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Auto industry's wild ride gets smoother Brandweek Magazine Share     The state of the auto nation is shaky at the moment, but all is not lost. Offsetting the unrelentingly negative news are 2009 highlights like a 69 percent spike in Sorento model sales, a 48 percent increase in Sedona sales, and the successful launch of the economically priced Hyundai Genesis and Kia Soul, both targeting younger drivers. Conversely, luxury vehicles that attract middle-age consumers managed to outpace the market, although the category experienced a long-tail effect, a two- to three-month delay from shopping to closing the sale. More
Cash for Clunkers: What might it really mean to car buyers? TIME Magazine Share
The House approved a plan that'll give electronic vouchers up to $4,500 to car owners who trade in their old gas guzzlers for more fuel-efficient models. Similar "cash for clunkers" programs are already in place in Europe, and various bills have been discussed in the U.S. for months. Originally, the plan was offered as a one-two punch to simultaneously help the environment and improve dismal car sales. Now, it's thought of mainly for the latter purpose. Naturally, car manufacturers are excited, environmentalists less so. Consumers don't know what to think. So here's a closer look at what the plan will and won't do for potential car buyers. More Study: Industry needs cultural change to survive Aftermarket Business Share
A rapid cultural transformation - which hinges on replacing current management teams - is needed to successfully turn around the automotive industry, according to a new University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) report, "Fixing Detroit: How Far, How Fast, How Fuel Efficient?" The report finds that the existing culture within the domestic auto companies systematically underestimates the value of fuel economy, which has crippled profitability. More Consumers still reluctant to buy new cars Motor Age Share
A recently completed Internet survey reveals a progressive increase in consumers' unwillingness to consider purchasing a new car. Those who definitely or probably will not buy have increased from 22 percent in September, 2008, to 38 percent in March, 2009 to 42 percent in April. More
Study shows nearly half of drivers interested in PHEVs Motor Age Share
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles are one of the most highly anticipated new product categories of recent years, and more consumers are interested in them, according to a recent study. Promising dramatically improved fuel economy over standard internal combustion engines, PHEVs are expected to drive significant benefits in the form of reduced carbon emissions and lesser dependence on foreign oil. More U.S. House of Representatives passes Health Insurer Antitrust Exemption Repeal Automotive Service Association Share
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed H.R. 3962, the "Affordable Health Care for America Act" in a vote of 220-215. H.R. 3962 contains a provision that repeals the antitrust exemption in the McCarran-Ferguson Act for health insurers. The provision excludes property and casualty insurers. More Michelin introduces 'smart' jumper cables The Detroit News Share
Winter's coming. That means stocking up on deicer fluid for the windshield washer reservoir and digging out the old snow scraper and jumper cables. Or you might want to buy a new set of jumper cables because the technology has just taken a big leap forward. More
Being coolant savvy: Avoid mistakes, get it right the first time AutoInc. Magazine Share
It used to be simple: For a long time, antifreeze was antifreeze. It was all the same color, all smelled the same, and as far as we knew, it all worked the same way. Some of us knew that big trucks use something different (almost everything in the heavy-duty world is different), but antifreeze in cars was just something we checked every fall and changed every two years. More Automobile owners live to regret their do-it-yourself repairs Quad-City Times Share
Mechanics say they've seen it all in this period of economic slowdown, including incorrectly installed brake pads and antifreeze poured into engines. Derek Desherow, the manager of QC Auto Service in Moline, Ill., said about twice a week he will see customers who tried to do some type of car repair themselves and now need professional help. More Clunkers become junkers WNDU Share
One man's junk is another man's treasure as the Cash for Clunkers program moves to the auto salvage yard. "Probably 75 percent of the vehicles we brought in, I would never have considered a clunker," said Rick Niedbalski of Mike's Auto Salvage in Mishawaka, Ind. More |
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