BERLIN -- On-board Internet will soon become a regular option in cars as the necessary technology makes its mass market breakthrough in the next few years. That is the view of experts meeting at the Automobilwoche Congress in Berlin.
“On-board Internet can be here very quickly. It can happen in two to three years. It goes hand-in hand with the continued, rapid development of car-to car communication" Ulrich Kurth, an automotive specialist at T-Systems told the Congress.
Automobilwoche is a sister publication of Automotive News Europe.
All the components necessary to roll out the technology are at hand. "The chemical mixture has become explosive. We have everything. Now it's only a matter of how these components come together." he added.
But Stefan Bratzel, manager of the Center of Automotive at the University of Applied Sciences in Bergisch Gladbach added a cautionary note, warning automakers that they shouldn't underestimate the attractions of on-board Internet and allow non-automotive companies to provide universal standards for the technology before they do.
“We are going to have the Google generation in high-volume cars. The industry must internalize this from the outset,” Bratzel said.
Attracting young drivers
Bratzel added that the Internet could play a key role in making cars more attractive to young people, who already use Internet regularly.
“To become more attractive to young people, the auto industry must offer something that they now use naturally on a daily basis.”
He added that carmakers could also use the technology to maintain and shape future customer relationships.
“On-board Internet can assure the OEMs' contact with the customer beyond the sales process,” he said.
But not every aspect of the existing technology for on-board Internet points to the future, according to T-Systems's Kurth. He doesn't consider the current leading applications such as Ford Sync and Onstar to be the way forward.
“These solutions continue to be quite simple," Kurth said. "They don't lend themselves to expansion.”
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Honda Fit EV Concept
“Honda’s long history with electromotive technologies has enabled us to understand customer requirements,” said Takanobu Ito, Honda's president and CEO. “In Honda’s view, an electric vehicle must offer great utility and be fun to drive. Fit EV’s urban commuting capability will be a perfect addition to the full-function mobility of the plug-in hybrid and the FCX Clarity fuel cell electric vehicle.”
The Honda Fit EV Concept has a claimed range of 70 to 100 miles. Power is supplied by a lithium-ion battery and coaxial electric motor. Top speed is projected at 90 miles per hour.
Inside, the Fit EV Concept looks to be as fit as the original gas powered model. An E-drive system, first introduced in the new Honda CR-Z, allows for three unique drive settings: Econ, Normal and Sport.
Econ is said to improve range by 17 percent over the Normal setting, and 25 percent compared to Sport. Acceleration is significantly quicker in Sport mode, but going fast isn’t the main reason for buying this vehicle; practicality and economy are.
Battery recharging takes up to 12 hours using a 120-volt outlet, half that with 240 volt. On a stand nearby, Honda also displayed their latest home charging system. Swipe a card in front of the main screen and plug in to begin the recharging process.
Additionally, Honda unveiled a new plug-in hybrid system designed specifically for midsize to larger vehicles. With big plans in the works for EV automobiles, Honda is once again leading the charge to reduce the use of fossil fuels and change the world one vehicle at a time.
The Honda Fit EV Concept has a claimed range of 70 to 100 miles. Power is supplied by a lithium-ion battery and coaxial electric motor. Top speed is projected at 90 miles per hour.
Inside, the Fit EV Concept looks to be as fit as the original gas powered model. An E-drive system, first introduced in the new Honda CR-Z, allows for three unique drive settings: Econ, Normal and Sport.
Econ is said to improve range by 17 percent over the Normal setting, and 25 percent compared to Sport. Acceleration is significantly quicker in Sport mode, but going fast isn’t the main reason for buying this vehicle; practicality and economy are.
Battery recharging takes up to 12 hours using a 120-volt outlet, half that with 240 volt. On a stand nearby, Honda also displayed their latest home charging system. Swipe a card in front of the main screen and plug in to begin the recharging process.
Additionally, Honda unveiled a new plug-in hybrid system designed specifically for midsize to larger vehicles. With big plans in the works for EV automobiles, Honda is once again leading the charge to reduce the use of fossil fuels and change the world one vehicle at a time.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Should I buy a Chevy or a Ford?
Ohio dealer Chris Haydocy heard it even at dinner parties: "Government Motors."
In conservative Buckeye country, it meant a fat "no, thank you" to vehicles from General Motors Co., whose majority stakeholder was the federal government.
Texas Chevrolet dealer Carroll Smith said he won't be happy until the government has sold its stake in GM. The IPO reduced U.S. ownership from 61 percent to about 33 percent.
Smith, who will sell about 1,600 new vehicles this year at Monument Chevrolet in Pasadena, Texas, is convinced that the stigma of government ownership cost him sales.
He said he has heard at the country club, especially from his Republican friends, how Ford Motor Co. deserved praise for not taking federal bailout money. "It's not quantifiable, but I'm sure it's happened," Smith said of lost sales.
He said he bought the maximum 800 shares of GM common stock offered at the IPO price to GM dealers, employees and retirees.
Tom Durant, a Dallas-area Chevrolet dealer and member of both the GM and Chevrolet dealer councils, said product will determine GM's future. With improving sales and a bankruptcy-scrubbed balance sheet, GM will have more money going forward to invest in product development, he said.
"We had new product coming out during bankruptcy and lots afterward," said Durant, owner of Classic Chevrolet. "That's what this game is all about."
This year, GM has launched the Chevrolet Cruze compact, the Chevy Volt plug-in sedan, heavy-duty full-sized pickups and the Buick Regal mid-sized sedan.
Ohio dealer Haydocy -- whose Haydocy Buick-GMC will sell about 500 new vehicles this year, about the same number as 2009 -- said nothing succeeds like success.
He said the good vibe from the IPO is likely to make some consumers curious again about GM vehicles, which should boost showroom traffic. Haydocy also owns a small Chevrolet, Buick and Cadillac store in Bucyrus, Ohio.
Said Haydocy: "People aren't investing because of civic pride; they want to see the story behind the success."
In conservative Buckeye country, it meant a fat "no, thank you" to vehicles from General Motors Co., whose majority stakeholder was the federal government.
Texas Chevrolet dealer Carroll Smith said he won't be happy until the government has sold its stake in GM. The IPO reduced U.S. ownership from 61 percent to about 33 percent.
Smith, who will sell about 1,600 new vehicles this year at Monument Chevrolet in Pasadena, Texas, is convinced that the stigma of government ownership cost him sales.
He said he has heard at the country club, especially from his Republican friends, how Ford Motor Co. deserved praise for not taking federal bailout money. "It's not quantifiable, but I'm sure it's happened," Smith said of lost sales.
He said he bought the maximum 800 shares of GM common stock offered at the IPO price to GM dealers, employees and retirees.
Tom Durant, a Dallas-area Chevrolet dealer and member of both the GM and Chevrolet dealer councils, said product will determine GM's future. With improving sales and a bankruptcy-scrubbed balance sheet, GM will have more money going forward to invest in product development, he said.
"We had new product coming out during bankruptcy and lots afterward," said Durant, owner of Classic Chevrolet. "That's what this game is all about."
This year, GM has launched the Chevrolet Cruze compact, the Chevy Volt plug-in sedan, heavy-duty full-sized pickups and the Buick Regal mid-sized sedan.
Ohio dealer Haydocy -- whose Haydocy Buick-GMC will sell about 500 new vehicles this year, about the same number as 2009 -- said nothing succeeds like success.
He said the good vibe from the IPO is likely to make some consumers curious again about GM vehicles, which should boost showroom traffic. Haydocy also owns a small Chevrolet, Buick and Cadillac store in Bucyrus, Ohio.
Said Haydocy: "People aren't investing because of civic pride; they want to see the story behind the success."
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
U.S. car fuel economy up; C02 drops for sixth year
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- A boost in U.S. auto fuel economy standards slashed carbon dioxide emissions by 14 percent per mile over the last six years and reduced gasoline use by 16 percent, the government said today.
A new report from the Environmental Protection Agency found that C02 emissions have decreased while fuel economy has increased every year since 2005, reversing the trend of the previous eight years.
Average C02 emissions fell by 64 grams per mile to 395 grams in the last six years, while vehicle fuel economy rose by 3.1 miles per gallon to 22.5 mpg.
The numbers are expected to keep improving as the government requires higher fuel economy and lower greenhouse gas emission emissions for vehicles
By 2016, average fuel economy is set to reach 35.5 mpg and emissions will be lowered to 250 grams per mile.
The government proposed in October that heavy trucks reduce their carbon emissions by 20 percent by 2018 as part of a first-ever fuel efficiency standard for commercial vehicles.
A new report from the Environmental Protection Agency found that C02 emissions have decreased while fuel economy has increased every year since 2005, reversing the trend of the previous eight years.
Average C02 emissions fell by 64 grams per mile to 395 grams in the last six years, while vehicle fuel economy rose by 3.1 miles per gallon to 22.5 mpg.
The numbers are expected to keep improving as the government requires higher fuel economy and lower greenhouse gas emission emissions for vehicles
By 2016, average fuel economy is set to reach 35.5 mpg and emissions will be lowered to 250 grams per mile.
The government proposed in October that heavy trucks reduce their carbon emissions by 20 percent by 2018 as part of a first-ever fuel efficiency standard for commercial vehicles.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Recalled Ford Windstars stack up on dealer lots, awaiting parts
There are about 575,000 Windstars that could have cracked or damaged axles.
DETROIT -- Used Windstar minivans are stacking up on some Ford dealerships’ lots as dealers await parts to repair the vehicles.
And as they do, Ford’s costs for this recall are mounting as well.
Ford Motor Co. says new axles to replace any broken Windstar axles, on 1998 through 2003 models, will not arrive until early next year. Some other parts related to the axle problem arrive within two months, said Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood.
There are about 575,000 Windstars that could have cracked or damaged axles. Most require small repairs that can be completed this year, Sherwood said.
Most of the Windstars affected are in the Rust Belt region, where winter road salt accelerated axle erosion, dealers say.
Windstars with cracked axles are unsafe to drive, so dealers have to store them while Ford reimburses dealers for the expense of renting Windstar customers a vehicle, Sherwood said.
Sherwood said he did not know how many Windstars are being stored by dealers.
Dealers estimate Ford is paying about $38 a day to provide rental vehicles to effected Windstar owners. That could amount to about $2,000 or more per customer by the time the parts are in, costing Ford millions.
“I have about 50 Windstars sitting on my lot,” said a dealer, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Ford called me and asked me if I needed assistance with storage. I said no. I have them out back -- hidden -- because it’s a sad looking gang.”
In rare cases, Ford will offer to buy back the vehicle at the top-end of the Kelley Blue Book value. It also offers a $2,500 incentive toward the purchase of a new Ford vehicle or $500 toward a used vehicle.
Ford’s Sherwood declined to estimate Ford’s cost of this recall. He added: “Our goal is to make sure we limit the inconvenience and all of our customers are satisfied.”
DETROIT -- Used Windstar minivans are stacking up on some Ford dealerships’ lots as dealers await parts to repair the vehicles.
And as they do, Ford’s costs for this recall are mounting as well.
Ford Motor Co. says new axles to replace any broken Windstar axles, on 1998 through 2003 models, will not arrive until early next year. Some other parts related to the axle problem arrive within two months, said Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood.
There are about 575,000 Windstars that could have cracked or damaged axles. Most require small repairs that can be completed this year, Sherwood said.
Most of the Windstars affected are in the Rust Belt region, where winter road salt accelerated axle erosion, dealers say.
Windstars with cracked axles are unsafe to drive, so dealers have to store them while Ford reimburses dealers for the expense of renting Windstar customers a vehicle, Sherwood said.
Sherwood said he did not know how many Windstars are being stored by dealers.
Dealers estimate Ford is paying about $38 a day to provide rental vehicles to effected Windstar owners. That could amount to about $2,000 or more per customer by the time the parts are in, costing Ford millions.
“I have about 50 Windstars sitting on my lot,” said a dealer, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Ford called me and asked me if I needed assistance with storage. I said no. I have them out back -- hidden -- because it’s a sad looking gang.”
In rare cases, Ford will offer to buy back the vehicle at the top-end of the Kelley Blue Book value. It also offers a $2,500 incentive toward the purchase of a new Ford vehicle or $500 toward a used vehicle.
Ford’s Sherwood declined to estimate Ford’s cost of this recall. He added: “Our goal is to make sure we limit the inconvenience and all of our customers are satisfied.”
Thursday, November 11, 2010
GE to buy 25,000 electric vehicles from GM, rivals by 2015
DETROIT (Bloomberg) -- General Electric Co. will buy 25,000 electric vehicles, almost half of them from General Motors Co., by 2015 in the biggest such order ever.
Electric autos will make up at least half of GE's 30,000-car fleet, as well as leased vehicles from its GE Capital unit, the company said in a statement today. GM's portion of the order is for 12,000 vehicles including the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. Financial terms weren't disclosed.
GE's order is a boost for the Volt as GM prepares for an initial public offering after its 2009 restructuring in bankruptcy.
“Wide-scale adoption of electric vehicles will also drive clean-energy innovation, strengthen energy security and deliver economic value,” GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt said in the statement. GE's equipment generates one-third of the world's electricity.
“Electric vehicles are a real-world technology that can reduce both emissions and our dependence on oil,” GM CEO Dan Akerson said in the statement. The company plans to deliver Volts by the end of this year, he said. The sedan has an electric motor to drive the wheels and a gasoline engine to recharge the batteries once they're spent.
Immelt is positioning GE to benefit from more energy-efficient technologies by producing batteries, car-charging stations and smart-grid systems. GE said it's in a “strong position” to help 65,000 leasing customers convert to electric vehicles and sees the electric-car market adding as much as $500 million in sales in the next three years.
In the U.S., the Obama administration has committed more than $11 billion in taxpayer aid to help car and battery makers start producing electric vehicles.
Battery power
Other automakers preparing to sell vehicles powered solely by batteries in the next 18 months include Nissan Motor Co., which starts delivering Leaf hatchbacks late this year; Ford Motor Co., readying electric versions of its Transit Connect delivery van and Focus compact car; and Toyota Motor Corp., which will sell a rechargeable RAV4 SUV.
By buying so many vehicles, GE is helping drive down their price, which will spur production and increase demand for battery plants and other parts makers, Fred Smith, chairman of the Electrification Coalition, a Washington-based organization of transportation and energy executives, said in the statement. Smith is CEO of FedEx Corp.
The move will “make electric vehicles more visible and acceptable to the public at large,” Smith said. “This is good for GE, good for our economy and good for our nation.”
GE will open two customer centers to evaluate vehicle-charging, driver experience and maintenance requirements and to display an array of models and manufacturers. One will be near Detroit in Van Buren Township, Mich., as part of a new technology center GE announced last year, and the other in Eden Prairie, Minn., where GE Capital Fleet Services is based, according to the statement.
GE is investing $10 billion in the next five years in clean energy across its business lines. Its products include lithium ion batteries for cars and trucks via a venture with A123 Systems Inc. and sodium-based batteries for use in large vehicles such as locomotives.
GE Energy Infrastructure is the company's biggest industrial unit, accounting for $37 billion of the parent company's $157 billion in revenue last year. GE is also the world's largest maker of locomotives, jet engines, medical-imaging equipment and related information technology systems.
Electric autos will make up at least half of GE's 30,000-car fleet, as well as leased vehicles from its GE Capital unit, the company said in a statement today. GM's portion of the order is for 12,000 vehicles including the 2011 Chevrolet Volt. Financial terms weren't disclosed.
GE's order is a boost for the Volt as GM prepares for an initial public offering after its 2009 restructuring in bankruptcy.
“Wide-scale adoption of electric vehicles will also drive clean-energy innovation, strengthen energy security and deliver economic value,” GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt said in the statement. GE's equipment generates one-third of the world's electricity.
“Electric vehicles are a real-world technology that can reduce both emissions and our dependence on oil,” GM CEO Dan Akerson said in the statement. The company plans to deliver Volts by the end of this year, he said. The sedan has an electric motor to drive the wheels and a gasoline engine to recharge the batteries once they're spent.
Immelt is positioning GE to benefit from more energy-efficient technologies by producing batteries, car-charging stations and smart-grid systems. GE said it's in a “strong position” to help 65,000 leasing customers convert to electric vehicles and sees the electric-car market adding as much as $500 million in sales in the next three years.
In the U.S., the Obama administration has committed more than $11 billion in taxpayer aid to help car and battery makers start producing electric vehicles.
Battery power
Other automakers preparing to sell vehicles powered solely by batteries in the next 18 months include Nissan Motor Co., which starts delivering Leaf hatchbacks late this year; Ford Motor Co., readying electric versions of its Transit Connect delivery van and Focus compact car; and Toyota Motor Corp., which will sell a rechargeable RAV4 SUV.
By buying so many vehicles, GE is helping drive down their price, which will spur production and increase demand for battery plants and other parts makers, Fred Smith, chairman of the Electrification Coalition, a Washington-based organization of transportation and energy executives, said in the statement. Smith is CEO of FedEx Corp.
The move will “make electric vehicles more visible and acceptable to the public at large,” Smith said. “This is good for GE, good for our economy and good for our nation.”
GE will open two customer centers to evaluate vehicle-charging, driver experience and maintenance requirements and to display an array of models and manufacturers. One will be near Detroit in Van Buren Township, Mich., as part of a new technology center GE announced last year, and the other in Eden Prairie, Minn., where GE Capital Fleet Services is based, according to the statement.
GE is investing $10 billion in the next five years in clean energy across its business lines. Its products include lithium ion batteries for cars and trucks via a venture with A123 Systems Inc. and sodium-based batteries for use in large vehicles such as locomotives.
GE Energy Infrastructure is the company's biggest industrial unit, accounting for $37 billion of the parent company's $157 billion in revenue last year. GE is also the world's largest maker of locomotives, jet engines, medical-imaging equipment and related information technology systems.
Monday, November 8, 2010
GM's loss is Uncle Sam's . . . loss, too
General Motors can see a silver lining in those billions of dollars in losses it piled up in the years before declaring bankruptcy in 2009. So-called tax loss carry forwards will allow the company to avoid about $45 billion in taxes on future profits, the Wall Street Journal reported last week.
The giant tax break will be good for up to 20 years.
GM might have lost those accounting provisions when it emerged from bankruptcy as a new company last year. That's what normally happens when a company undergoes a major change in ownership as part of a restructuring.
But a little-noticed ruling by the feds last year allows companies that got a bailout under the Troubled Asset Relief Program to retain those tax benefits, the newspaper said. So GM can keep more of its future profits.
The tax benefits were cited in the public disclosure preceding GM's initial public offering of stock, which will be launched this month.
The giant tax break will be good for up to 20 years.
GM might have lost those accounting provisions when it emerged from bankruptcy as a new company last year. That's what normally happens when a company undergoes a major change in ownership as part of a restructuring.
But a little-noticed ruling by the feds last year allows companies that got a bailout under the Troubled Asset Relief Program to retain those tax benefits, the newspaper said. So GM can keep more of its future profits.
The tax benefits were cited in the public disclosure preceding GM's initial public offering of stock, which will be launched this month.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
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1998 Mercury Tracer Questionable Service?
Had my son’s car towed to the shop on Friday because it stalled on him twice. On his check up sheet in August 2010, the only thing needing attention was his serpentine belt; everything else was green.
After they checked the vehicle, they reported that the timing belt needed to be changed. Some other things they noted was the front brakes and the rotors needed to be changed, transmission flushed, new spark plugs. Is it possible for all this to go wrong in the space of two months?
1998 Mercury Tracer, 4 cylinder automatic
Response:
As for the tune up, transmission flush may just be time for this on the scheduled maintenance and in the long run, this will not hurt the vehicle. You can however put these to items off for another time.
As for the brakes, being a safety issue I would tend to be a bit concerned here. If you are having trouble stopping or hear grinding….you may want to have this taken care of.
If the brakes seem fine to you, you can say “NO” and bring it back when they do start to cause you an issue.
Some shops feel obligated to Continue.....
After they checked the vehicle, they reported that the timing belt needed to be changed. Some other things they noted was the front brakes and the rotors needed to be changed, transmission flushed, new spark plugs. Is it possible for all this to go wrong in the space of two months?
1998 Mercury Tracer, 4 cylinder automatic
Response:
As for the tune up, transmission flush may just be time for this on the scheduled maintenance and in the long run, this will not hurt the vehicle. You can however put these to items off for another time.
As for the brakes, being a safety issue I would tend to be a bit concerned here. If you are having trouble stopping or hear grinding….you may want to have this taken care of.
If the brakes seem fine to you, you can say “NO” and bring it back when they do start to cause you an issue.
Some shops feel obligated to Continue.....
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Toyota seeks dismissal of class-action suit over unintended acceleration
WASHINGTON -- Toyota Motor Corp. is asking a federal judge in California to dismiss a class-action lawsuit over alleged safety defects on grounds that plaintiffs have not identified an electronic defect and many of them don't claim to have experienced unintended acceleration.
The company's filing contends plaintiffs are making claims on behalf of all Toyota owners with electronic throttle control systems while asserting “only a tiny fraction of the vehicles in question” have accelerated out of control, Toyota said in a statement today.
Toyota's own technical reviews have found no evidence of any electronic defects that might lead to unintended acceleration, the statement said.
“More than a year after filing their first complaint, plaintiffs have not identified a defect and are grasping at straws to make their case,” Toyota lawyer Cari Dawson said in the statement.
An amended class-action complaint filed last week in federal court in Santa Ana, Calif., cited internal company records documenting instances in which Toyota technicians or service managers re-created acceleration problems like those reported by customers.
“We believe the evidence clearly shows that Toyota recognized -- and could replicate -- sudden, unintended accelerations with their vehicles for nearly a decade,” Steve Berman, an attorney representing plaintiffs, said in a statement. “We also believe Toyota knew how to fix the problem using a brake-override system -- standard equipment with other carmakers. We are confident the case will move forward, and the jury will be the ultimate arbiter.”
The 725-page filing last week also alleges Toyota secretly repurchased from customers some vehicles it found with safety defects linked to unintended-acceleration problems.
The suit attempts to consolidate dozens of consumers and businesses claiming economic losses stemming from complaints that Toyota vehicles raced out of control.
Toyota said last week it had indeed repurchased vehicles from customers who complained of unintended acceleration but did so to conduct “further engineering analysis” on the cars.
The company said its technicians were unable to replicate those acceleration concerns.
The company's filing contends plaintiffs are making claims on behalf of all Toyota owners with electronic throttle control systems while asserting “only a tiny fraction of the vehicles in question” have accelerated out of control, Toyota said in a statement today.
Toyota's own technical reviews have found no evidence of any electronic defects that might lead to unintended acceleration, the statement said.
“More than a year after filing their first complaint, plaintiffs have not identified a defect and are grasping at straws to make their case,” Toyota lawyer Cari Dawson said in the statement.
An amended class-action complaint filed last week in federal court in Santa Ana, Calif., cited internal company records documenting instances in which Toyota technicians or service managers re-created acceleration problems like those reported by customers.
“We believe the evidence clearly shows that Toyota recognized -- and could replicate -- sudden, unintended accelerations with their vehicles for nearly a decade,” Steve Berman, an attorney representing plaintiffs, said in a statement. “We also believe Toyota knew how to fix the problem using a brake-override system -- standard equipment with other carmakers. We are confident the case will move forward, and the jury will be the ultimate arbiter.”
The 725-page filing last week also alleges Toyota secretly repurchased from customers some vehicles it found with safety defects linked to unintended-acceleration problems.
The suit attempts to consolidate dozens of consumers and businesses claiming economic losses stemming from complaints that Toyota vehicles raced out of control.
Toyota said last week it had indeed repurchased vehicles from customers who complained of unintended acceleration but did so to conduct “further engineering analysis” on the cars.
The company said its technicians were unable to replicate those acceleration concerns.
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