auto industry

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GM Files for Public Stock Offering

Company begins process of cutting ties to government

(Newser) - General Motors today filed the first batch of paperwork required by regulators to sell stock to the public, a step that brings the automaker closer to its goal of shedding government ownership. The 700-page registration form, filed with the SEC, begins a process that will lead to an initial public...

Honda Recalls 384K Vehicles
 Honda Recalls 384K Vehicles 
Aug 9, 2010 5:06 PM CDT

Honda Recalls 384K Vehicles

Faulty ignition locks can cause cars, SUVs to roll away

(Newser) - Honda recalled 384,000 vehicles today over a malfunction that could cause the cars and SUVs to roll away while parked, the Detroit News reports. The recall applies to all 2003 Accords and Civics as well as Elements from 2003 and 2004—all of which have problems with their ignition...

Disaster Awaits Chevy Volt
 Disaster Awaits Chevy Volt  
opinion
Jul 30, 2010 12:55 PM CDT

Disaster Awaits Chevy Volt

Nothing about this car makes sense

(Newser) - Like Rush Limbaugh , auto industry observer Edward Niedermeyer can't think of too many reasons to plunk down $41,000 on a Chevy Volt. Among his complaints: It's too expensive, it has the interior room of a cheap economy car, the business model is lousy—GM could have sold it...

Toyota Recalls 412K Avalons, Lexus SUVs

Carmaker to fix steering system of vehicles

(Newser) - Toyota will recall another 412,000 vehicles because of problems with the steering system. The steering lock on Avalon sedans built between 2000 and 2004 were made with a faulty casting that can crack if the car is steered hard to the right, locking the wheel in place, Toyota said....

GM to Sell Chevy Volt for $41K
 GM to Sell Chevy Volt for $41K 
Jul 27, 2010 2:03 PM CDT

GM to Sell Chevy Volt for $41K

Electric car priced close to manufacturing costs

(Newser) - GM will sell its flagship electric car, the Chevy Volt, for $41,000, the Detroit News reports. GM executives announced the price, along with a 3-year, $350-per-month lease deal, at the Plug-In 2010 conference in California today. Buyers can get an additional $7,500 off the sticker price through a...

GM Now Sells More Cars in China Than US

Sales jumped nearly 50% in the first half of the year

(Newser) - The financial fortunes of GM are getting an unexpected bump from China, the New York Times reports. Sales in the first half of the year jumped nearly 50%, resulting in a company milestone: For the first time, more cars were sold in China than in America. And while the company...

Honda Plans Electric Cars for 2012

Company trying to regain ground on green vehicles

(Newser) - Honda is looking to make up lost ground in the market for energy-efficient cars and plans to have a plug-in hybrid and a battery-powered electric vehicle on American streets in 2012, reports Reuters . The company announced no specifics on models, other than to say the EV will be a small...

Goodbye, PT Cruiser: Chrysler Pulls Plug Friday

Retro car's sales had slowed to just 5,500 this year

(Newser) - The PT Cruiser was the unexpected smash hit of 2000, evoking images of Al Capone and tommy guns with its sleek retro lines, and catapulting its way to be Chrysler's sales juggernaut, with some buyers paying thousands more than the sticker price to get their hands on one. But a...

Chrysler Rolling Out 'Man Van'

It hopes to take the wimp factor out of the mini van

(Newser) - Chrysler has tackled the "soccer-mom" image of the minivan and came up with what it calls the "man van"—a special version of its Dodge Grand Caravan that it hopes will appeal to men. Expected to become available in a few months, the new minivan offers a...

US Vehicles Edge Out Imports in Quality

Ford highest-ranked carmaker overall, Toyota falls

(Newser) - American automakers scored higher marks on quality than their foreign rivals for the first time since the JD Power survey began in 1986, the Detroit Free Press reports. A dozen Ford models ranked in the top three in their segments, making it the highest-ranked automaker overall. Ford's namesake brand ranked...

GM: Stop Calling Them 'Chevys'
 GM: Stop Calling Them 'Chevys' 
Jun 10, 2010 12:15 PM CDT

GM: Stop Calling Them 'Chevys'

Car giant tries to improve 'branding' by killing nickname

(Newser) - You can see the USA in your Chevrolet, but GM would rather if you stopped driving your “Chevy” to the levee or anywhere else. The company has sent out a memo to all its employees urging them to banish the ubiquitous nickname from their vocabularies. “We’d ask...

Feds Open Inquiry Into Fusion, Milan Floor Mats

All-weather mats may trap accelerator pedal

(Newser) - Another automaker is under investigation for possible floor mat trouble. This time it's Ford, the subject of an NHTSA inquiry into its Fusion and Mercury Milan models. The agency has received complaints that the automaker's rubber, all-weather mats could trap accelerator pedals, reports the Detroit Free Press . Unlike previous incidents...

Ford to Kill Mercury Brand
 Ford to Kill Mercury Brand 
May 28, 2010 6:10 AM CDT

Ford to Kill Mercury Brand

CEO convinces Ford family to dump 71-year-old line

(Newser) - Ford CEO Alan Mulally has convinced members of the Ford family to let him kill off one of the company's oldest brands, the 71-year-old Mercury. Mulally will soon seek official approval from Ford's board to pull the plug, sources tell the Wall Street Journal . Mercury was created in 1939 by...

GM Reports Profit, Thanks to Cost Cuts, New Models

Consider this your shareholder statement, taxpayers

(Newser) - General Motors rode cost cuts and strong sales of new models to its first quarterly profit in nearly three years, it said in its earnings report today. The Detroit automaker says it earned $865 million from January through March, a strong sign GM has reversed course from staggering losses that...

Poll: Americans Prefer American Cars Again

Toyota recalls cost Asian automakers their reputation

(Newser) - After a long romance with foreign rivals, Americans are once again falling in love with American cards. In a new AP-GfK poll, 38% said US-made cars are of a higher quality than their Asian rivals, compared to 33% who preferred Asian brands. The numbers appear to have been largely fueled...

Obama Boosts Fuel Efficiency Standards

Transportation Department, EPA make new targets official

(Newser) - The Obama administration is setting tough gas mileage standards for new cars and trucks, spurring the next generation of fuel-sipping gas-electric hybrids, efficient engines, and electric cars. The heads of the Transportation Department and the Environmental Protection Agency will today sign final rules requiring 2016 model-year vehicles to meet fuel...

Artist Turns Hummer Into 'CEO Stagecoach'
 Artist Turns Hummer 
 Into 'CEO Stagecoach' 
AUTO INDUSTRY 'UNSUSTAINABLE'
Mar 30, 2010 9:16 PM CDT

Artist Turns Hummer Into 'CEO Stagecoach'

Work is stab at 'unsustainable' auto industry

(Newser) - In commentary on what he sees as the “unsustainable” auto industry, artist Jeremy Dean has turned a Hummer H2 into a horse-drawn “CEO Stagecoach.” “As I see it,” he writes on his blog (which also has video of the stagecoach’s Central Park tour), “...

Cash for Clunkers Vastly Underrated: Researchers

Trade in program generated roughly 542,000 sales

(Newser) - Cash for Clunkers was far more effective than anyone is giving it credit for, says a new study from Maritz Automotive Research Group. In their survey, 90% of program participants say they wouldn’t have purchased a new car without the government incentive—a far higher percentage than previous estimates....

GM to Restore About 600 Dealerships

Half of those that appealed will be allowed to stay open

(Newser) - About 600 GM dealerships are getting a second life. Of the 1,160 dealers who appealed orders to shut down as part of bankruptcy proceedings, approximately half will be allowed to stay open. But one dealer tells the Detroit News that it's no cause for celebration until the conditions are...

Toyota Fix Fixes Nothing: Drivers

Owners report sudden acceleration even after recall service

(Newser) - Some Toyota owners who should be at ease after recall service to repair sudden acceleration issues are anything but. Seven complaints have been filed with the NHTSA complaining that the problem is still occurring even after the fix. Seven more owners have reported other wackiness following service. There’s “...

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