2011 Chevrolet Cruze Compact Car Launch Delayed Till Next Fall

As U.S. carmakers get serious about building first-class compact cars, one of the most enthusiastically awaited entries is the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, which will face off against a entirely new 2012 Ford Focus as well as revised models of the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic as well as Nissan Sentra.

At present reports say that General Motors will push back the Cruze introduction by three months, from next spring or summer into the third quarter of 2010, to make sure a perfect launch.

The upside is that the extra time will permit all models of the Cruze--presumably meaning different trim levels--to be built prior to the car goes on sale.

The Cruze has received excellent reviews in Europe and Asia, where it is already on sale and it will be built for the U.S. market in GM's Lordstown, Ohio, plant.

Possibly the extra time is good, because the U.S. taxpayers who bailed out GM can only expect the 2011 Cruze does better than the first compact Chevrolet built there: the disreputably unreliable Chevrolet Vega.

The Cruze is powered by a turbocharged along with direct-injected 1.4-liter engine that will offer fuel efficiency as high as 40 miles per gallon, with the equal power as the 2.4-liter engine in today’s 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt and the Cobalt will remain in production until the launching of Cruze.

Driverless car parks by itself

If you are a person who would cheerfully hand over the task of parking your car to a computer, there might be a Volkswagen in your future.

Past weekend, Volkswagen Group of America as well as Stanford University's School of Engineering hosted a dedication ceremony on the Stanford campus for the new Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Laboratory (VAIL) that integrated the "first ever" self-directed parking demonstration by a driverless car.

The car, a VW Passat called Junior, was developed together by VW and Stanford and is the similar one that finished second in the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge. Driverless cars have come a long way since the first DARPA race in the year 2004, when not one competitor made it over the finish line, much less parallel-parked itself.

VW donated $5.75 million for the latest laboratory, which it called "the next step in the evolution of the two organizations' commitment to drive modernization in automotive development."

"When the new building opens early next year, Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Laboratory (VAIL) will offer a home on campus for faculty along with students from around the university to work up advanced automotive research," alleged Jim Plummer, dean of the Stanford School of Engineering.

The company furthermore unveiled the Pike's Peak Audi TT-S, the most recent iteration of driverless vehicles developed all the way through the VW-Stanford partnership.

The World's cheapest car catching on fire - literally

The world's cheapest car, the Tata Nano, is in fire in India as reports emerge of some of the models bursting into flames in recent times due to alleged circuit problems.

Three fires have been reported suddenly occurring in the steering columns of Nanos in India, where 7,500 motor vehicles have been delivered since July.

No injuries have been reported but one customer has refused to allow Tata to inspect the car and instead filed a police report, as per the US financial newspaper The Wall Street Journal.

Tata announced October 26 that they will carry out a pre-delivery audit of all new cars and will observe cars already in customer use, but have avoided the dreaded "recall" word thus far. The Indian automaker blamed the crisis on a short circuit in the switch that controls the headlights, windshield wipers along with the dashboard indicators.

The little Nano is called "The People's Car" due to its historically little price of around Rs 115,000 (€1,700). The car has already received an overwhelming 200,000 pre-orders in India and has revolutionized the way the globe looks at low-priced automobiles.

Almost 100,000 Nanos are likely to be sold nationally in 2010, with export plans in place for Nigeria in 2010 and for Europe in 2011, provided it passes safety testing. In this July, Tata announced its intentions to put up for sale the Nano in Latin America, through Italy's Fiat group, which has a tough presence there.

Japanese automakers' hydrogen vehicle drive

TOKYO – Imagine a car that can be refueled in minutes but emits just water. Sounds like science fiction? Actually it already exists -- Hollywood star Jamie Lee Curtis has one of this car. So does Honda president Takanobu Ito.

Yet while a few see them as the ultimate environmentally-friendly automobiles, the high production cost means that reasonably priced hydrogen-powered fuel-cell cars are still more of a dream than veracity.

Car manufacturers such as Honda, however, are making a renewed push behind the vehicles, which run on electricity generated as a result of a reaction among hydrogen and oxygen, belching out nothing more damaging than water vapor.

"We believe that the fuel-cell electric motor vehicle will be the ultimate form for automobiles in the future," Takanobu Ito added at the Tokyo Motor Show which opened Wednesday.

"It has advantages such as zero CO2 emissions in use and it can travel considerable distances without refueling and it can be quickly refueled," he added.

Honda previous year began delivering about 200 FCX Clarity hydrogen-powered cars on lease to US and Japanese customers, including some Hollywood celebrities.

Other automakers also spent more money on the technology, invented in the 19th century by the scientist William Robert Grove from Welsh.

Toyota, pioneer of hybrids powered by a petrol engine also by an electric motor, has said it plans to launch a fuel-cell car by the year 2015. It is applying its hybrid technology to the vehicles, swapping the petrol engine in favor of a fuel-cell stack.

"We cannot concentrate on just one technology," said Takeshi Uchiyamada, the chief engineer of the first-generation Prius hybrid.

Toyota president Akio Toyoda says he expects that sooner or later electric cars will be used for small distances and fuel-cell hybrids for long journeys.

Nissan as well as Mazda have developed their own fuel-cell vehicles and leased them to governments and corporate clients, whereas Suzuki Motor is showcasing a car, a wheelchair and scooter -- all motorized by fuel cells -- at the Tokyo Motor Show.

The very big challenge for manufacturers is to trim down the production cost of hydrogen-powered vehicles -- presently several hundred thousand dollars each.

"There is a feeling that by 2050 fuel cells will ultimately beat electric cars," alleged Ashvin Chotai, managing director of Intelligence Automotive Asia.

"In plenty of countries wherever electricity is generated with fossil fuels electric cars are still not a perfect solution, especially in places like China and India where a large number of the energy is produced with dirty coal," he said.

The primary goal of carmakers is for hydrogen for cars to be produced by electrolyzing water by means of renewable energy such as solar power.

Fuel cells have long been seen as an eco-friendly substitute to petrol, but for the moment the majority automakers are focusing their attention on hybrids and plug-in electric cars.

Supporters, on the other hand, see hydrogen-powered cars as the natural next step because they also make use of electricity but can be refueled more quickly than plug-in cars and can travel further sooner than the power runs out.

A few industry experts see a day when compact electric cars are used for short distances and fuel cells for bigger vehicles such as trucks, because hydrogen tanks need a lot of space.

In addition to the high cost, the lack of filling stations and the size as well as weight of the fuel-cell vehicles and present hurdles.

Previous month, Toyota, Honda, Renault-Nissan, Ford, Hyundai, General Motors, Daimler and Kia issued a joint plea for an adequate hydrogen infrastructure network to be built by 2015, from when they believe "a few hundred thousand" of the cars might be commercialized worldwide.

The cause got a very important boost last week when the US Congress approved 187 million dollars in funding for research into fuel cells, seen by followers as the ultimate zero-emission solution.

"There is no way around it. A fuel-cell car gives you power, distance... It gives you short refueling time," alleged George Hansen, GM's head of fuel-cell commercialization in the Asia-Pacific.

"The technology is there and ready to be used. At present it depends on whether governments are willing to get underway the infrastructure, and whether volume production will bring costs down," George Hansen added.

Indian Automaker to License New York Plant to manufacture Electric Cars

A newfound New York company plans to complete financing this year for a plant to manufacture electric cars and initiate rolling out the three-door, plug-in hatchbacks in late 2010 said by the company chief executive on Friday.

Paul Wimer, CEO of Bannon Automotive said at a news conference that Syracuse was selected over sites in Kentucky, Michigan and somewhere else because of its closeness to key markets and the "dogged pursuit" of the Freeport-based startup with local, state and federal officials.

Gov. David Paterson says that New York State is provide $6.76 million package of grants and tax incentives to Bannon, and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer says that he is trying to help Bannon to obtain $52 million in federal loans and loan guarantees.

Bannon will pay out $26.5 million for the plant.

The company has guaranteed an exclusive North American licensing deal with Reva Electric Car Co. of Bangalore, India, to assemble the NXR. Reva cars are currently sold across Asia and Europe.

Wimer said Bannon is finalizing selection of the plant site moreover the company is working to complete its financing by the end of 2009 and it hopes to begin producing cars by the end of the third quarter of 2010, he said.

The company will initially take up 100 workers, but expects to have 250 workers within three years. Wimer added that the plant will produce 15,000 to 20,000 cars a year.

If the company fails to produce the jobs it has promised, if this happens then the company has to pay back the money the state invests, plus interest, officials said.

The company will market no less than two versions of the NXR that will come with a range of options, including navigational and audio systems and climate control.

One model will operate on a lithium-ion-battery and it will reach a maximum speed of 65 mph with a range of 100 miles on a single household charge the cost of this electric car will be around $20,000 to $25000.Then we have the second city model which has the top speed of 50 mph, with a 50-mile range just by one charge of its cheaper lead-acid batteries and this vehicle will cost around $17000.

The company said it also elected central New York because of its physically powerful labor force, history of manufacturing, ties to universities along with commitment towards green technology. Syracuse is home to the state's Center for Excellence in Environmental as well as Energy Systems.

 

British car productivity fall slows

LONDON - CAR production in Britain drop by its smallest amount in a year last month, industry data showed on Friday, highlighting victory of the government's old-for-new scheme.

A sum of 119,616 cars were manufactured in Britain during September, a 16-percent fall out on the figure a year prior, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) added in a statement.

That compared with a 31.5 per cent fall in August, demonstrating the success of the scheme which gives buyers who trade in old cars 2,000 pounds (S$4,569) to a new vehicle.

Business Secretary Peter Mandelson added last month the initiative, which was introduced in May and was primitively due to end in February, would be extended.

Car production for the year until now - at nearly 695,000 units - is down 41.2 per cent compared with the January to September 2008 period.

Paul Everitt, the chief executive of Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders SMMT said: 'The rate of decline in new car production slow down to its lowest level in a year with the volume of vehicles being produced for the UK market relatively high. Demand is obviously being underpinned by the scrappage incentive scheme and the extension to the scheme will make sure that demand continues into 2010'.

Just-debuted $375,000 Toyota Lexus LFA supercar is coming soon to USA -- but will it sells?

Toyota became the massive hit of the Tokyo Motor Show yesterday with the debut of its $375,000 Lexus LFA supercar. The 747 freighter that will carry it to America is already warming up its engines.

Toyota plans to demonstrate the car at the SEMA aftermarket parts show in Las Vegas next month -- Drive On will also be there to bring you the blow-by-blow -- and the Los Angeles Auto Show in December. Whew! When you have got it, flaunt it.

But will Lexus sell any? We have to see the full specs, but if it performs as intended, more than little rich sports-car freaks may possibly defect from German and Italian exotics. But as is with most two-seated supercars, selling out all 500 that will be built isn't the point:

The goal is to obtain Lexus lovers' hearts pumping and get them to see Lexus in a new way. The LFA will be hand-built, so whether Toyota can sell plenty or a few isn't a big issue. What is a big issue is that each one can see that everyone can see that Lexus can kick sand in the face of BMW and Mercedes Benz and play in the similar sandbox as Ferrari.

Mark Templin, Lexus division group vice president and general manager said” Only 500 will ever be built worldwide, and each will be assembled based on customer order, offering an once-in-a-lifetime chance to be part of a small, exclusive group of individuals.”

Let us see about the performance. The LFA is a rear-wheel drive sports car with a 4.8-liter V-10 that puts out 552 horsepower. The top speed of Lexus LFA is 202 miles per hour, with a six-speed gearbox along with paddle shifters.

The car is all about dazzling weight reduction and the lightweight aluminum alloy suspension components is been complemented by carbon ceramic brake discs. The body is carbon fiber reinforced polymer and it is going to be done in-house: Rather than outsource this sophisticated materials technology, the LFA team is developing its personal carbon-fiber processes for ultimate quality control and to make a sound engineering investment during the future.

Sales of new cars increase 11.4 percent

Sales of branded new cars in Britain increased by more than 11 per cent last month, providing clean evidence of the motor industry's recovery from recession, new figures showed today.

There were 367,929 new car registrations in September 2009 which is 11.4 per cent more than the same month a year ago, as motorists sustained to take advantage of the scrappage scheme, in which they receive a £2,000 discount on vehicles more than 10 years old when they purchase a new model.

According to “The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders” (SMMT), today's figures showed the third monthly increase in a row after an increase of 6 per cent in August 2009 and 2.4 per cent in July 2009.

Chief executive Paul Everitt alleged: "Market conditions remain challenging with demand being underpinned by the extremely victorious scrappage incentive scheme.

"The extension of the scheme will help out to sustain demand throughout the latter part of this year and into 2010 and this will allow economic recovery to strengthen as well as safeguard valuable industrial capability."

September is a significant month for the car industry, with a new registration plate and sales worth more or less a fifth of the annual total.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reported that, about 1.5 million new cars have been sold in the year to date, losing 15.5 per cent on the same period last year.

Sales of private cars drove last month's increase, whereas fleet and business sales were mutually down. Fleet sales were 13 per cent lower than a year ago also by 25 per cent in the year to date, whereas business sales were 11 per cent down on the month and 29 per cent on the year to date.

The top 10 best-selling models in the previous month were the Ford Fiesta (22,635 sales), Vauxhall Corsa (16,379 sales), Ford Focus (13,622 sales), Vauxhall Astra (13,190 sales), VW Golf (11,787 sales), Peugeot 207 (9,161 sales), Mini (8,634 sales), BMW 3 Series (7,465 sales), Toyota Yaris (6,896 sales) and BMW 1 Series (6,671 sales).

The Ford Fiesta is the top-selling car in the year to date with sales of 92,580, followed by the Focus (73,864 sales), Corsa (67,955 sales), Astra (49,242 sales) and Golf (43,611 sales).

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said the car scrappage scheme sustained to boost up the market. Modest growth of 2.5 per cent had been forecast for September; however the scrappage scheme has been credited with boosting sales in recent months.

According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) , the week's proclamation by Business Secretary Lord Mandelson of an extension toward the scrappage scheme from £300 million to £400 million was an "extremely important decision" that would give more consumers the chance to buy a new car.

The sales of private cars rise by 41.3 per cent last month also year-to-date volumes are now within 1.9 per cent of last year's level, said the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Demand for little cars continued to grow, while alternatively fuelled vehicle registrations rose by 45 per cent in September 2009, due to new models.

The Ford Fiesta has been the top-selling model for 7 months in a row.

According to AA president Edmund King: "The boost up of new car sales is not just useful to the economy and employment but will also be a boost to the environment and road safety as the vast majority of cars bought beneath the scrappage scheme are cleaner, greener as well as safer than those they have replaced."

RAC motoring strategist Adrian Tink said: "Today's figures are a greeting sign for manufacturers as well as motorists alike. The scrappage scheme has clearly had some victory in driving sales and its extension will allow another 100,000 motorists the possibility to buy a cleaner, safer, more reliable car.

"Still, it remains to be seen how the industry will be impacted once the extension to the scheme ends, and as soon as VAT returns to 17.5 per cent in January."

Luxury car sales go up during recession

Luxury car sales rose by 10 per cent last month compared with the previous year, even as overall Canadian auto sales fell down by 3.5 per cent.

Audi, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Lexus all reported sales were up from September 2008.

Moreover their month-by-month sales numbers are even more impressive.

BMW lead the luxury segment in Canada in September 2009, with its sales up 50.1 per cent to 2,402, compared with August 2009.

Mercedes-Benz sales were up 24.9 per cent to 2,248, whereas Audi sales increased 17.1 per cent to 1,111, and Lexus sales increased 11.3 per cent to 1,504.

By contrast, General Motors sales declined by 23.4 per cent whereas Honda's sales were down 12.2 per cent and Toyota's sales were down 11.1 per cent.

Auto industry analyst Dennis DesRosiers said the figures should not be a surprise. Even in a recession, individuals with "real money" are looking for quality.

Dennis DesRosiers said carmakers have also introduced entry-level luxury vehicles, "so they have accommodated the luxury buyer that still wants luxury but is constrained on cost."
The head of Mercedes-Benz Canada said the luxury car manufacturers are familiar with what their customers want and have done a better job at serving them.

"The domestic manufacturers lost first their focus on quality, on improvement and on brand, and then they lost their customers, and the consumers were gained by the Japanese and Asian import brands," says Marcus Breitschwerdt, president as well as CEO of Mercedes-Benz Canada, told Canadian Press.

He also noted that sometimes it might be a better deal to buy a more expensive product that lasts longer and better fits your requirements.

"In the part of Germany where I am from originally, we constantly said, 'we are too poor to buy cheap'. So as an alternative of buying three times something which is economical but which is not really fitting your needs and maybe is not as durable or reliable, you would rather pay out a little bit more at the beginning and then have a 100 per cent perfect match."

Car Prototypes 2010-2011

10 things to buy a TATA NANO car

1. Does it actually cost Rs. 100,000? (About $2,000)?

Yes, but that is for the base model and without tax. The higher-end versions will cost more.

2. What makes Nano so cheap?

It is made with fewer materials than other cars, so it may costs less to produce. Tata Motors, headed by Ratan Tata, asked every one of its components makers to redesign their parts to reduce their weight and cost, but still perform well.

3. Does it have sufficient power to pass a truck on the highway?

Possibly a small truck. The Nano can do 0 to 100 km (0-62 mph) in 23 seconds. For most usual city driving, the two-cylinder engine would be fine; however it loses some of its power while the AC is running.

4. Will I feel cool to driving it?

Of course, it is a cute car. The exterior is imported Japanese as well as Korean steel, and even the fundamental model feels roomy inside. The vinyl seating on the basic model as well as rough plastic door locks, however, looks cheap.

5. How does Nano handle it?

Extremely well. After putting the engine in the rear to save space, Tata engineers reconfigured the rest of the car. The spare tire as well as gas tank is in the front, while the battery is under the driver seat. All that rearranging keeps the front axle weight balanced, and it also improves the handling of the car.

6. When will it be available outside India?

The Nano Europa is planned for 2011 in Europe. But there is no plan so far for the United States.

7. What will be the gas mileage?

The Nano weighs so small — just 600 kg or 1,322 lbs, half that of a Honda Accord — that it does not need much to run and it gets more than 20 km/l, or 47 miles/gal.

8. Will Nano increase the pollution?

The company says the Nano's CO2 emissions (110 g/km) are not as much of the high-end motorcycle. This is not a clean-burning car, so it will affix to the world's carbon emissions, nevertheless Tata Motors argues that if it replaces motorcycles and scooters, the net effect will be to lesser emissions from what they otherwise would have been.

9. Is Nano is safe to buy?

The Nano is built to meet up the safety standards of whatsoever country it is in. For India, that means crash tests, seat belts and fog lamps, but there is no airbags. As Nano car moves to other countries, it will scrupulously meet minimum standards, although Tata Motors is not trying to use safety features as a selling point.

10. How do you buy a Nano?

No, not online. Nano should be ordered in person starting mid-April at one of Tata Motors 470 outlets in India, however you won't be able to drive it home. The very first Nano will be on the road in June or else July.

Top 10 Most Fuel Efficient Cars to purchase

10. Yaris (auto) - MPG: 29 in City/35 in Highway/31 Combined

9. Ford Escape Hybrid FWD - MPG: 34 in City/31 in Highway/32 Combined

8. Volkswagon Jetta Diesel (auto) - MPG: 29 in City/40 in Highway/33 Combined


7. Toyota Camry Hybrid - MPG: 33 City/34 Highway/34 Combined

6. Nissan Altima Hybrid - MPG: 35 in City/33 in Highway/34 Combined


5. Smart Fortwo - MPG: 33 City/41 Highway/36 Combined

4. Ford Fusion Hybrid - MPG: 41 City/36 Highway/39 Combined

3. Honda Insight Hybrid - MPG: 40 in City/43 in Highway/41 Combined

2. Honda Civic Hybrid - MPG: 40 in City/45 in Highway/42 Combined

1. Toyota Prius (hybrid) - MPG: 51 in City/48 in Highway/50 Combined

Vehicle Transport Trailer and Truck Types

Deciding what vehicle transport trailer as well as truck type to use is a matter of your timeline, budget, moreover concern over your vehicle being exposed to the elements. Seek advice from your car transport service if you have any queries on what would work best for your car. Don’t forget to let your auto transporter know about special requirements or concerns; for example, if you are transporting an SUV, your vehicle has a low ground clearance, your vehicle is not running, or it has some mechanical problems, because these things can make some transportation methods superior than others.

Types for vehicle transport service

There are two most important types of trucks used for car transport service: tractor trailer trucks or a pick-up style truck normally called as hotshot. Tractor trailers are generally a better choice for discount auto shipping because they can tow more vehicles at once, but they are slower and have a tough time navigating residential areas. You may need to meet your driver in an open parking lot to freight and drop your car from a tractor trailer. Hotshot trucks are more expensive, but it can deliver your vehicle faster also have a much easier time navigating neighborhood streets.

Type 1: Enclosed vs. open car transport trailers

Whether you use either tractor trailer or a hotshot truck, you must have to decide on what type of car transport trailer you want for your vehicle. If you want your car protected from weather and road elements, the finest way to ship is an enclosed trailer, however enclosed trailers can charge as much as twice as an open trailer.

If you choose to ship your vehicle on an open trailer for that there are several types to choose from. Remember, your car will be completely or partially exposed towards the elements if you ship on an open trailer.

Type 2: Multi-car transport trailers

Multi-car trailers are open trailers that can carry three to twelve vehicles at once. Multi-car trailers have the best prices, but the time factor delivers your car. If you ship on a multi-car trailer, make sure to be on time for your pick up and delivery—keep in mind, other shippers are relying on you to make clear in your mind that all the vehicles on the trailer get to the right spot at the right moment. There is some argue about whether having your vehicle on the top or bottom rack is better. If your car is on the bottom, there is the possibility that oil from cars residing on top will drip down. On the other hand, as trucks pull into areas with trees, it is likely a car stored on the top rack will be hit by branches.

Single car trailers: open and flatbed

A single car transport trailer is an added type of open trailer. Usually these types of trailers are used to deliver a car as quickly as possible. In this type only one car be picked up and only one can be delivered. These types of trailers are more expensive than enclosed trailers.

At last, if your vehicle is over sized or has been modified, for that you may want to ship it on a flatbed trailer and the cost of a flatbed trailer will depend on how many items are on the trailer and how huge your car is.