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AUTOS' WORLD NEWS
* $115M couldn't rescue Wixom - Ford's rejection of tax credits, incentives shows huge hurdles state faces.
Detroit,Mich,USA -The Detroit News, by Bryce G. Hoffman -28 Feb 2006: Ford Motor Co. left at least $115 million in state tax credits and other incentives on the table when it decided to shutter its Wixom Assembly Plant last month, according to documents provided by the governor's office... The rebuff of Gov. Jennifer Granholm's package shows the auto industry's challenges are beyond the control of policymakers, an analyst says. What state offered: MEGA tax credit worth $98.5 million - City tax abatement worth $13.8 million and state tax abatement worth $3.72 million, or a total property tax abatement worth $35 million. - Single Business Tax credit worth between $975,000 and $2.7 million - $2 million in worker training funds... Despite the last-ditch effort, Ford announced Jan. 23 it would close the Wixom factory next year as part of a restructuring of its North American operations. The offer, illustrates the lengths the Granholm administration is going to slow the hemorrhage of factory jobs in Michigan and the uphill battle the state faces...
* Honda Backing Away from Hybrids?
USA - The Car Connection, by Paul A. Eisenstein -28 Feb 2006: Recent reports have suggested that Honda is having second thoughts about hybrid powertrains. While he told hybrids have great potential, he stressed that it will be hard to push the technology into the mainstream "unless (production) costs come down"... The outspoken executive said that while they represent an ecologically-friendly alternative, "there has to also exist a good business equation," and that is hard to justify right now... Besides, he added, the hybrid "is not the only solution." Honda is looking at a variety of other options, including ethanol and diesel powertrains, as well as hydrogen power...
* Chinese Eye Tritec
Brazil -New York Times/The Car Connection, by Fernando Calmon -28 Feb 2006: The Tritec engine factory, in the State of Paraná, has attracted the interest of the Chinese... Lifan, a Tritec client, wants to purchase the plant-and move the factory to Chongqing, in China... DaimlerChrysler and BMW, present owners of the company, deny the story... Tritec supplies all the engines for the MINI, which accounted for 85 percent of the Brazilian plant's production in 2005. However, BMW has chosen to develop another engine for the next MINI with Peugeot; that vehicle is scheduled to debut in 2007. The switch is forcing Tritec to look for other customers, or to be shut down or sold. A $500 million BMW -Chrysler joint venture, Tritec was founded in 1999. Capacity today is for 400,000 engines a year...
* Mercosur Gulf Widens
Brazil -New York Times/The Car Connection, by Fernando Calmon -28 Feb 2006: The common market of South America, Mercosul in Portuguese, has had its biggest momentum from the automotive industry, the sector that has accelerated regional integration... But now, the integration is coming to a halt thanks to a decision by the government of Argentina, where some automakers such as GM and especially Ford have made their biggest production bets... Beginning January 1st, an entirely free market, with no quotas or other restrictions, was to have been enjoined-but the Argentines said no... The impasse, which will not be broken before June, will as a result slow negotiations within the auto industry, both with the European Union and the U.S. via the nascent AFTA (Americas Free Trade Area) Treaty...
* Microsoft, Fiat Launch Blue&Me
USA -Techno Ride, by Bill Howard -Feb 24, 2006: Imagine if your car could provide hands-free calling, offer navigation services, and connect and play music from any device—yes, even iPods—all for the price you pay now for an in-car Bluetooth phone adapter. That's the promise of Blue&Me, a joint development by Microsoft Corp. and the Fiat Auto Group being unveiled at the March 2006 Geneva Auto Show...
* EUROPE: Automotive manufacturers given little credit rating, as little is due
London,UK -just-auto.com -1 Mar 2006: The overall outlook for credit ratings of European automotive manufacturers has shifted from stable to negative, in Moody’s Investors Service’s latest industry outlook for the sector...
* GM Shifts Global Electronics Buys to China
DETROIT,Mich,USA -Global Auto Systems -Feb 27, 2006: U.S. automaker will source most of the electronics for its future vehicles from Asia-Pacific... General Motors reportedly has relocated its global electronics purchasing unit to Shanghai as the U.S.-based auto giant moves to source more components from China and the Asia-Pacific region... China remains the largest and most profitable growth market for GM, in terms of vehicle sales. Much of the electronic components that it purchases in China are destined for GM products that are assembled in China, Korea and other Asian markets, the story said...
* Mazda3 Goes into Production in China
CHONGQING, China -Global Auto Systems(DETROIT,Mich,USA) -Feb 27, 2006: Changan-Ford joint venture building Japanese compact in Chongqing... Changan-Ford has begun assembling the Mazda3 at its plant here in China’s largest inland city, with sales to begin in late March... To date, Mazda vehicles have been produced in partnership with another Chinese automaker, First Auto Works. FAW and its subsidiaries assemble versions of the Mazda6 and Premacy, as well as the old 323 Familia...
* GM To Expand Six-Speed Transmission Production
TOLEDO, Ohio,USA -Global Auto Systems(DETROIT,Mich,USA) -Feb 27, 2006: Automaker to invest $500 million to build Hydra-matic 6L80 at Ohio plant... General Motors said it plans to invest $500 million to expand its transmission plant here to build the Hydra-matic 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission, beginning in late 2008... As GM brings its six-speed transmission production online, competitors such as Mercedes-Benz and Toyota already are building or preparing new seven- and eight-speed automatics...
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