Operations: Page 154
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Courtesy of WardsAuto
Rubber-From-Dandelion Research Gets Rolling Again
The joint project by Sumitomo and Kultevat represents the latest attempt to manufacture rubber derived from dandelions.
By Alan Harman • Sept. 9, 2015 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Road to Hellcat Paved With Muscle-Car Passion
“If one were sentenced to eternal damnation,” one WardsAuto editor concluded, “there’s no finer way to get there than in the Hellcat, running into the abyss at wide-open throttle while the helpless soul hangs on for dear life.”
By Gary Witzenburg • Sept. 8, 2015 -
Explore the Trendline➔
Courtesy of Toyota
TrendlineAutomotive Manufacturing
Production strategies are changing rapidly as tariffs and shifts in consumer buying patterns affect the industry.
By WardsAuto staff -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Auto Analysts Downplay China Currency Devaluation
As many foreign-branded cars are locally produced through joint ventures with relatively few imported parts, analyst Yale Zhang says the renminbi devaluation against the U.S. dollar is “almost meaningless to multinational carmakers active in China.”
By Jens Kastner • Sept. 4, 2015 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
’16 Smart Fortwo Goes For Specific Buyers
Daimler hopes the redone micro car will reverse soft sales in the U.S.
By Steve Finlay • Sept. 2, 2015 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
’16 Grand Cherokee First With Upgraded Pentastar V-6
Without 2-step variable valve lift, the ’15 version of the Pentastar always operated in high-lift mode, consuming more fuel. FCA says the new system results in less overall pumping work, singlehandedly accounting for a fuel-economy gain of up to 2.7%.
Sept. 2, 2015 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
August U.S. Sales Surge to 10-Year High SAAR
Import volume for CUVs increased 34%, spurring total import penetration to a 3-year high.
By Haig Stoddard • Sept. 1, 2015 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Why Are CUVs So Popular?
Editor's note: This story is part of the WardsAuto digital archive, which may include content that was first published in print, or in different web layouts.It’s not electric vehicles, Apple CarPlay or carbon-fiber bodies. No, the biggest change we’ve seen in the global automotive industry in the...
By John McElroy 1 • Aug. 31, 2015 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Activist UAW Members Look to End Tier 2, Pump Up Wages
Some officials express concern the union is more focused on maintaining its strike fund than using it to push for real economic gains, and they are putting the executive board on notice. “We have expectations,” notes one activist member.
By Joseph Szczesny • Aug. 25, 2015 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Researchers Look to Keep Wildlife Out of Harm’s Way
Although picture-based warning signs outperformed word-based warning signs, both RADS versions caused drivers to reduce their speed and brake earlier.
By Alan Harman • Aug. 25, 2015 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
WardsAuto Flashback – August 2015
'40-Model Output Up; Land Cruiser Returns; Rural Car Demand Off; Post War Output Rises; M-H Restarts Ford 4x4s; Auto Spiffs a Record; VW Buys U.S. Plant; A/C Soars; Record truck Output; Car Phones Grow; OHC for Pontiac; GM Quality Boost; Chrysler Seeking Partner; Light-truck Engines Surveyed;
Aug. 24, 2015 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Trends Look Good for New-Car Sales in Australia
Australians in the market for a new car in the next 12 months now number 624,000, compared with 608,000 the same time last year, Roy Morgan Research says.
By Alan Harman • Aug. 24, 2015 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
U.K. Buyers Happy With Their Plug-Ins
Despite early predictions that EVs only would be driven short distances, recent research in the U.K. and other countries indicates privately owned EVs are being driven distances comparable to those of internal-combustion-engine cars.
By Alan Harman • Aug. 20, 2015 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Spain Levies Hefty Fines in Latest Price-Fixing Case
Automakers planning to appeal the fines may argue the fragmented Spanish market is competitive. Their combined market share is 91% but no single brand has a stake greater than 10%, spurring discounts averaging €4,000.
By Jorge Palacios • Aug. 14, 2015 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Medium- and Heavy-Duty Truck Sales Up 12.0% in July
Class 8 accounts for the bulk of big-truck gains with sales jumping 24.4% to 23,383 units, compared with 18,793 year-ago.
By Paul Zajac • Aug. 14, 2015 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Industry Group Cuts Thai Car-Sales Forecast Again
The Federation of Thai Industries is cutting this year’s projection 5.9% to 800,000 units after lowering it last month to 850,000 from 950,000.
By Alan Harman • Aug. 14, 2015 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
JLR’s New Slovak Plant Could Hit Personnel Snag
JLR is expected to create up to 4,000 direct jobs at its Slovak plant. But its location within 100 miles of Volkswagen, PSA and Kia facilities has raised concerns the luxury automaker may have trouble finding enough qualified workers.
By Peter Homola • Aug. 13, 2015 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Nanogenerator Stores Energy When Rubber Meets Road
The amount of energy saved can vary depending on the vehicle, but University of Wisconsin researcher Xudong Wang predicts about a 10.4% increase in the average vehicle’s gas mileage, given a 50% friction energy conversion efficiency.
By Alan Harman • Aug. 13, 2015 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
8-, 9-Speeds, CVTs Make ’15 Gains
Although 6-speed automatic transmissions still dominate, 8- and 9-speed automatics and CVTs make further inroads in ’15-model light-vehicles.
By Al Binder • Aug. 12, 2015 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Imported Impala Stickers for Less in Korea Than U.S.
Despite special processing, shipping, import duties and other regulatory costs, the fullsize Chevrolet’s sticker price in Korea is at least $3,000 less than an identical car sold in the U.S. GM Korea CEO Sergio Rocha doesn’t say how it is done.
By Vince Courtenay • Aug. 12, 2015 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Information Technology Making Mean Streets Less Mean
Editor's note: This story is part of the WardsAuto digital archive, which may include content that was first published in print, or in different web layouts.Information technology will make getting from Point A to Point B in increasingly congested cities manageable, with or without one’s own car,...
By Jim Irwin • Aug. 10, 2015 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Green-Car Patents Raise Old Issues, New Questions
An automaker that can develop or license a unique technology essentially can claim a specific market segment for itself. This is difficult in the auto business, given its high level of differentiation based on well-known common technologies.
By Andrew Burnyeat • Aug. 7, 2015 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
In a BTW, TrueCar Tells of Scott Painter Leaving as CEO
Editor's note: This story is part of the WardsAuto digital archive, which may include content that was first published in print, or in different web layouts.Scott Painter leaves a mixed legacy when he steps down later this year as CEO of TrueCar.On the one hand, the company he founded has altered...
By Steve Finlay 2 • Aug. 6, 2015 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Reporter Notebook: Luxury Sales Handcuffed in China
WardsAuto writers pass along the buzz at this week’s Center for Automotive Research’s Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, MI.
Aug. 6, 2015 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
China Taking Intellectual Property Issues More Seriously
Western companies are winning IP challenges in China as judges in the country become more knowledgeable and sophisticated on the matter.
Aug. 6, 2015 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Your Car Built for You – While You Wait
The first street-legal 3D-printed cars from Local Motors are expected within 24 months. Renowned Ford GT designer Camilo Pardo is lobbying to design one.
By Bill Visnic • Aug. 6, 2015
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