Main page | December 2007 »

Backseat Driver: Mirror, mirror on the wall, which is the fairest fuel of all? Clean diesel, baby!

Ethanol took a hit as an alternative fuel with the recent release of a paper from the conservative Pardee Rand Graduate School in Santa Monica.

The study examines the benefits and costs of three alternative fuel technologies through for the 2010-2020 period: "gasoline-electric hybrid technology, advanced diesel technology, and vehicles powered continuously by a mixture of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline (E85)."

It found that when taking into account the variables of oil prices, the efficiencies of the fuels in addition to the pros and cons of each from a private and a social perspective that ethanol blends were less cost effective than diesel, gas hybrids and gasoline itself.

This is a further blow to the ethanol lobby following a collapse in ethanol prices due to a glut based on hopes that it was the fuel of the future.

Indeed, clean, or advanced, diesel comes out on top. While the American auto makers may be disappointed by this news - they have been focusing on "a portfolio" of alternative fuels such as ethanol blends, gas/electric hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell/electric vehicles which they seem to regard as cleaner alternatives compared to advanced diesel - the European manufacturers have been focusing on diesel.

In a recent interview I had with Brian Nesbitt at the New England International Auto Show earlier this week, the charming and accessible head of GM design in North America who has just returned from a three year tour in Europe, I asked him what he thought of the new diesel technology. He said he thought it was not clean compared to the alternatives and might run into regulatory problems in the U.S.

"It all comes back to what the custover wants," he said.

Fair enough. And in a land where gasoline at $3 a gallon is less than half the price it is in Europe, it is not surprising that we Americans still want big vehicles with powertrains that are driven by gasoline-based fuels.

But as I have said before, the diesels are coming with VW and Mercedes-Benz bringing over an increasing number of models next year. And in Europe, the BMW 3- and 5-series diesels are wowing critics. Volvo has a range of diesel cars in Europe and I cannot imagine they would not sell over here. Volvo drivers are the ultimate granola crunchy liberal types - I know, I'm one - and I'm sure most would jump at the opportunity to go clean diesel.

Now let me see, we've discussed ethanol, gas hybrids and clean diesel in addition to our old friend gasoline - that leaves hydrogen fuel cell technology which has been in the news recently because of the release of the Honda FCX Clarity.

But reviews of this car reveal the drawbacks of the technology. Consider that while it is being touted as the first regular production hydrogen cell car, Honda plans to lease only 100 of them for three years at $600 a month. Meanwhile, the cars are estimated to cost $300,000 each!

Folks, those numbers work only in the laboratory. And then there is the issue of emissions. Sure, the only emission from a hydrogen fuel cell car is water, a point made in Honda's recent ad campaign that announces: "The Droplet Heard Around the World."

But what a load of cobblers! What's not mentioned is the fact that over 90 percent of commercial hydrogen is made through steam reforming which uses natural gas and steam. Two problems here: one is that we have less than five percent of the world's natural gas reserves - Russia, Iran and Qatar have the biggest reserves - and the waste products from steam reforming include carbon dioxide!

Hydrogen fuel cell technology may well be the fuel of the future but that future is 20 years out. Meanwhile, we have a fuel that is clean and efficient and available. We can't stop the world, so let's move on with clean diesel while we have it and keep looking for cleaner alternatives as we go. For the time being, it seems to me, clean diesel rules.

- Peter C. T. Elsworth

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 2:03 PM to commentary | Permalink | Comments 0

Only high rollers are invited to preview at Detroit Auto Show

If you don't spend hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, you won't likely be invited to luxury night at the North American International Auto Show, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Entry to the new event -- formally called the Gallery -- is far more limited than the $400-a-ticket Charity Preview.

Only about 200 elites are expected to fly in to Detroit for the ultra-exclusive showing of the premium brands Jan. 13, almost a week before the show opens to the public. Cadillac and Lexus aren't included. Think Bentley, Ferrari and Rolls-Royce.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:42 AM to Shows | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil Prices Drop Below $90 a Barrel

Oil prices fell Friday on expectations that OPEC will increase output next week and on fading concerns of a supply disruption from a U.S. pipeline fire, according to the Associated Press.

Light, sweet crude for January delivery fell $1.55 to $89.46 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange by midday in Europe. On Thursday, the crude contract gained 39 cents to settle at $91.01 a barrel in choppy trade.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:27 AM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

Rust-Free Reality: Creating an All-New Classic

IN his 35 years of restoring cars, Mark Miller has seen it all — the good, the bad and the unsightly.

Among the lessons he has learned while running Dream Car Restorations in Mesa, Ariz., this stands out: It can be shortsighted to try to rebuild a Detroit classic to an as-new gleam by using old body panels.

This alternative — building a car around a complete aftermarket body shell — is what many classic-car rebuilders are coming to regard as a new school of auto restoration, according to the New York Times.

“The final cost may or may not be lower, but the results are always vastly superior to old-school methods,” Miller said.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:14 AM to Collecting | Permalink | Comments 0

Greenhouse gas emissions up for cars, trucks in 2006

Greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks rose slightly in 2006, even as the United States cut its overall emissions by 1.5%, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration and reported by the Detroit Free Press.

The administration said the decline in man-made emissions to 7.08 billion metric tons was the first since 2001, and only the third since 1990.

Higher energy costs, a warmer winter that cut heating demand and a greater use of natural gas instead of coal by electric utilities drove the decline.

But carbon dioxide emissions from cars and trucks burning gasoline rose 0.3% to 1.19 billion tons, or about 17% of the U.S. total.

Greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. vehicles have risen steadily since 1990, as a growing number of drivers traveling farther every year overwhelmed any reductions from more efficient vehicles.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:08 AM to Environment | Permalink | Comments 0

Fuel-standards deal may be revealed today

Congressional staffers have hammered out the outlines of an agreement for increasing U.S. fuel economy standards to 35 miles per gallon by 2020, and a deal could be announced as soon as today if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other lawmakers approve, according to the Detroit Free Press.

The proposal must be vetted by House and Senate leaders, including Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., and any snags with it or other portions of a broader energy bill could push back a Democratic plan to have a vote next Wednesday or Thursday. But people familiar with the talks said the deal as drafted would satisfy backers of tougher standards while giving automakers some flexibility in how they meet the targets.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:02 AM to Fuel economy , Government regulations | Permalink | Comments 0

Dodge Challenger Starts at $37,995

Oh Baby! I love this car which is currently on view at the New England Auto Show in Boston. A really classy retro muscle look.

You can satisfy your craving for some Dodge-style musclecar love, but it will cost you-$37,995, to be precise, according to thecarconnection.com.

Dodge says the new 2008 Challenger will be priced from that point. And more importantly, for those flush with cash, is that the Challenger will go on sale next Monday, December 3, qualifying the Challenger as a 2008 model. Deliveries will happen in spring 2008.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:53 AM to Chrysler | Permalink | Comments 0

Toyota Recalls Lexus and Other Models

TOKYO -- Toyota began recalling 264,000 luxury passenger vehicles over faulty fuel pipes Thursday, including 49,000 flagship Lexus cars sold overseas, the company said according to the Associated Press.

Included in the recall are Lexus models produced in Japan in 2005 and sold overseas, and Lexus, Mark X, and Crown models sold in Japan, according to Toyota Motor Corp. spokeswoman Yoshie Matsuura.

Faulty fuel pipe design on the recalled models could cause cracks and corrosion and lead to a fuel leak, according to a notice filed with the Transport Ministry.

In the United States, 26,274 Lexus GS300, 5,429 Lexus IS250, and 2,640 Lexus IS350 vehicles are being recalled, Matsuura said. The recalled models were exported from Japan, she said, adding that the same models were also being recalled in Canada, England, and Germany.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:50 AM to Toyota | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil Prices Rise Over $3

Oil prices rose more than $3 Thursday after a fire erupted at a pipeline carrying crude oil from Canada to the heart of the United States, according to the Associated Press.

The fire late Wednesday along the Enbridge Energy pipeline in northern Minnesota killed two workers who were repairing it, authorities said. It was not immediately clear how the fire and the shutdown of five pipelines would affect supplies.

The U.S. consumes 20.58 million barrels of oil a day.

Light, sweet crude for January delivery jumped $3.47 to $94.09 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange by midday in Europe. It climbed as much as $4.55 to $95.17 in the electronic session before slipping back.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:40 AM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

Chrysler could cut beyond buyouts

Chrysler officials have not ruled out the possibility of layoffs at the Auburn Hills automaker if they fail to get enough salaried workers to leave with voluntary buyouts over the next month, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Chrysler Chief Executive Officer Bob Nardelli has warned employees to expect a tough 2008, leaving open the possibility of job cuts even beyond the 25,000 already announced, a figure that include the buyouts.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 3:31 PM to Chrysler | Permalink | Comments 0

Resale values for Detroit makers' vehicles go up

LOS ANGELES — After big cuts in how many vehicles they're building, the three Detroit automakers are starting to see increases in estimates of how much their new models will be worth as used cars, according to USA Today.

Those increases are important to buyers. Buyers are willing to pay more for a new car if they believe it will have retained more of its value when it comes time to trade it in or resell it in three or five years.

Strong resale values also help lower the cost of auto leases. If an automaker knows a car will be worth more when it's traded in after the lease expires, it can offer a lower monthly rate.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:35 AM to Auto industry | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil Prices Rise Amid Mixed Output Signs

VIENNA, Austria -- Crude oil futures rose Wednesday as traders bought back into the market on the heels of a steep drop prompted by concerns about the U.S. economy, according to the Associated Press.

Mixed signals from OPEC, meanwhile, kept the market guessing about whether the cartel would increase production.

The president of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said the group stands ready to put more oil into the market, although it had no plans to do so yet. But several OPEC oil ministers questioned the need for such a move.

Light, sweet crude for January delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 33 cents to $94.75 a barrel in electronic trading by afternoon in Europe. The contract fell more than $3 a barrel on Tuesday.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:29 AM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil Off on Economy Fears, OPEC Forecasts

NEW YORK (AP) -- Oil prices plunged Tuesday, picking up downward momentum amid concerns that a slowing economy might reduce demand for crude just as OPEC members are considering an increase in production, according to the Associated Press.

Prices were also pressured by apparent progress at the Mideast peace summit in Annapolis, Md.

Light, sweet crude for January delivery dropped $3.28 to settle at $94.42 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract is nearly $5 below its all-time high of $99.29 set last week.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 4:25 PM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

Toyota, Japanese Carmakers Raise Output

TOKYO -- Japan's top automaker Toyota said Tuesday its global production climbed 14.4 percent in October, moving it closer to overtaking General Motors of the U.S. as the world's biggest automaker, according to the Associated Press.

Four other major Japanese automakers also reported overall production gains for the month.

Toyota said its worldwide production rose to 905,264 vehicles in October, while its domestic output rose 11 percent to 491,902 units.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:14 AM to Toyota | Permalink | Comments 0

Nissan Recalling Altima, Sentra Vehicles

WASHINGTON -- Nissan is recalling 686,500 Altima and Sentra passenger cars to fix problems with a sensor that could lead to engine stalling, according to the Associated Press.

Nissan Motor Co. spokeswoman Jeannine Ginivan said Monday there have been no reports of crashes or injuries tied to the issue. More than 650,000 of the recalled vehicles are in the United States, with the remainder in Mexico and Canada.

The Japanese automaker said in a Nov. 16 letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that the recall affects Altima and Sentra vehicles from the 2002 and 2005-2006 model years equipped with a 2.5 liter engine.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:13 AM to Nissan | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil Prices Extend Losses in Europe

VIENNA, Austria -- Oil prices continued to slide Tuesday on growing expectations that OPEC ministers will raise crude production following a meeting next week, according to the Associated Press.
A sharp sell-off on Wall Street overnight contributed to a decline in oil futures.

Crude's ascendancy has been stymied in recent weeks in part by conflicting signals from members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries about their willingness to add supplies to the global oil market. Iranian Oil Minister Gholam Hossein Nozari appeared to remove one of the obstacles to increased OPEC supplies over the weekend when he said his country is willing to lift production if needed.

"If statistics and data indicate there is a need to produce more oil, we have the capacity to increase the output and supply more oil for the market," Nozari told reporters.

Many traders believe Saudi Arabia is pushing for production increases against opposition from Iran, Venezuela and other OPEC members. CNBC reported Monday that Saudi Arabia has already boosted its oil output. Analysts said that confirms reports last week by two research firms that found OPEC production is rising faster than expected.

But Vienna's PVM Oil Associates noted that OPEC's seaborne oil exports in the first half of November dropped 340,000 barrels a day from the second half of October to 22.48 million barrels a day.

"The outage of major UAE fields due to maintenance was partly ... responsible for the developments," PVM said. It also noted U.S. National Weather Center predictions for colder than normal temperatures in the next 10 days - which could drive up heating oil demand.

Light, sweet crude for January delivery dropped $1.09 to $97.61 a barrel by midday in Europe in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 48 cents to settle at $97.70 Monday.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:10 AM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

Roar of the Engines? It’s an Electric Hum

Portland, Ore. - Michael Kadie pressed the accelerator of his electric-powered Cobra replica and took off down the quarter-mile at Portland International Raceway, pulling away from his opponent, a gas-powered Subaru WRX. As he braked, red numbers blinked on in the board that stretched over both lanes: 13.69 seconds at 94 miles an hour. Not bad for a first-ever run in an electric car he built himself.

The run took place at the 10th Anniversary National Electric Drag Racing Association Nationals in August, according to the New York Times.

About 40 people from the West Coast gathered here to watch and participate. Racers competed against each other’s times, though it was usually a gas-powered car in the next lane. (Electric vehicles don’t usually race in the same heat because the silence drains some of the excitement for the spectators.) They were also at the track to swap tips and talk shop about a true 21st-century sport.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:16 AM to Alternative fuels | Permalink | Comments 0

A Cloud Over Reborn Shelby Mustangs

Five years ago, amid a sharp rise in prices of vintage muscle cars, Carroll Shelby licensed his name to a Texas company to construct replicas of the 1967 Shelby GT500E used in the 2000 remake of the drive-in classic “Gone in 60 Seconds.”

Mr. Shelby, the racing legend who had built Shelby Mustangs and the Cobra sports car in the 1960s, correctly perceived an eager market for the movie car, known as Eleanor. The cars were to be built by Unique Performance in Farmers Branch, a Dallas suburb.

But this month, after a public dispute between Mr. Shelby and Unique Peformance, and following lawsuits against Unique from customers who say they put down large deposits but never received their cars, the story took a new twist, according to the New York Times.

Farmers Branch police and Texas state officials raided Unique and seized 61 cars in varying states of completion at five sites.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:13 AM to Collecting | Permalink | Comments 0

For Chrysler, redoing brands just a start

Forget about dropping or radically redefining brands. Chrysler LLC needs to focus on patching the holes in its model line, sharpening the definition of its Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep brands and developing first-rate vehicles to cure what ails it, according to the Detroit Free Press's Mark Phelan.

"It can be done," said Jim Hall, managing director of 2953 Analytics, a Birmingham-based industry analysis firm. "Chrysler can become a premium brand, Dodge could appeal to younger buyers, and Jeep could be the tough, off-road brand."

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:25 AM to Chrysler , commentary | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil retreats as OPEC supply rise in prospect

LONDON - The weak dollar helped oil rise above $99 a barrel on Monday, close to the $100 milestone, but it retreated from session highs partly on expectations that an OPEC meeting next week could decide to increase supply, according to Reuters.

Iran's Oil Minister Gholamhossein Nozari said at the weekend that some OPEC members were advocating an increase in production when they meet in Abu Dhabi on December 5 to debate whether to raise output for a second time this year.

U.S. light, sweet crude for January delivery was down 66 cents at $97.52 by 9:06 a.m. EST, still within striking distance of the all-time high of $99.29 from last Wednesday.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:11 AM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

Backseat Driver: Global warming remains abstract

Despite mounting evidence from the scientific community that man-made carbon emissions are changing the world's atmosphere, it is likely that we will do the minimum to deal with the problem until we are forced to. Indeed, many of us won't do anything at all.

Yes, we are driving more fuel efficient vehicles and new technologies - from clean diesel, to gas hybrids to hydrogen fuel cells are beginning to thunder over the horzon - but it is really too little that is possible too late.

But that has always been our history in dealing with major crises - whether geographical or geopolitical let alone domestic civil and political strife. And when I say we, I mean the entire human community.

Global warming is too abstract a notion for the average person to get their head around. And the changes required to deal with it in a prophylactic fashion call for more sacrifice from individiuals, communites, nations and economic interests than can be marshalled without overwhelming evidence of imminent danger.

When I last wrote about global warming following the joint granting of the Nobel Peace Prize to Al Gore and the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a number of people complained that global warming was by no means a proven threat. I had referred to them as troglodytes, which was very rude, but have to confess that debating the reality of global warming at this point is the equivalent of Nero's infamous fiddling while Rome burned.

As a recent panel of scientists from around the world recently concluded in a policy paper for government leaders to consider at a meeting next month in Indonesia, "Warming of the climate system is unequivocal."

That sets the tone of the meeting in Indonesia that will set the agenda for a round of talks on a new international treaty on controlling carbon emissions when the current measures in the Kyoto Protocol expire in 2012.

Call me a doomsayer, but I do not think humankind will get serious about this problem until some fearful event occurs that is indisputably linked to global warming. Katrina, forest fires in California, flooding in Europe and S.E. Asia, drought in Australia? All are isolated and can possibly be explained by normal variations in the global climate.

An old saw has it that we humans are inferior to cats, superior to dogs and on the same level as donkeys. Why? Because only a donkey would fall in the same ditch time and time again.

Maybe that's condescending to donkeys, but the history of our kind when it comes to dealing with major crises is not encouraging. We seem to let them foster and fester until they erupt in a splurge of bloodletting and dislocation.

A history of the 20th century, with its wars and revolutions would seem to provide all the lessons we need in the tragic consequences of ignoring problems until too late. I wish I could be more optimistic, but I do not think the continuing skeptism toward this problem combined with the unwillingness of economic and political interests to make sacrifices or take responsibility or risks bode well for us all.

- Peter C.T. Elsworth

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:39 AM to commentary , commentary | Permalink | Comments 1

Inches Above the Road and in the Man’s Face

LOWRIDERS are riding high. For instance, the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles has just opened an exhibition entitled “La Vida Lowrider: Cruising the City of Angels.” It includes 21 cars, several bicycles, pedal cars, scale models, photographs and other images from the lowrider culture of Los Angeles, according to the New York Times.

This is not the museum’s first exploration of the subject. In 2000, it held a show called “Arte y Estilo: The Lowriding Tradition.”

“We always thought about revisiting the subject,” said Denise M. Sandoval, the guest curator for both shows and an assistant professor of Latino studies at California State University, Northridge. “We wanted to tell a cohesive story. This show is a way to teach kids the early history of L.A.,” or at least the mid-20th-century part of it.

The new show, which runs through June 8, emphasizes the social side of lowriding in Los Angeles. Things have changed in the city since the Petersen’s last lowrider show. The city has a mayor with Hispanic roots, for one thing. Also, the image of lowriding is no longer that of outlaws, and Professor Sandoval’s emphasis in the exhibition is on ethnic, neighborhood and family pride. She said car clubs provided an alternative to criminal gangs, a cause for community spirit and an avenue for family bonding.

Almost forgotten is the rebellion in which lowriding was born. Lowering cars as close to the pavement as possible was a symbol of defiance, as irritating to authorities as drag-racing souped up Model A’s or installing very loud sound systems in Honda Civics.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:51 AM to Shows | Permalink | Comments 0

Ford-owned Volvo Cars recalls 56,000 vehicles

STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Volvo Cars said Thursday it was recalling 56,000 vehicles because of two separate problems, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Volvo Cars spokeswoman Maria Bohlin said 38,000 diesel cars of the S60, V 70 XC 70 and XC 90 models made in 2006 were being called back in Europe due to a material fault that could cause the motor catching fire. The second callback, involving 18,000 of the company's latest V 70 and XC 70 models, relates to an air bag problem in the side of the car.

Bohlin said the fuel injector plants or bolts, located on top of the motor cylinder, were faulty, potentially causing diesel to leak out into the motor.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:40 AM to Ford , Volvo | Permalink | Comments 1

Chrysler sports future tech, runs on conventional engines

DETROIT — Chrysler will introduce three concept electric vehicles next year that are designed to be totally electric or supplemented by diesel motors or hydrogen fuel cells, the automaker said Tuesday, according to USA Today.

The concepts, to be unveiled in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, are an effort to call attention to the company's research in futuristic power systems.

But none will be powered by the advanced systems yet, a company spokesman said.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:29 AM to Chrysler | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil Prices Fall Below $97

Oil prices fell Friday as the market turned its attention to OPEC for signals of a production increase that might ease record prices, according to the Associated Press.

Trading volumes were also thin due to the U.S. Thanksgiving festivities and a public holiday Friday in Japan. Electronic trading was not affected.

Light, sweet crude for January delivery lost 62 cents to $96.67 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange by midday in Europe. The contract rose as high as $97.64 earlier in the day before retreating.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:27 AM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

Toyota hits bumps on road to No. 1

LOS ANGELES — Suddenly it seems like Toyota, long the good-news juggernaut that became the envy of other automakers, has lost its Teflon shield, according to USA Today.

Just last week, the automaker's splashy launch of its Sequoia SUV at the Los Angeles Auto Show was marred when the general manager of the Toyota brand knocked a camera from the hands of an environmental activist who sneaked into the presentation.

The executive, Bob Carter, says the camera bump was inadvertent. But the incident followed other troubles in recent weeks, including warnings that Toyota's once-vaunted quality rankings are weakening and the defection of three key executives to Detroit automakers.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:43 AM to Toyota | Permalink | Comments 0

Whistle-blower says defects hidden at Toyota-GM plant

TOKYO — An employee at a California plant run jointly by General Motors and Toyota is accusing her managers of allowing serious defects to go unchecked, including faulty seat belts and braking, and retaliating when she resisted, according to a lawsuit filed earlier this month, according to USA Today.

In the case before Alameda County Superior Court in California, Katy Cameron, a certified auditor who has worked for 23 years at New United Motor Manufacturing, says management routinely deleted or downgraded defects from her reports on vehicles since 2005.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:38 AM to GM , Toyota | Permalink | Comments 2

NMA Names Worst Speed Traps

To help make our turkey-day journeys a little less eventful - and, perhaps, a lot less expensive - our friends at the National Motorists Association (NMA) have put together a list of the "worst speed trap cities" for all fifty states, according to thecarconnection.com.

The list was gathered over the SpeedTrap Exchange (www.speedtrap.org), a Web site maintained by the NMA and hosting a database of reported traps by state and city. Reported speed traps from the past two years, plus a poll conducted by the organization, were factored into this new list.

As it seems to be largely based on the number of speed traps reported in particular cities, it's no surprise that those on the list appear in many cases to be along high-traffic routes and in more populated areas - in contrast to our real life experience in that the most overt speed traps are often found in one-blinker small towns, and highway crests miles from any particular town. Nevertheless, we strongly recommend perusing the organization's results for the cities you'll be passing through and planning your route - and cruise-control setting - accordingly.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:35 AM to Driving | Permalink | Comments 0

Toyota Raises China Sales Goal

TOKYO -- Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday that it has raised its 2007 sales projection for China on solid sales of small cars and aims to sell even more vehicles there next year, according to the Associated Press.

Toyota, which appears to be on track to beat General Motors Corp. as the world's top automaker as soon as later this year, raised its sales estimate in China for this year to 480,000 cars from 430,000 due to the popularity of its Vios small car and the newly introduced Camry, Toyota spokesman Naoki Oku said.

The company sold 308,000 cars in China in 2006.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:33 AM to China , Toyota | Permalink | Comments 0

Crude Oil Prices Skirt with $100, Top $99 a Barrel

Crude oil prices rose above a record $99 per barrel Wednesday as worries about inadequate winter supplies in the Northern Hemisphere and news of refinery problems stoked bullish sentiment, according to the Associated Press.

The declining U.S. dollar and speculation that the U.S. Federal Reserve will again cut interest rates also boosted prices. Some investors put their money into oil contracts, betting that gains in their price will offset dollar weakness.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:28 AM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 1

Oil Futures Jump on Dollar, Fed Forecast

NEW YORK -- Oil prices resumed their march toward $100 Tuesday, rising to records over $98 a barrel as futures drew strength from a declining dollar, news of refinery problems and speculation that the Federal Reserve will again cut interest rates, according to the Associated Press.
Heating oil futures also rose to new records. Gasoline prices, meanwhile, extended their decline at the pump.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 4:37 PM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

Truck Rated Safe, With Asterisk

When the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced the latest list of what it considers the safest vehicles last week, there was a surprising newcomer: a pickup truck, according to the New York Times.

This is the first time a pickup has been on the list since the institute began giving out the Top Safety Pick designation two years ago. The institute had not tested pickups for side-impact protection until recently because it said it did not have the time. Now, pickups are undergoing the complete round of tests.

The newcomer is the Toyota Tundra, which beat its domestic competitors from Ford, Nissan and Dodge. The Chevrolet Silverado and a close relative, the GMC Sierra, were not among the vehicles tested.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:14 AM to Safety , Toyota | Permalink | Comments 0

Tata defends $2,500 car

MUMBAI, India -- Tata Motors' ultracheap car will be the least polluting vehicle on Indian roads, the company's chairman said Monday, refuting criticism that the $2,500 car would add to traffic chaos and carbon emissions, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Ratan Tata said his company will bring what is being billed as "the people's car" to market next year and its price of about 100,000 rupees would be on target, despite a sharp rise in costs for steel and other raw materials since the project was announced three years ago.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:12 AM to Environment | Permalink | Comments 0

Mortgage worries hurt GM stock

Shares of General Motors Corp. fell 8.5% Monday, their largest drop in two years, on fears that vehicle sales will drop next year and that the crisis in the home-mortgage market will spill into auto-loans financing arms at both GM and Ford, according to the Detroit Free Press.

"From retail to autos, there's a significant amount of uncertainty with respect to health of the American consumer in the face of high energy costs and this lingering effect of the subprime mortgage market," said David Sowerby, portfolio manager at Bloomfield Hills-based Loomis Sayles & Co.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:10 AM to GM | Permalink | Comments 0

Court rebukes Bush fuel economy plan

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court has sharply rejected the Bush administration's new pollution standards for most sport-utility vehicles, pickups and vans and ordered regulators to draft a new plan that's tougher on auto emissions, according to USA Today.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration failed to address why the so-called light trucks are allowed to pollute more than passenger cars and didn't properly assess greenhouse gas emissions when it set new minimum miles-per-gallon requirements for models in 2008 to 2011.

The court also said the administration failed to include in the new rules heavier trucks driven as commuter vehicles, among several other deficiencies found.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:07 AM to Fuel economy | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil Prices Rise Above $95 a Barrel

Oil prices recovered Tuesday from an early dip as the U.S. dollar hit a new low against the euro, making oil futures attractive to investors using other currencies, according to the Associated Press.

The euro has been climbing steadily against the dollar since August amid fears for the health of the U.S. economy, stoked by the subprime credit crisis.

Light, sweet crude for January delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 95 cents to $95.59 a barrel in electronic trading by mid-afternoon in Europe.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:05 AM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

Backseat Driver: Oil makes hypocrites of us all

There was a dreadful story in Friday's New York Times about a 19-year-old Saudi girl who had a sentence upped to 200 lashes and six months in jail because her lawyer complained that her conviction was unjust and the punishments meted out to seven men who raped her were too lenient.

Her crime? Being in the same car with an unrelated man! He was actually her former boyfriend and was returning pictures to her because she was about to marry another man.

I hope the marriage is still on, but I doubt it. You see, her "crime" came to light when she and the former boyfriend were kidnapped by the seven men who raped them both. She and her former boyfriend was originally sentenced to 90 lashes each for meeting with each other.

Certainly the men who kidnapped and raped them were punished with a mix of lashings and prison terms. But to sentence a 19-year-old girl to lashings and a prison term because a court suspected she intended to do something bad is not just unjust to the Western mind - it's bonkers.

But this is a world where women can't travel without permission, drive, study such subjects as law and engineering, vote, work in many government offices and have to wear neck-to-ankle black robes and cover their hair with a black scarf.

But don't say a word. We don't want to rock the boat that has the biggest reserves of the lifeblood of the industrial world. The Saudis are our friends.

- Peter C. T. Elsworth

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 2:21 PM to Crude oil market , commentary | Permalink | Comments 0

California Dreaming, Tinted Green

THE annual auto show here, which opened to the public on Friday, is usually a laid-back, colorful affair with an emphasis on the sports cars and convertibles that suit the Southern California lifestyle.

But this year, the accent is on sustainable mobility and the only color that matters is green, according to the New York Times.

If the show is shorter on actual new models than many in the industry had expected, it is long on talk about future models that would be powered by alternative fuels, hybrid drivetrains or both. The boast that most automakers seem to be making to their competitors is, “My green is greener than your green.”

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 1:32 PM to Alternative fuels , Environment , Shows | Permalink | Comments 0

Court Rejects Fuel Standards on Trucks

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 15 — A federal appeals court here rejected the Bush administration’s year-old fuel-economy standards for light trucks and sport utility vehicles on Thursday, saying that they were not tough enough because regulators had failed to thoroughly assess the economic impact of tailpipe emissions that contribute to climate change, according to the New York Times.

A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in San Francisco, voided the new regulations for 2008-2011 model year vehicles and told the Transportation Department to produce new rules taking into account the value of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The court, siding with 4 environmental groups and 13 states and cities, also asked the government to explain why it still treated light trucks — which include pickups, sport utility vehicles and minivans — more mildly than passenger cars.

Under the rejected rule, the average fuel economy of light trucks was to rise to 23.5 miles a gallon in 2010, up from the current standard of 22.5 m.p.g., but still well below the current standard for passenger cars of 27.5 m.p.g.

The ruling, which is likely to be appealed to the United States Supreme Court, represents a major setback for both the auto industry and the White House at a time of growing public concern over the rising price of gasoline and the issue of climate change.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 1:24 PM to Auto industry , Environment , Fuel economy , Government regulations | Permalink | Comments 0

Chinese automaker Chery holding off on U.S., EU markets

BIRMINGHAM, Mich. — A top executive of China's biggest independent automaker said Thursday his company is waiting to enter the U.S. and European Union markets until it builds its capabilities and quality standards required to compete there, according to an Associated Press story cited in USA Today.

Lin Zhang, general manager of Chery International, said the company is focusing on high-growth areas such as Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Central and South America, where it now exports more than 100,000 vehicles.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 1:20 PM to China | Permalink | Comments 0

Safety Agency Names Safest of '08

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Virginia-based organization which represents the interests of the insurance industry and runs its own crash-test program independent of the federal government, has announced its Top Safety Pick awards for 2008, according to thecarconnection.com

In order to win the award, a vehicle must earn top 'Good' results in all of categories of the Institute's crash-testing program for front, side, and rear protection. Top Safety Picks must also have electronic stability control (ESC), which federal data, along with that from the insurance industry, has shown to significantly reduce accidents and fatalities. The federal government will require the devices for 2012, giving automakers several model years to phase in the technology.

"If all vehicles were equipped with ESC, as many as 10,000 fatal crashes could be avoided each year," said Adrian Lund, IIHS president, in a release.

Ford, Honda, and Subaru top the crash-test honor roll.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 1:07 PM to Safety | Permalink | Comments 0

Gas Prices Slip, Oil Futures Climb

NEW YORK -- Gas prices fell slightly overnight for the first time in weeks, raising doubts about a view that pump prices are destined to rise by another 10 cents to 15 cents in coming weeks to catch up with skyrocketing crude prices, according to the Associated Press.

Oil futures, meanwhile, rose Friday on investors' belief that supplies aren't as plentiful as a government report at first suggested.

The national average price of a gallon of gas fell 0.3 cent overnight to $3.109, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. That decline followed several days in which increases in the price of gas were less than in previous weeks.

"The increase has slowed down somewhat," said Troy Green, a spokesman for AAA.

Gas prices are tied closely to the price of crude oil, which jumped 42 percent from late August to a record of $98.62 a barrel last week. But oil has since traded in the low $90s.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 12:42 PM to Crude oil market , Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0

Taking a Whack at Making a Car

A generation of digital-era Henry Fords, unabashed and brimming with confidence, has emerged, according to the New York Times.

Born of Silicon Valley and the dot-com culture, they are trying to apply to carmaking the same entrepreneurial spirit that built the information superhighway.

Most of the inventors are not carmakers by background or training. But they are cocksure, backed by millions of dollars in venture capital and cloaked in the righteousness of environmentalism. To their critics, they are flying at high speed around a blind curve, destined to become reality-check crash-test dummies.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 3:11 PM to Design | Permalink | Comments 0

Ford: Deal nearly eliminates labor cost gap with Japanese

DETROIT — A new contract with the United Auto Workers has nearly eliminated a $30-per-hour labor cost gap with Japanese competitors, setting up Ford for a return to profitability, the automaker said Thursday, according to USA Today.

Marty Mulloy, the company's vice president for labor affairs, said shifting Ford's long-term retiree health care liability to a union-run trust and a new lower-tier wage scale will remove much of the gap.

"I'd say very close but not all the way," he said during a conference call to explain the landmark four-year deal with the UAW.

The union announced Wednesday that Ford's 54,000 UAW workers overwhelmingly ratified the contract, reached Nov. 3 after a marathon bargaining session.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 3:07 PM to Ford | Permalink | Comments 0

Ford's Mulally won't set fuel-saving deadlines

LOS ANGELES — Hoping to march Ford onto the future-fuels stage, Ford CEO Alan Mulally provided a broad outline here Wednesday of the automaker's plans to cut petroleum use and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, according to USA Today.

He provided few specifics or timetables, however, and an outline provided by Ford mainly dealt with what the car company already has done to boost mileage, rather than laying out a timeline for the future.

In the keynote speech, Mulally told reporters here for the annual Los Angeles Auto Show that it is "absolutely" wrong to set deadlines. "It's about managing expectations," he said. "Through the years we sometimes didn't deliver" on promises for mileage improvements and pollution reductions.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 2:50 PM to Environment , Ford | Permalink | Comments 0

Tahoe hybrid named 'Green Car of the Year'

Tahoe hybrid honored: General Motors' sport-utility vehicle, the Chevrolet Tahoe hybrid, was named "Green Car of the Year" at the show Thursday, according to USA Today.

The Tahoe hybrid is the first model from GM to use a hybrid system the automaker developed jointly with BMW, Daimler's Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler.

"They've proven that they can make beautiful cars, strong cars, keep the size, keep the safety, and all those kinds of things, and at the same time be more fuel efficient," said California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who toured the show after the presentation of the award.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 2:48 PM to Alternative fuels , Environment , GM | Permalink | Comments 0

Gas Prices Won't Deter Holiday Travelers

WASHINGTON -- Gas prices near record highs at a time of year when they typically decline will not deter drivers from hitting the road this Thanksgiving, AAA said Thursday, according to the Associated Press.

The travel agency expects a record 38.7 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home over the five days beginning Nov. 21. That is a 1.6 percent increase over last year. Roughly 80 percent of those trips will be by car, and motorists will pay about 90 cents a gallon more for gas than they did last year.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 2:23 PM to Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0

Gas Prices Rise at Pump As Oil Rebounds

NEW YORK -- Millions of Americans planning car trips for the Thanksgiving weekend are finding they need to once again factor soaring gas prices into their budgets, according to the Associated Press.

Gas at the pump is within striking distance of May's all-time record of $3.227 a gallon, having risen 0.6 cent overnight to a national average of $3.111, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Fred Rozell, retail pricing director at the service, said gas may rise another 10 to 15 cents a gallon in the coming weeks as it catches up with oil prices that have soared close to $100 a barrel.

"We think there's room for the price nationally to set a new record," said Geoff Sundstrom, an AAA spokesman.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 3:49 PM to Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0

Speed kills — and we are all at risk

People rail against drunken drivers and motorists who yap on the cell phones. However, speeding causes more than half of the deaths on Rhode Island’s roads — higher than the national average of 30 percent — and accounts for about the same percentage of fatalities as drunken driving. And, it’s as commonplace as any day’s commute.

Check out the Providence Journal's Amanda Milkovits' story on this serious problem.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 12:31 PM to Safety | Permalink | Comments 0

Even at $3 a gallon, gasoline prices still don’t reflect cost of oil

This is scary:

Gasoline surpassed $3 a gallon in Rhode Island yesterday, and forecasts by the U.S. Department of Energy say it will continue to rise because the price at the pump has not yet caught up with the cost of crude oil, according to the Providence Journal.

Although the forecast does predict lower oil prices next year, there is no immediate relief in sight.

The average price of regular self-serve gasoline was $3.069 a gallon yesterday, up 10 cents from last week, according to a survey of local stations by the state’s Office of Energy Resources. The lowest price the survey found was $3.019 a gallon and the highest was $3.139.

A similar survey by AAA Southern New England found an average price of $3.039 a gallon.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments 0

UAW Workers at Ford Ratify Contract

DETROIT -- United Auto Workers members have ratified a historic four-year contract with Ford Motor Co. that sets lower pay for some newly hired workers and puts the company's huge retiree health care debt into a UAW-run trust, according to the Detroit Free Press.

The UAW, which represents about 54,000 workers at Ford, said Wednesday that 79 percent of those voting favored the pact.

Workers at General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC already have ratified similar deals, with the contract winning at Chrysler by only a small margin. Unlike the other two automakers, there was no strike at Ford.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:26 AM to Ford , Unions | Permalink | Comments 0

Far Out: Studios Imagine Smart Cars for a World Transformed by Robots

The Mercedes-Benz SilverFlow evokes the 1930s.

FIFTY years ago, tail fins were at their most extreme: cars seemed to want to be rockets. But 50 years from now, cars will want to be robots, at least according to the design challenge at the Los Angeles auto show this year, according to the New York Times.

“Robocar 2057” is the theme of the fourth edition of an event created by Chuck Pelly, the noted designer and teacher, who said the theme was inspired by the recent film “Transformers.”

So this year, automotive design studios in the Los Angeles area competed to produce designs showing how artificial intelligence might improve the automobile and integrate it more closely with human lives.

As usual in this competition, practical constraints like marketability, fuel economy, safety and even high school physics are put aside in the interest of exercising designers’ imaginations. These cars exist only on paper and in digital form.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:20 AM to Shows | Permalink | Comments 0

For G.M., Better Cars, Worse Sales

DETROIT — This year, General Motors has been getting some warm reviews for its new cars. Yet the company still has a hard time getting on drivers’ shopping lists, according to the New York Times' Micheline Maynard.

“At last, a decent midsize car from General Motors,” Automobile Magazine said of a stylish new version of the Malibu. The new Cadillac CTS is “an excellent luxury sport sedan,” raved Edmunds.com, which praised the more powerful engines that G.M. has made available on the car. And in January, the Saturn Aura was named the North American Car of the Year by auto writers.

This is all a sharp contrast to six years ago, when the legendary product expert Robert A. Lutz arrived at G.M. to take charge of vehicle development. Back then, the company was selling cars and trucks that he admits — in his typical blunt-talking fashion — he never would have parked in his vast personal garage.

Now, he says, G.M.’s new models can be compared to the best that the company’s Japanese and German competitors have to offer.

The question is, Will enough consumers compare them — and choose G.M.?

Despite Mr. Lutz’s efforts, G.M. still has a hard time getting on drivers’ shopping lists. Its market share, close to 28 percent when Mr. Lutz arrived, has dropped to just under 24 percent, in part because G.M. has pulled back on unprofitable sales to rental car companies.

But there are other factors holding G.M. back, too, that may be hard to overcome despite the improved lineup of cars.

Perhaps the biggest challenge is changing the way consumers think about its cars. The idea that G.M.’s cars have been a disaster, even if the trucks were passable, “has been so ingrained, and so hard to change,” Mr. Lutz said.

Even he acknowledges that this may take another generation of vehicles to change, meaning well into the next decade — a long time for a company that has lost billions of dollars in recent years and whose competitors keep getting better, too.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:14 AM to GM | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil rebounds, eyes U.S. inventory data

LONDON - Oil moved sharply higher on Wednesday, after falling for the past two days, supported by expectations of a further fall in U.S. crude oil supplies and as OPEC brushed off U.S. calls to raise output, according to Reuters News Agency.

U.S. light crude for December delivery rose $2.33 to $93.50 a barrel by 10:04 a.m. EST.

Oil has fallen more than $7 a barrel from last week's record of $98.62, pressured by evidence that high prices may be affecting demand, after the International Energy Agency's latest monthly oil market report cut predictions for demand growth.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:48 AM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

Ford sees tough U.S. market

LOS ANGELES - Ford is preparing for the risk that higher oil prices and a slowing U.S. economy crimp demand and will cut production as needed to avoid building costly inventories, senior executives said on Tuesday, according to Reuters News Agency.

Speaking to reporters in advance of the Los Angeles Auto Show, Ford Chief Executive Alan Mulally said the economic concerns for Ford included tighter credit markets and a U.S. housing market that could remain weak for another year or two.

"When you add that together, it's a very concerning environment," Mulally said.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:43 AM to Ford | Permalink | Comments 0

'08 Volkswagens top list for resale value, Kelly Blue Book says

Model year 2008 Volkswagens are most likely to retain the largest portion of their value after five years of ownership, according to study by Kelly Blue Book, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Using information from the company’s analysis of new and used cars and trucks, Kelly Blue Book put Volkswagen at the top of a list of 10 vehicle brands with the best projected resale value. BMW and Acura were second and third on the list. The bottom three brands on the list were Suzuki, Kia and GMC, according to the report.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:41 AM to Sales , VW | Permalink | Comments 0

Auto industry improves satisfaction, and Lexus leads way

DETROIT — Auto dealers nationwide are getting better at serving their customers, collectively scoring at a record level this year in a survey of new car buyers by the J.D. Power and Associates research firm, according to USA Today.

The survey also found that Toyota's Lexus luxury unit led all brands in consumers' satisfaction with their car-buying experience.

Satisfaction with dealers overall was the highest in the 21 years the company has taken the survey. The industry average score was 852 out of a possible 1,000 points, up from last year's 847, showing that dealers are improving the sales process, J.D. Power said.

The survey measures consumer satisfaction with the dealership facility, sales representative, paperwork and finance process, delivery process and vehicle price.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:38 AM to Auto industry , Toyota | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil Off More Than $3 on Demand Forecast

NEW YORK -- Oil prices that last week seemed on an inexorable path toward $100 a barrel slid more than $3 to the $91 level Tuesday after the International Energy Agency cut its demand forecasts and said crude supplies are rising, according to the Associated Press.

Prices also fell after diplomats said Iran has handed over blueprints key to its nuclear program, meeting a central United Nations demand and potentially defusing the country's standoff with the West.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 3:49 PM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

Magna may go to Russia to assemble Chryslers

Magna International plans to build a $500-million factory in Russia to assemble Chrysler vehicles, a Russian business newspaper reported Monday, according to the Detroit Free Press.

The Russian plant will have the capacity to build 150,000 vehicles per year with the possibility of doubling that amount, Kommersant reported, citing an application filed with the Russian Ministry of Industry and Energy.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 1:52 PM to Chrysler | Permalink | Comments 0

Drivers' price at the pump could rise by 20 cents

WASHINGTON — Gasoline prices could rise as much as 20 cents in the next few weeks as the price at the pump catches up with the recent surge in oil costs, the head of the Energy Department's analytical arm said Monday, according to USA Today.

"We haven't seen the full pass-through yet," Energy Information Administration head Guy Caruso said.

Oil prices have risen approximately $20 a barrel in the past two months. Retail gasoline costs have increased about 30 cents a gallon in that time. The agency's models suggest gas prices will likely rise another 20 cents in the next two or three weeks to fully reflect the jump in oil costs, Caruso told reporters.

A few factors are helping to keep gas prices from jumping along with oil. Europe's gasoline inventories are fairly high, providing a cushion to world supplies. And U.S. gasoline demand softens in the fall and winter, helping "mute the price increase," Caruso said.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:28 AM to Gas prices | Permalink | Comments 0

America crazy about breadbox on wheels called Smart car

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Linda Moudakas drives a Mercedes-Benz sedan with 140,000 miles on the odometer. For her next car, she's thinking of downsizing. Really downsizing.

She's in line to buy something that looks like a glorified golf cart, a car so short it can be legally parked head first along a curb. No hood. No trunk.

Behold, the Smart car, according to USA Today.

"It's all the talk about the environment and wanting to do something," the Menlo Park, Calif., executive says as she eyes an array of Smart demonstration cars lined up here. To her, buying a Smart car with its 2008 EPA rating of about 40 miles per gallon on the highway amounts to treading lightly on Mother Earth.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:21 AM to Mercedes-Benz | Permalink | Comments 1

Bullitt, other sports cars to be introduced at L.A. Auto Show

DEARBORN, Mich. — Forty years after the legendary on-screen car chase, there's a new Mustang Bullitt ripping up the roadway, according to USA Today.

Ford will debut the latest variant of the growling, retro-styled Mustang at the Los Angeles Auto Show, which opens to the public Nov. 16 after two days of media previews. The 2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt, an update of the iconic 1968 pony car driven by Steve McQueen in the movie Bullitt, goes on sale in January.

Automakers typically promote their greenest vehicles in Los Angeles, but the show has no shortage of horsepower.

In addition to the Bullitt, Chrysler will introduce a street-legal version of its Dodge Viper SRT10 race car, while Hyundai will take aim at the Mustang with the Genesis Coupe, a rear-wheel-drive concept. Lamborghini's Reventon — a $1.4 million super car whose 20 copies already are sold out — also will make its North American debut.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:57 AM to Ford , Shows | Permalink | Comments 0

Backseat Driver: Clouds on the horizen

Cars are not going away. They are too good at doing what they do.

But with crude oil prices flirting with $100 a barrel, continued and growing demand for petroleum products from the developing world, especially China and India, and the Bush administration's sabre rattling against Iran, it is only a matter of time before gas prices take another bump, maybe this time to more than $4 a gallon.

We seem to be living in a dream world. Our armed forces are fighting under horrendous physical and psychological conditions in Iraq, but we scarcely pay them any heed. Indeed, most of us seem to have bowed out of the whole Iraq front on Bush's War on Terror in frustration.

Nothing seems to be going right. The bombs continue in both Iraq and Afghanistan, the last remaining cohorts of Bush's coalition of the willing are edging for the exit and our fragile ally Pakistan is in a political meltdown. Not encouraging when one considers that Pakistan all but has the bomb while its inpeneterable Northwest Frontier is a bastion of terrorism and terrorists.

Meanwhile, the Treasury Department reported earlier in the week that our national debt hit a record $9 trillion. Together with the mortgage meltdown here at home, and a warning from Federal Reserve chair Ben Bernanke that the economy is slowing and one might be justified in thinking dark thoughts about the immediate future.

But it is just this kind of incentive that is going to drive folks to fuel efficient vehicles. Yes, the sky may be falling in terms of global warming, but the bottom line for most folks is the bottom line on their household budgets. And so expect to see increasing numbers of people being motivated by fuel efficiency rather than granola crunchy idealism as they move toward alternate fuels.

And cars are certainly got going away in Germany where the transport minister this week announced that about half of its autobahn (interstate) highway system would remain with no speed limits.

The Social Democrats wanted to impose a 130 kilometer per hour (80 mph) speed limit to help reduce CO2 emissons.

Wow. And you wondered why Germany produces so many high performace cars? They can really drive 'em!

- Peter C. T. Elsworth

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 1:47 PM to commentary | Permalink | Comments 0

Ford to cut more jobs, CEO says

Having eliminated more than 44,000 jobs, Ford is on track with its turnaround plan but looking to cut more jobs in the face of a softening auto market, according to Detroit Free Press.

Ford reported a better-than-expected net loss of 19 cents per share, or $380 million, in the third quarter -- a $4.9-billion improvement over last year's July-September period. The automaker also revealed it will not sell Volvo and that it has hit its job-reduction targets under its Way Forward turnaround plan for North America.

But Ford CEO Alan Mulally was clear in a conference call with auto analysts and journalists Thursday that the job cuts at Ford are not over, especially given the $1-billion pretax loss in North America in the third quarter.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:06 AM to Ford | Permalink | Comments 0

California sues EPA over auto emissions

SACRAMENTO — California sued the federal government on Thursday to force a decision about whether the state can impose the nation's first greenhouse gas emission standards for cars and light trucks, according to the Associated Press.

More than a dozen other states are poised to follow California's lead if it is granted the waiver from federal law, presenting a challenge to automakers who would have to adapt to a patchwork of regulations.

The state's lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., was expected after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vowed last spring to take legal action.

"Our future depends on us taking action on global warming right now," Schwarzenegger said during a news conference. "There's no legal basis for Washington to stand in our way."

At issue is California's nearly two-year-old request for a waiver under the federal Clean Air Act allowing it to implement a 2002 state anti-pollution law regulating greenhouse gases.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:48 AM to Environment | Permalink | Comments 0

China Signals Rejection of Emission Caps

BEIJING -- A Chinese official gave the clearest sign yet that Beijing will reject binding caps on greenhouse gas emissions at a global meeting next month, saying Friday developing countries must be allowed to raise emissions to fight poverty, according to the Associated Press.

"Climate change is caused mainly by developed countries," Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui said. "They should have the main responsibility for climate change and to reduce emissions."

Beijing is about to overtake the United States as the world's top greenhouse-gas producer. It is under pressure from Washington to accept binding limits at a meeting in Indonesia of environment ministers from 80 nations to discuss a possible replacement to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on emission reductions.

Nations agreed in Kyoto to cut output of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases to below 1990 levels by 2012. But China, India and other developing economies are exempt.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:46 AM to Environment | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil Prices Resume March Toward $100

NEW YORK -- Oil futures advanced toward $100 a barrel Thursday as severe weather forced additional North Sea oil platforms to shut down and fire hit at a Texas refinery, stoking concerns that supplies of oil, gas and heating oil aren't sufficient to meet demand, according to the Associated Press.

Gas prices, meanwhile, rose further above $3 a gallon in response to crude prices, which have soared 42 percent since August. Overnight, the national average price of a gallon of gas rose 1.8 cents to $3.061, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 12:06 PM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

SEMA: 2,000 Vendors, but One Star

The 2007 Specialty Equipment Market Association trade show at the Las Vegas Convention Center has a superstar, according to the New York Times.

Chip Foose is, arguably, the closest thing the auto industry has to a design superstar. Increasingly, he plays a major role in setting the tone at this annual extravaganza for aftermarket parts companies, industry executives, dealers, buyers and journalists.

The SEMA show is an idea farm, and no one seems to have more fertile ideas than Mr. Foose. From a design standpoint, SEMA is very much “The Chip Foose Show.” AutoWeek magazine describes the million-plus square feet of show floor here as “Foosetopia.”

Last year, Mr. Foose had at least 30 vehicles on display, which SEMA characterized as a record for a single individual. This year, organizers were unsure of the total number of Foose-designed vehicles here, but they conceded he had more than exhibitors with the next highest totals: the Ford Motor Company with 25 and General Motors with 28.

The show has the attention of the mainstream auto industry, which has begun using SEMA to introduce production vehicles — for example, Toyota’s showing of its 2009 Corolla and Matrix models. SEMA officials estimated that more than 100,000 people would attend the show, where auto industry engineers, dreamers and backyard mechanics display new ideas, extreme creations and envelope-pushing customizations.

Google the words “Foose” and “SEMA” and you will get more than 193,000 hits.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:28 AM to Design , Shows | Permalink | Comments 0

Ford Reports Narrower Loss for 3Q

DEARBORN, Mich. -- Ford posted a third-quarter loss of $380 million on Thursday, a vast improvement over its $5.2 billion loss a year earlier, according to the Associated Press.

The second-biggest U.S-based automaker said it is near a deal to sell its Jaguar and Land Rover units but its CEO said there are no plans to sell its Volvo business.

The latest results beat Wall Street expectations, and its shares rose more than 2 percent in morning trading.

But the loss contrasted to the $750 million profit Ford reported for its second quarter, its first profitable quarter in two years.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:23 AM to Ford | Permalink | Comments 0

RIDOT speeding up work on one entrance to Iway bridge

PROVIDENCE - Governor Carcieri weighed in on another day of heavy traffic faced by many commuters two days after the opening of the new Iway bridge, according to projo.com.

At the least, he said, traffic should be the same as it was before. But last evening's commute, he told John DePetro this morning on WPRO-AM, "Right now it's worse than normal."

After more complaints about the traffic, the state may try to open the Wickenden Street entrance onto the new Iway bridge in four weeks.

The new entrance, which is under the hurricane barrier in India Point Park near the old Shooters night club, was not scheduled to open until the spring.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:53 AM to Traffic | Permalink | Comments 0

Toyota Reports 11 Percent Jump in Profit

TOKYO -- Japan's top automaker Toyota said Wednesday its July-September quarter profit rose 11 percent on solid overseas sales and raised its earnings forecast for the full year, according to the Associated Press

Soaring gasoline prices have boosted the appeal of Toyota's hybrid Prius and fuel-efficient models, such as the Camry and Corolla. Although sales were stagnant in Japan, Toyota sales were strong in North America, Europe, Asia and emerging markets.

Toyota's net profit for the fiscal second quarter rose to 450.9 billion yen ($4 billion) from 405.7 billion yen the same period the previous year. Sales increased 11 percent to 6.490 trillion yen ($57 billion), the company said in a statement.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:46 AM to Toyota | Permalink | Comments 0

General Motors Loses $39 Billion

DETROIT -- General Motors Corp. posted a company record $39 billion loss in the third quarter, as a charge involving unused tax credits brought an abrupt end to a string of three profitable quarters for the nation's largest automaker, according to the Associated Press.

The loss reported Wednesday was one of the biggest quarterly corporate deficits ever, and it sent GM's shares down more than 5 percent in premarket trading.

GM attributed the third-quarter loss to a $38.6 billion noncash charge largely related to establishing a valuation allowance against accumulated deferred tax credits in the U.S., Canada and Germany, as well as mortgage losses at GM's former financial arm, GMAC Financial Services.

But accounting rules require that companies expecting to keep losing money cannot keep carrying deferred tax credits indefinitely and must write down their value.

"I think you'd have to have a Ph.D. in accounting to understand it," Wagoner said during an interview on "The Paul W. Smith Show" on WJR-AM.

"It doesn't have any impact at all," he said. "I would encourage people not to overreact in a negative way to it."

What might be considered more troubling for GM, though, is continuing losses in its home market, North America, where it reported a net loss from continuing operations of $247 million without the charge for the latest quarter. That compares with a net loss of $667 million in the year-ago period.

The company's overall net loss amounted to $68.85 per share, compared with a net loss of $147 million, or 26 cents per share, in the third quarter of last year.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:38 AM to GM | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil prices up, closing in on $100 a barrel

VIENNA, Austria -- Record oil prices edged closer to $100 a barrel Wednesday amid expectations of declining U.S. supplies. The weak dollar and OPEC's apparent reluctance to pump more crude into the market also boosted prices, according to the Associated Press.

Light, sweet crude for December delivery surged $1.24 to $97.94 a barrel by midday in Europe after earlier reaching a record $98.62 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Traders remain worried about whether supplies will be adequate to meet demand for heating fuel in the approaching Northern Hemisphere winter. News of an attack Monday on an oil pipeline in Yemen added to those concerns.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:32 AM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil Hits $97 on Bombs, Demand Forecast

NEW YORK -- Oil futures jumped to a new record above $97 a barrel Tuesday after bombings in Afghanistan and an attack on a Yemeni oil pipeline compounded the supply concerns that have driven crude prices higher in recent weeks, according to the Associated Press.

Those concerns were also fed by a government prediction on Tuesday that domestic oil inventories will fall further this year while consumption rises.

At the pump, meanwhile, gas prices continued to rise, following oil's 39 percent price rally since August. The national average price of a gallon of gas jumped 2 cents overnight to $3.024 a gallon, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.

Crude prices are within the range of inflation-adjusted highs set in early 1980. Depending on the how the adjustment is calculated, $38 a barrel then would be worth $96 to $103 or more today.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 3:10 PM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

As Hybrids Evolve, Gains Grow Elusive

HYBRID cars made immediate headlines nearly a decade ago, when Honda and then Toyota introduced models that offered drivers moon-shot improvements in fuel economy and exhaust emissions.

Today, those leaps of progress are proving tough to repeat: as new technologies develop and gasoline-electric powertrains become available in a wider range of models, the gains over existing hybrids seem more incremental than startling, according to the New York Times.

And even when new twists in technology do arrive — developments that include plug-in hybrids, which can be recharged on household current to give them more driving distance on batteries alone — it may be impossible to give buyers a measure of how much the advances help because there is no test to measure their mileage.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:39 AM to Alternative fuels | Permalink | Comments 0

Hey, Mr. Escalade Man

IF he revisits Highway 61 yet again, chances are Bob Dylan will do it in a Cadillac Escalade, just like the one he drives in a new television commercial, according to the New York Times.

While the endorsement is a coup for Cadillac, it is not the first trip to Shillville for Mr. Dylan, 66, who has appeared in ads for Apple and Victoria’s Secret.

The spot also promotes his show on XM Satellite Radio, whose receivers are standard on Cadillacs. Making the synergistic stew even thicker, on Oct. 24 Mr. Dylan played only Cadillac-themed songs on his show.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:32 AM to Fun , GM | Permalink | Comments 0

Local UAW leaders back contract with Ford

DEARBORN, Mich. — Local union presidents and bargaining chairs have unanimously voted to recommend approval of a tentative four-year contract between Ford and the United Auto Workers, a union local official said Monday, according to USA Today.

Bruce Yates, bargaining chairman at Local 2000 at an assembly plant in Avon Lake, Ohio, said the deal was recommended by a voice vote.

A summary of the contract posted on the union's website shows that the Ford contract is similar to deals ratified by workers at General Motors and Chrysler.

Ford will contribute $13.2 billion to a union-run trust that will pick up much of the company's $22 billion in retiree health care liabilities. The company also will pay $2.2 billion for retiree health care until the trust takes effect in January 2010.

A typical UAW worker at Ford will get $12,904 worth of economic gains over the life of the contract, including a $3,000 signing bonus and lump-sum payments of 3% in the second year, 4% in the third year and 3% in the fourth year, according to the summary.

GM workers won similar bonuses with total gains of $13,056, while Chrysler workers are to receive $10,235.

The summary also said that the UAW won commitments from the company to build five flexible body shops at assembly plants, as well as a $200 million commitment to invest in new technology and equipment at stamping plants and substantial investments at Ford powertrain operations.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:28 AM to Ford , Unions | Permalink | Comments 0

Can GM Keep Momentum Up?

How quickly things can change, according to thecarconnection.com

Little more than a year ago, the mood was one of gloom and doom at General Motors headquarters, along theDetroit River. Sales and share were plunging, losses were mounting, and its Japanese arch-rival, Toyota, seemed poised to take the lead in global sales.

As 2007 draws to a close, however, GM's sales and share are stabilizing. Its balance sheet is improving. Toyota is suddenly the one in trouble. It lost global sales leadership back to GM during the third quarter, and in the all-important U.S. market, the Japanese maker is suffering from a string of well-publicized quality snafus.

What may matter most, though, is that GM is rolling out an array of new products that are winning raves - and new buyers. The Chevrolet Malibu, in particular, is being hailed by critics as the first GM mid-size sedan in decades to pose a credible threat in a segment long dominated by the Asians.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:00 AM to Toyota | Permalink | Comments 1

BMW Third Quarter Profit Rises 78 Percent

FRANKFURT, Germany -- Luxury automaker BMW AG saw its third-quarter net profit leap 78 percent, driven higher by increased sales, and raised its sales outlook for the rest of 2007 on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.

The Munich-based automaker earned 803 million euros ($1.2 billion) in the July-September period compared with 452 million euros a year earlier and beating the 605 million euros ($876.5 million) that analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires had forecast.

(The euro has risen so much against the dollar since last year, converting the 452 million euros to dollars would be misleading.)

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:54 AM to BMW | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil Hits New Record on Mideast Blasts

NEW YORK -- Oil futures jumped to a new record above $96 a barrel Tuesday after bombings in Afghanistan and an attack on a Yemeni oil pipeline compounded the supply concerns that have driven crude prices higher in recent weeks, according to the Associated Press.

Oil was already up before news of the blasts in northern Afghanistan that killed 64 people and the attack in Yemen. Severe weather forecasts for the North Sea, expectations that domestic crude supplies fell last week and the weak dollar all contributed to the latest move upward.

While Afghanistan doesn't produce much oil, traders watch for the possibility that any escalation in the conflict there between U.S. armed forces and Islamic militants could spill over into other countries, disrupting oil supplies out of the Middle East.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:52 AM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

Peace of Mind When Children Ask to Borrow the Car

Some parents are adopting new technology to monitor their fledgling drivers, according to the New York Times.

David Phipps, a security consultant in Baltimore, is one of them. After his daughter, Katie, got her driver’s permit, Mr. Phipps said he worried about her safety on the road. So this year he bought a palm-size global positioning device that uses satellite technology to keep an eye on her Toyota Scion.

“I can click on the ‘track now’ button,” said Mr. Phipps, of Bel Air, Md., “then go online, and in 35 seconds I can see where she is.

“My wife and I wanted it for her safety, and for our peace of mind,” he said.

Mr. Phipps bought his device from an online retailer, Global Tracking Group. The device can send notification by e-mail or text message.

Such gadgets can be installed under the dashboard or, in some cases, plugged into the cigarette lighter or other vehicle power outlet to check on the driver’s behavior, whether it is reckless driving or speeding, where they are going and, for some devices, even whether they are wearing their seat belts.

In addition to the cost of the device, parents pay a monthly fee for the G.P.S. tracking, which uses satellites to pinpoint the car, then transmits the information via cellular tower.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:33 AM to Safety | Permalink | Comments 0

Herb Chambers and KISS 108 replace truck destroyed in Res Sox riot

KISS 108 FM’s Matty in the Morning (right) teamed up with Herb Chambers (left) to give Michael DeMello (middle) the keys to a new Ford Ranger.

Mike’s Ford Ranger was totaled after the Sox won the World Series by a rioting crowd following the Red Sox World Series victory. The truck was completely destroyed and flipped over on Boylston Street.

The crew of the Matty in the Morning show at KISS 108 wanted to help Michael get back on his feet. Herb Chambers was live in the studio to surprise Michael with the keys on air, to a newer truck.

Herb Chambers owns over 40 dealerships in New England, including Herb Chambers Cadillac of Providence.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:06 AM to Fun | Permalink | Comments 0

The Dings and Dents of Toyota

DETROIT — It might seem odd to suggest that a 70-year-old company is going through growing pains, especially one with $183 billion in annual sales.

But 2007 has been a difficult year for Toyota, according to the New York Times.

Its reputation for building high-quality vehicles has been tarnished, most recently by the decision by Consumer Reports to stop automatically giving a “recommended” label to all its cars and trucks.

Toyota’s sales growth, which has been in the double-digit range in recent years, has slowed more in the United States than the company expected, causing it to lose its grip on the biggest-automaker title it took from General Motors last spring.

And it has seen some of its most talented American executives return to Detroit, notably James Press, who left the company’s highest-ranking job in North America to join Chrysler.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 10:01 AM to Toyota | Permalink | Comments 0

GM pushes the pedal on hydrogen fuel-cell power

General Motors says it hopes to begin pumping hundreds of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles a year into ordinary buyers' hands through GM dealerships beginning in 2011, according to USA Today.

Though small numbers by auto-industry standards, it's the most ambitious public plan yet to bring pollution-free fuel-cell vehicles into the mainstream.

Perhaps more important, GM is "working as hard and fast as we can for competitive reasons," rather than as pure research on a promising technology, says Larry Burns, GM vice president in charge of research and development.

"I'm paranoid enough to conclude (rivals) are running on the same timeline we are," he says, citing fuel-cell research at Mercedes-Benz, Honda and others.

In other words, a race is on, and that always speeds development.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:57 AM to Alternative fuels , GM | Permalink | Comments 0

Union leaders to get details of pact with Ford

UAW officials from local chapters that represent Ford workers nationwide are to meet in Dearborn today to learn the nitty-gritty details of the new tentative labor deal reached with the automaker, according to local union leaders cited by the Detroit Free Press.

A UAW spokesperson did not return calls for details about the meeting.

On Saturday, after more than 40 hours of round-the-clock bargaining, the two sides reached a deal on a new four-year labor contract to propose to workers, who will vote to ratify or reject the deal over the next week or so.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:53 AM to Ford , Unions | Permalink | Comments 0

Governments Demand a Bigger Share of Oil

TORONTO -- The oil industry is under assault globally by nations and even provinces who want companies like Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Suncor to cough up more royalties they can use to address issues like poverty and education, according to the Assosiated Press.

First it was Venezuela. Now, Nigeria is reviewing its relationships with international oil companies and the oil-rich Canadian province of Alberta is set to announce a decision Thursday on increasing royalties from the energy industry. It's a move the industry warns could devastate Alberta's oil patch.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:49 AM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0

Backseat Driver: 531 per-1905 cars will make London to Brighton run on Sunday

Sunday marks the running of one of the most remarkable rallies in the world - the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run in England.

Get this: The rally is open to cars built before 1905 and a total of 531 vehicles – 43 pre-1900 – will be making the 60-mile run. As such, it is by far the largest annual gathering of veteran cars in the world.

The run was first made in 1896 to celebrate the repeal of the Locomotives on the Highway Act, which allowed automobiles to increase their top speed from 4 mph to 14 mph! It was next run in 1927 and has been run every year since, except for a couple of years during and just after WWII.

This year, the run is celebrating American-made automobiles, and there are 142 American entries representing 37 manufacturers, including 41 Oldsmobiles and 29 Cadillacs, according to Jeff Carter, spokesman for Motion Works, which is organizing the run on behalf of the Royal Automobile Club.

Overall, the entries feature 140 different marques. Owners come from 24 countries, mostly from Britain but also from all over Europe as well as Canada, the United States and Mexico and as far afield as Australia, Hong Kong and South Africa.

The majority of the cars are gasoline driven, but three are electric and 19 are steam driven. The oldest car is an 1895 3-3/4 horsepower Peugeot and one of the youngest is a 1904 Peerless racer owned by John Price of Utah.

See my slightly expanded version of this story in the Sunday Providence Journal.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 7:25 AM to Collecting | Permalink | Comments 0

Job Cuts at Chrysler Go Even Deeper Than Expected

DETROIT — Over the last two years, the three American auto companies have vowed that their plans to slash nearly 80,000 jobs and close more than two dozen plants would be enough to transform them into leaner and nimbler competitors, according to the New York Times.

But the housing downturn and soaring oil prices have forced Chrysler and General Motors to make another round of surprising cuts, with no guarantees that these will be the last.

On Thursday, Chrysler announced it would eliminate 11,000 hourly and salaried jobs in the United States and Canada, and cut shifts of workers at five plants. The decision comes on top of a plan, announced in February, to eliminate 13,000 jobs and close a factory in Newark, Del.

Taken together, Chrysler will be reducing its 2006 work force of about 80,000 employees by 30 percent.

General Motors also recently said that it would eliminate shifts at three assembly plants in Michigan. The moves, announced after G.M. union workers approved their new contract, will most likely cut 3,000 jobs, though G.M. has not confirmed the total. Two years ago, G.M. announced 30,000 job cuts as part of a broad revamping.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 7:16 AM to Chrysler , GM | Permalink | Comments 0

DOT seeks to lower motorcycle deaths, educate riders

The federal government is unveiling a broad program to cut motorcycle death rates that have doubled in the past 10 years as aging baby boomers hit the open road, according to USA Today.

The Department of Transportation's initiative includes a national training standard for beginning riders and added training for police officers who enforce traffic laws.

"Our nation's greatest traffic highway safety challenge is motorcycle fatalities," says Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, noting that biking deaths are rising while other vehicle fatalities are declining.

"We have a significantly disproportionate representation of motorcycle fatalities," Peters says. Motorcycles represent 2.5% of all registered vehicles but 11.3% of traffic deaths.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 7:13 AM to Motorcycling , Safety | Permalink | Comments 0

Fisker Previews Sporty Plug-In sedan

Fisker Automotive, the latest Palo Alto, California-based venture from Henrik Fisker, the Danish founder of Fisker Coachbuild, that has dubbed itself the 'green American premium car company,' has released a first image and some cursory information about its upcoming plug-in hybrid sports sedan, according to thecarconnection.com

The car will make its debut at this next January's North American International Auto Show in Detroit and go on sale in late 2009 starting at $80,000.

Unlike Fisker Coachbuild products, which are built on existing Mercedes-Benz and BMW models, the new sedan will employ a platform that's all-new from the ground up, according to the automaker, with testing and development done in conjunction with Quantum Technologies, an Irvine, California company that has worked with Toyota, GM, and NASA.

The sedan will be a true plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle (PHEV), meaning that it will be able to travel respectable commuting distances on electric power alone, but use the gasoline engine to recharge the system, and both gasoline and electric components for longer-distance driving.

Fisker says that it will be able to go about 50 miles on a single electric charge, and the system will be mated with a gasoline or diesel engine to achieve a range of up to 620 miles. The actual miles-per-gallon figure will be around 100, they say.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 7:06 AM to Alternative fuels | Permalink | Comments 0

GM, Asians report sales gains; Ford, Chrysler fall

DETROIT - Ford and Chrysler felt most of the pain of the weak U.S. auto market in October. Both revealed big declines Thursday that seemed to put their turnaround plans on shaky ground going forward, especially as the economy flirts with a recession, according to the Detroit Free Press.

But General Motors and the three big Japanese automakers all posted gains for the month, in which sales were a little stronger than expected.

Ford's sales were off 9.3%, making October its 12th straight month of sales declines. While that performance was somewhat expected, as the company embarked on a long-term program to wean its vehicles from the discounted fleet market, it raises questions about when Ford might hit bottom and begin growing again.

For Chrysler, October sales were off 8.9%, the fifth month of a sales slide that helps explain the additional 12,000 job cuts the automaker announced Thursday. It came even as the Auburn Hills-based automaker increased sales to fleet customers.

"Obviously, we're not happy with our performance," Darryl Jackson, vice president of U.S. sales at Chrysler, told journalists during a conference call. "We've got work to do."

Other automakers, though, held their own in the tough market.

The big Asian companies were lifted by their fuel-efficient cars. Sales were up 13.1% at Nissan Motor Co., on the strength of the midsize Altima sedan; 3.8% at Honda Motor Co., buoyed by the new midsize Accord, and 4.5% at Toyota Motor Corp. The Toyota Prius hybrid posted a 50.7% gain.

Detroit-based GM also continued to show strength, especially at retail, with a third-straight gain of total monthly sales -- increasing 3.4% in October, compared with a year ago.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 6:59 AM to Sales | Permalink | Comments 0

Chrysler to Cut Up to 12,000 Jobs

DETROIT -- Chrysler LLC said Thursday it plans to cut up to 12,000 jobs, or up to 15 percent of its workforce, as part of an effort to slash costs and match slowing demand for some vehicles, according to the Associated Press.

The automaker will cut 8,500 to 10,000 hourly jobs and 2,100 salaried jobs through 2008. The company already had begun cutting 1,100 temporary workers Wednesday. It will eliminate shifts at five North American assembly plants and cut four vehicle models from its lineup.

The cuts come in addition to the 13,000 layoffs Chrysler announced in February as part of a massive restructuring plan. Those cuts included 11,000 production jobs and 2,000 salaried jobs. The new round of cuts was expected to involve buyouts or early retirement packages similar to those made in February.

Chrysler officials said falling demand for vehicles in the U.S. market made the cuts necessary. Chrysler's sales were down 3 percent in the first nine months of this year, according to Autodata Corp., and the company said it expects sluggish sales to continue in 2008.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:47 AM to Chrysler | Permalink | Comments 0

Toyota retunes Corolla as techier and edgier

LAS VEGAS — The world's all-time best-selling car is going high-tech, according to USA Today.

Toyota says the all-new Corolla compact will become the smallest non-luxury car with XM satellite navigation for real-time traffic information when it goes on sale in February. Until now, the feature in Toyotas has only shown up in the Lexus division.

The 2009 Corolla and its sister, the five-door Matrix hatchback, sport a slightly edgier look. Corolla is a couple of inches wider, an inch lower and has available 17-inch alloy wheels, up from 16 inches on the previous version.

"It gives it more of a European flavor," says Tim Morrison, corporate marketing manager for Toyota who unveiled the two models here at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show, the industry's premier aftermarket products exhibition.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:31 AM to Shows , Toyota | Permalink | Comments 0

Oil prices go over $96 a barrel

LONDON - Oil surged to a new record high beyond $96 a barrel after a sharp decline in U.S. crude stocks stoked supply concerns and the U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates, according to Reuters.

Oil dealers saw little standing in the way of the price blasting into triple digits.

"The market has its eyes on $100 a barrel and it really is the momentum that will carry it through," Rob Laughlin of MF Global said.

U.S. oil rose as high as $96.24 a barrel before pulling back to $95.18, up 65 cents, by 8:27 a.m. EDT. Brent crude also struck a record $91.71 before retreating to $91.10, for a gain of 47 cents.

Oil soared on Wednesday after U.S. refiners drained 3.9 million barrels of crude from storage, mostly from tanks in Cushing, Oklahoma -- delivery point for the NYMEX oil contract.

U.S. crude closed in on an inflation-adjusted high of $101.70 hit in 1980.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 9:27 AM to Crude oil market | Permalink | Comments 0