Vehicles: Page 176
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Courtesy of WardsAuto
U.S. Diesel Doesn’t Make Sense Yet, Bill Ford Says
Ford Motor Co. Executive Chairman Bill Ford says the auto maker has diesel engines it could bring to the U.S., but that won't happen until consumers embrace the technology and a more robust infrastructure develops. Ford Motor Co. is the second-largest (diesel-engine) producer in Europe, he says during a panel discussion at the National Summit in Detroit. So it's not like it's not part of the Ford
By James M. Amend • July 1, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
What’s New in Luxury Vehicle Interiors for Consumer 2.0
Traditional luxury-vehicle interiors can resemble a Victorian parlor: ornate, dark and stuffy. But there's a shift toward premium interiors that are lighter and more functional attributes that especially appeal to young affluents. Interiors are moving to flowing lines and an airy feeling, says Tom Gould, director-industrial design and seating for Johnson Controls Inc. It's pure and lean. Luxury previously
By Steve Finlay • July 1, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
JTEKT Flies Under Radar as Leading Supplier of Electric Steering
Management claims the EPS systems JTEKT supplies for the Silverado and Sierra are the first developed for fullsize pickups.
By Roger Schreffler • June 30, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Diesel Doesn’t Make Sense Yet, Bill Ford Says
Ford’s remarks run counter to those of his fellow panelists, who sit squarely in the camp of diesel advocates.
By James M. Amend • June 16, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
LG Chem Breaks Ground for $800 million Li-ion Battery Plant in Korea
Officials decline to comment on the location or size of a battery plant being planned for the US. to supply the Chevy Volt.
By Vince Courtenay • June 10, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
GM 3.6L DOHC V-6 Harbinger of Future Powertrain Strategy
Direct injection will roll out in the future on the entire gas-engine portfolio, including V-8s.
By Gary Witzenburg • June 10, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Europe Working on Global Standard for EV Plugs, Smart Power Grid
Proponents says the potential increase in demand from electrical vehicles is a significant factor in making a smart grid necessary.
By William Diem • June 9, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Understanding Customer Needs Key to Future Interiors
In Today's Down Economy, Focusing on every aspect of automotive interiors can mean the difference between a successful product and a complete failure. Tom Miller, general manager, interior/exterior design-Toyoda Gosei North America, says his group studies the past in order to glean valuable insight into the future. (If you) look at history, you see trends becoming (customer) wants, then needs, he
By Byron Pope • June 1, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Details, Quality, Consumer Focus Typify Future Designs
Dynamic Interiors Executed with a focus on details, quality and targeting a specific consumer will be the hallmark of tomorrow's vehicles, leading automotive designers say. Ben Jimenez, project chief designer-Calty Design Research Inc., Toyota Design Network, calls the auto maker's future approach Vibrant Clarity, or a rational and emotive appeal combined with customer focus to achieve customer satisfaction.
By James M. Amend • June 1, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Lutz Influence Expected ‘For a Generation’
A top designer says under Bob Lutz, GM went from “near the bottom of the interiors market to world-class in one product cycle.”
By Tom Murphy • May 22, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Death of Saturn Vue PHEV Sends Technology Elsewhere on Same Timetable
Newly installed product-development chief Tom Stephens leaves no hint of which brand now will receive the plug-in technology.
By Ward's Staff • May 6, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Saint-Gobain Launches New DPF Substrate
French material-supplier Saint-Gobain SA introduces its new SG4 high-porosity diesel particulate filter substrate, which it says can lower initial backpressure and handle increased soot-loading. John Eubanks, North American account manager, says the SG4 DPF's silicon carbide structure and asymmetric cell design allows the filter to handle temperatures up to 2,912 F (1,600 C) and operate in nearly
By Byron Pope • May 1, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Lexus RX Interior Achieves Harmonic Balance
Throughout the interior, the RX demonstrates its mission to introduce a new aesthetic that relies not on straight lines but unconventional shapes that serve as strong design cues.
By Christie Schweinsberg • April 28, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
370Z Interior Sparse, Mechanical – And Just Right
Nissan 2-seater is a great value, and the brushed aluminum pedals and purposeful interior urge the driver to turn off the traction control and hit the track.
By Tom Murphy • April 28, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
MBtech Ready for Engineering Outsourcing
Auto makers outsourcing additional engineering work to companies such as MBtech and seeking consulting services have helped boost the German supplier’s bottom line.
By Tom Murphy • April 23, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Industry Nears Plug Standard for EVs in North America
A number of suppliers also have been involved in developing the new standard, but the connector used for testing was produced by Yazaki.
By David E. Zoia • April 22, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ward’s Names Interior of Year Winners
Editors picked the winners after evaluating 35 vehicles in February and March. The winners will be honored May 21 at the Ward’s Auto Interiors Conference, to be held at the Dearborn Ritz Carlton.
By Tom Murphy • April 6, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
EV Proponents Refute Obama’s Criticism of Chevy Volt
Plug In America, a national coalition of electric-vehicle owners and enthusiasts, calls the auto industry task force’s comments “discouraging.”
By James M. Amend • April 2, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Tows Tops for Roadside Assistance Calls
In its 20 years of providing roadside service, here are AutoVantage's Top 5 problems on the road, garnered from more than 1 million roadside assistance dispatches: Breakdowns requiring tows (60%) Lockouts (12%) Jumpstarts (10%) Tire changes (9%) Fuel deliveries (1%) Other auto insights from the experts at AutoVantage: Car life spans continue to improve. In 1977, half of the vehicles had a life expectancy
April 1, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
GM’s Hybrid Stimulus
They Say Everything is Bigger in Texas. Now add hybrids to the list, with the launch of the '09 Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 2-Mode Hybrid pickup. The nation's second-largest pickup market behind California starts seeing the trucks at dealerships now, as does the rest of the U.S., but they arrive everywhere during a record-weak economy, inexpensive gasoline and a nightmarishly low new-vehicle sales
By James M. Amend • April 1, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Automobile Rows of Yesteryear
The grand avenues of American cities often doubled as the streets of automotive retailing grandeur in the years between the First World War and the Korean War. Dubbed automobile rows, many magnificent dealerships lining these avenues were architectural marvels, often designed by noted architects. Depending on the building style of the time, facades were of limestone, terracotta or brick. Most buildings
By Mike Davis • April 1, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford Diverting Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Research Funds to Focus on EVs
“We’ve clearly demonstrated the viability of (hydrogen fuel cells) as a propulsion system, but not as a business equation,” Scott Staley, chief engineer, hybrid- and fuel-cell technology development, tells Ward’s.
By Byron Pope • March 25, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
New Prius Tough to Beat
With a starting price likely around $20,000, and boffo fuel economy, the third generation of the world’s best-selling hybrid should stay on top.
By Christie Schweinsberg • March 25, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Roush Develops Fifth-Generation Specialty Mustangs in Record Time
Roush relied heavily on computer-aided design and engineering systems for design and validation that allowed engineers to go from “art to part” quickly and reliably.
By Byron Pope • March 19, 2009 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Battery Pack Adds Muscle to Volt’s Chassis
GM engineers say they favor development of a rapid-charging infrastructure over schemes centered on providing quick substitutions of depleted batteries for fully charged ones.
By David E. Zoia • March 19, 2009
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