Category Archives: results

Detroit Public Library Opens WW II Production Collection

An extensive collection of documents recording the American automobile industry’s role in WW II is now open to historians and researchers, the Detroit Public Library said yesterday at a press conference in downtown Detroit. Continue reading

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Japanese Vehicle Production Declines for First Time in 2 Years

Motor vehicle production in 2011 in Japan decreased for the first time in two years, totaling 8.40 million units because of the earthquake and resulting tsunami. This was a decrease of 12.8% from the 2010, according to JAMA. Continue reading

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China Auto Sales Up 16% in May but Down from April

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said that automobile sales were 1,607,200 units in May, a decrease -1% compared with April, but an increase 16% compared with the same period of last year. Continue reading

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Audi Hybrids One-Two at Le Mans. Toyotas Crash, Break

In a 24 race marred by accidents, two Audi diesel hybrid P1 cars took first and second at the 24 hours of Le Mans, with a another Audi in third. A Toyota-powered Lola took fourth, boldly inserting itself ahead of the fifth place car – another Audi diesel, but not good enough to prevent an all Audi podium. All four Audi R18 cars could have won what became the brand’s eleventh Le Mans victory in front of a claimed 240,000 spectators. Continue reading

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EU Car Sales Down 8.7% in May. Eight Straight Months of Drops

New passenger car sales in the EU declined 8.7% in May to 1,106,845. It was the eighth consecutive month of sales declines, according to ACEA, the automakers association. Five months into the year, new registrations amounted to 5,442,326 units or 7.7% less than in the same period last year as the EU is headed for its fifth straight year of car sales declines with unemployment at depression levels. Continue reading

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Ford Motor Farm Wins Land Stewardship Award

Ford Motor Company’s Cherry Hill Farm, the last freestanding working farm the automaker owns, has received an award for effective land stewardship by reducing pollution. Continue reading

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New 2013 Ford Escape Enters Production in Louisville Plant

The upgraded plant is in theory capable of making up to six different vehicles at the same time, thus it is Ford’s most flexible U.S. plant. Louisville is also one of 11 Ford facilities in the U.S. that is participating in the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program – in Ford’s case almost $6 billion total – initiated by Congress under the Obama administration, which also put $80 billion into other auto bailouts, including the forced and politically contentious bankruptcies of Chrysler and GM. Continue reading

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New Smart ForTwo EV now in Production in France

Daimler AG started production today of the new Smart ForTwo electric vehicle built at the Smart Hambach, France plant. An investment of €200 million was required to integrate the tiny EV into the production processes of the plant, which also builds gasoline versions. Continue reading

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NHTSA Study Claims Better Design Reduced Crashes, Deaths

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today announced that better-designed, safer vehicles have contributed to an overall decline in crashes, deaths and injuries on U.S. roadways. In a new NHTSA report issued today, the agency’s analysis of police-reported crash data estimates that design improvements between the 2000 model year and 2008 cars helped save 2,000 lives and prevented one million occupant injuries in the 2008 calendar year alone. Continue reading

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Porsche Opens Display at Autostadt Park in Wolfsburg

Porsche AG inaugurated its new pavilion in Wolfsburg’s Autostadt theme park today. The auto manufacturer’s new exhibition building has a curved roof design said to be inspired by the silhouette of a Porsche 911. Inside, the center stage of the pavilion displays 25 vehicle models that take visitors on a journey through the development of the sports car brand. Continue reading

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OnStar Subscribers Reach 450,000 in China

OnStar Shanghai said today that it passed two major milestones in May with its subscriber base across China reaching 450,000, and requests for Turn-by-Turn Navigation totaling 13.8 million since the launch of the telematics service in October 2009. OnStar has 6 million subscribers worldwide.

Shanghai OnStar received certification from China’s State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping in 2011, becoming the first telematics joint venture allowed offering mapping service in China. Continue reading

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Chevrolet Trailblazer SUV Starts Production in Thailand

In the U.S., the body on frame Trailblazer was discontinued after 2009, and replaced by the unit-body Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook. Trailblazer is a traditional American truck although it was developed along with the all-new Chevrolet Colorado pickup by GM do Brasil. Continue reading

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Treasury to Sell Preferred Bank Stock Acquired Under TARP

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced today that it is starting secondary public offerings of the preferred stock it holds in seven so-called CPP institutions (Capital Purchase Program under TARP). The Troubled Assets Relief Program, which injected huge amounts of taxpayer cash into U.S. banks, was sold to the American public as a way to encourage banks to lend money to free up the frozen capital markets. From October 2008 through December 2009, Treasury invested almost $205 billion in 707 financial institutions as part of the federal government’s efforts to help stabilize U.S. financial markets and the economy.

However, some the banks used part of the funds to pay huge executive bonuses, repurchase stock and pay dividends, according to the Government Accountability Office. Now GAO concerns are being raised about the health of the banks remaining in the program. Continue reading

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GM May China Sales Set Record. Ford China Sales Also Up

General Motors and its joint ventures sold a May record 231,183 vehicles in China. Demand was up for the market leader 21.3% from the same month in 2011 and 1.7% from April of this year. At Ford China, increased sales of passenger cars offset a slump in light commercial vehicles during May, which led to an 8% increase year-over-year at 48,608, vehicles. Volkswagen Group the number two seller in China by far has not reported May sales yet. Continue reading

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Honda Fit EV Rated by the EPA at 118 MPGe, the Highest Ever

The Fit EV’s 20-kWh lithium-ion battery provides the capacity to earn an EPA combined city/highway estimated driving range of 82-miles, meaning the Fit EV on paper and in press releases surpasses the EPA efficiency and range ratings of the Ford Focus Electric (105 MPGe, 76-mile range), Nissan Leaf (99 MPGe, 73-mile range), and Mitsubishi i-MiEV (112 MPGe, 62-mile range). Honda recently settled a class action lawsuit that said in effect that it had overrated the mileage on the Civic hybrid. Continue reading

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