Tag Archives: zino

Milestones: First Speeding Ticket in U.S. issued in 1899

Today more than 100,000 people a day receive a speeding ticket in the U.S. – it’s a big revenue raising business for local governments and the makers of speed traps with automatic cameras. The average citation costs $150 and often results in sizable increases – for years – in insurance rates based on dubious claims from insurance companies since traffic fatalities are at an all-time record low. Continue reading

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Cadillac Escalade, Ford F-250, Chrysler 300 Liked by Thieves

Immobilizers can’t prevent all types of theft, and even Escalades have them as standard equipment. Moreover, the devices don’t affect theft of property from a vehicle, which also is reflected in the rankings. Continue reading

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Milestones: 20 Years of FAW-Volkswagen in China

FAW-Volkswagen is currently the second largest of China’s largest automobile manufacturers, behind GM and its Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) and FAW partners. Continue reading

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FAA Announces More Commercial Spaceport Taxpayer Grants

In 2009, U.S. commercial space transportation and the services and industries it enables accounted for more than $208 billion in economic activity. More than one million people were employed as a result. Continue reading

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Flames Instead of Primer in New GM Paint Process for Plastic

Emissions from the painting of automobiles have been steadily decreasing under environmental laws as a variety of paint process technologies including water based paints and other new materials that eliminate volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other emissions, electric coating methods and the now the almost exclusive use of robots to precisely spray coatings have become standard. Continue reading

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4,547 Worker fatalities in 2010 About Same as 2009 – 12 a Day

Because of the way data are gathered it is difficult to directly tally automaker fatalities. In Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, all heavily dependent on the auto industry, more than 350 workers died in manufacturing related positions; motor vehicle or parts dealers were involved in 49 fatalities across the U.S. And this doesn’t include trucking, warehousing or other transportation injuries, which could be auto related. Continue reading

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Driving More – 31.5 Million Travelers During Labor Day Holiday

The current national average price for regular unleaded gasoline is approximately $3.57 per gallon, about 86 cents higher than one year ago. Down nearly 10% from their May peak, gas prices will have less of an impact on Labor Day holiday travelers than they had on Memorial Day and Independence Day holiday travelers, during which 42% and 44% of travelers, respectively, stated gas prices would impact travel plans.

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Bosch To Build Pilot Line to Make Lithium-Ion Batteries

Currently, lithium ion battery technology is dominated by Asian firms, in China, Japan and Korea. U.S. and European automakers are scrambling to increase their expertise in hybrid and electric vehicle technologies because of increasingly stringent government regulations that favor hybrid and electric vehicles. Continue reading

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General Motors and LG to Jointly Develop Electric Vehicles

The high cost of developing new technologies to meet increasingly stringent CO2 and fuel economy regulations prompted the deal. Earlier this week Ford Motor and Toyota announced a collaboration on new hybrid trucks. Continue reading

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Tiny Three-Cylinder VW Up! to Debut at IAA Frankfurt

Volkswagen has released pictures of the production version of the tiny VW Up, which last appeared as an electric car concept two years ago at the IAA or Frankfurt Motor Show. The two-door, four seat small car at 3.54 meters is seven inches smaller than the Mini, and will also compete with Alfa Romeo MiTo, Fiat 500 and in Europe the Toyota iQ. No word on whether the VW Up will come to North America. Continue reading

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Toyota Increases Fuel Economy and Equipment While Cutting Prices on 2012 Camry – a Gambit to Reestablish Leadership

A beleaguered Toyota Motor Corporation is counting on a revised 2012 Camry sedan to brush aside safety and quality concerns that have haunted it for the past two years. These, along with the Japan earthquake will relegate it to the third largest automaker in the world for 2011 after it assumed the number one spot in 2008 and held it for three years. Continue reading

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CBO Says 2011 U.S. Budget Deficit Third Highest in History

CBO projects that real GDP will increase by only 2.3% this year and by 2.7% in 2012. Worse, under current law, federal tax and spending policies will impose substantial restraint on the economy in 2013, so CBO projects that economic growth will slow that year before picking up again, averaging 3.6% per year from 2013 through 2016. Continue reading

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Porsche Recalls 911, Boxster, Cayman Models for Seat Belts

In a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Porsche said the mounting holes in the seat belt anchor plates are too small and the anchor plate may not be able to rotate about the fastening bolt as designed. If this happens, the seat belt may not fit properly around the occupant, or may potentially loosen increasing the risk of injury during a crash. Continue reading

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Revised Porsche 911 Debuts at 2011 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show

In a nod to the Japanese and the global video game culture, the instrument cluster has five round instruments – one of them a high resolution multifunction screen – shame on you Porsche. Continue reading

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Ford and Toyota to Develop a New Hybrid System for Light Trucks and SUVs as well as Future Telematics Standards

Both companies of course are heavily invested in fuel thirsty larger trucks, with Ford’s best selling vehicle the F-Series pickup rated at 16 mpg on the EPA city test cycle. The F-Series has been the U.S.’s best selling truck for the past 34 years with year-to-date sales of 313,000 units. Toyota before the Great Recession invested billions in full-size trucks and SUVs. Both the Tundra pickup and Sequoia full-size SUV have been sales disasters. Continue reading

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