Tag Archives: automotive news

Honda Says New Steel and Aluminum Welding Process Cuts Weight

Posted on 25 September 2012 by Ken Zino

Honda Motor Company says it has a newly developed technology for the continuous welding of the dissimilar metals of steel and aluminum. Continue reading →

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Milestones: GM Tonawanda Builds 4.2 Million Ecotec Fours

Posted on 25 September 2012 by Ken Zino

The General Motors Tonawanda Engine Plant has built its final 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine, 13 years after production began in 1999. Since the New York State GM plant opened in 1938, more than 70 million engines have been assembled there. Continue reading →

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NHTSA Prompts GM Recall of Chevrolet, Saturn and Pontiac Cars

Posted on 24 September 2012 by Ken Zino

An engineering analysis started more than a year ago by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has now forced the recall of more than 426,000 General Motors passenger cars sold under the Chevrolet, Pontiac and Saturn brands. Continue reading →

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GM and SAIC Open the Largest Proving Grounds in China

Posted on 24 September 2012 by Ken Zino

General Motors and its Chinese communist government dictated partners – SAIC, Shanghai GM and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center – have opened China’s largest proving grounds with 37 miles or 60 kilometers of test roads. The 5.67-square-kilometer (2.18 square miles) Guangde Proving Ground in Guangde County, Anhui, represents an investment of RMB 1.6 billion ($253 million). Shanghai GM and PATAC are managing the proving ground’s operation, which includes support facilities to test 67 different driving conditions

It is the latest transfer of white-collar professional salaried jobs from the U.S. taxpayer controlled company to the businesses operating in the world’s largest auto market, which is strictly regulated by the Chinese Central government in a successful jobs creation program that requires local partners and onshore investment as the price of doing business. Continue reading →

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Ford CAW Approves First Four-Year Two-Tier Wage Contract

Posted on 24 September 2012 by Ken Zino

Now for the first time at Ford Canada under a “New Hire Grow-In program” fledgling union workers start at C$20.40, equal to 60% of the current highest member $34 base rate, and only get full compensation after ten years. The Obama Administration broke the power of the UAW in the U.S. as required terms for financing bankruptcy reorganizations at Chrysler and General Motors. As a result, unionized costs in the U.S. are now lower than in Canada and at some Japanese North American plants. Continue reading →

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Canadian Auto Workers Have Tentative Deal at GM. Fiat Holds Out

Posted on 21 September 2012 by Ken Zino

Chrysler negotiators might be holding out to see if the CAW can get the controversial contracts ratified. A step in that direction occurred today as CAW in-plant leadership at Ford unanimously endorsed the new, four-year collective bargaining deal that extends U.S. style two tier wages. The union will be holding a series of ratification meetings over the weekend, where members at Ford will vote on the tentative deal. Continue reading →

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U.S. September Vehicle Sales Projected Up. SAAR at 14.5 Million

Posted on 20 September 2012 by Ken Zino

September new-vehicle retail sales are projected to come in at 952,200 units, which represent a seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of 11.8 million units. The forecast in September is more than 1 million units higher than September 2011. Total light-vehicle sales in September are expected to increase 11% from September 2011, with volume at 1,152,700 units for a SAAR of 14.5 million. Continue reading →

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Distracted Drivers and Vehicle Design Briefing offered by CAR

Posted on 20 September 2012 by Ken Zino

The automotive electronics evolution has seen increasing emphasis on connected vehicle systems, driver assistance systems, and infotainment systems. Given the potential for these systems to cause huge drops in customer satisfaction, as Ford Motor learned with its My Touch and My Sync systems, it is not surprising that auto companies are now hiring people with experience in human factors engineering, human-machine interface, and mobile device technology. The latest briefing is one of a series CAR offers on relevant topics of interest to industry professionals. Continue reading →

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Chrysler Moves Forward on Eliminating Printed Owner Manuals

Posted on 19 September 2012 by Ken Zino

Chrysler Group, the first automaker to eliminate the conventional owner manuals from its vehicles and offer industry-first vehicle-information apps in a cost cutting move, will now apparently be the first in the auto industry to offer vehicle-information kits in Spanish for the U.S. market. Continue reading →

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Ford Fusion Hybrid Sedan Said to Top EPA Fuel Economy Ratings

Posted on 18 September 2012 by Ken Zino

Many brands now have a claim of some sort to use in fuel economy marketing, which likely means all of them will advertise fuel efficiency this fall, making the issue so confusing that it might no longer be effective for selling cars. Buyers will assume that fuel economy is a given in the entire class of vehicles and forgo the nuances. A similar situation has occurred in the marketing of auto safety during the past decade, with it increasingly difficult for companies to draw a competitive advantage in a continually improving field of what is now demonstrably the safest fleet of new vehicles ever sold in the U.S. Continue reading →

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EU Cars Sales Drop 9% in August as Eurozone Crisis Continues

Posted on 18 September 2012 by Ken Zino

The crisis in the Eurozone continued unabated as new car sales dropped 9% in August year-over-year after declining by 7.8% in July. As a result, in the 27 countries that comprise the EU, sales dropped to 688,000 vehicles. Year-to-date sales are down to 8.3 million units, the lowest in decades and the fifth straight year of sales declines. Continue reading →

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“Upscale” McLaren P1 Concept to Debut at Paris Motor Show

Posted on 18 September 2012 by Ken Zino

McLaren Automotive will show a concept of what it is calling the next generation ultimate supercar later this month. The P1 will be at the center of the McLaren stand at its first big league auto show, the Paris Motor Show or Mondial de l’Automobile 2012. The British company says the car is only a design study, next year a production version will be revealed and go on sale. Continue reading →

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CAW Working as 24-hour Contract Talks Shift to Chrysler, GM

Posted on 18 September 2012 by Ken Zino

Thus far, what is known of the Ford contract represents mixed results for the union, which was fighting a defensive action since talks opened in August. In spite of a push to reduce wage costs by all the automakers, the union retained its base pay and got cost of living bonuses. However, the controversial two-tier wage system that union members decry as divisive remains in place for ten years. Sharply lower wages for new hires at 60% of full pay would only allow them to reach parity after they are on the job for ten years. This could pose ratification problems. A similar deal remains controversial at the UAW in the U.S. among its members, which was successful last year in getting a two-tier contract renewed in spite of member opposition. Continue reading →

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Ford Canada and CAW Reach Tentative Contract Agreement

Posted on 17 September 2012 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company and the Canadian Auto Workers union (CAW) have reached a tentative agreement on a four-year national labor contract covering approximately 4,500 Ford unionized employees in Canada. The agreement came just hours before a strike deadline. General Motors and Chrysler currently face potential walkouts at midnight. Continue reading →

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Politics or Finally a Policy? Obama Administration Protests at WTO over Chinese Auto and Parts Subsidies. China Instantly Fights Back

Posted on 17 September 2012 by Ken Zino

The Obama Administration filed a complaint against the Communist Chinese government at the World Trade Organization today. Continue reading →

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