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  1. Buick's Future May Be Chinese!, Division May Be Sold Away. Buick may be sold to Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC). To get the details, follow the jump. http://www.cheersandgears.com/index.php?sh...c=29985&hl=

  2. William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com December 6, 2011 Earlier today, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee it plans to hold a hearing in late January on the Volt battery issue. "It gives us great concern that recent reports indicate important safety information may have been omitted in testimony before our committee just a few weeks ago. This is a serious situation that our committee will look further into," said Jeff Solsby, a spokesman for the committee. The hearing Solsby is referencing to was a hearing on fuel economy standards and had Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration officials testify.…

  3. 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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  4. It seemed that it would never happen, a domestic brand cracking into the top three of Consumer Reports' annual Auto Reliability Survey. But in the 2016 survey, Buick became the first domestic brand in three decades to be in the top three of reliable brands - behind Lexus and Toyota. “Buick’s achievement is commendable and sure to be a wake-up call to other manufacturers. One reason why the brand has been able to leapfrog others in the General Motors’ stable has been its limited vehicle lineup--with none of the pickups and truck-based SUVs that have negatively impacted Cadillac and Chevrolet,” said Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports’ director of automotive testing in…

  5. Link

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  6. 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) …

  7. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10617131/

  8. Started by loki,

    http://detnews.com/article/20110607/AUTO01/106070368/1148/rss25 "General Motors Co. CEO Dan Akerson wants the federal gas tax boosted as much as $1 a gallon to nudge consumers toward more fuel-efficient cars, and he's confident the government will soon shed its remaining 26 percent stake in the once-bankrupt automaker." From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110607/AUTO01/106070368/GM-chief-pushing-for-higher-gas-taxes#ixzz1OcCw4hBL he doesn't understand what has happened and what will happen if nothing changes the other way. he's no bob lutz and needs to stay out of political policy recommendations "said President Barack Obama has "done a pretty good jo…

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  9. William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com April 19, 2012 The diesel car, once considered the dirtiest and worst powertrain in America, is making a large comeback. According to statistics gathered by the Diesel Technology Forum, diesel vehicles sales are up 35% in the first quarter of 2012. A trend since diesel sales were up 27% the year before. By comparison, the overall U.S. auto market is up 13.% in the same time, and hybrid sales increased 37.2%. In the big picture, diesels captured 3% of the total U.S. market. That might not seem like a lot, but when compared to hybrids which has seen their total drop from 2.7% to 2.1% in three years, its a lot. So why …

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  10. The research consortium made up of European and US auto companies presented their first prototype of a CCS or Combined Charging System standard 450 kW charging station Thursday Dec 13th 2018. This charging station is open to the public, it is in Jettingen-Scheppach, located near the A8 motorway between Ulm and Augsburg Germany. Porsche with it's 90 kWh battery pack was able to show off charging at 400 kW at the new station. This station allows a full battery recharge in 15 minutes or less. BMW also was there to test out and show off their system that can handle the full 450 kW charging. These new charging stations are 400V and 800V wired, so while current EVs c…

  11. 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…

  12. Automakers are trying to achieve price parity between EV and ICE vehicles. This is a key objective so EVs become more attainable to buy. Price parity would help consumers who are interested in EVs. Kelly Blue Book's (KBB) November average transaction price data for new vehicles shows that we are moving slightly in the right direction. In 2024, certain EVs will lose the federal tax credit. The industry average transaction price (ATP) for every type of vehicle was $48,247. The new EV average transaction price (ATP) was $52,345, or 8.5% more expensive. November had the highest incentive for EVs at 8.9% of the average transaction price (ATP). Last year, EV incentives wer…

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  13. G. David Felt Alternative Fuels & Propulsion writer www.CheersandGears.com Carbon Fibre Production to Triple SGL an American Company and BMW of Germany have announced a $200 million dollar investment to expand Carbon Fibre production at their Moses Lake Washington state production plant. This comes on top of their commitment last year to double capacity in 2013. Soaring demand from the auto industry and airplane industry for carbon fibre caused the joint venture production plant to double capacity from the current 3000 tones a year to 6000 tones by the end of this year with the addition of production line 3 and 4. This expansion announced last year wa…

  14. Started by douglask,

    Nov 28 (Reuters) - France wants to gradually phase out the use of diesel fuel for private passenger transport and will put in place a system to identify the most polluting vehicles, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on Friday. Next year, the government will launch a car identification system that will rank vehicles by the amount of pollution they emit, Valls said in a speech. This will make it possible for local authorities to limit city access for the dirtiest cars. "In France, we have long favoured the diesel engine. This was a mistake, and we will progressively undo that, intelligently and pragmatically," Valls said. About 80 percent of French motorists drive die…

  15. Guest Wings4Life(BANNED)
    Started by Guest Wings4Life(BANNED),

    http://www.autoblog.com/2015/09/05/weekly-recap-jaguar-jeep-ford-mercedes/ Jaguar was one of the famous automotive props and plotlines in the now-iconic drama Mad Men. There's a scene where the show's protagonist, Don Draper, deftly undercuts an influential Jaguar dealer by indicating that get-me-in-the-door local radio spots would be an effective way to sell cars like the slinky E-Type. The British executives think this is folly – Draper knows they will – and his advertising strategy wins out over the dealer's approach to move the metal. Jaguar's not doing that, but half a century later in the real world the company is launching plans to make its cars more attainabl…

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  16. GM North America President Troy Clarke Answers Your Questions on Friday at 10:00 AM Eastern Follow the link to submit your questions to be answered! Story Link

  17. Started by Drew Dowdell,

    GM's Board Decides not to sell Opel. All Hell breaks loose. Yesterday, the General Motors' Board of Directors made the decision to not sell Opel. Most of the reactions around the world have been....less than positive. Here's the different chapters of the unfolding soap opera.... GM's Board Decides to Retain Opel GM will return Opel loan to Germany, economy minister says German Opel workers upset at GM; Union boss promises protests UK union welcomes GM's decision GM right to keep Opel, German politician says GM Europe expect countries to help finance Opel UK's Mandelson wants meeting with GM on Opel Russia's Putin signals battle for Opel not over GM must rebuild Ger…

  18. . Buick and GMC honored with multiple Consumer Guide "Best Buy" and "Recommended" awards Buick and GMC honored with multiple Consumer Guide "Best Buy" and "Recommended" awards

  19. Started by Drew Dowdell,

    <br><br><br> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><big><big>Battle of the Beasts</big></big></h2> <div style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 363px; height: 273px;" alt="2011 Ford F-350 Super Duty" src="http://www.cheersandgears.com/uploads/1292458660/gallery_51_59_43290.png"> <img style="width: 362px; height: 271px;" alt="2011 GMC Sierra Denali 2500" src="http://www.cheersandgears.com/uploads/1289944373/gallery_51_58_805248.png"></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><big><big><br><br>Ford F-350 Lariat Super Duty v. GMC Sierra Denali 2500 HD&l…

  20. Started by Z-06,

    http://www.thecarconnection.com/Auto_News/...192.A11746.html This geriatric senile individual poops through his thoughts not his hiney. See him get philosophical and more naive than ever. I hate this media banging. His gripe, GM's quote that most people drive 40 miles everyday to work and from that he built his ignoble thesis.

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  21. Started by BB_454,

    http://autos.msn.com/advice/article.aspx?c...opart=passenger Has anyone else seen this article? I was a little confused by this; Can anyone explain to me how an electric vehicle get 100 MPG? Or how do you arrive to an event in a vehicle that isn't in production? lol Another thing, when has it ever actually been cool to roll up in a Honda Accord or a Chrysler T&C? I mean, it may be a sensible ride and make a statement that your levelheaded or something, but certainly not cool imo. Or maybe I'm just an ass, and no comments about what I drive!

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  22. In 2016, nine brands sold 20 diesel models in the U.S. But in light of the Volkswagen diesel emission scandal, a number from Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche have been sidelined. But there are diesel models from GM, FCA, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, and Land Rover still being offered. But the only 2017 models you can buy at the moment are from Jaguar and Land Rover. Where are the rest? In limbo thanks to a new battery of tests being doing by the EPA. Automotive News reports that since last October, the EPA has been subjecting diesel models to new tests to determine if other automakers are pulling any sneaky cheats. The EPA hasn't said anything publicly about the tests as…

  23. 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…

  24. FUD stands for "fear, uncertainty, and doubt" and is a communication tactic used to influence people towards having a negative perception of something, generally through deliberate misinformation or inciting fear. The term has been in use since the 1920s and has also been used to mean "fear, uncertainty, and disinformation". FUD can also refer to a general mindset of pessimism about a particular asset or market, as well as the manipulation of investor or consumer emotions so that they succumb to FUD. This psychological war for the hearts and minds of folks will always go on in any industry depending on the money and power to be gained. EVs or Electrical Vehicle…

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  25. What does General Motors want to save Opel from? General Motors is worried that Russian investors will be able to take the German automaker's designs and technology and use it to directly compete against Chevrolet in Russia. Read More at the link: GM wants to keep Opel's technology away from the Russians.

  26. William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 31, 2012 Despite the fullsize car getting a kick in the pants with vehicles like the Chevrolet Impala, Toyota Avalon, and Ford Taurus, the fullsize car is becoming an endangered species. R.L. Polk & Co reports that the fullsize sedan market has seen its relevance halved. Fullsize sedans have seen their market share drop from slightly above 5% of all vehicles sold in 2006 to just 2.3% in the first three months of this year. Also, the number of full-size vehicles on sale has dropped from fifteen to seven. R.L. Polk & Co points to rising gas prices, the discontinuation of makes (i.e. Pontiac, Mercury) and ce…

  27. William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 6, 2013 New data from R.L. Polk released today shows that the average age of a vehicle in the U.S. stands at a record high of 11.4 years. That's 0.2 years higher from last year and and nearly two full years higher than in 2007. Passenger cars currently are the oldest vehicles on the road with an average of 11.4 years. Light trucks are not that far behind with an average age of 11.3 years. Interestingly, the volume of vehicles between 6 and 11 years old actually decreased somewhat, but the volume of light vehicles 12 years and older jumped by 20 percent. “Cars are just lasting longer,” said Mark Seng, a Polk vice…

  28. Cars are polluting, the take up a lot of space, they damage the roads, they kill / injure a lot of people every year and they damage our health by reducing the amound of exercise we get and they're also fairly expensive to buy and operate. Bicyclists however have a really hard time riding through cities because there's not much infrastructure available for them. Should cities turn a lot of the infrastructure destined for car trafic into infrastructure for bicycle traffic? I mean if there's a road with two lanes on each direction they would turn one lane on each sides into a bicycle path. Or if the road only has one lane per direction they'd turn one lane into a bicy…

  29. The current laws and regulations concerning how vehicles are sold are, to put it mildly, a complete mess thanks to states having different versions. Experts can't seem to agree whether the current rules are good or bad. One thing that they can agree on is buying a vehicle is an unpleasant experience due to the current regulations. The Federal Trade Commission held a workshop yesterday as a possible first step to unravel the mess. The big topic that was covered was in the workshop was direct sales with a variety of people on either side of the argument to make their case. For Direct Sales: Tesla Motors is leading the charge for doing direct sales to consumers. …

  30. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed into law today a full suite regulations regarding the testing, use and eventual sale of autonomous vehicles in the state. “By establishing guidelines and standards for self-driving vehicles, we’re continuing that tradition of excellence in a way that protects the public’s safety while at the same time allows the mobility industry to grow without overly burdensome regulations,” said Synder in a statement. The new law will allow vehicles without steering wheels or brake pedals to travel on public roads, companies to operate autonomous ride-hailing services, and sell autonomous vehicles of the public once they have been certifi…

  31. https://www.iihs.org/iihs/news/desktopnews/crashes-rise-in-first-states-to-begin-legalized-retail-sales-of-recreational-marijuana "Crashes are up by as much as 6 percent in Colorado, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, compared with neighboring states that haven't legalized marijuana for recreational use, new research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) shows." "The new IIHS-HLDI research on marijuana and crashes indicates that legalizing marijuana for all uses is having a negative impact on the safety of our roads," says IIHS-HLDI President David Harkey. "States exploring legalizing marijuana should consider …

  32. 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 …

  33. Started by Intrepidation,

    GM May Give Opel Away General Motors wants out of Opel, and according to new reports, it is willing to let the German automaker go without receiving any money for it. The only requirement is that the buyer must inject €500 million (around $652M USD) into Opel for operations. Follow the jump for details. http://www.cheersandgears.com/index.php?showtopic=31025

  34. GM Bondholders Shun Offer, Setting Stage for Bankruptcy CNBC is reporting that GM's bondholders will force the automaker to restructure in court. Follow the link for more information. Link to Story

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  35. Lutz: Chevy Orlando coming, could get Voltec powertrain Spreading the extremely high development cost of the Volt's high-tech powertrain and lithium ion battery packs is certainly an attractive proposition for GM. Click on Links for Story

  36. Started by cletus8269,

    maybe being number 2 will work out after all Volkswagen Steals Toyota's Crown as World's Largest Automaker The people want an empire, apparently, with that unassuming little black VW bug at the head of it. The U.K.’s Guardian explains, "Volkswagen-Porsche has overtaken Toyota to become the world's largest car manufacturer as the German group benefits from state-backed stimulus packages around the globe." VW has "produced 4.4 million vehicles so far this year, outstripping its Japanese rival which has seen four million cars roll off production lines since January." Ironically, VW reached the milestone in part by taking over Porsche – which it was forced to do after Por…

  37. Started by sciguy_0504,

    http://washingtontimes.com/business/200511...10233-3307r.htm

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  38. William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com April 20, 2012 The bad news is solidering on at Fisker Automotive. A few weeks after showing the new Atlantic concept, the company let go twelve people at their Delaware plant. This is second time this year that Fisker has laid off people at the plant. Back in February, Fisker laid off twenty-six employees due to the company not meeting the Department of Energy’s contractual milestones for their loans. Today, Fisker employs only a small maintenance team at the site "protecting plant assets and maintaining the facility," said Fisker spokesman Russell Datz to The News Journal. "We have always had a flexible business mo…

  39. Started by JulianWilliams,

    How good a driver are you? Can you properly control your car? Do you pay attention when driving? Are you good at avoiding potential dangers?

  40. The U.S. Congress is voting on a new highway bill that if passed, would bring some much needed money and changes for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Automotive News reports the new bill, called Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act would be the first long-term highway plan in a decade. If passed, the bill would provide roughly $300 billion for roads, bridges, and mass-transit projects. The bill would also increase NHTSA's budget for defect investigations from $10 million a year to $30 million. But for NHTSA to get the increase in the budget, they would need to implement a number of reforms outlined by Transportation Department’…

  41. With the rise of services of car and ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft, a number of people have said this would begin the downfall of buying and owning a new vehicle in the U.S. But a new study commissioned by Kelly Blue Book says that isn't happening for the majority of the country. The study revealed many Americans consider vehicle ownership to be more convenient, reliable, safer than car- and ride-sharing services. It also revealed that 76 percent of respondents that use these services are planning to buy or lease a vehicle within the next two years. "While there are numerous benefits to ride sharing and car sharing, our data reveals that owning a car…

  42. http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/29/sh-t-hi...govt-and-autom/

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  43. Started by Intrepidation,

    GM to spin off Opel, Retain Stake On the heals of an Opel employee protest comes the news that GM will spin off 25-50 percent of its stake in Opel. Follow the jump to see the full story. http://www.cheersandgears.com/index.php?sh...c=28460&hl=

  44. Started by Intrepidation,

    R.I.P. Pontiac GM announced this morning what many have long suspected: the Pontiac brand will be closed. This is a sad day for many GM fans. To get the details on the story as well as many thoughts and opinions from our members, followed the jump. http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b239/han...ontiac_Logo.jpg

  45. 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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  46. William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 7, 2013 Yesterday at at the Center for Automotive Research’s Management Briefing Seminars, General Motors' Chief Economist Mustafa Mohatarem told attendees that the reason young people aren't buying cars because they're not interested. It's more to do with economic reasons. Mohatarem downplayed the reason that young kids are more interested in the internet and what's the latest hot thing in tech, and pushed the rising costs of cars, repairs, and insurance as some of the reasons why young people aren't buying vehicles. “I don’t see any evidence that the young people are losing interest in cars," Mohatarem said. H…

  47. Volvo's owner, Geely is planning to enter Europe and U.S. in the coming years. Reuters reports that Geely will building a new crossover based on the Compact Modular Architecture - a platform that Geely and Volvo have been working together. Along with new engine technology, this car will launch in China in 2017. The crossover will then head into several Europe markets a year later, followed by the U.S. in due time. "With the CMA car, Li wants to tell the world we're ready for the big time. We're ready to break into Europe and the U.S.," a source told Reuters. The new crossover was designed with the U.S. market in mind. But before Geely plans on sending it to the U.S., i…

  48. Kalashnikov, the Russian company best known for making the AK-47 assault rifle is planning to enter the growing electric-vehicle market. Last week at the Army 2018 International Military Technical Forum in Kubinka, Russia, Kalashnikov unveiled the CV-1 concept. The design is inspired by the Soviet Izh-Kombi hatchback built between 1973 and 1997. There are some modern touches such as LED headlights and a set of lightweight wheels. Technical details are scarce, with Kalashnikov saying the model has an electric motor producing 295 horsepower, a “revolutionary inverter”, and 90 kWh modular battery pack. Kalashnikov clams that once development is completed, the vehi…

  49. If you're currently running with an older GPS system, either built into your car or via an external device, you may need to check if a firmware update is available. Tonight at midnight, the UTC clock used by the satellite navigation system will roll over to 0000000000. That number is a 10-bit "week number" that counts the number of weeks since August 21, 1999, the date of the current GPS "epoch". Most newer GPS devices will know about the coming rollover and will just continue working, but older ones that haven't been updated could fail with timing data jumping backwards by almost 20 years. This isn't a new issue, this will be the second time the GPS system has s…

  50. Just how slippery is the Lightyear 0 EV? Try a confirmed 0.175 coefficient of drag (Cd) for this solar assisted electric car with testing having been done by FKFS wind tunnels in Stuttgart, Germany, under WLTP protocols. I know, I know, how much more aerodynamic is this than others and here is the top 3 cars till today. Lucid Air, Tesla Model S and Mercedes-Benz EQS have all come in at 0.20 to 0.21 meaning the Lightyear 0 is slippery. Even GMs EV1 which only had 1,117 leased to customers in California had a Cd of 0.195. Initial first year run is 946 EVs with a reserve cost of $250,000 euros. What does one get for the Euro $250,000 dollars? …

  51. Started by sciguy_0504,

    http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...2.21cead70.html

  52. Started by riviera74,

    Everybody needs to see this and read it. This may be great news for all.

  53. Started by El Kabong,

    ...it's actually called a Trailcat, but c'mon, people. More on what Car and Driver calls "the best worst idea ever" at the link: http://blog.caranddriver.com/jeep-trailcat-is-the-707-hp-hellcat-powered-wrangler-from-hell/

  54. Ever since PSA Group announced that it would be making a return the U.S. as part of a 10-year plan, there has been a large amount of speculation as to which brand would be sold. Would it be Citroen, DS, Peugeot, or the recently acquired Opel/Vauxhall? “We’ve chosen a brand, but it’s too early to talk about it,” said Larry Dominique, president and CEO of PSA North America to Car and Driver. PSA Group is still in the first phase of its plan with the Free2Move mobility aggregation platform (shows various ways of getting around such as bikes and electric vehicles) in Seattle. Somewhat worrying is that the company has only “activated its marketing” in Seattle recentl…

  55. The Society of Automotive Engineers has announced today that they are joining with Ford, General Motors, and Toyota to form the Automatic Vehicle Safety Consortium (AVSC), a group that will work together to test the deployment and development of Level 4 and Level 5 automated vehicles. The AVSC will provide a safety framework for the advancement of the technology in a safe and responsible manner. The group will use the expertise of its current members to establish a set of guiding principles for safety. GM, Ford, and Toyota already have autonomous vehicle development well underway. GM is producing driverless Chevrolet Bolt EVs as part of a development and test…

  56. October 5th, 2020 Hino Trucks, a subsidiary of The Toyota Group Company announced their Project "Z". This was the Company's development plan to offer zero emissions vehicles (ZEV) for class 4 to 8 medium and heavy duty trucks in the North American market with customer demonstrations in 2022 and production starting in 2024. Project Z was a development plan to bring Fuel Cell and BEV to the whole medium and heavy duty product line for customers along side Diesel as the industry started to convert over. The long 5 year plan was expected due to the continued R&D that would be needed on Diesel trucks to meet global emission standards and the development ti…

  57. Started by Intrepidation,

    New GM will take on future product liability claims, but not the current ones, against Old GM New developments state that GM has agreed to be responsible for future old GM liabilities but not the current ones. Full Story

  58. Started by HarleyEarl,

    Interesting article on the perceptions and the reality of auto quality. http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/jc/quality.htm For example the Chevrolet Impala has outscored Toyota Camry for initial quality for 5 straight years. Five!!!

  59. Texas House Approves Plan To Raise Speed Limits William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com April 8, 2011 Texas is becoming the Fastest State in America. On Wednesday, the Texas House approved a bill that will raise the speed limit on interstates to 85 MPH. Right now, Texas has a speed limit of 80 MPH on 520 miles of interstate. The bill also states the speed limit can be raised by the Texas Department of Transportation once engineering and traffic studies are done on the interstates. "They have high-speed roadways in Europe, and there could be some merit in having some of those highways in Texas. Given the right engineering, we should consider…

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  60. On the surface, carbon fiber sounds like a wonder-product which can replace much of the heavy metal, especially steel, that makes up the vast majority of nearly every automobile's structure. Dig a bit deeper, however, and there are a few flies in CF's ointment that make it very difficult to use in vehicles: price, supply and the time it takes to mold a the weaved material. Japan's big three carbon fiber producers are tackling each of these issues in a number of ways. First, the price of CF is expected to become more competitive as both carbon cloth goes down and rolled sheet steel goes up. What's more, as additional CF producing plants come online in the coming years, bot…

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  61. Started by balthazar,

  62. Started by pow,

    Essentially... instead of carrying huge batteries on-board, cars will be directly powered by the grid. An electric vehicle would pick up power from underground power lines through the non-contact magnetic charging. Pretty cool idea, IMO.

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  63. Leaked Draft Shows What Could Be Coming Down The Line For Auto Safety William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 6, 2011 Congress is looking at whether to reauthorize the highway bill, which will bring with it a wave of changes . A 500 page draft of a bill was leaked this week on capitol hill and gives some indication of what the Obama Administration and Congress are looking at. One of ideas the bill listed was to form a Surface Transportation Revenue Alternatives Office. The office would "study framework that defines the functionality of a mileage-based user fee system and other systems." This would help provide funding to fix roads. An offi…

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    • 104 replies
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  64. Europe's dash for biofuels could accelerate the destruction of tropical rainforests, the European Commission admitted on Thursday. The EU's executive arm said that the 27-member bloc's decision to increase tenfold its consumption of vehicle fuel made from crops by 2020 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions would increase the pressure on virgin land, especially in Asia. However, it said it was working on laying down minimum standards for sustainable fuels. Link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18332282

    • 8 replies
    • 1.6k views
  65. Apple has formally shown its CarPlay integration system before the start the Geneva Motor Show today. The system, formally known as 'iOS in the Car' allows owners of a iPhone 5s, 5c, or 5 to control certain aspects of the phone through the car's infotainment system. According to Apple, owners will be able to plug in their iPhones to their vehicles via the USB port and control a number of functions such as making and answering phone calls, text messaging, navigation via Apple Maps, and playing music from your phone. CarPlay also allows certain third-party apps such as Spotify and iHeartRadio to be controlled as well. Now if your vehicle doesn't include a touchscreen, CarP…

  66. After a number of automakers having to revise their fuel economy estimates, the Environmental Protection Agency is proposing that automakers run their vehicles in the real world to see if their estimates hold any water. "Some auto makers already do this, but we are establishing a regulatory requirement for all auto makers," said Chris Grundler, director of the EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality. The EPA's proposal would have automakers run their vehicles on a test track to measure air-resistance and rolling friction. At the moment, most automakers use computer models to generate this data. But if the wrong data is put in, it could cause mileage numbers to in…

    • 4 replies
    • 1.3k views
  67. Interesting that both reviewers raved about the interior, given C/D's recent complaints about same. The remark about being both lighter and more substantial-feeling than the Benz E-Class was also pretty telling. Read all about it at the link: http://www.autoextremist.com/on-the-table1/

  68. Yamaha Motor Co. announced April 12, 2021 their new Hyper-EV motor allowing them to reach the highest output density for the EV class. In the past, Yamaha has been selling their first generation EV motor that had a range of 35 - 200 kW for auto's and mobility applications. Today's new generation of Hyper-EV motors now boasts output up to 350kW (469 hp) @ 800 volts per motor or a total of 1.4MW or 1,877 hp in a four motor AWD configuration. Yamaha is taking EV motor development to a new industry leading level by leaving behind the module components mechanical and electrical separate units. This newly developed electric motor is a compact unit that combines mecha…

  69. GM CEO Wagoner to Step Down DETROIT — The chairman and chief executive of General Motors, Rick Wagoner is resigning, just as President Obama prepares to unveil his rescue plans on Monday forG.M. and the ailing American auto industry, a person close to the decision said Sunday. Then unexpected move by Mr. Wagoner, who has been at the helm of G.M. for eight years, was not confirmed by the company. But a statement about Mr. Wagoner’s future will be issued after the president’s address. (via New York Times) Our take here.

  70. Public to name Chevy Volt's paint color DETROIT – The initial production color of the Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV) is a silver exterior with an emerald hue. That’s official. What’s not certain is what Chevrolet will name that distinctive exterior color, so the company is turning to the public to help make the decision. Starting today, on National Color Day, Chevrolet launches an online contest that asks for color name suggestions, with three finalists to be flown to Los Angeles this December to compete for a final chance to be among the first to test-drive a pre-production Volt. Discus…

  71. Started by Drew Dowdell,

    This Just In: 2010 Buick Lacrosse CXS 3.6 SIDI V6 Stock image shown This just in! A 2010 Buick Lacrosse CXS 3.6 SIDI. The interactive review on the GMC Terrain SLE-2 went so well I think this will become our standard review format. My initial impressions are quite favorable. In a quick spin around the highway, I can safely say that the 3.6 has a lot of kick. The car looks stunning in person. So while I'm finishing up writing the GMC Terrain review, gear up your questions for me on this 2010 Buick Lacrosse CXS. Interactive Review: 2010 Buick Lacrosse CXS 3.6 SIDI

  72. Started by CSpec,

    Taking the Driver Out of the Car WSJ "Your grandchildren will snap across the entire continent in 24 hours on a new kind of highway and in a new kind of driverless car that is controlled by the push of a button," futurist Norman Bel Geddes promised in 1940. Mr. Bel Geddes designed Futurama, the most popular exhibit at the 1939 New York World's Fair, which in many ways inspired the construction of the Interstate Highway System. Driverless cars have so far remained the stuff of science fiction. Seventy years after Mr. Bel Geddes's promise, they are finally close to reality. Consumers today can buy cars that steer themselves; accelerate and brake to maintain a safe driv…

      • Agree
      • Disagree
    • 10 replies
    • 1.5k views
  73. 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 …

      • Agree
    • 8 replies
    • 1.5k views
  74. G. David Felt Alternative Fuels & Propulsion writer www.CheersandGears.com BMW Recalls 1.6 Million Auto's to replace Takata built Airbags! BMW has issued a recall affecting all 3-Series produced between May 1999 and August 2006. This recall is regionally requested by U.S. Safety Regulators. This is an extension of their 240,000 auto recall from 2013. The airbags were supplied by Japans Takata corporation and affect over 12 million auto's from word wide manufactures. BMW is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to these airbags. Full story reported here on MSN

  75. PSA Group is slowing making end roads into U.S. as part of their 10-year plan. We have already reported on their carsharing service, TravelCar that will be launching in select markets this month. Now, the French automaker has taken the next step by announcing former Nissan and TrueCar executive Larry Dominique as a Senior Vice President of PSA North America. Automotive News reports Dominique's role will first deal with the car-sharing aspects before starting to make progress on one or all of the brands in the U.S. “This is a market that, as a full-line automaker, you need to be part of. But this is a 10-year project. It’s not about jumping in and creating market…

  76. Started by Camino LS6,

    There are just too many competitors in the North American automobile market. And we need to decide which ones we want to survive. Maybe if someone put it to congress that way, it might have an impact on the numbskulls.

  77. Started by z28luvr01,

    The Plan! The Plan! ~December 2, 2008~ GM took the wraps off of its massive restructuring/cost saving plan that it will present to Congress when it pleads its case for a bridge loan. Some of the details include Focusing on "core brands": Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac Launching predominately high mileage, energy-efficient cars and crossovers Selling Saab, HUMMER Selling or kill Saturn Reducing Pontiac to a "niche" brand So, what do you think? Is it enough? Discuss at the link below. The Plan for a Leaner GM

  78. VinFast is Vietnam's first Volume auto company, but it is not stopping there as this is a division of the Vingroup, the largest real-estate company and largest private enterprise in Vietnam. VinFast aims to make "Made in Vietnam" a household term by becoming the largest auto and motorbike brand in Southeast Asia. VinFast has a massive Billion-dollar factory in Hai Phong that opened in September 2019. They started with a local 5-person saloon car and 7 person SUV and added a 3rd small hatchback. Working with the Global auto design studios, Pininfarina, Zagato, Torino and Italdesign, VinFast believes they will have the best global desired 20 vehicle portfolio Thes…

  79. Started by oldshurst442,

    https://insideevs.com/news/784657/china-ev-tariff-canada/ https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/what-is-in-canada-s-trade-agreement-with-china-9.7049082 “We’re building a new part of our car industry, building cars of the future in partnership, bringing affordable autos for Canadians at a time when affordability is top of mind, and doing it at a scale that allows for a smooth transition in the sector” Details: Canada will tariff Chinese EVs at 6.1% instead of what it was which was 100% The first year, there is a limit of 49 000 cars to enter Canada but each year the limit will increase to 70 000 cars by the 5th year. …

  80. Started by Variance,

    ABS, Airbags = False Sense of Security? A Purdue University research team that studied five years of motor vehicle accidents in Washington State concludes antilock brakes and airbags don't minimize accidents or injuries because those systems may encourage more aggressive driving. Fred Mannering, a Purdue professor of civil engineering, led the study. The results, which are bound to be controversial with auto makers and safety experts, say the innovations designed to improve safety also make drivers less vigilant. Read "Researchers Question Safety Contribution of Airbags, ABS" @ Ward's Auto

  81. William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 15, 2012 The Tata Nano, introduced in 2009 as the world's cheapest car could be making its way to other countries. Ratan Tata, head of the Tata Group recently revealed in an interview that they are working on a redesigned version to be sold in the U.S. and Europe that could go on sale within three years. "The U.S. is a very enticing market. We are redesigning the Nano for both Europe and the U.S." The redesign will involve a larger engine and adding "more bells and whistles," including such items as power steering and traction control. Tata says the Nano will be under $10,000. "The Smart and the Fiat 500 have h…

  82. One day, a Chinese automaker will finally deliver on their promise of selling vehicles in the U.S. But what will bring customers into the showrooms? Yesterday, we reported on Geely positioning itself maker of affordable, high-tech cars with a new plug-in crossover - due out in 2017 in China, followed by Europe and U.S. Automotive News reports that another Chinese automaker who has dreams of coming to the U.S. is going low prices. Guangzhou Automobile Group Motor Company (GAC) is planning to be cheaper than its rivals in the U.S. How cheap? Wu Song, general manager of GAC says the 'magic number' is 30 percent cheaper. "We are confident. It could be popular in the market.…

    • 5 replies
    • 1.1k views
  83. Started by Camino LS6,

    http://www.autoextremist.com/current/ New Detroit vs. Old Detroit in Washington. By Peter M. De Lorenzo Detroit. In the last week I have done several live and taped radio interviews across the country and with the BBC in London, a spirited interview with Diane Tucker appearing in The Huffington Post entitled, “Journalist to GOP: You're 100 Percent Wrong About U.S. Automakers,” and I have several national and international TV appearances slated for the next few days too. The subject? The looming implosion of Detroit, of course. People want to know the who, what, when, where, why of this whole thing, and they want to know about the cost, both in terms of taxpayer mone…

    • 16 replies
    • 2.4k views
  84. According to the Detroit News, the Environmental Protection Agency has taken a likely step towards stricter emissions standards, as it has asked the White House Office of Management and Budget to declare greenhouse gas a public danger. California, along with several other states, is looking to enact tough new CO2 laws that will drastically limit the emissions of new cars and trucks. Automakers are against the idea, as they argue that the technology isn't currently available in large scale to meet the proposed targets, let alone while the industry is cash poor. The Obama administration wants Congress to take swift action to regulate CO2 emissions, a move that could cost au…

    • 8 replies
    • 1.2k views
  85. Leclanché Energy Storage Solutions of Switzerland has achieved a significant breakthrough in the safety of performance Lithium-ion batteries for use in EVs. Leclanché has taken current Lithium-ion cell production to the next step by adding a special fire-retardant additive to its electrolyte formula composition lowering the risk of thermal events by close to 80%. Verified by independent nail penetration tests has confirmed the companies claims of significantly lowering risk of thermal events with fire. The non-flammable electrolyte additive provides enhanced cell safety option for rail, truck, bus and auto EV markets. Intertek Germany, renowned…

    • 0 replies
    • 799 views
  86. After years of fighting fuel economy and emissions rules at both the federal and state levels, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers is finally coming out in favor of the new regulatory framework that will be announced by President Obama tomorrow. The biggest sticking point in recent years has been the move to block California and other states from effectively setting their own fuel economy standards by regulating greenhouse gas emissions. Tomorrow the president is expected to announce new federal rules that will effectively bring CAFE up to the same standard as California's proposal. Because the new rules will retain the footprint based standards from both the Calif…

    • 15 replies
    • 1.8k views
  87. Guest Josh
    Started by Guest Josh,

    TROY, Mich. (AP) — Delphi Corp. is considering getting rid of seven plants and seven technical centers as part of a plan to overhaul its electronics and safety unit, according to an internal company document obtained by a newspaper. In the document outlining a plan named "Northstar," the auto-parts maker says that the restructuring of its Electronics & Safety unit is a key to its effort to reorganize under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, The Detroit News said Wednesday. The unit accounts for $5.8 billion of Delphi's annual sales of about $28 billion. Delphi, one of the world's largest auto suppliers, has 50,600 U.S. and Canadian wor…

    • 2 replies
    • 1.6k views
  88. Started by Variance,

    The Daily Auto Insider Tuesday, February 7, 2006 February 2006 The average automotive manufacturer incentive in the U.S. was $2,423 per vehicle sold in January 2006, down $109, or four percent, from December 2005, and up $15, or 0.6 percent, from January 2005, according to Edmunds.com, an online resource for automotive information. The industry's aggregate incentives spending is estimated to have totaled $2.6 billion in January, down from $3.7 billion in December, according to an Edmunds.com news release. Chrysler, Ford and General Motors spent an aggregate of $1.84 billion, or 71 percent of the total; Japanese manufacturers spent $489 million, or 19 percent; Europe…

  89. HAPPY HOLIDAYS From CheersAndGears.com and the Ford F-350 SuperDuty Happy Holidays from CheersandGears.com and the Ford F-350 SuperDuty to all of our members .... but especially to member Chris_Doane. Following up after the Interactive Review of the 2011 GMC Sierra Denali 2500 HD we now move on to Chris's favorite pursuit vehicle, a Ford F-Series SuperDuty Crewcab 4x4. So fire up the yule log, drink some eggnog, sit down with your dog, and send some questions to this blog... about the Interactive Review: 2011 Ford F-350 Super Duty.

  90. William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com February 14, 2012 Tesla’s first car, the Roadster had to bow out last year due to Lotus choosing to end production of its own Elise and Exige sports cars, which the Roadster was based on. Since then, Tesla has promised a sequel to the Roadster, but it might be a long wait. Inside Line spoke with Tesla Chairman and CEO Elon Musk about the next Roadster. Musk said he's decided to hold up on a replacement roadster for now. The reason isn’t technical, but business. Musk said the company is going to put their focus on launching the "Gen 3" electric car, a smaller, less-expensive EV for the mass market. Musk says he hopes t…

    • 2 replies
    • 764 views
  91. G. David Felt Alternative Fuels & Propulsion writer www.CheersandGears.com GM Cadillac Dealer Experience PRAISED by Warren Buffett FastLane.GM.Com Story Proving the old adage, you cannot judge a book by its cover, this story proves again that World Class Customer Service begins by treating every person no matter what they look like or who you think they are the same. On just another normal sales day, sales person Madison Willers greeted a potential Cadillac customer and gave what we all have come to expect from our car buying experience, World Class Service. Little did she know that this sale started back in Mid-May with a conversation between CEO…

    • 0 replies
    • 1.4k views
  92. China is the world's largest EV market with sales of electric auto's reaching 2.61 million up 70% in 2018 over 2017. This constitutes 4% of the total Chinese market today. China is requiring 10% of total sales to be EV in 2019 and raised to 12% for 2020. In comparison, the US saw EV sales jump 81% for 2018 to a total of 360,000 EVs sold out of a total of 17.2 million auto's sold. Yet the US has only 1 million EVs on the road and the auto industry is projected to spend a mind blowing $255 billion in R&D and Capital for electric models by 2023. Due to high-system cost and low volumes with intense competition EVs in the short run will be unprofitable as OEM's bring the…

  93. 1.4L Still on Track for Volt and Cruze Yesterday it was reported that construction of GM's new Flint engine plant had been canceled, and with it the prospects of US built 1.4L engines for the Volt and Cruze. GM has since stated that while the construction contracts have been canceled, the engines are still on track to be built here. However, they are looking at various options, such as building the new engines in an existing plant. Since they have the extra capacity, the engines will be built in Europe until US production is ready. Follow the jump to learn more. http://www.cheersandgears.com/index.php?showtopic=27961

  94. Started by balthazar,

    Stolen brazenly from the inter web~ I don't know what trim level this '22 is (on the left), but it's horrific, IMO. I've liked the '19-21 Silverados all along, but whatever this is comes off as a Chinese copy, to my eye. Yikes.

  95. February 14th, 2012 - Drew Dowdell - CheersandGears.com Michiganers will soon be able to get around a little faster without risking a speeding ticket. The US Department of Transportation has approved Amtrak to run 80 miles of the 97 mile section between Kalamazoo, MI and Porter, IN at 110mph, the first such service outside of Amtrak's North East Corridor. This move comes after the successful implementation of Incremental Train Control System (ITCS) along this section of the route. The two routes that use this section of line are Amtrak's thrice round trip daily Wolverine service, service Ann Arbor, Detroit, and Pontiac to the east and Chicago to the west, and the Amtrak …

  96. 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…

  97. G. David Felt - Staff Writer Alternative Energy - www.cheersandgears.com Hyundai and Kia possibly replacing 1.2 Million engines! According to a breaking story on King 5 News, Hyundai and Kia are recalling 1.2 million auto's for possible engine failure. 2013 - 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport & Sonata 2011 - 2014 Kia Sportage & Sorento Company has stated that debri from manufacturing was possibly left in the engine that will restrict oil flow to connecting rod bearings that will increase temperatures and cause premature wear and failure on the bearings. Dealerships will inspect engines and if wear is detected, will repl…

  98. 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…

    • 0 replies
    • 1.9k views
  99. The Great California Black Car Crisis is over — for now at least. The California Air Resources Board said Friday that it has no plans “at this time” to regulate car paint as part of a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions — and never intended to outlaw black cars in the first place. “We are by no means interested in banning or restricting car colors,” CARB spokesman Stanley Young said. Reports that regulators were planning to banish black cars from the Golden State in an effort to reduce air pollution created a global uproar, perhaps best expressed in this headline from Rush Limbaugh’s website: “Tyrants Want to Ban Black Cars.” The purported black car ban was sa…

    • 2 replies
    • 884 views
  100. October 2023 the IRS released this clarification that the Inflation Reduction Act will offer the provision that allows consumers to transfer their credit to the car dealer, instantly reducing the purchase price of new and used EVs at the time of sale. Registration Requirements PDF rp-23-33.pdf This guidance also provides proposed eligibility rules for the previously owned clean vehicles credit. End result is that ELIGIBLE CONSUMERS may transfer the full value of the new or previously owned EV credit regardless of their individual tax liability to the dealership. Per the IRS press release: “President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is focused …

      • Agree
    • 2 replies
    • 938 views

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