Main page | April 18, 2007 »

Heads up displays, anyone? Perhaps not

Alex Ion writes there seems to be a real interest in the auto world in the kind of heads up displays that pilots use in fighter jets - where instead of having to look down at the various dials, pilots read them on a a transparent display on their windscreen that does not obstruct their overall view.
However, for his list of pros and cons of the technology, see his article on Devicepedia.com .

Posted by   at 3:00 PM to Technology | Permalink | Comments 0

Push for clean diesel gaining support

As the auto industry moves toward more fuel-efficient, cleaner vehicles, there's a cluster of automotive, environmental and energy experts rooting for the diesel engine, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Perhaps their biggest challenge is to convince drivers that today's diesels aren't the slow, noisy, smelly diesels of the past.
A leading voice in that effort is DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group, which in January started producing its second diesel vehicle for North America. A diesel version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee will be hitting dealerships soon. It comes after the automaker sold more of the diesel Jeep Liberty than expected last year, Robert Lee, vice president of powertrain product engineering for DCX, told more than 100 people at the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress on Monday at Cobo Center in Detroit.

Posted by   at 11:50 AM to Alternative fuels | Permalink | Comments 0

Canadian parts maker said interested in Chrysler

Magna International Inc., a Canadian auto parts maker, is in advanced talks with DaimlerChrysler AG about a possible purchase of the money-losing Chrysler unit, according to an AP report in the Detroit Free Press. AP cited German newspaper The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung for the news.
The paper reported that the Aurora, Ontario-based company is in continuing talks with the German-American automaker about acquiring a majority stake in the Chrysler Group, but the paper did not name its sources. The paper said DaimlerChrysler would keep a minority stake in the U.S. division.

Posted by   at 11:46 AM to Companies | Permalink | Comments 0

Chrysler sale talks seen going on and on

The negotiations over the possible sale of the Chrysler Group are likely to drag on for several more weeks, despite some brave talk by DaimlerChrysler executives of making some kind of a decision by the end of the month, according to thecarconnection.com.
For one thing, it is now apparent that any deal will require at least some semblance of approval from both the United Auto Workers and the Canadian Auto Workers, which are both showing increasing signs of resistance to any deal that turns the company over to a private equity group, the Web site said.

Posted by   at 10:46 AM to Companies | Permalink | Comments 0

GM ramping up production and sales in India

General Motors plans to ramp up production and sales in India, one of the world's fastest-growing auto markets, according to USA Today which cited Chairman Rick Wagoner as he introduced a mini car to Indian customers with a competitive price tag yesterday.
GM also is scaling up procurement of low-cost auto components from India in a move that will help keep costs low at plants in other parts of the world, Wagoner said.

Posted by   at 10:44 AM to Companies | Permalink | Comments 0

All four of R.I. congressmen sign on to backover bill

Effective April 16th, all four Rhode Island legislators on Capitol Hill - Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, and Congressmen Patrick Kennedy and James Langevin - have signed on to co-sponsor the Cameron Gulbransen KIDS AND CARS Safety Act, that among other things would direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a minimum visibility requirement behind all vehicles in the interest of preventing backover incidents, according to Sue Auriemma, vice president of KIDS AND CARS .
Each week in the US, an average of 50 children are struck by reversing vehicles - often in their own driveways - with two of these incidents resulting in fatalities.
The bills respectively are S694 on the Senate side and HR1216 on the House side. On the Senate side, the bill has been to a subcommittee hearing for the Commerce Committee and is awaiting mark up. On the House side, the bill is awaiting a subcommittee hearing.

Posted by   at 10:26 AM to Safety | Permalink | Comments 1