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By William Maley
It slices! It dices! No, we're not trying to sell you a set of knives. This is the best way to describe Volkswagen's strategy for the U.S.; price cuts.
Bloomberg reports that Volkswagen will be changing their strategy in the U.S. to become more mass-market in the U.S. This will mean a wider product range and lower prices. The hope is the strategy can reverse a downward spiral in U.S. sales that has been taking place before the diesel scandal broke.
Volkswagen for many hasn't been able to crack the U.S. market. Despite becoming the world's largest automaker in terms of sales this year and making up 10 percent of total automobile sales in Europe, Volkswagen has been a blip in the U.S. In the past ten years, Volkswagen has never gotten up to 5 percent of U.S. (At the moment, Volkswagen only makes up 1.7 percent of total U.S. auto sales). The German automaker has tried making the Jetta cheaper and making a Passat for the U.S., which hasn't gotten them anywhere. It doesn't help that Volkswagen has missed the boat with growing demand for crossovers in the U.S.
“Volkswagen is facing an uphill battle to revive the brand in the U.S. Volkswagen is struggling with the loser image of the past, and now in the present the brand is burned. They need a good story that assures people it’s really a new start. Just adding another SUV won’t do it,” said Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of the Center for Automotive Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen.
We don't think going for a mass-market plan is a good idea either at the moment. But who knows, it could be the thing that saves VW.
Source: Bloomberg
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By William Maley
William Maley
Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com
September 18, 2012
Buick and GMC have announced to their dealers today that the two brands will collectively launch nine new or revised products over the next 12 months.
Some of the products have already been shown. Those products include,
Buick Enclave
Buick Encore
GMC Acadia
Others have either been talked about and/or been caught in spy shots. Those vehicles are,
2014 Buick LaCrosse
2014 Buick Regal
2014 GMC Sierra
2014 GMC Sierra HD
2014 GMC Yukon
2014 GMC Yukon XL
Dealers were also told that GMC Canyon would be returning. When the Canyon would be arriving wasn't talked about.
“While we continue to make strong progress in fuel economy gains on our full-size trucks, we know that there is a group of customers who want the functionality of a truck but may not need full-size pickup. We believe that introducing a new, agile and efficient mid-size Canyon will meet the needs of many pickup buyers,” said Tony DiSalle, vice president of Buick and GMC Marketing.
Source: GM
William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at william.maley@cheersandgears.com or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.
Press Release is on Page 2
Nine New Models in Next 12 Months for Buick and GMC
Product surge comes amid third year of consecutive retail sales gains for both brands
2012-09-20
DETROIT – Buick and GMC told dealers today that it will introduce nine new or significantly updated models in the next 12 months, starting with the new Buick Enclaveluxury crossover SUV and GMC Acadiacrossover SUV this fall.
The new Buick Encoresmall luxury crossover, which will be priced at $24,950 including a $750 destination charge, arrives in early 2013. A Buick Regalluxury sport sedan, Buick LaCrosseluxury sedan, GMC Sierra and Sierra HD full-size pickups, as well as GMC Yukon and Yukon XL full-size SUVs will arrive next year.
In addition to these nine models, GMC will offer luxury-appointed Denali versions of its four upcoming vehicles and a new 2.0L turbocharged powertrain will be available in the Buick Verano this year.
By the end of 2013, the oldest non-commercial models in a Buick/GMC showroom will be the Buick Veranoluxury sedan and GMC Terrainsmall SUV. Verano has been in dealer showrooms for less than a year and has gained sales volume every month since launch. Terrain arrived as a 2010 model and is on pace for its best sales year ever in 2012. A new Denali luxury trim level recently was added.
GMC also announced the return of the GMC Canyon midsize pickup as an all-new model to be built in Wentzville, Mo. Arrival timing will be announced later.
“While we continue to make strong progress in fuel economy gains on our full-size trucks, we know that there is a group of customers who want the functionality of a truck but may not need full-size pickup,” said Tony DiSalle, vice president of Buick and GMC Marketing. “We believe that introducing a new, agile and efficient mid-size Canyon will meet the needs of many pickup buyers.”
Buick and GMC have grown together as distinctly different but complementary brands. Together, they have sold more than 400,000 vehicles so far this year, a pace that should allow each brand to achieve a third consecutive year of sales gains.
“We’re not only selling more vehicles, we’re bringing new customers to the Buick and GMC showroom,” said Brian Sweeney, vice president of Buick and GMC Sales and Service. “Both brands report more than 40 percent conquest sales. Buick was the only automotive brand in the United States to reduce the average age of its buyer during the past five years, and GMC continues to attract more female buyers and – with Denali vehicles – more import and luxury owners.
Overall, General Motors will have 70 percent all-new or significantly refreshed products across its four U.S. brands in 2012-2013.
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By David
G. David Felt - Staff Writer Alternative Energy - www.cheersandgears.com
Eggshells and Tomato skins, Could this be your next Tire?
The Ohio State University took up a big challenge, how to replace a core component in tire manufacturing, Carbon Black! This important component of tire manufacturing was in surplus up till 10 years ago when the Chinese market for auto's took off.
A reason tire prices have increased is due to a dwindling supply of carbon black. The Ohio State University took on this challenge to find a replacement that would accomplish 3 things: sustainability, reduced foreign oil and reduction of waste from landfills. Their website states that the food industry uses 100 Billions eggs a year and over 13 million tons of tomatoes. This would give them a new market to sell the waste into rather than a landfill. Tire companies would buy their eggshells and tomato skins from a known source.
Quoting the web site: “Fillers generally make rubber stronger, but they also make it less flexible,” Barrera said. “We found that replacing different portions of carbon black with ground eggshells and tomato peels caused synergistic effects—for instance, enabling strong rubber to retain flexibility.”
Katrina Cornish (left) and Cindy Barrera (right) examin ground tomato skins and eggshells, as well as samples of rubber.
Photos by Kenneth Chamberlain courtesy of The Ohio State University.
Original Story Here
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By William Maley
It slices! It dices! No, we're not trying to sell you a set of knives. This is the best way to describe Volkswagen's strategy for the U.S.; price cuts.
Bloomberg reports that Volkswagen will be changing their strategy in the U.S. to become more mass-market in the U.S. This will mean a wider product range and lower prices. The hope is the strategy can reverse a downward spiral in U.S. sales that has been taking place before the diesel scandal broke.
Volkswagen for many hasn't been able to crack the U.S. market. Despite becoming the world's largest automaker in terms of sales this year and making up 10 percent of total automobile sales in Europe, Volkswagen has been a blip in the U.S. In the past ten years, Volkswagen has never gotten up to 5 percent of U.S. (At the moment, Volkswagen only makes up 1.7 percent of total U.S. auto sales). The German automaker has tried making the Jetta cheaper and making a Passat for the U.S., which hasn't gotten them anywhere. It doesn't help that Volkswagen has missed the boat with growing demand for crossovers in the U.S.
“Volkswagen is facing an uphill battle to revive the brand in the U.S. Volkswagen is struggling with the loser image of the past, and now in the present the brand is burned. They need a good story that assures people it’s really a new start. Just adding another SUV won’t do it,” said Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of the Center for Automotive Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen.
We don't think going for a mass-market plan is a good idea either at the moment. But who knows, it could be the thing that saves VW.
Source: Bloomberg
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By David
G. David Felt
Staff Writer Alternative Energy - www.CheersandGears.com
Bloomberg Predicts another OIL Crash with NO Recovery, Maybe
Many of us are excited with the big drop in oil prices and finally gas prices retreating to below $2 a gallon in many places around the US. Some here on Cheers and Gears even feel that alternative energy auto's are a waste of time or should not even be bothered with.
So it was with interest when I saw this story on Bloombergs web site.
Another Oil Crash Is Coming, and There May Be No RecoveryThe focus on this is that with Tesla in 2017 and Chevy later this year, 2016 beginning to sell 200 Mile, $30,000 auto's, other Auto OEMs spending Billions to also field electric auto's with long battery pack range that the days of Dino powered auto's are limited.
Bloomberg clearly states that OPEC and even ExxonMobil have reported that they only see EV auto's making up 1% at most by 2040 on the planet.
What no one saw was the Huge growth in US oil fields in 2014 and a global glut of 2 million barrels of oil a day sitting on the market.
Bloomberg reviewed world wide data to see that EV Auto's grew by 60% in 2015, show no signs of slowing down among governments push to reduce smog in cities around the world. Based on buying trends and who fast things can change, Bloomberg is predicting that by 2023 we will see another 2 million barrels of Oil being unused on the market leading to this prediction of another crash and the power of the Oil Companies being reduced.
The video they have on their story is also very interesting to watch and listen too.
Review the original story, watch the video and sound off on what you think of the OIL Industry and where we are headed with auto's!
Bloomberg Oil Crash Story
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Recent Status Updates
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If you get this, you are a critical thinker.· 0 replies
I enter the bedroom.
There are 34 people. You kill 30. How many people are in the bedroom?
If you get it correct your answer will be deleted and I’ll message you to continue the game. Don’t bother playing if you’re not going to continue, party poopers!
I won against Keele Christopher
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trinacriabob » NINETY EIGHT REGENCY
Happy birthday, Landis! Hope it was a good one. Again, it would have been my dad's birthday ... and Napoleon Bonaparte's. (Both of them were height challenged.)· 2 replies
I'd be going to Mario's on that beachfront boulevard in Galveston to pig out at their Italian buffet.
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So I did a thing. I have wanted one of these for years. I managed to find a 2013 Avalanche with just 12,800 miles on the odometer. It’s very well loaded and practically perfect in every way. Very very happy with it!· 0 replies
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