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Ford, Toyota GM sales slumped in April

April auto sales were so slow that even Toyota reported a decrease from the same month last year. General Motors and Ford also reported decreases in U.S. sales while Chrysler had a small increase, according to the Associated Press.
Most analysts expected that U.S. sales would be down due largely to the slumping housing market, rising consumer debt, no pent-up demand for vehicles and gasooine prices at or near $3 per gallon.

Posted by   at 3:43 PM to Companies , Sales | Permalink | Comments 0

Backseat Driver: The Mercedes-Benz Maybach seems to be for old folks only

A recent report finds sales of DaimlerChrysler's Maybach ultra uxury limo continue to be disappointing and having inspected one at the recent New York Auto Show, it doesn't surprise me. I mean, who are they making these things for?
For those of you who haven't seen one, the Mercedes-Benz Maybach is a giganto limo - the Maybach 62 is so long its rear seats can fully recline - that costs in the neighborhood of $300,000 to $450,000.
But those rear seats look to me so plush as to be almost claustophobic. Sure, they can be raised lowered, heated and some even have magic massage fingers. And they are surrounded by a bevy of conveniences - TV, wi-fi, refrigerator, writing table, etc etc. The roof can be programmed to be clear or opaque and black curtains can be drawn all round the rear compartment to allow for a complete snooze. (I was going to say privacy, but that might imply hanky-panky and it's hard to imagine that being much fun in such a cluttered environment.)
No, the Mercedes-Benz Maybach seems to be built for a passive lifetyle, for the kind of rich old codger or haughty dowager of a bygone age. By contrast, we live in an age dominated by the notion of an active lifestyle.
For example, it may be sour grapes, but I don't think most baby boomers are attracted to the eternal holiday style of retirement. To be sure, many of us will keep working because we need to. But many of us, from all walks of life, want to keep involved.
And that goes for wealthy moguls. Sure it's fun to be driven around, but not in a cocoon of luxury. Wealth today buys the active lifestyle for old and and young and to many it's more prestigious to be seen driving, or being driven in, a luxury power monster BMW or Bentley than to be seen lolling in the back seat of a luxury limo.
I may be wrong - I usually am - but somehow I don't see Kirk Kerkorian (89) looking passively out from behind the curtains of a Mercedes-Benz Maybach.

Posted by   at 9:47 AM to Companies , Design , Sales | Permalink | Comments 0

Auto makers can run but they can't hide from EPA

The emissions noose around the auto industry is getting tighter, in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling that says the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the authority to limit carbon dioxide emissions, according to thecarconnection.com which cited the Washington Post.
The industry's longtime political protector, Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., has warned automakers there is probably no chance of preventing Congress and the Bush administration from raising fuel economy standards.

Posted by   at 9:42 AM to Alternative fuels , Environment | Permalink | Comments 1

Forget about the car, how about that mower

Lawn lovers may not realize that push-power mowers spew as much pollution in an hour as 11 cars, and riding mowers emit as much as 34 cars, according to the Washington Post.
Though outdoor-equipment makers have been subject to regulation and have reduced emissions, the Environmental Protection Agency and California wanted more stringent rules for the $8 billion industry. This meant that to achieve further reductions in pollutants, engine makers would probably have to use catalytic converters to clean up exhaust.

Posted by   at 9:38 AM to Environment | Permalink | Comments 0

Ford's new exec looks into the future

Susan Cischke Cischke, Ford's new senior vice president for sustainability, environment and safety engineering, admits that her vision is a little fuzzy when she looks more than two decades into the future, but she still sees an internal combustion engine, albeit one smaller, lighter and more fuel-efficient than the engines of today, according to the Associated Press.

Posted by   at 9:22 AM to Companies | Permalink | Comments 0