The goal is for “smart” vehicles to communicate with each other and the surrounding infrastructure to prevent collisions and reduce highway congestion.
Global Cadillac sales jumped 30% and improved 22.1% in the U.S. in 2013, according to WardsAuto data. But for the first half of this year, Cadillac’s U.S. sales slipped 1.0% against an industry that was ahead 4...
Popularity of this new breed of vehicles is growing rapidly worldwide, and more automakers are beginning to test the U.S. market, where buyers are expected to migrate from small hatchbacks and sedans.
Only 4% to 8% of Ford Fiesta customers in the U.S. select the model with the 1.0L mill. However, that’s in line with the automaker's modest sales targets, says Wade Jackson, Fiesta marketing manager.
The sell-down of the ’14 model is proceeding in an orderly way. Production of the ’15 200 started with only a 1-month's inventory of the previous-generation car on dealer lots.
There’s still work to be done in boosting sales of fullsize pickups and compact cars, Pierre Loing admits. And the future of Nissan’s Cube small car beyond the current generation appears in doubt.
Nostrum Motors also is working on a new 100 mpg engine that could be on the road by the end of the decade. The new engine is cooled internally, allowing the radiator to be reduced in size or completely eliminated.
Mercedes will not mention its use of the Tesla powertrain in marketing its new B-Class EV. “We have an ownership stake in Tesla, but the B-Class is still a Mercedes product,” MBUSA President Steve Cannon...
The industry target is to use an average of 350 lbs. of magnesium components in vehicles by 2020. This would significantly lower the weight of the average car from the current 3,360 lbs.
Smart, and smaller entry-level vehicles, have helped Mercedes draw a younger demographic. The average age of Mercedes customers in Germany has been cut by 10 years, CFO Bodo Uebber says.