Vehicles: Page
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Courtesy of WardsAuto
T. Boone Pickens’ Strategy Needless Distraction
Under the guise of freeing us from dependence on foreign oil, T. Boone Pickens is trying to perpetuate our addiction to fossil fuels and stealthily undermining more practical renewable fuels.
By Drew Winter • Sept. 3, 2008 -
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Auto Makers to Enrich Small-Vehicle Content
Small, subcompact and compact will no longer mean cheap, ugly or low quality, says GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz.
By James M. Amend • Sept. 2, 2008 -
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Shift to Unitized Body No Slam Dunk
In This Time of Record-High Fuel prices, the idea certainly sounds good: migrate some of the industry's big-volume models SUVs and pickups from their body-on-frame architectures to the lighter, unitized body structures on which most cars are built. With a 35-mpg (6.7 L/100 km) fuel-economy mandate now on the books, everything must get lighter, and if SUVs and pickups are going to remain viable, it
By Bill Visnic • Sept. 1, 2008 -
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Race for Chevy Volt Battery Contract Nearing Finish Line
No matter which one wins the bid, the auto maker wants to make sure products from both suppliers end up in its technology portfolio.
By Derek Stark • Aug. 18, 2008 -
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Toyota North America Earning More Fuel-Cell Responsibility
Toyota has been working on fuel-cell vehicles since 2001 in North America, says Justin Ward, advanced powertrain program manager-advanced technology vehicles, for the Toyota Technical Center.
By Christie Schweinsberg • Aug. 15, 2008 -
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Researchers Tout Gore-Tex Coating for Fuel-Cell Breakthrough
The advancement potentially could slash hydrogen fuel-cell prices by using the water-resistant, plastic coating in place of components made of exotic platinum.
By Alan Harman • Aug. 15, 2008 -
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U.S. Needs Advanced Battery Manufacturing Strategy
USCAR is underwriting lithium-ion research in collaboration with the Department of Energy, but a strategy to make the batteries and related systems in the U.S. has yet to jell.
By David C. Smith • Aug. 14, 2008 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
IAC Moves Up Value Stream to Control Costs
IAC’s earth-elements initiative entails a process known as plastics compounding, where the engineering characteristics of less-expensive polymer resins are enhanced by adding mineral fillers and other special additives.
By Drew Winter • Aug. 14, 2008 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Small Car Shift Has Winners – and Losers
Suppliers with North American manufacturing operations tell Ward’s they see the small-car trend continuing, regardless of fuel prices.
By David C. Smith • Aug. 14, 2008 -
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Welcome to the Flat World
Getrag has powertrain operations in North Carolina, South Carolina and Mexico and is constructing a new $500 million facility in Tifton, IN, to manufacture dual-clutch transmissions.
By David C. Smith • Aug. 12, 2008 -
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Hybrids Next Frontier of Customization
Toyota research shows that as buyers downsize away from more expensive trucks and SUVs they have extra money to spend on accessorizing smaller cars.
By Christie Schweinsberg • Aug. 12, 2008 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
BorgWarner Anticipating Rising Turbo Demand, Challenges in Manufacturing
By providing extra punch to smaller displacement engines, turbochargers allow auto makers to provide passenger vehicles with greater fuel efficiency without sacrificing performance.
By James M. Amend • Aug. 12, 2008 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Measuring SEM
Many dealers know the importance of Search Engine Marketing (SEM). They also realize a reputable SEM vendor or savvy Internet marketing expert can help create and maintain successful campaigns.
By Jim Leman • Aug. 12, 2008 -
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Chery, Ricardo Hybrids Debuting at Olympics
China’s Chery Automobile and supplier Ricardo co-developed two distinct HEV models, both based on Chery’s A5 sedan, Ricardo says.
By Ward's Staff • Aug. 6, 2008 -
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Ford Leveraging Fuel-Saving Technologies
Engineers are employing two sensors on Ford’s V-6s and V-8s to monitor the frequency of knocking events through the engine block.
By Byron Pope • Aug. 6, 2008 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Rise of Private Equity Good for Interiors Business
The High Cost of Oil is Driving Up the price of many petroleum-based commodities, none affecting auto makers and suppliers more than resin, one expert says. The price of oil has a monster impact on interior components, says John Smail Jr., vice president-North America for International Automotive Components Group. Increases in the cost of resin usually lag oil prices by three to six months, he says.
By Christie Schweinsberg • Aug. 1, 2008 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Maximizing Boxy Flex Aerodynamics Challenge to Ford Designers, Engineers
Making styling modifications often can be a bitter pill to swallow, especially when such changes threaten to significantly alter the fundamentals of a design.
By Byron Pope • July 28, 2008 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
GM Holden Design, Engineering Teams Celebrate New Camaro
Much of the design and engineering work was undertaken in Victoria, giving the all-new car an important place in Australia’s automotive history.
By Alan Harman • July 24, 2008 -
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OEMs Focus on Technology, Standards at Convergence
The “Car Makers Speak” panel will gauge each OEM’s interest in various technologies and standards, such as FlexRay and Autosar, as well as open-source software development.
By Tom Murphy • July 23, 2008 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
‘Smart Intersection’ Safety Technology to Save Billions of Gallons of Gasoline
Ford’s research facility has several smart intersections that alert the driver through audio and visual signals when he is about to drive through a red light or run a stop sign.
By Byron Pope • July 16, 2008 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
New Technologies Free Up Space for More Stuff
Newer technologies are making it easier to fit more into less vehicle-interior space. For example, Ident NA Technology LLC sensors, as small as a fingertip, can be positioned throughout the vehicle and eliminate much of the wiring traditionally needed for power switches. Our sensors can be moved around the vehicle and used to increase volume and change stations, Stefan Donat, chief operating officer
By Derek Stark • July 1, 2008 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Lear Buys Share of Chinese Fabric Maker
In a Bid to Vertically Integrate Its global seating business, Lear Corp. acquires a 75% stake in the automotive fabric business of New Trend Group Co. Ltd., a privately held Chinese company founded in 1986. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The acquisition allows Lear, a leading global seat producer, to manufacture its own fabric, rather than relying on a handful of fabric suppliers, such as Milliken
July 1, 2008 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Has Diesel Had its Day?
Regulations to Remove Oxides of nitrogen from diesel exhaust and pressure to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions are shrouding the future of compression-ignition engines, and only time and engineering will tell if gasoline is on the verge of having its revenge in Europe. A study by the Center for Automotive Research in Germany says diesels will decline in Western Europe from the 2007 penetration level
By William Diem • July 1, 2008 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Australia’s Long, Winding Road to Improved Fuel Efficiency
Industry Minister Kim Carr compares changing the direction of the auto industry to trying to turn around an aircraft carrier.
By Alan Harman • June 18, 2008 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
’09 Mazda RX-8 to Get 100,000-Mile Engine Warranty
The 8-year/100,000-mile program is a sign of faith in the rotary engine and covers refreshed ’09 models, as well as ’04 through ’08 RX-8s with past service issues.
By Mike Sutton • June 11, 2008
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