While the United States has some of the lowest fuel prices in the industrialized world, the rapid advance toward $4 per gallon is outstripping the ability of some older hardware to keep up. As many as 17,000 mechanical dial-based fuel pumps are still in use in America, and none can register a price higher than […]
Republican presidential candidate John McCain revealed this week his plan to fight global warming, promising to increase funding for alternative fuel vehicles and power generation as well as introduce a market-based cap on greenhouse gas emissions. Under his plan, McCain predicts by 2012 greenhouse gas emissions would return to 2005 levels and by 2020 they […]
Despite its status as the world’s biggest and most successful carmaker, Toyota is far from immune to the effects of the slowing American economy and rising fuel prices. In fact, the Japanese giant has forecasted a 27% slump in profits for this financial year and this pressure has led to the decision to postpone the […]
Nissan today announced its financial results for the 2007 financial year and released its official five-year strategy plan dubbed the Nissan ‘GT’ 2012 (‘G’ for growth and ‘T’ for trust). The carmaker made a net operating profit of $6.91 billion in the past year on the back of revenues of $94.62 billion and […]
Audi’s top-of-the line models are likely to feature ZF’s new eight-speed automatic set to roll in next year and the carmaker is already testing vehicles fitted with the fuel-efficient gearbox, according to inside sources. BMW has already confirmed it too will adopt the new design for its 7-series flagship as well as the new X6 […]
GM’s plans to invest $14 billion in Opel by the end of 2012 were announced just last week, as well as their plans to introduce 20 new models for Opel in this time period. But some more details have come out about the investment, most notably the General’s plans to market Opel as […]
The U.S. is the single biggest market for Lamborghini so it comes as little surprise the Italian supercar brand will be setting up a separate sales company exclusively for the country – the first of its kind outside Italy. We first heard news Lamborghini would establish the new sales arm back in January and we […]
Influential auto resource Kelley Blue Book (KBB) and its marketing research team have named Cadillac and Audi as the two highest performers in improved brand perception in the luxury segment. According to the results of a recent study, Cadillac improved most among the factors of driving comfort, exterior styling, interior layout and design, interior roominess […]
Rising raw material prices and manufacturing processes have forced carmakers to search for new ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs, and it’s not only volume manufacturers that are feeling the pinch. Premium labels like Mercedes-Benz and BMW aren’t immune to these rising costs and are considering increasing the level of component sharing […]
The low-cost vehicle segment is heating up as global automakers recognize the potential of selling an affordable car to emerging markets, such as India and China, which comprise over a third of the world’s population and is seen as the next boom for the automotive industry. Tata’s $2,500 Nano has spurned the likes of Mitsubishi, […]
Presidential candidate and longtime activist Ralph Nader has once again voiced his objection to proposed vehicle roof-safety standards from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), telling reporters the standards should be much tougher.
Current regulations require vehicles sold in the United States to withstand 1.5 times the weight of the vehicle without collapsing […]
The Detroit 3 are hoping to change their reputation for chiefly supplying petrol-thirsty SUV’s, with a view to getting small and mid-sized vehicles onto the market as soon as possible and one of the most active among the trio is Chrysler. The carmaker’s co-president and former CEO, Tom LaSorda, has echoed this view, stating that […]
The UK government has offered Jaguar-Land Rover funding in order to speed up the development of emissions reducing technologies. The funding comes from the Technology Strategy Board, which is spending around £23 million ($45 million) on 16 various low carbon projects ranging across a field of industries and represents a little under half of the […]
The electric vehicles market has become one of the most watched segments as the world begins to favor fuel economy over other more speed-related aspects of a car. While start-ups such as Tesla and Fisker are already offering electric sports cars, other segments of the electric vehicle market remain wide open. A new Northern Californian […]
Hyundai, together with Kia, is the sixth biggest carmaker in the world in terms of sales but the company sees its future as being in the top five band of carmakers. To boost sales and market share, Hyundai is developing more premium models such as the new Genesis sedan and coupe but what […]