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Aug 7, 2013

* USA CARMAKERS: GM wish to cut $1 billion from material and logistics costs

* Michigan - GM's goal: Cut $1B from material, logistics cost in N. America by 2016

(Photo by Max Ortiz/The Detroit News: Jon Langley guides a Chevrolet Malibu onto a rail car at TDSI Automotive Distribution Center in New Boston) 
Detroit,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Melissa Burden -August 7, 2013: -- The size and scope of General Motors Co.’s logistics $8 billion in operations includes moving parts and materials worldwide to 168 manufacturing plants, as well as customs and duties, and shipping spare parts, cars and trucks to dealerships... The Detroit-based automaker’s goal is to cut $1 billion from material and logistics costs in North America by 2016. Trimming that amount will help boost its North America profit margin by 1 percentage point... The company wants to move suppliers closer to isolated plants such as its Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City, Kan., and its Arlington plant in Texas. It is asking some to use closer plants or to build new factories closer to the plants. It was able to get a supplier of trim pieces to locate closer to Fairfax, which will save $66 million over the course of production for the refreshed 2014 Malibu... Now, automakers are looking to add efficiencies into their next growth cycle for vehicles hitting the market in 2016 and beyond. Michael Robinet, managing director of IHS Automotive Consulting in Northville said, the days of automakers willing to buy a product from 1,000 miles away for the lowest component price are over... “Suppliers are not going to locate next to an assembly plant and put up with the capital cost and risk … unless they have a longer-term commitment from the vehicle manufacturer,” he said...


* Michigan - Chrysler expands engine production, adds 298 new jobs in Trenton

(AP Photo by Paul Sancya: Technical specialist at the Trenton Engine Plant works on an engine. The facility build the Chrysler 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine) 
Auburn Hills,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Bryce G. Hoffman -August 6, 2013: -- Chrysler Group LLC will invest $52 million in its engine plants in Trenton and Dundee to increase output of its four-cylinder Tigershark motor — a move that will create 298 new jobs... The automaker is spending $11.5 million to add a new assembly line for the Tigershark at its Trenton North factory, where all the new positions are being created. The company is spending another $40.5 million to convert a line at Dundee to machine cranks, heads and blocks to support Tigershark production at Trenton. The Dundee plant also will continue to assemble Tigershark engines, as well as two other four-cylinder motors... With this new investment, Chrysler will have spent $5.2 billion and created more than 10,800 jobs at its U.S. facilities since emerging from bankruptcy in 2009...

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Jun 14, 2013

AUTOMAKERS NEWS * USA

* Michigan - Ford to hire 800 more salaried workers 

(Photo)
Dearborn,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Karl Henkel -June 10, 2013: -- Ford Motor Co. plans to add 800 white-collar U.S. workers during the next six months, bringing its total number of salaried hires this year to 3,000, the automaker confirmed Monday... The new jobs — primarily in engineering, information technology, product development and manufacturing — will be in addition to the 2,200 new salaried jobs Ford announced earlier in the year. The Dearborn automaker will also hire workers in purchasing, finance and other areas... With demand for new cars and trucks poised to top 15 million light vehicles in the United States this year, domestic auto and parts factories are running at nearly maximum capacity for the number of workers on hand. Industry analysts predict that carmakers will expand both their workforces and facilities. Already, Detroit’s Big Three have all announced additions of thousands of hourly workers set for this year...


* DC - House passes bill to exempt automakers, other firms from some financial rules
(Photo) 
Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -June 12, 2013: -- The U.S. House on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a bill to exempt automakers and other users of financial hedging from Wall Street regulations approved in 2010... The bill is designed to correct a drafting error in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform act... The Business Risk Mitigation and Price Stabilization Act of 2013 exempts Michigan manufacturing and agricultural producers from undue financial regulation, he said. Companies that use derivatives to hedge their exposure to fluctuating costs of energy, raw materials, and business expenses "should not be subject to the same regulation actually intended to corral Wall Street greed" ... The bill -- if passed by the Senate -- would mean that the companies using the instruments wouldn't have to meet certain margin requirements to use the instruments. The law is aimed at preventing Wall Street speculators from driving up the costs of commodities using derivatives. Without the bill, the rules could boost the amount of cash companies needed to put up or prevent the use of the instruments...

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Jun 6, 2013

* ENGINE of the YEAR: Ford's 3-cylinder

* Michigan / USA - Ford's 3-cylinder repeats as Engine of the Year, headed to U.S.

(Photo from Ford: 2014 Ford Fiesta) 
Dearborn,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Karl Henkel -June 6, 2013: -- Is America ready for a three-cylinder engine?: Ford Motor Co. is about to find out... Ford’s 1-liter, three-cylinder EcoBoost engine has become an instant success in Europe, where small cars and smaller engines dominate the market... Now, the Dearborn automaker will be the first to try a three-cylinder engine in a U.S. vehicle in more than a decade, when its revamped Fiesta subcompact debuts this fall... Although the engine is only slated to appear in the U.S. in the low-volume Fiesta, the 1-liter EcoBoost engine will serve as an important litmus test, as Ford and the auto industry determine if the American consumer will accept three-cylinder engines, which would save consumers money at the pump and help carmakers meet federal fuel efficiency standards... 


* DC -  Treasury, UAW health care trust to sell 50M shares of GM stock 

(Photo by Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images - The Treasury sold nearly 20% of its remaining shares in General Motors in the first three months of the year, the Detroit automaker disclosed)
Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -June 5, 2013: -- The U.S. Treasury and United Auto Workers union, capitalizing on the automaker’s rising stock price, will sell a combined 50 million shares of General Motors stock today... The scheduled stock sale coincides with GM’s return to the S and P 500 index, and with today’s annual shareholders meeting at the Renaissance Center in Detroit... Stock analysts say the return to the S and P will prompt significant demand for GM shares. The stock has recently traded near its highest level since February 2011... GM stock, set at $33 a share when the post-bankrupty company began public trading in 2010, lost 94 cents Wednesday in an overall down market, closing at $34.02. Shares are up about 19 percent since the beginning of the year...

* California / USA - Sporty 2014 Toyota Corolla aimed at youthful buyers

(Photo from Toyota - The Toyota Corolla is getting its first update in five years) 
Santa Mónica,CAL,USA -Associated Press/The Detroit News, by Tom Krisher -June 8, 2013: -- The Toyota Corolla, an aging, stodgy but reliable economy car, is getting a radical new look... The world’s largest automaker was rolling out a new version of the compact Thursday night at a splashy event in Santa Monica, Calif., hoping to shed the old version’s low-cost image and attract new, younger buyers to its brand... The 2014 version, which goes on sale in the fall, is longer and sits lower than the old car, with a sculpted, athletic look that’s much closer to a sports car than the econobox it replaces. It also gets a new transmission, suspension and interior that Toyota says will make the car quieter and more luxurious, with better handling than the current version. It’s the 11th generation of a car that Toyota has been selling worldwide since 1966...

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Jun 5, 2013

VEHICLE SALES UP 14% * USA

* Michigan - May sales up 14% for Ford, 11% for Chrysler, 3% for GM

(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images - Chrysler Group LLC said Monday its sales last month marked its best May in six years)
Detroit,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Melissa Burden -June 3, 2013: -- All three Detroit automakers reported sales gains in May over the same month of 2012, as each company saw sales gains of more than 20 percent from profitable, full-size pickups. Ford Motor Co.’s U.S. sales totaled 246,585 in May, up 14 percent, and marking its best May since 2006. Chrysler Group LLC, meanwhile, said its sales of 166,596 vehicles were up 11 percent over the same month last year, marking the best May for the company in six years. General Motors Co.’s U.S. sales of 252,894 vehicles was 3.1 percent better than May 2012, led by Cadillac sales, which soared 39.9 percent... 


 * DC - Four years after bankruptcy, GM set to rejoin S and P 500

(Photo by Susan McSpadden/Chevrolet via Getty Images - The U.S. Treasury announced a GM exit strategy Dec. 19, 2012, and will sell 40 percent of its remaining stake in the automaker. The Treasury plans to completely exit the Detroit automaker by March 2014. Here a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu is loaded for delivery to dealers at the General Motors Fairfax Assembly Plant Jan. 18, 2012 in Fairfax, Kansas)
Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -June 4, 2013: -- General Motors Co. will rejoin the S and P 500 on Thursday, a sign of the company’s financial turnaround as the automaker nears the end of the era of government ownership... The Detroit automaker was removed from the S and P 500 when it filed for bankruptcy in June 2009... GM was initially 61 percent government-owned after the 2009 bankruptcy as part of the $49.5 billion U.S. bailout, but is now just 16 percent owned by Treasury, which has vowed to completely exit by March 2014... Last month, GM slid from fifth to seventh on the Fortune 500 list of largest U.S. companies. GM fell behind Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, which rose from seventh to fifth, and Apple Inc., which rose from 17th to sixth, as its revenue jumped by 45 percent in 2012... For many years, GM led the Fortune 500 list. As recently as 1997, GM was larger in terms of revenue than Microsoft, Intel, Dow Chemical, Boeing and Coca-Cola combined...

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Apr 21, 2013

AUTOS' RECALLS: 224,000 Honda & Nissan * USA

* DC - Honda, Nissan recalls 224K U.S. autos. Repairs in works for automatic shift, brake problems
 

Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -April 20, 2013: -- Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan are recalling a combined 223,758 vehicles in the U.S... 

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Honda Motor Co. says its recall of 205,000 cars, vans and crossovers will fix an automatic shift problem... The recall covers 128,000 Honda CR-Vs and 59,000 Honda Odyssey minivans from the 2012-13 model years, and 17,500 RDX cars from Honda's luxury line, Acura, from the 2013 model year. A component of the brake shift interlock system will be replaced in the vehicles... Honda said in sub-freezing temperatures, the vehicles' transmission may shift out of "park" without depressing the brake pedal... 

(Photo)
Nissan Motor Co., meanwhile, is recalling 19,258 SUVs over potentially faulty brakes... The automaker said it is recalling some 2013 Nissan Pathfinders and JX vehicles from its Infinity luxury line, built between December 2012 and January 2013 in Smyrna, Tenn... The front brake torque member was improperly cast. This can lead to premature failure and cracking...


* Minnesota - GE Capital Fleet Services and Carfax to build first comprehensive safety-recall reporting system 

Eden Prairie,MINN,USA -BUSINESS WIRE -16 April 2013: -- GE Capital Fleet Services today announced a first-of-its-kind agreement with Carfax, the vehicle history expert for the automotive industry, to develop real-time reporting for fleet managers detailing safety recalls not yet performed on vehicles within their fleets... “By any measure, driver safety remains a top concern of fleet managers” Currently, recall notices are distributed directly from manufacturers to vehicle operators, putting the initiative to bring vehicles in for servicing with individual drivers rather than the fleet manager. This can result in the non-uniform handling of recalls across the fleet and can ultimately hinder driver safety. Under the agreement, GE will have access to Carfax’s vehicle data to identify vehicles from more than 30 automotive OEMs across customers’ fleets with recalls that have not yet been performed. The data will be turned into a customized web report that provides a complete picture of the open recalls across a specific fleet...

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Mar 3, 2013

AUTOMAKERS NEWS * USA

* Michigan - 2014 Stingray convertible unveiled in photos ahead of Geneva Motor Show

(Image from Chevrolet: The ragtop Corvette is expected to use the same powertrain as the coupe)
Detroit,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by John McCormick -March 3, 2013: -- Two photographs of the highly anticipated new 2014 Corvette Stingray convertible have been released before the car's official debut at the Geneva Motor Show on Tuesday... The drop-top model builds on the excitement generated by the unveiling of the all-new seventh-generation coupe at January's Detroit auto show... The photos show the convertible shares the same dramatic body styling of the coupe, but with a folding fabric top. Underneath its skin, the ragtop Corvette is expected to use the same powertrain as the coupe, which means Chevy's new LT1 6.2-liter V-8 with 450-hp and 450 lb ft of torque... There is no word yet on pricing or availability, although the coupe model is due to go on sale this fall...

* Michigan  - Fiat beats Mini in boost to Marchionne's U.S. strategy

(Photo: 2013 Fiat 500L Images)
Auburns Hills,MICH,USA -Bloomberg News/The Detroit News, by Mark Clothier and Tommaso Ebhardt -March 4, 2013: ... The growing acceptance of the $16,000 Fiat 500 subcompact, even among large-living Texans, helped it outsell Bayerische Motoren Werke AG's rival Mini in January and February, and four of the last seven months... In U.S. sales surge to 43,772 cars last year from 19,769 a year earlier, helping beat an internal sales goal for North America by more than 25 percent and narrowing the gap to Mini, which sold 66,123 vehicles to U.S. drivers in 2012, including the Countryman crossover... BMW introduced the retro-styled Mini in 2001 as an upscale compact to appeal to urban drivers. The car starts at $20,400 in the U.S. for the entry-level hatchback and runs as high as $36,400 for the John Cooper Works performance version of the roadster. The Fiat 500 tops out at $26,000 for the sporty Abarth convertible... Both Fiat and BMW are benefitting from growing demand for small cars. U.S. deliveries of subcompacts and smaller cars are expected to rise to 1.02 million this year, a 37 percent increase from 2011, according to IHS...


* Maryland - Workplaces offer electric car charging for employees

(Photo by Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun/MCT - The GM transmission plant in White Marsh, Maryland, has installed eight solar-powered charging stations for recharging company or employees' electric vehicles)
White Marsh,MD,USA -Baltimore Sun/The Detroit News, by LORRAINE MIRABELLA -3 March 2013: -- Employees at General Motors' plant in White Marsh, Md., have an unusual workplace benefit: Anyone who drives an electric car can plug it in to charge while they work. At the plant, which produces transmissions and electric motors, workers can park their electric vehicles — or EVs — in any of eight spaces under two solar-powered canopies in the employee lot...   It's not surprising that an automaker that makes plug-in electric vehicles is emerging as a leader in working to expand charging stations for consumers, starting with its own workers at company facilities in Maryland and elsewhere. But now other large employers are joining efforts to boost workplace EV charging, including Verizon, Google, 3M, General Electric and Eli Lilly and Co....

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posted by Unknown @ 6:57 AM  0 comments

Nov 15, 2012

AUTOMAKERS NEWS * USA

* Michigan - CEO Marchionne may still buy all of Chrysler 

(Photo: Chrysler Headquarters Auburn Hills)
Auburn Hills, MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Bryce G. Hoffman -November 14, 2012: -- Fiat-Chrysler CEO, Sergio Marchionne, has conceded that he no longer has enough money to buy the rest of Chrysler Group LLC — but he may still have ways of coming up with it, including taking luxury carmaker Ferrari public... And he has time to figure it out. While the United Auto Workers, or at least the union-run retiree health care trust that currently owns 41.5 percent of Chrysler, can begin the process of taking the Auburn Hills automaker public again after Jan. 1, experts say the process of preparing the initial public stock offering would likely take most of next year... Fiat SpA owns the other 58.5 percent of Chrysler, and Marchionne has made no secret of his interest in buying out the union trust. But on Oct. 30, he announced a bold investment plan for Europe that will require him to spend the money he had set aside to do that... Like other automakers, Fiat is struggling in the economically troubled European market. But while other companies are responding by closing factories and cutting jobs, Marchionne is doubling down in the hope of passing the competition...

* Michigan / USA -  Marchionne: Chrysler's $250M investment a 'milestone'
(Photo by Steve Perez / The Detroit News: Chrysler Group LLC Chairman and CEO Sergio Marchionne and Detroit Mayor Dave Bing before a press conference at the Mack I Engine Plant in Detroit) 
Auburn Hills,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Bryce G. Hoffman -November 15, 2012: -- Chrysler Group LLC announced nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in new investments Thursday and said it would add about 1,250 jobs at three of its Michigan plants to boost production of engines and pickup trucks... The automaker confirmed previously reported plans to invest $198 million to add production of its Pentastar V-6 motor at its Mack I Engine Plant in Detroit — a move that is expected to create 250 new jobs at the factory... Chrysler also said it will add a third shift at its Warren Truck Assembly Plant in March of next year. That will mean the addition of about 1,000 new jobs at that factory, which produces the Ram 1500 pickup... Finally, the company said it would invest $40 million in its Trenton North Engine Plant to install a flexible assembly line capable of building both the Pentastar and four-cylinder Tigershark motor...


* Michigan - Ford wagon to be built in Spain
(Photo from Ford: The new Transit Connect Wagon will hit dealers in late 2013) 
Dearborn,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Karl Henkel -November 14, 2012: -- Ford Motor Co.'s new Transit Connect Wagon is headed to showrooms in the United States late next year, but the family vehicle won't be manufactured here in North America...  Instead, the automaker will make its Valencia, Spain assembly plant a hub for Transit Connect Wagons. That will help to solve two of the company's biggest conundrums: a lack of manufacturing capacity in North America and excess capacity in struggling Europe...  Here in North America, Ford is operating at 114 percent capacity, vice president of North American manufacturing, Jim Tetreault, told reporters last week. But in Europe, capacity is at just about 50 percent of maximum output, according to analysts. Ford has desperately tried to match European production to meet demand, much like it did in its North America restructuring following the recent auto crisis...


* California - Pathfinder crosses over

Napa Valley,CAL,USA -The Detroit News, by Doug Guthrie -15 Nov 2012: -- Nissan's burly sport utility Pathfinder is longer, wider and lighter. It has less ground clearance and doesn't stand as tall. It is easier to get in and out of, and Nissan claims it burns 30 percent less fuel. Arriving in showrooms now, it offering a midsize, car-based people-hauler that is on par with its competitors...  Leather upholstery comes with the next step up to SL and Platinum models, along with heated second-row seats. And you can only get streaming audio by Bluetooth and an easy-to-operate Internet-enabled traffic and weather warning navigation system with the Platinum model...

* California - GM: Build 500K electrics annually by '17 
Sausalito,CAL,USA -The Detroit News, by Melissa Burden -November 15, 2012: -- General Motors Co. plans to build 500,000 vehicles a year by 2017 that would be powered in some way by electricity, the automaker's head of global product development said Wednesday... If GM meets that goal, it would account for about 5.5 percent of the automaker's total annual sales... GM plans to expand its global electrified-vehicle sales through a variety of technologies including plug-in electrics, pure electrics and hybrids that use the company's eAssist technology, said Mary Barra, GM's senior vice president of global product development. She spoke via satellite feed from Detroit to media gathered at GM's Electrification Experience press event here... The company is on track to sell more than 50,000 vehicles equipped with the company's electrification technologies in the U.S. this year, Barra said...

 * California - Volt batteries could light homes during power failures 
Sausalito,CAL,USA -The Detroit News, by Melissa Burden -November 15, 2012: -- General Motors Co. and ABB Group on Wednesday showed off a second use for old electric-vehicle batteries: Using them as a way to store electricity that can then light homes in the event of a power failure. Or, they could store electricity from a time of day when power is cheaper, and then deliver that electricity during more expensive peak-demand times... The companies teamed up with Duke Energy to package five Chevrolet Volt lithium-ion batteries into a unit which could provide about two hours of electricity for three to five average U.S. homes. The unit can provide 25 kilowatt hours of power and 50 kilowatt hours of energy... 

* DC - Nissan's Ghosn: U.S. must back alternative vehicles 
Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, By David Shepardson -November 14, 2012: -- Renault-Nissan CEO, Carlos Ghosn, who has bet more than $5.6 billion on electric vehicles, said Tuesday that the United States must diversify away from gasoline-powered vehicles and support alternative vehicles... At the Wall Street Journal CEO forum here, Ghosn noted that transportation accounts for more than 70 percent of all worldwide oil use... He also said the United States needs a coordinated energy policy between federal, state and local governments, and called for further tax incentives and public-private partnerships to boost alternative technologies... Ghosn didn't comment on whether Nissan will meet its sales target of selling 20,000 all-electric Nissan Leafs in 2012, which would be twice its sales in 2011. Sales are off 16 percent this year, and through the first 10 months Nissan has sold just 6,791 Leaf EVs. But Leaf sales were up 86 percent in October to 1,579...Ghosn has vowed to cumulatively sell 1.5 million EVs by 2015...


* California - Toyota to pay $25.5 million to settle shareholder suits 
Los Angeles,CAL,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -November 14, 2012: -- Toyota Motor Corp. agreed to pay $25.5 million to settle claims from shareholders who said they were harmed by the Japanese automaker's recall for unintended acceleration of millions of vehicles in 2009-10, court documents filed Tuesday show... The proposed settlement, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, covers all U.S. Toyota shareholders who bought stock between May 2005 and Feb. 2, 2010. The settlement said there are "tens of thousands" of people who purchased stock during the nearly five year period. The company did not admit wrongdoing... The negative publicity initially wiped out $30 billion in Toyota's market capitalization, lawyers for the shareholders said... The shareholders claimed the automaker concealed problems with the vehicles and that they would not have purchased the automaker's stock had they known. Toyota stock, known as American Depository Shares, trades on the New York Stock Exchange...
- AUTOS RECALLS - 

 * DC - GM recalls Cadillac XTS to fix head restraints 

Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -November 14, 2012: -- General Motors Co. is recalling 12,425 of its new 2013 Cadillac XTS sedans to replace the rear-seat head restraints that may not lock in place... The Detroit automaker said in a notice posted Wednesday the recall covers XTS sedans built from Oct. 12, 2011, through Aug. 30... The recall covers 12,626 XTS models in the United States, 181 sold in Canada and 19 exported to other markets. No injuries or crashes have been reported... GM said the vehicles may not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards on head restraints...

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posted by Unknown @ 9:30 AM  0 comments

Aug 15, 2012

CARMAKERS NEWS * USA & Canada

* DC / USA - Dems slam Ryan for proposing end to $25B fund for clean retooling of auto plants
Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, By David Shepardson -August 16, 2012: -- Democrats are seizing on the fact that Republican vice presidential candidate, Paul Ryan, proposed eliminating all remaining funding from a $25 billion auto industry retooling program... The House Republican budget proposal by Ryan, R-Wis., would end all loan programs for green energy efforts, including canceling up to $16 billion in unawarded funds for auto factory retooling... 


* DC / USA - Feds: Auto bailout loss $25B. Treasury raises estimate by 15% based on lower GM stock prices 
Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -August 14, 2012: -- The Treasury Department says in a new report the government expects to lose more than $25 billion on the $85 billion auto bailout. That's 15 percent higher than its previous forecast... In a monthly report sent to Congress on Friday, the Obama administration boosted its forecast of expected losses by more than $3.3 billion to almost $25.1 billion, up from $21.7 billion in the last quarterly update... The report may still underestimate the losses. The report covers predicted losses through May 31, when GM's stock price was $22.20 a share... On Monday, GM stock closed down 7 cents, or 0.3 percent, at $20.47. At that price, the government would lose another $850 million on its GM bailout... The government still holds 500 million shares of GM stock and needs to sell them for about $53 each to recover its entire $49.5 billion bailout... Treasury spokesman, Matt Anderson, said the costs were still far less than some predicted...


- AUTOS RECALLS - 

* DC -  GM recalls 10K vans over fire risks
 
(Photo: 2003 Savana)
Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -August 14, 2012: -- General Motors Co. said Tuesday it is recalling 10,000 vans over fire risks in North America.The Detroit automaker said it is repairing 2003-04 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans with 60/40 swing-out driver side doors from the 2003-04 model year in 20 cold weather states and the District of Columbia.GM says road contaminants may become trapped in the conduit that covers the fuel filler pipe causing the filler pipe to corrode.If the corrosion causes a perforation in the pipe and the perforation grows, fuel may leak onto the ground during refueling. Leaking fuel could spark a fire.GM has no reports of fires, injuries or fatalities related to the condition. Fuel vapor may cause smell and a check engine light may illuminate. The recall covers 9,389 vehicles in the United States and 926 in Canada...


* New York - Mercedes-Benz recalls floor mats from ML-Class

(Photo: Mercedes-Benz 2012-2013 ML-Class) 
NY,USA -Associated Press/The Detroit News -August 12, 2012: -- Mercedes-Benz is recalling all-season accessory floor mats sold in model year 2012 and 2013 ML-Class vehicles because they could cause the car's gas pedal to get stuck... Mercedes said Saturday that the mats may not conform to the contours of the car's floor. As a result, the gas pedal may not fully retract after the driver stops applying pressure, and the car may not slow down as expected. The company is advising ML-Class owners to remove the accessory floor mats...


- SAFETY CARS - 

* DC / USA - New crash test may prompt safer cars. Just 3 in 11 upscale cars evaluated got a passing grade

Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -August 14, 2012: -- A new frontal crash test may prod automakers to build safer vehicles. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said just three of 11 upscale 2012 cars it evaluated earned "good" or "acceptable" ratings. The Acura TL and Volvo S60 earned good ratings; the Infiniti G was rated acceptable. The Acura TSX, BMW 3-Series, Lincoln MKZ and Volkswagen CC were marginal, and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Lexus IS 250/350, Audi A4 and Lexus ES 350 were rated poor...   In the test, 25 percent of a car's driver-side front end strikes a 5-foot-tall rigid barrier at 40 miles per hour, with an average-size male dummy belted into the driver's seat. The test is designed to replicate what happens when the front corner of a car collides with another vehicle, or with an object such as a tree or a utility pole. Outside of some automakers' proving grounds, no such test had been conducted elsewhere in the U.S. or Europe...

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posted by Unknown @ 9:31 AM  0 comments

Aug 2, 2012

AUTOMAKERS NEWS * USA & Canada

- SALES - 

* Michigan - GM hindered by weak July full-size pickup truck sales
Detroit,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Melissa Burden and Bryce G. Hoffman -August 2, 2012: -- Trucks were one of General Motor Co.'s biggest sales disappointments last month... Sales of its full-size pickups were down 11.5 percent in July after five consecutive months of year-over-year gains... Other automakers reported gains in their truck sales... While overall sales of full-size pickups slipped two-tenths of one percent in July in the United States, Ford F-Series sales increased four-tenths of a percent and sales of full-size Ram pickups were up 17.3 percent...



- ELECTRIC VEHICLES - 

* DC - Chevy Volt sales jump, while Nissan Leaf struggles

Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -August 1, 2012:
-- Nissan Motor Co. said it sold just 395 Leafs in July, down 58 percent over July 2011. For the year, Nissan has sold 3,543, down 26.3 percent. 
-- General Motors Co. said sales of its plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt rose again in July to 1,849, up over the 125 the company sold in July 2011 and over the 1,760 sold in June. For the first seven months, GM has sold 10,666 Volts, up 270 percent over the same period last year. 
-- Toyota Motor Corp. said it sold 688 plug-in electric Prius vehicles in July and has now sold 5,035 this year. 
-- Ford Motor Co. will report sales of its electric Ford Focus on Thursday. Through the first six months, it had sold around 100 EVs with the vehicle on sale in New York, New Jersey and California. Retail sales began in June.


- RECALLS - 

* DC - Toyota recalls 878K vehicles

(Photo from Toyota: The recall includes 760,000 2006-2011 RAV4 SUVs)
Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -August 2, 2012: -- Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it is recalling 878,000 vehicles because some drivers say the rear suspension has failed, causing them to lose control... The recall includes 760,000 2006-2011 RAV4 SUVs and 18,000 2010 Lexus HS 250h cars in the U.S., and comes less than two months after the government opened an investigation into reports of failures in rear tie rods... An additional 100,000 vehicles, including 99,000 RAV4s, are being recalled in Canada... Drivers say failed rear suspension sent cars, SUVs out of control, and four of they lost control while driving at high speeds...

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posted by Unknown @ 5:49 AM  0 comments

Jul 11, 2012

AUTOMAKERS NEWS * USA & Canada

* Ontario - CAW seeks commitment from Big 3 in new pact

Ottawa,ONT,Canada -The Detroit News, by Bryce G. Hoffman and Melissa Burden -July 11, 2012: -- Canadian Auto Workers President, Ken Lewenza, is calling on Detroit's automakers to make new product commitments to Canadian factories as part of upcoming negotiations on a new national contract. But he acknowledges that a strong looney is making that a harder case to plead... The looney is trading near parity with the U.S. dollar. That means American automakers are paying Canadian auto workers a lot more than they were when the current contract was negotiated in 2009... That agreement expires on Sept. 17, and formal negotiations are not expected to begin until August. But Lewenza said informal discussions are already under way with General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group LLC....


* Michigan - Incentives sweeten deals for '12 autos
(Photo by David Guralnick / The Detroit News: Window displays announce the new no-haggle pricing for Chevy buyers)
Detroit,MICH,USA -The Detroit News, by Melissa Burden -July 11, 2012: -- General Motors Co.'s Chevrolet brand and Chrysler Group LLC on Tuesday announced incentive programs aimed at clearing 2012 models off dealer lots... GM's "Chevy Confidence" program runs through Sept. 4 and lets buyers return a new 2012 or 2013 Chevy if they don't like it after trying it out for a month or two. It also gives buyers lower, no-haggle prices on 2012s... Chrysler again is offering a "No Payments for 90 Days" promotion on Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram Truck and Fiat brand models as part of its annual Summer Clearance Event, which runs through the end of August... Chevrolet last month had a higher percentage of 2012 model sales compared with 2013 models than the industry average...

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