Industry News

UAW Extends Chrysler Talks, Focus Turns To Ford William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com September 23, 2011 The United Auto Workers have finished their first contract negotiation with General Motors last Friday. Now, Chrysler and Ford go for their turns with the UAW. Chrysler and the UAW have agreed to extend contract negotiations for an additional four weeks. Previously, the two had a one week extension to hammer out a new deal. The negotiations are centered around a new wage and benefit pack that will impact around 23,000 workers. This four week extension will help the UAW focus more on the most difficult negotiation, Ford. The UAW wants th…

I'm watching the local news (Channel 5) and they are about to do a story on the Tacoma's frame failures. This is the first I've seen of it being reported by the mainstream media. You can see some of the older articles on Channel 5's website. http://www.thebostonchannel.com/search/for...amp;x=0&y=0 Tonight's story showed severely rotted Tacomas with holes in the frame. However it also says that the owners of one of the Tacomas are being denied the buyback because their truck "isn't bad enough yet". Other owners junked their truck because it was too rusty to be safe to drive four months before the buybacks were announced. Toyota told them they are SOL (but they'r…

DETROIT -- In another blow to beleaguered U.S. automakers, Standard & Poor's on Friday said it may cut its ratings on Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Chrysler LLC, citing financial damage resulting from high gasoline prices. Bonds and shares of Ford and GM extended losses, while the cost of protecting their debt rose. S&P said it was concerned about cash outflows from all three automakers as high gas prices erode demand for sport utility vehicles and pickups. The "dire state" of the vehicle finance market was also worrisome, S&P said. The rating agency also said it may cut its ratings on automakers' finance units Ford Motor Credit Co. and DaimlerChrys…

Most people aren't so keen on letting an autonomous system take control of their vehicle according to a new survey done by Cox Automotive. Nearly 85 percent of the 1,250 people surveyed said they should have the option to drive themselves even in a self-driving vehicle. Only 16 percent said they would feel comfortable allowing a autonomous driving system take over. When asked if they would be a fully-autonomous vehicle (Level 5 under SAE's vehicle autonomy guidelines), almost half said no. Automotive News notes that is up from the 30 percent of people surveyed in 2016. Why the increases in overall apprehension? It mostly comes down to number of crashes that auto…

Given the reputation of the manufacturers and the relative ages of the SUVs, not really a surprise here... apart from maybe the CR-V. Volkswagen Tiguan - Good Subaru Forester - Good Honda Element - Good Jeep Patriot - Good Suzuki Grand Vitara - Acceptable Chevrolet Equinox/Torrent - Acceptable Toyota RAV4 - Acceptable Nissan Rogue - Acceptable Mitsubishi Outlander - Acceptable Honda CR-V - Marginal Ford Escape/Mariner/Tribute - Marginal Kia Sportage/Hyundai Tucson - Poor http://www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr032409.html Quite a difference... a one-year old German car: And a four-year old Korean car:

GM Unveils 2-year Product Plan General Motors Co., trying to build confidence in the marketplace after a stint in Bankruptcy Court, unveiled its two-year product. Follow the jump for all the details on the future of GM. Story Link

well... i was thinking about it after i saw an article saying ford was preparing for a strike... so that means many of their suppliers have stockpiles... and if the scare goes away... and an agreement is made between delphi and the union... will GM slow its orders, causing delphi to idle? how long is GM prepared to let delphi strike? that is obviously the same time period delphi will be basically idled... how much will that cost delphi?

William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com December 28, 2011 For the past decade, the best selling luxury brand has been Lexus. However, 2011 has been a fall of grace for Lexus and caused them to relinquish their top selling crowd. Now, Mercedes-Benz and BMW are fighting to see who becomes the top seller. At last tally, BMW holds a slight edge of Mercedes, selling 1,582 more vehicles than Mercedes in November. Now, entering the final month of 2012, both are going all out on incentives. TrueCar.com says BMW and Mercedes-Benz are offering approximately $4,800 USD in discounts by way of subsidizing interest rates (as low as 0.9 percent), waiving lease payments f…

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 2, 2012 According to research firm Baum and Associates, American buyers are taking a liking to diesel vehicles. Through June of this year, 61,214 diesel-powered vehicles have been sold in the U.S., an increase of 27.5%. That number might not sound like a lot, but sales of diesel vehicles are steadily climbing. From April to June, Diesel vehicles saw increases in sales ranging from 14.4% to 28.2%. This news comes in the face of the high price of a gallon of diesel compared to gas. AAA reports that the national average cost of a gallon of diesel is $3.780, compared with $3.521 a gallon for regular gas. "Despite so…

...well, they were about one thing. But I won't spoil it for you-read for yourself. Be that as it may, they conceded that it was hard to find fault with a Bentley SUV as fast, light, and sporty as many of their sedans. It even goes off-road. More at the link: http://m.caranddriver.com/reviews/2017-bentley-bentayga-first-drive-review

The next major development in the hybrid space is expected in 2010, when GM’s Chevy Volt, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, is expected to go into production. The vehicle can charge off a common household outlet. By Roland Jones Associate editor MSNBC Time was when hybrid gas-electric vehicles appealed only to the greenest car consumers more concerned about saving the environment than saving on gasoline bills. Gas prices hitting $4 a gallon have changed all that. Now there’s an out-and-out stampede to buy hybrid vehicles, as drivers downscale from large SUVs to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. Popular models like the Honda Civic Hybrid are in short supply, an…

We have heard countless promises and teases from various Chinese automakers about entering the U.S. market. But one automaker appears to be making a serious effort to make it a reality. Last week at the Detroit Auto Show, Guangzhou Automotive Group (GAC) announced that it plans on launching the GS8 SUV in later 2019, and will attend this year's National Automobile Dealers Association convention in March. "We will attend the NADA convention in preparation for entering the North American market in the fourth quarter of 2019," said GAC President Yu Jun. “We will explore all sorts of channels, including partnering” with other dealership groups, he said. “We wi…

As of yester day Crane Cams went out of buisness. I had said a few months back we would lose some of the players in the perfromance aftermarket and this is the first to fall. I know of several others who have had money trouble while times were good and I don't expect them to weather the economy down turn.

One could do a basic internet search and come up with plenty of stories on the top 8, Top 10 or Top 12 solid state battery companies in 2023. Here at Cheers and Gears we have done 9 such stories covering College Research turned into Battery Startup's that all have their own take on the ultimate Forever battery of Solid State design. What is a solid-state battery and why is it considered a Forever battery? To understand this discussion, we have to start with understanding the difference between a Conventional and solid-state battery. Traditional EV batteries, pretty much any battery today as it has been used for the last century is made up of a cathode…

GM, Ford US sales slide continues in January By Poornima Gupta Mon Jan 30, 11:28 AM ET DETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Corp. (NYSE:GM - news) and Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F - news) lost additional U.S sales and market share to Japanese rivals in January, analysts said, as consumers' shift toward more fuel-efficient vehicles left Detroit's top automakers in the slow lane. Wall Street expects GM and Ford, whose U.S. share has declined steadily over the last decade, to report sales slides of as much as 10 percent when the industry releases results on Wednesday. Toyota Motor Corp.(7203.T) is seen posting a gain of about 10 percent. "Imports and transplants have eaten D…

The mention of this in the ELR thread got me thinking about the topic. Recently, google was licensed to operate their driverless cars on public highways in California. At least, that's the gist of what I heard a short while ago on the radio in the form of a news report. This raises all sorts of questions, and fears. The way I see it, those fears are somewhat unfounded. Yes, those pursuing this technology like to daydream about magically eliminating traffic jams and accidents in a world without human drivers. But things are unlikely to work out that way. Resistance will come from all quarters (and with good reason), it would be a long and bloody battle to enforce this vi…

Never new about this.... The UAW is a dragging anchor for the big 3 and needs to be cut loose. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,472304,00.html

Opel Ampera Teased Ahead of Geneva GM has released a teaser image of Opel's upcoming Ampera concept ahead of its Geneva debut. Based on GM's Voltec platform, this will be the third vehicle to be shown using the architecture, although unlike the Converj, this looks more closely based on the Volt. Follow the jump to find out the details. Ampera

http://anunreasonableman.com/synopsis.cfm http://video.msn.com/v/us/v.htm?g=4305fa25...64&fg=email

QuantumScape is on a mission and their mission is as follows: Let's get to the nuts and bolts of this battery company and answer the first question that many would want to know, "Who are the companies that have signed on to use QuantumScape's battery technology or invested in the company?". Volkswagen Toyota Daimler Ford Honda General Motors Mitsubishi SAIC Motors BMW Nissan quantumscape-will-now-sell-its-solid-state-batteries-to-a-fourth-carmaker-182980.pdf If we are to go by the source they have in their SEC filing, one could imply that th…

Cadillac's Converj Becomes The ELR Cadillac has announced the Converj will be going into production and it will be coming with a new name; ELR. Discuss your thoughts about the ELR in the thread

Seems Chris Doan, occasional visitor to C&G caught a Dodge Durango Hellcat exposed for the world to see. Seems the folks did not secure the tarp too good and HotRod is showing off the images of the beast with the new nose clip. Story Interesting seeing this nose on the Durango. Check out more picks at HotRod.com web site.

To say that today the average auto is a supercomputer would be an understatement. Auto's are being asked to do so much now that many take it for granted what they can do and others wonder why self driving auto's are not already normal here after years of self driving auto's being promised. Part of this is computer tech only now getting up to speed, other reasons is adoption by people. Consumer Reports decided to check out just how good is autonomous driving and is it more of a Semi-automated driving. Consumer Reports has compared the Cadillac Super Cruise, Tesla's AutoPilot along with Nissan's ProPilot and Volvo's Pilot Assist. While GM, Tesla and Volvo did not…

Aptera Motors, the company behind the odd looking, three wheel electric vehicle called the 2e has announced today they're closing up shop. In a letter written by Aptera Motors President and CEO, Paul Wilbur, Aptera was unable to raise enough money from investors to keep it going until it received a $150 million loan from the Department of Energy's Advance Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program. "This is a difficult time for everyone connected with our company because we have never been closer to realizing our vision," Wilbur wrote. The closure ends a saga that started back in 2006 when the company made the announcement the 2e would get the equivalent of 300 m…

Apparently, Fiat's alliance with Chrysler is only the beginning. According to a variety of reports coming out of the UK and Germany, the Italian automaker's expansion plans aren't limited to its 20% stake in Chrysler – Fiat is also considering acquiring General Motors' European operations, including Opel, Vauxhall and even Saab. The result could be a new company that spins off Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo, along with Chrysler and GM Europe, into one corporate entity worth around $106 billion and rivaling Volkswagen to become the world's second largest automaker behind Toyota. In an interview with the Financial Times, Fiat's CEO Sergio Marchionne said of the union, "Fro…

"If for nothing else, halo cars should be appreciated for one thing: the trickle-down effect. Now, owners of standard Corvette Stingrays can benefit from the go-fast development that produced the wicked Chevrolet Corvette Z06." Sounds like something I'd write, actually Anyhoo, if you're allergic to superchargers/a track rat, Chevy has just the plan for you. Read more at the link: http://www.motortrend.com/news/2016-chevrolet-corvette-stingray-ultimate-performance-package-quick-drive-review/

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_cont...wNnYXMtY2FyZA-- Now this sounds interesting! I wonder how well this will work out...

On the surface, Faraday Future appears to been having a run of good luck. It had gotten a major investment from healthcare division of Chinese real estate group Evergrande; testing is continuing on their first EV, the FF 91; and the company has started building pre-production vehicles at its US plant. But trouble always seems to be looming and it has struck once again for the start-up automaker. Yesterday, Reuters reported on a filing made by Evergrande Health for the Hong Kong stock exchange accusing Faraday Future of trying to cancel a deal to sell a 45 percent stake to Evergrande. Back in June, Evergrande Health agreed to buy the 45 percent stake into FF from prev…

Fiat considering new company to combine Chrysler and GM Europe Fiat's alliance with Chrysler may only be the beginning, as it toys with teh idea of forming an alliance with GM Europe. Follow the jump to learn more. http://www.cheersandgears.com/index.php?showtopic=31750

The Good News About America's Auto Industry Sure, Detroit is hurting. But in the Sunbelt, foreign carmakers are expanding, hiring, and stoking local growth Nandra Barnes knows about dead-end jobs. For seven years, the single mother of three labored as a welder at an air-conditioning factory in Grenada, Miss., a gritty job that, at $11.50 an hour, left her living paycheck to paycheck. Job security? Forget it. With every dip in orders, the factory would lay off more workers. "It seemed like there were always cutbacks," she recalls. Barnes was fearful of the day she would get the tap on the shoulder. So when Nissan Motor Co. (NSANY) opened a sprawling $1.4 billion asse…

Union of Concerned Scientists' Relases Their 2011 Hybrid Scorecard William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com July 14, 2011 The Union of Concerned Scientists, a non-profit science advocacy group in the U.S., has released its 2nd annual Hybrid Scorecard. The hybrid scorecard grades hybrid models on fuel efficiency, environmental impact, value-for-money and their so-called “forced-feature premium”. The last one being a measure of features that don't improve fuel economy, but make it more appealing to buyers. Thirty-four hybrids were tested, graded on the criteria, and placed into their respective categories. The top models in the Non-Luxury Models…

Oh what a feeling: Kim's Japanese car blitz February 19, 2007 - 4:03PM North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has ordered the seizure of all Japanese-made cars in the communist country after he spotted a broken-down model blocking a road, a press report said today. The order came on January 1 when Kim visited the embalmed body of the North's founding leader Kim Il-sung, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said, in a sign of his growing discontent with Japan's hardline stance on North Korea. It quoted unnamed sources as saying Kim's sudden order might be connected with Japan's push for sanctions against North Korea following its first-ever nuclear test last year. "After he paid…

Buying and selling vehicles in Cuba is an interesting proposition. If you own or want to buy a vehicle before 1959 (the year when Cuba underwent a revolution and became a communist nation), you don't have to ask the government for permission. If the vehicle built after 1959, then you would have to obtain a special permit from the government which allows you to buy that vehicle. But buying a vehicle in Cuba in the near future will become a much easier affair. The Cuban Government announced last week that it will eliminate the permit as a way to open up the marketplace to more people. “It’s become clear that while private sales of cars between individuals has developed s…

Motor Trend - Base SS 6-speed Manual 0-60: 4.0 sec 1/4 mi: 12.4 @ 114.6 mph Lat grip: 1.00g Bass SS curb weight: 3670 lbs http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/2016-chevrolet-camaro-ss-first-test-review/ C&D - Loaded SS 8-speed auto 0-60: 3.9 sec 1/4 mi: 12.3 @ 116 mph Lat grip: .98g Loaded curb weight: 3760 lbs http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2016-chevrolet-camaro-ss-automatic-test-review Autoblog - Loaded V6 + V6 delivers good sound (!!) and unexpected performance + Crazy low weight 3450 lbs + Interior ergonomics - Some poor interior fitment (pre-production?) http://www.autoblog.com/2015/10/16/2016-chevrolet-camar…

After driving the new Lincoln MKX, Ezra Dyer just seems to have gotten mad: "The MKX faces the same challenging family dynamic as all current Lincolns, in that it’s a first cousin of a Ford—in this case, the Edge. And herein lies the problem: If the Ford version of a vehicle isn’t impressive, then the Lincoln version isn’t likely to fare better. And if the Ford version is great, then why not just buy the Ford?" "People don’t buy a Lexus ES350 because it’s so much better than a Toyota Avalon. They buy it because that L on the grille means something, and it means something because there’s an LS and an IS and an RC, cars without a Toyota equivalent... the upcoming Continen…

Flogging these pickup trucks off-road wasn't our only consideration when picking the 2017 Monster Factory Off-Road Challenge winner. Each truck racked up points through rigorous evaluations in a number of subjective categories that included judges' scores in interior quality, versatility, value and more. Points also were awarded for measured testing of acceleration and braking and various truck-centric capabilities, including payload and gross vehicle weight ratings. The winner was perhaps a bit lopsided in off-road chops and leaned so far in that direction that its shortcomings in other areas weren't serious enough to keep it off the top of the podium. Here's how th…

With President Donald Trump tweeting last Friday threating a 20 percent tariff on all imports of European Union assembled cars, the EU has responded by saying it would raise their tariffs on imports of U.S.-built vehicles. “If they decide to raise their import tariffs, we’ll have no choice, again, but to react,” said EU Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen. “We don’t want to fight (over trade) in public via Twitter. We should end the escalation.” This comes a month after the Trump administration announced an investigation into new car imports on the grounds of national security. U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said late last week the department is e…

Chevy Camaro Convertible caught outside Oshawa plant The on again off again Camaro convertible is apparently still on. GM says the convertible will be available as a 2011 model. A prototype has once again been spied oustde of Oshawa. Story Link

"For $54,290, which includes the price of the base Camaro SS, the tuner is offering the Callaway Camaro SC600 package... In addition to a supercharger, the package also includes a triple-element intercooler, and the requisite badges, floor mats, and keychains to denote your car as having the Callaway touch. No suspension, chassis, or brake mods are included... if you have your eye on a 2016 Camaro SS and want a little more juice out of it, you know where to look. Plus, the Callaway Camaro SC600 will come with a three year or 36,000 mile limited warranty. "We don't really see a downside to this." Indeed. Veddy nice, if I say so myself. The Callaway dealer in Edmonton …

10 best and worst value holders after 5 years.

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BASF acquires site for North American battery materials and recycling expansion in Canada BASF, a major chemical company out of Germany has acquired a major site in Canada for battery production and recycling. The note of interest is that the site will start construction and battery production once ready but will be an ongoing construction as the site will be able to handle 100 kt of battery production. The key interest in how big this site is that Tesla has their biggest battery site in Arizona which can produce 50 megawatts of batteries per year or equal to about 500,000 Tesla 3 auto's. 100 kt is the acronym for kilotons and when converted into the more f…

If i recall, one of the big reasons SUV sales of a certain vehicle weight or higher were so high was because of the accelerated tax credit for buying such vehicles. Um, the government is responsible for driving SUV sales and now they are using those sales as a reason to lynch the domestics? Despite toyota and Nissan expanding their full size truck and SUV offerings immensely? Kia too? WHat am I missing?

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 29, 2013 Three computer scientists who were going to publish a paper on how to circumvent the security system that verifies the identity of an ignition key have been stopped by the UK High Court. Flavio Garcia, a computer science lecturer at the University of Birmingham and Baris Ege and Roel Verdult, two cryptography experts from Dutch university Stichting Katholieke were going to publish a paper at the Usenix Security Symposium in Washington DC next month. The paper was to outline how they were able to crack a system called Megamos Crypto, a system that allows a vehicle to check the identity of a ignition key. H…

" Dearborn — Ford Motor Co. will invest $1.2 billion in three Michigan facilities to prepare for production of the all-new Ford Ranger and Bronco, and to support the company’s expansion into mobility. The company said Tuesday it will invest $850 million to retool its Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne for truck and SUV production; $150 million in its Romeo Engine Plant to expand capacity for several vehicles; and $200 million to build a data center at the company’s Flat Rock Assembly Plant. Ford announced in January the Flat Rock facility also would see a $700 million investment and 700 new jobs to support the production of electrified and autonomous vehicles. The…

Seems interesting... and exciting...

Facebook Connect Now Avaialble Like Facebook? Like Cheers and Gears? If so, your day has arrived! One of the hottest features of the new forum software is the ability for users to link their C&G accounts to their Facebook account, and quickly post C&G news items to their Facebook profile. We're proud to say that we now offer this to our members. To set up Facebook Connect, just do the following: 1. Go to your control panel on the upper right where your username is. 2. Select "my profile" from the drop down list. 3. Click on "edit my profile" 4. On the next screen on the left is says "manage facebook connect" 5. Click on facebook link and you can do th…

EARNINGS, COMPENSATION: Visteon grants raises Supplier's year-end results improve with help from former owner Ford BY JASON ROBERSON FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER February 11, 2006 Executives at Visteon Corp., the nation's second-largest auto-parts supplier, recorded handsome raises even as the company announced year-end losses Friday. In filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission Friday, Visteon reported fourth quarter and year-end earnings and details about increased compensation for executives. The pay raises come as the company's numbers improved last year, even though that improvement depended almost solely on relief from former owner Ford Motor Co. For…

Cadillac Shows Off The Ciel Concept Anyone who read the Cadillac ELR press release noticed a line about Cadillac premiering another car at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Here it is, the Cadillac Ciel Concept.

Milwaukee, WI - Harley-Davidson's fundraising efforts for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) raised more than $87,000 during the 2007 Sturgis Rally in Sturgis, SD. Harley-Davidson employees, MDA organizers and event volunteers participated in various activities to raise dollars during the event August 4-11. Harley-Davidson and MDA volunteers sold event pins and raffle tickets for a 2008 Harley-Davidson FXSTC Softail Custom motorcycle customized by Willie G Davidson with special Sturgis graphics. As an added feature the motorcycle was fully accessorized with Genuine Motor Accessories installed live at the Harley-Davidson Road Tour Festival site at Rapid City’s Rus…

Zaiser Motors of Colorado has shown off their Cruiser version of an electric motorcycle in AWD/RWD form. The basic design is a 300 mile range motorcycle that can reach 60mph in 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 120 mph. Looking at the history of motorcycle startups as well as established companies like Harley Davidson with their livewire bike that only has 90 miles of range, the obvious question is how do they get such a long range on a bike? The answer is in-wheel hub motors. Yes, there has been much written about the pro's and cons of in-wheel hub motors. Pro, you no longer have the drive chains/belts and other consumable parts that require maintenan…

THE 2011 REGAL: A BUICK BRED ON THE AUTOBAHN GM will be announcing the all new 2011 Buick Regal on November 12th in Los Angeles. The car is expected to hit showrooms in 2010. Discuss the newest addition to the Buick family in our discussion forums.

New Chevrolet Colorado Previewed Check out the press release on the new Chevrolet Colorado being debuted in Southeast Asia

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com December 6, 2012 A month a after American Suzuki Corporation filled for bankruptcy and announced the closure of its automotive branch, 98% of its dealers (213 dealers) have agreed to a settlement offered by the company. The settlement would compensate dealers 50% within ten days of the agreement, with the rest following after the bankruptcy proceeding. The settlements also allow former dealers to operate as a service centers to provide warranty and repair services for Suzuki vehicles. "We greatly value our relationship with our customers, and it is very important to us that they continue to receive the necessary support…

http://www.autoobserver.com/2007/07/detroi...FTOKEN=47935534 Guest Commentary: Detroit's Big Three on the Road to Oblivion July 23, 2007 By Richard Feast Oh, how my old colleagues in the U.S. liked to tease if the topic of the decline of the U.K. auto industry arose. The derision was deserved. The U.K. automotive industry was second in scale only to that of the U.S. in the 1950s. It was the world’s leading car exporter, putting bread on hundreds of thousands of tables across the country. Today, the U.K.’s indigenous manufacturers have either vanished or been taken over by foreign competitors. No other country so nonchalantly kissed goodbye to so much potential we…

Great Britain is planning to ban the sale of conventional gas and diesel vehicles from 2040 to help reduce air pollution. The government announced this in a paper published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). "There should be no new diesel or petrol vehicles by 2040," said environment minister Michael Gove to BBC Radio. This is part of the government's £2.7bn blueprint for tackling air pollution. This includes investments going towards building out a charging infrastructure, more efficient public transport, and promoting walking and bicycling. It needs to be noted that the ban will not affect models with hybrid and plug-in hybrid d…

(if this fits another section better feel free to move it there.) Nitrous oxide has now become the largest ozone-depleting substance emitted through human activities, and is expected to remain the largest throughout the 21st century, NOAA scientists say in a new study. For the first time, this study has evaluated nitrous oxide emissions from human activities in terms of their potential impact on Earth’s ozone layer. As chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which have been phased out by international agreement, ebb in the atmosphere, nitrous oxide will remain a significant ozone-destroyer, the study found. Today, nitrous oxide emissions from human activities are more than twice…

full article here Lots that I don't agree with, but at least he tries. The leaders of General Motors, Ford and Chrysler recently had their long awaited summit with U.S. President George W. Bush last week. Sensitive to public sentiment, auto leaders argued they were not looking for special treatment. Instead, they sought adjustments in public policy that would benefit both the country and their operating environment. A close look at their problems and actions indicates automakers are not willing to address tough issues and Washington cannot save them. <more>

A number of German automakers are recalling a number of diesel vehicles to tweak the engine management software to produce less nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. Reuters reports that Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Opel, Porsche, and Volkswagen have agreed to recall 630,000 diesel vehicles to tweak engine management software. The software in question can turn off emission treatment systems to improve engine performance and increase the services interval. Is it legal? Yes, thanks to a legal loophole that allows automakers to throttle back emission treatment systems in certain situations to protect engines. This was discovered in various European emission tests. In light of the …

Last week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) could help provide the necessary funding to make the company private. But a new report hints that the PIF could invest its money into a different electric automaker. Reuters has learned from sources that the PIF is in talks with Lucid Motors about a potential investment. The two have drawn up a term sheet where the PIF could invest more than $1 billion into Lucid Motors and become the majority stakeholder. One source adds that the first investment would only be for $500 million and that subsequent investments would only come if Lucid Motors is able to hit certain production mile…

Automakers will bring European designs to U.S., and stay with gas engines. Expect these new models to hit the road in the next five years. Everybody knows the auto world has shifted. The trick is divining which brands have got the gumption to last. Now, with President Obama's new efficiency standards requiring a fleet-wide fuel economy average of 35.5 miles per gallon, automakers have their work cut out for them. Domestic carmakers in particular are gearing up to battle forthcoming offerings from new-to-the-U.S.Fiat, with its diminutive 55.5-mile-per-gallon Fiat 500, and Chinese newcomer BYD, maker of the staid hybrid-electric F3DM sedan. Motor City had bett…

. GM falls out of Fortune 500's top ten for first time in over a century GM moves to 15th due to bailout and bankruptcy in 2009.