Industry News
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President Donald Trump is no fan of German automakers. Take for instance this quote from last January, He has also made comments about BMW in the past few months in light of possible tariffs (which appear to be going into effect today). Now, new comments have been brought to light where the president wants to try and ban German cars from the U.S. German magazine Wirtschaftswoche reports that during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to the U.S. in April, Trump said that he will maintain his current trade policy "until no Mercedes models rolled on Fifth Avenue in New York." This information comes from several unnamed European and U.S. diplomats. At the t…
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Consider this: Citroen pulled out of the U.S. in the eighties, while Peugeot would leave in 1991. But according to Automotive News, PSA/Peugeot-Citroen could be making a return with their DS brand. “We want to make DS a global premium brand, and you cannot be global without the U.S.,” said DS CEO Yves Bonnefont. The DS lineup was previously a division of the Citroen brand, providing premium models to compete with likes of MINI Cooper and Audi A3. However, PSA made the decision to make DS a stand alone brand this year. Bonnefont said a decision on making a return to the U.S. would come in 2017 at the earliest, and sales would not begin sometime after 2020. Source: Auto…
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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…
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The threat of a 20 percent tariff on vehicles exported from the European Union has a number of automakers panicking. But that tariff could be taken off the table if the EU removes their tariff on vehicles exported from the U.S. German paper Handelsblatt learned from sources that a meeting was held between the US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell and number of CEOs from German automakers. Grenell presented an offer directly from President Donald Trump - "elimination of all tariffs on automobile imports on both sides and removal of non-tariff barriers, such as regulations on the size of rear mirrors." Currently, the U.S. levies a 2.5 percent tariff on vehicle…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com August 6, 2012 If you're one of those people who wanted a H1, or the actual wartime vehicle that inspired it, have we got some news for you. After a twelve year break from the civilian market, AM General is reportedly set to offer a kit-car of the C-Series HMMWV, or Humvee. The kit will meet U.S. government regulations and has been made possible by a deal with GM. The kit will include a body with 2,800 installed rivets, chassis with springs, cross members, geared hubs, half-shafts, differentials, a cooling package, two fuel tanks, and a soft top with soft doors. The only items you need to add is the engine and transm…
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The long-rumored joint roadster/sports car project that BMW and Toyota are working on has found a home for production. German newspaper Kleine Zeitung reports Magna Steyr - a unit of Magna International based in Canada and specializes in building low-volume models - has been contracted by BMW to build a new model at the Graz, Austria plant starting in 2018. The plan is to have an annual production run of 60,000 vehicles. BMW has confirmed that it will be contracting Magna Steyr to build a new model next year after deciding it would end production of the Countryman and Paceman at the factory - possibly the next 5-Series sedan. The Paceman will be axed while the Country…
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The Takata Airbag recall now stands as the largest vehicle recall ever due to how many vehicles around the world use them. In the U.S. alone, 19 auto manufacturers have recalled 49 million vehicles with the airbags that can shoot out shrapnel in the event of an accident. 11 deaths and 184 injuries in the U.S. have been linked to these airbags. Due to this, Takata has been facing numerous lawsuits and investigations. A new report says that Takata is close to closing one of those investigations. The Wall Street Journal has learned from sources that Takata is in negotiations with the U.S. Justice Department about a possible settlement. The deal would see the Japanese su…
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Chinese automakers see the U.S. as a land opportunity and have been making promises to start selling vehicles in the near future. None so far have made it. Now one Chinese brand is reconsidering their plans. SAIC Motor Corp., China's largest automaker and partner with GM, has put their U.S. ambitions on hold. Michael Yang, executive director of SAIC Motor’s international department said at a briefing that they have uncertainties about the trade policy between China and the U.S. due to the election of Donald Trump. Yang went on to say that the company would implement their U.S. strategy once it has gotten clarity. For the time being, SAIC has moved up plans to start s…
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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…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com November 7, 2012 Hurricane Sandy was the largest storm in the Atlantic in US history, and the economic damage is beginning to come into view. Automotive News is reporting that around 15,000 new vehicles will be scrapped due to storm damage. About 40% of those are Nissan and Infiniti vehicles that were determined to be unfit for sale. Toyota is next with the possibility of having to scrap close to 4,000 vehicles. Other automakers that have announced they would have to scrap vehicles include, Honda/Acura: 3,440 vehicles Chrysler: 825 vehicles Hyundai: 400 vehicles Fisker: 320 vehicles Kia: 200 vehicles Gener…
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May was a horrible month for automakers as many reported sales drops. Part of this can be attributed sales of cars (especially sedans) imploding. According to Automotive News, the 15 largest automakers all posted lower car sales. Overall car sales dropped 16 percent. "We don't get a lot of ups on cars right now, as far as people even wanting a price on them," said Gary Uftring, president of Uftring Auto Group in Peoria, Ill. "Styling has changed, and what people want to be seen in is a crossover or a sport utility." Case in point, light-truck sales rose 2.4 percent in May. Sedans were the hardest hit for May. Here's a rundown of the big losers, Toyota Ca…
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A self-driving shuttle service got off to an auspicious start yesterday in Las Vegas when it was involved in an accident with a delivery truck. According to NBC affiliate KSNV, the accident took place during the shuttle's first hour of service when a delivery truck back into the shuttle. According to an AAA representative on Twitter, the driver was cited by Las Vegas Metro Police. "The autonomous shuttle was testing today when it was grazed by a delivery truck downtown. The shuttle did what it was supposed to do, in that it’s sensors registered the truck and the shuttle stopped to avoid the accident. Unfortunately, the delivery truck did not stop and grazed the …
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com December 15, 2011 Yesterday, the Senate Commerce Committee approved a bill that would overhaul the nation's auto safety laws. The bill includes measures to raise the maximum fine for automakers that delay recalls from $17.35 million to $250 milllion. The bill also includes measures that would give states grants for banning texting while driving or the use of cell phones by teen drivers, increase funding for research, improve the vehicle recall database and website, create a hotline for mechanics, dealers and auto workers to complain anonymously about safety problems with vehicles, and new regulations on pedal placeme…
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Industry News: Senate Passes Mandatory Black Boxes In Vehicles By 2015, House Expected To Follow 1 2 3
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 15, 2012 Its been working its way through the halls of congress, but according to Car and Driver, the "black box" mandate for cars could be in the books. The Senate has already voted to adopt a transportation bill that has a provision mandating event data recorders to be equipped into new vehicles starting in 2015. The House of Representatives is considering a version with slightly different language. The current state of the bills are "vague". In the Senate version, the bill states that devices must “capture and store data related to motor vehicle safety” and release this information to an “interoperable data acc…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com March 16, 2012 This week, Senators on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee criticized the Energy Department on their handling of the $25 billion Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing initiative. Created in 2007, the Energy Department has only given out less than half of the funds during the four years of existence. Only four companies have gotten their loans; Ford, Nissan, Fisker Automotive, and Tesla. The Energy Department hasn’t given out any loans within two years and that has caused many companies to drop out. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said many companies have expressed deep frustration about not …
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A Pittsburgh Port Authority Bus became stuck in a sink hole in downtown Pittsburgh this morning. The bus was waiting at a traffic light when the road gave way. There were two people on the bus who were able to get off the bus safely. A Kia Optima was also left with its front wheels hanging into the hole. The incident occurred at about 7:40 a.m. outside the Westin Hotel downtown on the corner of 10th street and Penn Avenue. The hole is about 20 feet deep and 75 feet wide. The bus is sitting on three powerlines, two of which are high voltage 22,000 volt lines. Several gas lines and fiber lines have also be impacted. The cranes to lift the bus out of the sink …
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The past ten years has seen a number of automakers either being folded up or taken into other automakers. But an analyst believes there is more consolidation for the automotive marketplace. Morgan Stanley auto analyst Adam Jonas said in a research note earlier this month says in the future there will only be five to six automakers in the world. This comes down to such factors as economics and technologies. “We believe the radically changing landscape of autos requires a commensurate change of thinking in Detroit if the domestic OEMs, as we have traditionally known them, are to remain relevant 15 or 20 years from now. The world has too many car companies: We cover nearl…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 11, 2012 Small cars are on track to to capture the largest share of the U.S. auto market since 1993 according to Bloomberg. Sales of compact and sub-compact vehicles jumped 50% to 240,288 units last month, giving the segment a 19.3% of market share through September. That's only 1.2% off the highest market share that small vehicles ever got back in 1993. “Traditionally small cars were purchased by people who couldn’t afford anything else. Right now, that’s not the case. We see people choosing them because they find them more appealing,” said Jesse Toprak, an industry analyst for TrueCar.com. Why are small cars …
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April's auto sales are one most automakers would like to pretend never happen due to big declines. But if there is a silver lining to April sales, it has to go to small sports cars. Automotive News ran the numbers and found that sales of small sports cars rose 3.4 percent so far this year. Contrast this with 12 percent drop in overall demand for cars. The big winner in this group was the Mazda MX-5 Miata with sales up 35 percent so far this year. Sales in April declined slightly from March (1,319 vs. 1,345 units), but rose sharply when compared to January (929) and February (1,108). Other models saw noticeable increases: Fiat 124 Spider saw its sales ris…
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Small SUVs and crossovers are making huge gains in terms of sales. A key part of this success comes down to a single group of buyers, single women. Data from research company MaritzCX reveals that sales of small SUVs to women rose 34 percent between 2010 and 2015. In the same time, sales of these vehicles to single men only rose 22 percent. Sales of small luxury SUVs saw a large increase of 177 percent to women. Out of the total amount of women buyers, 40 percent are single. “There’s a group of single, professional females out there that need vehicles, and you need to be attentive to them,” said James Mulcrone, director of research services at MaritzCX to Bloomber…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 17, 2012 The current Suzuki SX4 is going on six years and its beginning to show its age. Suzuki knows this and is working on the next generation SX4. Some new spy shots show how much progress Suzuki has made on the next SX4. The next SX4 appears to be much larger than the current model, thanks to larger greenhouse. Other design changes include a new grille and headlamps. There also appears to be a large intercooler that is hiding behind the lower fascia, meaning the next SX4 could be packing a turbo engine. This is a play for fuel economy and not performance. Source: Autoblog William Maley is a staff writer for C…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 28, 2012 From the 'oh not this again' file; Spyker and Chinese automaker, Youngman have signed a new agreement for a joint venture to develop new vehicles. The deal has Youngman Automotive investing €10,000,000 (about $12.5 million ) for a 29.9% stake in Spyker. Youngman will also invest €25,000,000 (about $31 million) for the development of an all-new Spyker vehicle, the D8 P2P (Peking to Paris). You might remember this vehicle as the 2006 D12 Peking-To-Paris Concept. This was one of vehicles floated out by Spyker CEO, Victor Muller back in April when he looking for investors for the company. The agreement also …
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There looks to be another automaker who wants to enter the North American market. Korean brand Ssangyong is planning a Wrangler-style high-design SUV sometime in the later half of this decade. The SUV would be based on the automaker's recently launched Tivoli crossover and have styling that is in line with the Korando, a model that started off as a licensed CJ-7 clone. Power will come from Tivoli as well, which includes 1.6L gas and diesel engines. So why try entering the North American market now? “The company has never cracked North America because it requires a huge investment and because the distributor model that we use in other territories wouldn’t reall…
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A new study finds that General Motors is dead last when it comes to relationships with suppliers. Automotive consultant group Planning Perspectives Inc (PPI), released the results of their annual study which asks the biggest suppliers to rate the six automakers who sell more than 85 percent of vehicles in the U.S. Suppliers rated GM low in many key areas such as communication skills, protection of intellectual property, unwillingness to adjust prices due to unforeseen increases, and overall trustworthiness. "As a result, GM is now the least preferred customer of suppliers," PPI said. Source: Reuters William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be rea…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com January 18, 2012 According to a report from research firm R.L. Polk & Co, the average of age of a vehicle on the road stands at 10.8 years last July. The report says the average age of passenger vehicles stands at 11.1 years, while for light trucks, it’s 10.4 years. Polk says the median age of cars has been on the rise for the past 16 years because people are keeping their cars longer due to various reasons. Most recently, the economic downturn has caused many Americans to keep their vehicles even longer, waiting for a better occasion to buy a new car. Polk says for this year, the average age will still be around…
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Despite countless studies and reports that say Gen Y (AKA millienals) aren't interested in cars, a new study released this week says this key group are interested in cars. Deloitte LLP, a financial consulting firm published their Global Automotive Consumer Study which showed that Gen Y is very much interested in getting their own vehicle, despite not having the same love affair as their parents and grandparents. "Well over half (61 percent) of Gen Y consumers in the Deloitte report expect to buy or lease a car within the next three years," said Craig Giffi, vice chairman of Deloitte. Giffi went onto say that "almost a quarter (23 percent) expect to purchase or lease in …
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com April 16, 2013 With gas prices on the rise, you would think sales of subcompact vehicles would also be rising? No. Wards Auto reports that subcompact sales are off since October, even though the price of a gallon of gas is rising and holding steady at $3.50 to $4.00 across the country. So why the drop off in subcompacts? Wards has a couple ideas to explain this. For one, the reason might lie in the boom/bust cycle that comes as a result of new or aging models in each segment. For example, the large crossover class are up a whopping 61% in the same time frame, thanks in part to new models and derivatives. But as Wards …
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Congratulations America. It seems we now buy more SUVs and crossovers than sedans according to a new study from IHS Automotive. Through May of 2014, IHS says that SUVs and CUVs account for 36.5 percent of new car registrations, compared to the 35.4 percent of registrations for sedans. This is a reversal from five years ago where sedans stood at 36.3 percent of registrations, compared to the 31.4 percent for SUVs and crossovers. “It’s not that sedans have become unpopular. It’s just that CUVs have really grown. They drive like cars, but they have higher positioning, the option for four-wheel drive and better fuel economy. There’s more space for seating. It’s easy to see w…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com November 13, 2012 The news of Suzuki automobiles leaving the U.S. has left their dealers with a choice, either take a cash settlement or take Suzuki to court. Last week, American Suzuki Motor Corporation was authorized by a U.S. Bankruptcy Court to borrow $45 million dollars as part of a settlement with dealers. The settlement would give dealers a cash settlement, and a new contract giving the dealers the rights to operate as parts and service centers for Suzuki vehicles if the dealers voluntary surrender their agreements with Suzuki. There’s two problems with the settlement. For one, the settlements to be paid out, Suz…
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com March 6, 2013 The end is here for Suzuki automobiles in the U.S. On Thursday, a judge from U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California in Santa Ana approved Suzuki's Chapter 11 reorganization plan. The plan calls for American Suzuki's motorcycle, ATV and marine engine businesses to exit bankruptcy and become part of a new, wholly-owned subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corp, Suzuki Motor of America. Suzuki's automotive branch will go away after dealer sell off the remaining inventory. "Today's confirmation is a significant milestone and is one of the last remaining steps in our realignment and restructurin…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com April 16, 2012 To say Suzuki is hurting would be a large understatement. The brand is showing many signs of trouble which include, Suzuki's first quarter sales totaled 6,561 vehicles, a drop of 2% over last year. Meanwhile, in the same quarter, the market rose 13%. Suzuki skipped the Los Angeles and Detroit Auto Show Suspended their social media activity (i.e. Facebook & Twitter) two months ago Steve Younan, the top U.S. product planning and marketing executive, left in January and will not be replaced. Suzuki hasn't aired a ad nationally since 2009 In January, Suzuki stopped getting data from J.D. Powe…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 10, 2012 Suzuki's presence in the U.S. is, um lackluster. However in other parts of the world, Suzuki is a major player. So whenever the company shows off a new vehicle or concept, that means its not for the U.S. However, a vehicle that will make its premiere at the Paris Motor Show could be arriving to the U.S. Suzuki has released two teaser images of the S-Cross concept, a small crossover. Suzuki says that the S-Cross has a "Emotion x Quality x Aerodynamics" design that uses "distinctive dynamic lines that start on the front bumper, sweep across the doors, and continue to the rear of the body." The S-Cross make…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com November 5, 2012 We knew the day was coming, just when was the question. Now, that day has arrived. Earlier tonight, American Suzuki Motor Corporation has announced they would be filling for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and close up their automotive division. "In evaluating its position in the highly regulated and competitive U.S. automotive industry, ASMC determined that its Automotive division was facing a number of serious challenges. These challenges include low sales volumes, a limited number of models in its line-up, unfavorable foreign exchange rates, the high costs associated with growing and maintaining an automotive d…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com December 7, 2013 The Suzuki Kizashi, a model that was loved by many automotive writers and journalists (your's truly included), but never made a mark on consumers, will not get a second chance. According to Drive.com.au, Suzuki is unlikely to develop a replacement model. “That’s my headache. Kizashi was a very unlucky car,” said Suzuki’s Australian managing director Masaaki Kato. “We had so many arguments about the question: how to handle Kizashi. At that time, frankly speaking, we should not have introduced the car into the market in 2009. But you see, we made a big investment to develop this car… after heavy and hard …
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After months of pressure from the U.S. Government and a number of recalls from automakers, Japanese supplier Takata agreed to declare that its airbag inflators in nearly 34 million vehicles are defective. The announcement was made today by U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx at a press conference. “Up until now Takata has refused to acknowledge that their airbags are defective, That changes today,” said Foxx. The problem with Takata's airbags deals with propellant exploding with too much force and sends dangerous metal fragments flying. This problem has been linked to 6 deaths and more than 100 injuries. Scarily, the root cause of the problem hasn't been fo…
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Airbag manufacturer Takata is at the center of one the largest automotive recalls which affect an estimated 100 million vehicles from two dozen automakers around the world. The airbags in question have inflators that can rupture and send shrapnel flying in the event of a crash. They have been linked to at least 16 deaths and 180 injuries. Now, the next chapter begins as Takata filed for bankruptcy. Yesterday, TK Holdings (Takata's U.S. operations) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware on Sunday with liabilities totaling between $10 billion to $50 billion. The company would file for bankruptcy in Japan today. Takata also announced that it would be selling i…
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A group of ten automakers have agreed to equip all of their new vehicles with an automatic emergency braking (AEB) system in the near future. Audi, BMW, Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo announced today they will work together with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on an agreement and timeline to make automatic braking standard on all of their models. AEB systems work to prevent or lessen the effects of a rear-end collision by detecting an imminent collision and apply the brakes to slow or stop the vehicle. This technology is becoming commonpl…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com November 5, 2012 Tesla announced their third quarter results today and it was a mixed bag. The company announced a $110.8 million loss, a figure that's significantly higher than last year's $65.1 million loss. Tesla partly blames the loss on a slower-than-expected roll-out for the Model S, which went into production in July. Tesla says they have increased production of the Model S from 100 vehicles per week to 200. The company expects to be building 400 vehicles by the end of December. As for revenues, the company exceeded projections of $48 million by bring in $50 million in revenues. Tesla didn't revise its $400 to $44…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 26, 2012 This week, Tesla announced that it's considering boosting production of its Model S sedan to 30,000 units in response to a waiting list that stretches for 10-11 months. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a conference call with analysts that the company is expecting to sell 5,000 Model S sedans by the end of 2012, with 20,000 sales expected next year. That could increase to 30,000 with the addition of a second shift. Currently, Tesla has 12,200 reservations for the Model S sedan. "Our key objective for the rest of the year is to ramp production with a focus on quality and to rollout the Model S experience to a bro…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 22, 2012 Earlier this month, we reported that four states; Illinois, Massachusetts, New York and Oregon were complaining about Tesla and their stores. "Tesla's factory-owned stores present unfair competition for rival dealerships, are inconvenient for consumers needing repairs and, if left unchallenged, ultimately threaten the franchise system," said a report in Automotive News. Tesla didn't see a problem with their stores. "We do what we're capable of doing, and we do whatever they let us do. It's unique for each location. If we can't be a dealer in a mall, we won't do reservations on-site. We tell people wher…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com February 10, 2012 Last night, Tesla introduced their next vehicle, the Model X. Based on on an extended platform of the 5+2 passenger sedan, the Model S, the Model X is a seven passenger crossover EV. Design of the Model X takes a Model S, enlarges it, and adds the back end of the BMW X6. The signature design feature of the Model X is what Tesla is calling falcon-wing doors, a two-piece articulated gullwing door. The trick with the falcon-wing doors is their ability to fold in while opening, thus making it easier to exit in tight spots. Like the Model S, the Model X will be offered with different battery sizes (60 an…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com June 21, 2012 The EPA gave its ratings for the Tesla Model S are they are very good. The EPA rates the new Model S at 88 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) in the City, 90 MPGe on the Highway, and 89 MPGe combined. Range is estimated to be 265 Miles, a 12% decrease from Tesla’s original estimate. (Note, these EPA ratings are for the the top of the line Model S. We’ll learn what the ratings for the other Model Ss in time.) So where does the Model S fall into the EV MPGe ratings? Well it's behind the Honda Fit EV (118 MPGe), Mitsubishi i (112 MPGe), Ford Focus EV (105 MPGe), and Nissan Leaf (99 MPGe). But well ahead of …
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 26, 2012 On the surface, everything seems bright and sunny at Tesla. The company has begun production of the new Model S sedan, introduced a new charging network for Model S drivers that uses solar energy, and is in the process of planning new models. But, Tesla is showing some signs of setbacks of becoming an automaker. In a recent Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Tesla has downgraded their full-year revenue forecast from $550 - $600 million to $400 - $440 million. "We have methodically increased our Model S production at a rate slower than we had earlier anticipated," Tesla said in the filing. Tes…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com June 7, 2012 Tesla's sales and financials have been taking a plunge since the company pulled the plug on their only model, the Roadster last year. However, the company has great hopes for improvement when the new Model S is launched. Tesla CEO Elon Musk told shareholders yesterday that he is “highly confident” that the company will achieve sales of 20,000 vehicles in 2013. The Model S, which will start at $57,400 (before a $7,500 federal tax credit), will initially be offered in the U.S.. Tesla will then expand availability to Europe and Japan in six months, followed by China next year. Tesla will also begin to offe…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 15, 2012 Tesla announced this week they will begin to pay back their loans from the U.S. Government later this year. Tesla chief financial officer Deepak Ahuja told Bloomberg this week, "We are delivering on the milestones, what we're committed to...once we are delivering customer cars, that signifies completion of the project". This suggests once Tesla begins delivering the new Model S sedan out to customers, they will begin paying back the Department of Energy loans. Tesla also announced this week that the first Model S sedans will begin flowing out to customers in June, a month ahead when they originally put …
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com January 19, 2012 Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that a prototype of the all-electric Model X crossover will be revealed on February 9 at Tesla’s design studio in California. Originally to be shown at NAIAS, the Model X will use the Model S sedan’s aluminum-intensive platform. Power is expected to go to all four wheels possibly by utilizing the Model S’s electric drivetrain at the rear wheels while adding one to two electric motors up front to power the front wheels. Besides the pure EV, the Model X will seek to stand out in the crossover market by having a large interior. In a filling with U.S. Securities and Exch…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 21, 2012 Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk recently gave an interview with Automobile Magazine talking about the company and what lies ahead. Musk also took the opportunity to rip into Fisker. “It’s a mediocre product at a high price. The car looks very big, and yet it has no trunk space and is very cramped inside, particularly in the rear seats.” Musk also spoke out against Fisker founder, Henrik Fisker. “The fundamental problem with Henrik Fisker — he is a designer or stylist…he thinks the reason we don’t have electric cars is for lack of styling. This is not the reason. It’s fundamentally a technology problem. At the sa…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 9, 2012 The way Tesla sells their vehicles is very different from other automakers. Their seventeen stores are modeled after the Apple Store; most are in malls for anyone to walk in and look at the vehicles. If you want to order a Tesla, you can do an online reservation. This has drawn the ire of dealers and dealer organizations, which have begun legal efforts to make Tesla's factory stores illegal. Their argument: "Tesla's factory-owned stores present unfair competition for rival dealerships, are inconvenient for consumers needing repairs and, if left unchallenged, ultimately threaten the franchise system," acco…
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Back in 2007, the US Congress created the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing federal loan program to allow the US Government to loan out $25 billion to car manufacturers. The loans were created to help car manufacturers to retool factories and build more fuel-efficient vehicles. But those loans have been slowly trickling out. Only $9.2 of the $25 billion set aside has been used. Also, the program has been taking a long time to approve companies for loans. So far Ford, Nissan, Fisker, and Tesla have already been approved for loans. Chrysler has been waiting for eighteen months while GM has pulled their application. Now, a congressman from Texas wants to get rid of…
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The final development tweaks are being done ahead of the first customer deliveries and with that the AC Cobra is staying faithful to the recreation roots with one twist. Emissions-free electric powertrain is the start of this British marque builders future. The specifications clearly show that this car is staying as much as possible to the roots of the Cobra history that started in 1962 with a Ford Small Block V8 and 60 years later in tribute to that history, the AC Cobra delivers with the following statistics: Acceleration 0-62 mph - 4 seconds Torque 500Nm Peak (369 lb-ft) / 250 Nm Continuous (185 lb-ft) Power 230 kW (308 HP) …
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With the average price of new cars on the rise, the price of used cars follows suit. A new study done by Edmunds finds the average price of a used car has hit a new record high in the second quarter. The average price of a used car has climbed to $18,800, up 7.6 percent when compared to the same time last year. "People are buying more trucks and SUVs, and they're getting them better equipped. More expensive new vehicles means more expensive used vehicles," said Jessica Caldwell, analyst at Edmunds.com. What is causing the uptick in used car prices? The same items which are causing new car prices to go up; better economic outlook, low unemployment, low-interest rat…
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Between now and 2022, at least 50 electric vehicles will be launched. They'll be coming from the likes of Volkswagen, Diamler, and General Motors. Heck, even Dyson is getting into the game. But why this rush to get EVs on the road? It comes down to two things, Tesla and upcoming regulations. “Nobody doubts that the future will be electric. The car companies dragged their feet with electric. Now they are being dragged into it by Tesla and by regulations,” said Erich Joachimsthaler, founder and CEO of brand-strategy firm Vivaldi to Bloomberg. Tesla makes sense as they have created a cult of personality with rabid fans and somehow selling vehicles like hotcakes. A…
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Only a few weeks ago, Toyota and Mazda surprised everyone by announcing a new alliance. The two would collaborate on a number of projects including a $1.6 billion assembly plant, possibly bringing 4,000 new jobs. At the time, the two automakers haven't decided where the plant would go, which sent various states in a frenzy. A report from the Detroit Free Press has learned that the two have sent out a blind request for proposals from states in Midwest, mid-Atlantic and South. Sources tell the paper that the request was from an unidentified employer that was considering options for a new project known as 'Project Mitt'. State officials have sent preliminary proposals t…
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Tesla and General Motors lead the pack when it comes to the sales of plug-in vehicles. Data from Automotive News says Tesla stands at 193,344 vehicles, followed by GM at 181,062, But there arises a problem; once they cross the 200,000 mark, the phaseout of the $7,500 tax credit begins. Tesla is expected to be first with some predicting it taking place next month (provided they don't run into more production troubles). GM will follow sometime next year. Barring some sort of extension of the program, it will put the two automakers in a bit of bind where they'll be playing on an uneven playing field due to increased costs. It should be noted that the tax credit won't di…
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It is already tough for a number of people to afford a new vehicle as the average transaction price keeps rising. According to Kelly Blue Book, the average transaction price for November rose 2.1 percent to $36,978. This isn't being helped by American automakers deciding to stop producing cars due to changing consumer tastes. This was brought to light last week when General Motors announced that it would be cutting a number of cars including the Chevrolet Cruze. Most automakers and dealers believe consumers will move towards utility vehicles, but some dealers believe that consumers may defect from American automakers because they don't offer the vehicle they are looking f…
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While car sales are down, the number of people opting for loan lengths from 73 to 84 months is going up. Karl Kruppa, senior automotive solutions consultant for Experian said at a conference last week that the share of 73 to 84 months car loans has been rising over the past eight years. Through February of this year, 33.8 percent of loans were for terms longer than 73 months. Other numbers to take into consideration, In the fourth quarter of 2010, three-fourths of new-car loans were between 73 to 75 months. Only 17.1 percent of loans were 84 months. Fast forward to the fourth quarter of 2016 and 28.7 percent of new car loans reached 84 months. …
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2018 saw a continuation of near-record sales and large profits for automakers in the U.S., but that appears to be coming to an end. Bloomberg reports various factors are conspiring to end this trend such as increasing interest rates and the average price of a new vehicle hitting record highs. While some may point out that 2018 saw a 0.3 percent increase in vehicle deliveries (17.6 million according to AutoData), analysts point that this is due to the tax cuts brought by President Donald Trump last year and automakers selling more vehicles to fleets. Charlie Chesbrough, senior economist at Cox Automotive said that the big U.S. automakers saw deliveries fall at a faste…
Last reply by G. David Felt, -
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Have you gone out and shopped for new vehicle recently? Are you overwhelmed by the variety of vehicles on offer? For example, if you decide to get a Porsche 911, you have the choice of 22 models. No, that isn't a misprint. Meanwhile other automakers have an array of models that carve out new niches and and mix existing body styles. Consider this, Audi sells 50 different variants around the world, a five-fold increase from the 90's when the German luxury automaker only sold 10 different variants. There has to be a point where automakers reach the point of too much and begin cutting back on their lineups, right? PwC, a consulting firm tells Bloomberg that by 2018, some aut…
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The recently announced alliance between Ford and Volkswagen will not bring any benefits to North America at the beginning. Both companies said that the partnership will focus on Africa, Europe, and South America beginning with commercial vans and the next-generation Ranger/Amarok pickup. Down the road, both Ford and Volkswagen said there could be a potential product for the U.S. While Ford is keeping quiet on what that product could be, Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess said that a commercial vehicle being jointly developed by the two could come over. "Some of those, yes, but it's not yet decided which vehicle comes to America," said Diess. Volkswagen's commerci…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 16, 2012 If you're in the market for a pickup truck, there is some very good news for you. Truck manufacturers are offering rebates ranging from $1,500 to $4,500. So why the large rebates? Well, part of it is to make room for the 2013 models. The other part is due in part to GM. GM's supply of pickup trucks has been growing and growing due in part to the company making sure they have enough supply when they shut down their plants to retool. GM is stuck between a rock and hard place on trying to make sure they have the right amount of trucks. Starting after Labor Day, GM started their semiannual truck promotion…
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With gas prices making a downward trend, sales of SUVs are making an upward climb. In fact, SUVs, pickups, and crossovers when added together make up half of total volume of sales in April. Now with the increase in SUV sales, prices also went up. Edmunds reports that average transaction prices on SUVs have climbed nine percent when compared to last year. Now when something goes up, something must come down. In this case, it happens to be small cars. Edmunds says that the average timeframe to sell a small car has risen from two and half months to three. The increase in the time to sell has also caused the average transaction price to remain flat. Source: Edmunds Vi…
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Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx wants to increase the maximum fine for automakers who fail to recall vehicles in a timely fashion from the current $35 million fine to a much more painful $300 million fine. The increase is part of a new transportation reauthorization bill whose primary focus is to fund maintenance for highways, bridges, and other infrastructures. On a conference call with reporters, Foxx said the fines on automakers need to be “more than a rounding error” to act as a deterrent. The department “wants to make sure there’s an ability to make it count and ensure that there’s enough of an effect across the industry,” Foxx said. The bill also includes …
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com April 10, 2013 Ford, General Motors, and Ram are continuing their stance on ignoring the SAE testing procedure for towing ratings according to Automotive News. The procedure, named J2807, is designed to reflect how the pickups are really used, and are supposed to be more accurate than the non-SAE numbers, which manufacturers supply. The procedure tests a pickup’s structure, propulsion, handling, braking, and thermal-handling ability, in a set environment. This procedure also has the truck equipped and not equipped with a load. All of the truck manufacturers agreed to start this procedure in 2013. Only one manufacture…
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Industry News: Trump Administration To Double Down On Emission Standards and Revoking California's Privileges 1 2
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Fuel efficiency guidelines and California's right to set its own vehicle emissions standards are in the crosshairs of the Trump administration again. Bloomberg has learned from sources that the administration will be introducing a proposal later this week that revises key parts of the Obama-era standards. This includes capping federal fuel economy requirements at 2020 level of 35 mpg fleet wide, instead of the 50 mpg requirement by 2025. There is also a provision that would revoke the Clean Air Act waiver given to California that allows it to set its own emission regulations. Sources go onto say that the proposal is in the final stages of a "broad interagency re…
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Towards the end of Obama presidency, the administration unveiled guidelines for testing and deployment of self-driving cars in the US. But there is a new presidency in the White House and that means things will be changing - although details are scarce as to how. U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said in Detroit yesterday the Department of Transportation would revisit and revise the guidelines put forth by the previous administration within the next few months. "The pressure is mounting for the federal government to do something" about autonomous vehicles, said Chao. "We don't want rules that impede future technological advances." Chao didn't g…
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Not content with a trade war just with China, Donald Trump has opened a second front in what is slowly turning into a trade world war. Yesterday evening, Trump announced that beginning June 10th a 5% tariff would be slapped on all Mexican products coming into the country. That tariff would increase to 10% by July 1st and then go to its 25% maximum in October. For automakers with razor thin margins, there is absolute certainty that the American consumer will end up paying these tariffs. The White House said in a statement: Goods from Mexico account for 13.6 percent of all imported goods to the U.S, totaling about $346.5 billion. Automobiles and their compo…
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The President has threatened to slap tariffs on the import of all cars in a year if Mexico does not completely halt the flow of illegal immigration, a near impossible task. This is after he backtracked on his previous threat to completely close the US-Mexico border, a move his own advisers recommended against. Such actions would have massive economic repercussions on both sides of the border, raising prices for many consumer goods. Trump said, "Mexico understands that we're going to close the border or I'm going to tariff the cars. I'll do one or the other. And probably start with the tariffs". He further added, "I don't think we'll ever have to close the border …
Last reply by Drew Dowdell, -
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The tariffs that Trump had threatened to impose on Mexico starting June 10th will not be going on to effect. Trump tweeted out that Mexico had made concessions to deploy their newly formed Nation Guard to their own southern border and that it only took two days for Mexico to bend to Trump's demands. This is false. The truth, according to a report in the New York Times is that Mexico had already agreed to do that back in March 2019 during secret talks between the (at the time) Director of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen and the Mexican Secretary of Interior Olga Sanchez. Further, Trump claimed a victory via his tariff efforts saying that he had reached an agreem…
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The National Electric Vehicles Sweden (NEVS), the folks who bought up the assets of Saab have licensed the Turkish government to use the aged Saab 9-3 as the basis of a new national vehicle. "We bought Saab 9-3’s intellectual property rights, but not its name," said Fikri Isik. Turkish Science, Industry and Technology Minister. "The brand [of the car to be developed] will be a Turkish brand, it will not be Saab. We will develop the technology in Turkey." Isik told the Turkish government-backed national television network, TRT, that the government had two options: go at it alone and spend $1 Billion dollars on developing their own vehicle or work with someone …
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Revolution most commonly starts in the heart of what is to be disrupted. In this case, oil country is where one of the most revolutionary new motor designs is coming from. The minds at the University of Texas in Dallas, Dr. Babak Fahimi and the Renewable Enery and Vehicular Technology Laboratory brings us this new startup "Linear Labs Inc. A Smart Electric Motor Company" who just completed their funding round to allow them to market and produce their flagship motor, the Hunstable Electric Turbine motor. Currently today's electric vehicle has a high revving horsepower motor with low torque, as an example you can find many electric motors that produce 50 hors…
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There has been a lot of talk about driverless cars with companies (both automotive and tech) promising a safe and grandiose future and a number of high-profile crashes that have resulted in fatalities. This got us wondering how the general public feels about them. Recently, two studies came asking this and their results are very interesting. First up is CarGurus which asked 1,873 vehicle owners in the U.S. between the ages of 18 to 65 about self-driving vehicles. 79 percent of participants said they were not excited about owning a self-driving car. 84 percent said they were unlikely to own a self-driving car in the next five years. This number drops to 59 percent when…
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Two U.S. Senators are calling on the U.S. Department of Transportation to urge owners of General Motors vehicles involved in the ignition switch recall to stop driving them until they are fixed. Senators Edward Markey of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx urging him to ask owners to stop driving their vehicles. "GM has indicated that it could take until October, 2014, before it can complete all the needed repairs. Every day that unrepaired vehicles remain on the road increases the risk of more injuries, deaths and damage," the two senators wrote. But there comes a problem with this. Earlier this mo…
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In light of GM's massive 1.6 million vehicle recall and Toyota's massive $1.2 billion settlement over the unattended acceleration problem, two U.S. Senators introduced legislation to require automakers to provide more information concerning incidents that involve the loss of human life. Senators Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut introduced the Early Warning Reporting System Improvement Act yesterday. The bill would require automobile and equipment manufacturers to submit accident reports or other documents automatically to NHTSA’s Early Warning Reporting database. NHTSA cannot access this information unless they request them. The bill wo…
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Automakers already have enough of a headache with the current administration in the white house, but news that broke today is only going to make it even worse. Wilbur Ross, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce has announced that President Donald ordered an investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to determine "whether imports of automobiles, including SUVs, vans and light trucks, and automotive parts into the United States threaten to impair the national security." "There is evidence suggesting that, for decades, imports from abroad have eroded our domestic auto industry. The Department of Commerce will conduct a thorough, fair and transparent …
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com February 1, 2012 2011 was a good year for the domestics. Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors saw their market share grow. But, a new report from Bloomberg says the Big Three could see a drop in 2012. Sales for 2012 are expected to grow from 12.8 million vehicles last year to 13.6 million, but competition from the Koreans and a recovery of the Japanese automakers mean those sales sales aren't likely headed to the Big Three. Bloomberg asked five analysts to predict market share for automakers in 2012 and their predictions put the U.S automakers losing 1.3% for 2012. Analysts see GM dropping 0.6%, Ford dropping 0.5%, and…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 8, 2013 The Chicken Tax, a fifty year-old tariff put in place to tax 25 percent on all imported trucks could be gone in the near future. The U.S. is currently in talks currently in negotiations with the the Trans-Pacific Partnership over free-trade agreements. One of the countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership is Japan, a country that currently imposes strict restrictions on U.S. imports. The U.S. is using the elimination of the Chicken Tax as bargaining chip in the negotiations to hopefully open up and let domestic automakers come in. “The automakers see it as some leverage to getting other countries to open …
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com February 3, 2013 The U.S. Department of Energy announced a updated strategy to promote green cars and lower the costs over the next nine years at the Washington D.C. Auto Show on Thursday. One part of the original strategy which stated a goal of having a million electric vehicles on the road by 2015 has been eased off. "Whether we meet that goal in 2015 or 2016, that's less important than that we're on the right path to get many millions of these vehicles on the road," said a Department of Energy official. Auto experts say the strategy is more realistic since consumers aren't fully sold on electric vehicles due to th…
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Back i n May, the U.S. Commerce Department launched an investigation into car imports to determine the impact of car imports. The investigation falls under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 which states "whether imports of automobiles, including SUVs, vans and light trucks, and automotive parts into the United States threaten to impair the national security." This could allow the Trump administration to levy tariffs as high as 25 percent on foreign-built vehicles. Yesterday, the Commerce Department submitted their draft report into the investigation. The Trump administration has 90 days to determine whether or not to move forward on various measures such…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com January 30, 2012 The U.S. Treasury Department revealed in a new report to Congress that it will lose more money than expected on the 2009 bailout loans given to Chrysler and General Motors. The Treasury now expects to lose $23.77 billion on the $85 billion bailouts, up from the $23.6 billion losses estimated last fall. Most of the increase in the projected loss is due to GM's stock price declining over the past six months. GM's stock price at the end of trading stands at $24.37; a drop of 35% from the 52-week-high of $37.23. The Treasury currently owns 26.5%, or 500 million shares in GM. At the current price, the Tre…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 30, 2013 The U.S. Treasury's sell off of General Motors stock isn't faring so well. According to a new report from The Detroit News, the U.S. Treasury has reported a $9.7 billion loss on the $49.5 billion bailout of GM back in 2009. This figure comes from the quarterly report from the Special Inspector General of the Troubled Asset Relief Program to Congress. The U.S. Treasury original stake in GM back in 2009 was around 60.8 percent. Since that time, the Treasury has been selling off shares in a effort to make back some of the funds used in the bailout. The Detroit News says for the U.S. Treasury to break even,…
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The UAW has dropped their plans to organize a foreign automaker plant. Previously, the UAW vowed to organize one foreign auto manufacturer on U.S. soil by year’s end. "We're shifting our strategy a little bit. We are not going to announce a target at all. We are not going to create a fight," said UAW President Bob King. King's announcement comes a few days after UAW spokeswoman Michele Martin said the union wouldn't meet it's goal to unionize a foreign plant by year’s end. Organizing one foreign automaker plant has been a goal of King since becoming the UAW's president back in July 2010. However, the goal has turned out to be an uphill, with the majority of foreign aut…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com December 30, 2011 The UAW isn't giving up on their effort to organize plants in the south, rather they're changing their main focus. Originally, the UAW was going to target Japanese automakers. However, the UAW is now going after the German automakers. Reuters report that the UAW believes given Germany’s history of dealing with its strong IG Metall union, executives at the German automakers would be more to let UAW reps to talk workers. Given the UAW's track record with trying to unionize transplants have failed miserably, this latest attempt seems to be a hail Mary. The UAW has seen it's membership drop more than 7…
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There is a right way and a wrong way when it comes to testing autonomous vehicles on public roads. Uber has demonstrated the wrong way. Yesterday, the company launched eleven driverless Volvo XC90s in San Fransisco as part of a pilot program. But by late morning, two of the eleven vehicles were running amok. The San Fransisco Examiner got their hands on a dash cam video showing one of the XC90s running a red light at 10:37 A.M. Later that morning, a freelance producer and writer tweeted “Just passed a ‘self-driving’ Uber that lurched into the intersection on Van Ness [Avenue], on a red, nearly hitting my Lyft.” “It was close enough that both myself and the drive…
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Automakers have been trying different technologies and ideas in an effort to boost fuel economy and reduce emissions. On paper, the new technologies do make a difference. But in the real world, it is a completely different matter. Emissions Analytics, an independent U.K.-based company has been investigating what technologies actually make a difference in reducing emissions and fuel consumption. For the past four years, the company has tested over 500 vehicles in the U.S. since 2013 in real-world driving situations. Globally, it has tested over 1,000 vehicles. Next month, the company will be releasing a study showing which of those technologies help and hurt. "Y…
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January 16th, 2012 - Drew Dowdell - CheersandGears.com In a statement released on Friday the American Automotive Policy Council (AAPC), a political action committee formed by General Motors, Chrysler Group, and Ford Motor Company, announced opposition to Japan joining the currently running Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade negotiations. The original members of the TPP formed in 2006 are Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore. From 2008 to 2010, five additional countries, Australia, Malaysia, Peru,United States, and Vietnam, announced they had entered negotiations to join the trade pact. On November 11, 2011, Japan’s Prime Minister announce his country’s inten…
Last reply by loki, -
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The US government is pulling back on some of their financial support for electric vehicles. Coming this Saturday, a tax credit which allows taxpayers to deduct 30% of the cost an electric vehicle charger (good for up to $30,000 in commercial cases) will be discontinued. If you're thinking the 30% deduction is a bit high, last year the deduction was set at 50%. "The timing of this couldn't be more unfortunate," coming just as more electric cars are on the way." said Genevieve Cullen, vice president of the Electric Drive Transportation Association, a trade group for the electric-vehicle industry. Cullen and other proponents have been begging congress to extend the tax d…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 30, 2013 Interested in buying a used car? Then we got some good news for you. According to Associated Press (via The Detroit News), prices of used cars are dropping. Despite hitting an all-time high back in 2011 thanks to fewer used cars in stock, prices since then have been declining. According to to data from auction company Manheim, the average sale price of a vehicle at auction in June was $11,031, down 6 percent when compared to the peak of used car prices in May 2011. The reason? Sales of new vehicles are on the rise, which means an increase of used cars. Which vehicle segment saw the largest drop? That woul…
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If you are considering buying a used car this year, then we have some good news for you. A new vehicle depreciation report from used car value service, Black Book and Fitch Ratings Inc., says that 2015 will see used car values depreciate 14.5 percent. This is an increase from 2014's deprecation rate of 12.1 percent. So why the increase in depreciation? It comes down to two key factors; an increased supply in used cars and a larger volume of off-lease vehicles. “2014 depreciation was defined by pockets of volatility due to seasonality, harsh weather patterns and falling fuel prices impacting smaller cars and trucks of all sizes. Looking ahead, lower consumer demand and …
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 16, 2012 This year saw the average price of the used car reach an all-time high due to severe shortage of used vehicles. “The supply right now is so low, that is controlling everything in the used-market values. There just aren’t enough vehicles out there relative to used-car demand,” said Eric Lyman, ALG’s vice president of residual value solutions. However the supply is beginning to increase slowly thanks in part turn-around in new vehicle sales. With this, ALG believes within the next twelve months, the average used-vehicle price will fall 4 to 5%. “We’re seeing sort of a landing back to a normal used-car …
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Oshkosh Defense was awarded a 10 year contract by the USPS to create, build and deliver up to 165,000 auto's for postal delivery across the United States of America. These auto's will be made up of traditional internal combustion engine, Hybrid and electrical vehicles. These purpose built, right-hand-drive vehicles will be used for mail and package delivery. A minimum of 50,000 to a maximum of 165,000 auto's over a 10 year time frame was agreed upon contract for a modern AC equipped NGDV or next generation delivery vehicle. Under the initial $482 million up front payment to Oshkosh Defense is the commitment to finalize the production design of the NGDV on a und…
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Previously, the market for vans was stagnate. Old models paired with poor optimism in the business world made vans appealing as cold liver and onions. But Bloomberg reports that vans are making a comeback. Data from Edmunds shows that van sales by unit have more than double in the past five years, outpacing the pace set by the auto industry overall. More surprising is that in the first quarter, sales of vans climbed another third. If this growth trend continues, its expected that 475,000 vans will be sold in the year. So what is causing this explosion in van sales? Two factors. First are new vans arriving in showrooms. Ford. Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Ram have introduce…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com April 22, 2012 Ex-Saab CEO Victor Muller on-again, off-again affair with the sports car company he started, Spyker appears to be back on. During Muller’s tenure at Saab, Spyker was put up for sale to the highest bidder. A few companies were interested, but none bit, which has become a blessing in a disguise. Since Saab has bid adieu, Swedish Automotive has changed its name to back to Spyker. Now, Muller has some big plans in store. De Telegraaf is reporting Muller wants to see Spyker’s production reach 1,000 units annually. Last year, Spyker built only 12 of its C8 supercars. Muller also wants add models to Spyker’…
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com May 5, 2013 With the problems that Fisker Automotive is currently going through, one of companies that is somewhat effected is VL Productions? How so? Well, VL Productions showed off a vehicle called the Destino at the Detroit Auto Show this year that used Fisker Karma as a starting point, rips out the plug-in hybrid powertrain, and slips in the supercharged 6.2L LS9 V8 from the Corvette ZR1. Planned to go into production sometime in third quarter, is VL Productions worried about the future? Well not really according to one of the partners of VL Productions, Bob Lutz. Lutz tells Wards Auto that the company has already…
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Back in June, Ford and Volkswagen signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a new alliance that would focus on commercial vehicles. Since then, the two companies have been in discussions about it and there have been various rumors flying about. Yesterday, Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess added some more fuel to the fire. Speaking to reporters outside of the White House, Diess revealed that the German automaker is interested in using Ford's plants in the U.S. to build vehicles. "We might use Ford capacity here in the U.S. to build cars for us," said Diess. “We need additional capacity here in the United States, we need an additional car plant for VW and Audi comb…
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Since Volkswagen and Ford announced a new partnership back in the summer, there have been rumors flying around if it could expand into other areas. The two said it would primarily focus commercial vehicles, but they were open to other opportunities. As we reported last week, the two are discussing the possibility of expanding into autonomous tech and electric vehicles. Recently, Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess gave an interview to Automotive News. He reiterated that the focus of the partnership is for commercial vehicles, but could expand. “There’s nothing signed yet with Ford. We are in talks. Most of the talks have been centered around our light-duty vehicl…
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com May 9, 2013 Another company that was a part of the $25 billion Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing loan program has suspended operations. Vehicle Production Group or VPG Autos has suspended production of their wheelchair-accessible MV-1 van and laid off nearly all of its 100 employees back in February. This news is only coming to light this week thanks to comments by former VPG Autos CEO John Walsh to USA Today. Walsh explained that VPG Autos stopped operations in February because the company's finances dipped below the minimum amount required as a condition of the ATMV loan. The Department of Energy stepped in …
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com December 3, 2012 Fisker would like to forget 2012 if possible. The year hasn't been good to the company with recalls, production delays, fires, delays on the new Atlantic, U.S. Department of Energy freezing a loan, and their sole supplier of batteries filling for bankruptcy. In a interview with TheDetroitBureau.com, founder and Chairman Henrik Fisker said that his company is "actively engaged in conversations with potential strategic partners." Fisker went onto to say, "“We’d like to see if we can get something done next year.” Fisker said the company is looking for "a close partnership where we could develop new platfo…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com January 26, 2012 Volvo is searching for a new partner to develop new small cars. CEO Stefan Jacoby told the Financial Times the company is open to any partners to help in development of compact models in an effort to drive down production costs. "We are open for partners. We are open for collaboration in a win-win situation for sharing platforms, for sharing engines, and for a general higher scale of economics," Jacoby said. Jacoby added that "no decision has been made" by Volvo regarding a potential partner. Volvo's current compact lineup includes the C30 hatchback, S40, and V50. All of those vehicles are based on …
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A number of companies that are working on autonomous driving systems are implementing features that require a driver to take control in hairy situations. But Waymo, the self-driving unit of Alphabet (Google's parent company) recently revealed they have stopped developing these features. The reason is simple, drivers lacked the awareness to take over driving. Waymo's CEO John Krafcik told reporters yesterday the decision to scrap this technology comes down to experiments done back in 2013 with Google employees that were filmed. The videos shown for the first time outside of Google showed people messing on their phones, putting on makeup, and even someone deciding to t…
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The State Fair of Texas began last week and truck manufacturers were out in force with new models to tempt consumers in the largest truck market in the U.S. Both Ford and Ram Trucks rolled out new luxury trims of their pickups - Ford with the Limited and Ram with the Longhorn Southfork. Both trims can easily reach $100,000 which to some is pushing it. But marketers at the truck manufacturers tell Automotive News they don't know where the ceiling is on how much consumers are willing to spend. "It's hard to guess how big the market is. I don't think trucks have found a ceiling yet. You get customers who want every bell and whistle," said Todd Eckert, Ford's truck group…
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