Rumors of Mercury’s imminent demise have run rampant for the past year, with even Jerry York, adviser to billionaire stockholder Kirk Kerkorian, urging Ford to sell the brand. A dearth of updates in the pipeline beyond 2011 appeared to indicate it would die a silent death. But new plans from Ford officials have the brand […]
As more buyers in the market for a pickup truck eye the smaller, more fuel-efficient alternatives to the major brands’ full-size offerings, the attention is beginning to reveal some unpleasant details. Safety ratings based on IIHS crash tests indicate that many of the smaller pickup trucks on the market today offer dismal impact protection.
Some of […]
Billed as the first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) version of the world famous pickup truck, the HEVT (Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technologies, Inc.) F-150 makes significant improvements in fuel mileage while maintaining the utility of its Ford chassis. The truck is intended as an exhibition of the possibilities for retrofitting pickups, SUVs and vans […]
Coinciding with news of an $8.7 billion second quarter loss, Ford also announced today its latest North American restructuring plans and future product developments for the Ford, Mercury and Lincoln brands. The biggest impact is the considerable shift in Ford’s North American product plans and investments toward smaller vehicles and fuel-efficient powertrains in both the […]
Ford has reported an $8.7 billion net loss for the second quarter of the year, with declining sales of large pickups and SUVs and a pre-tax special charge of $8 billion largely to blame for the poor result. The special one-off charge included impairments of $5.3 billion for Ford North America’s long-lived assets and $2.1 […]
Updated: A source from Ford has confirmed that the 2010 Mustang will debut at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show, with full information and details for the update scheduled to be revealed for the first time on November 19. A prototype version of the car recently made an appearance at the latest leg […]
While the automotive universe has certainly been shaken at its foundations with a confluence of unfortunate events this year, all is not lost. Cloudy second-quarter and first-half results appear to have a few silver linings as the industry begins to adjust to the new face of the market.
General Motors, no stranger to trouble through the […]
Saleen’s Aftermarket Division, SpeedLab, announced today the introduction of a new technology for its forced induction models dubbed the SuperShaker. The new performance modification continues the tradition of the classic shaker hood but is designed to increase the efficiency of supercharged powerplants by introducing a ram air effect.
The SuperShaker induction path […]
Updated: Ford’s focus on fuel efficiency hops into the front seat with the debut of the new Fiesta EcoNetic at this week’s London Motor Show. The little hatch has an optimized diesel engine that turns out a fuel efficiency rating that places it at the very top of the UK’s list of five-seaters.
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General Motors’ roll-out of the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid is set to have a large impact on the United States power industry. In a bid to anticipate this impact, General Motors will likely team up with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) - an institute that conducts research for several utilities that together power 90% […]
Speculation about the demise of Ford’s Mercury brand has been rife for the past year, with many analysts convinced the struggling brand is in its death throes and will be axed soon. While Ford continues to deny such rumors, the Blue Oval’s actions are speaking louder than its words - no new vehicles are on […]
Cars like Honda’s Civic Hybrid and Toyota’s Prius have long been known to use harder-than-normal tires as part of the overall package to improve fuel efficiency. Now U.S. carmakers, especially those in Detroit, are looking to the simple technology to improve fuel economy performance of a wide range of vehicles in the face of consumer […]
Focused on finding a sweet spot in the balance between power and economy, Ford is working new plans to expand its EcoBoost system while also improving its existing naturally aspirated engines across its entire range. Diesel engines will play a role, as will smaller petrol mills, with help from a new set of transmissions as […]
Ford facilities around the globe may begin to feel the pinch of the current fuel crisis as cost-cutting begins in earnest. Gerhard Schmidt, Chief Technical Officer for Ford has confirmed that there will be a reduction in employees at the Ford Research Center in Germany (pictured), and that these layoffs may be precursors to other […]
Selling off all of its Premier Automotive Group (PAG) holdings except for Volvo left Ford with a handful of largely working-class brands, but that move may have been part of the bigger picture only being revealed now. Reduced to a closer core of nameplates, Ford is working to restore Lincoln to its former high-end luxury […]