Automotive Industry
News covering the Automotive Industry at large.
503 articles in this category
-
The talk about whether any of the major auto shows still matter has been going on for few years as a number of automakers pulling out has been increasing. But what you haven't heard is a major head of automaker questioning them, until now. “Motor shows are dead,” said Herbert Diess, chairman of the Volkswagen Group. “They are a product of the 1960s and they are not as relevant anymore. They’re not delivering what we want and they’re not delivering what car buyers want.” The Detroi
Surprising for an auto executive to say this
-
Yamaha Motor Co. announced April 12, 2021 their new Hyper-EV motor allowing them to reach the highest output density for the EV class. In the past, Yamaha has been selling their first generation EV motor that had a range of 35 - 200 kW for auto's and mobility applications. Today's new generation of Hyper-EV motors now boasts output up to 350kW (469 hp) @ 800 volts per motor or a total of 1.4MW or 1,877 hp in a four motor AWD configuration. Yamaha is taking EV motor development to a ne
Yamaha opened the books for excepting orders for their new Hyper-EV electric motor with up to 350 kW power output per motor, 1.4 MW total in four motor AWD configuration.
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 26, 2012 The calm before the storm that is the auto show season. The beginning point is the Paris Motor Show which begins tomorrow. However, some automaker have made the decision to reveal some of their products and concepts a day earlier. The automakers include Jaguar, Bentley, and Porsche. Lets dive in Next: Jaguar Jaguar's showing for Paris was the new F-Type. Rumored for many years, Jaguar has finally brought a small, two-se
-
G. David Felt Staff Writer Alternative Energy - CheersandGears.com & Black-Knight It seems that just yesterday Japanese automakers and their vehicles were seemingly and unanimously praised for their quality and reliability. However, today a new series of recalls out of the land of the rising sun herald a stark reminder that not every automaker is perfect. Today, might finally be a major wake up call for some that these companies are not bullet proof. Today Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Mazd
It would seem the other shoe has dropped and the Japan auto companies which consumers have always said built bullet proof auto's are now on the receiving end of millions of recalls for poor quality parts. Check out how many auto's affect which manufactures.
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 3, 2013 Ever wonder why more automakers are jumbling letters and numbers together to name vehicles? Its because there are less names that automakers can legally use around the world. "It's tough. In 1985 there were about 75,000 names trademarked in the automotive space. Today there are 800,000," said Russ Clark, director of marketing for Chevrolet. "The truth of the matter is, across the world, there is hardly a name or a letter that h
-
William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com January 17, 2012 If you’re one of people who wants an electric car, but have the fear of not having enough power to make it through your daily drive, you might want to hear this story. A new study released by Columbia University says that 95% of daily trips could be made with an electric vehicles. The study done by two doctoral students used data from the Department of Transport’s 2009 National Household Travel Survey. The data showed 95% of
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com December 6, 2012 A month a after American Suzuki Corporation filled for bankruptcy and announced the closure of its automotive branch, 98% of its dealers (213 dealers) have agreed to a settlement offered by the company. The settlement would compensate dealers 50% within ten days of the agreement, with the rest following after the bankruptcy proceeding. The settlements also allow former dealers to operate as a service centers to provide warranty
-
Ever since PSA Group announced that it would be making a return the U.S. as part of a 10-year plan, there has been a large amount of speculation as to which brand would be sold. Would it be Citroen, DS, Peugeot, or the recently acquired Opel/Vauxhall? “We’ve chosen a brand, but it’s too early to talk about it,” said Larry Dominique, president and CEO of PSA North America to Car and Driver. PSA Group is still in the first phase of its plan with the Free2Move mobility aggregation platfor
But they aren't saying which one.
-
Saab seems to be the cat of the automotive industry with the number of lives it has. Last we heard from the Swedish company, the company was waiting on approval on a deal with Pang Da and Youngman. However, General Motors was concerned with the deal due to technologies used in Saab vehicles ending up in competitor hands. Now, a new deal to save Saab is in the works. Saab's parent company, Swedish Automotive is in talks with Youngman and a bank in China (possibly Bank of China). The plan accor
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 14, 2012 A new study conducted by Maritz Research finds that 11.4% of new car buyers are skipping the test drive. The implication for skipping the test drive are due to more consumers doing their research on the internet (8 out of 10 consumers the study found) and the universal dislike of the car sales practice. "I just find it quite fascinating and a little baffling. As cliché as perhaps it sounds, there's that new-car smell that needs
-
While Americans are keeping their cars longer (Experian Automotive says the average ownership length is now 7.75 years), there are some models that owners can't wait to get rid off within a year of buying. iSeeCars.com recently compared new car sales against used-car purchases in 2014 to figure out which vehicles were traded-in the fastest. Their analysis showed that on average, around 2.7 percent of all new vehicles are traded in after only a year’s ownership. More surprising was the vehicles
Which Vehicles Get Traded-In the Most After A Year of Ownership?
-
A number of German automakers are recalling a number of diesel vehicles to tweak the engine management software to produce less nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. Reuters reports that Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Opel, Porsche, and Volkswagen have agreed to recall 630,000 diesel vehicles to tweak engine management software. The software in question can turn off emission treatment systems to improve engine performance and increase the services interval. Is it legal? Yes, thanks to a legal loophole that
Most German automakers are recalling A number of diesel vehicles to rework engine computer software
-
The Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) has been giving automakers in Europe various headaches. As we reported last week, Volkswagen has pushed back the U.S. launch of the Arteon to help boost inventory in Europe due to a delay in WLTP testing. Other automakers aren't so lucky. According to Automotive News Europe, a number German automakers including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche have halted sales of some plug-in hybrids due to WLTP. In the new procedure, the way that
WTLP Strikes Again (cue dramatic music)
-
Lithium ion battery maker A123 Systems today said it has sold its automotive business to Johnson Controls and is filing for bankruptcy protection. The moves are a change in strategy for the ailing Waltham, MA-based company, which in August said it will sell an 80 percent share to the auto parts division of Chinese conglomerate Wanxiang for $450 million. Johnson Controls will acquire a significant set of assets for its $125 million investment, some of which were paid with federal aid. A123 Syst
Lithium ion battery maker A123 Systems today said it has sold its automotive business to Johnson Controls and is filing for bankruptcy protection.
The moves are a change in strategy for the ailing Waltham, MA-based company, which in August said it will sell an 80 percent share to the auto parts division of Chinese conglomerate Wanxiang for $450 million.
Johnson Controls will acquire a significant set of assets for its $125 million investment, some of which were paid with federal aid. A123 Systems’ auto business includes its technology, two battery factories in Michigan, a cathode powder manufacturing facility in China, and A123’s stake in two auto parts suppliers in China. Johnson Controls also will put up $72.5 million so A123 can maintain operations during the sale.
-
Infotainment systems are one the banes of the automotive world. From confusing interfaces and controls, to issues with crashing and features not working. Add distracting drivers to this list. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety worked together with researchers at the University of Utah to measure the time it took to complete the task, and the visual and mental demand on the driver. 120 drivers were asked to perform various tasks such as operating the stereo and putting in information for n
30 vehicles and their infotainment systems are put under the microscope
-
'Autonomous Emergency Braking' (AEB) and the various names this system goes under have the same goal; to bring the vehicle to a stop if the driver doesn't fails to engage the brakes. But a new study done by AAA reveals not all systems are equal and a very worrying trend concerning a consumer's belief in the system. There are two types of emergency braking systems, ones that are designed to bring the vehicle to stop to avoid a crash and ones that reduce speed to limit the severity of a
A new study reveals autonomous emergency braking systems aren't all equal
-
There are more expenses to owning a new car aside from making a monthly payment. You have gas, maintenance, repairs, and depreciation to worry about. The total cost according to a new study from AAA will depend on the type of vehicle you're driving. AAA's Your Driving Costs study reports that average cost to own and operate a new vehicle in 2017 is $8,469 per year - $706 per month. The study looked at 45 new vehicles from the 2017 model year and evaluated the various costs such as gas and ma
Electric vehicles don't have a great showing here
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 31, 2013 The Advance Technology Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program could be making a comeback. First introduced back in 2008 by then President George Bush, the ATVM program set aside $25 billion to fund advancements in green vehicle technology. However the program was suspended three years after due to two companies who took loans weren't able to pay them back. When the program was suspended, the Energy Department only gave out ab
-
AEHRA is an Italian EV startup that believes they can deliver a vision with a mission to the world. This company was assembled with an introduction of their leadership team in June 2022. AEHRA Vision Synthesize the elegance of Italian design global engineering, and American customer service with the future of EV monobodied manufacturing. AEHRA is intensely-focused on creating a driving experience that is always extraordinary. For business or pleasure, AEHRA is a valued necessity to eve
AEHRA is the latest EV startup from Italy, welcome to the Milan fashion version of EV.
-
Just how slippery is the Lightyear 0 EV? Try a confirmed 0.175 coefficient of drag (Cd) for this solar assisted electric car with testing having been done by FKFS wind tunnels in Stuttgart, Germany, under WLTP protocols. I know, I know, how much more aerodynamic is this than others and here is the top 3 cars till today. Lucid Air, Tesla Model S and Mercedes-Benz EQS have all come in at 0.20 to 0.21 meaning the Lightyear 0 is slippery. Even GMs EV1 which only had
Lightyear 0 is starting its initial production run of the world most aerodynamic solar car.
-
Update: The case against the Mercedes Benz Executive has been dropped. One of the latest possible “illegals” has been arrested in Alabama for not carrying his driver’s license under the new anti-illegal immigration law. The problem? The suspect is also an executive manager for Mercedes Benz. From the AP: Prior to the new law, a person driving without a license would not be arrested, but instead received a ticket and a court summons. Mercedes Benz’s first U.S. assembly plant, built in 19
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 31, 2012 Back in August, we reported on the rumor that AM General would be offering a kit kit of the C-Series HMMWV, or Humvee. This week, AM General has come out and announced they will be selling a C-Series HMMWV kit. The C-Series HMMWV kit includes a frame, painted body (your choice of either khaki, dark military green, or sand), cooling package, wiring harnesses, fuel tanks, seating, front and rear Torsen differentials, and top. The
-
Alpha Motor Corporation or AMC released for reservation the WOLF pickup truck March 11th 2021. The WOLF has the following projected specifications: MSRP $36,000 to $46,000 depending on configuration (does not include $7,500 federal EV tax credit) Battery range of 250 to 275 plus miles with rapid charging, battery heating/cooling for optimum performance Single motor FWD or Dual motor AWD 0 to 60 mph of 6.2 seconds acceleration 1360kg or 3000lbs towin
Alpha Motor Corporation releases for reservations the WOLF two person electric pickup truck. Available in AWD or FWD with with a 3000 lbs towing capacity, zero to sixty miles per hour in 6.2 seconds and a 275 mile range.
-
Prices of new vehicles are climbing to record highs and causing buyers to look at leases for lower monthly payments. According to CNBC, a new report from Experian Automotive found that 31.46 percent of vehicles sold in the first quarter were leased. This is up from the 24.05 percent who chose to lease five years ago. The report also reveals that that the average monthly payment for a new vehicle loan was $488, up $14. But, the average lease payment was down $7 to $405. "The difference be
More Americans Are Choosing To Lease
-
Jaguar Land Rover has announced a temporary halt in production in November as the threat of disruption from a No-Deal Brexit looms. BMW and Toyota have already announced plans for temporary work stoppages at their UK factories. All four of JLR's UK factories are affected. Although No-Deal Brexit is still not a certainty. Manufacturers like JLR have to plan for the worst. JLR uses 20 million parts a day and needs to have those parts available at just the right time. Toyota will be s
...bracing for a No-Deal Brexit...
- Editor-in-Chief
-
G.Noble Editor/Reporter CheersandGears.com March 10, 2012 Life hasn’t exactly been easy for the Chevrolet Volt. Although it was just recently named 2012 European Car of the Year in Opel Ampera guise, GM announced previous to the awarding they were suspending production for little over a month because of slow sales and dealers rejecting further allotments. On top of that, the Volt has had some image issues stemming from the NHTSA’s disclosure late last year about how an example they t-boned c
-
Analysts believed that August was going to be the month the auto industry would post its first year-over-year increase for 2017. But then Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, leaving a path of destruction and extensive flooding. Sales for the month would drop 1.9 percent to 1.48 million vehicles when compared to the same month a year ago. "Harvey will also depress one of the most critical selling periods of the year, spanning the August sales month close and Labor Day weekend. In 2016, these 11 days
-
If you're the owner of an Android phone and an Android Auto enabled vehicle, this summer there will be a big upgrade coming to the interface of both. The new design will allow you to do more with fewer taps, while also showing more information on the screen at a time. As soon as you start your car, Android Auto will pick up where you left off with your media and automatically show your navigation app of choice. Navigation will show a suggested list of places or the user can say "Hey Googl
...Major UI improvements coming...
- Editor-in-Chief
-
By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com April 22, 2013 AAA recently released their annual ‘Your Driving Costs’ study and finds that average American driver is now paying $9,122 per year to keep their vehicle on the road, an increase of 1.92% when compared to 2012. Assuming a person is driving around 15,000 miles a year, that breaks down 60.8 cents per mile. The study looks at the costs of keeping a vehicle on road such as gas, maintenance, and insurance to name a few. “Many facto
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 16, 2012 When we last checked in on the Fisker Atlantic, the mid-size sedan that would take on the 5-Series, A6, CTS, and others, was delayed from next year to sometime in 2014. A new report from Reuters says Fisker has pushed back production of the Atlantic to late 2014 or 2015, a full two years behind the original production date. "The Atlantic is really the volume car that begins to build growth. It creates a business model that is
-
William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com June 11, 2012 Apple's 2012 Worldwide Developer's Conference keynote is coming to a close as you're reading this, and among the announcements of iOS6 and new laptops, Apple is making their way into the vehicle once again via a button. Called Eyes Free, its a button on the steering wheel that will activate Siri on your iPhone or iPad in the vehicle. Most likely paired with Bluetooth, Eyes Free will let you talk to Siri through the car, giving
-
Apple has formally shown its CarPlay integration system before the start the Geneva Motor Show today. The system, formally known as 'iOS in the Car' allows owners of a iPhone 5s, 5c, or 5 to control certain aspects of the phone through the car's infotainment system. According to Apple, owners will be able to plug in their iPhones to their vehicles via the USB port and control a number of functions such as making and answering phone calls, text messaging, navigation via Apple Maps, and playing m
Apple Joins in The Infotainment System Wars With CarPlay
-
As the Diesel Emits: Continental CEO Says Volkswagen's Diesel Mess Could End Diesel Cars In the U.S.
Continental AG's CEO says the diesel scandal that Volkswagen finds itself embroiled in could kill the marketplace for diesel vehicles in China, Japan, and United States. Elmar Degenhart tells German publication Boersen-Zeitung, "The diesel passenger car could sooner or later disappear from these markets." Degenhart also revealed that diesel had a market share of only 1 to 3 percent in these countries. This pales in comparison to Europe where diesels make up 53 percent of the market.The CEO of Continental AG says Volkswagen Diesel Scandal could kill the diesel market in a few countries
-
While much of the focus of the investigations into Volkswagen diesel emission scandal has been focused on the German automaker, attention is now turning to one of their key suppliers. Reuters has learned from sources that the U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into what involvement did German auto supplier Bosch GmbH have in the scandal. Bosch built a number of key components that Volkswagen and its subsidiary brands would use on diesel engines. Now the sources are quick
The Department of Justice begins investigating Bosch into their possible involvement in VW's diesel mess
-
If there is anything the Volkswagen diesel emission scandal has shown us, it has shown the various regulations used around the world are tricky to enforce and that automakers will take advantage of loopholes. General Motors' powertrain chief wants to change that by unifying emission standards around the world. Dan Nicholson, GM's powertrain chief tells Automotive News that he plans to use his upcoming presidency of the International Federation of Automotive Engineering Societies (Fisita) to
GM's Powertrain Chief Wants To Have A Global Standard for Emissions
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 10, 2013 Aston Martin's most questionable vehicle, the Cygnet city car has been canned after being on sale for three years. A source tells Reuters that the decision was made after the company only sold 150 Cygnets. The Cygnet was a Toyota iQ city car dressed up in Aston Martin clothing. The brand hoped to move 4,000 units per year to "environmentally conscious city dwellers". The Cygnet was also a move to help Aston Martin reduce their
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 19, 2012 With the advent of ever-tightening fuel economy and emission standards, no automaker is safe, not even boutique luxury automakers like Aston Martin. Consider this, besides the Aston Martin Cygnet which is a Scion iQ in drag, the rest of the Aston Martin lineup comes with either a V8 or V12 engines. Aston Martin has reduced the emissions of its engines by 25% over the past six years, but that might not be enough. Aston Martin head
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com December 7, 2012 Today, Aston Martin announced that Italian private equity firm Investindustrial has purchased a 37.5% stake in the company for $241 million. Kuwaiti firm Investment Dar still holds a majority stake in the company. Aston Martin said the deal would allow them to pour $1 billion into new product, funding development through 2018. Investindustrial beat out Indian truck and tractor producer Mahindra and Mahindra. Andrea Bonomi, In
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 16, 2013 Back at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, Aston Martin rolled out a very polarizing crossover concept with a name that hadn't been since the late eighties; Lagonda. Quick history lesson: Lagonda was brand that got its start back in 1906 building luxury vehicles. In 1947, Lagonda was paired up with Aston Martin and would continue building vehicles till the late fifties. Since that time, Aston Martin has used Lagonda as a model name fo
-
A consortium of German automakers which include Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz have agreed to buy Nokia's HERE mapping business for around $3.1 billion dollars. The deal is currently pending approval of antitrust authorities. If the deal is given the go-ahead, the three automakers will own a stake by early 2016. HERE is one of the most advanced and largest digital mapping and location systems. It was originally started back in 1986 with Navteq before being acquired by Nokia in 2007. The servic
Three German Automakers Buy Up A Mapping Service
-
Car dealers have more cars in stock as of December since the spring of 2021. The metric car dealers use to measure their supplies is "days of inventory". This measures how long it would take to sell a new car at today's sales price. The age-old industry guideline is 60 days on a car lot. According to Cox Automotive, the average dealer has a 71-day supply. When you have an oversupply, prices start to lower. KBB states that the average for new car prices dropped from November 2022 to November
New car prices are on the decrease and factories are cutting shifts.
-
The current trend in powertrains is to downsize engine displacement to meet emission standards. Paired with a set of turbochargers, three-cylinder and even two-cylinder engines can produce enough power to move large vehicles. But this trend is coming to an end in Europe. Reuters reports that a number of European automakers are beginning to scrap their small displacement engines for larger displacement ones. With a number of real-world tests showing these engines produce higher CO2 and nitro
The small displacement engine in Europe is going away
-
It is no secret that buyers are gobbling up SUVs and crossovers, nor is it that automakers are introducing new and redesigned models. Take a look at the New York Auto Show this week where a number a new models (Toyota RAV4 and Subaru Forester) and concepts (Lincoln Aviator) made their debut. According to automotive consultancy firm LMC Automotive, there are currently 63 mainstream crossover and SUV models, and 53 luxury models. By 2023, LMC is projecting 90 models for both mainstream and lu
But is there such a thing as too many?
-
Automakers have been edge for a few months with talk of a trade war and possibly putting up to a 25 percent tariff on imported new vehicles. They only would be pushed further to the edge as President Donald Trump tweeted last week a 20 percent import tariff on all cars assembled in the European Union. Now, automakers are rebuking the President over this. Reuters reports today that two trade groups, representing nearly every major global automotive brands have issued comments saying the pres
This is a terrible idea. -Automakers to Trump
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 17, 2013 Analysts are predicting that new car sales could reach pre-crash levels possibly next year. Sales in 2014 are projected to rise to 16.1 million vehicles, just shy of the 16.15 million cars sold in 2007. Part of this increase is coming from automakers building better products. Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors are real contenders in the compact and midsize marketplace. Also, Korean automakers are giving everyone in the indust
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 6, 2013 New data from R.L. Polk released today shows that the average age of a vehicle in the U.S. stands at a record high of 11.4 years. That's 0.2 years higher from last year and and nearly two full years higher than in 2007. Passenger cars currently are the oldest vehicles on the road with an average of 11.4 years. Light trucks are not that far behind with an average age of 11.3 years. Interestingly, the volume of vehicles between 6
-
A new report from IHS Automotive says the average age of a vehicle on the road stands at 11.4 years, the same age as last year. This is change from the past few years where the age was climbing steadily. "In our history of tracking, we have seen a gradual increase in the average age of vehicles on the road. This year, we're seeing somewhat of a plateau in the market, and expect it to remain over the next few years, without a major change in either direction. We attribute this to a number of fa
The Average Age of a Vehicle in the U.S. Stands Still
-
IHS Markit recently published their analysis on how long Americans are holding onto their vehicles. The average according to the firm stands at 11.9 years, the highest amount since they have been tracking this. Also, about one in four vehicles is over sixteen years old. We should note that this data came before COVID-19 started to wreak havoc on the U.S. IHS notes that new cars only made up 6.1 percent of vehicles in operation in 2019, down 0.8 percent when compared to high of 2016. This highlig
Expect the Age to Climb Higher Due to COVID-19
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com June 28, 2012 The average age of a vehicle in the U.S. has hit a record high. According to Experian Automotive, the average age of the 245 million vehicles registered in the U.S. during the first quarter of 2012 was 11 years. That's an increase of just over 2 months when compared to last year. Experian Automotive goes onto say that more than 52 million cars and trucks in the U.S. are 16 years or older. Experian Automotive's analysis also found
-
The EPA released their annual report on the trends of emissions and fuel economy for light vehicles and the results are a bit mixed. The average fuel economy of new cars and trucks came to 24.3 mpg for 2014. This was the same fuel economy average for 2013, when the average increased by 0.6 mpg. 2014 was the first year since 2011 where fleet-wide fuel economy didn't increase. Why no increase? The EPA says growing demand for crossovers, SUVs, and trucks along with lower gas prices offset the f
Thank Low Gas Prices and Increased Consumer Demand for Light Trucks
-
William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com April 18, 2012 New analysis from TrueCar, an online research firm, shows the average transaction price of new cars are on the rise. TrueCar looked at sales data from last month and found that the average price was 30,748, a rise 6.9% over the previous year. So why the increase in average price? The answer lies in the options list. Consumers are ticking more boxes on the list like never before, with the average new car being very close to “f
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com June 11, 2013 Pickup Trucks continue to be the lifeblood for the American automaker's financials. A very good thing since truck sales seems to be in very good health - in fact Automotive News says that truck sales are arguably healthier than they were pre-recession, despite the volume is still below pre-recession levels. How? The per-unit profit has increased massively, outpacing the industry average by more than double since 2005. Edmunds say
-
Automakers are trying to achieve price parity between EV and ICE vehicles. This is a key objective so EVs become more attainable to buy. Price parity would help consumers who are interested in EVs. Kelly Blue Book's (KBB) November average transaction price data for new vehicles shows that we are moving slightly in the right direction. In 2024, certain EVs will lose the federal tax credit. The industry average transaction price (ATP) for every type of vehicle was $48,247. The new EV average
While ICE vehicle's average transaction was $48,247, EV average transactions were 8.5% higher, at $52,345.
-
January 2, 2013 By Drew Dowdell Managing Editor - CheersandGears.com Avis Budget Group and Zipcar, Inc. have announced an agreement where Avis Budget will aquire Zipcar for $12.25 a share or about $500 million total. Zipcar has about 760,000 members (including yours truly) across 20 metro markets in the U.S., Canada and Europe with locations at over 300 university campuses. Car sharing is now a $400 million per year business in the U.S. market alone. Avis Budget expects to gain $50 million t
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com June 24, 2013 The federal mandate for new vehicles to come equipped with backup cameras has been delayed, once again. According to Automotive News, the mandate has been pushed back to 2015 due to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration examining the cost of implementing this mandate. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, said in a letter to Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., that more analysis on how mu
-
Last Thursday, Beijing Automotive (BAIC) made an interesting announcement. Reuters reports the company is looking into buying a "mid to high-end brand" in Europe or the United States. If you're wondering, they have a number of companies in mind, but don't give out any names. President Dong Haiyang told reporters at a briefing in Beijing that this would allow them to break into the global marketplace much quicker. The company already some ties in the automotive world mostly in Europe. First, th
BAIC Begins The Search For A Mid to High-Level Automaker To Buy
-
The past few years have seen a number of start-ups tackling an issue that has been a thorn in the side of consumers, buying a used car. Companies such as Beepi, Carvana, Shift, and Vroom have their own take on selling used vehicles, but the goal is the same - make it less of a hassle to buy a car by selling directly to a consumer through the internet at a lower price. But one of these companies has folded most of their operations. Beepi, one of the first companies to launch back in 2014 fol
A start-up trying to make it easier to buy used cars has folded up
-
William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com December 28, 2011 For the past decade, the best selling luxury brand has been Lexus. However, 2011 has been a fall of grace for Lexus and caused them to relinquish their top selling crowd. Now, Mercedes-Benz and BMW are fighting to see who becomes the top seller. At last tally, BMW holds a slight edge of Mercedes, selling 1,582 more vehicles than Mercedes in November. Now, entering the final month of 2012, both are going all out on incentive
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com June 29, 2012 Today, BMW and Toyota unveiled more of their plans from their partnership announced last December. The plans include development of a hydrogen fuel-cell system, collaboration on electric powertrains, work on lightweight technologies, and development of a new sports car. "Toyota and the BMW Group share the same strategic vision of sustainable individual future mobility. Together we have a great opportunity to continue leading our i
-
BMW Group and Daimler AG are combining forces to take on rideshare and mobility services like Uber and Lyft. They will invest a combined 1 billion euro to build a new company with a multiprong approach. The new company will offer five services in a single portfolio. Eventually, they will offer an all-electric, self-driving fleet of vehicles that charge, park, and drive autonomously and interconnect with other forms of transport. The five apps include: Reach Now: Offers a range of op
1B € combined investment
-
For the past few years, luxury automakers have been trying to fill every single niche they could think of. It's why we have such models as the BMW 5-Series GT and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Coupe for example. But now, BMW and Mercedes-Benz admit they have too many models and are planning to cut some. “The checkerboard of body styles and segments is rather full, although there are still a few to be finished. We’ve got an X2 and an X7 coming, and there are a few others, but I also know—because we’ve t
Bad News, coupes and convertibles are on the chopping block
-
The Geneva Motor Show saw Mercedes introduce their new AMG GT 4-Door and BMW revealing their M8 Gran Coupe concept. We still find ourselves scratching our heads as to why these vehicles exist in the first place, but a new Bloomberg report explains an interesting reason as to why automakers are building them. These high-performance models with high price-tags will help generate the cash needed to develop electric vehicles. BMW for example is in the midst of its largest rollout of new models
How else are they supposed pay for it?
-
Helped by a plethora of CUVs, the hottest selling segment, and the on fire 4-series, BMW managed to stave off Lexus, its German rivals, and Cadillac for the fourth year in a row. BMW(+1.4%) finished 2015 with 346,023 sales. Lexus (+10.7), not far behind with 344,601 sales came in at number two, just 1,422 fewer. The 4-series, which despite BMW being propelled in terms of growth mostly by CUVs, was the lone stalwart car nameplate to actually show gains. Although the 1/2-series were up 77%, it
BMW is King of the U.S. Luxury Segment for the 4th year in a row.
-
Whenever Bob Lutz speaks, many people tend to listen as he a number of years of being in the automotive industry under his belt. Recently, Lutz wrote an editorial for Automotive News' Redesigning the Industry where he predicts we are “approaching the end of the automotive era,” within the next 20 years. “The end state will be the fully autonomous module with no capability for the driver to exercise command. You will call for it, it will arrive at your location, you’ll get in, input your des
When did Bob Lutz become Nostradamus?
-
By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com January 17, 2013 Former General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz has been know to speak his mind. At the Detroit Auto Show this week, Lutz told Autocar that he thinks that the technology in the Chevrolet Volt should have been put into a larger vehicle first. “Frankly, unless that customer is philosophically, religiously or economically affiliated to buying an electric vehicle, then they can’t be convinced. The first two types of buyer will buy
-
The Volkswagen diesel emission scandal has given many a black eye. Robert Bosch GmbH, a supplier of diesel engine technology was one of those as it found itself under investigation by German authorities to see whether or not it aided and abetted in the scandal. The company also had to pay out $327.5 million as part of a settlement in the U.S. But the company isn't giving up on diesel just yet. This week at the Bosch’s annual press conference, CEO Dr. Volkmar Denner claimed they had found “de
But is it too late?
-
Great Britain is planning to ban the sale of conventional gas and diesel vehicles from 2040 to help reduce air pollution. The government announced this in a paper published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). "There should be no new diesel or petrol vehicles by 2040," said environment minister Michael Gove to BBC Radio. This is part of the government's £2.7bn blueprint for tackling air pollution. This includes investments going towards building out a char
Hybrid vehicles not involved in this ban
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com July 29, 2013 Three computer scientists who were going to publish a paper on how to circumvent the security system that verifies the identity of an ignition key have been stopped by the UK High Court. Flavio Garcia, a computer science lecturer at the University of Birmingham and Baris Ege and Roel Verdult, two cryptography experts from Dutch university Stichting Katholieke were going to publish a paper at the Usenix Security Symposium in Washin
-
A near-production prototype Bugatti Chiron on special Michelin tires has broken the 300 mph barrier in Germany at the Ehra-Lessien proving ground. Though full specs were not announced, but it is suspected to have 1,578 horsepower, carbon fiber components, taller gearing, lowered suspension, and specialized Michelin tires. The test mule received a clip on rear tail with a more aggressive diffuser. If the car makes it into production, it will hold the record as the fastest production cars. T
...They've gone as fast at they'll go...
-
BYD, the Chinese automaker who is backed by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc., announced plans to launch in the U.S. by the end of 2015. The automaker which had an aborted U.S. launch in 2010 and a restructure that lasted three years believes that they are more prepared now. “Back then, we had passion, but we had no brand, no history, no capital and no competitive advantage. BYD has become more fashionable and we have improved our design and safety. We don’t want to compete on price any
BYD Announces Plans For The U.S. We're Wondering If They Will.
-
California is one of most stringent states when it comes emissions in vehicles. Case in point is a law that says an estimated 15 percent of vehicles sold in the state must be a zero emission vehicle (ZEV). But this law has created a rift between regulators and automakers. Regulators want automakers to build ZEVs, but automakers worry that if customers aren't willing to buy them, they'll need to offer big incentives. Four automakers - Ford, General Motors, Honda, and Toyota have issued a complai
A Logjam is appearing between California and Automakers over Emission Rules
-
With more and more companies test autonomous technologies on public roads, there comes a question of safety of other motorists. A new proposal by the California Department of Motor Vehicles would put an outright ban “driverless” cars that travel with no humans onboard. Automotive News reports the proposal would require all autonomous vehicles to have a steering wheel and pedals when driving on California's public roads. Furthermore, a licensed driver with an “autonomous vehicle operator cert
California's DMV Proposes A Ban On 'Driverless' Vehicles, Not Autonomous Vehicles
-
On Friday, California regulators voted to require that automakers stick with the Obama-era emission regulations for vehicles sold in the state, no matter the efforts of the Trump administration to weaken the standards. This basically means vehicles built for through 2025 model year comply with the state’s standards and can legally be sold there. Beginning with the 2026 model year, vehicles have to meet the stricter standards if automakers want to sell vehicles in the state, along with the 12 oth
Still is vowing to work with the national government to establish a national standard
-
California is considering joining France and Great Britain in banning the sale of gas and diesel-powered vehicles. Governor Jerry Brown has been expressing an interest in banning the sale of internal-combustion engines according to Mary Nichols, chariman of the California Air Resources Board. “I’ve gotten messages from the governor asking, ‘Why haven’t we done something already?’ The governor has certainly indicated an interest in why China can do this and not California,” she said to
Come on, don't tell us you didn't see this coming
-
William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com January 30, 2012 Just as we got to the point of everyone agreeing that 54.5 MPG was an attainable goal for 2025, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has decided to change things up. CARB has ruled to enforce the 54.5 MPG rule and to will also require at least 15.4% of all cars sold by any major automaker in the state to either be fully electric, plug-in hybrid, or hydrogen fuel cell by 2025. Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air R
-
In the summer of 2019 the British Columbia province of Canada shocked the rest of Canada and many countries by stating that all new car and light truck ICE auto sales would be banned beginning January 1st 2040. They then stated that 10% of all new auto sales had to be electric by 2025 and had at the time a $57 million Canadian incentive program to encourage people to buy BEVs. The Canadian province of Quebec then in November 2020 joined the British Columbia province in banning all new
Some would say after your two most populous provinces ban new ice auto sales that it was inevitable for Canada to do this but affective June 29th 2021 Canada's government has banned all new ICE car and light truck sales starting January 1st 2035 onward.
-
With the rise of services of car and ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft, a number of people have said this would begin the downfall of buying and owning a new vehicle in the U.S. But a new study commissioned by Kelly Blue Book says that isn't happening for the majority of the country. The study revealed many Americans consider vehicle ownership to be more convenient, reliable, safer than car- and ride-sharing services. It also revealed that 76 percent of respondents that use these s
Car and Ride-Services Bringing the End of Car Ownership? Not so fast!
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com June 19, 2013 Another automaker bites the dust. Carbon Motors, the company behind the futuristic E7 police vehicle has filled for chapter seven bankruptcy (i.e. liquidation) last Friday. The Indianapolis Business Journal says the company's bankruptcy paperworks lists liabilities of $21.7 million and assets of just $18,976. Those assets include one E7 prototype, some furniture, books, and intellectual property. Carbon Motor's business plan hi
-
William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com March 8, 2012 Carbon Motors, the company behind the purpose-built E7 police vehicle will not be getting any of the $310 million in U.S. Department of Energy loans under the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVM) program that it applied for almost three years ago. Carbon Motors CEO William Santana Li says the company is a victim of politics. “We are outraged by the actions of the DOE and it is clear that this was a political decisio
-
William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com December 18, 2011 Carbon Motors, the company behind the purpose-built E7 police vehicle sent a letter to President Obama's cabinet on Friday urging them to approve the company's Department of Energy Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing loan. Carbon Motors applied for ATVM loan program two years ago, but hasn't seen a cent of it. The letter goes on a point by point basis on why they deserve the loan, ranging from the environmental impac
-
William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 11, 2012 Automotive legend Caroll Shelby passed away last night at the age of 89 after a lengthy illness at the Baylor Hospital in Dallas, TX. Shelby's shadow extended nearly across automotive world. In the fifties, Shelby was a highly accomplished racer. He would win three U.S. sports-car championships, the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans, and set land speed records at Bonneville. However, a heart condition in 1960 would cause him to stop raci
-
Here is a paradox for you: Automakers have been increasing the number of safety features in their vehicles to help protect or avoid a crash. But this has also brought an unforeseen consquence; crash your vehicle and it is more likely that your insurance company will total it. That's according to a story from Automotive News who spoke with Bob Tschippert, senior vice president of Dallas-based underwriter Risk Theory. Tschippert explained that all of these new features has increased the costs
How new safety features are causing more vehicles to be totaled
-
By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com January 8, 2013 Eight months after Google became the first company to be licensed by the state of Nevada to test autonomous vehicles on public roads, Audi becomes the first automaker to be licensed. The German automaker is no stranger to autonomous vehicles. In 2010, a specially-built TTS took on the Pikes Peak Climb, finishing the course in 27 minutes. Audi will use its license to continue developing and refining its autonomous system, whi
Audi becomes the first automaker to get a license to operate autonomous vehicles in Nevada.
-
Google, Audi, GM, Honda, Hyundai, and NVIDIA announced at the Consumer Electronics Show today a new partnership called the Open Automotive Alliance (OAA). The overall goal of the alliance is to help speed up the development of technological innovation in the auto industry by openness, customization, and scale. The alliance will work on bringing the Android operating system from phones and tablets to vehicles, giving automakers a degree of technological development expertise that they haven't ha
Complained about infotainment systems in cars? A new alliance hopes to change that.
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com November 24, 2012 (Note: The weekend edition is back from its long vacation, mostly due to me being busy with other things. Sorry about that. Anyways, enjoy. -WM) Everyday, I go through a number of stories that I will post on Cheers & Gears. However, a good number of stories that I have picked out don’t make it onto the page during the week and either get posted next week or never. That’s where the the Cheers & Gears’ Weekend Edition c
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 20, 2012 (Author’s note: This is a new thing I’m trying out with the news coverage. Let me know what you think about this. -WM) Everyday, I go through a number of stories that I will post on Cheers & Gears. However, a good number of stories that I have picked out don’t make it onto the page during the week and either get posted next week or never. That’s about change with the arrival of the Cheers & Gears’ Weekend Edtion. Its w
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 27, 2012 Everyday, I go through a number of stories that I will post on Cheers & Gears. However, a good number of stories that I have picked out don’t make it onto the page during the week and either get posted next week or never. That’s where the the Cheers & Gears’ Weekend Edtion comes in. Its where the stories that gotten forgotten about during the week get their due. In this second edition, we’ll be covering, Two New Honda
-
Like many countries, China offers various incentives to spur the sales of electric vehicles. But a report from Bloomberg says the Chinese government is considering reducing various subsidies beginning next year. According to sources, the government is considering cutting the average incentive by more than a third from where they currently stand. Also up for consideration is incentives being eligible on models that can travel at least 200 kilometers (about 125 miles) on a single charge. Why
To spur innovation
-
China is the latest country to investigate possibly ending the sale of gas and diesel vehicles. According to the state's Xinhua News Agency, deputy industry minister Xin Guobin told an auto industry forum over the weekend has started "research on formulating a timetable to stop production and sales of traditional energy vehicles." “Some countries have made a timeline for when to stop the production and sales of traditional fuel cars,” said Guobin. “The ministry has also started re
Possibly following in the footsteps of France and Great Britain
-
China has announced today that it would be reducing tariffs on U.S.-built cars and car parts from 40 to 15 percent beginning on January 1st. This reduction will last for three months as the U.S. and China begin hashing out a new trade deal. We first reported the reduction of the tariffs earlier this week. China's Ministry of Finance posted on their website said it hopes the talks between the two can go quickly and remove "all additional tariffs on each other’s goods" that were brought forth
Walking somewhat back from the tariff cliff
-
William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com December 29, 2011 2012 is bring forth some significant changes for automakers that were planning to invest in China. The National Development and Reform Commission (NRDC) and the Ministry of Commerce announced that January 30, 2012, the country will stop encouraging foreign investment in the auto industry. The NRDC states the decision was made to help nurture their domestic brands. Jenny Gu, a senior market analyst at LMC Automotive in Shang
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 28, 2012 Chrysler and General Motors are banning campaign stops for the candidates running for the U.S. President. The banning hopes to sidestep criticism that might stem from the bailout the two automakers got back in 2008. "This fall, Chrysler will not host campaign events inside its facilities. The company is focused on meeting production demands," a Chrysler spokeswoman told Automotive News. “We’re a car company, not a political pla
-
The most famous boulevard in Paris, the Champs-Élysées will not see any vehicles for one Sunday every month. The Agence France-Presse reports that the Paris city government will ban vehicles from the Champs-Élysées the first Sunday of every month. The ban will go into effect on May 8th, not the 1st. The reason it is a week later is May 1st is a national holiday and many workers who will be needed to run the scheme will have the day off. This is part of Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo's plan to impr
Once a month, there will be no vehicles on the Champs-Élysées
-
The past month has been quite strenuous on the relationship between the Environmental Protection Agency and the State of California. Back in April, EPA chief Scott Pruitt announced they would be rolling back the fuel-efficiency regulations set towards the end of President Obama's tenure. The EPA also announced that it was considering revoking California's waiver to set their own emission standards. A few days later, we reported that the officials from the White House, California, and automakers
It is getting a bit messy
-
William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 29, 2012 Last fall, the Department of Transportation and eight automakers began a study to assess drivers' acceptance of accident-avoidance technologies. The study, called the Connected Vehicle Safety Pilot Program put people on closed roads in cars that were equipped with the technologies and asked what did they think about it. Out of the 688 participants in the study, 92% wanted the technology in their vehicles and more than 90% believ
-
Drew Dowdell - CheersandGears.com After 30 years, the ever increasing subsidy for ethanol produced from corn has expired. When Congress adjourned for the year last week, they did not renew the ethanol subsidy that has cost taxpayers some $45 billion during its lifetime. Every gallon of ethanol pumped provided corn growers with a 45 cent subsidy. Most of the savings from ending the subsidy to go towards reducing the US's budget deficit. At the same time, a 54 cent per gallon tariff on ethanol i
-
William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 28, 2013 Consumer Reports has released this year's Auto Reliability Rankings, and not surprisingly Japan is on top. The top three in the rankings are Lexus, Toyota, and Acura. Following them is Mazda in fifth, Infiniti in sixth, Honda in eighth, and Subaru in tenth. That doesn't mean there weren't any surprises. Audi jumped four places to forth, while Volvo climbed a massive thirteen spots to seventh place. GMC was the only American bra
-
Yesterday, Consumer Reports announced the results of their annual reliability survey for 2015. Not surprisingly, the top ten was mostly made up of Japanese and Korean automakers, with Lexus and Toyota taking the top two spots. However, Audi led the Europeans by taking the third spot. For the domestics, Buick landed at number seven on the list. The survey reports that a number of automakers are still having troubles with the infotainment system, but also with transmissions. “We’ve see
Consumer Reports Announces 2015 Reliability Survey Results
-
It's that time of year when Consumer Reports announces the results of their brand report cards and for the most part, the results aren't surprising. The top ten were mostly dominated by Japanese automakers with Lexus being on top, followed by Mazda and Toyota. But if you look a little further down the list, you'll find a domestic automaker making the ten. Buick took the number seven spot on their annual reliability survey with the publication giving it an overall score of 69 and recommending 83
A Domestic Automaker Cracks the Top Ten
-
William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com June 3, 2012 With gas prices going up and up, automakers are offering fuel-efficient versions of their compact cars to help stretch a gallon of gas farther. Consumer Reports wanted to see if these fuel-efficient compact models are worth the extra $500 - $800 from their non fuel-efficient models. They picked up a Chevrolet Cruze Eco, Ford Focus SFE, and Honda Civic HF to test the claim. Each of the vehicles were equipped with an automatic tra
.jpg.36a76bdd8f1c52bc317f5feaa4650374.jpg)
