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GM Since May is bigger in China than U.S.!

Record sales in the world’s largest auto market cause upset.

by Joseph Szczesny on Jun.15, 2010

GM’s China sales in the first five months of the year reached 1,032,665 units, a 54% increase.

General Motors and its joint ventures posted record sales in China during May, selling a total of 196,004 vehicles and surpassing GM’s sales in the U.S., where GM posted sales of 167,325 units.

GM’s operations in China were buoyed by strong demand for the Buick and Chevrolet brands and ongoing positive demand for its other brands.

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Numbers!

GM’s sales in the first five months of the year in China reached 1,032,665 units, a 54% increase from the first five months of 2009, and a new record for the period. By contrast, through May GM has sold a total of 882,277 vehicles in the U.S.  (more…)

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Fisker Supplier Gets $529 Million from Taxpayers

Some private capital was also required to qualify.

by Joseph Szczesny on Apr.27, 2010

Henrik Fisker with his plug-in hybrid, the $87,900 Karma, set for a debut later this year.

Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide Inc., supplier of the hybrid-drive system for the Fisker plug-in hybrid has closed on a Department of Energy loan for $528.7 million.

The DOE loan to Fisker will be used for the development and production of two models of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, including the Karma, a four-door sports sedan, and a line of family-oriented models being developed under Fisker’s Project Nina program, Quantum officials said.

The DOE loan, first announced last fall, was contingent on the ability of Quantum and Fisker to raise additional capital from private investors.

Fisker’s plans call for the Nina project to reach a broader audience than the premium car the company is launching later this year. When full production of the mid-sized vehicle is reached in 2015 at the company’s assembly plant in Delaware, Fisker estimates sales could reach 115,000 vehicles annually, a volume that seems wildly optimistic for a car that has yet to appear.

The DOE also approved a more than a half billion for Tesla, which is preparing for an initial public offering of stock.

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Zetsche Gets Board Vote of Confidence at Daimler

Wolfgang Bernhard likely his successor in latest moves.

by Joseph Szczesny on Feb.18, 2010

Bernhard’s appointment gives Zetsche an ally.

Daimler AG’s supervisory board has extended the contract of Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, for up to three years until December 31, 2013.

The contract of Dr. Thomas Weber, Board of Management Member for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development, was also extended until December 31, 2013.

The three-year extension, effective as of January 1, 2011, reflects Daimler’s general policy to conclude contracts for a period of three years, in the cases of both initial appointments and re-appointments, a statement from Daimler noted.

The supervisory board, which includes outside directors and labor representatives, also approved the appointment of Wolfgang Bernhard to the company’s separate board of management. The board of management will have six rather than five members, going forward, and Bernhard’s appointment gives Zetsche a critical ally.

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Board, Not Bored!

Bernhard also was appointed to a new position that puts him in charge of Mercedes-Benz car production and procurement, as previously reported. Bernhard’s appointments also extended three years until Feb. 2013.

The latest moves appear to make Bernhard the leading candidate to succeed Zetsche.   (more…)

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U.S. Auto Sales Tepid in January

Still, a slight warming by buyers prompts revised forecasts.

by Joseph Szczesny on Feb.03, 2010

Nobody is calling January’s vehicle sales robust, but they were promising, even with Toyota’s ongoing recall troubles.

The Seasonally Adjusted Annual Selling rate of 10.8 million did not exactly rate cheers. However, it still beat the estimates of most analysts and prompted General Motors Company to raise its 2010 forecast to between 11.5 million and 12 million units.

In fact, several brands, GM, Ford, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Subaru, Mercedes-Benz and Audi all posted increases of better than 20% and the increases at VW and Mercedes topped 40% over what was an admittedly dismal previous January. Nissan posted a 16% increase, while BMW, Honda and Mazda all reported sales increases in the single digits and Kia’s sales were flat. Chrysler’s sales declines moderated, as sales dropped 8% and Mitsubishi’s sales dropped 4 percent.

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Sales!

The biggest loser, by far, was Toyota where sales dropped 16%, partially because of a government prompted stop sale of eight models. Ward’s Automotive Reports calculated that Toyota sales had dropped in January to the lowest level since 1999 just before the company embarked on its broad expansion plan that by last year had made Toyota the best-selling brand in the U.S. However, in January, Toyota was bested by both Chevrolet and Ford.

(more…)

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Toyota Adds Shift in Canada

RAV4 crossover production to increase.

by Joseph Szczesny on Dec.14, 2009

As NUMMI winds down,

As NUMMI winds down, Woodstock tools up.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. plans to add a second shift in March at an assembly plant in Woodstock, Ontario to build more RAV4 sport utility models.

TMMC also builds the Corolla, Matrix, and the Lexus RX350 at the plant. The latest move will add more than 800 jobs when the second shift starts.

Production of the RAV4 began in November 2008 with one-shift. Toyota now says it will now build the majority of RAV4s for the North American market in Ontario.

(more…)

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Subaru Electric Van Years Away from U.S. Debut

Japanese market first is the cautious plan for a mini-minivan.

by Joseph Szczesny on Nov.18, 2009

The "wait and see" approach from a smaller automaker has reputation risks.

The "wait and see" approach from a smaller automaker has reputation risks and rewards?

Subaru is in the midst of an ambitious new electric vehicle program, but it won’t turn up in the United States any time soon. Instead, the automaker plans to prove its products in Japan where it plans to put more than 170 pure EVs into the fleets of local government and utility companies. The fleet program is the first step in a wider program that Subaru hopes to roll out in a couple of years.

The new Subaru EVs are based on the four seat, Stella minivan, according to Takashi Suzuki,  one of the managers responsible for Subaru’s battery-electric-vehicle program.

Subaru’s EV program began in 2006 when it introduced the R1e, a two-seater developed with the help of TEPCO, the Tokyo Electric Power Co., which has become a major patron of the development of EVs in Japan. The 40 EVs built collected more than 340,000 kilometers of real-world driving experience during the three-year experiment.

The initial experiment underscored some of the limitations. The range of the R1e was 80 kilometers. The new Stella, however, can go 90 kilometers per charge and is a larger vehicle weighing  1,100 kilograms or 2,400 pounds versus the 920 kilograms or roughly 2,000 pounds for the R1e, said Suzuki. He noted that given the size difference between the two electrical vehicles there has been a significant increase in battery efficiency with the Stella.

But the range is still limited, leaving EVs best suited for the city driving and short commutes.

(more…)

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Ford Motor U.S. Sales Up Slightly in October

Now finally we get to honest year-on-year comparisons after the devastating market collapse last fall.

by Joseph Szczesny on Nov.03, 2009

Ford Motor Company sales increased 3% versus a year ago and were 21% higher than the September clunkers payback, as it continued to pick up market share. It was the third time in the last four months Ford sales have increased.

“Consumer demand for our new high-quality, fuel-efficient products is driving Ford’s market share gains,” said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing Sales and Service.

Ford incentive spending dropped by 30% and consumers continued to order a richer mix, Ford officials said. For example, consumers were ordering EcoBoost engines. “It’s a really high take rate,” said Ford sales analyst George Pipas.

(more…)

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VW Stalks Wilhelm Karmann GmbH

The famed German coachbuilder is bankrupt, and Volkswagen needs the electric car capacity.

by Joseph Szczesny on Oct.26, 2009

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Still looks good after all these years.

Having succeeded in remaining profitable through the worst of the global recession, Volkswagen AG continues to pounce on acquisitions of opportunity.

It is now stalking an old ally, Wilhelm Karmann GmbH, according to press accounts in Germany.

Volkswagen’s management is offering “low double digit” millions of Euros for the company, the German news magazine Der Spiegel reported Monday. The owners of privately held Karmann are apparently resisting, claiming the assets are worth substantially more than VW is offering to pay.

Stay on Top!

Stay on Top!

However, VW appears to hold the upper hand in the negotiations. Karmann filed for the German equivalent of bankruptcy in April needs more money by November 1 or it could face liquidation.

(more…)

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Ouch! Used Car Prices at All Time High

Looking for a deal on wheels? Forget about it.

by Joseph Szczesny on Oct.09, 2009

It's been a wild ride for used car prices. Click to enlarge.

It's been a wild ride for used vehicle prices. Click on the chart to enlarge.

Used vehicle prices moved to an all-time high last month, spurred by falling inventories, according to new survey data from Manheim Consulting.

The Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index rose 6.9% in September to a record high of 118.5. The index is adjusted for vehicle mix and seasonality. A value of 100 represents used vehicle prices in January 1995.

Wholesale used-vehicle prices in September rose for the ninth straight month, but have eased somewhat over the last two weeks because of declining retail demand, said Tom Webb, Manheim’s chief economist.

During the last week of September and the first week of October, used vehicles’ wholesale prices dropped “more than expected,” Webb said.

AutoTrader.com also reported that prices continued to climb in September as the supply of certified pre-owned (CPO) and traditional used vehicles continues to tighten.

Heavy-duty full-size pick-ups saw the largest increases in average asking prices, led by the Ford F-250, up 45% year-over-year, followed by the Chevrolet Silverado 2500, which jumped 41% and the Dodge Ram 2500, which has increased 34%.

The numbers are exaggerated since used truck prices were driven to artificial lows last year as fuel prices soared to record levels.

(more…)

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Ford EcoBoost Patents Underway

Powertrain management code make up the bulk of applications.

by Joseph Szczesny on Oct.08, 2009

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EcoBoost engines have direct-injection and turbocharging long in use at other automakers.

Ford Motor Company has applied for 125 patents for the technology surrounding the EcoBoost engines, which feature expensive direct-injection of fuel and turbocharging that have long been in use at other automakers.

“The secret to Ford’s EcoBoost system isn’t just the hardware – the key is in the Ford control system,” said Brett Hinds, Ford Advanced Engine Design and Development manager. ”Our engineers have the right ‘recipes’ to integrate the various systems like engine, transmission and fuel management, resulting in a seamless, exhilarating driving experience,” he said.

The powertrain management techniques make up the bulk of the technology’s patents said Hinds. Ford licenses hybrid management control technologies from Toyota Motor Company.

(more…)

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