Tag Archives: zino

Volkswagen Starts Production of the New Beetle in Mexico

Posted on 15 July 2011 by Ken Zino

The German built Beetle was particularly successful in the United States, of course. The original and updates sold almost five million units between 1949 and 1981. The New Beetle continued the success, with a total of 1.15 million units built in Puebla selling between 1997 and 2010. Continue reading →

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Blue Angels Mustang to be Auctioned at EAA Oshkosh

Posted on 15 July 2011 by Ken Zino

The Blue Angels Mustang pays tribute to 100 years of naval aviation, which will be celebrated all week at AirVenture 2011, arguably the biggest gathering of aviation enthusiasts in the world. Continue reading →

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Resale Value of Smaller Vehicles Goes Up with Gas Prices

Posted on 15 July 2011 by Ken Zino

As fuel prices rise so does the trade-in value of smaller vehicles. Most of this is common sense, but it is backed by historical data. The consultancy ALG has modeled the effect of a 1$ per gallon change in regular gas price on 36-month resale/residual values. Continue reading →

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FAW-GM Launch Kuncheng Pickup Truck in Jilin

Posted on 15 July 2011 by Ken Zino

In April Wale predicted that GM would double its sales volume in China from about 2.35 million units in 2010 to around 5 million units by 2015. China has been GM’s largest market for the past two years where it is the Number One automaker. Continue reading →

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Passenger Car Sales Down in EU Again as Economy Struggles

Posted on 15 July 2011 by Ken Zino

However some winners are emerging. Volkswagen Group remains the powerhouse in Europe with 23% share year-to-date of the EU and European Free Trade Areas. BMW group also posted strong double digit gains, as did Nissan, although both are on relatively small basis. The same could be said for Hyundai and Kia, which now have combines sales of more than 345,000 units year-to-date, compared to Volvo’s 138,000. Continue reading →

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Volkswagen Group Posts Record Sales for First Half of 2011

Posted on 15 July 2011 by Ken Zino

The Volkswagen Group said today that it delivered more vehicles in the first six months of 2011 than eve before. A total of 4.09 million vehicles were delivered from VW, Škoda, Seat, Audi, Bentley and Porsche to customers worldwide from January to June of this year. Continue reading →

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Volvo Shows Electric Vehicle Range Extender – a Gas Engine!

Posted on 14 July 2011 by Ken Zino

If engineers keep this up, they could arrive at a lightweight, front-drive gasoline (or diesel powered) car that would be much less expensive by eliminating the electric motor, power controls, recharging gear, battery cooling, battery back and sundry other EV components. However, it wouldn’t qualify for taxpayer subsidies or meet increasingly stringent government standards for reducing CO2 emissions, which correlate with increased fuel economy. Continue reading →

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European Brands Gain Momentum in U.S. Consumer Interest

Posted on 14 July 2011 by Ken Zino

Overall interest for domestic brands actually decreased by 4.4% while sales increased 1.9% during the second quarter of 2011 – which the NADA analysts think may be an indication that sales for the domestic brands may see a decrease in the near future. Consumer interest in Japanese brands increased by 1.8% in Q2, while sales numbers for the brands dropped 3.5% during the second quarter. Continue reading →

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Ten Honda Plants in North America Achieve Zero Landfill Waste

Posted on 14 July 2011 by Ken Zino

While all automakers have environmental initiatives well under way, Honda and GM appear to have the most sweeping company-wide programs in place. Continue reading →

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Freight Shipments Decline in May for Second Straight Month

Posted on 13 July 2011 by Ken Zino

Worse, from an economic point of view, freight declined three out of the past four months, and reached the lowest level in since November of 2010. In May 2011 freight shipments were approximately the same as they were in October 2008 after the global markets collapsed. Continue reading →

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The Business of Plugging In Conference Returns in October

Posted on 13 July 2011 by Ken Zino

The Center for Automotive Research announced today that The Business of Plugging In, a plug-in electric vehicle conference, will take place this October 11-13 at the Hyatt Regency in Dearborn, MI. The agenda for the conference – now in its third year – includes representatives from utilities, automotive manufacturers and suppliers, investors, regulators and researchers. Continue reading →

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Testing Connected Vehicles to See if They Connect with Drivers

Posted on 13 July 2011 by Ken Zino

A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report found that connected vehicle technology has the potential to address 81% of all unimpaired driver related crashes, but there is no real world data. Continue reading →

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Porsche Consulting Opens U.S. Office in Atlanta

Posted on 13 July 2011 by Ken Zino

Porsche Consulting said today that it is opening an office in Atlanta, Georgia. The wholly-owned subsidiary automaker Porsche AG in Stuttgart was founded in 1994 and will formally begin operations in October with ten consultants. The Atlanta office will be the third foreign office, following ones in Milan, Italy and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Continue reading →

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Gravity Racers Heading to Akron for 74th Soap Box Derby

Posted on 12 July 2011 by Ken Zino

The Derby started in 1933, when a Dayton Daily News photographer came upon three boys racing home-made, engine-less cars down an inclined brick street .The photographer Myron Scott asked “why not hold a coasting race and award a prize to the winner?”

He told the boys to come back to the same hill with their friends a week later, and they could participate in a race with a “loving cup”- as it was called in Depression era America – as a prize. Continue reading →

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Toyota Europe Increases Sales. Delivery Waits Now Normal

Posted on 12 July 2011 by Ken Zino

Toyota Motor Europe (TME) reported half-year sales of 403,656, an increase of 3% compared to 2010. The results are good since the overall European market is flat year-to-date and has been declining for three years. The Toyota Auris family ( 3- and 5-door hatchbacks off the Corolla platform), including the Auris hybrid, saw sales of 55,222 vehicles, up 22% from 2010. Continue reading →

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