by Ken Zino | Jan 28, 2010
Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced today that the Department of Energy has closed a $1.4 billion loan agreement with Nissan North America, Inc. The loan will be used to modify Nissan’s Smyrna, Tennessee manufacturing plant so it can produce the Nissan Leaf...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jan 28, 2010
Ford Motor Company is taking steps to check on whether the pedal on the Transit Classic van built by one of its Chinese partners, Jiangling, could contribute to unintended acceleration. The investigation is, thus far, confined to the Chinese made vehicles, but Ford...
by Ken Zino | Jan 28, 2010
Renault TV debuted this morning with the claim it is the first international television station from an automaker. Renault TV in France is on channel 349 on Canalsat, and in the UK on Sky Guide 883. The potential audience is 30 million. Whether British viewers take...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 28, 2010
The blowback from Toyota’s recent spate of safety recalls keeps mounting – as does the actual number of vehicles involved. The automaker has quietly revealed that the recall it first announced last October is expanding by another 1.1 million cars, trucks and...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jan 28, 2010
Ford Motor Co. reported net income of more than $2.7 billion, or 86 cents per share, a $17 billion improvement from a year ago, as its comeback plans exceeded expectations by the delivering the maker’s first full year of profitability since 2005. The full-year profit...
by Joseph Szczesny | Jan 27, 2010
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the United Auto Workers Union are taking aim at Toyota Motor Corp. while it is reeling from the fallout of its decision to suspend sales of eight of its most popular models due to a safety defect. Teamster president James...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 27, 2010
All’s fair in love, war and automotive marketing, it seems, and General Motors is hoping to make some gains off Toyota’s latest round of quality problems with a new $1,000 incentive program. The cash offer is good for any potential customer that wants to trade in a...
by Ken Zino | Jan 27, 2010
CTS Corporation (NYSE: CTS) said this afternoon that the pedals it supplied to Toyota met its design specifications. The company made at least some of the pedals involved in the recall. “Based on information that Toyota has provided us, we are aware of fewer than a...
by Ken Zino | Jan 27, 2010
Toyota Motor Corporation is in discussions with other governments or safety agencies about potential actions similar to the ones undertaken in the U.S. to correct defects in accelerator pedals, according to people close to the situation. If a sales halt and plant shut...
by Ken Zino | Jan 27, 2010
Honda began operation today of a new solar hydrogen station prototype at its Los Angeles Research and Development Center. It is a prototype of a home refueling “appliance” capable of an overnight refill of a fuel cell electric vehicle. The latest iteration reduces the...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jan 26, 2010
Days after announcing another recall of 2.3 million vehicles due to a problem with sticking accelerator pedals, Toyota has announced it will halt U.S. sales of eight models impacted by the recall. The maker says it will also halt North American production of those...
by Ken Zino | Jan 26, 2010
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today banned texting by drivers of commercial vehicles such as large trucks and buses, effectively immediately. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that more then 6,000 deaths are caused each year by...
