
Mercedes Makes Better Performance a $1,200 Subscription in Its EVs [The Drive]
NJ Bill Wants Dealers to Clear Previous Owners’ Personal Data on Used Cars [Carscoops]
