Archive | May, 2010
From Humvees to EVs: AM General to handle final assembly of Ford Transit Connect Electric

From Humvees to EVs: AM General to handle final assembly of Ford Transit Connect Electric

Azure Dynamics Corporation and FoMoCo said yesterday that they have picked AM General LLC, best known as the maker of military Humvees and Hummers, to handle the final assembly of the Ford Transit Connect Electric, the all-electric version of the award winning Transit Connect. Ford will ship engine-less Transit Connect units from its factory in [...]

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Toyota recalls 11,500 Lexus LS units worldwide

Toyota recalls 11,500 Lexus LS units worldwide

Toyota has said that it will recall 4,500 Lexus LS models in Japan and another 7,000 units overseas to fix a computerized steering problem. The company said it has received 12 complaints about the problem in Japan, but has no reports of any accidents worldwide, according to spokesman Paul Nolasco. Toyota is recalling four Lexus [...]

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NHTSA opens formal investigation for 1999-2003 Ford Windstar models

NHTSA opens formal investigation for 1999-2003 Ford Windstar models

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a formal investigation of 900,000 Ford Windstar minivans after receiving 234 complaints of rear-axle fracturing. The investigation covers Windstar models from 1999-2003. The NHTSA website said that while a snapped axle can result in loss of control to the vehicle, there have only been two reports of [...]

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Obama administration proposes $800 million fund to clean up old GM sites

Obama administration proposes $800 million fund to clean up old GM sites

Adding on to the total of $50 billion in government aid that General Motors received through its bankruptcy process last year, the Obama administration proposed today a trust fund of more than $800 million to pay for the cleanup of closed GM sites in 14 states. Lead of the White House Council on Automotive Communities [...]

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Toyota U.S. sites in four states are a target of bomb hoaxes

Toyota U.S. sites in four states are a target of bomb hoaxes

Toyota is receiving bomb threats… no really, we’re not kidding. A fake bomb threat led to the evacuation of a southern Indiana post office yesterday, the fourth since Friday sent to Toyota’s U.S. headquarters and production plants in three states. A company spokesman said that the package was addressed to Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana in [...]

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Mercedes-Benz E-Class under investigation by NHTSA for faulty air bags

Mercedes-Benz E-Class under investigation by NHTSA for faulty air bags

Mercedes-Benz E-class vehicles have garnered the attention of the NHTSA because of concerns of improper deployment of airbags. The agency said today in an internet posting that approximately 100,000 vehicles from model years 2005-2006 may be affected. NHTSA officials have said they have received four complaints about failures in the module-wiring harness of the steering [...]

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Report: Gemballa closes its doors, founder Uwe still missing

Report: Gemballa closes its doors, founder Uwe still missing

Gemballa, a tuning firm that provides aftermarket parts for mainly Porsche and Ferrari vehicles, has closed its doors following the disappearance of its founder Uwe Gemballa. Gemballa has been reported missing since February in Johannesburg, South Africa while on a business trip. Gemballa’s earnings went from €16.2m in 2007 to €8m in 2009. With that [...]

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Nissan forecasts challenges in electric-vehicle pricing when incentives are cut

Nissan forecasts challenges in electric-vehicle pricing when incentives are cut

Nissan has expressed its concern that the world’s governments might begin to phase out the incentive programs currently in place to entice consumers towards more fuel-efficient vehicles. Company Senior VP Simon Thomas pointed out in a statement on Monday that governments will not be able to offer sales subsidies indefinitely and he is concerned that [...]

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National Economic Council director defends auto industry bailout

National Economic Council director defends auto industry bailout

Larry Summers, head of the National Economic Council, said today that the Obama administration expects to recover “most, if not all” of the $50 billion bailout it provided to General Motors. At the current pricing of GM bonds, taxpayers are expected to lose about $10 billion on their investment in GM. Defending the $85 billion [...]

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Honda “lacks confidence” in electric-car demand, still plans to offer EVs in the U.S.

Honda “lacks confidence” in electric-car demand, still plans to offer EVs in the U.S.

The head of research at Honda said that the company remains skeptical about electric-cars 10 years after it has stopped selling the EV-Plus battery-powered model. Nonetheless, the second-largest Japanese automaker plans to offer electric-vehicles in the United States. “We lack confidence” in the electric-vehicle business, Tomohiko Kawanabe, president of Honda’s research and development said. “It’s [...]

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