Category Archives: results

Honda Verifies Congestion Reduction System During Public Road Tests

Honda Motor Company conducted public-road testing of its new traffic congestion minimization technology in Indonesia and claims it verified its effectiveness in delaying the development of congestion, and improving fuel efficiency by more than 20%. Continue reading

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New Regulations for Safety, Emissions Hurt Micro-Cars

While there is a clear emerging global trend of rising demand for small and inexpensive cars, regulations are increasing their costs. Since 2010, supply by automakers has been growing as they offer products in the range of €10,000 (~$13,000). Some vehicles in this price range are micro-cars, such as the Piaggio, NT3, Renault Twizy ZE, Tata Nano, and Opel Rak-e, all unheard of in the United States. However, there are two A-segment vehicles playing in this space, the Skoda Citigo and Daimler Smart ForTwo, which is on sale in the U.S. Continue reading

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March U.S. Auto Sales Forecast Up 8%. Six-Year Loans at Record Levels

Part of the reason for increasing sales appears to be the direct result of the U.S Treasury continuing increase in the money supply by running government printing presses non-stop in an attempt to keep the economy expanding. As a result, easy credit has returned to the marketplace. Customers also appear to be ignoring, if not mocking, the dire predictions of crisis, tragedy and collapse by bickering politicians in Washington. Continue reading

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EU Car Sales Drop 10.5% During February to 795,482

Passenger car registrations plummeted in the 27 markets of the EU during February of 2013 to fewer than 800,000 units, a 10.5% drop from the same month last year. In February, the UK was the only country to post growth (+7.9%). All other major markets faced a downturn ranging from -9.8% in Spain to -10.5% in Germany, -12.1% in France and -17.4% in Italy. Continue reading

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Nissan Recalls Popular 2013 Models for Bad Passenger Airbags

Nissan is recalling numerous 2013 model Altima, Leaf, Pathfinder, Sentra, and Infiniti JX35 vehicles because the passenger side airbag is defective. Sensors within the so-called passenger Occupant Detection System may have been manufactured out of specification for several months. This may cause the system to malfunction and permanently suppress the passenger airbag on some of Nissan’s most popular vehicles. Continue reading

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BMW Group Posts Best Year in History During 2012

The BMW Group increased revenues during 2012 by 11.7% to €76.8 billion (~$99.7 billion) based on sales of 1,845,186 of BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce brand vehicles delivered to customers worldwide, making it the largest maker of luxury automobiles. The Group also sold more than 117,000 motorcycles. Continue reading

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Volkswagen Group Posts Record Profit of €11.5 Billion in 2012

Volkswagen Group’s sales revenue increased by 20.9% to €192.7 billion ($252 billion) in fiscal year 2012 a sizable gain from €159.3 billion in 2011. Operating profit rose to a record €11.5 billion, but this was only a slight increase from €11.3 billion the year before. Continue reading

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Ford Motor Misses Targets Cuts CEO Pay to ‘Only’ $21 Million

In the bizarre world of 0.1-percenters, Ford Motor Company cut CEO Alan Mulally’s compensation by almost 30% because the quality-challenged company missed its 2012 goals. Even so Mulally earned $2,000,000 in salary and $3,950,000 in cash bonus in 2012. His total listed compensation in 2012 – including the grant date value of long-term stock options and other performance-based equity awards – was $20,995,806. This is a drop from his $2 million in salary, $5.46 million in bonus and $22 million in other compensation for 2011. Continue reading

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EPA Reports Significant Gains in Fuel Economy During 2012

In its annual report that tracks the fuel economy of vehicles sold in the United States, EPA today said that between 2007 and 2012 fuel economy increased by 16% while carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have decreased by 13%. In 2012, EPA said the one-year increase of 1.4 miles per gallon for cars and trucks was “significant.” Continue reading

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Milestones – 100 Years of Bosch Generators

One hundred years ago, Bosch introduced the world’s first voltage-regulating generator for motor vehicles. Back then, it was only a power source for what were newly invented electric headlights by Cadillac founder Henry M. Leland. Leland also pioneered electric ignition on his cars, while Bosch – a magneto company – trailed that development. These were the early days of the electrification of the automobile, which continues to this day. Continue reading

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Customer Satisfaction Up at U.S. Dealer Service Departments

The CSI rankings are based on dealer service performance during the first three years of new-vehicle ownership, which typically represents the majority of the vehicle warranty period. After the warranty expires, dealerships traditionally have little chance of getting maintenance work as more than two thirds of customers then resort to independent repair shops and mass merchandiser tire, transmission, brake and muffler chains. Continue reading

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Dallas Resident is OnStar’s 2012 Good Samaritan of the Year

In advance of National Good Samaritan Day on Wednesday, OnStar named Tyler Andrews its 2012 Good Samaritan of the Year. The Dallas resident while driving onto the southbound entrance ramp of the Dallas North Toll Way in his GMC Sierra last year saw a Ford Expedition stopped in the middle of the ramp. Andrews pulled alongside the vehicle and found an unresponsive man, along with his wife and three daughters. Continue reading

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Volkswagen to use CO2 as Air Conditioning Refrigerant

The Volkswagen Group is developing air conditioning systems that use CO2 as the refrigerant. Currently automotive air conditioners, depending on age, use R12, which is banned because of global warming effects, R134a, a replacement for R12, which is also now being phased out for its role in global warming, and its replacement R1234yf, which apparently poses safety threats. Continue reading

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Taxpayer Held Ally Bank to Sell Mortgage Servicing Rights

Ally Financial, the owner of Ally bank and formerly known as GMAC, became insolvent because of its reckless home mortgage lending practices, resulting in a controversial taxpayer subsidized bailout after the housing bubble peaked in 2006 and subsequently burst. Ally is in the process of shedding all liability from what’s left of its mortgage business as it reorganizes as a bank holding company providing consumer banking and auto financing. Continue reading

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Volkswagen Group to Cut CO2 emissions to 95 g/km by 2020

In the ongoing battle of the green press releases, Volkswagen Group has restated its strategic goal of becoming the world’s most “environmentally sustainable” automaker by 2018. The announcement was originally made a year ago when VW Group undertook an ecologically oriented restructuring designed to coordinate responses to increasingly tough global regulations covering vehicles and how they are made and recycled. Continue reading

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