Category Archives: transportation

Air Fares Soar 10% in Q4 as 2011 Prices Highest on Record

The slow economic recovery the U.S. is enduring isn’t all good for embattled consumers as the average price of U.S. domestic air fares increased to $368 in the fourth quarter of 2011, up 10% from $335 in the fourth quarter of 2010, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today. The latest price hike was far above $320 average fare during the same period in 2009 as the Great Recession took hold. Continue reading

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BMW Recalls S 1000 RR Motorcycles for Engine Failures

BMW is recalling 2012 S 1000 RR motorcycles because the connecting rod bolts can loosen, leading to sudden engine failures. At least 33 engine failures have been reported globally, BMW said in the required filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. No injures have been reported, according to BMW. Continue reading

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Honda Develops the First Traffic Jam Preventer?

Honda Motor Company today announced a computer program that prompts a driver to change behavior if it has the potential to cause traffic jams. Honda knows what traffic engineers know and commuters endure – the acceleration and deceleration behavior of one vehicle influences the traffic pattern of trailing vehicles and can trigger the traffic jams. (Nothing about road hogging SUV driver’s whose super-sized vehicles prevent trailing car drivers from judging and responding to traffic ahead since all the driver of the car behind can see is the SUV driver talking or texting on his cell phone until he jams on his brakes.) Continue reading

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SAE 2012 World Congress Opens in Detroit Tomorrow

Engineers who are developing the next generation of vehicle technologies, will make sober assessments of where they actually are in increasing fuel economy, decreasing emissions and combating global warming, as opposed to the sometimes farcical claims in gushing press releases from politicians and automaker p.r. departments. Continue reading

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Former BP Engineer Arrested for Obstruction of Justice in Ongoing Deepwater Horizon Criminal Investigation

It was the first of what could become many criminal charges to be filed because of the environmental destruction caused by a huge oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. BP said “We will not comment on the Government’s case against former BP employee Kurt Mix and we will continue cooperating in the Department of Justice’s investigation.” Continue reading

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EPA Issues Tougher Rules for Oil and Natural Gas Production

EPA – sensitive, if not given over to election year politics and high energy prices – also said the standards would enable companies to collect additional natural gas that can be sold. The updated EPA standards include the first federal clean air rules for natural gas wells that are hydraulically fractured, specifically requiring operators of new fractured natural gas wells to use what it says are cost-effective technologies and practices to capture natural gas that might otherwise escape the well. Continue reading

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Audi Buys Italian Motorcycle Maker Ducati

Ducati has manufacturing operations at its headquarters in Bologna and in Thailand. It maintains a series of importer companies in strategic markets. Audi said that the motorcycle market will “enjoy strong growth over the next few years,” especially in Asia where Honda dominates. Continue reading

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DOE Gives EV Supplier UQM More Time on ARRAS Grant

The politically contentious American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contained billions upon billions in taxpayer funding to businesses though a number of Recovery Act and related programs, including loans, loan guarantees, grants, contracts and tax incentives, in partnership with the Department of Treasury. In total, CBO estimates that the legislation will increase budget deficits by about $831 billion over the 2009–2019 period. Continue reading

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Anti Nuke Weapons Group Says Porsche Ends Iran Business

United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) joined New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio in announcing that Porsche AG has ended its business in Iran. In a statement, the pressure group headed by former U.S. Ambassador Mark D. Wallace, said Porsche officials have confirmed that the company is no longer “engaged in any business or providing any goods or services in Iran,” and “has no intention to conduct business in Iran in the near future.” Continue reading

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Global Auto Sales Forecast to Top 79 Million in 2012

The positive trend in auto sales is pointing to the best year since 2007, before the reckless practices of Wall Street sent economies into the Great Recession, and caused large unemployment rates and deficits in most countries. Continue reading

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Commercial Freight Shipments Rise Slightly in February

Shipments in February 2012 were at the second highest level since the early recession month of April 2008 despite the 3.0% decline from December 2011 (113.7 on the index), which was the highest level in the 22-year history of the series. Whether this constitutes a recovery is unclear. Continue reading

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Automobile$ Provide $91.5 Billion in $tate Tax Revenue$

The amount of revenue involved begs questions about the lack of U.S. industrial policy – alone among industrialized countries – as well as what critics say is anti industry attitudes among politicians and regulators. These critics also point to the actively hostile policies of the U.S. State and Defense Departments, which support and protect offshore automakers, while increasing taxes for U.S. based automakers. Continue reading

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Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, 911 Designer, Dead at 76

In 1958, Ferdinand joined the engineering office of what was then Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche KG. His first model was the design of a successor to the 356 model out of plasticine. In 1962, he took over as head of the Porsche design studio, making his name one year later with the Porsche 901, which went into production as the 911, and is still in production seven iterations later. Porsche also designed racing cars, including the type 804 Formula One racing car and the Porsche 904 Carrera GTS. Continue reading

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Fisker Shows Atlantic EV – Will It Ever Be Built?

In essence, Fisker – similar to EVs – has a range problem with doubts about whether it can reach its stated destination of creating 2,000 autoworker jobs building 100,000 plug-in hybrids per year at the 3.2 million square-foot factory in Delaware before it runs out of cash. Continue reading

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Delta Largest U.S. Airline. American Largest Overseas

Delta Air Lines, because of its merger with Northwest Airlines, carried more total system passengers in 2011 than any other U.S. airline for the second consecutive year. American Airlines carried more international passengers to and from the United States in 2011 than any other U.S. or foreign carrier, followed closely by Delta. Continue reading

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