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Jun 14, 2013

AUTOMAKERS NEWS * WORLDWIDE

* UK - MG officially unveils its MG3 customizable hatchback supermini

(Photo: Gizmag - MG unveils its MG3 hatchback)
Longbridge,Birmingham,UK -Gizmag, by James Holloway -June 12, 2013: -- MG summoned the British motoring press to Birmingham today for the UK unveiling of its MG3 supermini. The five-door hatchback is an attempt to bridge the gap between the functional and affordable hatchbacks on the market (think Ford Fiesta) and more iconic aspirational models (like the Mini). Despite the company's troubled recent history, it is confident that the brand still carries prestige... The hatchback be offered in 10 colors (including bold choices like "Cherry Bomb" and "Orange Marmalade"), buyers will also be able to choice between a range of decals... Particularly attention has been paid to the headlights, with the actual lamps branded and shaped into MG's octagonal logo... The MG3 is packing a 1,498-cc four-cylinder petrol engine with multi-point fuel injection... MG engineering director Alan Anderson did tell Gizmag that the MG3 achieves a top speed of 110 mph and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in a shade over 11 seconds... 
* Italy / USA - Gucci Edition Fiat 500 returns to U.S.

(PRNews / Chrysler Group LLC: 2013 Fiat 500)
Auburn Hills,MICH,USA -The Detroit News by Bryce G. Hoffman -June 11, 2013: -- Chrysler Group LLC announced Tuesday that the ultra-popular Gucci Edition of its Fiat 500 and 500c will be back in U.S. showrooms this month — but only until they sell out... That happened quickly after the top-of-the-line 500 was introduced last year. Despite being the highest-price version of Fiat’s tiny subcompact, the Gucci Edition was the fastest selling, and dealers quickly ran out... The 2013 Gucci Edition will start at $23,750...
* Italy - Fiat: Supplier delays will force shutdowns 

Milan,Italy -The Detroit News -June 12, 2013: -- Carmaker Fiat says it will temporarily stop production at some European car plants in the coming days due to insufficient deliveries of plastic parts... Fiat said in a statement Wednesday that more than 5,500 vehicles can’t be completed due to missing components from the Italian supplier Selmat, creating an “unmanageable” backlog... The plant shutdown also will afect Fiat Industrial, maker of heavy equipment... Fiat was still evaluating which plants would be shut down and for how long. Last week, there were production delays at plants in Serbia, Poland, Italy and Spain due to the lack of parts... Selmat’s website says it makes parts for all Fiat car brands as well as Iveco trucks. Selmat makes air vents and interior components...

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May 29, 2013

* Germany - BMW and Pininfarina = Gran Lusso Coupé

* Germany - BMW and Pininfarina team up for one-off Gran Lusso Coupé

(Photo: Gran Lusso Coupé. Is not set for production but its design elements could influence future generations)
Munich,Germany --Gizmag, by Angus MacKenzie -May 26, 2013: -- The Gran Lusso Coupé, a first time collaborative effort of two houses: Pininfarina stands as one of the most influential and iconic names in the business, so what happens when you put designers from this legendary firm in the same room as their counterparts over at Bayrische Motoren Werke, was shown at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy this past Friday... While clearly working off 6-series architecture, the Gran Lusso is wider and longer than its production brethren with long sweeping lines evident throughout, including a flaring hoodline that carries over and through into the windscreen. This singular detail then flows up and over a swept roofline and narrows down around the inset rear window and onto the shortened decklid... 

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May 23, 2013

* Australia - Ford Motor Co. will stop manufacturing vehicles in 2016

* Australia - Ford to cease vehicle production in

Campbellfield,VIC,Australia -The Detroit News, by Karl Henkel -May 23, 2013: -- Ford Motor Co. will stop manufacturing vehicles in Australia in 2016, a continent where the Dearborn automaker has produced automobiles for about nine decades... Ford on Wednesday said two manufacturing sites — Broadmeadows and Geelong — will close, resulting in 1,200 job losses. Ford said it has lost about $581 million in Australia in the last three years... The Australian car market iscomprised of comprises about 1.1 million annual new-vehicle sales split among more than 65 brands. A weakening Japanese yen compared to the Australian dollar has resulted in import vehicles that are less expensive...


*South Korea/USA - Velocity an aptly named Veloster concept car


(Photo by Larry Edsall - Designers turned a Hyundai Velostar into the Velocity concept vehicle. The car boasts a 400-horsepower engine)
Las Vegas,NEV,USA -The Detroit News, by Larry Edsall-May 23, 2013: -- At the typical auto show, many concept cars are less about wild automotive fantasy and more about providing a thinly disguised hint to whet appetites for the next generation of production vehicles. But there are still places for designers and engineers to do some dreaming, and to encourage car enthusiasts to dream along with them. One such gathering is the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show, where aftermarket product producers and original-equipment automakers are encouraged to get wild and even wacky. And thus, the “Velocity,” a car based on the Hyundai Veloster, a sporty three-door coupe. The Velocity is the Hyundai Design and Technology Center’s answer to the question, “What if?”...


* Japan - Nissan to sell first joint minicar to expand in the market

(Photos by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg: A worker assembles a vehicle at Mitsubishi Motors Mizushima plant in Japan. Nissan produces a minicar at the plant)
Nishi-ku,Yokohama,Japan -Bloomberg News/The Detroit News, by Ma Jie, Yuki Hagiwara and Anna Mukai -23 May 2013: -- Nissan Motor Co. will start selling its first minicar jointly developed with Mitsubishi Motors Corp. in Japan next month amid increasing demand for smaller, cheaper vehicles. Nissan began production of the minicar at Mitsubishi’s Mizushima plant in Okayama prefecture this week. The model will be sold as the Nissan DAYZ and Mitsubishi eK Wagon starting in June. Nissan, which previously sold rebadged minicars made by Suzuki Motor Corp. and Mitsubishi, is targeting to gain market share in a category that now accounts for 38 percent of new-car sales in Japan. Known as “Kei” cars and favored for their low cost and ease of handling, sales of this segment are projected to rise this year even as total industry demand shrinks with the end of government incentives, according to IHS Automotive...

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May 6, 2013

* Russia - GM, Ford invest in new plants to take advantage of growth

Moscow,Russia -The Detroit News (USA), by Karl Henkel -May 6, 2013: -- Russia is a giant diamond in the rough for automakers struggling to climb out of the financial muck in most of Europe... Russia is largely an untold story, taking a back seat to the turbulent European auto market, with sales at 20-year lows... But the Russian auto market, close to other growth markets like Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Ukraine and Uzbekistan, is primed for growth and has an appetite for expensive SUVs... The passenger car market in Russia could grow by another 1 million vehicles annually and top 3.5 million sales, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. And during the next 10 years, because of an aging vehicle fleet and helped by a declining light vehicle import tariff, the number of new cars sales in Russia will be equal to all of the cars on the road today... But the true impact of Russia may be further down the road because of nearby countries like Kazakhstan... Auto sales in Kazakhstan are up 50 percent this year and long-term could reach 400,000 annually... That's roughly the same number of sales that Belarus, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan had collectively in 2012, according to a report compiled by Ernst and Young... U.S.-based automakers Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. are heavily investing in Russia...


* Michigan / USA - Detroit automakers fight to stem huge losses in Europe

(Photo by Akos Stiller / Bloomberg: An employee works on a camshaft at GM’s new Opel assembly plant in Szentgotthard, Hungary. GM expects to become profitable in Europe by mid-decade)
Rüsselsheim,Germany -The Detroit News, by Karl Henkel -6 May 2013: -- Detroit automakers stand to lose more than $4 billion in Europe this year as they struggle to push through the sort of changes that saved the U.S. industry four years ago... Plant closures and layoffs — tools that helped turn around the U.S. market, where Detroit automakers shed 230,000 jobs between 2001 and 2010 and eliminated brands in the midst of a precipitous sales decline — are taking longer to execute there. And restructuring is more expensive than in North America because of powerful European unions, political resistance and restrictive labor laws... Sales in Europe are running at 20-year lows. But Ford, General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC, owned by Fiat SpA, remain profitable in North America, making it difficult to sell sweeping cutbacks in Europe because the parent companies are now financially stable. And as automakers seek leaner operations in Western Europe — they've already shed about 300,000 jobs in the past decade — they don't want to be caught short if growing demand in Eastern Europe, particularly in Russia, outpaces production. GM has lost $15 billion in Europe the past dozen years and stands to lose more than $1 billion there this year. Ford will lose nearly $4 billion, combined, in 2012 and 2013. Fiat, which could lose more than $1 billion in Europe this year, is barely profitable because of Chrysler's success. Ford and GM expect to become profitable in Europe by mid-decade...

* Mexico - Audi first of German luxury carmakers to open full-scale plant in 

San Jose Chiapa,MEX -The Detroit News (USA), by John McCormick -May 4, 2013: -- Outside this small, dusty town in the heart of the country, Audi is making history as the first German luxury brand to set up a complete car plant in Mexico... Audi rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz established manufacturing operations years ago on the North American continent but decided on the U.S., in South Carolina and Alabama respectively. Despite their best efforts, both BMW and Mercedes experienced initial quality problems with their U.S.-made vehicles... Audi is determined not to suffer quality issues in Mexico and has begun an elaborate training program, three years before the $1.3 billion plant starts production in 2016...

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May 4, 2013

* China - Un-Mao-like: The Hongqi limousine

* A Red Flag rises: The return of China's Hongqi limousine

(Photo: L5 is likely to receive a V8 as its powerplant)
Changchun,China -Gizmag, by Angus MacKenzie -May 3, 2013: -- A sub-brand of China’s First Auto Works (FAW), the Hongqi (which means Red Flag) is enjoying a newfound resurgence as we discovered recently at the Shanghai Auto Show... The early Red Flag cars, with their American aesthetics and chrome bumpers, hubcaps and flag holder were specifically designed for shuttling about foreign dignitary types and elite party members... It is estimated FAW plans to invest 1.98 billion yuan (US$280 million) in the Red Flag project and produce 30,000 vehicles over the next year... The revised Red Flag series shown in Shanghai offered three different variations. The imposing black and chrome L9 “civilian version” measures out at a lengthy 6.39 meters long (20.98 ft) by 2.02 meters (6.63 ft) wide and 1.72 meters (5.64 ft) tall . The L9 is definitely not the inner-city solution most would seek. Nor would the FAW derived 6.0 liter V12 engine and its 400 hp and 550 Nm (406.65 lb.ft) of torque be perceived as an eco-friendly alternative. Pricing for the L9 is reported at very un-Mao-like US$800,000...


* Japan - Toyota 4Runner, one of the last real SUVs, gets redesigned

(Photo: The headlamps receive a new angry look) 
Nakamura-ku,Nagoya,Japan -Gizmag, by C.C. Weiss -May 2, 2013: -- Toyota introduced the 2014 4Runner this week. While other once-rugged mid-size SUVs have been watered down into car-like crossovers, the 4Runner stays true to its off-road roots, including body-on-frame construction. In fact, the 4Runner's new styling shows that Toyota is eager to let everyone know that the truck means business... Toyota debuted the 4Runner at the Stagecoach Country Music Festival in California (USA). It will hit dealerships in September. Toyota has yet to announce pricing for the new model...

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May 1, 2013

AUTOMAKERS NEWS * WORLDWIDE

* Japan / China - Toyota adds two unnamed EV's to its Chinese portfolio

(Image: Guangzhou-Toyota's unnamed SUV is intended for a price conscious, younger, eco-minded audience)
Changchun,China -Gizmag, by Angus MacKenzie -May 1, 2013: ... A joint venture between Toyota and China’s FAW (First Auto Works), which resulted in a new sub-brand and a new electric vehicle that was displayed along with an SUV EV resulting from another Toyota-China joint venture... The new sub-brand through FAW-Toyota is known simply as “Ranz,” whose first car on display, of the Corollis blandus genus, came decked out with a helping of nature-inspired decals. The EV is aimed at the Chinese market, where such vehicles can’t come quick enough for many given the amount of smog and pollution in many of the country’s major centers... Another as yet unnamed EV resulting from yet another Toyota joint venture, this time with Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. (GAC), that made an appearance was a very yellow, mid size SUV that is designed as a straight electric for the younger, economically minded demographic. According to CarNewsChina.com, the vehicle is part of a larger plan by the Chinese government to facilitate technology transfer from foreign automakers to their Chinese partners... This concept makes perfect sense given the country’s long term inability to produce a world-class ride, however foreign manufacturers are largely unwilling to hand over propriety design concepts and technology. So instead of acquiring new-gen technology, the Chinese end up with older platforms and outdated technology. The Guangzhou-Toyota partnership has been around since 2004 but this new sub-brand is intended to bring cheap electric vehicles to the burgeoning Chinese market... The two brands are set to provide actual names for the vehicles at the Guangzhou Auto Show in November. No powertrain specifics or details were available for either vehicle...


* Germany - BMW and SOLARWATT team up for solar carport system

(Photo: The SOLARWATT Carport System) 
Munich,Germany -Gizmag, by Adam Williams -30 April 2013: -- BMW’s sustainable mobility-focused sub-brand BMW i has announced it is to join forces with German photovoltaic firm SOLARWATT GmbH, in a bid to supply consumer-friendly solar-powered carport and rooftop charging systems to future i3 and i8 owners... The latest collaboration is part of a wider push by the German automotive giant to ensure owners of its upcoming i3 and i8 electric vehicles have ample charging options open to them. BMW has already established partnerships with Naturstrom, Schneider Electric and The Mobility House, and this new deal will give EV buyers the opportunity to purchase SOLARWATT's Carport System alongside a BMW i vehicle, or separately over the internet... The system utilizes glass-glass PV modules – which the company cites as offering an increased lifespan and durability, compared to glass-foil modules – to provide solar-based battery charging for BMW EVs, as well as micro power generation for the household...

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* USA / China - FANTASTIC CARS DESIGN

* Michigan / USA - Visteon's fantastical Glide Concept spied in Shanghai (China)

(Image: One part Aventador, Porsche 918, McLaren P1 and Acura NSX, this open-topped, gull winged beauty is the work of Shizuki Kajiyama, Visteon's Design Studio Manager)
Van Buren Township,MICH,USA/Shanghai,SH,China -Gizmag, by Angus MacKenzie -April 29, 2013:  ... Unveiled last year in Beijing, the Glide Concept caught our eye at this year’s Shanghai Auto Show... This open-topped, gull winged beauty is the work of Shizuki Kajiyama, Visteon's Design Studio Manager. According to Shizuki the reasoning for the Glide Concept’s existence is business driven: Demonstrate Yangfeng Visteon’s exterior design abilities and generate and secure future clients and work from the concept. Where most companies would be happy with a computer rendered, or scaled down clay model as a marketing tool, Yangfeng Visteon felt a full sized concept was needed to make an effective business case. In business this is known as exceeding expectations and certain Gen Y individuals could learn a thing or two here... Visteon’s goal of creating a physical example of its design abilities definitely exceeded expectations. The concept is sure to succeed in its goal of generating work for Yangfeng Visteon’s design team, but unfortunately there are currently no plans to put the Glide Concept into production...


* Shanghai - Tongji Automotive Design Research Institute begins to make its mark

Shanghai,SH,China -Gizmag, by Mike Hanlon -April 28, 2013: -- In the new world automotive order dominated by China, there are many new names we'll soon become familiar with and the Tongji Automotive Design Research Institute (TADRI) is one destined for global prominence. TADRI was established in 2009 as a key to the Chinese (and Shanghai's Municipal) Government plan to create a center of automotive expertise that is intended to give the Chinese automotive industry a competitive edge – think of TADRI as China's automotive equivalent to America's MIT... TADRI is part of a group of high capability institutions based in Shanghai's Automotive City, and is centered around Shanghai's elite Tongji University. The people who get to Tongji University are the best, and the employees of TADRI are the best of the best graduates plus foreign experts of the highest ilk in their relevant fields... TADRI recognizes that as China grows, and that the traditional-size cars are already creating massive problems across China, and the next generation of Chinese personal mobility will be smaller and more efficient... There were three fascinating concept cars on show that TADRI had been intimately involved in: 

(Images courtesy of TADRI: The Wolkswagen 4FUN)
The most prominent TADRI-related vehicle on display at Auto Shanghai was the Volkswagen 4FUN, the winner of the 2013 Volkswagen People's Car Project... In this year's process, TADRI worked with Volkswagen to identify and define the parameters of the vehicle – a seven-seat MPV designed for the now traditional Chinese family of four grandparents, two parents and one child... The 4FUN is a seven-seat electric vehicle with wireless charging underneath and a solar panel roof adding energy from above... 


(Image: Tongji Auto Fuel Cell Volare)
Tongji University has long been a global leader in the development of fuel cell systems, and although very few details were released regarding the purple Volare Roadster which graced the TADRI stand at Auto Shanghai, rest assured the internals would have been very special... The formation of TADRI and its intensive collaboration with the Clean Energy Vehicle Engineering Center in developing automotive hydrogen fuel cells is just a small part of the role TADRI will play in China's coming hydrogen economy. TADRI is working on every level of the Chinese and Shanghai Government plans, from the promotion of fuel cell and hybrid vehicles, the design and building of prototype hydrogen refueling stations, to the technical development of fuel cells for automotive usage... The Volare is known to have a newly developed hydrogen fuel cell – we just don't know any details. What is known is that the car has wheel motors on all four wheels (and is hence four-wheel-drive), and a top speed of 150 km/h (93 mph)... 

(Image: The Tongji Auto Intelligent Electric Vehicle)
The TADRI IEV was also one of the many cars on stands around Auto Shanghai that had a scarcity of information available... The IEV is just one of many designs TADRI has been working on in this area, and several such designs, one very similar to Toyota's i-REAL prototype, were pictured in TADRI literature... An earlier version of the IEV was on display at Auto China in Beijing last year. I spent time speaking with the engineers on the stand at Shanghai, and though many of the capabilities of the IEV have been kept purposefully vague, mainly because they are forever changing and evolving, I was left in no doubt that the IEV is a very important project with significant implications for the future of transport in China (and hence, for the rest of the world's urban areas too)... The IEV, by design, has a top speed in vicinity of 25 km/h and a range around 40 km... Like the Toyota PM prototype of a decade ago, it angles backwards to create a longer wheelbase at speed, giving it greater stability, while standing more upright at lower speeds to reduce its footprint... Put the Tongji name in your memory banks – it will become increasingly relevant whenever personal mobility is discussed in coming years...


 * China - What the heck is a GWKULLA? 

(Image: GWKULLA claimed top speed of 65 km/h (40.5 mph) and a range of 100 kilometers)
Beijing,China -Gizmag, by Angus MacKenzie -April 30, 2013: -- Hot on the heels of last week’s F1 inspired Renault Twizy comes another (slightly) less outlandish EV in the form of the awkwardly named GWKULLA. This concept from Great Wall Motors showed its pert little face at the Shanghai Auto show last week... The diminutive car's diminutive electric motor generates 15 hp and 50 Nm (37 lb.ft) of torque to drive those tiny rear wheels. This delivers a claimed top speed of 65 km/h (40.5 mph) and a range of 100 kilometers (62 miles), while recharge time is specced at 4.5 hours through a regular 220 V power outlet... The concept shown in Shanghai is part of the ongoing Great Wall KULLA concept series. This series first appeared at Beijing’s Auto China Show in 2008 and has been shown in several forms at major Chinese auto shows since. The various iterations include a slim four seater, a slightly chubbier four seater, and a fully enclosed tandem two-seater similar to the current version... From our photos taken in Shanghai one fairly quickly picks up on the fact there are no doors. The drop down “plasticky gullwing doors” look borrowed from a child’s electric buggy and being taller than it is wide, the GWKULLA looks like it's well-suited to negotiate the urban squeeze ... though it might not fare at all well on the skidpad...

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Apr 25, 2013

NEWEST: A Toyota's CONCEPT MINI in * France

* Paris - Toyota's ultralight, multifunctional ME.WE mini-EV concept debuts in 

(Video from YouTube, by Toyota: Discover the TOYOTA ME.WE)
Paris,France -Gizmag, by C.C. Weiss -April 24, 2013: -- The auto world's attention may still be tied up in China, but Toyota is hoping to pull it westward. Debuted earlier today at the Le Rendez-vous Toyota, Toyota’s brand experience center on the Champs Elysées in Paris, the ultralight ME.WE is a concept car that strips the automobile down to its basic core in an attempt to reframe consumer expectations... This concept car, the innovative result of a partnership between Toyota European Design and Development (ED2) and Jean-Marie Massaud, the renowned creative designer acclaimed for his visionary projects in design and architecture... For ED2, which signed a partnership agreement with Studio Massaud in July 2011, it's all about learning from a unique collaboration leading to a project that marks a paradigm shift compared to traditional vehicle design and engineering... For Jean-Marie Massaud, the ambition is to 'instill' human, economic and environmental challenges into a realistic conception of an 'anti-crisis' car for today...


* Germany - Audi's lighter, faster TT Ultra Quattro Concept

(Image: The TT Ultra Concept handles better, brakes faster and is quicker to 100 km/h -62 mph- in only 4.2 seconds)
Ingolstadt,Bavaria,Germany -Gizmag, by Angus MacKenzie -April 25, 2013: ... Audi’s compact TT sport-coupe has changed little since its inception...  But with its war-on-weight campaign, Audi decided the already lightweight TT could use a trim. So off to the fat farm went the Ultra Quattro Concept, and when all was said and done, a 300 kg (661 lb) lighter vehicle remained... The core of these new hi-tech, lightweight springs is made up of long glass fibers, twisted together, then impregnated with epoxy resin. A machine then wraps additional micro-fibers around the core at alternating angles of plus/minus 45 degrees to the longitudinal axis. These layers in turn support each other and provide the necessary compression/ decompression functionality... According to Audi, this FRP suspension modification reduces unsprung weight on the TT by 40 percent... Not only will the TT Ultra Quattro Concept see handling and braking improvements from the strict diet, but performance will also benfit. With a power upgrade to roughly 305 hp and 400 Nm (295 lb.ft) of torque, the TT can now do the 0 – 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint in 4.2-seconds. A significant jump from its heftier brethren. Top speed for the TT Concept is rated at 273 km/h (170 mph)...

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Apr 21, 2013

* China - GM & FORD concept cars in

* China - GM, Ford look to the past for Chinese concept cars

 Shanghai,SH,China -The Detroit News (USA), by Karl Henkel and Melissa Burden -April 20, 2013: -- Two venerable nameplates from the U.S. auto industry are back — in China, and as concepts... Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. on Friday and today unveiled concepts at the Auto Shanghai 2013 with familiar names: the Buick Riviera and Ford Escort...
(Photo from Ford: Ford's commitment to Chinese automotive customers took a giant leap forward today at Auto Shanghai 2013 with the unveiling of the Ford Escort Concept)
Ford says the Escort concept is for Chinese consumers who want a "vehicle that is stylish" but not one that is "arrogant and pretentious" ... The Escort has a more upright grille compared with other Ford vehicles, has jeweled headlamps and a sculptured shoulder for a "desirable yet attainable look," said Chris Svensson, whose last project as director of design for Ford Asia, Pacific and Africa was the Escort concept...
(Photo from GM: 2013 Buick Riviera concept) 
GM on Friday showed off a 2013 Buick Riviera concept in a global debut... The Riviera concept, which combines avant-garde looks, gull-wing doors and a plug-in hybrid electric propulsion system, was developed by Shanghai GM and Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center joint ventures. The vehicle is finished in an ice celadon tone, inspired by jade...


* China: Auto Shanghai 2013 - Great Wall Motor Co. shows new streamlined SUV 

(Photo by Eugene Hoshiko / Associated Press - A model poses with Great Wall H7 SUV at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition media day in Shanghai, China Saturday)
Shanghai,SH,China -Associated Press/The Detroit News -20 April 2013: -- China's most successful SUV producer, Great Wall Motor Co., is coming out with a model that offers the room of a luxury SUV at a mid-range price. The Chinese brand, which exports SUVs to 80 countries, unveiled the H7 and its sister sport model, the H6, on Saturday ahead of the Shanghai auto show...  Great Wall is one exception to the trend of independent Chinese brands struggling against foreign competition in their home market. Great Wall says the H7 will be sold under its Haval brand starting next year in markets including Australia, Italy and Russia. The H7 has all-wheel-drive capability and 21-centimeter (8.3-inch) ground clearance for off-road use. Highlights of the Haval H7: Under the hood: A 2-liter engine with 200 horsepower that Great Wall says meets Europe's most stringent emissions standard, Euro V. The company says it can deliver a maximum speed of 135 mph...

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Apr 8, 2013

* USA: Fisker Automotive bankruptcy ?

* California - Fisker Automotive lays off 160, struggles to find financing deal 

(Photo from Fisker Automotive: The stylish Fisker Karma, a plug-in hybrid electric sportscar with a $103,000 price tag, won plaudits and attracted big name celebrities)
Anaheim, Calif,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -April 6, 2013: -- Struggling electric vehicle start-up Fisker Automotive may be coming to the end of the road...   The Anaheim, Calif.-based firm that that's been beset by problems and funding shortfalls, said Friday it had laid off 75 percent of its staff — about 160 of its employees, including its entire public relations department — as it searches for an investor or buyer and prepares for a possible bankruptcy...  In 2009, Fisker won $529 million in low-cost Energy Department loans and spent $193 million, mostly to develop its Karma model. The Energy Department froze the rest of the loan in 2011 amid problems at Fisker...  The Energy Department would be Fisker's top creditor if the company filed for bankruptcy, and would have to decide what to do with the firm.Fisker has also retained bankruptcy attorneys ahead of an April 22 loan installment payment...


* California - Tesla's Biggest Order to Date

(Photo: Tesla's Model S) 
Palo Alto,CAL,USA -The Motley Fool, by Tamara Rutter -April 7, 2013: -- Electric-car maker Tesla Motors is off to a fast start this year...  The California-based company kick-started 2013 by increasing production on its Model S sedan, unveiling a new finance product, and celebrating its first profitable quarter as a public company...  Not bad for a little EV start-up that few had heard of until recently. Still, many analysts worry that demand for Tesla's Model S may begin to stall as the year unfolds... Counting more than 4,750 cars in the first quarter, the company is also beefing up its backlog of orders. Last month, Tesla secured its largest U.S. Model S reservation in the company's history... Downtown Project and Project 100 have committed to buy 100 zero-emission Model S cars from Tesla, in an effort to revitalize downtown Las Vegas...

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Mar 25, 2013

* Europe - FORD MOTOR LOST 1.75 BILLION IN

* Belgium - Why Is Ford Motor Company Losing in Europe? 

 Brussels,Belgium -The Motley Fool -March 24, 2013: ... Ford Motor Company is doing quite well here in the U.S., but it's another story in Europe. The company lost $1.75 billion in the Old World last year, the brutal result of a protracted car-sales slump that has hit the entire industry very hard... That rethink led to a comprehensive turnaround plan, announced by Ford CEO Alan Mulally last October. The plan, intended to restore Ford Europe to profitability by mid-decade, is well thought out and comprehensive. Most analysts gave it a good chance of succeeding, and Ford's stock rallied in the days after the announcement... Under the plan, Ford will close a factory in Belgium and two in the U.K., eliminating more than 5,000 jobs and saving as much as $500 million a year. Ford will also sharply expand its European lineup, drawing on its strong global product portfolio to expand its offerings of SUVs and commercial vehicles in Europe. The expanded product lineup should allow Ford Motor Company to capture additional sales in segments it hasn't previously contested in Europe, at minimal cost...


* USA / Michigan - Surging Chrysler targets BMW with brawny luxury 300 SRT8 

(Photo: by Scott Olson/Getty Images - A Chrysler 300 SRT8 during the press preview at the North American International Auto Show on January 10, 2012 in Detroit, Michigan) 
Detroit,MICH,USA -Bloomberg, by Mark Clothier, Craig Trudell & Keith Naughton - Mar 22, 2013: ... The new Chrysler 300 SRT8 is out to change that... With a sticker price that can top $60,000 and a souped-up Hemi engine that kicks out 470 horsepower, the 300 SRT8 is getting rave reviews reminiscent of its 1950s and 1960s muscle- car days. Road and Track magazine called the 300 SRT8 a “brute in a suit” ...  Wired magazine deemed it “a nearly perfect car,” while the New York Times said it “delivers 90 percent of the German cars’ performance for barely half the price” ... Those are heady notices for a company that sells just 1 percent of its vehicles in the rarefied $50,000-and-above price range...

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Mar 20, 2013

* Belgium - Ford to pay workers $750 million in plant closing

(Photo: Ford Genk -2007- Genk Plant to cease vehicle production by the end of 2014)
Genk,Belgium -The Detroit News, by Karl Henkel -March 20, 2013: -- Ford Motor Co. will pay approximately 4,000 hourly workers at its Genk, Belgium, assembly plant a total of $750 million in separation benefits... Ford now will be able to close the facility by the end of next year as it looks to cut excess capacity to meet dwindling demand in economically challenged Europe... The 4,000 employees will receive about $187,500 each. Ford has also begun negotiating with about 300 salaried workers... The cost of closing the plant was expected to top $1 billion, analysts projected at Ford's announcement in October...


* U.S. expresses 'serious concern' about Japan's auto trade policy. Big 3, union fear dropping tariffs could lead to job losses 

Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, by DAVID SHEPARDSON -March 20, 2013:  -- President Barack Obama has "serious concern" about Japan's auto trade policy, a senior administration official said Tuesday. Acting U.S. Trade Representative, Demetrios Marantis, told the Senate Finance Committee that the administration wants to see Japan make more progress on auto issues... Last week, Japan asked to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade talks, a group of 11 nations led by the U.S.... Detroit's Big Three automakers, many members of Congress and the United Auto Workers union oppose letting Japan join the talks, known as TPP, that have been going on since November 2011... The United States and 11 other nations — including Canada and Mexico — have been in talks since 2011 aimed at creating a massive free trade zone that would eliminate all tariffs and barriers among the nations. Japan has stayed out of the talks... Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party approved letting Japan join if the world's third-largest economy can keep in place tariffs on key agriculture products, including rice, wheat, beef and sugar...

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