plus 4, U.S. carmakers try to win on Asian rivals’ terms - MSNBC |
- U.S. carmakers try to win on Asian rivals’ terms - MSNBC
- Update 5: Coverage of the 2010 North American International Auto Show ... - PickupTrucks.com
- Andersson details struggles to revamp GAZ - Detroit Free Press
- Asian Automakers Face Battle In US Market - WPXI
- Detroit 2010: Automotive X-Prize now pretty much the Michigan (based ... - autoblog
| U.S. carmakers try to win on Asian rivals’ terms - MSNBC Posted: 13 Jan 2010 08:11 AM PST DETROIT - Asian automakers grabbed their biggest chunk ever of the U.S. car and truck market in 2009, but they may struggle to build on that momentum this year as rivals in Detroit offer a fleet of efficient, small cars. All automakers that sell cars and trucks in the U.S. will try to woo cautious consumers still nervous about heavy debt, high unemployment and rising gas prices. Market share held by 10 Asian automakers — including leaders Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. — rose to 47.4 percent last year, surpassing for the first time Detroit's three players, which slipped to 44.2 percent, according to Autodata Corp. Those gains may be hard to extend this year. The struggle will center on small and midsize cars, as well as alternative-fuel models that run on electric batteries, or hybrid combinations of gasoline and electric. The rivals all showed their wares this week at the Detroit auto show. The Asian manufacturers' longtime dominance in smaller and greener cars gives them a running start this year, but Ford Motor Co. has countered with a revamped compact Focus and General Motors Co. is touting an all-electric Volt and new small cars like the Aveo, which is supposed to get about 40 mpg on the highway. GM and Ford also have strong sales in midsize cars, and the 2010 Fusion hybrid grabbed the North American Car of the Year award at the Detroit show earlier this week. That's added to growing signs of strength for Detroit, even after a tough year. But that bad year was enough to shift Asian brands into the top market share spot. That's a big reversal from 1980, when the domestics owned three-quarters of all sales and the Asians held just 18 percent. Back then, Detroit still ruled a car culture that was just starting to digest the long-term implications of two gas price spikes in the 1970s. That force spurred a shift toward greater demand for smaller, fuel-efficient cars. The 1990s blunted that, when lower gas prices gave rise to SUVs and boosted the fortunes of Detroit. Still, the Asian manufacturers, who last year built nearly 60 percent of their U.S. cars in North America, were on their to car dominance. In 2009, Detroit's dependence reliance on trucks came back to haunt it. SUV sales collapsed the year before in the wake record-high gasoline prices. Then came the financial meltdown and credit freeze. With mounting debts, GM and Chrysler Group LLC were forced into bankruptcy protection and Ford had to use billions in borrowed money to stay alive. That raised consumer concerns about GM and Chrysler and turned off many buyers. This year, fuel-efficient cars will appeal to drivers who want to avoid resurgent gas prices and the higher sticker prices on big cars and trucks. But it's a brutal market overall. The outlook for industry sales isn't certain for 2010, but last year's drop of 21 percent to the worst level since 1982 doesn't inspire confidence. Just 10.4 million cars and light trucks were sold, far below the average of 17 million for much of last decade. Michael Robinet, an auto industry analyst for the CSM Worldwide consulting firm near Detroit, said strong products from Detroit, expanding European manufacturers and the upstart Chinese all could work to erode some of the market share that Asian companies have gained. For example, he cited the midsize sedan market, once the almost exclusive domain of Toyota, Honda and Nissan Motor Co. Now, they face the Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, and GM's Chevrolet Malibu that all are competing for a slice of the market. "It's going to be an all-out war," Robinet said. "We've got some fantastic product. We've got some very strong competitors." U.S. car buyers, Robinet noted, are looking more at each automaker on its own merits rather than where they're based. And with Asian automakers building so many of their vehicles in North America, he said, there's less of a distinction between them and Detroit. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| Update 5: Coverage of the 2010 North American International Auto Show ... - PickupTrucks.com Posted: 13 Jan 2010 06:45 AM PST Update 5: Coverage of the 2010 North American International Auto Show from DetroitUpdate #5 January-13-2010 10:50 AM EDT: --- We're off to Detroit to cover the 2010 North American International Auto Show direct from Motown. It's PickupTrucks.com's 12th year of coverage! We've got a bit of a dilemma this time. It's not toughing out the arctic weather that's hanging over the Midwest, but the lack of a single planned pickup truck concept or production model debut at the show. It's the first time this has happened since we've been attending. So, we're going to do our best to find truck news on the ground. We've got interviews scheduled with executives and we're bound to hear a good rumor or two. Stay tuned this week! In the meantime, here's links to all of our past NAIAS coverage! Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| Andersson details struggles to revamp GAZ - Detroit Free Press Posted: 13 Jan 2010 08:18 AM PST As the head of purchasing for General Motors, Bo Andersson oversaw some $85 billion in contracts with automakers and parts makers around the globe. As the president of Russian vehicle maker GAZ Group, Andersson has to decide how many buildings to knock down this year. One of the pillars of Soviet-era industry, GAZ's main compound in Nizhny Novgorod makes Ford's iconic Rouge plant look like a tool shed. Three miles long and two miles wide, it includes 482 buildings – down 47 buildings from last year, with another 50 to go this year. The spare sites were never bulldozed before because "Russians have this feeling that it may be good to have it," Andersson said at the Automotive News World Congress today. The Swedish-born executive spent 20 years with GM before jumping through the looking glass to run GAZ, which had aspirations to expand beyond Russia. So far, all GAZ has to show for it was a debt load that Andersson is struggling to renegotiate. GAZ has half of the Russian market for commercial vehicles, with 15 plants building everything from earthmovers to tank trucks designed for hauling vodka. Andersson said while GAZ could centralize, it needs that many plants to satisfy demands from regional Russian government officials for jobs and customers spread over 11 time zones. And Andersson delivered the rest of the story on GAZ's attempt to make the Chrysler Sebring a Russian staple. In 2006, GAZ bought the tooling for the previous version of the Sebring, shipping the machinery from Sterling Heights to Nizhny Novgorod and redubbing the car the Siber. When Andersson arrived, he found that the plant used to build the Siber was nicknamed Venice "because the roof leaked like hell," and production was impossible. The company had built 2,000 cars, and had parts for 2,000 more, when Andersson killed the project. Under the deal with Chrysler, it can't sell the parts outside Russia. "We will have spare parts to 2050," Andersson said. Andersson said the automaker didn't need to focus on passenger vehicles for profits, but would keep exploring deals; he declined to comment on the collapse of the pact with Magna to take control of GM's European Opel unit. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| Asian Automakers Face Battle In US Market - WPXI Posted: 13 Jan 2010 07:49 AM PST Toyota, Honda Grabbed Large Chunk Of American Sales In 2009Updated: 10:54 am EST January 13, 2010 DETROIT -- Asian automakers grabbed their biggest chunk ever of the U.S. car and truck market in 2009, but they'll struggle to build on that momentum this year as rivals in Detroit offer a fleet of efficient, small cars. All automakers that sell cars and trucks in the U.S. will try to woo cautious consumers still nervous about heavy debt, high unemployment and rising gas prices. Market share held by 10 Asian automakers -- including leaders Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. -- rose to 47.4 percent last year, surpassing for the first time Detroit's three players, which slipped to 44.2 percent, according to Autodata Corp. Those gains will be hard to extend this year. The struggle will center on small and midsize cars, as well as alternative-fuel models that run on electric batteries, or hybrid combinations of gasoline and electric. The rivals all showed their wares this week at the Detroit auto show. The Asian manufacturers' longtime dominance in smaller and greener cars gives them a running start this year, but Ford Motor Co. has countered with a revamped compact Focus and General Motors Co. is touting an all-electric Volt and new small cars like the Aveo, which is supposed to get about 40 mpg on the highway. GM and Ford also have strong sales in midsize cars, and the 2010 Fusion hybrid grabbed the North American Car of the Year award at the Detroit show earlier this week. That's added to growing signs of strength for Detroit, even after a tough year. But that bad year was enough to shift Asian brands into the top market share spot. That's a big reversal from 1980, when the domestics owned three-quarters of all sales and the Asians held just 18 percent. Back then, Detroit still ruled a car culture that was just starting to digest the long-term implications of two gas price spikes in the 1970s. That force spurred a shift toward greater demand for smaller, fuel-efficient cars. The 1990s blunted that, when lower gas prices gave rise to SUVs and boosted the fortunes of Detroit. Still, the Asian manufacturers, who last year built nearly 60 percent of their U.S. cars in North America, were on their way to car dominance. In 2009, Detroit's reliance on trucks came back to haunt it. SUV sales collapsed the year before in the wake record-high gasoline prices. Then came the financial meltdown and credit freeze. With mounting debts, GM and Chrysler Group LLC were forced into bankruptcy protection and Ford had to use billions in borrowed money to stay alive. That raised consumer concerns about GM and Chrysler and turned off many buyers. This year, fuel-efficient cars will appeal to drivers who want to avoid resurgent gas prices and the higher sticker prices on big cars and trucks. But it's a brutal market overall. The outlook for industry sales isn't certain for 2010, but last year's drop of 21 percent to the worst level since 1982 doesn't inspire confidence. Just 10.4 million cars and light trucks were sold, far below the average of 17 million for much of last decade. Michael Robinet, an auto industry analyst for the CSM Worldwide consulting firm near Detroit, said strong products from Detroit, expanding European manufacturers and the upstart Chinese all could work to erode some of the market share that Asian companies have gained. For example, he cited the midsize sedan market, once the almost exclusive domain of Toyota, Honda and Nissan Motor Co. Now, they face the Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, and GM's Chevrolet Malibu that all are competing for a slice of the market. "It's going to be an all-out war," Robinet said. "We've got some fantastic product. We've got some very strong competitors." U.S. car buyers, Robinet noted, are looking more at each automaker on its own merits rather than where they're based. And with Asian automakers building so many of their vehicles in North America, he said, there's less of a distinction between them and Detroit. "Consumers are being very careful about how they spend their money," he said. Toyota, which dominated hybrids with sales of 530,000 Priuses worldwide in 2009, will try to reinforce its strength there. The Japanese company plans to expand the brand from a single vehicle to family of hybrids. At the auto show Monday, it unveiled a new hybrid concept car that is a smaller version of the Prius. The FT-CH compact is geared toward younger buyers and has a sleek, rounded look and a windshield that swoops over the headlights. Toyota said the two-door car is 22 inches (55 centimeters) shorter than the Prius, and is lighter and more fuel efficient. Honda, meanwhile, has struggled against the Prius. Its Insight hybrid flopped. The sporty two-door CR-Z hatchback is Honda's attempt to bring a bit of flair to the hybrid segment, whose design has long been dominated by the sculpted lines and sloping roofs of the four-door Prius. The two-door CR-Z, by contrast, features a compact profile and roadster look. It also comes with multiple drive modes that allow cycling between sportier or more fuel-efficient settings. Pricing will be announced at a later date, Honda said. Hyundai Motor Co., one of the top share gainers last year in the U.S., is offering the 2011 midsize Sonata with a class-leading 35 mpg on the highway. "Hyundai is one to watch ... because they've been successful in a pretty ugly market," said Jeff Schuster, J.D. Power's executive director of automotive forecasting. Chinese automakers largely skipped the Detroit show this year. But BYD Co., with backing from billionaire Warren Buffett, plans to export cars to the U.S. in the second half of 2010. BYD, which makes traditional gasoline-powered vehicles, aims to offer Americans an all-electric five-seat e6 crossover, to be built in China. The crossover -- a smaller SUV -- must meet U.S. safety standards, including bumper height requirements and interiors that limit how far an unbelted passenger can travel in a crash. The automaker plans to use partnerships to establish a U.S. dealer network to sell and service the e6, but locations and other details haven't been finalized. A company that wants to import vehicles typically goes through a self-certification process to state that it meets U.S. safety standards. BYD said the e6 will be built strictly according to U.S. safety and emissions standards, and the company is doing tests in China for certification. Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| Detroit 2010: Automotive X-Prize now pretty much the Michigan (based ... - autoblog Posted: 13 Jan 2010 08:03 AM PST Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE Chooses Michigan for 2010 Competition Events
DETROIT, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE has chosen the state of Michigan to host an intense multi-stage competition that aims to pit some of the world's most fuel efficient vehicles against one another in a quest to win their share of a $10 million prize purse. Fifty-one super efficient cars from 41 teams survived the rigorous design judging phase and now aim to ready their vehicles for the start of on-track performance events in the spring of 2010, thanks to a unique new partnership with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the Michigan International Speedway (MIS), announced today at the North American International Auto Show. The series of scored performance and evaluation events kicks off April 26, 2010 and continues through the end of August 2010. During this time, the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE will conduct several closed door competition stages aimed at evaluating the efficiency, safety and performance of each competition vehicle under real world conditions. While in Michigan, the competition will open its doors at select dates to allow the public and the automotive world an opportunity to witness the competition stages as they unfold. In addition, ongoing and interactive updates will be available online at www.progressiveautoxprize.org throughout the competition stages. "As the birthplace of the American automotive industry, Michigan has the knowledge base, the talent, and the facilities to support the innovation central to achieving the goals of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE and the future of the automotive industry," noted Peter Diamandis, chairman and CEO of The X PRIZE Foundation. "We couldn't be more thrilled to partner with Michigan as we enter the most exciting phase of the competition, and I'd especially like to thank Governor Granholm and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation for helping us bring the competition to Michigan." Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm also added, "Michigan, the state that put the world on wheels, is excited to host the test phase of the Automotive X PRIZE competition. There is no place in the world better suited to display these super fuel-efficient and green-powered vehicles. We are home to more collective automotive manufacturing and R&D talent in North America than the other 49 states, Canada and Mexico combined. Michigan is charged up and ready to showcase the cars and trucks of the future and the advanced power systems that will fuel them." The competition stages and public events are as follows. Additional public events may be announced at a later date. * April 26 – May 7, 2010: SHAKEDOWN STAGE (CLOSED DOOR COMPETITION EVENT) Location: Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, MI The purpose of this first stage is to conduct safety inspections and on-track dynamic safety evaluations of competition vehicles. Teams must submit their cars to on-the-ground challenges for the purpose of shaking out problem areas and preparing their vehicles for the Knockout Qualifying Stage that follows, all without risk of elimination by the judges. Vehicles will be tested on braking speed, lane change ability, acceleration and refueling/recharging time, among other elements. * April 29, 2010 COMPETITION OPENER & WELCOME (PUBLIC EVENT) Location: Michigan State Capitol, Lansing, MI Up to ten competition vehicles will be on display at the state capitol for the public and media to view, including opportunities to interact with the teams. * June 20-28, 2010 KNOCKOUT QUALIFYING STAGE (CLOSED DOOR COMPETITION EVENT) Location: Michigan International Speedway To narrow the field of competitors, Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE officials will re-conduct inspections and certify readiness for knockout stage challenges. In order to pass this stage, teams must demonstrate that their vehicles can achieve at least two-thirds of the stated 100 MPGe (miles per gallon or energy equivalent) goal while also meeting expectations for range, emissions, and real world performance. Achieving emissions thresholds will prove a significant hurdle for teams in this stage as will the "hill climb" challenge. * July 2010 OPEN HOUSE Exact Date TBD (PUBLIC EVENT) Location: Michigan International Speedway The greater Michigan community will be invited to a free one-day event to see some of the vehicles close up, meet and learn about the finalist teams in the DASH+ national high school contest - an element of the competition's national education program, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy - and explore a variety of interactive and informative booths and displays focused on innovation around fuel efficiency and reduced emissions. They will also have access to the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE technical team, which will provide insight into what each scoring leg is designed to calculate and explain how the competitors are challenged to prove that their vehicle can average the targeted 100 MPGe. * JULY 19-30, 2010 FINALS STAGE (CLOSED DOOR COMPETITION EVENT) Location: Michigan International Speedway To identify the top finalists in each class, after a quick repeat of the static and dynamic safety checks, the remaining teams will compete in scored on-track challenges, and close with a "coast down" exercise to gain key performance information about the aerodynamics and rolling resistance to properly prepare the vehicles for the validation stage. Speed will be important and a maximum and minimum time for events will be established. * AUGUST 2010 VALIDATION STAGE (CLOSED DOOR COMPETITION EVENT) Location: EPA Labs (Ann Arbor, MI) and Argonne National Labs (Chicago, IL) In this final technical event, the top finalists in both the Mainstream and Alternative classes will undergo dynamometer testing under controlled laboratory conditions at certified labs to verify technical performance results. The results of this testing, combined with the speed, efficiency and emissions results from the earlier events at Michigan International Speedway, will determine the winners of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE. The Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE, with title sponsor Progressive Insurance, intends to announce winners and present checks at a special award ceremony in Washington, D.C. in September 2010. Specific details on this event will be announced at a later time. ABOUT THE PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE AUTOMOTIVE X PRIZE The goal of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE is to inspire a new generation of viable, super fuel-efficient vehicles that offer more consumer choices. Ten million dollars in prizes will be awarded to the teams that win a stage competition for clean, production-capable vehicles that exceed 100 Miles per gallon or energy equivalent (MPGe). The series of scored performance and evaluation events kicks off April 26, 2010 and continues through the end of August 2010. The Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE will place a major focus on efficiency, safety, affordability, and the environment. It is about developing real, production-capable cars that consumers will want to buy, not science projects or concept cars. This progress is needed because today's oil consumption is unsustainable and because automotive emissions significantly contribute to global warming and climate change. For more information about the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE, please visit www.progressiveautoxprize.org or email progressiveautopress@xprize.org. ABOUT PROGRESSIVE Progressive, founded in 1937, is one of the country's largest auto insurance groups and a leading insurer of motorcycles, recreation vehicles, boats, and commercial vehicles. The Company offers competitive rates and innovative products and services that meet drivers' needs throughout their lifetimes as well as 24/7 online and in-person customer and claims service. One of Progressive's Core Values is Excellence. To the Company's nearly 25,000 people, it simply means seeking constant improvement. Over time, this has meant introducing revolutionary ideas that make car insurance easier to shop for, buy and use. It's this same innovative spirit that's behind the Company's sponsorship of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE. The Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE will inspire innovation that will produce more fuel efficient vehicle choices, helping to make a difference in people's lives. Progressive's products and services are available locally through more than 30,000 independent insurance agencies in the U.S., online at http://www.progressive.com, and by phone at 1-800-PROGRESSIVE (1-800-776-4737). ABOUT THE PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE AUTOMOTIVE X PRIZE EDUCATION PROGRAM Through a $3.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE has developed a national education program to engage students and the public in learning about advanced vehicle technologies, energy efficiency, climate change and alternative fuels. Together with FuelOurFutureNow.com, an online knowledge center developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy and Discovery Education, and the DASH+ high school student contest, the education program challenges young people to learn more about the science, technology, engineering and math behind efficient vehicle development. For more about the student contest to design the next-generation dashboard, visit FuelOurFutureNow.com/contest. ABOUT THE X PRIZE FOUNDATION The X PRIZE Foundation is an educational nonprofit prize institute whose mission is to create radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. In 2004, the Foundation captured world headlines when Burt Rutan, backed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, built and flew the world's first private vehicle to space to win the $10 million Ansari X PRIZE. The Foundation has since launched the $10 million Archon X PRIZE for Genomics, the $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE, and the $10 million Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE. The Foundation is creating and conducting competitions in four prize groups: Exploration (Space and Oceans), Life Sciences, Energy & Environment, and Education & Global Development. The Foundation is widely recognized as the leader in fostering innovation through competition. For more information, please visit www.xprize.org Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Add Images to any RSS Feed To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
.gif "OBAT KUAT")
.gif)
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar - Back to Content