Demand revs higher in Franklin County for hybrid vehicles

With gas prices climbing, new car buyers aren't turning their backs on trucks and sport utility vehicles, sales managers at area dealerships say. But many consumers, especially younger ones, are contributing to increased sales of hybrids and cars boasting fuel economy.

"It's pretty well a mixed bag," Jennings Chevrolet general sales manager Bruce Cameron said this week.

He said many buyers going into the Chambersburg dealership's showrooms are looking for vehicles that get the best gas mileage. The trend toward smaller, more economical cars is not as great as expected.

"We are seeing a trend to smaller cars, but not as much as we had expected," he said.

Cameron and sales managers from other area dealerships said consumers that still want a utility vehicle or a pickup truck may now pay less for those vehicles, simply because they aren't in as high a demand as they once were.


Read More

GM posts big loss as U.S. sales hurt

General Motors Corp. reported a large first-quarter loss Wednesday, due in large part to struggles at its former finance wing GMAC, a strike at American Axle and slumping U.S. car sales.

But the loss was narrower than expected and sales topped forecasts, helping to lift shares of GM (GM, Fortune 500) 9% to $23.15.

GM, the nation's largest automaker, posted a net loss of $3.3 billion, or $5.74 per share. That was much wider than the $42 million, or 7 cents a share, loss from continuing operations it reported in the same period last year.

Excluding one-time losses from GMAC and $731 million in bankruptcy support for auto parts manufacturer Delphi, GM lost $350 million, or 62 cents per share. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial, who generally exclude one-time events from their forecasts, were looking for a deeper loss of $1.60 per share.


Read More

Easy Export Starts Overseas Car Shipping from the Port of Los Angeles

Car buyers now have the option to buy vehicles on the East coast or the West coast at any auction.

Miami Beach, FL (PRWEB) May 2, 2008 -- Easy Export Corp., the U.S. car export company, launched an international vehicle shipping service to Europe from the Port of Los Angeles, the busiest port in the United States.

Easy Export is well known for their prompt supply of vehicles for export from North America to Europe. The company buys automobiles from dozens of car auctions through their network of auto dealers; it enables them to provide their buyers with quality cars at wholesale prices.

According to the CEO of Easy Export, Vadim Liakh, buyers now have the option to buy vehicles on the East coast or the West coast at any auction. "In addition to the U.S.



Read More

Explore the Major Passenger Car OEMS and the Markets in Which They Operate with the Automotive Quarterly Review (AQR) ...

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c90763) has announced the addition of Automotive Quarterly Review (4 Issues) to their offering.

Now in its 15th year of publication, the Automotive Quarterly Review (AQR) series of reports is an essential source of information for anyone with an interest in the operational activities of the world's major passenger car OEMs and the markets in which they operate.

By subscribing to the AQR you will receive four reports over a period of 12 months. The reports, which are made available online in January, April, July and October of every year, contain the following:

- Strategic analysis of the activities of the world's top 19 passenger car OEMs (BMW / Daimler / Fiat / Ford / Fuji Heavy / General Motors / Honda / Hyundai / Isuzu / Mazda / Mitsubishi / Nissan / Porsche / Proton / PSA Peugeot Citroen / Renault / Suzuki / Toyota / Volkswagen)

- New registrations data for more than 50 countries across four regions

- Production data by group, model and location (Western Europe, NAFTA, Japan, South Korea, Argentina, Brazil, China and numerous other countries)

Content Outline:

List of contents

List of figures

Preface

Summary

BMW Group

Daimler

Fiat Auto

Ford Motor Company

Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru)

General Motors

Honda Motor Company

Hyundai Motor Company

Isuzu Motors

Mazda Motor Corporation

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation

Nissan Motor Company

Porsche

Proton Holdings

PSA Peugeot Citroen

Renault Automobile

Suzuki Motor Corporation

Toyota Group

VW Group

Notes on new registration data

Notes on production data

List of figures

Figure No.


Read More

Car dealers say fuel labels out of date

Car buyers are being urged to visitGovernment websites for accurate fuel-efficiency data, rather than rely on mandatory new labels for which some information is already out of date.

The Independent Motor Vehicle Dealers Association says buyers should consult fuel consumption ratings on the www.fuelsaver.govt.nz or www.rightcar.govt.nz websites for more reliable guides to vehicle efficiency before turning up at showrooms to buy.

Association chief David Vinsen said yesterday the organisation supported giving customers as much information as possible in choosing a vehicle.

But the new labels on display in showrooms should be treated as "a last resort", for comparative purposes only.

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority acknowledges fuel cost estimates on labels which dealers must display where available - or face fines of up to $5000 - will become more outdated with each petrol price rise.


Read More

Week-long Safety Games targets area middle schoolers

How many feet does it take a car going 20 miles per hour to stop on a dry road? How often should you test the batteries in your smoke alarms?

These are just a few of the questions middle school students in the Communities in Schools CHAMPS program learned the answers to this week during Safe Kids Cleveland County's Gear Up for Safety Games.

This week Safe Kids celebrated its 20th anniversary, and, in honor of that, Safe Kids Cleveland County focused on safety education for "tweens" - children ages 10 to 14.

The Gear Up for Safety Games focused on water, motor vehicle, bicycle, pedestrian and fire safety. Kids took part in activities and were given information on those topics.

"Nationally these are the main injury risk areas," said Judy Hawkins, co-coordinator of Safe Kids Cleveland County.


Read More

French April New Car Registrations +15% On Year

PARIS (Dow Jones)--French car maker PSA Peugeot-Citroen (12150.FR) turned in a strong performance in its home market in April, with registrations of new cars surging 19% on the year, according to the latest data released Friday. By comparison, Peugeot-Citroen's cross-town rival Renault SA (13190.FR) recorded a 7.7% rise on the year, according to figures from the body that represents French car manufacturers. Overall new car registrations in France rose 15.1% in April from the same month in 2007, to 198,618. However, the increase was 4.6% after an adjustment to take into account the number of working days. -By Jethro Mullen, Dow Jones Newswires; 33 1 4017 1738; jethro.mullen@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires May 02, 2008 06:03 ET (10:03 GMT) Copyright 2008 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. .


Read More

Alpharetta deploys car with plate reader

Alpharetta deployed a police car last week with a new piece of technology that some in the department are thinking could completely revolutionize the way they do business.

It's called the Mobile Plate Hunter 900, and it does the work of 1,500 police officers a minute. Mounted strategically on the body of a police car, the $22,000 computer and infrared camera system scans every license plate in every direction of the car and runs them through updated criminal databases. It can do the aforementioned 1,500 license plates in a minute.

When it gets a hit in one of five national databases -- stolen vehicles, wanted persons, suspended driver's license, suspended tag registration and no insurance -- it alerts the officer by popping up on his in-car laptop, who can then pull the person over.


Read More

More than one way to buy a car

Even in these slow economic times, we still have to spend money. The washing machine gives out, our clothes become out of date (or too small), or the clunker we've been driving for nearly a decade needs to be replaced.

With the price of just about everything going up and credit harder to come by, this might not be the best time for a big-ticket purchase. But sometimes it makes more financial sense to buy a new car when maintenance on the old one is getting out of hand.

But now more than ever you need to do your homework.

With just about every car manufacturer seeing diminished profits, there's a big push right now to sell. Dealers are offering lots of incentives such as cash back and financing options.

One deal that may sound appealing, but can get many of us in trouble, is the 84-month car loan.


Read More

AFS Trinity, Ricardo Announce Joint Extreme Fleet Program to Slash Gasoline and Diesel Use by Car, SUV and Truck ...

EDITOR'S NOTE: This page contains 3 different videos about AFS Trinity. Please scroll down the page to watch each.

SEATTLE and LONDON, May 2 -- AFS Trinity Power Corporation and Ricardo plc today announced creation of Extreme Fleet(TM), a joint program to offer Extreme Hybrid fleet vehicles that use no gasoline at all on most days without sacrificing vehicle size or power.

Many fleet operators are expected not only to save up to 75% of what they are now paying for gasoline and diesel, but also to dramatically reduce fleet maintenance costs.

On Sunday, May 4, fleet managers from around the country will be introduced in person to the Extreme Hybrid at the 2008 NAFA Institute and Expo in Salt Lake City, Utah. On Monday, May 5, they will be able to drive the first Extreme Hybrid prototypes-two XH-150s -- as part of a NAFA Green Ride and Drive event.


Read More

Better to buy or lease new car?

As the summer driving season nears, many people are no doubt thinking about getting a new vehicle, which raises the old question: Should you lease or buy? Many online tools can help you with that decision, but as Consumer Reports Money Adviser points out, those calculators often don't factor in such costs as insurance, acquisition and "drive-off" fees, and upfront sales taxes. So CRMA's Money Lab ran the numbers using a 2008 Honda Accord and discovered that buying a car actually beats closed-end leasing in total costs over five years.

.

Read More

Getting a Great Deal on a New Car

Whether you're aiming for luxury -- or a base model -- the process of buying a new car can seem like more hassle than it's worth.

But whether you're a born negotiator or not -- we've got some tips that will hopefully turn negotiating from an art into a science -- courtesy of the Federal Citizen Information CenterWhat do you need to say to get the price you deserve?

Start by being confident -- something that may be easier over the phone -- and compare five or six different dealerships.

Talk directly with managers -- they have the most authority to give you a deal.

But how do you know what price is a good price?

Ask dealers to give you their offers in relation to the factory invoice price, and not the MSRP -- or manufacturer's suggested retail price.


Read More

Sales decline for April at GM, Ford, Chrysler

Sales at Ford and General Motors fell in April as record U.S. gasoline prices drove consumers to Toyota's fuel-efficient cars and away from big trucks and sport-utility vehicles.

Ford's 12 percent decline was led by the F-Series pickup, while falling demand for the Chevrolet Silverado led to a 16 percent reduction at GM. Japan's Toyota reported gains on increased demand for small cars such as the Yaris and Prius. Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. also rose.

All sales figures are compared with April last year.

Chrysler's sales dropped 23 percent to 141,751 vehicles, primarily because of slowing trucks and SUV sales. Chrysler, now owned by Cerberus Capital Management, depends on truck sales for about 75 percent of its monthly total.

Gasoline costs and a slowing U.S.


Read More

Car-buying services shop for you

Are you thinking about buying a new car, but dreading the dealer haggles that come with the purchase? There are a number of car-buying services that say they'll do the negotiating dirty work for you, and save you thousands of dollars in the process.

.


Read More

Make Expensive Vehicle Repairs a Thing of the Past

(ARA) - When the dealer you bought your new car from offered a vehicle warranty, did you turn him down? If so why? Probably because you thought the coverage was too expensive and your new car shouldn't have any problems for quite some time.While the automakers should thank you for your trust in them, you've probably given them more credit than they deserve. Case in point -- how many recall notices have there already been on your vehicle in the short amount of time you've had it?While the manufacturer will pick up the cost of fixing problems covered by the recall, you're on your own for everything else. If your car's power steering system suddenly fails and needs to be repaired, it will cost you at least $875, replacing a worn out clutch would cost around $725 and replacing a water pump would set you back about $300 -- and those are examples of some inexpensive repairs.No matter what the problem, you'll surely spend more on repairs than you would have if you'd bought a vehicle warranty the day you drove your car off the lot.


Read More

An homage to M-Series' beginnings

The BMW M1 sports car was originally built simply as a design study, and grew to become an influential model in the sports car world.

Thirty years later, BMW is paying homage to that model with aptly-named M1 Homage concept.

According to BMW, the M1 Homage continues the automaker's pattern of building vehicles that both harken back to past models, while still reinventing themselves for the future.

Any BMW fan of years past will notice the dual BMW emblems each situated on the right and left edge above the tail lights, signalling a mid-engine BMW car. This styling element was approved even before the first design sketches were complete.

Other styling elements taken from the original M1 are the air vents in the bonnet and the louvers on the rear windscreen, as well as the black cut line dividing the roofline from the rear section of the body.


Read More

Gas prices cited as sale of small cars surges

Small cars were the big winners in April, as high gas prices accelerated U.S. consumers' rush away from trucks and sport utility vehicles, and as makers of fuel-efficient models scored gains despite the weak economy.

General Motors, Ford and Chrysler all saw double-digit U.S. sales declines compared with last April. But Nissan's sales were up 7 percent on the strength of its car sales, while Toyota's sales edged up 3 percent. Honda's sales figures were delayed because of a technical problem, but the automaker said April sales were likely to be up at least 6 percent.

Pickup sales have been falling for months because of the slowdown in housing construction, and the trend away from SUVs began several years ago as Baby Boomers aged and roomy but more fuel-efficient crossover vehicles gave consumers more choice.


Read More

Games Without Frontiers: 'Grand Theft Auto IV' Delivers Deft Satire of Street Life

I'll just get this up front: I enormously enjoyed Grand Theft Auto IV.

But here's the thing: It's kind of hard to explain why.

There's no single thing to point to -- no must-see scene, no gotta-do moment of gameplay, no deliriously fun weapon. No, the game's pleasures come in weird, subtle, unexpected moments.

Let me give you an example. At one point, I was having a typically thuggish day: I'd killed a few drug dealers with a semiautomatic, and while trying to flee, whoops -- I accidentally rear-ended a cop car. Then it was a car chase, all wailing sirens and shrieking pedestrians diving out of the way, before totaling my SUV in a brutal collision and escaping on foot. A total Hillary Clinton nightmare, in other words.

I finally escaped by ducking into a subway station, and while catching my breath, I decided to explore a bit.


Read More

Car-parts makers defy estimates

Lear Corp. and ArvinMeritor Inc., Metro Detroit auto-parts makers that have worked to cut labor costs and increase sales abroad, reported earnings Tuesday that beat analyst estimates, boosting company shares.

Southfield-based Lear, which makes automotive seats, said first-quarter net income rose 57 percent to $78.2 million, pushing up the stock by the most since it started trading in 1994. Sales fell 12 percent to $3.86 billion.

ArvinMeritor, a maker of brakes and shock absorbers based in Troy, had its first profit in five quarters.

.


Read More

New Book Shows Car Dealers How to Rev Up Profits and Customer Satisfaction

28/04/2008 18:54:00 Business Wire Car manufacturing has been transformed by lean production over the last 20 years yet car dealerships have remained virtually untouched by lean principles.
Now that s changing.
Dealerships experimenting with lean principles have experienced a doubling of throughput, increases in productivity of 50% or more, and returns on sales several times the industry norm.
These are not "freak" results.
They occur every time lean principles are applied in a disciplined way -- as has already been done in service sectors such as healthcare.
Creating Lean Dealers, a step-by-step workbook for improving dealer operations, shows managers how to remove the many barriers to smooth the flow of work, starting in service and repair.
"Because lean thinking does not naturally fit the mind-set of dealers, the place to start is with service and repair," said Dan Jones, founder and chairman of the Lean Enterprise Academy (LEA) in the UK, the book s publisher.


Read More

Fraud case against car dealer dismissed

Lancaster County District Judge Paul Merritt Jr. has dismissed a titling fraud charge against a local automobile dealer.Merritt dismissed the charge against Chad Gutschow, 34, of Suzuki Autoplex last week in response to a motion by Gutschow’s attorney. The dismissal apparently does not preclude prosecutors from filing new charges, but the Lancaster County Attorney’s office said Tuesday it had not decided how to proceed in the case. The Nebraska State Patrol cited Gutschow in August on suspicion of felony title fraud. His attorney said at the time that the dispute arose from a "misunderstanding between Mr. Gutschow and a third-party business."

.


Read More

On YOUR Dime: Congressmen Lease Luxury Cars

You may not realize it, but members of the House of Representatives can lease a car and have it paid for by you -- the taxpayer. And it's not just the car, but gas, registration, insurance the works. And as CBS 2 HD found out, there's no limit on how much they can spend. Congressman Charles Rangel was recently seen getting out of his Cadillac DeVille, which he leases for $774 per month. Then there was Congressman Jose Serrano, getting out of his Buick LaCrosse, which he leases for $317 per month. And how about this one: Congressman Gregory Meeks was recently seen waiting for Congressman John Conyers to step out of Meeks' Lexus LS460, which Meeks leases for $998 per month. All those leases are picked up by taxpayers through a little-known program available only to members of the House of Representatives.



Read More

Cash-strapped French leader sells armoured car on eBay

French far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen says he has put his armoured car up for sale on online auction site eBay to face up to the financial crisis gripping his party.

"The National Front is not bankrupt because its assets are greater than its debt. But that means we have to cash in the crown jewels, as it were. They are being sold," the 79-year-old told French radio.

"I am even selling my armoured car, to tell you the truth. It's on the internet, it's all very public."

The National Front is also negotiating the sale of its historic headquarters in the plush Paris suburb of Saint Cloud.

The bidding race for Mr Le Pen's car, a 1992 blue Peugeot 605 model with full leather interior, started overnight and had reached 13,000 euros within hours.


Read More

Motorists shifting from trucks to cars

Passenger cars outsold light trucks last month for the first time in at least two decades as soaring gasoline prices sent consumers scrambling to more fuel-efficient vehicles.

That dealt a major blow to Detroit's Big Three automakers, which are still heavily dependent on sales of trucks and SUVs.

Demand for passenger cars rose 5.2 percent to 655,432 units last month from 622,873 units in April 2007, according to figures provided by Autodata Corp. Sales of light trucks, which include crossovers, minivans, sport utility vehicles and pickups, dropped 17.4 percent, falling from 715,730 to 591,122.

.


Read More

MARK PHELAN: Pontiac's roomy, fuel-efficient wagon flies under the radar

Some cars get far less credit than they deserve. They please their owners, start every day, look good and go about their business reliably without fanfare.

If the auto industry were a film, those cars would be Kevin Bacon.

Sexy, high-profile models like the Honda Civic, Chevrolet Corvette and Ford F-150 are the Harrison Ford-Jodie Foster faces on the posters for big-budget summer smash hits.

Bacon doesn't get many headlines, but the talented and versatile actor has played key roles in wonderful movies like "Mystic River" and "Apollo 13," turning in stellar work without a fuss.

In that spirit, I name the 2009 Pontiac Vibe Kevin Bacon Car of the Year.

The 2009 model is an all-new replacement for the Vibe wagon that went on sale in 2002.


Read More

Metal thieves hit used car lot

Thieves who stole catalytic converters from 16 vehicles at a car lot Tuesday morning to sell recyclable metals left the business owner with 16 vehicles that now can't be sold.

Michael Ritter reported the thefts after he tried to start a used car for a customer at Mr. T's Auto Sales on Middle Tennessee Boulevard.

.



Read More

"Smart Car" Small In Size, Great On Gas Mileage

From the inside, it looks like just about any car from its parent company, Mercedes. From the outside, it looks like a souped-up golf cart!

It's called the Smart Car, which we found is short for "brilliant."

Bob Gerding first spotted the shrunken car in Europe back in 1993 and just had to get one. "It takes up about half a parking spot," he explains. 15 years later, it's here in the states. "The waiting list right now is a year and a half."

Like any odd-looking foreigner, the smart car draws a lot of curious stares, and Bob spends half of his commute answering questions.

"How much did you pay for it?" One woman asked. "About $16,000," Bob replied. "I can pick it up and you can take it home with you, want me to grab it?" He adds.


Read More

New Book Shows Car Dealers How to Rev Up Profits and Customer Satisfaction

28/04/2008 18:54:00 Business Wire Car manufacturing has been transformed by lean production over the last 20 years yet car dealerships have remained virtually untouched by lean principles.
Now that s changing.
Dealerships experimenting with lean principles have experienced a doubling of throughput, increases in productivity of 50% or more, and returns on sales several times the industry norm.
These are not "freak" results.
They occur every time lean principles are applied in a disciplined way -- as has already been done in service sectors such as healthcare.
Creating Lean Dealers, a step-by-step workbook for improving dealer operations, shows managers how to remove the many barriers to smooth the flow of work, starting in service and repair.
"Because lean thinking does not naturally fit the mind-set of dealers, the place to start is with service and repair," said Dan Jones, founder and chairman of the Lean Enterprise Academy (LEA) in the UK, the book s publisher.


Read More

ICOP Wins Bid to Supply Digital In-Car Video to Law Enforcement Agency in Illinois County

LENEXA, Kan., April 30 -- ICOP Digital, Inc. , an industry-leading company engaged in advancing digital surveillance solutions, today announced that pursuant to its response to a Request for Proposal issued by one of the largest counties in Illinois, the Company has been notified that it has won the bid to equip the County's sheriff office's fleets with ICOP Model 20/20(R)-W digital in-car video systems.

Pursuant to its winning bid, ICOP has received an initial order valued at approximately $52,000. Following the determination of logistical protocols for installation and user training, phased fleet deployment of the ICOP Model 20/20-W in this agency is expected to occur as funding is approved. The total number of squad cars comprising this agency's fleet is approximately 90.

As noted in its March 27, 2008 press release, ICOP has won approximately one out of every three RFP's that it responded to in 2007.


Read More

Crash scene near Dickens: Felon takes snow blower, leaves partner behind

Authorities aren't sure whether it was drugs, alcohol or head injuries from a car crash that left Ronald Moriarty disoriented Tuesday night.

But they do know Moriarty was a passenger trapped in a wreckage of late-model Chevy truck at about 6:07 that night just east of Dickens.

They know Thomas Carney, a 45-year-old Spencer man, was the driver.

And, their investigation suggests, Carney was worried about his own outlook when he gathered stolen property -- including a snow blower -- from a rural burglary, ran to an abandoned corn crib to escape authorities, and left his passenger behind.

"Not often, when a person is involved in an accident, that you're more concerned about your own skin than you are for your friend who is left in the vehicle," Clay County Sheriff Randy Krukow said.


Read More

Everett Toyota dealer says the future is electric

Everett Toyota dealer Buzz Rodland, who drives a battery-powered RAV4, says the next step for automakers is incorporating lighter, more efficient batteries.

By Mike Benbow
Herald Writer

EVERETT -- Toyota dealer Buzz Rodland's ride these days is a used RAV4 that costs $225,000.

It didn't cost him that much -- he used some pull and perseverance to snag his model. But that's what Toyota spent to produce the electric car to meet California requirements for a zero-emissions vehicle.

There was a fleet of the vehicles leased in California and used by commuters who would recharge the batteries at a host of charging stations. Toyota is changing its program in California, and Rodland, who was a member of the company's national dealership council for four years, convinced officials after a lot of nagging to send him one of the all-electrics.



Read More

2002 Renault Clio V6 from UK and Ireland - Comments

Well, I have owned this car for 6 months now and knew that I would have to own one of these awesome V6 powered Clio's from the first moment I saw this creation reviewed in EVO magazine.

I took my time reading many reviews to find out if there were any 'bad' points about owning this car! I repeatedly read about the terrible 'fish tail' like handling, if pressed too hard into a sharp bend and its lack of power for a £26k 3LTR sports car. And the poor fuel consumption! (Which is true, if you intend on using the best fuel, Shell Optimax! But well worth every penny)

I read one review that said that it was a nightmare to check the oil level? And slated this on the Clio V6. But, he failed to realise that the oil level is electronically displayed on the dash if he bothered to read the user manual! (Along with the trip computer)

Well, apart from your chin hitting the floor when you first see this car in the metal, and not just from a magazine picture it will bring a whole knew experience to any sports car enthusiast! You will feel a tingle in your stomach just at the sight of it!

From the first moment I turned the key and heard the beautiful sound of this 3ltr V6 supercar I knew I had made the right choice! It made you feel like you were sitting in a much larger beast...



Read More

More Solid than Solid: A Potential Hydrogen-Storage Compound

One of the key engineering challenges to building a clean, efficient, hydrogen-powered car is how to design the fuel tank. Storing enough raw hydrogen for a reasonable driving range would require either impractically high pressures for gaseous hydrogen or extremely low temperatures for liquid hydrogen. In a new paper researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology�s Center for Neutron Research have demonstrated that a novel class of materials could enable a practical hydrogen fuel tank.
.


Read More