by Ken Zino | Jun 14, 2010
Technologies available right now could significantly reduce fuel consumption in passenger cars, and light trucks without compromising performance or safety, or so claims a new report by the National Research Council. The problem is that technologies endorsed would...
by Ken Zino | Jun 11, 2010
Volkswagen AG has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it is recalling more than 15,000 of its 2009 model Routan minivans because of a possible wiring routing problem that could cause fires. There are no reports of accidents or injuries...
by Ken Zino | Jun 11, 2010
Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne sent an e-mail today to surviving employees on the anniversary of its emerging from a “quick rinse” bankruptcy one year ago. The company is still losing money and is struggling with an aging product line, poor quality and numerous...
by Ken Zino | Jun 11, 2010
It was 40 years ago this weekend that Porsche claimed its first overall win at the world’s oldest endurance race, the 24 hours of Le Mans. Hans Herrmann and Richard Atwood driving number 23 were first across the finish line in a 917 KH from Porsche Salzburg. Gerard...
by Marty Bernstein | Jun 11, 2010
Hyundai and Kia kick off big marketing programs in FIFA World Cup Throughout the world, football (soccer to us) is more than just a game with eleven participants punting a ball around a well-manicured green — or pitch or dusty field. It is a nationalistic, often...
by Jim McCraw | Jun 11, 2010
It’s already the home to everything from some of the earliest sewing machines to the largest steam locomotives, but soon, The Henry Ford Museum, in Dearborn, Michigan, will add a $15 million, 22,000 square-foot permanent addition to its Hall of Innovation, to be...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jun 11, 2010
Two top Republican lawmakers have accused General Motors of destroying documents involved in a government investigation related to its 2009 federal bailout. In a letter sent to GM CEO Ed Whitacre Jr., California Congressman Darrell Issa and Ohio’s Jim Jordan claim the...
by Ken Zino | Jun 11, 2010
The German central government has rejected Opel’s application for loan guarantees, in spite of the fact that €8.5 billion was given to other automakers last year in the European Union to help them get through tough economic times. Opel received nothing. Opel is...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jun 10, 2010
It’s not the traffic we find ourselves watching out for, though there’s plenty of it on the busy streets of Brooklyn, but the potholes, massive gaps in the pavement that yawn wide and threaten to engulf our entire little microcar. It’s not a job but an adventure, at...
by Ken Zino | Jun 10, 2010
A couple of days ago an internal GM memo was sent to Chevrolet employees asking them to remember the importance of “consistency” while communicating the popular brand, which is deeply embedded in the U.S. car culture. However, it’s also global...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Jun 10, 2010
Few automotive brands have scored such a rapid rise – and suffered such an equally fast fall – as Smart, the microcar division of Daimler AG. Desperately hoping to halt its ongoing slide, Smart executives are counting on an infusion of new products, including the...
by Ken Zino | Jun 10, 2010
The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee has approved legislation (S. 1938), to offer “incentive grants” to states that enact laws to combat distracted driving. The problem is that the bill does nothing to stop the epidemic of distracted driving...
