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Archive for March, 2009

Grim News for GM, but Hybrids March On

Tuesday, 31 March, 2009

The week got off to a roller coaster start with President Obama politely showing GM’s Rick Wagoner the gate and giving the once great automaker 60 days to get its ducks in a row. Chrysler has just as a month to line up a merger with Fiat or cease to exist. Finding good automotive news [...]

Toyota Should Maximize Prius Offerings

Thursday, 26 March, 2009

Toyota has the third-generation Prius coming up soon, a long-awaited update to its six-year old dominant hybrid offering. The expected base price has been set at $22,000. But here’s the rub. Honda just introduced a hybrid Insight going for $20,000. Yes, the race for hybrid king of the heap is still on.
Toyota has already come [...]

Mercedes-Benz Looking at Ann Arbor for Hybrid Center

Tuesday, 17 March, 2009

Ann Arbor could be the future home of Mercedes-Benz Hybrid LLC’s planned 65,000 square foot center for hybrid electric vehicle and advanced propulsion research and development. (One would hope they have a catchier name in mind for the building.) If Mercedes-Benz goes with Ann Arbor they’ll be bringing 223 jobs to the area.
As an inducement, [...]

GM Cancels Advanced Diesel Engine

Tuesday, 10 March, 2009

Tech innovations are starting to suffer as carmakers are cutting costs just to survive. General Motors as been forced to delay work on one of its most innovative engines ever, a 4.5 liter diesel intended for use in light-duty trucks.
Production on the engine was to have started this coming fall at the plant in Tonawanda, [...]

Third Time the Charm for Ford iosis?

Tuesday, 3 March, 2009

One of the more interesting tidbits to come out of the Geneva Auto Show is the news that Ford’s iosis Max concept could actually be headed for our fair shores and I must say, it’s a tasty intro to the carmaker’s new global design.
Make no mistake, the isosis is futuristic but functional with a low, [...]