Electric car makers like to make a big fuss about how their clean-green automobiles are going to “change the industry.” Sometimes those instincts lead to hubris and overreach (ahem, Tesla), while other times the changes make you long for the relative simplicity of the new car dealer fandango we all go through to buy “regular cars.” In the case of Think, the business innovations (namely the innovation of relying on accumulating local tax credits to get the price to seem as low as possible) are enough to make the world of dealer markups and delivery charges seem downright quaint and homey. And that’s not the way to change this business…
No, the G-Wagen isn’t gone for good… but let’s face it, we all know nothing lasts forever. Having been built with only one major technical change since 1979, the G-Wagen’s inevitable ride into the sunset is beginning with the end of production for the short-wheelbase, two-door version that we’ve never (officially) received here in the US. A complete shutdown of Graz, Austria production has been whispered about since (at least) 2005, when Mercedes nearly stopped shipping Gs to the US (according to Wikipedia, only an order from the US Marines [Devil Dog G-Wagens FTW!] stopped Mercedes from cutting America off from the G-loving). But, according to Auto Motor und Sport, the convertible and four-door versions will continue to be built… for the moment. Think of this as an opportunity for a bit of proactive mourning….
President Obama’s goal of having a million plug-in vehicles zipping around American roads by 2015 faces some serious challenges, as report after report casts doubt on the chances of the hoped-for level of adoption in the hoped-for timeframe. Meanwhile, the president’s defense of his plan’s practicability… leaves quite a bit to be desired. Regardless, the President’s goal is receiving some unexpected support as Automotive News Europe [sub] reports that
Germany’s cabinet plans to commit billions of euros to boost the electric auto sector so that 1 million cars are registered by 2020
The established Accord/Camry duopoly on the Midsized segment wasn’t in any serious trouble this month, but as tsunami-related shortages hit Honda, Toyota and Nissan, things could be in flux. In fact, the big story for April seems to be the relaxing of demand for Fusion and Altima, which still occupy a distinct second tier behind Accord/Camry in the Year-To-Date race. Behind those four, the Sonata and Malibu are neck-in-neck in the YTD standings, with the fleet-happy Impala (easy there Bias Police, AN [sub] reports that “In March, about 75 percent of Impala sales went to fleets and rental-car companies”) and the supply-constrained Prius trailing the pack. And then there’s everyone else. Chrysler Group’s midsizers are improving their sales, Legacy is in a holding patter, Maxima is showing its age and the Mazda6… well, that’s just a sad story, isn’t it? NB: VW did not sell a single Passat last month. Passat CC numbers will be in our weird mash-up segment of large/premium sedans.
Beijing closed the book on the tit-for-tat saga that had started with the U.S. slapping punitive tariffs on Chinese tires. China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC) issued a final ruling today, declaring that the United States has dumped subsidized sedans and sport utility vehicles with engine displacement of 2.5 liters or bigger on the Chinese market, writes China’s state-owned new agency Xinhua. According top the MOC, this has harmed China’s domestic auto manufacturing industries. Then, China did nothing. (Read More…)
DeTomaso’s re-launch landed with a thud when it debuted its “Deauville” CUV monstrosity. But it’s possible that the “D’oh-ville” (as it will henceforth be known here at TTAC) was simply the amuse-bouche (French speakers will be able to offer a more apt variation) before the real meal. Just as the D’oh-ville was first seen in a very specifically-staged video, a mid-engined sportscar has been spotted leaving DeTomaso’s headquarters while being “spied” from the exact same angle. So expect something a little more heritage compliant from the brand that created the Vallelunga, Mangusta and Pantera.
A massive study by the Government Accountability Office into “Opportunities to Reduce Potential Duplication in Government Programs, Save Tax Dollars, and Enhance Revenue” has turned up an interesting finding. It seems that the government’s desire to buy more “alternative fuel vehicles” (AFVs) may actually increase the amount of gasoline used by government fleets. Why? Because agencies largely buy E85 ethanol-powered vehicles to fulfill their AFV requirements, and there aren’t enough E85 pumps to actually fuel the fleet, forcing agencies to obtain waivers to buy regular gasoline. Hit the jump for the report’s full findings on this, the latest unintended consequence of America’s ongoing ethanol-subsidy boondoggle.
The Malaise Era of American automotive history refers to the period of model-year 1973 through model-year 1983; it takes its name from the commonly accepted shorthand name for President Jimmy Carter’s notorious “Crisis of Confidence” speech of July 15, 1979 (interestingly, Carter did not use the word “Malaise” in his speech). (Read More…)
Paragraph “A” of Section 2.2 of the SCCA National Solo Rules clearly states, “Turns should not normally allow speeds in excess of 45 mph in un-prepared cars.” By contrast, it’s not unusual for club racers to enter Mid-Ohio’s Turn One at ninety miles per hour, often lifting an inside rear wheel and/or making vigorous contact with other drivers at the same time. WRC rallyists often see corner speeds in the 70-80mph zone, although those speeds are attained on corners which simply wouldn’t fit in an autocross course or within Mid-Ohio’s boundaries. Nor should we forget stock-car racers, who are completely comfortable exceeding 130mph on banked turns. In the world of motorsports, 45mph is slow.
Why, then, do some well-informed people consider SCCA’s National Tour autocrossers to be the best drivers in the world?
One of President Obama’s signature achievements, passage of $812 billion in stimulus funds at the height of the recession, was labeled a failure by the chairman of the US House Transportation Committee, which had jurisdiction over about eight percent of the projects funded. In a hearing yesterday, Representative John Mica (R-Florida) explained that the money did not end up going to needed infrastructure projects.
“This will go down in history as one of the greatest failures of a government program to stimulate the economy that mankind has ever created,” Mica said. “This is a trillion-dollar lesson.”
How many Eagles did AMC sell? According to the Standard Catalog, 24,535 Eagles rolled out of AMC showrooms in 1984… and I betcha that 20,000 of them were sold in Colorado. You still see plenty of Eagles on the street here in Denver (I can think of a half-dozen within a few blocks of my house), but you also see plenty of AMC’s before-its-time all-wheel-driver in Denver junkyards. (Read More…)
GM solidly trounced analysts’ expectations and delivered $3.2 billion if Q1 2011 net income. The consensus of a Bloomberg panel was $1.74 billion. Compared with the first quarter of 2010, revenue increased $4.7 billion to $36.2 billion, says GM press release. GM’s first-quarter profit more than tripled to its highest in at least 21 years. (Read More…)
Would you buy a Buick Park Avenue Davos World Economic Forum 2011 Special Edition? No? GM China thinks the Chinese will disagree with you and will snap up the “Buick Park Avenue 2011 Boao Forum for Asia Special Edition.” What is a Boao Forum? Glad I asked. As CarNewsChina tells us, “the Boao Forum is an economic conference comparable to the famous Davos Forum but focused on Asia.” And now it gets complicated: (Read More…)
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