Archive for the ‘Automobiles’ Category
Browning’s departure comes as maker’s U.S. sales plunge.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Dec.13, 2013
VW Group CEO Jonathan Browning -- shown here at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show.
Volkswagen’s top American executive is leaving the automaker — a move that comes at a time the German maker is struggling to reverse an unexpectedly sharp slump in U.S. sales.
The 54-year-old Jonathan Browning’s departure comes just over two years after he took over Volkswagen Group of America at a time when a new plant in Tennessee and a flood of new product appeared to be driving the maker towards an ambitious goal of reaching 800,000 U.S. sales annually by 2018.
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But even as U.S. car sales have surged to their highest level in six years, Volkswagen has reported a 5.2% decline for the year, demand plunging an even more disconcerting 16% in November compared to year-earlier numbers.
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Tags: Jonathan Browning, VW sales, auto news, browning leaving vw, car news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau, volkswagen news, volkswagen us sales, vw group of america, vw management, vw news, vw of america, vw us sales
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Move follows decision to scale back – but continue alliance.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Dec.12, 2013
Peugeot and GM maintain a more distant relationship than originally planned.
Hours after announcing it would scale back – but continue – its alliance with PSA Peugeot Citroen, General Motors revealed it was selling off its 7% stake in the troubled French automaker.
Without those economic ties, industry observers say there appears to be even less of a reason for the two manufacturers to continue any long-term affiliation beyond the two product sharing deals and a few smaller arrangements they currently plan to move ahead with.
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GM initially purchased its stake in Peugeot last year at a time when the two makers expected they could achieve $2 billion in savings by working together. Both companies have been losing billions in Europe in recent years. But since initially inking their alliance both have shifted strategies, raising ongoing questions about whether they could meet their original goals.
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Tags: Peugeot, auto alliances, auto news, car news, gm, gm news, gm peugeot, gm peugeot alliance, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, peugeot news, thedetroitbureau
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David Friedman to step in as interim auto safety chief.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Dec.12, 2013
NHTSA chief David Strickland is stepping down as the U.S. top automotive safety official.
David Strickland, the nation’s top automotive safety regulator, is stepping down after nearly four years on the job.
The 45-year-old Strickland is expected to leave within two months, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Transportation. While a replacement has not been named, the interim director for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will be David Friedman, a former official with the Union of Concerned Scientists.
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Strickland joined NHTSA in January 2010 and has led an aggressive push to expand the use of breakthrough active safety technologies. Among other things, the agency is considering whether to require the use of new forward collision detection systems that could automatically a vehicle’s brakes if the driver did not react rapidly enough to a potential collision. (more…)
Tags: David Strickland, NHTSA, NHTSA Strickland, NHTSA administrator, TheDetroitBureau.com., auto news, auto safety boss, automotive safety chief, car news, car safety news, federal regulators, national highway traffic safety administration, paul a. eisenstein, safety news, thedetroitbureau
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Production costs, infrastructure limitations bring out skeptics.
by Michael Strong on Dec.12, 2013
The Toyota FCV is already facing competition from Hyundai's fuel cell-powered Tucson.
Many immediately think of battery electrics when the topic of zero-emission vehicles crops up, further proving that fuel cell electric vehicles are the oft-forgotten stepchild of the segment; however, Toyota is confident it can turn the tide on fuel cells.
Confident enough that one of its top executives, Soichiro Okudaira, chief officer of research and development, recently predicted that FCEVs will “just one alternative of the eco cars” someday, according to a story in Automotive News.
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Actually, he predicted it would happen in 10 to 15 years which is when the pricing will come down to levels palatable to consumers. However, in the interim, Toyota believes there is a market for fuel cell-powered cars, despite it’s “too high for the mainstream” price. (more…)
Tags: 2015 Toyota FCV, Carlos Ghosn, Daimler B-Class fuel cell, FCV Concept, Honda fuel cell, Honda fuel cell vehicles, Hyundai Tucson fuel cell, TheDetroitBureau.com., battery-electric vehicles, elon musk, fuel cell electrics, fuel cell vehicles, fuel cells, michael strong, thedetroitbureau, toyota fcv
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Two new EcoBoost engines also in the works.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Dec.12, 2013
Ford President Joe Hinrichs said the automaker will introduce 23 new models and add 5,000 employees in the coming year.
While it’s likely to be one of the most high-profile models to come, the redesigned Ford Mustang will be just one of 23 new models the automaker plans to add next year, revealed Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s President of the Americas.
The maker plans to also add 5,000 new jobs to support that expansion in the U.S. – while opening three new assembly plants in other parts of the world, Hinrichs said during a media briefing. Along with the new products, 16 of which are targeted to the core North American market, Ford also plans to introduce two new versions of its high-mileage EcoBoost engine family.
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The rollout will see “more products launches than in any other year in our history,” Hinrichs proclaimed. (more…)
Tags: 2015 ford mustang, Ford, Mustang EcoBoost, Mustang global, TheDetroitBureau.com., ford china, ford mustang, ford product development, joe hinrichs, new EcoBoost engines, new Ford vehicles, paul a. eisenstein, raj nair, thedetroitbureau
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by Paul A. Eisenstein on Dec.12, 2013
The Peugeot HR1 battery car concept. Peugeot itself now needs a charge-up.
General Motors is scaling back its once-promising alliance with French automaker PSA Peugeot Citroen – though it says it will move ahead with the partnership in a bid to trim the losses of its own struggling European operations.
The announcement comes barely a week after GM said it would pull its Chevrolet brand out of the European market to put more emphasis on reviving its German-based Opel division. There had been growing questions about whether GM and Peugeot would continue the partnership they once said could save about $2 billion in shared costs by 2018.
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Moving ahead, noted a GM release, the program will continue to focus on the “main pillars (of) purchasing and logistics, focused on Europe, and extends into cross manufacturing.” But the partners will reduce the number of products they will jointly develop, going forward each now intending to produce one vehicle for the other by 2016.
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Tags: auto news, car news, general motors europe, gm europe, gm news, gm peugeot, gm peugeot alliance, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, peugeot news, thedetroitbureau
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Lighter, more powerful, faster.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Dec.12, 2013
The new BMW 4-Series will soon get the M treatment.
BMW is giving us a sneak peek at two of its new M pocket rockets with the first official images of the new 2015 M3 and M4 models.
Set to make their formal debuts at next month’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the two M cars will deliver more power and improved performance, BMW claims, even while they lose mass compared to the old M3 sedan and coupe models they’re meant to replace.
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It will mark the first-ever M4, in fact, following the Bavarian makers decision to split off the coupe and convertible models as part of a new naming strategy. Going forward, odd numbers, like the familiar 3-Series, will be reserved for sedans, with coupes and cabriolets getting even designations, ala the M4 and 4-Series.
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Tags: 2015 bmw m3, 2015 bmw m4, BMW M, BMW M4, auto news, bmw engine, bmw m3, bmw news, car news, german performance cars, german sports cars, m3, m4, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
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Over 45 million US motorists could use battery cars, claims new poll.
by Joseph Szczesny on Dec.12, 2013
Battery cars - like the Tesla Model S - could meet the needs of millions of motorists, claims a new survey.
They may not be ready to buy one, but Americans, on the whole have a positive view of electric vehicles, according to a new survey.
The survey, conducted by the Union of Concerned Scientists, found that 65% of the American motorists it polled think electric vehicles are an essential part of our nation’s transportation future for reducing oil use and global warming, with 60% saying they would consider owning one themselves.
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More than 45 million Americans could use a battery-based vehicle without much change in their driving habits, according to the Union, which has long advocated for the wider use of EVs.
“Drivers may have preconceptions about whether electric vehicles can meet their driving needs and habits, and this survey shows that for many, they can,” said Josh Goldman, policy analyst for the UCS Clean Vehicles Program.
Building a better battery charging infrastructure could enhance the appeal of the technology.
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Tags: auto news, battery car survey, battery cars, battery charger, car news, electric vehicle survey, ev survey, evs union of concerned scientists, joe szczesny, thedetroitbureau
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The design indicates future product styling for maker.
by Michael Strong on Dec.11, 2013
Volvo provided a sneak peak at its XC Concept coming to the Detroit Auto Show.
Volvo continued its three-vehicle concept study today when it rolled out a few pictures of its Concept XC Coupé, which will debut in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show in January.
The XC concept borrows some cues from the Swedish maker’s Cross Country and XC models to produce a new look.
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The first of the three concepts was the Volvo Concept Coupé. It was shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September and for those who were used to the bland, boxy designs from Volvo’s past, it was an impressive break from that “heritage.” (more…)
Tags: Detroit Auto Show, NAIAS, NAIAS news, TheDetroitBureau.com., Volvo XC Concept, Volvo XC Concept Coupe, Volvo concept vehicles, auto news, auto show news, car news, michael strong, thedetroitbureau, volvo, volvo concept
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Survey shows credit trends will enable buyers to make purchases.
by Joseph Szczesny on Dec.11, 2013
Economists expect buyers will have an easier time getting credit in 2014, and keep sales clicking along.
With 2013 fast coming to a close, new car sales have wildly exceeded even the most optimistic forecasts made at the beginning of the year – and increasingly easy and affordable credit is one of the factors planners and analysts cite for the industry’s resurgence.
However, the burning question heading into next year is: will that trend continue? While some observers worry the market might be ready to cool down, favorable credit trends could keep it going, according to a survey by WalletHub.com
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“Interest rates will remain low for the foreseeable future due to the combination of record-low credit losses – with the exception of a single quarter in 2006, charge-offs are at the lowest level since 1995 – and the Federal Reserve’s commitment to retain current policies until more demonstrable economic improvement takes place,” said Odysseas Papadimitriou, WalletHub’s chief executive officer. (more…)
Tags: 2014 economy, TheDetroitBureau.com., U.S. Auto Sales, U.S. economy, auto sales, car sales, joseph szczesny, new car sales, new cars, new trucks, thedetroitbureau
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